I had lots of great feedback the last time I posted a 1 bell workout, since many of you own just one kettlebell, so I came up with a new one for you. This looks simple enough, but when it’s all said and done, you end up with 300 swings, not to mention your strength work too!
It’s important to note that this is intended for people who already have a solid foundation of the following kettlebell exercises: 1 hand swing, press, squat, deadlift and row. This post and video is not intended to teach you these exercises, just to show you how to put them together into a great workout. If you are not familiar with these exercises, please seek out a certified RKC kettlebell instructor to teach you proper technique!
Each set is split into two parts:
Part 1:
5 1 hand swings
5 presses
5 squats
10 1 hand swings
Do all of your reps on the left side without putting the bell down, then take a brief rest, about 15 seconds. Do all of your reps on the right side and then take a little longer rest, about 60 seconds, before moving on to part 2.
Part 2:
5 1 hand swings
5 single arm deadlifts
5 1 arm rows
10 1 hand swings
After your 1 hand swings, park the bell between your feet for the deadlift and row, then step back to start your last 10 1 hand swings. Do all reps on the left, rest about 15 seconds then do all reps on the right.
Rest 1-2 minutes before starting over with part 1. Do 5 total sets. This will only take about 30 – 35 minutes to complete.
If you’re not able to press your kettlebell for 5 reps, do as many as you can. You can also do cleans in place of your presses or drop down to do pushups on the bell in place of presses.
This workout is also pretty easy to modify for more advanced people. One option is to start with 5 cleans or 5 snatches instead of 1 arm swings. Another option is to start with 5 cleans and end with 10 snatches. If you’re feeling really adventurous you can do 5 snatches to start, and then 10 snatches to end each set. OR, if you’re crunched for time and have 2 kettlebells, you can do the whole thing as a killer double kettlebell workout.
Here’s a video that shows you how it’s done, with a couple of the modifications. Enjoy!