Issue 103
Few fighters in the UFC have an engine comparable to featherweight contender Clay Guida, whose relentless waves of attacks have made him a cult hero with fans and a fierce opponent for rivals. Here’s his favorite killer kettlebell routine.
The kettlebell: no, it’s not the alarm that goes off when the water’s just boiled for your morning coffee. It’s the instrument of torture that anyone with any serious ambitions of making it in MMA turns to when looking to take their cardio and stamina levels to new heights.
Well, it’s either that or spend hour after hour on the hamster wheel or the treadmill as some people know it and who really wants to do that?
And one of the kettlebell’s greatest proponents is UFC featherweight Clay ‘The Carpenter’ Guida who’s renowned for not only having one of the hardest chins in the game, but also for being able to apply relentless and soul- destroying pressure on his opponents.
Guida incorporates the Russian kettlebells into his training because they’re not only one of the best cardio workouts you can get, they’re also unbeatable when it comes to whole-body movement and strength building.
He says: “Kettlebell training is just a different form of explosive training. It helps you produce those big knees and hip explosions you need in the cage, and you definitely get some killer abs out of it.
“But more importantly, it’s a different animal to just jumping on the bench press and then running five miles.
Fighters are sprinters, we’re not long-distance runners. “It’s unique and one of the things that keeps me driven. In fact, it almost becomes addictive, especially when you’ve got the right trainer and training program.”
And the coach Clay turns to when he needs putting through kettlehell is Jessica Renee Hofman from Firebellz Russian Kettlebell Studio in New Mexico, who was also the Land of Enchantment’s 2010 Miss Bikini champion obviously an added bonus.
Here Clay and Jessica reveal some of his favorite and most effective kettlebell drills that will get your heart beating quicker than a hummingbird’s wing, and help you reach endurance levels that even the Energizer bunny would envy.
1: KETTLEBELL DEAD LIFT
How: Place your feet shoulder- width apart, feet facing forward. Stand directly above the kettlebell. With a flat-back posture, hinge back with the hips, placing the hands on to the handle of the kettlebell.
Then drive the hips forward allowing the body to extend to a standing position, lifting the bell. Stand up tall, squeezing the glutes. Repeat by hinging at the hips to place the bell back on to the floor keeping the back flat and lift again.
4 sets, 10 reps.
2: BODY WEIGHT SIT-OUTS
How: Positioning yourself on all fours, lift one leg off the floor and sweep the leg between the opposite leg and same-side arm. Place yourself in an almost seated position. Pull the leg back through and switch legs.
2 sets, 20 reps
3: KETTLEBELL FARMER CARRY
How: Dead lift two kettlebells of the same size. Stand up tall, pull in your abs, let the kettlebells hang by your side and walk.
4 lengths, 200 yards
4: KETTLEBELL MILITARY PRESS
How: Place the kettlebell in the rack position up at the shoulder. Keeping the wrist straight, press the bell overhead rotating the palm from a side position into a forward position. Pull the bell back down into the rack position and repeat.
3 sets, 8 reps
5: KETTLEBELL STEP-UPS
How: Place a kettlebell into the rack position on each arm. Keeping the back straight and the abs tight to support the weight of the bells, step up on to a box driving one knee forward. Step back down and repeat the box steps on the same leg.
3 sets, 10 reps, each leg
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