Kettlebell Exercise Encyclopedia VOL. 5: Kettlebell combos, isolation, and multi-planar exercise variations

Kettlebell training is a form of resistance training with the kettlebell. This encyclopedia and its volumes cover all kettlebell exercises with photos, descriptions, and some having step-by-step instructions. The information in this book will allow you to pick kettlebell exercises and create your own kettlebell workout and/or verify that you’re doing the exercises you’re already doing, correctly.

This volume covers kettlebell combos, isolation, and multi-planar exercises. Each subject has just enough information to keep it basic and understandable.

Kettlebell Combo

A kettlebell combo is a combination of several exercises put together and performed one after the other, usually in a flowing manner. Combos can be as simple as 2 exercises combined, but also as complex as 6 exercises or more combined. They are also referred to as a complex. A good example of some well-known combos are the clean and jerk, clean and press, a good example of a more complex combo is the UKC (Ultimate Kettlebell Combo) which consists out of a deadlift, hang clean, swing clean, swing, half snatch, and strict press. A really simple but powerful combo is the double kettlebell half snatch and squat thruster, also known as WBKC (World’s Best Kettlebell Combo).

Isolation Exercises

This book wouldn’t be complete without some isolation exercises. Isolation exercises are those that involve only one joint and a limited number of muscle groups. Isolation allows you to focus more and go heavier. A good example is an exercise that is performed standing up, standing up will require more muscle recruitment, whereas a laying down exercise will take out all those muscles that were required to stand up, i.e. calves, quadriceps, gluteals, erector spinae, and many more.

Multi-planar Exercises

The exercises listed in this category are not the only multi-planar exercises, there are many more, a good example of a popular multi-planar exercise not listed here is the kettlebell snatch. The reason the exercises are listed under this category is that there was not one parent exercise category under which they fall.

In basic terms, multi-planar exercises are those that go up, down, back, to the side, etc. they move through multiple planes of movement in one rep. A good example of a non-multi-planar exercise is the shoulder press. Note, whether an exercise is or isn’t multi-planar doesn’t make it a bad or good exercise, it just describes that it goes through multiple planes of movement.