Congratulations to the Lucky Red Lions on their arrival in Iraq! While there is no shortage of work to be done, I have constructed a program for you use for your kettlebell workouts. Your warmups will always be the same; halos, slingshots (around the waists), good mornings (kb behind you and bending at the hip, not back), sumo deadlifts and high pulls. I recommend three rotations through on a monday if you have not done any training over the weekend, but it depends on how you feel. Remember, these are warm ups, not stretches! For those who have been training, I prescribe the following workouts:

Mondays: Snatch days. Warm up plus 30 minutes. We are going to do reverse ladders, meaning 5 snatches on your left, switch to the right, and 5 snatches on your right, switch to four on the left, switch, four on the right, and so on until you finish with one on the left and one on the right. No stopping! If you can get them with no problem, then move up to starting with six, then seven, etc. The goal is to get 5 sets of ladders in the 30 minutes.

Tuesdays: Core days; Turkish Getups 5 on the left, and 5 on the right. KB situps (10) immediately followed by 10 Russian Twists. We are shooting for a mere 20 minutes. (optional day).

Wednesdays: Warm ups + 30 minutes. Clean and press ladders. If you can get 5 sets of 5 ladders (1L,1R,2L,2R,3L,3R,etc to 5L,5R) move up a kettlebell. You will do the same with Squat ladders.

Thursdays (Optional). Core work circuit: 10 partial get ups per side, followed by 10 KB situps, followed by 10 russian twists. Try to get through the circuit 5 times and train no longer than 20 minutes.

Fridays Big circuit day! Recommend a 12 or 16KG kb until you make it! Warm ups, then 10 thrusters per side (squats and pushing the kb all the way up overhead), then 10 clean and presses per side, 10 squats per side, 10 windmills per side, and ten swings per side. Try to get through without stopping. Your next circuit you will do all the way through with the weak side, and then repeat with the strong side: 10 windmills, 10 push press, 10 cleans, 10 curls (two hands on the horns of the kb), 10 clean and press, 10 one arm rows, 10 pushups, 10 upright rows, 10 hot potatoes, then repeat on the strong side. Next phase, 10 squats per side, 10 swings per side (one arm), 10 squat kicks per side, 10 drop lunges per side, 10 high pulls per side, 20 bodyweight squats. Bonus round: 10 one handed swings per side, 10 hot potatoes, 10 one handed high pulls per side, 10 hot potatoes, 10 squats per side, 10 hot potatoes, 10 clean and press per side, 10 hot potatoes, 10 cleans per side, 10 hot potatoes, 10 swings per side, and 10 hot potatoes.

Try to get through the first 3 circuits twice in 30-40 minutes. Add the bonus circuit when you are able to make it through twice or just try for all four circuits in 30-40 minutes. POWER TO YOU, RED LIONS!