My 5 Favorite Kettlebell Complexes
My dog hanging out with the kettlebells.
This is a list of my five favorite Kettlebell Complexes I routinely incorporate into my workout. Kettlebell complexes are basically just a series of kettlebell exercises superset (repeated back to back) for a number of rounds without rest. This type of exercise is great for cardiovascular conditioning which can be lacking on a strict weight lifting only program. I often incorporate these into the end of my workout as a “finisher” after I’ve completed my heavier multi-joint barbell movements such as a squat or bench press. One important note is that I perform these with a weight that I can sustain for 5 to 10 rounds at a minimum. If the weight is so heavy that I can only go for 2 or 3 rounds then I switch out to lighter bells. The point with these finisher workouts is to improve my conditioning and endurance.
A common thread among all these complexes is that I often pause and reposition between rounds. This helps ensure that I have proper form and controlled movements, which is really important when you’re flinging kettlebells around. It may be tempting to try and bang out as many rounds as possible in the shortest amount of time possible, but I’ve found that pausing and repositioning between each round is actually a lot harder and a lot safer. I also incorporate some calisthenics into some of these complexes as well. It seems that kettlebell exercises and calisthenics fit together nicely, and combining the two can kind of break up the monotony a little bit. So in no particular order here are my five favorite kettlebell complexes:
2 Power Cleans/1 Press/3 Front Squats - I learned this one from Dan John, and it is the king of kettlebell complexes. He often refers to it as “Armor Plating”, and I can see why. This complex is brutal, and if you use too heavy of a weight your muscles will gas out after a couple rounds. I complete this complex as Coach John recommends where I complete one round, set the bells down, standup, then grab the bells reposition, and then go again. I believe he incorporates a rest period between each round, so he will do up to 20-30 rounds. There something about all of this bending over, standing up, then repositioning again is much tougher over 10 rounds than just trying to continuously bang out uncontrolled reps.
3 Snatches/1 Press - I discovered this complex just through experimentation, and I’m surprised how effective it is. I use a single arm snatch and press, so I alternate from one to the next. I like to take my time, set the bell down, grab it with the other hand, reposition, then go! As previously mentioned, I’ve found that this is far more effective than just trying to smash out as many reps as possible with little regard to form and control. The key is to use a kettlebell that feels too light for the first 1-3 rounds, but by round 5 I’m starting to feel the burn and by round 10-15 I’m pretty gassed. After completing 10-15 rounds I may rest for a couple minutes then go again 2-3 more times for 10-15 rounds.
10 Push Ups/20 Kettlebell Swings - This is one of my favorite all time complexes. For whatever reason push ups and kettlebell swings just fit really well together. I’ll often put a plate on my back for the push ups to add a bit of challenge, but it’s good with body weight as well. Occasionally, I’ll also do this one with single arm snatches (10 each arm) to ratchet up the intensity. After 5-10 rounds you’ve accumulated quite a bit of volume.
20 Kettlebell Swings/10 Push Ups/5 Pull Ups - Very similar to the complex above, but with this one I never use weighted push ups. This complex is very deceptive. It seems almost too easy after a couple rounds, but by the time you get to round 10 you’re gassed. I think this is the quintessential example of how to accumulate volume using kettlebells and calisthenics. After 10 rounds you’ll have completed 200 swings, 100 pushups, and 50 pullups. That’s not bad.
5 Deadlifts/5 Power Cleans/5 Front Squats - It’s very tempting to want to use some heavy bells for this one since your legs can move a lot of weight. However, my goal is to accumulate rounds, not weight. If I want to do heavy deadlifts, power cleans, and squats then I’ll use a barbell or heavy kettlebells for standard reps/sets, not high rep kettlebell complexes. Anyway, after 10 -20 rounds your legs are pumped and your heart is racing.
Hopefully you found this blog post interesting. As I mentioned earlier, I often do these complexes as a finisher after my barbell moves. I wrote another blog about how I incorporate barbells and kettlebells together in a workout, so you can check it out here. I occasionally mix it up as well by just doing two or three of these complexes for a complete workout. I just take about a five minute rest before starting the next complex. I’ll also experiment and mix up these movements as well. It’s one of the things I like about kettlebells is you don’t have to be so regimented with your workout as you do with a barbell. The most important thing is to just string some exercises together and get the heart rate up. 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.)
