The #1 kettlebell exercise to learn in lockdown
If you had to pick one exercise to perform for the rest of Isolation, what would it be and why?
So here’s the deal, before I answer this question you’ve got to understand that the setup for this question is super “clickbaity” if not a gimmicky question. I hate being gimmicky, unless I’m being ironic but this question is not as lame as it sounds. It’s actually quite thought provoking, especially given the current circumstances. So here we go!
As a strength coach, I’ve been given the impossible task to cull all my favourite exercises and only pick one! It’s not easy, and I almost feel bad for the exercises I didn’t choose (which is weird I know). But I’ll make it super simple.
If you’re short on time, the answer is…The Kettlebell Clean and Jerk.
Okay, you’re done. Now go off and learn this movement and send me a photo of you and all your gains in 6 weeks.
If you’re interested in why, keep reading…
If you’ve ever watched the Olympic weightlifting events you’ll notice a few things. These humans are extremely powerful and absolutely jacked.
Like “C’mon man! This guy is way too jacked to be real!” kind of jacked.
Take my brother-in-law for example, he’s been weightlifighting for a few years now and although being very short (his height compared to mine is how i feel better about myself by the way) his body looks like one big muscle. His back squat and deadlift is something to admire as well, something that us normal people have to work for decades for.
China’s Lu Xiaojun in the clean and jerk of the men’s group A 77-kilogram category
I had a point with this…
The point is that these guys exclusively work on variations of all of O-lifts plus some powerlifting and accessories. With very little variety and smart programming these guys and gals are able to achieve some the best body composition and performance results out there.
Here’s a great quote from BJJ Black Belt and StrongFirst Senior Instructor Hector Guitierres Jr. “Next to the snatch, the clean and jerk is without a doubt one of the greatest expressions in full body power, speed and athleticism”.
Now there’s that, and then there’s the kettlebell variation. If you’ve panicked and bought a kettlebell in the last few weeks it’s probably because you’ve heard that they’re cheap(er), versatile and effective tools at building strong humans. You wouldn’t be wrong. In fact, they’re also much more forgiving than most other tools and have great carryover to many other athletic pursuits including, yes, weightlifting itself.
The kettlebell C&J (clean and jerk) is argued to be the ultimate athlete building tool offering an increase in power, strength, strength endurance and overall body composition. Not only that but it’s offerings in increase in performance are matched by how easy it is to learn, relatively speaking of course.
Back to the question at hand. Why the kettlebell C&J? It’s easy to learn, needs minimal equipment, and it’s a low risk and high reward exercise. Now, go forth and seek an instructor that can teach you (me) or wing it off YouTube (not recommend).
