What do you get when two of kettlebell’s most prominent trainers work out together? Some very intense and fast-paced kettlebell workout sets! Eric Leija has impressed fitness enthusiasts for some time now with his creative and motivational workouts. Jason Figorski, on the other hand, has amassed a huge following in a short time by demonstrating some of the quickest and agile kettlebell moves you’ll ever see. For these reasons, both trainers are listed in my top 10 kettlebell Instagram accounts you should follow.
Even though they are located in separate parts of the U.S. (Eric – Austin, TX | Jason – Miami, FL), their passion for fitness and kettlebells inevitably led to these partner workouts below. Instead of just resharing and tagging the same workout, each trainer provides a unique kettlebell workout set. I’ll be breaking down both posts of these easy-to-follow high-intensity workouts.
Eric Leija Kettlebell Workout
For Eric’s workout, it appears that he and Jason are using 53 lb. kettlebells. That’s not to say that you should or need to use such heavy weights. In fact, I’m currently maxed out with a 45 lb. kettlebell and have a ways to go before I feel comfortable beyond that. You could easily replicate this set with a 35 lb., 25 lb. or even lighter kettlebell.
In the first slide, you’ll see that the kettlebell goes from a dead (floor) position to directly overhead. What really stands out to me is the smoothness of the transfer of the kettlebell from one hand to the other. Starting off with a row, the mid-body transfer is done while the torso is rotated to the opposite side as the kettlebell is finally pressed overhead. Afterward, the kettlebell is lowered to the rack position briefly before hitting the floor and repeating the move on the opposite side.
The second slide shows 3 offset push-ups with the non-kettlebell hand being raised during the ascent. This is followed by switching hands and repeating 3 push-ups. Lastly, both hands are placed on the kettlebell for the final 3 push-ups. Anyone that does push-ups on a regular basis knows how much more difficult it is when your hands are closer together. This is one set that I would absolutely perform with at least a 35 lb. kettlebell since anything lighter might pose stability problems.
Jason Figorski Kettlebell Workout
Jason’s kettlebell workout also incorporates 53 lb. kettlebells. The first slide just features two moves. However, just because it is simple doesn’t mean that it is a breeze. Any time you’re moving from a standing to prone position over multiple reps, you’re guaranteed to get sweaty. Starting off with the grand-daddy of kettlebell exercises, the swing, the kettlebell is then placed on the ground as the trainers perform a loaded beast. I’ve seen the move before but didn’t know the term. It’s a pretty badass description of what looks like a wild animal starting to pounce.
I appreciate that Jason only does 1 rep of each move for a set. It would be easy to do 2-3 swings at a time followed by 2-3 loaded beasts. In my opinion, that would take away from the impact that the quick transition has going from one move to another. I believe that the idea here is to literally keep you on your toes. With this workout, Jason definitely succeeds in that.
The second slide is just a twist on the basic kettlebell clean – pun intended. It might not look as complex as the other workouts that you’ve just seen, however, the clean is one of those exercises that work many muscles at once. Depending on how fast it is performed, it can also provide a great cardio workout.
More Workouts to Come?
I have no doubt that we’ll eventually see more partner workouts by Eric and Jason in the future. These certainly came as a nice surprise and truly show how united the kettlebell community is. In the world of fitness, there’s a lot of competition from trainers looking to gain the most followers and clients for their own financial benefit. What I’ve noticed in the kettlebell community, especially in this case, are trainers that are more concerned with providing fitness enthusiasts great content to help them reach their own goals. Very few have that elitist attitude which is so unappealing.
