Now We Get to Act Like A Bunch of ANIMALS... a kettlebell and bodyweight workout!

So much inspiration and creativity stemming from the recent visit to NYC, Nimble Fitness, Equinox, and of course Al Kavadlo's Saturday Morning class.  This particular workout's "warm up" was directly influenced by the warmup from Al's class I attended.   Lacking access to Thompson Square Park, I came up with a simple circuit punctuated with our favorite 2 hand kettlebell swings (I had a variety of kettlebells available so the exercises could be performed properly with the right amount of weight etc.).
 
We chose a nice shaded area with a large concrete pad, did our favorite joint mobility warm up then proceeded to traverse down and back on the large pad with the following:
 
1. Bear Crawls (keep hips high, be conscious of what all limbs are doing at any given time.  Growling encouraged, no whining allowed!)
2. Traveling Inch-worms with push up and tuck jump—these need a name, Al might have mentioned something about a bull frog?  Feel free to "ribbit."   Basically start from standing, walk out on your hands to push up position, do a push up then jump your feet up between your hands.  Stand up with a hop and repeat.   These are fairly advanced moves, so be safe and know your limits (in terms of mobility/flexibility especially)
3. Crouching Monkey Kinda Thing.  Wide stance, similar to the Cossack Stretch for those of you familiar to the fab DVD Resilient.  The heel of the bent knee can come up - you stay low and then travel to the other knee so that it bends.   Hop the legs in the direction you want to go.   I need to do a video for this.   Get the hang of it and you'll feel like a cute little spider monkey or a hulking fierce gorilla—maybe a jumping spider!
 
On to the kettlebell circuit.  Do this 2-3 times, depending on what kind of time you have available.  If you are doing only 2 rounds, please choose challenging weights.

• 20 2-Hand Kettlebell Swings
•  Count to 20-30 Crab Toe Touches*
• 20 2-Hand Kettlebell Swings
• 10 kettlebell rows per side
• 20 2-Hand Kettlebell Swings
• 8 Overhead lunges per side (clean and press or snatch the kettlebell overhead then carefully lunge backwards - think about the Get Up)
• 20 2-Hand Kettlebell Swings
• 5-8 Kettlebell Front Squats per side
• 20 2-Hand Kettlebell Swings

Cool down with joint mobility, or if you're like a particularly motivated client of mine, ask to borrow the super cool mace and do some swings THEN your joint mobility cool down.  FUN!!!
 
*Thanks Alicia Streger for showing me this super cool move... start in a "crab walk" or "table" position, then carefully reach for the opposite side toe!
No one is usually this happy about doing these, but I am conditioned to smile in photos—old habits die hard.  Besides, I've just been to Whole Foods and I like these shoes a whole lot.