If strength and conditioning are equally important to you, the following weekly kettlebell training template will serve you well.
Focus on strength twice a week and on conditioning twice a week. Train your endurance the day after strength:
Monday—Strength
Tuesday—Conditioning
Wednesday—Off
Thursday—Strength
Friday—Conditioning
Saturday—Off
Sunday—Off
On Mondays and Thursdays, do presses, front squats, weighted pullups, weighted pistols, and other low rep grinds. Heavy low rep quick lifts—e.g. double kettlebell swings, snatches, or jerks—belong here as well. In this context “heavy” means heavier than 10RM.
On Mondays and Thursdays, wait until your heart rate returns to normal before hitting your next set. Because power loves rest. For very heavy or hard sets, use Marty Gallagher’s guideline and take another minute after your pulse has normalized.
Heavy ab work belongs on the strength days as well: quarter get-ups with a big kettlebell, hanging leg raises, hard style sit-ups, etc.
Tuesdays and Fridays are all about high rep ballistics: swings, snatches, cleans, and jerks. “High rep” in the context of the StrongFirst training system means 10-20. The conditioning effect will come from keeping your rest intervals brief. Drive your heart rate up and keep it there.
Sample Week #1 of the Kettlebell Training Template
Monday
• Kettlebell clean and press, weighted tactical pullup, and pistol—3 x (1, 2, 3)
Do all exercises in a slow circuit.
Tuesday
• One-arm swing—5×10 per arm • One-arm jerk—5×10 per arm
Finish all swings before starting jerks.
Thursday
• Double kettlebell military press, weighted parallel grip pullup, double kettlebell front squat—3×5
Do all exercises in a slow circuit.
Friday
• USSS 10-minute snatch test
Sample Week #2 of the Kettlebell Training Template
And another sample week, with a different slant, not to be followed literally, but to drive the point home.
Monday
• Dead stop double snatch—3 x (1, 2) • Double clean and jerk—3 x (2, 3) • Double jerk—2 x (5, 10) • Double front squat to push press (“long” push press)—3×5
Tuesday
• Double snatch—5, 20, 10, 15 • Double clean and jerk—3 x (10, 15)
Thursday
• Dead stop double swing—3 x (2, 5) • Double clean and press—3 x (2, 5) • Alternate sets of double front squats and double military presses—4×5 each
Friday
• Double jerk—2 x (10, 15, 20) • Double clean—2 x (10, 15, 20)
Sample Week #3 of the Kettlebell Training Template
Finally, a week featuring all three key modalities: kettlebells, bodyweight, and barbell.
Monday
• Zercher squat, kettlebell military press, weighted tactical pullup, and pistol—2 x (2, 3, 5)
Do all exercises in a slow circuit.
Tuesday
• 20 minutes of free style practice with one light kettlebell without setting it down. E.g. 2 goblet squats to 10 two-handed swings to 5 jerks per arm to 1 arm bar per arm to 5 windmills per arm to 10 snatches per arm to 3 overhead squats per side to 5 Sots presses per side to 10 two-handed swings to 5 bent press singles per arm, etc. Keep moving, stay crisp, and spread the fatigue all over.
Thursday
• Bench press—3×3 • Deadlift—5, 4, 3, 2, 1 • Close grip bench press—2×5
Friday
• Same as Tuesday, but do 10 minutes with a slightly heavier kettlebell
You get the idea.
I have used the 2+2 template many times over the years myself and prescribed it to others—athletes, operators, and regular folks. It always worked very well and allowed plenty of flexibility to suit individual circumstances.
Power and conditioning to you!
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