Using Russian Kettlebells: 

How To Take Your Performance To The Next Level!

By Zach Even – Esh, BA, MA

Using Russian Kettlebells: How To Take Your Performance To The Next Level – You have heard all the hype about using Russian Kettlebells and you are wondering if they are worth the investment. You might be thinking they are another fad in our industry and you have earned the right to think so. After all, there are a million and one things that don’t work at all, and there are tools that are "priceless" that you can use for your training that have nothing to do with “exercise equipment” and can be found at your local hardware store.

Let me say this much, Russian Kettlebells are only one tool we use in our training programs. They are not the end all be all and we do not espouse using them exclusively as some strength & performance coaches might advocate. I have found a certain number of training methods and tools that work great and we use these and avoid those methods and tools that are just a waste of time. 

Russian Kettlebells can be used for a variety of goals. The many variations that you can implement using one Russian Kettlebell is staggering. You can squat, press, row, shrug, swing, rotate, lunge, snatch, clean as well as throw the Russian Kettlebell for height and /or distance! I did leave a few movements out, well ...more than a few actually!

You can also implement the Russian Kettlebells as your supplemental work after doing max effort training or you can use them as dynamic effort work. A great benefit of using Russian Kettlebells is that they are often both an upper and a lower body exercise, forcing the athlete to work many movements and muscles at once. Doing cleans, swings, snatches and many combo movements works the athletes posterior chain, which is always a plus!

Some coaches emphasize using Russian Kettlebells first in a workout since it is considered speed or dynamic work, while others emphasize using them last as a “finisher”. I suggest you experiment for yourself to find out what works best for you and your athletes. Like all training programs, monotony is the enemy, so incorporate endless variety into your Russian Kettlebell usage.

We use Russian Kettlebells sometimes in the beginning, sometimes in the middle, and/or sometimes at the end of a workout. We do emphasize using variety in the movements, the poundage's used and the number of sets and reps; just as you would vary your max effort exercises. Exercises such as high rep snatches can be brutal on the CNS so we take care in using them less often unless we see an athlete is consistently progressing with them.

Here is a list of our favorite exercises with Russian Kettlebells (all of these exercises have many variations, some of which are done with one arm at a time, others done two hands on one Kettlebell and others done in doubles – holding two Kettlebells):

1. Swings using one or two Kettlebells
2. Cleans using one or two Kettlebells
3. Clean & Press using one or two Kettlebells
4. Snatch using one or two Kettlebells (using two Kettlebells on this exercise is brutal and requires great speed and force!)
5. Squat using one or two Kettlebells
6. Lunges (forward, reverse, walking) using one Kettlebells held under chin
7. Floor Presses using one or two Kettlebells
8. Rows using one or two Kettlebells

One of our favorite and most effective exercises has been the simplest of them all, the Russian Kettlebell swing. We perform these either with two or one hand at a time using one Kettlebell or two Kettlebells at the same time. The Russian Kettlebell swing provides a tremendous stretch reflex at the bottom of the movement. We do these sometimes in the beginning of a workout, or the end, or both! This is an awesome exercise for developing the posterior chain as well as teaching an athlete how to explode through with the hips. The great thing about Russian Kettlebells is that most of the exercises require speed and power to complete a rep. Some exercises such as the windmill and Turkish get up are done slower and with more control. Doing a snatch, clean or swing slowly will most often not allow the exercise to be completed. For young athletes this is great because it teaches them how to be aggressive and how to apply force (speed) with the weights which some kids simply do not understand or know how to do. In turn this helps transfer to more power and speed during their actual competitions.

Another regular exercise we use with the Russian Kettlebells is the one arm clean and the double clean. Once again, these are great for developing speed and power through the hips as well as giving us another way to attack the posterior chain. For grapplers and fighters we sometimes perform high reps on the swing (20–40 reps) and the clean (12–20 reps) as well as doing combo exercises with the Russian Kettlebells. A sample combo exercise would be the clean & squat or the clean, squat & press. The combo exercises are great for integrating full body loading and when done with high reps they will test the will of any combat athlete.

The swing is also a staple in the program of our football players. The tremendous stretch reflex in the glutes and hams strengthens the posterior chain and also helps instill the snapping of the hips to transfer force through a movement. This helps them squat and deadlift with better form and with more power. In addition, this strengthening of the hips and posterior chain improves their performance on the field, which of course is our ultimate goal!

Here are some of the less traditional exercises we do with Russian Kettlebells that you may find useful in your own training program:

1. Kettlebell Walks: There is the rack walk, overhead walk and of course the farmer carry.
2. Rack Walk: Using 1 or 2 Kettlebell, clean the weight (rack position) and walk for distance or time. Using two Kettlebells is more effective and they are awesome for the abs and lower back as well as great for raising GPP.
3. Overhead Walk: Simply press 1 or 2 Kettlebell overhead and then walk slowly. These are very challenging and will work the hell out of your lower back, abdominals, shoulders & triceps.
4. Farmer Walk: You know the drill with these – grab em’ and go! Great for improving GPP while working grip at the same time. The thick handles on the Kettlebell are great for improving grip strength. The only draw back is you need the heavier Kettlebell for this exercise.
5. Kettlebell Over Head Throw: You have seen strong man throw kegs and logs and this is very similar. Starting in the swing position, take a few small swings and on the 2^nd or 3^rd swing the athlete explodes through the hips and throws the Kettlebell for height, or for height and distance (forward or backward distance).
6. Kettlebell Rotational Throw: Do these with one or two hands. Also, do these from a dead start off the ground, dead start from the hang position, or take a few rotations and toss that Kettlebell to the sky!

The throws and tosses can also be considered a dynamic or max effort exercise. These are great for all athletes and you can also hold competitions if you train in small groups. The younger athletes love doing the throwing competitions!

What about specific sets, reps, etc. you are probably asking? We have no specific pattern that we stick to regularly. We might do ten sets of 1 rep in the clean and press with a heavy weight, one arm after the other never resting between sets. Other times we perform a variety of exercises in circuit fashion for an “extra workout” to raise GPP. 

Here is one way we have used Russian Kettlebells in a workout: We start the workout with a mix of movement activity (rope jumping), calisthenics and Jump Stretch Band work using various pull motions. This warm up is approximately 5 minutes in duration. We then move to a variation of the swing doing 2–4 sets of 10–15 repetitions. After the swing we perform a max effort, perhaps a deadlift or flat bench, and perform on average 7 sets of 2–5 reps per set. We then go on and perform assistance exercises or do another Russian Kettlebell exercise. We might do high volume Russian Kettlebell snatches for 3–5 reps per arm, alternating back and forth with no rest for 4–6 minutes non-stop. Or, we might perform a circuit of Russian Kettlebell exercises: 1 arm swing for 5 reps, 1 arm push press for 5 reps, 1 arm snatch for 3 reps, 1 arm row for 5 reps and then squats holding the Kettlebell at chin level with both hands for 5 reps. Without rest, we repeat the circuit on the other side of the body.

Once again, the above is just one example of using Russian Kettlebell exercises. During the warmer months we train at the park often and bring a sled and two Russian Kettlebells offer a lot of metabolic conditioning in addition to improving the strength, power and muscular endurance. Apply the principles of variety just as you vary your max effort and assistance exercises with barbells and the rewards will be even greater! 

Start off purchasing only one Russian Kettlebell, not a pair. When you are easily cranking out reps in all exercises, purchase the next heaviest Russian Kettlebell. When you are ready to purchase a pair, try purchasing the weight that you feel is moderately difficult. Once you start using two Russian Kettlebells at once each exercise intensifies greatly so purchasing the heaviest Kettlebell you can handle is not the best move. Yes, they are expensive so this is a very economical approach to purchasing Russian Kettlebellss and getting maximum usage from them.

On a final note, do not get overzealous with your Russian Kettlebell exercises. Emphasizing one training tool for endless weeks is a great way to develop overuse injuries and burn out. Longevity is the name of the game in any sport so train smart and hard and you will be ahead of the competition!

Zach Even – Esh is a strength and performance coach in NJ. He is the owner of Zach Even – Esh Performance Systems, LLC. To learn more about Zach’s methods visit his web sites at: www.CombatGrappler.com and www.UndergroundStrengthCoach.com

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