Monday’s Kettlebell Workout – The Ladder

This past December, I was e-mailed a new workout by the same SparkFriend who had sent me my original timed workout. At the time, he described it as “The Twelve Bells of Christmas”. I was supposed to do this workout only from about mid-December through the New Year. Unlike the previous workout, it’s untimed, and is in a ladder format.

A ladder workout is a method of strength and sports training where you perform one or more exercises with an ascending and descending repetition pattern. Ladders are muscular endurance and conditioning workouts designed to help you increase your overall training volumes while maintaining proper form and technique. The number of exercises per workout and the number of reps between sets depends on your muscular strength and endurance. In general, beginner ladders involve one exercise, while advanced ladders involve two or three. (Source: http://livehealthy.chron.com/ladder-workouts-4564.html)

Basically, you pretend you’re singing the Twelve Days of Christmas, and begin the first round by doing only the first move. Then, the second round is the second move, done twice, followed by the first move done once. Third round is the third move, done three times, followed by the second move, done twice, followed by the first move, done once, et cetera, et cetera and so forth until you’ve done all twelve rounds. Take a short break in between rounds, but only as needed (and you’ll need it towards the end, I assure you).

Without further ado, here is the workout:

1. Goblet Squat
   
2. Sumo Dead Lifts
   
3. Clean and Press (switch sides each round)
   
4. High Pulls (switch sides each round)
   
5. Toe Touches/Windmills (switch sides each round)
   
6. Squat Press
   
7. Around the World (switch directions each round)
   
8. 2-Handed Swing
   
9. Bent Over Row (switch sides each round)
   
10. Figure 8s
    
11. Around the Body Stalls (switch directions each round)
12. 1-Arm Swings (per side, 24 total)*
    

This workout is serious business, but, with it not being timed, you can focus on form. I workout in front of a full length mirror so I can watch my form and make sure I’m not going to injure myself.