5-4-3-2-1 +

After an extended training time-off hiatus lasting several months toward the end of last year, and after a lumpy start, I must share that I now again have kettlebell (KB) fever.  I’ve reclaimed my groove and restored lost cardiovascular conditioning so necessary to perform the challenging KB complexes I was doing before my big time off.

Not that I’m in the same condition I was in when falling off the fitness saddle, but I’m closing the gap and in far better conditioning shape when I got back serious at the beginning of this year.

I’ve shared a couple KB workouts that I’ve done lately here at Pierini Fitness and am doing so again today.  As is typical of the KB complexes I create and/or tailor to my current abilities, I’ve given this one a name for ease of identification.

This is the workout I completed one day last week.  Again, my workout designs are that they be short and intense with short meaning 20 minutes long and intense meaning that which is very hard to complete and that brings serious thoughts of quitting about half way into the workout.

This is the single-arm KB complex I did:

  #1 – swing x 5, then

  #2 – clean x 4, then

  #3 – rack squat x 3, then

  #4 – snatch x 2, then

  #5 = strict overhead press x 1 plus a 10-count hold at the top of the press.

I completed this complex on the right side first, did a swing switch and repeated on my left side to complete one round.

I started a new round every 3 minutes and completed 5 rounds in 13:55. I took slightly over one minute to catch my breath until the 15-minute mark and then spent the last five minutes stretching my lower body.

It was a tough workout for sure that I’ve named my 5-4-3-2-1 plus 10-count hold single KB complex, but to be brief, you can call it the 5-4-3-2-1 +.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum