Hell is a relative concept. Still, we’re pretty sure all will think it’s an accurate moniker for the above workout given the heart-pumping, muscle-burning response this devilishly tough kettlebell routine elicits.
In our 5 Minutes of Hell series, MH fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM-CPT throws himself into the ring for grueling gym challenges so hard only a mad scientist—or master trainer—could create. Each trainer leads Williams through some of the hardest workouts imaginable, making our editor the guinea pig (or human sacrifice, to be more on-theme) for each brutal moment.
Here, Jah Washington, NCCPT, Men’s Health Next Top Trainer winner and owner of Harlem Kettlebell Club, creates a kettlebell workout that will leave you panting. You’ll need a pair of kettlebells you can press and swing for reps, so think medium weight.
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“That is five minutes of total body conditioning. All you need a pair of kettlebells, a lot of energy, a ton of effort,” says Washington.
You have 90 seconds to finish each of the three circuit rounds. The quicker you finish, the more rest time you get between moves—so it’s in your best interest to put pedal to the metal. Once you think you’re done, you’ll have to survive through a final finisher to close out the workout. Here’s the outline:
The 5-Minute Kettlebell Lunge and Swing Hellset
Lateral Lunge Clean to Overhead Press
How to Do It:
- Hoist the kettlebell into the rack position to start.
- Lunge to the opposite side of the bell, bringing the weight down between your legs.
- Push off the floor with your working leg, pulling the kettlebell up into a clean back to rack position as you step back to the start.
- Press the kettlebell straight up overhead.
- Perform 7 reps with one arm. Switch to the other and repeat. (For each ensuing round, you’ll add a rep.)
Be sure to take deep breaths, focusing on both inhaling and exhaling. Washington notes that the side lunge can be particularly useful to help break from typical training patterns, which usually take place in just one plane of movement: the front-to-back of the sagittal plane. “So one thing I love about this one is getting out of that sagittal plane, working the frontal plane,” says Washington, emphasising the side-to-side movement of the lateral lunge.
Once you finish, immediately grab the second kettlebell to begin the next exercise.
Bent-Over Rows
How to Do It:
- Hinge at the hips to bend over, gripping the kettlebells with each hand with your wrists facing each other (with a neutral grip).
- Pull up to row the weights with both arms, initiating the movement with your back. Keep your hips back and level.
- Perform 10 reps.
- Rest for the remainder of the period.
This exercise provides a pull after all your overhead pressing to keep the session balanced.
Alternate between these two exercises, building up to 9 reps per set lateral lunge clean to overhead press and bent-over rows.
Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings
Once you’ve done all three rounds, seal the deal with a brutal 15-second finisher of single-arm kettlebell swings, which target your whole posterior chain and help you to build up power.
How to Do It:
- Start with the kettlebell on the floor, slightly in front of you. Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, hinge at the hips, bend at the knees, holding the handle.
- Hike the bell back between your legs, then shoot the hips forward to drive the swing. Your arm should be straight like a rope; only use your hip drive to power the weight through the movement. Shoot your off-arm back and forward along with the working arm like a sprinter.
- Perform reps for 15 seconds, then switch arms mid-rep for the final 15 seconds.
“I loved how smart it was, and I think that’s because of the diversity of movement,” says a breathless Williams. Sagittal, frontal, and even a little bit of transverse—this workout has it all. Good luck.
This article was originally on menshealth.com
