KettleBell Workouts for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain

My assumption is that you

1. have a pair of kettlebells available for Renegade Row (if not, do alternating Snatches instead);
2. you have done KB exercises before and / or have one of Pavel's or another RKC's books or videos for an explanation of how to do them properly.

DON'T JUST JUMP IN AND TRY TO EXERCISE WITH A KETTLEBELL.  IT COULD BREAK YOU!

The concept behind this workout is Progressively Escalating Density.  Perform 10 sets of 5 reps (or as close as possible to that number) within *15* minutes.  Don't do more than 5 reps per set.  Rest as much as necessary but do 10 sets -- even if the last few sets are 1 rep each.  Record your results as you go (really really really easy if you have an iPhone and use Gyminee for iPhone).  Do better each workout (more total reps, more sets with higher reps, etc.).  As you approach 50 total reps per workout (10 sets of 5), go up to the next weight.

That's the concept.  A little harder to implement with the kettlebell because the weight increments are so drastically large.

I did a (4) week cycle with 3 days standard weights and 2 days cardio each week.  I then took one week off and did only cardio (Spinning, Pilates and Yoga) 2 or 3 times a day to heal and recover.  I lost about 12 lbs over the 5-week period.

My next (4) week cycle begins on Monday. KBs 3 days a week, cardio (Spinning) 2 days a week.  Check on my progress to see how it goes.  If it works, hey hey.  If not, no biggie, I'll try something else.  But my experience has been that KBs are the bomb.  So I expect much better results than I got with standard weights.

If you try this workout, remember, EAT.  Kettlebells are no joke.  They will turn your metabolism into a BLAST FURNACE.  If you eat properly, you'll boil away fat.  If you don't eat, you will smelt away muscle.  No joke!  I lost 34 lbs of lard 3 summers ago in 9 weeks!  I gained it all back (and more) as a result of a string of sports injuries, downtime and a concomitant loss of discipline.

Anyway, now I've babbled all over the place.  If you're a KB fan, join in and let's help each other get leaner, stronger, faster, confidenter, flexible-er.

BTW, I'm not an RKC-certified anything -- just an experienced enthusiast.  So don't take any of my fluff for gospel.  To get expert advice, find an RKC Senior in your area.  You can start here:
http://www.dragondoor.com/a/2060/

Have a great workout!