How to Do the Kettlebell Anyhow Exercise

 

You may think you’re an advanced kettlebell user, but can you do this?

One of the coolest things about the kettlebell is that it allows for fluid transitions between movements. The best, and most popular representative of that versatility is called the Kettlebell Anyhow. This complex movement requires strength, mobility, flexibility, and full body coordination in order to be performed safely. It involves a variety of kettlebell exercises, including a Seesaw Press, Overhead Squat, Squat Curl all in one continuous motion!

Prerequisites for the Kettlebell Anyhow Exercise

Needless to say, you need to be somewhat proficient with kettlebells and have above average strength and mobility to perform the Kettlebell Anyhow safely. The most common errors occur during the ascending and descending portions of the movement, and include improper back and shoulder alignment. For that reason, you should consult a professional to make sure that you can perform the following movements correctly prior to attempting the Kettlebell Anyhow exercise:

- Perform a Kettlebell Front Squat with proper form, dropping your hips below parallel without flexing your back.

- Perform a Kettlebell Overhead Squat with proper form, dropping your hips below parallel without flexing your back while also keeping shoulders squared and resisting upper body twist. You should also be able to rest the back of your hand on the ground at the bottom of the rep. 

- Perform a Kettlebell Curl from the bottom squat position while keeping your shoulders squared.

- Perform a Kettlebell Seesaw Press proficiently, meaning that you can transition each kettlebell from the lockout position to the rack position in a controlled manner.

Assuming that you can perform all of these movements fluidly without sacrificing form at any point, you are ready to perform the Kettlebell Anyhow exercise.

How to Perform the Kettlebell Anyhow Exercise

The Kettlebell Anyhow exercise has some very specific sections that must be executed precisely. I recommend practicing it without weight to perfect the movement, then moving to light weight (8kg or less for women, 12kg or less for men) prior to adding it to a strength set with heavy weights. Just for reference, performing it with 24kg kettlebells is impressive, 32kg kettlebells is very impressive, and anything heavier is epic.

 

Anyhow Exercise Step #1: The Start

To start, set one kettlebell about one foot directly in front of you. Pick up the other kettlebell and lock it out overhead (you can do this with a Clean & Press or a Snatch). Perform an Overhead Squat keeping your free arm locked out on your centerline. When you get to the bottom of the squat, search for the kettlebell on the ground with your free arm. When you find it, grasp it and rest your elbow on the inside of your leg.

Anyhow Exercise Step #2:

The Squat Curl While still keeping an eye on the kettlebell overhead, firmly grasp the handle of the kettlebell on the ground and curl it into the rack position using the inside of your leg as leverage. This will put the kettlebell in a flared rack position (exactly like the bottom position of the Front Squat exercise). At this point, pull both shoulders back and try to square them.

Anyhow Exercise Step #3:

Rising from the Squat Once your shoulders are squared, begin rising from the bottom of the squat, seeking to keep your body as vertical as possible (this will put less strain on the shoulder with the locked out arm). Keep your core tight throughout the movement and avoid the temptation to flex your back. As you rise, pull the kettlebell from a flared rack position into a standard rack position.

Anyhow Exercise Step #4:

The Seesaw Press Once you lock out your knees after rising from the squat, perform a Seesaw Press by lowering the locked out arm into the rack position while simultaneously performing a Strict Press with the opposite arm. At the middle of the movement, the kettlebells should briefly be on the exact same level.

Anyhow Exercise Step #5

: Resetting Your Structure You should now have switched the position of your arms from racked to locked out overhead. At this point, you need to reset your structure by tightening your core and squaring your shoulders.

Anyhow Exercise Step #6:

The Arm Extension Once you square your shoulders, it is time to extend from the rack position to a hanging, locked out position with the lower kettlebell. Rather than simply dropping the kettlebell to your side, you need to slowly extend it along your centerline controlling the movement throughout (you don’t want to smack any sensitive bits in that area).

Anyhow Exercise Step #7:

Drop It Like a Squat Slowly drop into a squat, seeking to keep your body as vertical as possible. As the lower kettlebell hits the ground, try to extend it farther in front of your body to allow yourself to reach the bottom of the squat. Your upper arm should now be on the inside of your thigh.

Anyhow Exercise Step #8:

Another Squat Curl Perform the exact same movement you did to complete Step #2 (it will now simply be on the opposite side).

Anyhow Exercise Step #9:

Another Rise Perform the exact same movement you did to complete Step #3