Mike Mahler - Mahler's Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Workshop Manual

• Breathe in as you lower yourself to the floor and out slowly as you return to the starting position.

• Keep the repetition range between one and three.

• Make sure to contract your lat as you press the kettlebell for added stability.

Exercise Description

Lie on your back and floor press a kettlebell to the top position. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, pivot to the opposite side and use your non-working arm to assist you in driving forward to the lunge position. While looking up at the kettlebell, slowly stand up. Reverse the motion back to the starting position and repeat.

Performance Tips

• Focus on keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times

• Flex your stomach and glutes to drive off of the floor into the lunge position.

• Look at the kettlebell at all times.

• Breathe in as you stand up and breathe out as you lower yourself back to the starting position.

Exercise Description

Lie on your back and floor press a kettlebell to the top position. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, pivot to the opposite side and use your non-working arm to assist you in driving forward to the bottom position of an overhead squat. Looking up at the kettlebell slowly stand up. Reverse the motion back to the starting position and repeat.

Performance Tips

• Focus on keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times.

• Flex your stomach and glutes to drive off of the floor into an overhead squat position.

• Look at the kettlebell at all times.

• Breathe in as you stand up and breathe out as you lower yourself back to the starting position.

Exercise Description

Place one kettlebell between your legs and take a comfortable stance. Bend over by pushing your butt out and keeping your back flat. Pick up a kettlebell and pass it to your other hand between your legs. Go back and forth for several repetitions.

Performance Tips

• Contract your abs and butt at each kettlebell pass

• Turn in the direction that you are passing the kettlebell to

• Set a stopwatch for a certain time period such as 30 seconds to a minute and do as many passes as possible.

Exercise Description

Clean a kettlebell to your shoulder. Squat down a few inches and reverse the motion rapidly. Use the momentum from the legs to drive the kettlebell overhead. Once the kettlebell is locked out, lower the weight to your shoulder and repeat.

Performance Tips

• Push the kettlebell off of your upper body.

• Do not squat down too far.

• Breathe in as your lower the kettlebell and breathe out as you push press the kettlebell overhead.

• Look straight ahead at all times.

• Flex your stomach and butt as you lower the kettlebell to brace for the kettlebell.

Exercise Description

Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Squat down a few inches and reverse the motion rapidly. Use the momentum from the legs to drive the kettlebells overhead. Once the kettlebells are locked out, lower the kettlebells to your shoulders and repeat.

Performance Tips

• Push the kettlebells off of your upper body.

• Do not squat down too far.

• Breathe in as your lower the weights and breathe out as you push press the kettlebells overhead.

• Look straight ahead at all times.

• Flex your stomach and butt as you lower the kettlebell to brace for the kettlebells.

Exercise Description

Clean a kettlebell to your shoulder. Squat down a few inches and reverse the motion rapidly. Immediately after the initial push, squat down again and get under the kettlebell. Once the kettlebell is locked out, stand upright to complete the exercise.

Performance Tips

• Push the kettlebell off of your upper body.

• Do not squat down too far.

• Breathe in as your lower the weight and breathe out as you jerk the kettlebell overhead.

• Look straight ahead at all times.

• Flex your stomach and butt as you lower the kettlebell to brace for the kettlebell.

Exercise Description

Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Squat down a few inches and reverse the motion rapidly driving both kettlebells overhead. Immediately after the initial push, squat down again and get under the kettlebells. Once the kettlebells are locked out, stand upright to complete the exercise.

Performance Tips

• Push the kettlebells off of your upper body.

• Do not squat down too far.

• Breathe in as your lower the weight and breathe out as you jerk the kettlebells overhead.

• Look straight ahead at all times.

• Flex your stomach and butt as you lower the kettlebells to brace for the kettlebells.

Exercise Description

Place a kettlebell between your feet. Bend your knees and push your butt back to get in the proper starting position. Look straight ahead and swing the kettlebell back between your legs. Immediately reverse the direction and drive through with your hips. Pull the kettlebell towards your body as if you are starting a lawn mower. As the kettlebell rises to your shoulder open your hand and punch through straight overhead.

Performance Tips

• Breathe in as you take the weight overhead and breathe out as the kettlebell swings between your legs.

• Punch through at the top forcefully to lock out the kettlebell overhead.

• At the starting position, crush grip the kettlebell. As you raise it past your chest open you hand and get your hand around the kettlebell rather than letting the kettlebell flip over your hand and crush your forearm.

Exercise Description

Place one kettlebell between your feet. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebell straight out. Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat. Switch arms with each set.

Performance Tips

• Breathe out at you swing the kettlebell out and breathe in as the kettlebell swings between your legs.

• Contract your midsection and glutes at the top of the exercise and as the kettlebell swings between your legs for added stability.

• Look straight ahead at all times.

Exercise Description

Place two kettlebells between your feet. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebells between your legs forcefully. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebells straight out to chest level. Let the kettlebells swing back between your legs and repeat.

Performance Tips

• Breathe out at you swing the kettlebells to chest level and in as the kettlebells swing between your legs.

• Contract your midsection and glutes at the top of the exercise and as the kettlebells swing between your legs for added stability.

• Look straight ahead at all times.

This is a workout program that requires four workouts per week. Each workout takes forty-five minutes to an hour. If you are taking longer than an hour, then you are doing something wrong. With EDT, the goal is to do as many reps of each exercise in each "Personal Record Zone" (PR Zone). Pick exercises and kettlebells that you can handle for at least six to ten repetitions. Start each PR zoneby doing three to five repetitions for each exercise. As fatigue builds, lower the reps to one to two and take longer breaks between each set. At the end of each PR Zonerecord the total number of repetitions that you achieved for each exercise. For example, if you did a total of forty repetitions on military presses, your goal at the next workout is to do a minimum of forty-one repetitions. As long as you are doing more repetitions, you will get bigger and stronger.

Monday and Friday: Upper Body

PR Zone 1 (20 Minutes)