Get Cut Like a Jack-O-Lantern Kettlebell Workout

What’s up guys! It’s hard to believe that October is already here and soon Halloween will be knocking on our door.  What the @!&@# happened! Personally, I love the months of September/October. As much as I love summer, the warm weather, going to the beach and not having to bundle up in a million layers, fall is one of the best times of the year. The air is crisp, the changing of the leaves are awesome and as great as summer is, it’s great to have a break from 90 degree weather with humidity. Fall adds balance and symmetry to the year.

As we train, balance and symmetry are also what we are chasing with our workouts. Whether you are seeking symmetry just for aesthetics or muscular balance and control to be better able to move and perform outside the gym, balance is a key component to that. Balance from our left to right side and front and back of our bodies.

With that in mind, today’s kettlebell workout will focus on unilateral movements combined with supersets. Supersets are performing two exercises back to back with no rest in-between. If you haven’t used supersets before they are a great way to really up the intensity factor and get yourself going. Not only that but they can allow you to pack in more work in less time. There are many ways to do supersets but for this workout we’ll have you targeting the same muscles for each pair of exercises.  

So get ready to push yourself with this pre-Halloween workout, but most of all have fun with it and keep challenging yourself!

 
Get cut like a Jack-O-lantern kettlebell workout
 

Perform each pair of exercises then rest; repeat the same pair for 3 (or 4) sets  

Sets: 3x (4 if being ambitious)

Reps: 15

Put the candy down...It's time to get cut like a jack-o-lantern kettlebell workout

Rest: 45 seconds between supersets  

** Perform a dynamic warm-up to prep your body to train**

Let's Get Started

1A.) Single arm overhead shoulder press

1B.) Single arm upright row

(do both these exercises for reps on one side and then transfer over and do the same on the other side)


2A)  Bent over single arm row, elbow in close to the body leaving your hand in a neutral grip postion

2B) 2 arm kettlebell swing X 2 (1 set after each set of rows)

(do the row for reps on one side, the kettlebell swing, then transfer over and do row on the other side followed by another kettlebell swing)


3A) Single arm press laying on the floor

3B) Push-ups – as many as possible (AMAP)

  1. Regress this exercise if you need to. Knee pushups, or pushups on a raised surface will work. Keep form good! Put your knees down or work at an angle if your pushup form looks like a wet noddle with no core/trunk stability


4A) Single leg squat (weight held by your side on the same side as your squatting leg)

  1. Regress to two legged squats if your balance or strength won’t allow you to single leg squat yet. Hold the kettlebell in the rack position for this regression. Each circuit switch up which side you hold the weight on.

4B) Single leg deadlift (hold the weight in the OPPOSITE hand from the leg you are standing on)

  1. Regress to two feet on the ground and two hands on the kettlebell if unable to stand on 1 leg


5A) Seated Russian twist

5B) Crunches – 20-50 reps depending on ability

Chris Hale, On-line Personal Trainer at Awakened Nutrition