Facing my Nemesis | Full Body Kettlebell Workout!

by Marianne  - August 5, 2011

Hi everyone,

One week, one week, one week …. til I go to America 😀 😀 😀

So, now I’ve got my excitement out of the way, I will tell you about today’s workout. It’s all kettlebells and I have FINALLY included the Kettlebell Snatch (aka “my Nemesis”)! You have all heard me moan and complain about this exercise and I have come to the conclusion that I have simply psyched myself out of it and it has now developed a mind-body block LOL! Am I the only one with this issue?

Anyway, I decided to face it today, and I hope I did alright.

There are so many different ways of performing the snatch that it’s any wonder so many of us have problems with it. Who’d have thought that “using the hips to accelerate the KB vertically to a lockout position overhead” would be so difficult to instruct and to perform. I actually believe this is a perfect example of how people over-complicate things. It is also a perfect example of how judgemental the fitness industry can be, because the snatch is one of those exercises that everyone has an opinion on! Especially by YouTube fitness “experts”, with no video uploads of their own,  who clearly lead by example …

… eek … I’ll stop now, before this turns into a super rant …

Can ya tell I’m self-conscious about my Kettlebell Snatch haha!! Hence the title “my nemesis” 😉

Moving on …

The Workout

Interval training with Kettlebells is great for everything. Building strength, speed, endurance, losing fat, developing co-ordination, stability, flexibility etc etc. And the best thing about it, is your training session need only be short in duration, because the intensity is high.

Set your Gymboss Interval Timer for either 24 cycles or 8 cycles of 15 seconds rest and 45 seconds effort and complete 3 continuous, or 3 separate rounds of the following 8 exercises:

BTW – My weights and reps per exercises are noted below in brackets.

  1. Double Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift Burpee (2 x 24kg) ( 8,8,7)
  2. Kettlebell Snatch (left) (14kg in first round, then 12kg) (11, 13, 13 )
  3. Kettlebell Snatch (right) (same as left) ( 12, 14, 16)
  4. Kettlebell Renegade Row (2 x 16kg ) (18, 16, 16 )
  5. Kettlebell Vertical Swing Burpee (20kg) (12, 12, 10)
  6. Kettlebell Thruster into Reverse Lunge (left) (16kg) (7, 6.5, 7)
  7. Kettlebell Thruster into Reverse Lunge (right) (16kg) (8, 7, 7.5 )
  8. Two-Handed Kettlebell Swing (20kg) (31, 30, 30 )

What a great workout, except for the snatches of course – but I shall persevere 😛

Beginners

  • Intervals set to 30/30 or set the reps for each exercise between 8 – 12 reps for all exercises bar the Swing, which you can do for time.
  • Replace the Renegade Rows with Bent Over Rows or Single Arm Rows
  • Vertical Swing minus burpee
  • Replace the KB Thruster + Lunge combo with either Goblet Thrusters, reverse lunge only, or front squat only.
  • Do 3 split rounds, not continuous and have a break of about 3 minutes in between each round.
  • If you are setting the reps, allow enough recovery between exercises that your heart rate falls and you feel more energised – but not to the extent that you cool down.

Hope you all enjoy this one. Let me know if you have a Nemesis exercise ?? 😉

Cheers

Marianne



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