Here’s an outdoors workout that proves that snow and freezing temperatures don’t have to keep you cooped up indoors. Grab your kettlebells and sledgehammer. Training has never been this simple and effective.
After a couple of weeks of really lousy, gloomy weather – a couple of minor snow incidents, rain, a snow storm and freezing temps – resulted in me having a bad case of cabin fever. I needed to get outdoors and get some exercise. Kettlebell and sledgehammer training; just what the doctor ordered.
This past Sunday I grabbed my 10-pound sledgehammer and 2 kettlebells and headed outside to grab a quick 25-minute workout in the snow and freezing temperatures that helps to make New Jersey in February so wonderful. And please forgive me for the skipping video; I guess it was a little too cold for my laptop to deliver a smooth frame rate.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I did; 30 jumping jacks, 20 kettlebell swings, 10 “bell up” kettlebell military presses and 40 sledgehammer swings. I ran through this circuit 4 times, with each circuit taking a bit over 4 minutes to finish, and rested for about 3 minutes in between circuits.
“Bell up” presses are done by holding the kettlebell with the round part – the bell – facing up. This adds a significant degree of difficulty to the lift and requires a lot more hand and forearm strength, and shoulder stability, than is needed to do traditional presses.
The first time through the circuit, I used the 35-pound kettlebell for the swings and the “bell up” presses, and used a 50-pound girya for the remaining circuits. And I alternated between traditional 2-hand kettlebell swings and the DARC swings, where you let go at the top of the swing and switch hands.
I tell you, it felt great to get outside and into the fresh, clean, cold morning air. Frankly, I was sick of working out exclusively in the gym for the past three weeks.
So if the weather’s got you down, and you haven’t had the change to get outside, don’t let snow and cold stop you. Layer up, grab your gear and have yourself a great outdoors workout.
