Supersets with Kettlebells

by Brandon
(Virginia)

I began incorporating kettlebells into my regular workouts over 2 years ago and I have been extremely pleased with the results. The kettlebells let me do complex movements and full body exercises that add a unique element to my training routine.

My typical workout is 3 or 4 series of "supersets", which usually consist of 2 exercises that either work opposing muscle groups or target completely different muscle groups. For instance, a superset might consist of 8 reps on the bench press for the chest, followed immediately by dumbbell rows that target the back.

By introducing kettlebell exercises into my supersets, I was able to do more "work" because the exercises tend to utilize more muscles and muscle groups. For example, I might use the kettlebell clean and press, which works the legs, core, arms, and shoulders, followed by the kettlebell squat, which focuses more on the legs and core. But as you can see, this single superset works most of the body, while the first superset only works the chest and upper back.

I've also found that kettlebells can give you a great aerobic workout too. On "off" days I will often grab a lighter kettlebell and do a few hundred two-handed swings, or single-arm swings with a switch in between reps. I focus on form and do as many as I can, with short rest periods as needed, which really gives me an awesome cardio workout.

On other days, I'll take a kettlebell to our local running track and alternate 50 kettlebell swings with a lap around the track. Full body kettlebell swings combined with sprints make an awesome high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout!