Seven Up Workout

Intermediate / Advanced Level

Seven Up is a relatively simple to execute Kettlebell workout, but it is hard on your strength endurance. By the end of the workout you would have amassed a total of 343 reps. There’s no time limit but you want to move efficiently and with speed to get through it as quick as possible. Any time around 20 minutes is a nice target to aim for. Make sure you warm-up fully before proceeding with this workout.

Two Hand Swings

Two Hand Swings are one of the foundation movement patterns for all the ballistic based kettlebell exercises. If you can’t perform Two Hand Swings with correct technique you will not be able to progress to the other ballistic movements, such as the clean and the snatch. The swing teaches the key motions and principles behind these movements.

Benefit

Two Hand Swings are an excellent whole body conditioning exercise that will build fantastic posterior chain strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness as well as core conditioning and power.

INSTRUCTION

1. Stand behind the kettlebell with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the waist and push your hips away keeping your knees over your ankles (think dead-lift). As you pull the kettlebell back, relax the arms and maintain a neutral position with the head.(See Fig. 1)
2. Push the kettlebell away from the body using the elastic energy in your hips to propel it upwards. Relax the arms, let the legs, hips and back do all the work. This should be a fluid motion.
3. On the upswing the kettlebell should reach chest height. At the top of the motion make sure you have a quadruple extension – ankles, knees, hips and torso. (See Fig. 2)
4. As the kettlebell goes into the downswing, bend slightly at the knees, forward at the hips, and push your hips backwards actively pushing the kettlebell between your legs. All the time making sure the back and head maintain a neutral position. This will help to develop flexibility in the posterior chain. Repeat the movement from point 2.

Overhead Press

The Kettlebell Overhead Press is generally more challenging exercise when compared with its dumbbell brother. There is a constant pulling of the weight from the centreline of the body, which is great for the core and stabilizing muscles.

Benefit

The Kettlebell Overhead Press is a great exercise to develop flexibility, strength, muscular endurance and power in the arms, back, shoulders and core.

INSTRUCTION

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the kettlebell with both hands round the ball and the handle resting near your collarbone. Make sure you have a quadruple extension – ankles, knees, hips and torso. (See Fig. 1)
2. Keep the legs locked out and press the kettlebell upwards in a straight line extending the arms and generating the power through the shoulders. Your glutes, abdominals and quadriceps should all be tense. (See Fig. 2)
3. On the descent elevate the shoulder slightly to help decelerate the kettlebell and absorb the impact as it returns to the rack position. Repeat the movement from point 2.

Goblet Squats

The Goblet Squat is a familiar movement pattern most commonly performed as a warm-up before squatting with a barbell. It’s generally accepted that the Kettlebell Goblet Squat is a valuable exercise in any athletes or everyday person’s training arsenal.

Benefit

The Goblet Squat is an excellent lower body conditioning exercise that will build fantastic posterior chain strength and muscular endurance as well as core conditioning and power.

INSTRUCTION

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with the toes pointing out. Hold the kettlebell in a comfortable, safe manner in-front of your chest. Either by the handles or with your hands round the ball. Tuck the elbows in and position the shoulders back and down. (See Fig. 1)
2. Sit back onto your heels lowering yourself to the ground, pushing your knees out. Remember to keep the back straight with the chest held high. Don’t let the Kettlebell drop down from in-front of your chest.
3. Descend into the lowest squat possible, your elbows should finish on the inside of the knees, with the knees pushed out, and the chest held high. (See Fig. 2)
4. Keeping your weight onto your heels, drive the hips upwards fully extending the hips and knees until a lockout is achieved.

Windmills

To train your abdominals in a fully functional manner you can’t go wrong with the windmill. If you’re training to develop a lean torso the windmill is a must for any training programme. The Windmill is one of my favourite exercises of all abdominal and core exercises performed with kettlebells.

Benefit

The Windmill will help develop posterior chain flexibility, core conditioning and fantastic strength in shoulder stabilisation.

INSTRUCTION

1. Begin on the right side. Once the kettlebell has been pressed overhead make sure the handle is set at an angle from the inside of the thumb to the lower palm. Your hands should remain open or in a false grip position, but never clasping the handle. This will help with grip and forearm fatigue.
2. Once overhead, reposition the feet if needs be. They should be no wider than shoulder width apart with the toes facing to the left. Vice versa for the when performing the exercise on the left side. Make sure your glutes, abdominals and lats are all tense. (See Fig. 1)
3. Look up at the kettlebell. Bend at the waist and push your hips away, try to keep your left knee over your ankle and the right leg straight. Lower the chest down, bringing your left arm down the inside of the left leg towards the floor. Your arms should form a straight line from the kettlebell all the way to the floor. You should feel a strain in the hamstring of the right leg, and a pull in the oblique’s on the right side. Aim to get your left hand as close to the floor as possible. (see Fig. 2)
4. To return to the start position, push up through the heel of the left leg and with control use your abdominals, particularly your oblique’s, to drive the upper-body back up to a standing position. All the time maintaining the fixed stare at the kettlebell. Repeat the movement from point 3 for as long as desired.

Overhead Lunges

The Overhead Lunge is one of the best functional exercises around. Functional exercises are exercises which work your body in multiple planes of motion like activities of daily living. Alongside squats, the overhead lunge should be one of the base exercises in your fitness program regardless of your goals.

Benefit

The Overhead Lunge is an excellent lower body conditioning exercise that can help to improve lower-body strength and muscular endurance in multi planes as well as improving your core conditioning, balance and stabilization for any specific movement patterns.

INSTRUCTION

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Clean and press a kettlebell into an overhead locked out position. Keep your eyes focused on the position of the kettlebell. Relax the arms with the shoulders positioned back and down. (See Fig. 1)
2. Step forward with one leg and descend into the lowest lunge possible aiming to get the knee of your back leg within inches of the floor. Your feet should remain facing forward with your weight balanced evenly. (See Fig. 2)
3. Keep the weight onto the heel of the front leg, drive the hips up and backwards to return to the start position.

Push-Ups

Kettlebell Push-Ups are generally more challenging than standard push-ups. But it is not a requirement here. Kettlebell Push-Ups are a great exercise for the core and stabilising muscles. A familiar movement would usually be performed with dumbbells and barbells on a bench.

Benefit

Kettlebell Push-Ups are an excellent upper-body exercise to build strength, muscular endurance and power; perfect for muscle isolation whilst tying in the core and working the chest and arms.

INSTRUCTION

1. If you are using kettlebells for this place two about shoulder width apart on the floor. Making sure they are flat, come into a push-up position with your hands on the handles. The grip should be neutral with your fingers underneath the handle. If you are performing this without kettlebells position your hands on the floor directly underneath your shoulders. (See Fig. 1)
2. Keeping your torso straight lower yourself towards the floor, bending at the elbows and feeling the tension across the chest. Maintain a neutral spine throughout.
3. As you hit the lowest point, steadily and carefully push back up, straightening the arms back out. Repeat the movement from point 2. (See Fig. 2)

Double Crunches

Benefit

Double Crunches are a great abdominal exercise because they emphasise both the lower and upper portions of the stomach at the same time.

INSTRUCTION

1. Lie on the floor. Hold the kettlebell with both hands round the ball and the handle resting near your collarbone, your elbows should be tucked into your side. Your shoulders should be positioned back and down with your abdominals tense. The legs should be flat out.
2. Press the kettlebell upwards in a straight line above the chest extending the arms, and generating the power through the chest, shoulders and arms.
3. Keeping a slight bend in the elbow bring the kettlebell over your head extending the arms out. Before the kettlebell handle touches the floor, tighten up the lats and begin to bring the kettlebell back over your head. (See Fig. 1)
4. Aim to curl your spine from the floor whilst bringing the kettlebell back over head. At the same time bring your legs to a 90 degree angle. Your knees should finish directly above your hips, and your ankles should remain in line with your knees throughout the movement.
5. As you crunch extend the arms and reach the kettlebell over the front of your shins. Remembering to make sure that the knees don’t travel past the hips. Keep the abdominals tense throughout. (See Fig. 2)
6. To reverse the movement extend the legs and arms trying not to let the lower back arch. You may need to be careful how far you reach overhead and how far you extend the legs. Go as far as is comfortable. Think about rolling your spine back into the floor with control using your abdominals. Do not let your legs or the kettlebell drop to the floor. Repeat the movement from point 3 for as long as desired.