Kettlebell Workout For Combat Athletes

Kettlebells are a fantastic tool for building strength, endurance, efficiency and mental toughness – all qualities that are needed for combat sports like mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, etc.

Most kettlebell exercises have specific application to fighting skills – for example, an efficient kettlebell clean and press requires the athlete to go very quickly from relaxation to tension, something a combat athlete has to do multiple times during a fight.

Now, the term ‘combat athlete’ is obviosly very broad – a boxer is going to train quite differently than a mixed martial artist. But there are some similarities – andI’ve written up a sample kettlebell circuit workout that can be adapted for your specific situation.

The important part of this circuit is that each exercise is done for time instead of reps; the work:rest ratio is what we’re focusing on.

The ‘combat kettlebell circuit workout’ I’ve created is built for a mixed martial artist who has five minute rounds in competition – but the work:rest ratio could be adapted if you’re a boxer, wrestler, etc.

Do as many reps as you can of each exercise in one minute; move immediately to the next exercise without resting; rest for about 60 seconds and repeat the circuit two to four more times for a total of three to five rounds.

• kettlebell swings (single or double)
• Turkish get ups (one minute continuous reps each side)
• kettlebell squats (single or double)
• kettlebell burpees (burpee performed with kettlebell in each hand; kb push up – jump feet up to squat – jump in air with kettlebells at sides – these are brutal)

Kettlebells are a popular training tool for combat athletes because they’re great for building strength endurance, cardio conditioning and mental toughness (among many other things). The ‘combat kettlebell circuit workout’ I outlined in this article is a great starting point; train hard – and I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section below!

P.S. For more cool kettlebell routines like this one, please visit my kettlebell basics blog at

http://kettlebellbasics.net/2010/05/25/kettlebell-routines/