{"id":4120,"date":"2013-06-21T23:20:57","date_gmt":"2013-06-21T21:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.knottinbotswana.com\/kib_blog\/?p=4120"},"modified":"2013-06-21T23:46:02","modified_gmt":"2013-06-21T21:46:02","slug":"tabata-bodyweight-kettlebell-circuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.knottinbotswana.com\/index.php\/2013\/06\/tabata-bodyweight-kettlebell-circuits\/","title":{"rendered":"Tabata Bodyweight and Kettlebell Circuits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"10kgI’m not a fan of weight-lifting or hanging out in gyms, and also don’t want to have to lug a heap of equipment round with me (we’ll ignore the mountain bikes and rowing machine, for now) when I move to new projects.<\/p>\n

Intervals have featured in my running and rowing sessions, and also form part of the hundredpushups <\/a>\/ twohundredsitups <\/a>\/ twohundredsquats <\/a>\/ onefiftydips <\/a>\/ twentyfivepullups<\/a> programmes that I have toyed with at various points in the last few years.<\/p>\n

When I then discovered kettlebells and Tabata<\/a>, what better thing than to combine them?<\/p>\n

Being cynical I don’t see that the “classical” 4-minute Tabata workout (8 x 20 second effort\/10 second rest) really has any benefit, so mine are extended. And repeated when time and fitness permit.<\/p>\n

The links above will take you to some basic guides on good form and training plans to get you into a state where you can do a full minute’s worth of each.<\/p>\n

My kettlebell circuit is from Men’s Fitness<\/a>, and, just in case it disappears, here’s a pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I start by hooking up the HRM and loading some music (Prodigy, dubstep, Chemical Brothers…), then set the Tabata clock:<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Tabata<\/a>
Tabata Clock settings for a 6 station bodyweight workout.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Round 1<\/strong><\/span> (Work: 60, Rest: 30, Rounds 6).<\/p>\n

START bip bip bip crack!<\/strong> (hit start on your HRM, if you’re using one)<\/em><\/p>\n

Execute as many as you can between the whipcrack and the bell, use the 30 second rest period to note down how many you managed.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pushups<\/li>\n
  2. Crunches<\/li>\n
  3. Pull-ups and chin-ups (3 or 4 of each, change, repeat)<\/li>\n
  4. Tricep dips<\/li>\n
  5. Ab roller<\/li>\n
  6. Squats<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    FANFARE!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This should take you to 8:30, take a break here, pull out the kettlebells and set up for:<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"Tabata<\/a>
    Tabata Clock settings for a 12 station x 12 rep kettlebell workout.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Round 2<\/strong><\/span> (Work: 30, Rest: 30, Rounds: 12)<\/p>\n

    I’m currently comfortable doing 12 reps with 10kg ‘bells – adjust the weight so you can do 12 reps in the time available.<\/p>\n

    When your stopwatch shows 10:50<\/p>\n

    START bip bip bip crack!<\/strong> (11:00 elapsed)<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Swing (extra challenge: keep ‘bell body in line with your arms)<\/li>\n
    2. Squat (extra: hold the handle and invert the kettlebell during whole movement)<\/li>\n
    3. Shelf Left (extra: keep ”bell in line with arms)<\/li>\n
    4. Shelf Right<\/li>\n
    5. Power to the People Left<\/li>\n
    6. Power to the People Right<\/li>\n
    7. Row<\/li>\n
    8. Curl<\/li>\n
    9. Chest Press or Fly or a hybrid (I do it flat on floor and bring the ‘bells together in the air)<\/li>\n
    10. Unnamed: single ‘bell held in one hand, steadied by other hand 12 reps left hand in 15 secs, 12 reps right hand in 15 secs<\/li>\n
    11. Situp<\/li>\n
    12. Russian Twist: 12 full movements side to side and back (I count Left 1 Right 2 Left 3 … Right 24)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      FANFARE!<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Timer should now be on 22:30 elapsed (11:00 from Round 1 plus rest and 11:30 from the hard part of Round 2)<\/p>\n