Shake Up Your Workout Routine with Kettlebells, Landmines, and Sleds

Are you tired of the same old workout routine? Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and not seeing the results you want? It’s time to mix things up and try something new. In this article, we’ll explore three underrated but effective tools that can help you break through plateaus and achieve your fitness goals: kettlebells, landmines, and sleds.

Why You Need to Try Kettlebells, Landmines, and Sleds

These tools are not just fun to use, but they’re also functional and can help you improve your coordination, conditioning, and strength. They’re available in most well-equipped gyms and are not as intimidating as they may seem. By incorporating kettlebells, landmines, and sleds into your workout routine, you can:

• Challenge your body in new ways and avoid plateaus
• Improve your overall fitness and athleticism
• Enhance your strength, power, and endurance
• Reduce the risk of injury and improve joint health

Kettlebells: Power, Precision, and Flow

Kettlebells are more than just dumbbells with a handle. Their offset center of mass makes them ideal for ballistic and flow-based movements like swings, cleans, and Turkish get-ups. By using kettlebells, you can build strength and athleticism while training your grip, coordination, and endurance.

Benefits of Kettlebell Training

• Improved power output through swings and snatches
• Core engagement with offset loading
• Unilateral strength with presses, pulls, RDLs, and lunges
• Dynamic conditioning that feels more like sport than reps

Sample Kettlebell Circuit

Try this sample circuit to get started with kettlebell training:

• Tempo Goblet Squat: 4 sets, 8 reps
• Turkish Get-Up: 3 sets, 3 reps (each side)
• Gorilla Rows: 3 sets, 12-16 reps
• Suitcase Carry: 3 sets, 25 yards (each side)
• Single-Leg RDL: 3 sets, 10 reps (each side)
• Alternating KB Clean & Overhead Press: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (each side)

Landmine Training: Joint-Friendly and Versatile

Landmine training offers a perfect blend of stability and variability. Anchored at one end, the barbell becomes a pivot point for presses, rows, squats, and rotations, all at a joint-friendly angle. For lifters dealing with shoulder, back, or knee discomfort, landmine work provides smoother loading paths that reduce strain while keeping intensity high.

Benefits of Landmine Training

• More joint-friendly angles, great for cranky shoulders
• Core engagement in every rep
• Accessible progression for presses, squats, and rotational work
• Efficient full-body training with minimal equipment

Sample Landmine Workout

Try this sample workout to get started with landmine training:

• Landmine Deadlift: 4 sets, 5-8 reps
• Half-Kneeling Overhead Press: 3 sets, 12 reps
• Landmine Rotations: 3 sets, 8 reps (each side)
• Zercher Curtsey Lunge: 3 sets, 12 reps
• Single-Arm Landmine Row: 3 sets, 12-15 reps
• Overhead Landmine March: 2 sets, 20 steps

Sled Training: Underrated, Unmatched Conditioning

If there’s one tool that hits strength, hypertrophy, and conditioning without the joint stress, it’s the sled. It’s low-impact, brutally effective, and endlessly scalable. Whether you’re dragging, pushing, shoving, or pulling, sled work boosts your general physical preparedness (GPP), torches fat, and builds muscular endurance across the board.

Benefits of Sled Training

• Beginner-friendly, high-output training
• Quad and glute burn without spinal loading
• Heart rate meets hypertrophy in a joint-friendly way
• Great for deloads or recovery phases

Sample Sled Training Session

Try this sample session to get started with sled training:

• Reverse Sled Walk: 3 sets, down and back
• Explosive Sled Shove: 2 sets, down and back
• Squat to Row: 3 sets, down and back
• Lateral Crossover Walks: 2 sets, down and back
• Overhead Triceps Extension: 1 set, down and back
• Sled Biceps Curl: 1 set, down and back

Full-Body Variety Circuits Using All Three Tools

Want to combine kettlebells, landmines, and sleds for an ultimate variety day that hits every angle of strength and conditioning? Try one of these fusion workouts:

All-in-One Circuit Sample 1

• KB Lateral Step Swings: 3 sets, 12-15 reps
• Landmine Split Jerk: 3 sets, 6 reps (each side)
• Sled Row: 3 sets, 30 seconds
• KB Turkish Get-Up: 2 sets (each side)
• Landmine Cossack Squat: 3 sets, 8 reps (each side)
• Sled Pushes: 3 sets, down and back

All-in-One Circuit Sample 2

• Dual KB Sumo Deadlift: 4 sets, 6-8 reps
• Landmine Curtsey Lunge: 3 sets, 10-12 reps (each side)
• Explosive Sled Shoves: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
• Single Arm KB Snatch: 3 sets, 5-8 reps (each side)
• Landmine Single-Arm Row: 3 sets, 8-10 sets (each side)
• Lateral Sled Walk: 2 sets, down and back

All-in-One Circuit Sample 3

• Landmine 1.5 Stance Front Squat: 3 sets, 8-10 reps (each side)
• KB Half Kneeling Windmill: 3 sets, 6-8 reps (each side)
• Sled Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 25 feet
• Landmine Oblique Rotations: 3 sets, 6-10 reps (each side)
• KB Pullover: 3 sets, 12-15 reps
• Reverse Sled Drag: 2-3 sets, down and back

How to Use These Routines

You can use these routines in a variety of ways to keep your workouts interesting and challenging:

• Individual: Hit every exercise by itself (all the sets and reps) before moving on to the next exercise. Rest 30-90 seconds between sets depending on the intensity.
• Supersets: Pair two of the exercises together and perform them back to back, then rest 60-90 seconds before the second superset.
• Triset: Combine 3 exercises (1 landmine, 1 kettlebell, & 1 sled), resting 30 seconds between exercises and 90-120 seconds between tri-sets.

Progressing Your Workouts

To continue making progress and challenging your body, you can try the following:

• Add a rep or two to each set
• Keep the reps the same but add an extra set
• Make small, appropriate weight jumps week to week
• Adjust tempo—slowing things down can deepen control and connection

Conclusion

Incorporating kettlebells, landmines, and sleds into your workout routine can help you break through plateaus and achieve your fitness goals. These tools are functional, versatile, and can help you improve your coordination, conditioning, and strength. By trying out the sample workouts and circuits provided, you can add variety to your training and stay motivated and challenged. Remember to progress your workouts gradually and listen to your body to avoid injury and ensure continued progress.

FAQs

Q: What are kettlebells, landmines, and sleds?
A: Kettlebells are weights with a handle, landmines are metal devices that anchor a barbell, and sleds are machines that allow you to push or pull weight.

Q: What are the benefits of using kettlebells, landmines, and sleds?
A: These tools can help improve power, strength, and conditioning, while also reducing the risk of injury and improving joint health.

Q: How do I get started with kettlebell training?
A: Start by trying out the sample kettlebell circuit provided, and gradually increase the weight and reps as you become more comfortable with the movements.

Q: What are some common mistakes to avoid when using landmines and sleds?
A: Common mistakes include using too much weight, not warming up properly, and not focusing on proper form and technique.

Q: How often should I work out with kettlebells, landmines, and sleds?
A: Aim to work out with these tools 2-3 times per week, and allow for at least one day of rest in between workouts.

Q: Can I use kettlebells, landmines, and sleds if I’m a beginner?
A: Yes, these tools are suitable for beginners, but it’s essential