You can probably tell by the lack of regular updates on here that my schedule has been pretty full so far with 2023. The good news is I’ve been continuing to work out and record those workouts to use here (along with some new recipes). Some of them are just not ready for prime time yet – I like to test and polish things up before posting them here for you.
The Power Hour Half and Half Challenge Workout
However, on Saturday I really wanted to kick off the weekend in a spectacular fashion (especially since my usual weekend workout partner would be out of town, I refuse to use that as an excuse to slack off). The following workout is actually half of two different favorite workouts, both of which I have done time after time. BUT I have never put these particular two halves together. This is a fairly advanced workout and if done at a decent pace should take about a solid hour – and that’s with not a lot of rest. Feel free to modify this, change stuff around – add your own “half” for one part or the other. I was using the wonderful pullup bars and workout area near a local school, so I didnt want to carry over a ton of stuff. All the kettlebell exercises were done with my trusty 16kg kettlebell.
Joint Mobility Warm-Up:
Joint Mobility (joint circling) Sequence, Pump-Stretches, etc.
Warm-Up Kettlebell mini circuit 3x:
- 10 kettlebell swings
- 3x goblet squats
- 3/3 “round the worlds”
First Half: 20 minute EMOM
(which you may recognize as an all time favorite combination this year, 20 rounds of this moderately paced wildness adds up nicely volume wise for where I am with pullups at the moment. All reps must be quality – that’s why there’s such a low rep range and the pauses.)
Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes, I did this:
- 2-3 pullups (with extra half second pause at the top and bottom)
- 3x standard burpees (with pushup and jump)
- 5x bodyweight squats
After just 20 minutes, it’s hard to realize that those short sets add up to a pretty decent amount of overall reps. And that’s why I love that combo. Yes, the bodyweight squats in this context are active rest.
Second Half: 100 Snatches and Walking Around
(one of the things I absolutely love about working out in this particular outdoor space is the well-cared for, very flat grassy area right outside and along the fence.) For 100 snatches in total, I went for 5x rounds. In the RKC, 16kg is one size up from the weight class where I usually test, so breaking up the reps like this with one size up is a nice way to go. Granted, I may end up doing this whole sequence with a 18kg kettlebell in a few weeks to see what happens. Might be fun?
- 20 kettlebell snatches (I do 10/10)
- Walk backwards 50 yards
- Do 12 walking lunges on the way back (no weight), then walk the rest of the way normally
Abs, because why not 3x:
- 5x Power Breathing Crunches
- 30 seconds scissor kicks
- 30 seconds deliberately controlled hanging knee raises (they’re harder this way, try it.)
I did a bit more joint mobility and called it a wrap!
How are your weekend workouts? I like to use either Saturday or Sunday as a time to tackle a higher volume challenge like this
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