Don't Want to Waste Time at the Gym? Try This Kettlebell Workout
30 minutes is all you need to get ripped
Do you find gyms intimidating, inconvenient, or expensive? What if you don’t have endless hours to waste doing hard exercises and commuting to the gym? The Simple and Sinister workout might be your ticket to fitness.
Reasons for you to do kettlebell training instead of going to a gym:
It builds endurance and core strength while giving you cardio AT THE SAME TIME.
It’s simple and straightforward.
It doesn’t require a lot of equipment or space.
The workouts are short (15 to 30 minutes)
It will make you rock solid and anti-fragile.
“The kettlebell swing is known to improve the deadlift of elite powerlifters — and the running times of high-level endurance runners.” — Pavel Tsatsouline
This training program is based on Simple and Sinister, by Pavel Tsatsouline. This is anti-fragility training. Follow his advice, and you definitely won’t be a fragile flower. It helps build muscle and lose fat, and is a huge boost to your overall health.
You can build a solid iron kettlebell core in your own body.
Disclaimer: This is a sample of the Simple and Sinister book and fitness plan based on my experiences and is for information only. It is not intended to replace the advice of certified fitness instructors. Nor will it be a good substitute for reading the book yourself. You are responsible for keeping yourself safe and exercising responsibly.
Kettlebell Simple and Sinister, by Pavel Tsatsouline
The book Simple and Sinister has over 6000 Amazon reviews, average rating 4.7.
Here is the book blurb:
Learn how to use the extreme hand-held gym from the man who started the kettlebell revolution.
Simple & Sinister will physically prepare you for almost anything life could throw at you, from carrying a piano upstairs or holding your own in a street fight.Simple & Sinister will forge a fighter's physique because the form must follow the function.
Simple & Sinister will give you the strength, the stamina, and the suppleness to play any sport recreationally and play it well.
If you are a serious athlete, Simple & Sinister will serve as a perfect foundation for your sport-specific training.
If you are a serious lifter, Simple & Sinister will build your strength, rather than interfere with it.
Simple & Sinister® will achieve all of the above while leaving you plenty of time and energy to do your duty, your job, practice your sport, and have a life. — Kettlebell Simple and Sinister
Do you want to make yourself fall-proof for when you get older? Then pay attention! This workout will do the job.
Starting Kettlebell Sizes
Here are some starting weight recommendations for beginners to the Simple and Sinister program.
Average woman — 18, 26, or 35 lbs kettlebell
Strong woman — 26, 35, or 44 lbs
Average man — 35 or 53 lbs
Strong man — 53 or 70 lbs
“If you are wondering what strong is, you are probably not there yet.” — Pavel Tsatsouline.
Don’t be a hero and go too big too fast. I started with a 20 lb kettlebell and moved up quickly to a 35 lb.
Warm-Up
Do these three drills in a set of three circuits before your main workout.
Prying goblet squats — squats holding the kettlebell in both hands, then bracing your elbows against your knees at the bottom of a flat-footed squat. Pry your knees apart with your elbows by moving side to side in a rocking motion.
Glute bridge — lie on your back and go into a yoga bridge pose while holding a shoe, rolled towel, or yoga block between your knees. The goal is not to hold this position but to achieve maximum pelvis lift.
Halos — holding a light kettlebell upside down, slowly circle the weight around your head with both hands- five circles in each direction, stopping at the chest on each pass. I use a 20lb bell for this.
Swings
The main workout is to do 100 swings, in sets of 10 reps.
Depending on your weight and skill level, you might be doing two-handed swings or 50 left-handed and 50 right-handed swings. The swings should be explosive, with an exhalation on the way up and inhaling as the kettlebell comes back down.
Start with two-handed swings and practice your form until you have it right. Then, move on to one-handed.
Hike the bell back towards you and swing it between your legs
Drive with your hips to swing the kettlebell up
Arms stay straight and loose, with a firm hand grip
The swing should only go as high as your shoulders
Breathe out forcefully on the swing-up
Breathe in on the way down
Make each swing powerful and at full force. If you are getting too tired to go full force, take a break and let your breathing back down to the “I’m able to hold a conversation” level.
Breathe deeply and evenly between sets until you are ready to begin again.
The Turkish Get-up
Get-ups involve lying on your back while holding a kettlebell or other weight straight above you with one arm. Then you get to your feet. After standing up, you work your way down to flat on your back again. Your arm and the weight must stay pointed straight at the sky for the entire movement.
The best thing is to start with a very light object (or just your fist) and practice the movements to get comfortable with them before attempting any weight.
Lie on your back, right hand holding the weight straight up, right leg bent, and foot planted around 45 degrees to the right
push with your right leg and turn with your left elbow down
keep that right arm straight up as you go from a sitting position to standing
Reverse the motions until you are flat on your back. Keep that weight straight above you the whole time with your arm extended.
This is a hard movement to perfect. When I started doing this workout, I practiced the movement for a couple of weeks without the kettlebell, until all of the steps came easily to me. Then I added the weight.
If this exercise doesn’t sound like it will make you tougher than nails from hell, watch this:
After The Work, Stretches
There are two stretches for after your workout.
90/90 Stretch — sitting on the floor on your left hip, place your left leg in front of you bent at a 90-degree angle. Your right leg is placed at a right angle to your side. Then lean forward into the stretch. Reverse leg positions to place your right leg flat at a right angle in front of you and left leg at a right handle on the floor to your left, bend forward to stretch.
QL Straddle — Sit in a straddle position with legs spread wide. Reach your right arm overhead, then lean and reach with your right hand toward your left foot. The left arm is straight forward on the floor in front. Breathe deeply and melt into the stretch. Repeat on the opposite side.
The Simple And Sinister Goal Line
Your goal in this plan is to be able to complete the following number of swings and get-ups with the following weights:
Simple: 100 one-armed swings in sets of 10 in five minutes, with a 52 lb bell for women and 70 lbs for men
Simple: Five get-ups per arm in sets of one in 10 minutes after the swings, with 35lbs for women and 70 lbs for men
Getting fit enough to pull this challenge off is going to take some work! But once you make it, there’s another, more sinister level to try for:
Sinister: 100 one-armed swings in sets of 10 in five minutes, with a 70 lb bell for women and 106 lbs for men
Sinister: Five get-ups per arm in sets of one in 10 minutes after the swings, with 53lbs for women and 106 lbs for men
Free App to Keep Track
You can find it here: Sinister Kettlebell app. It has a quick description with a video of each exercise for a great little reference if you forget the exact movements.
The Turkish Get-up Targets Everything, Including Your Soul.
Kettlebells can work the whole body
Simple and Sinister is a great long-term fitness plan
Twenty to thirty minutes a day is all it takes
You can do this at home, beside your RV (
) , or pretty much anywhere.
To learn more about this weapon against weakness, find the book on Amazon here, or at the School of Strength, StrongFirst.
I’m a big fan of kettlebells. Several years ago I gave Simple and Sinister a solid go, but the program minimum just wasn’t enough. Pavel’s claims are a bit too optimistic. I lost cardio by just doing this and no long steady state.
Now I use kettlebells as a supplement to my other workouts. Once or twice a week I do Dan John’s 10,000 swing workout for just 3 rounds and it’s a beast!
I`ve got a good amount of equipment at home already, somehow the kettleball has not made its way yet.
After reading your article I know where to upgrade.