BODYWEIGHT Exercises that make your Kettlebell Training STRONGER (+ Sample workout)

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Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells:

Did you know there are specific bodyweight exercises that when added to your training program, makes your kettlebell work stronger?

In fact, one of my favorite program combinations is adding very specific bodyweight exercises or even workouts into my kettlebell training.

For example, I was recently traveling for business, so I was “only” doing bodyweight exercises.

Here’s what I did at an “workout park” outside:

A1. Parallel Dips x10

A2. Wide Grip Pull Ups to Throat x5

A3. Walking Lunges x10-20

A4. Hanging Leg Raises x5

A1 through A4 was performed as a circuit. I did 10 rounds of everything except HLRs, which I did 9, because I added them in one circuit in.

It took me 59:12 to do 100 Dips, 50 Wide Grip Pull Ups, 130 Walking Lunges, and 45 Hanging Leg Raises. (None of the exercises approached failure.)

Yeah, that’s a little long, but I’d been sitting in a conference room for the last 2.5 days, and needed some fresh air and sunshine.

Now, let me tell you the very particular way I performed these exercises and how they improve my kettlebell work -

And yours too. (Most likely.)

First of all, the Dips, Pull Ups, and Hanging Leg Raises all decompress the spine, which increases recovery, and decreases stress on your nervous system.

Second, the Walking Lunges balance the tension between the hip flexors and glutes, and can even work your abs. They’re great if you have tight hips, which most of us do if we sit a lot. (And I’d been sitting A LOT the past 2.5 days!)

Third, and here’s the most important point -

All the hanging exercises were performed using a “Hollow Hold” (the Dips were the exception - low bars, tucked the knees behind me for half the reps).

Now here’s why that’s important for your kettlebells strength:

The Hollow position is supposed to be part of the Human Development Sequence. (I have a picture of my daughter when she was 7 months old performing them - which I cannot currently find.)

The Hollow Position trains and strengthens the anterior chain - the muscles on the front of your body responsible for flexing your trunk and decelerating torso extension.

Read that last part again:

Decelerating torso extension.

This is a MAJOR technique issue with many kettlebell users:

They lean back at the top of their Swings.

And that “lean” can compress the vertebrae and other spine structures and cause injury.

Most people can’t reach the Hollow Position correctly.

And that decreases their power output when they perform their kettlebell ballistics.

They may have used some Hollow Holds at some time in the past, but unfortunately, most people don’t perform them correctly.

Their abs / midsection “tents” - literally creates either a point in the middle, or a “ridge” top to bottom when they flex their midsection.

This “tenting” is your body telling you that it’s lacking reflexive core stability and cannot stabilize your spine and pelvis using the Inner Unit…

The muscles responsible for creating Intra-Abdominal Pressure and creating spinal stability - and therefore systemic stabilization.

Having this reflexive core stability deficit can and will lead to injury, the more you continue to load your body.

It’s how I hurt my lumbar spine and tore the labrum in both hips.

Now the cool thing is, there are exercises you can use to recapture your reflexive core stability.

And you can “cement” them - make your abs stronger, using exercises like Hollow Holds.

In fact, I strongly recommend you learn how to do them correctly, then learn other more advanced exercises like Hanging Leg Raises.

I’ll show you the progressions and regressions you can use to rebuild your Hollow Holds inside my new program, Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells.
Make it the foundation of your “floor work,” which is where you should start your Core Strength Training.

And you should start that after you’ve recaptured your reflexive core stability, which I mentioned earlier.

It sounds somewhat complicated because… It is.

But it becomes “easy to follow” when you use The SSP Model inside Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells.

If you want / need a stronger core…

And want to get more out of your kettlebell training…

I strongly recommend you “bolt on” the program I’ve created for you inside Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells to your current kettlebell program.

Stay Strong,
Geoff
P.S. Also forgot to mention another cool thing about performing proper Hollow Holds - They actually flatten your stomach. They “cinch” your torso.

But only if you recapture your reflexive core stability first and do them correctly so you don’t “tent” your abs.

I show you how to do that inside Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells.