Tag Archives: kettlebell swings

Top 7 Exercises for Warriors

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Here is the list I put together of my Top 7 Exercises for Warrior Training.  Not that these are the ONLY exercises you should do or would ever need but, if I were forced to narrow down my selection to my top 7, these would be my picks.

The great thing about this list is that if you were to just do these 7 exercises combined into a progressive training program, you would get amazing results of strength building, metabolic conditioning, fat loss, and endurance.  The side benefits would also include greater core strength, agility, and coordination.  So go forth and add these to your training program!

 

1. Clubbell Mills / Reverse Mills

2. Jumping

Burpee 4

Any type of jumping is not only excellent conditioning for explosive strength, but also mandatory for a warrior.  You must be able to leap out the way of a sword strike or over an obstacle!  So, whether it’s box jumps, tire jumps, broad jumps, lateral jumps, etc, they are all important and necessary training.

3. Pull-ups

Warriors need pulling strength.  Get on the bar, the rope, the tree branch, or even the monkey bars at the local playground and start pulling!  Change up your grip each set.

4. Push-ups

Most people consider push-ups a basic exercise and only know a handful of variations.  I consider push-ups an amazing developer of whole body strength, coordination, and agility with almost limitless variations – ask my clients! 🙂

5. Tire Flips

Whole body strength and power plus the added satisfaction of flipping a 400 lb tire.  Simply badass!

6. Ground up lift

This can be any lift from the ground up to overhead.  Use a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebell, sandbag, keg, small child, whatever!  Clean and press it.  Snatch it.  Jerk it. Turkish Get Up it!  Just lift it!

7. Sledge hammer swings

 

These are simply awesome for conditioning, developing striking power, and super-transferable nonstop core power.  Plus they are fun as hell and great for stress relief after a bad day!

Bonus exercise – KB Swings

You are your weakest link!  For most people their posterior chain is a weak area on the body.  This exercise will fix it.  Oh yeah, if you still think you need to do more cardio, try banging out a few hundred reps of these bad boys!

 

What exercises would you include as part of your top 7?  Drop a comment below!

Martial Power

 

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The other day, I was working out with my good friend Eric Chasko at his studio, Redemption Kettlebell Gym in East Windsor, NJ.  After our training session, we were discussing the mechanics of a basic kettlebell swing and Eric had me demo a few swings.  As I began demonstrating the basic kettlebell swing that I had been taught almost 10 years ago, he noticed a hitch in my movement during the back swing.  Instead of keeping my back flat, I was raising it slightly as the bell moved into back position.  This was something I had never noticed previously.  Initially, it would not cause a problem, but over time, and with some serious volume, it would begin to stress my low back and contribute to pain in that area if not addressed. 

Eric picked up another kettlebell and showed me the difference between what I was doing on my back swing and how it should be done correctly.  We then worked on keeping my back flat while bringing the bell back and then driving with the hips to swing the bell upwards.  After a practicing for a couple repetitions, I got it.  As Eric is fond of saying, “Kettlebell swings are not bad for your back.  The way YOU are doing them is bad for your back!”   Unless you ask questions and talk to a knowledgeable professional, you never know what you don’t know!

So, although I have done kettlebell swings for years, I still had something to learn from a coach.  Never assume you already know how to do something, even something as basic as a kettlebell swing!

Kettlebell Swing #1 - Approach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kettlebell Swing #2 - Back Swing

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Kettlebell Swing #3 – Hip Drive!