Kettlebell Pre-blast – Fall 2021

Kettlebell Pre-blast – Fall 2021

The next 12 weeks of Swole, Meathead, and Olympus will focus on workouts from the book More Kettlebell Muscle by Geoff Neupert. This book is based on complexes (a series of compound exercises performed sequentially with the same weight and without rest. All the reps of one exercise are completed before moving on to the next exercise in the sequence) and chains (a series of compound exercises performed sequentially in which each exercise is performed once before the sequence is started again. Each time the sequence is performed is considered one repetition.)

This is a complex:

• Double swing (DSW) x 5
• Double high pull (DHP) x 5
• Double snatch (DSN) x 5
• Double front squat (DFS) x 5

This is a chain:

• (DSW + DHP + DSN + DFS) x 5

Complexes build up local muscular fatigue quickly, so the work you can perform is limited by the weakest exercise in the complex. Chains spread the fatigue over more muscle groups, allowing you to do more work overall.

All of the workouts in this program can be performed as complexes or chains, giving the Q the opportunity to inject a little variety into them. While all of these workouts are written for double bells, pax can modify to single bells if they are less experienced, working through injury, or need to deload a bit. #youvsyou

The workout should be structured as follows: warm-up, MKM program, and finisher (easy strength, another complex/chain, carries, Mary). The only part of the workout that is programmed is the MKM portion, the rest is up to the Q.

We will work through two 6-week programs from the book. The workouts will be the same each day of the week, but the # of sets and work:rest ratio will vary over time.

The first workout is called The Wolf and it’s based on the squat because “the legs feed the wolf.” The second workout is called Clean ‘Em Up 2.0. As you can imagine, it’s based on the double clean.

The schedule can be found here.

Exercise reference:

• DCL = Double clean
• DFS = Double front squat
• DMP = Double military press
• DSW = Double swing
• DSN = Double snatch
• DHP = Double high pull
• DJK = Double jerk
• DRW = Double row

We don’t do a lot of jerks, so feel free to substitute push presses. If you plan to do the jerk, keep in mind these cues:

The Jerk is a “3-D” exercise:

1. Dip – Keeping your torso vetical, dip down with a quick, shallow, quarter squat.
2. Drive – At the bottom of the quarter squat, reverse the squat and quickly stand up, driving the bells off your chest, guiding with the arms, to at least the top of your head.
3. Drop – When the bells have passed over the top of your head, quickly drop back into a squat while fixing the kettlebells overhead by locking out your arms. You will “wedge” yourself between the ground and the kettlebells.