1. J December 12, 2009 9:45 pm

   I’ve been training with KBs for four months, three with a personal trainer and the last month on my own. I did a lot of research and have developed a five day per week schedule that works for my goals. As a woman, and military wife, fat loss was my primary goal but the increase in strength that I have seen has been a wonderful surprise.
   A proper kettlebell workout is structured from five muscle groups/exercises:
   1.) Pressing
   2.) Pulling
   3.) Quads
   4.) Core
   5.) Hamstrings
   Ideally, one should choose one or two exercises from each group to make a workout. The exercises should be performed in the order I listed above to maximize proper form. When you are fresh you do your Military Presses or Jerks (Pressing) followed by Renegade Rows or Two Arm KB Rows (Pulling). Pressing and Pulling should be done together for optimal upper body development. Next work your quads, Single Leg Deadlifts or Goblin Squats. Next work your core; Leg Pass, KB Figure 8′s, Windmills and Slingshots. Finally finish with your Hamstrings; Alternating KB Cleans, High-Pull & Snatch Combo. Please note that all variations of KB Swings are also Hamstring exercises. For my purposes I add a 6th element to my workout that contains only swings. Swings are one of the most calorie-burning exercises you can do but they don’t require the precision of most Pressing and Pulling moves. I do combination sets of different swings to end each workout.
   The exercises I listed above are the ones I’m currently using and have found to be quite effective. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kettlebells.htm, this website has an extensive database of exercises and quite a few good KB articles.
   Check youtube.com for demonstrations of most KB moves.
   Concerning how many reps/sets and how long your workout should be; trust your body. I typically do 10-20 reps and 2-4 sets of each exercise per workout. When working out five or more days per week its not necessary to train to exhaustion. I use a 25 pound bell for everything except for swings. For swings I use either a 35 pound or two 25 pound bells. My workouts last about 40 minutes using one exercise from each of the five categories and about 100 swings to close it out. I wind-down with an additional 20 minutes of yoga type stretching.
   I struggled with how often to workout. My trainer told me the max I needed was three times per week, but I didn’t feel I was getting the best results. One source I found wrote about the effectiveness of training 5-7 days per week with slightly less intensity than you would with only 2-3 days per week. Personally, I’ve found this to be the right answer for me. I no longer get sore from workouts and feel energized by intense daily activity.
   I would advise training with a RKC instructor if possible when first starting out. Many KB exercises require precise form and most people need more than a workout DVD to master this. Learning it right from the beginning will better serve you in the long run. I bought my bells at a local Dick’s Sporting Goods store. I have the ‘GoFit’ brand which I DO NOT RECOMMEND. The bells are not flat on the bottom which makes exercises like Renegade Rows almost impossible.
   Finally, even with the best possible KB workout, if you want fat loss you should pay attention to your diet. Check out The Warrior Diet, it may seem extreme at first but I’ve been practicing it for the last month and have had amazing results. I don’t crave junk food anymore and I’m within five pounds of my weight goal (even with putting on five pounds of muscle from KB)!
   BEST OF LUCK!

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