My “12 Days of Christmas” Workout

Here’s one that will help you stay sharp during the holidays… If you know the lyrics, you know what to do (and if you don’t know the song, Google it for goodness sake)!

12 Days of Christmas:
1. Deadlift
2. Pullups
3. Plyometric pushups (whole body off the ground)
4. Box squat jumps
5. Burpees
6. Dumbbell step-up & press
7. Kettlebell cleans
8. Kettlebell double hand swings
9. V-ups
10. Spiderman pushups
11. Kettlebell squat into vertical row
12. Bird-dog

This should conclude a total of 354 reps.

Keep your game sharp (and your guard up)
Shir

Workout of the Week

Here’s a very short one for you, so you’ll have enough time to prepare for the holiday…

Warm up: anything light
1. 100 foot sprint, back and forth
2. Five hanging cleans with Olympic bar, as heavy as you can handle (if you don’t have a bar, use two heavy KBs instead)
3. Ten hanging leg raises (to 90º)

Repeat this circuit as many times as you can fit in 15 minutes. Then go have your protein shake.

Keep your game sharp (and your guard up),
Shir

Workout of the week

This one will raise your heart rate very quickly – be sure to hydrate before and after the workout, but not during. This week we are working for time – you will repeat the set 4 times without resting between exercises and sets; use a stop watch to see how quickly you can complete the entire workout:

30 walking lunges with KB held overhead; if you have room to walk 15 lunges, use one length with KB in right hand, and walk back holding it in the left)

20 box squat jumps (as high a bench as you can handle)

15 sand bag high wall throws (at least 20 lbs)

10 handstand pushups (on wall do 15 reps)

8 hanging choppers (like hanging leg raises, but in a 360º circle and alternating sides)

Get some protein and some electrolytes in you as soon as your heart rate slows down…

Keep your game sharp (and your guard up),
Shir

Workout of the Week

Warmup: Anything except static stretching.

1. Kettlebell stiff-leg deadlifts: as heavy as you can handle (x20)
2. KB hanging cleans: as heavy as you can handle (x8 each side)
3. Handstand pushups (x8)
4. KB snatches: as heavy as you can handle (x8 each side)
5. High jump and reach (x8 each side, reaching with one hand)
6. KB pendulum swings, heavy (x8 each side)
7. V-ups (x15)
8. Plyometric pushups (lift entire body) (x8)
9. KB Russian twists, heavy (x20)
10. KB side plank with press (x8 each side)

This is done as a circuit – no break between exercises. Repeat 1–10 one more time (total two times).

Keep your game sharp (and your guard up),
Shir

Workout of the week

Coming back from pregnancy and birth could be very challenging, especially for someone who was in very good shape. The loss of strength alone can be a serious motivation killer; All those sets of pullups I used to do so easily are now a distant memory… But I must push harder and simply do what it takes to get back there, however long it takes me.

Here’s this week’s workout (I felt like puking after that one, but give me two weeks and I’ll do better, I promise!):

Warmup: KB jumping jacks
2. pistol squats (single leg squats) holding one KB in rack position (x8 each leg)
3. diamond pushups (x15)
4. bench step-up and KB press (x20 each side)
5. pullups (x15)
6. box squat jumps (x10)
7. superman pushups (replace with Bosu plyometric pushups next round) (x10)
8. scissor jumps (x20)
9. turkish getups (x8 each side)
10. window washers with KB (x10)

Repeat 1–10. This should be done as a circuit, no break between exercises.

Keep your game sharp (and your guard up),
Shir

KBC Galvanized 2010 Convention Is almost here!

It is That Time Again!

Summer is just about here, and another Galvanized Convention is coming up very soon—July 9–11, 2010. This year I’ve designed a very special class for you*: It’s called “Ultimate Rush: Combat”, and was created especially for combat athletes. We will work our way around a high-intensity circuit, involving Kettlebells, heavy bags and other equipment, and perform exercises that are directly derived from martial arts and boxing, and others that were designed specifically to enhance a fighter’s performance — both standing up and on the ground. Your heart-rate will rise during the rounds and drop in between rounds, much like it does in the ring or in the octagon.

To register please visit the convention website; Registration deadline is June 24th, and space in this class is limited – so hurry up and reserve your spots!.

Keep your game sharp (and your guard up!)
Shir

* I strongly believe that things in life happen for a reason… As it happens, I am due to give birth on the day of this class; If my son decides to arrive on time, the charismatic and knowledgeable Pete Isip will be teaching this class—either way you are in excellent hands!

MMA and Kettlebells

A very good friend of mine, who happens to be a personal trainer, fellow CSCS (NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), and my gym training partner, has recently published his own website. Being an experienced and well-versed trainer, one who took his own body through the entire spectrum of being part of this world—from bodybuilding to athletics and even running marathons, Al Kavadlo now trains clients at the New York Health and Racket Club in Astor Place, and is as inquisitive and hungry as one who truly loves his work.

Check out Al’s MMA-specific Kettlebell workout (those of you who attended our “Way of the Warrior” Kettlebell workshop last June may remember some of these exercises)—here Al is being trained by MMA fighter Matt Ruskin, who is also a personal trainer.

Holiday/New Year’s workout

Being a “summer baby” and loving the outdoors, I feel that as the days become colder I tend to lose some of my otherwise abundant motivation to leave my cozy apartment and go push myself like I do on warmer, sunny days. It seems the only thing that really helps me survive those dark and blustery New York winters is the cheer of the holiday season. Read More

Better Human, Crunch and Everlast!

Every Thursday night I teach a classic boxing class at a NYC Crunch gym; That specific location is set up with an enormous boxing ring, surrounded by about seven heavy boxing bags, a speed bag, an uppercut bag and other fantastic equipment. The class is sponsored by Everlast and goes by the title “Everlast’s Art of Boxing”; It is structured to review basic technique in the ring, perform about 10 rounds on the bags, after which we come back into the ring for an intense conditioning circuit. Read More

KETTLEBELLS

Part IV: Traditional, Assistance and Trunk Exercises

In the last Kettlebell article, I provided some foundation and basic power exercises. In this installment, I’d like to list a few more exercises to complete your overall KB foundation. Once again, please remember that KBs are not built like any other free weights and should be approached with due respect in order to minimize the risks of injury: Read More