It is hard to imagine anyone getting excited about doing cardio training. I mean, who looks forward to running on a treadmill, using an elliptical machine, or even worse, using the stair climber? Fortunately there is a much more fun and effective way to work cardio training into your training regimen and it starts with one kettlebell. A kettlebell looks like a bowling ball with a handle on it. They come in all sizes from as light as 8lbs to as challenging as 105lbs. For the purpose of building endurance and conditioning, most men will start with a 35-53lb kettlbell and most women will start with a 16-26lb bell.
There are many fantastic kettlebell exercises that work well for cardio such as high repetition clean and jerks or high repetition snatches. However, the kettlebell swing is the best exercise for any beginner to start as it is not a technically demanding exercise to learn and technique does not break down as easily when fatigue builds.
Here is how a swing is done:
Place one kettlebell between your feet. Push your butt back and bend your knees slightly to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and keep your head in a neutral position. Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully as if you are passing a football to someone behind you. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebell to chest level. Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat. Remember that the swing is a posterior chain exercise and this is where all of the power is generated. It is not a front raise. Avoid crush gripping the kettlebell handle as this will cause you to fatigue prematurely. Use just enough tension to keep the bell in place. Stay relaxed and fluid on each repetition.
There are several ways to add the kettlebell swing to your routine. One way you could use it is as a finisher at the end of your strength training workouts. For example, do three sets of fifteen with each arm on the one-arm swing at the end of a workout. Take 30-45 second breaks in between each set. I like to do this after heavy deadlift workouts as the swing really helps eradicate the tightness that often comes with heavy deadlift training.
Another option is to ten sets of 15-20 reps each side on a different day. Take very short breaks in between each set such as 30-45 second breaks. Once you get the form down try passing the bell from hand to hand every ten reps for ten minutes straight without putting the bell down. This not only builds serious conditioning, but also structural integrity. Structural integrity is the ability to work against resistance for a sustained period.
Finally, I often combine double kettlebell swings with sledgehammer tire strikes. If you're unclear about the double swing, it's done with two kettlebells, like this:
This combination works extremely well for building serious conditioning. I like to hit a tire as hard as possible with a 20lb hammer for thirty repetitions and then immediately do ten to fifteen double kettlbell swings with two 70lb kettlebells. Not sure about the sledgehammer tire strikes? Here's what they look like:
After combining the swings and tire-strikes, I take a short break such as 45-60 second after a round of work and continue for ten sets. This workout is a killer and you will be way too busy working your tail off to get even remotely bored.
Cardio training doesn't have to be boring! Trade in the boring forms of cardio you are currently doing for kettlbell training and you will be glad you did.
