Garage Gym Workout: Barbells and Kettlebells
I’ve had a garage gym since 2016, and during this time my training has evolved based on the equipment I had available. Much to my surprise, this has led to better results than I would have otherwise thought possible. It forced me to become more creative in my workouts and learn different ways of achieving the goals I had set for myself in the gym. In fact, I think I’m getting better results from my garage gym workouts than I could have achieved with an entire gym of free weights and machines. The two implements I keep going back to time and time again are the barbell and the kettlebell. I feel as though these are the two most versatile pieces of gym equipment, and I use both of them in literally every single workout. I do full body workouts, usually beginning with one or two of the main lifts using the barbell, such as squat, overhead press, bench press, etc… Then I shift to doing more conditioning style workouts with kettlebells. It’s funny, I’ve become so used to working out this way I don’t miss having all the bells and whistles (no pun intended) of a commercial gym like a full rack of dumbbells or endless rows of Hammer Strength machines.
A typical workout looks something like this:
Barbell Front Squat 3 sets, 5-8 reps
Barbell Overhead Press 3 sets, 5-8 reps
Pull Up 3 sets, 8-10 reps
Kettlebell Swing 3 sets 20-60 reps
The number of reps and sets of the barbell is determined by the weight I feel like putting on the bar. If I go heavier then I’ll increase my rest periods and increase sets, lighter weight I’ll decrease the rest periods and sets. So for a 5 rep set I might do 4-5 sets instead of just 3, or an 8 rep set maybe just 3 sets. Recently, I’ve been incorporating a 3x8 sets/reps scheme with a one minute rest that Dan John recommends, and it has really been helping me get through my workouts a little quicker. It’s also deceptively hard. By the time you get to that 8th rep on the 3rd set you're pretty gassed. For kettlebell movements I do a variety of presses, swings, snatches, cleans, and so on.
I feel like the combination of heavier barbell movements combined with kettlebells has got me into some of the best shape of my life. Not the strongest I’ve ever been, but maybe the most well rounded in terms of strength and conditioning. I also think the off of center weight distribution of the kettlebell is a really nice compliment to the barbell where the weight is distributed evenly and sits directly under the vertical axis that the weight is moving on. Whatever it is, there is something about combining these two that seems to just work.
The barbell and kettlebell workout approach is a little less traditional than the typical workouts such as a body building or powerlifting split. It’s more of a General Physical Preparedness (GPP) program, which seems like an increasingly popular style of training anyways. Just look at Crossfit.
Speaking of GPP, I’ve recently become really interested in cross country (XC) mountain bike racing. Up until now I just rode my mountain bike for fun with no real training goal in mind. I was just getting some cardio done while getting outside in the sun and having some fun. I’m thinking of entering a race either later this year or early next year because I need some time to bring up my riding skills a bit. So it’d be an interesting experiment to see how well this style of workout would help prepare me for an XC race. If I actually decide to pursue that interest then I’ll be sure to monitor my progress and write about barbell and kettlebell training, and how well it helped me for the race.
I hope you enjoyed this article. And as always, thanks for reading.
(Disclaimer: This is what I do and what works for me, not advice. Exercise is dangerous, so exercise at your own risk)
