Pumping: a simple 5:4 complex from kettlebell guru Pavel Tsatsouline.

Half an hour of work to develop muscle strength and overall endurance.

The 5:4 workout was invented and described in his book “The Quick and the Dead” by coach Pavel Tsatsoulin, a Belarusian weightlifter who went to the USA and trained American security forces.

For this complex you will only need one weight, a timer and 30 minutes of free time. Working out requires so little free space that you can easily work out in a corner of a crowded gym. A good option for those who go during rush hour and want to get a good workout in 30 minutes and don’t have to wait until the treadmill or exercise machine is free.

How to do the workout

The 5:4 workout consists of just two exercises: kettlebell swings and push-ups. Each of them will need to be performed in a certain way:

1. Set a timer for 30 seconds and do 5 reps of kettlebell swings.
2. Rest until the end of the interval. For example, if you complete the exercise in 10 seconds, you can catch your breath for the remaining 20 seconds.
3. Repeat this interval 4 times. Everything will take two minutes.
4. Rest for a minute, and then do push-ups in the same way - 5 reps in 30 seconds, 4 intervals. When finished, rest for a minute. This is one lap for 9 minutes.
5. Do three circles. It will take 27 minutes.

Select the weight of the kettlebell in such a way that you can do no more than 15 swings with it per approach. That is, so that after 10 repetitions you really want to put the kettlebell down, but you could still complete five more.

How to do the exercises

Kettlebell swings

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the weight between your feet. Bend over with your back straight and grab the bar with both hands.

Place the weight between your legs for a swing, and then sharply straighten up at the hip joints and send the projectile forward. Allow the weight to reach the level of your collarbones, and then follow the same path under its own weight. When the projectile is down, bring it back between your legs to gain momentum for the next swing.

Please note that your legs do not bend at the knees much - you do not need to squat with a kettlebell.

Pushups

Stand in a prone position, tighten your abs and check that your lower back is in a neutral position. Bend your elbows and smoothly lower yourself down until your chest and thighs touch the floor. Return to starting position and repeat.

Make sure your shoulders are at a 45° angle from your body, do not spread them out to the sides. And keep your abs tense so that your lower back doesn’t sag.

Tell me, how did you like the training? Are you going to try it?