Tarantula Workout

Intermediate / Advanced Level

Tarantula is a Kettlebell focused workout consisting of 8 rounds. You perform 8 reps on 3 different exercises. It's tough on the lower body and requires good mobility and flexibility. Make sure you warm-up fully before proceeding with this workout.

INstruction

8 Rounds

• Single Arm Thruster x 8 reps (each side)

• Pistol Squats x 8 reps (each side)

• Reverse Lunge x 8 reps (each side)

This workout is against the clock, but you don’t want to jeopardise technique for speed. Correct movement is the most important aspect of all workouts. You can approach the workout in two ways. It is all single sided movements so I would recommend you perform each exercise on each side of the body before proceeding to the next exercise. If you wish to make the workout harder you could perform all exercises on one side, and then repeat on the opposite side. This would require a higher skill set and more muscular endurance. Try to move swiftly in the transitions from one exercise to the next and rest as needed after the final exercise (Reverse Lunges).

Single Arm Thruster

The Single Thruster combines two exercises into one; a Front Squat and an Overhead Press. They can also be performed with barbells, or dumbells. The Single Thruster is an effective exercise for a multitude of goals because it forces the entire body to work together.

Benefit

The Single Thruster is a great exercise to develop strength in the posterior chain group of muscles and power in the arms, back shoulders and core. It also links the upper-body and lower-body as one unit to build whole-body functional strength.

INSTRUCTION

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Clean one kettlebell into the rack position. Relax the arms with the shoulders positioned back and down. (See Fig. 1)
2. Sit back onto your heels lowering yourself to the ground, moving your hips backwards as if sitting in a chair. Remember to keep the back straight with the chest held high.
3. Descend into the lowest squat possible aiming to get your hamstrings touching your calves. It’s not necessary but you will develop more power the lower you initially squat. (See Fig. 2)
4. Keeping your weight onto your heels, drive the hips upwards fully extending the hips and knees. Use this power to drive the kettlebell overhead until a lockout is achieved. Make sure you bring your head past the arm so your ear is level with your biceps. (See Fig. 3)
5. As the kettlebell is released from overhead, you want to descend back into squat. Repeat the movement from point 2.

Pistol Squat

The Pistol Squat is one of the most demanding and beneficial lower body exercises around. It will help you to exert power through the entire range of motion.

Benefit

As with regular squats the pistol 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. But it is the combination of skills that the exercise develops simultaneously; balance, strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination, that make it one of the most difficult yet important exercises to learn.

INSTRUCTION

You must be able to get full depth on a regular two legged squat before even attempting a pistol squat. By full depth you should be aiming to get your hamstrings to touch your calves. If you can’t do this on a two legged squat do not proceed to attempt a pistol squat until you can. Try to master the Pistol firstly without any weight then bring the kettlebell into your thoughts. Alternate legs after each Pistol Squat.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the kettlebell either by the handle or with your hands round the ball with the thumb and first finger around the handle. You can also rack the kettlebell and hold it in this position, though this is much trickier when performing the movement so I recommend you try this after you have once mastered it. (See Fig. 1)
2. Extend one leg out in front and try to steady your balance. Extend your arms so that you are holding the kettlebell out in front and away from the body
3. Sit back onto your heel lowering yourself to the ground, moving your hips backwards as if sitting in a chair. The weight of the kettlebell should counterbalance you sitting back, by pulling you forward slightly keeping your centre of gravity in the right position. Your heel should remain flat on the floor. (See Fig. 2)
4. Descend into the lowest squat possible with your hamstrings touching your calves. Keep the extended leg off the floor. Hold this position for a second to gather your balance and focus. (See Fig.3)
5. Keep your weight on your heels, drive the hips upwards fully extending the hip and knee until a lockout is achieved. Repeat the movement from point 3.

Reverse Lunge

The Reverse Lunge is one of the best functional exercises around. Alongside squats, the Reverse Lunge should be one of the base exercises in your fitness program regardless of your goals.

Benefit

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

INSTRUCTION

For the reverse lunge you can hold the kettlebell in various positions; hands holding the bottom with the handle facing upwards, or with your hands around the ball and the handle resting close to your collarbone, you can hold the kettlebell down by your side. For racked reverse lunges you want to hold the handle in the corner, the handle should rest on an angle from the inside of the thumb to the lower palm.

1. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Clean one or two kettlebells into the rack position. Clasp the fingers so the kettlebell(s) are locked in position. Relax the arms with the shoulders positioned back and down. Alternatively hold the kettlebell down by your side. (See Fig.1)
2. Step backward with one leg. If you cleaned one kettlebell, step back with the opposite side leg to the arm your holding the kettlebell with. Descend into the lowest lunge possible aiming to get the knee of the same leg within inches of the floor. Your feet should remain facing forward with your weight balanced evenly. Remember to keep the back straight with the chest held high. (See Fig. 2)
3. Keep the weight onto the heel of the front leg, drive the hips up and forwards to return to the start position. Repeat the movement from point 2. Perform 8 reps per leg.