Benefits Of Using Kettlebells To Work Out Your Legs

(See 00:44 in the video above)

“Kettlebells are easier to manage than barbells and plates,” says Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education. If you don’t have access to a gym, or you need to train in hotel rooms due to frequent travel, the kettlebell is the more practical option than conventional free weights. Furthermore, you don’t need a wide array of poundages to get a good workout for any body part. One 16-kilo kettlebell can make for a pretty grueling routine.

The shape and design of the kettlebell allows you to move it in ways that can’t be done with other implements. This means you can train your legs while holding the weight aloft, in front of you, while rotating, and otherwise moving in multiple planes in order to get a unique training effect that prepares you for the movements you’ll make in everyday life and sports. The offset load, however, is what made kettlebells famous. “The bell’s center of gravity is set at a distance from its handle,” says Heins, meaning that you’ll have to work much harder to control the weight than you would with a dumbbell. That raises the stakes on every exercise you do, increasing the benefit to your stability and overall body control.

Why And How To Do The Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift

(See 01:27 in the video)

“Just because we have a greater sense of evenness when standing on two legs doesn’t mean both sides are doing their part evenly,” says Heins. Everyone has strength imbalances between sides, and while you’ll probably never smooth them out completely, it’s worth it to at least try to minimize the discrepancy. The single-leg deadlift strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and adductors in each leg in turn, while improving your balance and body control on one leg. Single-leg training also lets you work through a greater range of motion, and that helps with mobility. All of these things are important for preventing injury, as lopsided strength and mobility between limbs can set you up for accidents. You’ll also find that when each leg works better on its own, the two will come together to produce more force on your bilateral exercises, such as conventional deadlifts and back squats.

Here’s how to perform the single-leg kettlebell deadlift with good form.

Step 1. Hold a kettlebell with both hands at arm‘s length in front of you. Retract and depress your shoulders—think: “proud chest.” Now stand with feet hip-width apart and pick your left foot up off the floor an inch or two (just high enough so it doesn’t scrape the floor when you begin your reps).

Step 2. Soften your right knee so there’s a slight bend, and begin pushing your hips straight back as if to touch a wall behind you. This motion is called a hip hinge, and it’s the same type of movement you’d perform in any deadlift variation.

Step 3. Push your left leg back and straighten it as you hinge at the hips, and try to keep the leg moving in a straight line, as if you were aiming to touch a target that was directly behind you. If you have trouble balancing, you can gently tap your left foot to the floor as you go, but try to keep it elevated. The left leg will serve as a sort of kickstand that supports you while you train the right leg.

Keep a long spine from your head to your tailbone as you bend your hips—don’t let your back round forward. Stop when you feel a good stretch in your right glutes and hamstrings.

Step 4. Extend your hips to come back up to standing tall, touch your foot down to reset, and repeat for reps. Afterward, switch legs and do your reps on the left leg.

Heins says to grip the floor with your foot as much as possible. (If possible, do the exercise in socks or bare feet so you can make better use of your toes). “Your weight should shift to your heel as you hinge,” says Heins. “Push your foot into the floor, and that will create stability up the chain.” Also, avoid twisting your hips and shoulders to either side. Strive to keep both square to the floor at all times.

Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift Alternatives

(See 06:20 in the video)

If you’re fairly new to lifting or don’t have a lot of single-leg work under your belt, your biggest challenge may be keeping your balance. In this case, try what Heins calls the sliding single-leg deadlift, where you’ll rely more on the kickstand leg to provide stability.

Sliding Single-Leg Deadlift

(See 06:40 in the video)

Step 1. Set up as you did for the single-leg deadlift but keep the toes of your left foot on the floor and raise your heel.

Step 2. Now bend your hips back and slide your left foot gently along the floor. Maintain contact with the floor throughout the set so you keep balance.

If even the sliding single-leg deadlift feels like a high-wire act, regress the movement one step further to the staggered-stance deadlift (also called a B-stance deadlift). All you have to do is split your legs and hinge the hips. The staggered stance takes a lot of balance out of the equation but still allows you to emphasize one leg over the other, so you get the benefits of unilateral training.

Staggered-Stance Deadlift

(See 07:05 in the video)

Step 1. Stand with your left foot a bit behind the right one so your left toes are in line with your right heel.

Step 2. Perform your hip hinge as normal, using the left leg only to maintain balance.

Yet another option is to hold the kettlebell at your chest rather than at arm’s length. By keeping the weight closer to your body, you’ll have better control of it and can focus almost exclusively on the deadlift motion itself. “The chest-held single-leg deadlift is a good way to instigate sitting back deeper into your hinge,” says Heins.

Chest-Held Single-Leg Deadlift

(See 08:02 in the video)

Step 1. You know the drill… Do any of the single-leg deadlift movements described above but with the bottom of the kettlebell held tight to your sternum and your chest proud.

Sample Kettlebell Leg Workout

(See 09:30 in the video)

Here’s a workout that incorporates the single-leg deadlift with other movements that build strong, balanced, and muscular legs.

DIRECTIONS

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set of each in sequence without rest in between. Afterward, rest 2 minutes, and repeat the circuit for 3–5 total rounds.

1. Single-Leg Deadlift (Any Variation of the Above)

Reps: 10 (each side)

2. Kneeling Leg Extension

(See 10:23 in the video)

Reps: 5–10

Step 1. Get on your knees and hold a light kettlebell at chest level. Flatten the top of your feet into the floor. (You may want to put a towel or mat under you to protect your knees.)

Step 2. Keeping your hips locked out, SLOWLY bend your knees, allowing yourself to fall backward under control until you feel a big stretch in your quads. Stop before you lose control of the movement, and extend your knees to come back up.

Not only is this a challenging exercise, but it can be hard on your knees and quads if you’re not warmed up, so ease into this slowly after you’ve done a thorough warmup (see the video below!).

3. Single-Rack High-Knee March

(See 10:52 in the video)

Reps: 10 (each side)

Step 1. Hold the kettlebell in your right hand at shoulder level and stand with feet hip-distance apart.

Step 2. Drive your right foot into the floor while you raise your left knee up as high as you can. Lower it, and repeat on the other leg. After 10 reps, switch the kettlebell to your left hand.

4. Modified Sumo Squat To Figure-Four

(See 11:24 in the video)

Reps: 3 (each side)

Step 1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes out as far as you can. Hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest.

Step 2. Squat as deeply as you can, pushing your knees out as you descend. Keep your chest facing forward and maintain a long spine from your head to your tailbone—don’t let your pelvis tuck under (stop short of where it does).

Step 3. Extend your hips and knees to stand up tall again and then turn your body to your left, raise your right leg in front of you, and rest it against your left leg in a figure-four position. Depending on your mobility, you can rest the leg above the knee or against your shin—either is fine.

Release the right leg, return to the modified sumo stance, squat, and repeat the figure-four on the other side.

How To Stretch Your Legs Before Working Out

Perform the following mobility routine from Onnit-certified coach Eric Leija (@primal.swoledier) before you take on the workout above. It will stretch out your hips, glutes, and hamstrings for the work to come, and raise your core temperature for safer training.

How Often Should You Train Your legs?

(See 12:28 in the Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift video)

You can perform the workout outlined above three days per week on non-consecutive days. Heins says you could do it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and perform your upper-body work on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Discover more single-leg training options, such as the B-stance hip thrust.

The post A Pro’s Kettlebell Leg Workout With The Single-Leg Deadlift appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Is The Advantage of Using Kettlebells Over Dumbbells? – 00:19

The two implements are similar but different. See why kettlebells are the athletes’ choice.

How Do You Hold A Kettlebell Properly? – 01:18

Tips on getting the most control of your movements.

What Kettlebell Weight Should I Use? – 01:43

Find out which weight increment is right for you, whether you’re a man or woman.

What Kettlebell Exercises Should I Start With? – 02:14

A basic beginner’s routine.

How Can I Use A Kettlebell To Burn Fat? – 02:39

Here’s how to set up a kettlebell workout to promote fat loss.

How Can I Use A Kettlebell To Build Muscle? – 03:08

Here’s a strategy for gaining muscle and strength.

Can I Start Training With Kettlebells, Or Do I Need Something Easier? – 03:25

Find out the prerequisites for kettlebell training… or not?

How Can I Keep From Smacking My Wrist With The Kettlebell? – 04:08

How to clean a kettlebell safely.

What Should I Look For In A Kettlebell? – 04:42

A quick buyer’s guide for bells, including features to look for.

Are Kettlebells Good For Athletes? – 05:14

Here’s what kettlebells can do for sports performance.

How Can I Learn To Do Kettlebell Flows? – 06:04

Connect your exercises to create flow routines that challenge your body while giving your mind the freedom to express itself.

For more kettlebell exercises and beginner-focused training tips, check out our Full-Body Kettlebell Workout for Beginners.

The post Kettlebell Training FAQs appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Traditional kettlebell zealots favor the so-called Russian swing, where the weight is swung to around chest level with arms bent, while maverick coaches argue for the version that’s perhaps become more popular in America—swinging the weight clear overhead with arms extended.

We say both have their place and that, ultimately, the argument for one at the exclusion of the other is, like so many political debates, mere propaganda. We asked Onnit Director of Fitness Education, Shane Heins, to compare and contrast the two exercises so you can choose which side you wish to align yourself.

What’s The Difference Between The Russian Kettlebell Swing and The American Kettlebell Swing

(See 00:10 in the video above.)

“The father of modern kettlebell training who revitalized its use in the West is Pavel Tsatsouline,” says Heins. Beginning around the turn of the century, Tsatsouline—a coach of Eastern European origin—taught and popularized kettlebell training mechanics around the U.S. Pavel primarily demonstrated the Russian version of the swing, raising the bell to between waist and chest height, because that’s the way it was traditionally taught in Russia, the kettlebell’s motherland.

Heins notes that swinging in this fashion is less challenging to learn and more accessible to most people than swinging the weight overhead (the American style), and so this technique caught on. The swing in general gained a following because it was a simple way to add power to a training program—a quality that most general population fitness seekers ignore—as well as a good way to teach hip hinging. (Most of us bend at the waist and spine when we need to learn to drive our hips back).

“As awareness of kettlebell training grew, practitioners started exploring other variations of the swing,” says Heins, “with CrossFitters promoting a swing style where the arms travel overhead.” This has since come to be known as the American swing. “Naturally, controversy ensued about which version was the safest and most effective,” says Heins, “but if you really look at them, they’re essentially the same exercise, with some minor differences that make one a better choice for some people and the other the right choice for others.” To assure you that there really shouldn’t be any bad blood between the two sides, Heins notes that Pavel—the “Russian coach”—has also taught the American swing, and featured it in his programs. Peace at last…

How To Do The Russian Kettlebell Swing

For a really intricate look at the mechanics of the Russian swing (often just called the “kettlebell swing”), see our complete guide to the kettlebell swing. (Also, watch the video above, beginning at 3:30.) Once you’re familiar with the concept of the swing, it really boils down to two steps.

Step 1. Stand with feet between hip and shoulder width. You can place the kettlebell on the floor in front of you if you have experience hiking the weight back into position, or you can simply begin from a standing position—either are OK. In both cases, once the kettlebell is in hand, soften your knees and bend your hips back and allow the kettlebell to swing back in the triangular space between your knees and your crotch. You must begin each rep with the kettlebell in this triangle—any lower than your knees and you risk back injury and improper reps. Keep a long spine from the top of your head to your tailbone as you bend at the hips, and keep your head in neutral—focus your eyes on a spot about 10 feet in front of you on the floor.

Step 2. Drive your feet into the floor and extend your hips, tucking your pelvis under as you lock your hips and knees out and stand tall. Use your back muscles to keep your shoulders pulled down (away from your ears). Allow the power from your hips to raise the weight up to roughly chest level—don’t lift the weight with your shoulders. Your arms should stay tight to your sides at the top of the swing, but allow your elbows to bend as needed.

Take a few reps to gradually swing the kettlebell to its full height and find your rhythm.

Benefits of the Russian Kettlebell Swing

(See 14:30 in the video.)

The Russian kettlebell swing uses a shorter range of motion and doesn’t require good overhead body mechanics, so it’s ideal for using heavy weight and developing power. To be clear, you’ll be able to train heavier and build more hip extension strength and power with the Russian swing vs. the American one. Since it serves as a foundation for the American swing, it only makes sense for beginners to master the Russian version first.

How To Do The American Kettlebell Swing

The great challenge for many people when it comes to the American kettlebell swing is the overhead position. Can you raise your arms overhead without hyperextending your back? Can you get your arms vertical, or is your range of motion limited? Do you have any shoulder injuries that might make raising a weight straight overhead painful or uncomfortable? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then Heins suggests you hold off on the American swing for a bit while you work on shoulder and T-spine mobility and otherwise address any restrictions you have. Otherwise, if you’re good to go, here’s how to do it right (see 10:43 in the video).

Step 1. Set up exactly as you did for the Russian swing, and begin the exercise by swinging the weight back between your legs and then extending your hips.

Step 2. Instead of keeping your arms tight to your sides and bending the elbows, allow the power generated by your hips to let you drive the kettlebell overhead, extending your arms instead of holding the weight back. Let the kettlebell travel overhead—it should feel weightless as it goes vertical—and then control its descent back down.

Be careful that you keep your ribs pulled down, pelvis tucked, and core tight. If you allow your ribs to flare, you will hyperextend your back and will lose control of the swing as it moves overhead.

Benefits of the American Kettlebell Swing

The American swing takes the kettlebell over a greater range of motion, which is more challenging to total-body stability. Your core, as well as your overhead range, will be tested. It’s a great way to build strength in the shoulders as well as mobility that supplements any kettlebell pressing movements you do, and a fun variation to employ in general once you’ve got the Russian swing under your belt. What you sacrifice in power in the American swing you can make up for in work capacity. Because the range of motion is longer and the overhead position more precarious, the American swing doesn’t lend itself to heavy loads like the Russian one does. But it can be done for high reps and short rest periods, building your conditioning.

Should I Use The Russian or American Kettlebell Swing?

In the real Cold War between the U.S and the U.S.S.R., both sides were right… or, at least, thought they were right. The conflict between the Russian and American kettlebell swings, fortunately, is much easier to resolve. Try both, as both have their merits. If you’re a newbie to kettlebells, conquer the Russian swing. Likewise if you have shoulder troubles. But if you’re healthy and seeking a tougher conditioning workout with light weight, give the American version a go.

The post Kettlebell Cold War: American Vs. Russian Kettlebell Swing appeared first on Onnit Academy.

How Many Times Per Week Should I Lift Weights?

Most people fall into one of two camps: they either don’t like training that much and go to the gym two or three days a week just to do the minimum, or they LOVE to lift and they go four, five, six, or maybe even seven straight days. The truth is, both approaches can yield significant results for both types of people, and to understand why, we have to look at the concept of training volume—the number of hard, growth-producing sets you do for a muscle group in a training week.

By hard sets we mean your “work” sets, not warmups. These are the sets that really count—the ones you take to failure, or close to it (i.e., the point at which you can’t do another rep with good form).

The question to ask yourself, then, isn’t “How often should I lift?” but “How much work do I want to do in each workout?” and “How much can I recover from?”

The majority of research on training teaches us a few things.

1. A muscle needs at least 48 hours rest before it can be worked again. So, if you train chest on Monday afternoon, you probably shouldn’t do any more sets for the pecs before Wednesday afternoon at the earliest, if building muscle is your main goal. The more sets you do, the more time you’ll need to recover.

2. The MAXIMUM amount of volume that a muscle group can handle in a single workout seems to be about 10 sets, but many people will grow from a lot fewer than that. Furthermore, 10 sets per WEEK, or slightly more, appears to be enough volume to stimulate gains (see the paper from the IUSCA linked above).

3. The frequency of your training is really just a way to manage the total amount of volume you do. So if you want to be in the gym as little as possible, do more work in each session, and if you like going more often, do less—or break up the muscles you train so that each major area gets its own session and you get several days’ break before training the same muscles again.

Now let’s look at what this means in real life.

Basically, if building muscle is your goal, you should aim for AROUND 10 sets for each muscle group per WEEK (any seven-day period). If you’re new to lifting or feel like you’re a little overtrained, start with closer to five sets and work your way up only as needed (it’s always best to aim for the minimum effective dose). Now the way you divide those five to 10 sets up is entirely up to you. You could do all 5–10 sets in one workout, 5 sets in two different workouts, 3 sets across three different workouts, or any number of other variables.

Most coaches will tell you that people who want to be as efficient as possible and minimize their time in the gym should train their whole body in one session two or three times per week. For example, Monday and Friday, or Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. With this kind of program, you can go in and do one or two exercises for each major muscle group, and maybe 2-3 sets for each. This will certainly give the regular Joe who just wants the minimum effective dose enough work to see results, and it’s still a good guideline for more serious, advanced lifters who like to do full-body workouts as well. Note that muscles never work in total isolation, and there’s typically a lot of carryover between exercises. For example, any pressing movement will work your triceps along with your chest and shoulders, so you probably don’t need a lot of direct triceps work if you’re already doing several sets of pressing. The glutes and hamstrings tend to work as a unit on leg exercises as well.

Sample 3-Day Full-Body Split

Monday

Back squat – 3 sets x 5 reps

Dumbbell bench press – 2 sets x 6–8 reps

One-arm dumbbell row – 2 sets x 8–10 reps

Biceps curl – 3 sets x 8–10

Wednesday

Military press – 3 sets x 5 reps

Weighted chinup – 2 sets x 6–10 reps

Leg curl – 3 sets x 6–8 reps

Triceps pushdown – 3 sets x 8–10

Friday

Cable row – 2 sets x 6 reps

Reverse lunge – 2 sets x 6–8

Romanian deadlift – 2 sets x 8–10 reps

Pushup – 2 sets x AMRAP

In the above example, the quads get worked Monday and Friday (squats, reverse lunges) for five total sets per week. The glutes get about seven sets between Monday and Friday (squat, reverse lunge, RDL), while the hamstrings get five (leg curl, RDL). The pushing muscles (pecs, shoulders, and triceps) get hit with the two pressing exercises and the pushups (about seven sets), and the back and other miscellaneous pulling muscles get worked with the rows and chinups for seven total sets. 

For those who love to train and really want to develop each muscle to its potential, you can do an upper-lower split or even a body-part split, where you train each muscle twice in a four to seven-day period. For example, you could do legs on Monday, a push-pull workout for the chest, shoulders, back, and arms Tuesday, take Wednesday off, then another leg day on Thursday and another upper day Friday. Note that while you spend more time working one area of the body at a time, the actual volume per muscle group is similar to the example shown above. Your total number of sets in a week is still in the five to 10 range.

Sample Upper-Lower Split

Monday (Lower Body)

Front squat – 2 x 6–8

Walking lunge – 2 x 8–10

Glute bridge – 3 x 5–8

Stiff-legged deadlift – 3 x 8–10

Tuesday (Upper Body)

Bench press – 3 x 5–7

Weighted pullup – 3 x 5–8

Dumbbell shoulder press – 2 x 6–8

Lateral raise – 2 x 8–10

Rear-delt flye – 2 x 8–10

Lying triceps extension – 3 x 8–10

Wednesday (Off)

Thursday (Lower Body)

Deadlift – 3 x 5

Leg press – 2 x 8–10

Back extension – 2 x 10–12

Leg curl – 2 x 8–10

Friday (Upper Body)

Military press – 3 x 5–8

One-arm dumbbell row – 2 x 6–10

Cable Flye – 2 x 6–8

Incline dumbbell curl – 3 x 6–10

Saturday (Off)

Sunday (Repeat Cycle)

Another example: You could train legs Monday, chest and shoulders Tuesday, take Wednesday off, train back and rear delts on Thursday, train calves and arms Friday, take Saturday off, and start the cycle with legs again Sunday.

Sample Body-Part Split

Monday (Legs)

Seated leg curl – 3 x 8–10

Bulgarian split squat – 1 x 6–10

Machine squat – 2 x 6–10

Hip thrust – 2 x 6–8

Tuesday (Chest and Shoulders)

Incline dumbbell bench press – 2 x 6–8

Low-to-high cable flye – 2 x 8–10

Cable lateral raise – 2 x 8–10

Machine shoulder press – 2 x 6–8

Wednesday (Off)

Thursday (Back and Rear Delts)

Weighted chinup – 2 x 5–8

Lat pulldown – 2 x 6–10

Cable row – 2 x 6–8

Dumbbell shrug – 2 x 6–8

Cable rear delt flye – 2 x 8–10

Friday (Calves and Arms)

Calf raise on leg press – 2 x 6–10

Dumbbell curl – 2 x 6–8

Triceps pushdown – 2 x 6–8

Cable curl – 2 x 8–10

Dip – 2 x 8–10

Hammer curl – 1 x 8–10

Saturday (Off)

Sunday (Repeat Cycle)

In these cases, you’d do roughly 3–6 sets per body part in EACH WORKOUT, totaling between 6 and 12 sets in a 7-day period.

If I Work Out More, Will I Build More Muscle?

The majority of the research does NOT SHOW ANY ADVANTAGE to higher training frequencies for muscle OR strength when volume is equated [2, 3]. That means that if you do five sets for chest, two days per week, you should make the SAME GAINS as you would doing two sets five times per week, or 10 sets in one day per week. The total amount of work is 10 sets either way, so the stimulus is roughly the same. Muscle research expert Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, author of Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy, sums it up in his book with the following: “These findings indicate that, as a standalone variable, frequency does not have much impact on muscle development; it seems that its primary utility is to act as a vehicle to manage weekly volume.”

With that said, most coaches agree that training intensity is a greater factor in gaining muscle than training volume. It’s a matter of efficiency. Most people are probably better served doing fewer sets and taking them closer to failure and training slightly more often (as opposed to marathon workouts for one muscle at a time, such as a chest day, back day, shoulder day, etc.). The more sets you do, the more fatigue you build, and that can make it difficult to recover from workouts and get stronger. So you’re probably better off doing four hard sets of chest in one session than 10 in one shot (four of which may be hard, followed by six sets that are lower quality due to your being tired). Most trainees seem to find that training muscles twice in seven days is the sweet spot, splitting their total volume down the middle and doing half in each session.

So you can tell your buddies who bench press EVERY day that they’re not going to get a bigger chest than if they benched just once or twice a week.

Is There A Way To Know If My Training Is Working?

If this all seems confusing, just remember this: progressive overload is the most important factor in the process of gaining muscle. If you can add reps and/or weight to most of your exercises each time you repeat a workout, i.e. you’re GETTING STRONGER, you’re getting enough volume and frequency to see gains.

See how to pair a proper nutrition program with your training with our guide to How To Set Up Your Diet for Fat Loss or Muscle Gain.

The post How Often Should You Lift To Build Muscle? appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Is The Kettlebell Windmill?

(See 00:27 in the video above.)

Unlike barbells with globes on each end or gladiator boots, the windmill hasn’t been lost to history. Modern kettlebell practitioners still regard it as a cornerstone exercise due to its diverse benefits and applications. To understand the windmill, you have to first study up on the basic hip hinge movement.

A hip hinge is a fundamental movement pattern and lays the foundation for all the body’s major power moves. Keeping a long spine from your head to your tailbone, you bend your hips back until your glutes and hamstrings are stretched—this prepares them to shorten explosively, and when they do, you can jump, run, shoot, hit, or otherwise burst forward with tremendous power. (Picture any deadlift variation, a glute bridge, or a basic athletic “ready” position—they all feature a hip hinge of various degrees.)

Mastering the hinge also trains your body to use the strength and mobility of your hips to support your weight when you bend, as opposed to letting your lower back take the brunt of it, and that helps protect the back from injury.

A kettlebell windmill starts with a hip hinge, but rather than bend your hips straight back, you’ll bend them about 45 degrees to one side. This intensifies the stretch on your posterior muscles, one side at a time, while preparing you to move in the frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotational) planes as well as front to back—a boon to virtually any athlete, as sports require multidirectional movement.

On top of the hip hinge, you have to maintain the lockout position of an overhead press to complete a kettlebell windmill. Holding your arm overhead with a heavy weight in hand makes for a great challenge when you begin to arc your body down into the hip hinge, and the combination strengthens everything from the shoulder through the core and hips.

How To Perform The Kettlebell Windmill

(See 07:10 in the video.)

Step 1. Hold a kettlebell with your left hand at shoulder level. Stand with your feet between hip and shoulder-width, and turn your feet 45 degrees to the right.

Step 2. Keeping your knees locked straight, kick your left hip out and back about 45 degrees, pressing the kettlebell overhead as you do so. Your spine should stay long and straight from your head to your tailbone.

You should now feel your left leg supporting the majority of your weight. Your shoulder should also be drawn down—don’t shrug as you press. There should be a significant gap between your head and your arm when the weight is overhead.

Step 3. Stand up straight. NOW you’re ready to really begin the windmill. Keep your eyes on the kettlebell throughout the movement. Kick your hip out again and begin hinging, pushing your hips back at that 45-degree angle as far as you can while maintaining that long spine position.

Drive your knuckles up toward the ceiling as you lower your torso down. STOP packing your shoulder down and let it move. Thinking about the movement as punching the ceiling will help create space in the shoulder joint that allows the rotation that lets you complete the movement safely.

Step 4. Slide your right hand down your right leg so it acts as a guardrail while you hinge. Lower your body as far as you can without losing your straight spine position—aim to touch the floor with your fingers (but if you’re new to windmills, don’t expect to be able to do this right away).

Step 5. To stand up straight again, drive up through your fist, imagining there’s a cord tied to it and it’s pulling you up.

Note that the windmill may be too hard to do with your knees locked. You may also have trouble keeping your arm overhead or achieving any significant range of motion. This is perfectly normal if you’re new to rotational training, so don’t be discouraged. Check out the Kettlebell Windmill Variations section below for alternatives that will help you build up to doing the classic windmill.

Benefits of Training With The Kettlebell Windmill

(See 01:10 in the video.)

The kettlebell windmill is a strength program, rehab clinic, and anti-aging treatment all rolled into one. Here are the key selling points.

Lateral strength and mobility

“We lose lateral movement capacity as we age,” says Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education. That is, our ability to move side to side declines, largely due to lack of use. Even if you’re a young buck, you may already notice that it’s harder for you to bend and twist and shuffle your feet laterally than it was when you were a school-age kid, and you have much less control over those movements than you do bending and flexing front and back. “Loss of this range leads to pain in the shoulder, low back, hips, and knees,” says Heins, because, when your movement is limited, some joints and muscles take on more load than they’re supposed to in picking up the slack for the parts that don’t move so well. Know someone who suffers from sciatica? They probably don’t move very well side to side.

Think about it like this: if your body can’t give an inch laterally, it’s going to have to work that much harder moving front to back, and that increases the risk for injury. Say you’re playing football and an opponent tackles you. Do you think you can absorb the hit better if your body can roll with the impact, or if you have to take it straight on because you’re too stiff to go with the flow?

As you’ll see when you practice it, the kettlebell windmill stretches the crap out of your sides, hips, core, and leg muscles, restoring some of the range that may be slipping away from you. With that restoration comes a greater capacity to move and express strength with movement.

Increased rotation

When you begin to open up your ability to move laterally, you improve your capacity for rotation as well. Proper twisting and turning generates power just as hip hinging does, so it promotes athletic performance, and it also takes pressure off the spine.

Better shoulder function

The shoulders have the most mobile joints in the body, but they’re also the most unstable. Balancing a kettlebell overhead while you contort your body underneath it requires your rotator cuff muscles to brace your shoulder hard to keep your arm in a safe position. As you develop stability, you’ll reduce your risk of shoulder injury, and establish a more solid foundation for strong overhead and chest pressing of any kind.

Slow the aging process

We’re not exaggerating. “As we age,” says Heins, “loss of access to overhead range of motion is one of the primary sources of ongoing decline.” Because we don’t play sports as often and gradually reduce our activity levels, we do less and less overhead reaching, “and not being able to reach overhead minimizes how often we extend our spine back and flex it laterally.” It’s a chain reaction that leads to less movement overall, and that in turn leads to a less active lifestyle and all the risks associated with a lack of activity (i.e., early death!).

The windmill, then, is pretty much an anti-aging hack, maintaining the skill of full shoulder flexion as well as hip hinging and lateral movement so that you remain mobile in 360 degrees, no matter how many years go by and where your fitness journey takes you.

What Muscles Do I Use When Doing Kettlebell Windmills?

(See 03:05 in the video.)

It’s also not an exaggeration to say that the kettlebell windmill works darn near every muscle you own. Even your neck muscles must work in a stabilizing capacity. Here’s a list of the big (and some small) movers that you can count on to get trained by windmills.

• Deltoids (shoulders)
• Rotator cuff
• Trapezius (upper back)
• Rhomboids (middle back)
• Lats (the big muscles on the sides of your back)
• Triceps
• Forearms
• Core (obliques in particular, the muscles on the sides of your abs)
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Adductors (groin)
• Calves

Kettlebell Windmill Variations

(See 10:50 in the video.)

The kettlebell windmill can be very challenging when you’re not used to hinging your hips at a funny angle. You probably won’t have the range of motion to do a full, strict windmill at first, but that’s fine. Some slight modifications will allow you to do the basic movement safely and still get most of the benefits. If the classic windmill isn’t working for you, start experimenting with these variations.

Bent-Leg Windmill

(See 11:12 in the video.)

Do the windmill as directed above but allow both knees to bend as you kick your hip out. This will reduce the stretch on your side and give you more range of motion. As you come up, lock your knees out again.

Bent-Arm Windmill

(See 12:30 in the video.)

Do the windmill as directed above but start by moving your arm away from your body (about 90 degrees, rather than straight in front of your torso). Now kick the hip out and—with straight knees or bent—begin to hinge while keeping the weight held strong.

The key here is to aim to keep the kettlebell at the SAME HEIGHT as it was when you were standing with it at shoulder level. It’s your body that moves—not the bell. Bend your hips and focus on getting under the kettlebell, rather than lifting it above you. Once your elbow is locked out, stand up straight. Many people can’t press overhead without compromising form, and the bent-arm windmill trains you to ease into an overhead position with good body mechanics.

Kettlebell Windmill To A Block

It’s important to standardize your range of motion on every rep you do. If you cut some reps short and go deeper on others, it’s very hard to know if you’re really progressing on the exercise. By placing a yoga block, bench, or mat on the floor at the lowest elevation you can reach with your free hand, you get feedback on your depth. Every time your fingers touch the surface, you’ll know you hit the optimal range of motion that’s available to you right now.

Don’t use the block to rest your hand. Just touch it at the bottom of each rep (while keeping your eyes on the kettlebell overhead). When you hit depth, feel free to adjust your hip and shoulder position if you need so the exercise feels right.

Half-Kneeling Kettlebell Windmill

If you have a lot of trouble controlling the kettlebell overhead or getting your hips to hinge, regress the windmill to a half-kneeling position.

Step 1. Kneel on the floor on one knee and bend both knees 90 degrees (basically, the bottom of a lunge). Turn the toes on your front foot in a few degrees, and turn your rear leg (the lower leg) about 90 degrees inward.

Step 2. Now kick your hip out and perform the windmill, reaching for the floor. The range of motion is much shorter, so you should be able to feel a good stretch in your hips and place your palm on the floor without much difficulty. When you’ve mastered this, go back to the variation with a block, and then move up to the bent-knee or bent-arm options before you try the full-range windmill again.

What Weight Kettlebell Should I Use?

(See 14:38 in the video.)

While that Google search we mentioned in the beginning will bring up pictures of strongmen using gargantuan loads on windmills, we don’t recommend pushing yourself that hard to start out (trust us: those guys didn’t either). The windmill is all about technique, so use a weight that’s light enough to allow you to perform several sets of 5–8 reps to start with, but is also heavy enough to give you feedback on your shoulder and hip position. In other words, you should use enough load to make you work and balance and get into the deepest range of motion you can comfortably control, but not go so heavy that you’re straining to get through the set. Heins says that, for men with little strength training or kettlebell experience, that probably means a kettlebell that’s 8–12 kilograms; 6–8kg for women.

More experienced men, however, may be able to handle 12–16 kilos, while lady veterans might take on 8–12 kilos.

For more info on choosing kettlebell weights, see our guide, What Is The Best Kettlebell Weight To Start With?

How To Stretch Before Exercising

(See 03:27 in the video.)

Do the following mobility exercises before you practice the kettlebell windmill. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps each.

Side Hip Root

(See 03:38 in the video.)

Step 1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your hips back at a 45-degree angle while raising your arms in front of you. Keep your feet flat on the floor and try to push into your hips enough that you really feel a stretch in the outer corner of your glute. The end position will look like you’re sitting on a high stool; you should have a soft bend in both knees.

Step 2. Extend your hips and row your arms back, as if pulling something toward you. That’s one rep. Repeat on the opposite side.

Child’s Pose With Twist

(See 04:34 in the video.)

Step 1. Get on your hands and knees and sit back on your butt. Reach your arms out at a 45-degree angle to your left side—your right should be a little in front of your left.

Step 2. Keeping your elbow straight, roll your right arm so your weight is resting on the knife-edge of your hand, and sit your hips back as far as you can (do it gently) while you rotate your torso to the left. You’ll feel a deep stretch in your lat and arm. That’s one rep. Complete your reps on that side, and then switch sides and repeat.

Arm Screw

(See 05:47 in the video.)

Step 1. Extend your arms out to your sides 90 degrees with palms facing up. Shrug your right shoulder and turn your palm over, twisting your arm as if you were wringing out a towel. Add to the rotation by reaching and twisting the opposite direction with your other arm.

Step 2. Reverse the motion and repeat on the opposite shoulder. Over time, add more rotation by twisting your torso in the direction of the arm you’re working and actively driving your arms apart so that you feel a stretch between your shoulder blades.

Master another kettlebell hinge movement with our guide to the kettlebell swing.

The post How To Do The Kettlebell Windmill Exercise Like A Pro appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Well, not quite. Your average gymnast or wrestler does the majority of their training with bodyweight; ditto for the guys in your local park who do pullups and pushups by the hundreds. And have you ever seen a speed-cyclist’s legs? These athletes may not load up on squats, deadlifts, and leg presses, but no one’s questioning their strength and muscle mass. The fact is, done correctly, bodyweight training can be quite challenging, even humbling, and give you more than enough stimulus to grow muscle and gain power.

The following is a guide to getting bigger, stronger legs by lifting your bodyweight—and nothing else.

Can You Build Leg Muscles and Strength Without Weights?

The science is pretty clear now that the main driver of muscle growth is mechanical tension—the tension your muscle fibers experience when you take a set of an exercise to failure, or close to failure, and your rep speed slows down involuntarily. In other words, it doesn’t matter whether you’re lifting weights or using your own bodyweight for resistance, or whether you’re doing high reps or low reps. As long as you train hard enough that your muscles start to fatigue and your reps slow down near the end of your set, they’re going to experience enough tension to deliver a stimulus that allows you to gain muscle and strength.

Notice that the operative term is “tension,” not load. Lifting weights is a pretty easy way to measure, control, and progress the amount of tension you apply—for example, you know how much you’re lifting when you grab 40-pound dumbbells, and you know that when you can use the 45s, you’ve gotten stronger. But the weight of your body can create mechanical tension too. You just have to be a little more creative in how you use it. The exercises we recommend here will hit your legs in a number of ways you’re probably not at all used to, making your body feel as heavy as a loaded barbell.

When you do bodyweight exercises, you often have the opportunity to use a greater range of motion than when you lift weights, because there is no barbell or dumbbells to accommodate. This is beneficial if you’re limited in your mobility, as performing lengthened-range exercises will improve your ability to get into those deeper positions. Improved mobility, in turn, promotes joint health and athleticism.

The Most Effective Bodyweight Leg Exercises

You don’t need any weights to do the exercises that follow. Some basic equipment such as a bench, exercise mat, furniture sliders, and an elastic resistance band will help you perform them in some cases, so it’s good to have access to a home gym or garage that provides some options, but you don’t need barbells, dumbbells, or machines. 

Slider Leg Curl

Target: hamstrings

(See 01:35 in the video above.)

The slider leg curl works the hamstrings’ two functions at the same time. That is, extending the hips and flexing the knees, similar to a glute-ham raise (an excellent bodyweight hamstring exercise we’ve already written about, but one that requires a special bench that isn’t available in most gyms). All you need is a pair of furniture sliders, or, if you’re training on a smooth, waxed floor, some towels or even paper plates can work too.

Step 1. Lie on your back on the floor, and place the sliders under your heels. Position your feet right behind your butt with your knees bent. Tuck your pelvis under, take a deep breath into your belly, and brace your core. Drive your heels into the floor to raise your hips to full extension.

Step 2. From there, slowly extend your legs until you feel you’re about to lose tension in your hamstrings, and then slide your heels back toward you as if doing a normal leg curl. Keep your hips extended the whole time, but be careful not to hyperextend your lower back.

Aim for 2 sets of 6–12 reps. If that feels easy, you can hook some elastic exercise bands around your heels for extra resistance.

Bodyweight Leg Extension (aka Reverse Nordic)

Target: quadriceps

(See 02:27 in the video.)

Almost all quad exercises involve hip flexion too. That means you fold at the hip when you do them, as in a squat, lunge, and even a leg extension. The bodyweight leg extension is unique in that the hips remain extended the whole time. This forces the quads into a deep stretch when you bend your knees, making them work from a lengthened position. This is an unusual range to train the quads, and makes for a nice complement to more conventional quad exercises.

Step 1. Attach an elastic exercise band to a sturdy object at about the height your head would be if you were kneeling on the floor. (The band isn’t a must have, but it will help you get more range of motion on the exercise.) Place a mat or towel on the floor and kneel on it with your shoelaces down and knees about shoulder-width apart. Grasp the free end of the band, and hold it with your arms extended in front of you. Scoot back until there’s light tension on the band.

Step 2. Extend your hips so you’re standing tall, and tuck your pelvis under slightly so it’s perpendicular to your spine. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core.

Step 3. Slowly allow your body to drift backward (your butt moves toward your heels), keeping your hips extended and driving your feet into the ground so that your quads control the descent. You’ll feel a strong stretch in your thighs.

Step 4. When you feel you can no longer control the movement backward, use your quads to extend your knees and come back to the starting position. Use the band to help you pull yourself back.

Try for 2 sets of 5–10 reps, but you may only be able to manage a few reps with these at first. Do them with control and progress gradually. As you get stronger, you can eventually ditch the band and use your bodyweight alone, unassisted.

Copenhagen Plank

Target: Adductors

(See 04:09 in the video.)

The main way people train the adductor muscles directly is with the seated adductor machine, but the Copenhagen plank allows the body to remain in a straight line, stacking the shoulders and hips over the knees just as they appear when you’re standing and moving. Since it’s also a variation of the side plank, you’ll get some core work from it too.

Step 1. Lie on one side, and place your top leg on a box or bench. The knee of the top leg should be bent enough so that your entire shin can apply pressure to the surface of the box. The bottom leg can be straight or slightly bent. Plant your bottom elbow and forearm on the floor, and brace your core.

Step 2. Drive your top shin down into the box to raise your body off the floor, and try to close the space between your two legs, sandwiching the platform you’re working on. Your body should form a nearly straight line in the top position.

Aim for 2 sets of 10–12 reps each leg, moving with a slow, controlled tempo. If performing reps is too difficult, simply get into the top position and hold it for a 15 to 30-second isometric. That’s one set.

Touchdown Squat

Target: glutes and quads

(See 05:33 in the video.)

A true one-legged, full-depth, single-leg squat (known as a pistol squat) is very challenging and is not doable for most people without a lot of practice.  Here’s a way you can work up to a pistol, doing a similar movement that challenges balance, stability, and ankle mobility while also working the quads and glutes hard.

Step 1. Set a box or some mats on the floor so that, when you stand on them, you’ll be a few inches above the floor. You can build this height up over time. Stand on the surface with one leg and raise your other leg out to the side a bit so it’s out of the way.

Step 2. Hinge your hips back so your torso bends forward and lower your body until the heel on your free leg gently taps the floor. Try to keep your working knee in line with your hip. Extend your hips and knee to come back up to standing.

Go for 2 sets of 5–10 reps.

Lateral Leg Raise

Target: abductors

(See 06:23 in the video.)

This exercise is more of a mobility move than heavy duty strength training, but it will burn like fire and strengthen the outer hip muscles and glutes. Lateral leg raises work your lower body in the frontal plane—i.e., moving side to side—which is a neglected movement pattern and very important for athletes. You can use it as part of your warmup on a leg day, or do it as a finisher.

Step 1. Hold on to a sturdy object for balance and stand with your feet hip-width apart.

Step 2. Raise one leg out to your side as high as you can without bending the knee or twisting your hips. Hold the top for a second, and then control the descent.

Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps.

As you get more comfortable with the movement, progress to performing straight-legged hip circles, raising your leg in front of you, then out to the side, and finally behind you.

How to Stretch and Prepare For a Bodyweight Leg Workout

Stretching and mobility work are paramount for getting the most out of your athletic potential and avoiding injury. Done before your lower-body workout, the following three drills can warm and limber up your hips, hamstrings, knees, and quads.

Squat and Reach

(See 00:28 in the video above.)

Step 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes out about 20 degrees. Keep your head, spine, and pelvis in a long straight line as you squat down and wedge your elbows between your knees, using your arms to gently pry your knees apart even more. As you push the knees out, try to extend your torso to get as tall and upright as possible.

Step 2. Plant your hands down on the floor inside your knees, and twist your torso to the right, reaching one hand straight overhead. Turn your head as well so you’re watching your hand. It’s OK if your heel comes off the floor as you twist, but try to keep it down. Return your hand to the floor, and repeat on the opposite side.

Step 3. Stand back up from the bottom of your squat position, keeping your heels on the floor. That’s one rep. Perform 2 sets of 3–5 reps. 

High-Knee Walk

(See 01:31 in the video.)

Step 1. Stand tall, and take a step forward, raising one knee to your chest as high as you can. As the knee rises, grab hold of your shin with both hands and pull it into your chest for a deep glute and inner-thigh stretch. Avoid slouching or bending forward as you do. Try to keep the support leg straight as well.

Step 2. Release the leg, plant your foot, and repeat on the opposite leg.

It’s OK to come up onto the ball of your foot with each step. Do 2 sets of 8–10 strides. 

Spiderman Walk

(See 02:43 in the video.)

Step 1. Stand tall, and take a big lunge step forward. Place your hands on the floor to the inside of your lead leg, and lower your trailing knee to the floor. 

Step 2. Tuck your pelvis under slightly, and push your hips forward until you feel a deep stretch—it’s OK to let your knee move in front of your toes.

Step 3. Twist your torso away from your lead leg and raise your arm overhead. Turn your head and follow it with your eyes. Be sure to raise the arm above you, not behind, so you create a straight vertical line between your planted arm and your raised arm.

Step 4. Return your hand to the floor, and then step forward with the rear leg to stand tall again. Repeat the lunge and twist on that leg.

Perform 2 sets of 5–6 strides on each side.

Sample Bodyweight Leg Workout Plan

Here’s a balanced leg routine that makes the most of the exercises listed above.

DIRECTIONS

Perform the exercises in sequence, completing all sets for one move before going on to the next. Remember to take each set close to failure. You should only stop at the point where you don’t think you could do another rep with good form.

(See 07:07 in the Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises video at the top.)

1. Sliding Leg Curl

Sets: 2  Reps: 6–12

2. Touchdown Squat

Sets: 2  Reps: 5–10

3. Copenhagen Plank

Sets: 2  Reps: 6–12 (or hold for 15–30 sec.)

4. Bodyweight Leg Extension

Sets: 2  Reps: 5–10

5. Lateral Leg Raise

Sets: 2  Reps: 8–12

Try another great bodyweight routine with our Ultimate Calisthenics Workout.

The post The Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises & Workouts for Strength appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Here’s what you can expect of yourself when you’re expecting…

What Exercises Can I Do When I’m Pregnant?

The first thing you should do is take a deep breath and let it out—working out while you’re pregnant will NOT harm your baby. (Obviously, check with your doctor first to see if there’s any kind of exercise that you should specifically avoid, but if you’re in good health, there’s no reason you should sit on your butt for nine months.) Staying active and pushing yourself will help prevent unnecessary weight gain and keep your fitness level up, so that after the baby comes, it won’t be so difficult to get back into your pre-pregnancy shape.

Eden says that you can gauge the intensity of the exercise you’re capable of by simply listening to your body, and doing training that’s appropriate for your current level of fitness. If you’ve been working out one to two times per week for the past three months or so, consider yourself still a beginner. If you’ve been at it for the last 12 months or more, going to the gym two to three times per week, call yourself an intermediate. Finally, ladies who have worked out two to four times a week consistently for more than a year can consider themselves advanced trainees who can take on the most challenging exercises we present here.

For each exercise you do, rate your perceived effort on a scale of 1 to 10. In other words, if 1 is easy activity that barely registers as effort, 10 is going all-out, as hard as you can. Eden recommends that beginners keep their intensity under a 4, intermediates at a 7 or under, and advanced people 8 or less. You should never approach a 9 or 10, so if you feel yourself starting to struggle, stop and back off a bit.

Additionally, Eden offers the following warning signs that you might be pushing too hard for you or your baby to handle (see 01:48 in the video above):

1. If your belly pushes out, called “coning,” you may be putting too much pressure on your intra-abdominal wall. Stop the set.

2. This kind of goes without saying, but if you lose control of your bladder and wet yourself (or worse), stop. Unexpected leakage can happen suddenly during jumping or other high-impact exercise when you’re pregnant, so take it easy on these movements, and stop if you spill!

3. An inability to speak at a normal cadence due to breathlessness is a warning sign that you’re pushing too hard. Essentially, if you can’t hold a somewhat normal conversation with a friend/partner during an exercise, take it down a notch.

4. If you stop sweating, or feel exhausted, you may be dehydrated. Stop at once. Be sure to drink extra fluids before, during, and after your workout to help prevent this.

5. Another obvious point but it warrants a mention: stop if you feel woozy or like you’re losing your balance. This is a more serious risk toward the end of your pregnancy when your body is really working for two.

6. If you feel an ache in your groin, stop. That could mean extra pressure on your perineum, the tissue that covers the bottom of the pelvic cavity.

How To Breathe During A Pregnancy Workout

(See 02:43 in the video.)

When working out for two, it’s doubly important to breathe properly—that is, breathing into your belly rather than your chest. Doing so enhances stability when you train, lessening the risk of injury, while also maximizing the amount of air you can take in and circulate to your muscles. Before you do your workout, take a few moments to practice your breathing as follows.

Step 1. Stand tall and tuck your tailbone slightly so your pelvis is level with the floor. Place one hand on your belly and one on your lower ribs and breathe in, trying to expand your abdomen 360 degrees. Think about directing the air into your belly, sides, and back.

Step 2. As you breathe in, relax the muscles in your pelvic floor. These are the muscles you’ll use to push the baby out, so get connected to them. It may help to imagine your sit bones separating as you take the air in.

Step 3. As you exhale, contract your pelvic floor as if squeezing the air out. That’s one rep.

Do 2–3 sets of 8–10 reps.

The Best Pregnancy Workout

Eden chose the following exercises for two main reasons: they’re tried and true muscle and strength builders, and they also mimic the kinds of activities you’ll need to perform once the baby comes—i.e., standing up with a bundle of joy in your arms, carrying the baby upstairs, picking him/her up, and so on. One prominent feature of this workout is the use of off-set loads, meaning that you’ll lift two weights at a time and one is heavier than the other. This imbalance will challenge your ability to stabilize your body and even things out, just as you have to do when you’ve got a baby in one arm, on one hip, etc. (Switch the heavier load to the opposite side each time you repeat the exercise to ensure balanced training.)

DIRECTIONS

(See 04:40 in the video.)

Perform the following exercises as a circuit, completing one set of each in sequence. Rest as needed between exercises, and then rest again at the end of the circuit. Repeat for 4 total rounds. Select the appropriate version of each exercise according to your experience level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), and choose loads that allow you to stay in the intensity range for your experience level (a 4 or below, 7 or below, or up to 8). In other words, use weights that are challenging but will allow you to perform all the required reps with good form and no straining.

1. Swiss-Ball Wall Squat

(See 05:05 in the video.)

Reps: 10

Beginners:

Step 1. Place a Swiss ball on the floor against a wall and stand with your back to the ball, feet hip to shoulder-width apart.

Step 2. Bend your hips and knees and squat until your butt lightly touches the ball. Drive through your heels to come back up. You can extend your arms in front of you to help you balance during the squat.

Intermediates:

Step 1. Place the Swiss ball against the wall and rest your back against it to hold the ball in place. Get into your squat stance.

Step 2. Press into the ball as you squat as low as you can without your pelvis tucking under. Drive through your heels to stand back up.

Advanced:

Step 1. Set the Swiss ball against the wall and lean back against it while holding a kettlebell with both hands. Drive your shoulder blades back and together and brace your core.

Step 2. Squat as low as you can without your pelvis tucking under, and drive through your heels to come back up.

2. Off-Set Suitcase Carry

(See 06:18 in the video.)

Reps: Walk 20 yards

Beginner:

Step 1. Place two weights of different loads on boxes or benches set to the outsides of your feet, and stand with feet shoulder width. The boxes/benches should elevate the weights several inches above the floor, so you don’t have to reach so far to grasp them. Both weights should be light, but one can be 2.5–5 pounds heavier than the other.

Step 2: Hinge your hips back, keeping a long line from your head to your tailbone, and grasp the weights.

Step 3. Extend your hips to stand tall, finishing with the weights at your sides and your shoulder blades drawn back and together.

Step 4. Start walking forward using small steps—think heel to toe. Keep your shoulder blades back and your chest proud. When you’ve walked 10 yards, turn around and walk back to the platforms you took the weights off and return them (20 yards total).

Switch the weights to the opposite hands in the next round of the circuit.

Intermediates & Advanced:

More experienced trainees can increase the challenge by using heavier weights, creating a slightly greater discrepancy between the two weights (opt for a five to 10-pounds difference), or by walking backward. If you opt for the latter, walk 10 yards forward and then 10 backward—have a spotter/partner around to watch and make sure you don’t stumble.

3. Swiss-Ball Pushup

(See 07:23 in the video.)

Reps: 10

Beginner:

Step 1. You don’t need the Swiss ball for this version. Place your hands on a wall at shoulder-width apart. Spread your feet apart wide enough so that you feel balanced, and position them far enough away from the wall to make the exercise challenging (the closer your feet are to the wall, the more upright your body will be and the easier the exercise will feel). Tuck your tailbone so that your pelvis is perpendicular to your spine, and brace your core.

Step 2. Lower your chest toward the wall, keeping your body in a straight line with your abs braced. Tuck your arms 45 degrees to your sides as you lower, and go until you feel a stretch in your chest. Press yourself back up.

Intermediates:

Step 1. Place a Swiss ball against the wall and grasp its sides at arms’ length.

Step 2. Perform pushups against the ball, bracing it on the wall with your hands. Squeeze your triceps at the top of each rep.

Advanced:

Perform the pushup on the ball as shown, but with your feet further away from the wall so that the ball must support more of your body.

4. Lunge With Off-Set Load

(See 08:33 in the video.)

Reps: 10 (each leg)

Beginners:

Step 1. Place a weight on a box or bench as you did for the suitcase carry above, and hold a PVC pipe, dowel, or other object for stability. Hinge your hips back to reach down and grasp the weight with your free hand.

Step 2. Extend your hips and knees to stand tall. Now reach the pipe out in front of you to the length of your lunge stride. Using the pipe to mark the distance, lunge forward with one leg, planting your foot next to the pipe, and bend both knees until your front knee is 90 degrees and your rear knee is just above the floor. Come back up, and then repeat on the other leg, lunging in one place.

Intermediate:

If you feel strong and well enough to keep your balance without the pipe, place another weight on the benches/boxes so you have two loads and ditch the pipe. One weight can be heavier than the other. Perform walking lunges, alternating legs and stepping forward on each rep until you’ve done 10 reps on each side across the room. Stop a moment between reps to reset your feet and keep your balance.

On your next round of the circuit, switch the weights.

Advanced:

Perform the lunges with weight in both hands, but don’t reset between reps. Walk fluidly across the room.

5. Swiss-Ball Biceps Curl

(See 09:58 in the video.)

Reps: 10

Beginners:

Step 1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a Swiss ball with feet set hip to shoulder-width apart. Sit up tall with your pelvis level to the floor and your core braced, and turn your palms out away from your sides.

Step 2. Keeping your upper arms close to your sides, curl the dumbbells, and then control their descent back down. Do your reps slowly so you can maintain balance on the ball.

Intermediates & Advanced:
Do the exercise the same way as the beginner level, but you can challenge yourself with heavier weights, or offset the load as you see fit.

Want more of Eden? See her top 6 beginner kettlebell exercises.

The post The Best Pregnancy Exercises and Workouts appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The following is an excerpt adapted from the Men’s Health Encyclopedia of Muscle, written by Onnit’s Editor-In-Chief, Sean Hyson, CSCS. For more workouts and training tips, pick up the book at Amazon.com.

Why Does 5×5 Work?

The beauty of the 5×5 system is that it’s almost impossible to screw up. Virtually any way you choose to interpret how to do five sets of five is sure to yield some progress. The reason why is the combination of load and volume. Low-rep sets imply pretty heavy weights, and five sets’ worth gives you enough exposure to challenging loads to drive muscle and strength gains.

The big question with 5×5 is just how much weight you should use. Honestly, your best guess is probably good enough. But looking at it scientifically, you can come up with a more refined strategy. Lifting a load that allows you only five reps equates to about 87% of your one-rep max (the heaviest load you can lift for one rep—an all-out effort). However, because you have to do five sets, you’ll need to leave a little in the tank on your first set. If you use the heaviest load that allows you ONLY five reps right away, you’ll have a hard time completing the four sets that follow. Therefore, the weight you choose must be lighter.

C. J. Murphy, a competitive powerlifter and strongman, and owner of Total Performance Sports in Malden, MA, recommends choosing a load that you can get seven or eight reps with. This means about 80% of your max. So, let’s say that you’re pretty sure that you can squat 225 pounds for one rep, if your life depended on it, and you want to do a 5×5 workout. Eighty percent of 225 is 180 pounds, so load 180 for your first set. “Most muscle adaptation occurs with 65 to 85% of your max,” says Murphy. Doing 5×5 this way puts you at the north end of that range, making it an excellent approach for building size, but also intense enough to boost strength.

The next question that comes up is whether to keep the same weight every set or add weight each set. The answer is both. “Form is more important than weight,” says Murphy. So, whether you keep the same load or bump it up by a few pounds on one set or every set, every rep should look crisp and smooth. “Most people’s best set is usually their third, fourth, or fifth one,” says Murphy, when the nervous system has been fully activated by the exercise but before fatigue sets in. “So, I might make a small jump in weight on the third set, if it’s going well.” (This could be five or 10 pounds, depending on the exercise.) You’ll have to monitor yourself.

What Exercises Are Used in 5×5 Workouts?

Five by five is typically done on classic multi-joint barbell lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows—exercises that activate great amounts of muscle and work big areas of the body. You shouldn’t attempt 5×5 with isolation movements such as curls, lateral raises, or leg extensions, as those exercises don’t lend themselves to the use of such heavy weights. Trying to curl a load that feels heavy for five reps can easily result in sore elbows or torn biceps over time, so restrict the 5×5 method to your main lift of the workout. Also, as 5×5 is strenuous and can be time consuming, don’t use it for more than three exercises in any one workout.

How Long Does The 5×5 Workout Take?

The length of any strength workout really depends on how strong you are. It takes longer to work up to 365 pounds for squats than it does 225. It’s also important not to rush your sets. Because you’re working with heavy weights, you should allow yourself to recover fully between sets for the sake of safety as well as performance. This could mean two minutes, or longer, depending on the loads used and the complexity of the exercise you’re doing 5×5 on. With all that said, you can expect a workout with two or three exercises done 5×5 style to last anywhere from 30–60 minutes.

One popular method of employing 5×5 is to do three exercises in a session, using 5×5 to train the whole body. For example, you could squat, then bench press, and then finish with a bent-over barbell row. You could come back two days later and perform three similar exercises for another 5×5 session, and then, after another day off, finish the week with a third 5×5 workout. This is a highly-efficient way to train, which makes it good for beginners and those who are young, injury-free, and need practice with barbell lifts to master them. However, it may be too grueling for people over 35 years old, or those with injuries from years of heavy lifting. Murphy believes most people would probably be successful doing one or two 5×5 lifts in a session, and using the protocol for a month or so, and then switching to some other training method for a while.

Is the 5×5 Workout Effective?

The 5×5 workout has been around for at least a half-century, and probably much longer. It’s widely considered to be a good routine for beginners to follow because it’s simple to implement and provides a balance of heavy weights and increasing volume—two factors that are known to produce muscle and strength gains.

A 2016 study in Biology of Sport had subjects perform workouts that alternated 5×5 and six sets of two reps. After five months, their strength gains on the bench press had increased significantly, but researchers determined that the heavier (6×2) regimen was no more effective than the 5×5, and that starting with lighter loads in a progressive long-term program may be the better strategy, as it leads to similar gains with less exertion. This idea fueled the way we prescribe 5×5 in the sample workouts below.

How To Stretch for a 5×5 Workout

Include the following mobility drills in your warmup before performing the sample 5×5 workouts below. Perform each move in sequence, completing 10 reps, and repeat for 3–5 total rounds. See a demonstration for each move in the video.

Chicken wing neck roll – 00:46

Sundial salute – 02:00

Bootstrapper spine roll – 03:55

Mobile table – 06:15

Pigeon switch – 07:55

BONUS: Kneeling pushup elbow circle – 11:03

5×5 Sample Workouts

The following workouts represent our preferred way of performing the 5×5 method.

Do your first set of the 5×5 exercises with a weight that allows you eight reps. If your speed on the first two sets is fast, and your form is good, you may add weight on the third set (and fourth and fifth, if your technique holds up). If your reps move slowly or form breaks down on any set, stop the set there—no matter how many reps you have left—and reduce the weight. Each week, add a little weight to your 5×5 lifts. For upper-body exercises, add 2.5 to 5 pounds, and for lower-body, add 5 to 10.

Murphy recommends using the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale to control your intensity. If a 10 represents an all-out effort, do your workouts as follows.

Week 1: 7 RPE (you should have about three reps left in you at the end of every set)

Week 2: 8 RPE (about two reps left)

Week 3: 9 RPE (about one rep)

Week 4: 7 RPE (back off this week to gather energy for next week—i.e., reduce the load by a few pounds so it doesn’t feel so difficult)

Week 5: 10 RPE (increase the weight and go for it!)

You may perform the exercises as straight sets (complete all sets for one lift before moving on to the next) or, if you want to save a few minutes of workout time, alternate sets of any two 5×5 exercises in the workout. (Note that not every exercise in each workout uses this set and rep scheme.) Rest, as needed, between all sets of every exercise, and at least 90 seconds between sets of the 5×5 exercises.

There are three sample workouts here, and they can be done in sequence (for example, Workout I on Modnday, II on Wednesday, and III on Friday). Rest at least one day between each.

Workout I

1. Front Squat

(See 02:17 in the video How To Crush 5×5 Workouts for Huge Gains above.)

Sets: 5 Reps: 5

Step 1. Grasp the bar with hands shoulder-width apart and point your elbows forward so that you can position the bar over the tips of your fingers (palms face up). As long as you keep your elbows pointing forward, you will be able to balance the bar.

Another way to do it is to cross your arms in front of you, holding the bar on the front of your shoulders (left hand in front of right shoulder, right hand in front of left). To do the classic front squat with the bar on your fingertips, you need a reasonable amount of flexibility through your shoulders and wrists to position the barbell correctly. If you don’t have it, the cross-arm version may be the better option for you at the moment, but another option is to use wrist straps if you have them. Loop the straps around the bar and grasp the open ends with each hand, and then rest the bar on your shoulders (see the “How To Crush 5×5 Workouts For Huge Gains video above).

Step 2. Lift the bar out of the rack and step back, setting your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out slightly. Without letting your feet actually move, try to screw both legs into the floor as if you were standing on grass and wanted to twist it up—you’ll feel your glutes tighten and the arches in your feet rise.

Step 3. Pull your ribs down and take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core. Your head, spine, and pelvis should form a long line—your pelvis should also be perpendicular to your spine, and not tilted toward the floor. Focus your eyes on a point straight in front of you.

Step 4. Squat as low as you can while keeping alignment and maintaining your upright torso position. Remember to point your elbows forward, and raise them up if you feel them slipping downward. Ideally, you’ll be able to descend to where the crease of your hips is below the top of your thighs.

Your knees must stay in line with your toes. Trying to push them out and actively root your feet into the ground will all but ensure this.

Step 5. Extend your hips and knees to return to standing, pushing through the middle of your feet and squeezing your glutes.

2. Chinup

(See 03:37 in the video.)

Sets: 5 Reps: 5

Step 1. Hang from a bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms facing you. Pull your ribs down and keep your core tight.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades back and together and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. If your bodyweight isn’t challenging enough, attach extra weight with a belt, or hold a dumbbell between your feet.

3. Overhead Press

(See 04:23 in the video.)

Sets: 5 Reps: 5

Step 1. Hold a barbell with hands shoulder-width apart. You can take the bar off a rack, or, if you don’t have one, simply pick the bar up off the floor and clean it to shoulder level. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Draw your ribs down and brace your core.

Step 2. Press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward as the bar clears it so that the bar ends up just behind your head in the lockout position.

Pick up The Men’s Health Encyclopedia of Muscle at Amazon.com.

Workout II

1. Deadlift

(See 02:04 in the video above.)

Sets: 5 Reps: 5

Step 1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and tilt your tailbone back. Bend your hips back to reach down and grasp the bar with hands just outside your knees.

Step 2. Keeping a long spine with your head in line with your hips, take a deep breath into your belly, brace your abs, and drive through your heels. Pull the bar up along your shins until you’re standing with hips fully extended and the bar is in front of your thighs. Keep the bar pulled in tight to your body the whole time with your shoulder blades pulled together and down (think “proud chest”).

If you can’t keep your lower back flat throughout the exercise, it’s OK to elevate the bar on some weight plates or mats.

2. Incline Dumbbell Press

(See 02:40 in the video.)

Sets: 3 Reps: 8–12

Step 1: Set an incline bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back on the bench holding dumbbells at arm’s length above your chest.

Step 2: Lower the dumbbells until they are close to the sides of your chest. In the down position, your elbows should be at a 45-degree angle to your torso—not straight out to the sides.

Step 3: Press the dumbbells back up, flexing your chest as you push.

3. Face Pull

(See 03:00 in the video.)

Sets: 3 Reps: 12–15 

Step 1. Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station. Grasp an end in each hand with your palms facing each other. Step back to place tension on the cable.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades together and down as you pull the handle to your forehead, so your palms face your ears and your upper back is fully contracted.

Workout III

1. Bench Press

(See 03:30 in the video.)

Sets: 5  Reps: 5

Step 1. Lie on the bench and arch your back, pulling your shoulder blades down and together. Grasp the bar just wider than shoulder width, and pull it out of the rack.

Step 2. Take a deep breath, tighten your glutes, and lower the bar to your sternum, tucking your elbows to your sides at 45 degrees on the descent. When the bar touches your body, push your feet into the floor and press the bar up at the same time.

2. Bent-Over Row

(See 04:20 in the video.)

Sets: 5  Reps: 5

Step 1. Place a barbell on a rack set to hip level, or deadlift it off the floor. Grasp the bar with your hands at shoulder width and set your feet at hip width; hold the bar at arm’s length against your thighs. Take a deep breath, and bend your hips back—keep your head, spine, and pelvis aligned. Bend until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades together as you pull the bar up to your belly button.

3. Hip Thrust

(See 04:50 in the video.)

Sets: 5  Reps: 5

Step 1. Load a barbell on the floor. Lie with your upper back resting on a bench and your legs flat on the floor in front of you. Roll the bar into the crease of your hips (you may want a pad or towel to cushion it), and hold it on each side. Place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and turn your toes out slightly.

Step 2. Brace your abs and push your hips up, driving through your heels until your torso and hips are parallel to the floor.

See other articles on old-school training, like our guide to back and biceps workouts.

The post How To Crush 5×5 Workouts For Huge Gains appeared first on Onnit Academy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Onnit (@onnit)

Perform the exercises with light weights, concentrate on speed and power, and hold back from going to failure if you want a warmup that increases alertness and raises your core temperature. Go heavier and closer to failure if you want a workout that builds power and blitzes your whole body in 10 minutes or less.

Either way, this routine is great for breaking out of the normal plane of motion most people are used to training in. Traditional exercises like chest presses, forward lunges, and curls have your limbs moving forward and back, but this workout gets them moving side to side and with rotation, which adds a real-world, athletic component to your training while still activating plenty of muscle—including, of course, the core musculature, which helps transfer power from the lower body to the upper.

Dynamic Core Warmup

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each in sequence. Rest as little as possible between sets, and repeat for 3 total rounds.

1. Rotational Ball Slam to Toss

Reps: 5 (each side)

Step 1. Stand a few feet away from a wall (preferably one that is padded, to protect it), and turn 90 degrees so that your left side faces the wall. Hold a light medicine ball with both hands and stand with feet outside shoulder width. Raise the ball to your right side and overhead in a circular motion, and throw it down to the floor as hard as you can. Allow your body to pivot toward your left so you can throw the ball with maximum power.

Step 2. Catch the ball as it rebounds from the floor, and take a step forward. Twist your torso to the right to coil your body for another throw, allowing your knees to bend.

Step 3. Throw the ball into the wall and catch it on the rebound again. Shuffle your feet away from the wall to set up for your next rep. (Both throws equal one rep on that side.)

2. Lateral Lunge Clean to Twist Press

Reps: 6–10 (each side)

Step 1. Clean the kettlebell from the floor (see our tutorial on how to clean a kettlebell in our Top 6 Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners article) and step to that same side, lowering your body into a lateral lunge. Your lead leg should be bent 90 degrees and your trailing leg straight.

Step 2. Come out of the lunge, and rotate your body to the opposite side as you press the kettlebell overhead. Allow your feet to pivot as you turn your torso 90 degrees.

3. Star Crunch

Reps: 20

Step 1. Lie on your back on the floor and flatten your lower back into the floor. Extend your arms and legs.

Step 2. Perform a crunch, raising your torso until your shoulder blades are off the floor. Bend your elbows and knees as you crunch, bringing them to meet in the top position.

Get another warmup (this time for upper body) in our article Shoulder Mobility for Strength and Injury Prevention.

The post Dynamic Core Warmup with Francheska Martinez appeared first on Onnit Academy.

I used to be into heavy powerlifting, but recently moved to a purely bodyweight training regimen.

I noticed a big change in both my physique and strength.

I actually felt a difference in my body; doing my unique exercises opened up a totally new door.

I noticed I was using muscles that I had never even used before.

Believe it or not, all my workouts involve calisthenics circuit routines now. In a circuit, you move from one exercise to the next with little or no rest between moves.

Circuit training doesn’t allow your heart to rest or slow down. It keeps it up consistently throughout your workout allowing you to burn more calories and build conditioning.

I do hundreds of different calisthenics circuits and I never touch the weights. I’ve lost 37 pounds of fat in six months doing my exercises. I went from 202 pounds to a lean 165 pounds.

I get at least 50 messages a day just on my transformation and how I did it.

The best part is, anyone can do it themselves with hard work and dedication.

I’m going to share four of my circuit workouts with you. One is for beginners and can be done at home. Two are for intermediate and advanced exercisers, and one is only for extreme athletes.

Find the workout that’s best for you and, if you stick to it, you will see results in less than two months.

How Long Should You Train For In a Calisthenics Workout?

The At-Home (beginner level), Intermediate, and Extreme Athlete routines shown here should all take 30 minutes or less to complete. The Advanced workout may take as long as 45 minutes. In general, you can save time by trying to move at a brisk pace between exercises and circuits, but give yourself enough rest time so that you can complete your exercises safely and with good form. You can work on reducing rest periods as your conditioning improves over time. Have a timer handy to track the length of your sets and your rest periods; you’ll need one for the Advanced and Extreme Athlete workouts.

How Long Should You Recover After A Calisthenics Workout?

Each of these workouts can be performed up to four times per week on non-consecutive days. Three to four workouts per week is enough. For example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. You can also combine them, performing the At-Home workout one day, the Intermediate on another, and the Advanced (if you dare!) on a third day. If you feel extra sore or run down on a day you had planned to train, take another day’s rest before your next workout (or perform light exercise or aerobic activity, such as walking/jogging, cycling, yoga, mobility work, etc.).

Calisthenics Vs. Weight Training

The term calisthenics refers to training that uses primarily bodyweight exercises to develop strength, endurance, mobility, and coordination. It’s the kind of exercise that gymnasts and martial artists have done for eons using their own body weight, and while it develops muscle mass too, that’s more of a byproduct. You can expect to get very strong relative to your bodyweight when you do calisthenics training, and master your control of your body in various positions and movements. I.e., you’ll become stable and athletic.

Weight training uses external loads—free weights, cables, machines—to strengthen the body, and while it can develop the same qualities that calisthenics can, it’s better-suited for those who want to build maximum muscle mass, power, and absolute strength. This makes it a potentially better choice for athletes in sports like football, baseball, and track and field. A gymnast will usually be able to do more pullups and pushups than a bodybuilder or powerlifter, but the one who lifts heavy weights can probably move more overall load and will look bigger and stronger. Neither kind of training is superior to the other— both have their advantages, depending on your goals.

For the best, most well-rounded results, include both calisthenics, cardio and weight training in your regimen. You can alternate the styles, spending a few weeks working on one and then switch to another, or you can combine them in the same workout. For instance, you can start with weight training exercises to peak your power and strength, and then finish your routine with bodyweight training that works more on endurance and movement skills.

How To Stretch For A Calisthenics Circuit Workout

Follow the video below for a routine to warm up your entire body before the calisthenics workouts offered here. For more tips on mobility and stretching, follow Onnit-certified Durability Coach Brian Butz (aka @themobilemammoth on Instagram).

1. Lateral Squat to T-Spine Rotation

Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10

[See 00:58 in the video above]

Lunge out to your left side and lower your body until your left leg is bent about 90 degrees and your trailing leg is straight. Hold for a moment, and then reverse the motion, twisting your body to get into a lunge position on the right leg, facing that direction.

Plant your left hand on the floor and twist your torso to the right, reaching your right hand overhead.

Repeat the entire movement on the opposite side.

2. Adductor to T-Spine Rotation

Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10

[See 01:30 in the video]

Get on all fours and extend your right leg to the side. Use your hands to gently push your hips back so your feel a stretch on the inner side of your right thigh. Allow your foot to roll backward and point upward.

Push your hips forward again and twist your torso to the right, reaching your right arm overhead. Complete your reps and then repeat on the opposite side.

3. Mountain Climber to Hip Flexor Stretch

Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10

[See 02:00 in the video]

Get on all fours, and then step your left foot forward, planting your foot outside your left hand. Try to straighten your back so that it’s flat from your head to your pelvis. Relax, and reach back to grasp the top of your right foot.

Gently pull it forward so you feel a stretch on your right thigh and hip. At the same time, extend your back and use your left hand to push on your left knee so you end up in a tall kneeling position.

Hold the stretch for a moment, and then let your right foot go. Repeat the movement on the opposite side. Avoid hyperextending your lower back when you pull on your foot.

4. Shinbox to Hip Extension

Sets: 2–5  Reps: 5–10

[See 03:06 in the video]

Sit on the floor with your left leg bent in front of you and your right leg bent behind you. Press your hands into the floor and push your chest up and out. Now rotate your right leg up off the floor as you rotate your left leg up and to the right, so your body turns and you end up in the same starting position but with your legs opposite. From there, extend your hips so you rise to a tall kneeling position.

Lower your hips back to the floor, plant your hands, and repeat the movement to the other side.

At-Home Calisthenics Circuit Workout

Here’s a bodyweight workout that’s appropriate whether you’re a total beginner to training or you have a little experience with lifting weights but you want to get back to basics with calisthenics training. You can do this routine at home if you have a pullup bar, and it may help to have an elastic exercise band as well, which can help to unload some of your bodyweight and make exercises like chinups and dips easier.

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each in sequence. Rest 60 seconds between exercises, and repeat the circuit for 3 total rounds. Except where otherwise noted, do as many reps as possible for each exercise, but stop one short of failure—that means when you feel your form is about to break down. For example, if you’re doing chinups and you get to the eighth rep and feel like you’re slowing down and won’t get a ninth rep with good form, stop the set there.

1. Chinup

Reps: As many as possible

[See 00:49 in the video above]

Use a shoulder-width grip and turn your palms to face you. If you can’t get at least 5 reps on your own, attach an elastic exercise band around the bar and stand in the open loop to unload some of your bodyweight.

2. Dip

Reps: As many as possible

[See 01:00 in the video]

Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. If you can’t get at least 5 reps on your own, attach an elastic exercise band to the dip bars and stand (or kneel) in the open loop to unload some of your bodyweight. If you don’t have dip bars, you can use the backs of two chairs.

3. Jump Squat

Reps: As many as possible

[See 01:15 in the video]

Stand with feet between hip and shoulder-width and quickly lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Explode upward as high as you can. Land softly, and reset yourself before you begin the next rep.

4. Pushup

Reps: As many as possible

[See 01:28 in the video]

Place your hands just outside shoulder width and lower your body until your chest is about an inch above the floor. Keep your body in a straight line with your core braced. Your lower back shouldn’t arch and your elbows should point 45 degrees from your torso.

5. Crunch

Reps: As many as possible

[See 02:08 in the video]

Raise your torso until your shoulder blades are off the floor.

6. Mountain Climber

Reps: Go for 30 seconds

[See 02:19 in the video]

Stand with feet shoulder width and squat down to place your hands on the floor. Now shoot your legs behind you fast so you end up in the top position of a pushup. Jump your legs back up so they land between your hands and then stand up quickly.

BONUS: Jump Rope

Reps: Jump for 30 seconds

[See 02:26 in the video]

If you have a jump rope, jump for 30 seconds, landing on the balls of your feet. Any type of jump is OK, or mix a few together.

Intermediate Calisthenics Circuit Workout

This workout is good for people with a year or more of strength training or bodyweight-only training under their belt. You can do it at home, but you’ll need a pullup bar and some space to run, so a public park or a gym may be more appropriate. 

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each in sequence. Rest 60 seconds between exercises, and repeat the circuit for 3 total rounds. Except where otherwise noted, do as many reps as possible for each exercise, but stop one short of failure—that means when you feel your form is about to break down. For example, if you’re doing jump squats, you might get to rep 10 and feel like you’re slowing down. If you’re pretty sure you won’t be able to get the 11th rep at the same speed or with a safe landing, stop the set there.

1. Feet-Elevated Pushup On Rings

Reps: As many as possible

[See 00:58 in the video above]

Set the handles of a suspension trainer around shin level and rest your feet on a bench behind you. Suspend yourself over the handles in a pushup position and then lower your body until your chest is just above your hands. Keep your body in a straight line with your core braced.

2. Feet-Elevated Inverted Row

Reps: As many as possible

[See 01:20 in the video]

Set the handles of a suspension trainer low enough so that when you hang from them with arms extended, your body is angled 45 degrees to the floor, or lower. (If you’re strong enough, rest your feet on a bench for an added challenge.) Keep your body in a straight line and brace your core as you pull yourself up.

3. Jump Squat

Reps: As many as possible

[See 01:39 in the video]

Stand with feet between hip and shoulder-width and quickly lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Explode upward as high as you can. Land softly, and reset yourself before you begin the next rep.

4. Burpee

Reps: As many as possible

[See 01:55 in the video]

Stand with your feet between hip and shoulder width, and squat down to place your hands on the floor in front of you. Jump your legs back into the top of a pushup position, then reverse the motion to come back up to standing.

5. Leg Flutter

Reps: Repeat for 60 seconds

[See 02:38 in the video]

Flatten your lower back into the floor and brace your abs. Extend your legs overhead and then lower them as far as you can before you feel your lower back is about to buckle up from the floor. Begin raising and lowering both legs, alternately, a few inches (as if you were kicking your legs while swimming).

6. Sprint

Reps: Run for 30 seconds

[See 02:58 in the video]

Run as fast as you can maintain for 30 seconds. Other options are to run up a hill, or run in place.

Advanced Calisthenics Circuit Routine

If you’ve been training for a few years and feel pretty strong on bodyweight exercises, give this advanced routine a shot.

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each movement in sequence. Set a timer and perform each exercise for 30 seconds. Try to limit your rest between exercises. Do 1–3 total rounds.

1. Crow Pose

Reps: Hold for 30 seconds

[See 00:28 in the video above]

Get into a deep squat position and plant your hands on the floor. Tip your body forward and rest your knees on your elbows. Extend your back and hips so that your bodyweight is supported on your hands, and hold the position.

2. Jump Squat with Rotation

Reps: Jump in the 3 directions shown for 30 seconds

[See 01:02 in the video]

Lower your body into a squat quickly and then explode upward as high as you can. Swing your arms back as you go down, and throw them forward as you jump. Land softly, driving your knees outward. Hop 90 degrees to your right side, and repeat the jump. Hop back to face forward again, jump, and then rotate to face your left side, and jump again. Continue in this manner, jumping in the three different directions. Don’t let your knees cave inward on your landings, and make each jump as vertical as possible.

3. Hindu Pushup

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 01:40 in the video]

Get into pushup position and drive your hips backward as you extend your arms overhead. You’ll end up in a downward dog pose. Now lower your chest toward the floor in an arcing motion, finishing the pushup with your chest facing forward and your hips just above the floor (an upward dog pose). Keep your core braced so that your ribs don’t flare, and avoid shrugging your shoulders. Keep your shoulder blades together and pulled downward as you move toward the floor, and spread them apart as you push up.

4. Candlestick Roll

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 02:30 in the video]

Get into a deep squat and roll backward onto your shoulders. Roll forward again and go into the bottom of a deep lunge with your back knee pointing 90 degrees to the side. The heel of your front foot should stay flat on the floor. Repeat on the other side.

5. Lateral Squat w/ Rotation

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 02:59 in the video]

Shift your weight to your left leg so you feel like you’re sitting into your left glute. Now raise your right knee up and outward, planting your right foot on the floor at a 90 degree angle—both heels should be in line. Lower your body into a squat, keeping a long spine from your head to your pelvis. Alternate sides each rep.

6. Xs and Os

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 03:25 in the video]

Lie on your back and extend your arms and legs to form an X shape. Flatten your lower back into the floor. Perform a crunch, drawing your knees to your chest along with your arms.

7. Planche with Scapular Protraction

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 03:46 in the video]

Get into pushup position and turn your palms around so that your fingers point behind you. Hold your body in a straight line with your core braced and squeeze your shoulder blades together so that only your torso moves closer to the floor. Spread your shoulders apart to raise it back up while you hold your body in position.

8. Jumping Lunge

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 04:16 in the video]

Get into a lunge position—rear knee just above the floor and front knee bent 90 degrees. Jump and switch legs in mid air, landing with the opposite leg forward. Drive the arm that’s opposite the front leg forward on every rep.

9. Lateral Hop

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 04:55 in the video]

Hop side to side, landing with control. It may help to place an object on the floor to jump over.

10. L-Sit Pullup

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 05:10 in the video]

Grasp the bar with hands outside shoulder width. Raise your legs up straight in front of you as you pull your body up until your chin is over the bar.

Extreme Athlete Calisthenics Circuit Routine

This workout is for very strong individuals who feel they’ve mastered their bodyweight on the basic exercises. It will challenge you with different movements you’ve probably never tried before, many of which are borrowed from the routines of gymnasts and MMA fighters.

Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each movement in sequence. Perform each exercise for the amount of time shown, and rest 30 seconds between exercises. Do 3 total rounds of the circuit, resting as little as possible between rounds.

1. Hanging Somersault

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 00:37 in the video above]

Hang from a pullup bar with hands at shoulder width and raise your knees to your chest. Roll your body backward until your shins face the ceiling, and then reverse the motion.

2. Reverse Curlup

Reps: Repeat for 30 seconds

[See 00:52 in the video]

Lie on your back on the floor and place a block or other light object between your knees. Squeeze your legs to keep it in place. Grasp a heavy or sturdy object with both hands behind your head. Keeping your legs straight, flatten your lower back into the floor and raise your legs up until your hips are off the floor.

3. Modified Front Lever

Reps: Hold for 10 seconds

[See 01:22 in the video]

Hang from a pullup bar with hands shoulder width. Tuck your knees to your chest and roll your body back so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Hold the position.

4. Planche with Single-Leg Pushup

Reps: 2 on each side, alternating for 30 seconds

[See 01:44 in the video]

Get into pushup position and turn your palms around so that your fingers point behind you. Hold your body in a straight line with your core braced, and raise one leg off the floor. Maintain this position as you perform two pushups. Switch the leg that’s raised and repeat. Continue until the time is up.

5. Handstand Hold

Reps: Hold for 30 seconds

[See 02:15 in the video]

Get into pushup position in front of a wall and walk your feet up the wall until your torso is nearly vertical. Brace your core so your ribs are pulled down and your torso is a solid column. Hold the position, then walk your feet down the wall slowly to return to the floor.

6. Mammoth March

Reps: Do 1 rep of each lunge, then squat, and repeat on the opposite leg. Continue for 30 seconds.

[See 02:38 in the video]

Step forward with your right leg and lower your body into a lunge position. Step back and all the way behind you to do a reverse lunge. Then step out to your right side for a lateral lunge, come back, and step behind you to the opposite direction for a dragon lunge. Step back until your feet are parallel, squat, and repeat the lunges on the opposite side. Squat again, and repeat the entire sequence until time runs out.

The post Climbing the Hill: The Ultimate Calisthenics Workout Transformation appeared first on Onnit Academy.