Kettlebell Dynamics is an interesting collection of kettlebell combos. I’m not really sure what to think about it. Amy Bento is a new-to-me trainer who I have, so far, really liked. This workout however, is rather humdrum. I’m a little worried now, too. I loved her two pure strength training workouts so much (Slo-Mo Strength and Drop Set Strength) that I rushed out out and bought several more of her workouts–including two kettlebell workouts, this one and KB2. I hope the others aren’t all like this one. It is intermediate level. Of course, it always depends on the weight of kettlebell you use how intense and advanced a workout is. I used the same kettlebell weights Amy did for most of the exercises–one or two I went heavier (a 25 rather than a 20 pound kettlebell). But I didn’t find it very intense. Or fun. It would be hard to go any heavier than I did on most of the exercises because they are more complicated kettlebell moves than what I am used to.
Here is what you get. Total running time of this DVD is one hour and 25 minutes. However it is broken down. You get a short introduction, an approximately 6 minute tutorial (called Preview Moves), a warm up, 3 approximate 20 minute kettlebell workouts, an 8 minute abdominal segment and a stretch. So there are a lot of ways you can do these workouts. There are also premixes that mix the workouts up–they are all about the same length as the workouts are on their own if you include the warm up and stretch. To review this workout I did everything separately. I did the abdominal workout as an add on to another workout I did, then I did each kettlebell workout (adding on the one warm up and sometimes the end stretch) as a doubles workout on 3 different days after work. I will say that you will probably get a more intense workout if you do more of the workouts strung together rather than one 20 minute workout. Each workout by themselves didn’t work up much of a sweat. The individual workouts are made up of 3 kettlebell combos separated by one minute of cardio; after each cardio blast you get a 30 second recovery before moving on to the next combo. The workouts do not include the warm up so that has to be done separately (and added on to the workout time I listed to give you an accurate workout time–if you include the warm up and stretch, each workout is approximately 30 minutes). Each of the workouts has a stretch of varying length at the end so doing the 5:30 minute stretch at the very end isn’t a necessity unless you are starting at the beginning and doing the entire thing from beginning to end (which would be over an hour long metabolic kettlebell workout). The DVD is chaptered so it is easy to navigate to the different workouts or warm up or stretch that you are interested in doing.
The 6 minute kettlebell tutorial is necessary to view so you can preview some of the more complicated moves. Now, in the intro, Amy states this is an advanced workout. I disagree. It is a complicated workout with complex moves. Does that make it advanced? I don’t know. As I mentioned above, I wasn’t terribly challenged by it. The exercises demonstrated in this tutorial are swing tap switch, bottoms up swing, arm bar and cossock. She shows some alternate ways to do the exercises if it is too complicated for you as well as how to use one kettlebell rather than two on cossock.
I’m about to get into the workout breakdowns, but first I want to reiterate that the warm up is separate; so you either have to do a premix to have it incorporated, or go to chaptering and choose it, then return to the chaptering to choose your workout, then if you want more of a stretch then the individual workouts give you, return to chaptering to choose the stretch.
The warm up is 6 minutes and the stretch is 5:30 minutes long. Amy is leading this whole workout by herself in bare feet.
Workout #1 is 19 minutes long with a 1 minute cool down/stretch. Amy uses a 20 pound kettlebell for all of the kettlebell exercises. Combo #1: 5 double hand KB swings, 5 one hand kettlebell swings each hand, push ups with one hand on kettlebell–5 each side; do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #1: 3 high knee runs, one tap back; keep alternating. Combo #2: hop to side, double hand kettlebell swing overhead and hold–5 total, waiters presses (one arm overhead shoulder press with kettlebell bell resting in palm–5 each side); do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #2: deck squats (squat until your butt touches the ground, roll onto back, then roll back up to feet–never using hands). Combo #3: one arm snatch overhead, slowly lower KB to shoulder and rack, then squat–do 5 each side then repeat. Renegade row–5 each side then repeat. One minute cardio #3: 4 shuffles (like cross country skiers) and split lunge (when in split lunge hop once–this is not alternating power lunges–just hop while legs remain in static lunge position). Brief cool down/stretch.
Workout #2 is 19 minutes long with a 4 minute cool down/stretch. Amy uses primarily one 20 pound kettlebell for this workout, but for one exercise she uses a 25 pound kettlebell and for another combo she uses two 20 pound kettlebells. There is an option (discussed in the tutorial) of just using a single kettlebell for that exercise. Combo #1: high halos (around head) 5 each way and swing tap switch (alternating one hand kettlebell swings–3 each hand, so 6 total); do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #1: slam dunk (run forward, jump as if making a basket, then run back). Combo #2: bottoms up swing with 180 turn (two hand kettlebell swing but hold kettlebell at top (overhead with straight arms arms) and turn 180 degrees, swing and repeat)–8 total and she uses the 25 pound kettlebell for this; cleans–5 each side. Do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #2: speed bag 4 times + 2 jacks; alternate sides. Combo #3: Amy uses two 20 pound kettlebells for this entire combo; cossock (holding both kettlebells at chest, come down into deep plie squat and shift legs side to side (deep static lateral lunges) 4 times, put both kettlebells on floor in front of you, hands still on handles, and bring feet back into plank–5 push ups, keep hands on kettlebell handles and drag feet through in front of you, keeping arms straight/locked and feet off ground–levitate to count of 4, lower feet to ground (hands still on kettlebell handles) and bring feet out, do 5 tricep dips. Repeat this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #3: 30 seconds of wide mountain climbers (feet come outside of hands) and 30 seconds of high knee runs. Cool down/stretch.
Workout #3 is 20 minutes long with a 2 minute cool down/stretch. Combo #1: running swings (swing, 4 fast steps forward, swing, 4 fast steps forward, bottoms up (holding kettlebell suspended overhead) as you turn around and repeat in the other direction–7 total) and 5 back rows, holding kettlebell by bell; do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #1: bob and weave with hook punches. Combo #2: five bottoms up diagonal swings (swing to side and hold overhead) and 10 quarter turn squat jumps holding kettlebell by bell; do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #2: no hands Turkish get up (30 seconds each side and you will hold one arm overhead as you do with a kettlebell–except no kettlebell). Combo #3: lunatic lunges (hold kettlebell by horn but upside down; raise knee, lunge to side, come back to standing with same knee raised, switch sides–3 each side–and farmers walk (hold a kettlebell in each hand and walk in a circle 5 times; do this combo 3 times. One minute cardio #3: 3 quarter turn jump squats in which fingertips touch the floor and one knee. Cool down/stretch.
Abdominals (8 minutes): Amy used a 20 pound kettlebell for this segment. I didn’t care for the abdominal segment. The first halo trio was ok, but exercise #2 I did not feel at all. I’m sure I was doing it all wrong, but I felt nothing in my core when doing it. As for the 3rd, it hurt my hand; I ended up lowering my hand to the top of the bell, but it still hurt. I won’t be bothering with this segment again. Exercises: 1. high halo, middle halo (around midsection), low halo (around calves); 2. arm bar (sit on hip, bottom leg extended and lay on side, bending top leg so it touches the floor, top arm is holding KB straight overhead, bottom arm is extended on floor straight; you will be rolling hip front to side, keeping arm locked and KB overhead); 3. one arm plank, the one arm will actually be holding KB handle.
Premixes:
NRG Mix #1 (33 minutes): warm up + workout 1/combo 1 + workout 3/cardio 1 + workout 3/combo 2 + workout 2/cardio 2 + workout 3/combo 3 + workout 2/cardio 2 + stretch
NRG Mix #2 (32 minutes): warm up + workout 3/combo 1 + workout 3/cardio 1 + workout 2/combo 2 + workout 2/cardio 2 + workout 1/combo 3 + workout 1/cardio 3 + stretch
NRG Mix #3 (29 minutes): warm up + workout 2/combo 1 + workout 2/cardio 2 + workout 1/combo 2 + workout 1/cardio 2 + workout 3/combo 3 + workout 3/cardio 3 + stretch
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