Brick House CORE with only 2 exercises: Functional abs with kettlebells 

I’ve been a gym rat for almost 20 years but was plagued with low back pain. Couple times a year I’d throw out my back and spend weeks rehabbing. Finally got MRI and found 3 herniated disks in low back. Doc suggested surgery but I wanted to try to fix it myself. The cause was the typical weak core from only doing “abs” and never truly training core. What helped me was kettlebell swings, suitcase carry, windmills, and band twists. 7 years later and haven’t throw out my back once and I’m deadlifting more than ever. Started slow with a 30lb kettlebell but now I’m mostly using 70lb. They aren’t the sexiest exercises but they work!

I once read an interview with the legendary boxer Kostya Tszyu. He mentioned when he was young kettlebells where quite popular in his home town in Russia. He said one thing he use to do was pick up a 16kg kettlebell and walk around with it, do a few moves with it here and there, the thing was, he didn’t put it down for 1 whole hour. I tried this and after 10 minutes that 16kg becomes very VERY heavy. I ended up just holding it with both hands to the front, to the back, no more swings or snatches or presses, I was just dying holding it standing there. I ended it at 20 minutes as my forearms and grip died. The results after a few weeks of this? I felt like a Brick House, my forearms became really thick, my grip was crushing, both muscle and cardio endurance shoot up, also surprising weight loss, it literally makes you shredded and wiry strong AND enduring ( I need to go back to that training 😊 )

Came for the fitness tips, stayed for the art.

My dude... I'm not sure why are how or why you came up with the overall concept and artstyle of your channel, but I'm glad you did. Yo shit is dope!!!!!

carries single arm farmers carry - hold yourself straight - stacked abs - walk toward mirror - strenghtens opposite side of the kettlebell kettlebell windmill

never stop posting these for me please their so good I love them

Always a great day when MO uploads. Can tell a lot of effort goes into these videos, so thank you!

We really appreciate it. Your content is so informative and easy to understand. It’s greatly appreciated.

no words to describe how much i love your videos on another note i would love a video on pull ups and variations

Yeah I definitely gotta subscribe, not only is this informative but the drawings got me hooked.

I watch and like all the videos so they keep coming. But here's a comment to know they're appreciated and the illustrations are perfect to follow along.

I need to see an actual person to demonstrate all the movements

Was diagnosed with spondololysthesis when I was 18. Doc said I can prevent surgery maybe until I am 30. Told me to stay lean and train core, but said, no tennis, no football, no heavy lifting. Started to train Capoeira anyway for 8 years, 5 years was training 4 times a week. Problems got better, fought trough a lot of backoain still. Transitioned to cycling, whilst keep doing basic exercises, basic but hard movement and bodyweight exercises. Now 42, 5.8, 160p no surgery, no pain when I keep up with some crunches and yoga. Always doing a straight push up from time to time to check my core and make the nerves and muscles remember the set standart. My advice, itˋs not the amount of training you put in, itˋs consistancy and muscular balance.

Thank you very much ! Great video, again !💪

2:45 So that's how Kratos got his strength 😂

Subscribed!!! I appreciate the info, the amazing illustrations, and the lack of BS. BIG THANKS!

Great video! I always look forward to your videos to learn a new exercise. Thanks for what you do.

Ever since I got injured while playing soccer, I changed my career dreams and started going into computer science. I've become quite sedentary and my lower back has been a huge problem area for me. I can't stand still for more than 15 minutes without lower back pain, and I have tight muscles all over my body (All my arm muscles, back, and legs). I'm sure it's also because I play a lot less soccer or go out to walk and that I stay in a seat for a lot of my day. I tried these exercises for about a month, and now I can stand straight for more than an hour without pain.

And another great video !! windmill will definitely be added to my mobility training day.

The windmill, get up, and snatch are my favorite kettlebell exercises.

Solid info. Very detailed and informative. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be incorporating this into my training right away.

Awesome! This is what i was looking for just yesterday

Video is well put together and the narration is great!

Tried these at the gym today. I like them - though I'm not sure how the windmills strengthen the upper and lower abs. I'll have my grab my trainer the next time I see him to watch and make sure I'm doing them correctly. I've been doing the sprinting exercises you mentioned a few months ago and it has done so much for my cardio. Thanks a bunch!

Thank you for these insights as always

Excellent work, my friend. Well done.

Mover's Odyssey: Where true, elite athleticism begins! It all starts in the core!! 💯🔥

I listen to whatever your video is about yeah...but OMG I love the art. Love it LOVE IT !

Former gymnast. At 40yrs old, I did 40 standing back tucks in under 20 minutes, on my 40th birthday to see how tough it would be. Hands down the gnarliest ab workout I’ve ever had. Ever.

Thanks. Will definitely give these a go. 👍

I’m just getting into your channel, really like it! This video was a great summary of the core and value of KB’s and basic movements. The part of the core that’s easy to forget, the most basic movement: breathing! The ability to relax the core and breathe deeply while not load bearing, the ability to breathe deeply while under an asymmetrical load like a 1 arm carry or windmill, the ability to breathe deeply while performing complex, multifaceted, dynamic movements such as running . . . Adding the dimension of breathing into the functions of the core changes so much, and really sheds light on the question of what is happening (or at least - what do we want to be happening) in the core in any given movement.

First video of yours i've ever seen. incredibly well done.Good exercise selection and descriptions. Thank you!

Really like the visuals!

Those animations are beautiful

Superb work MO! 👏

KB exercises like the farmer's walks are some of my favorites 💪🙏

You're literally the first person whose video I didn't instantly dislike when I heard them say LSS. Great video, thank you! Also, like others have mentioned before, the drawings are excellent!

For bodyweight windmills, push your straight leg and hip against a wall and try to push it over while you move through the exercise. I hate ab crunch soreness but love the soreness I have with side ab stuff. Also just the first couple of steps of the TGU is a nice one for side abs. Nice vid, never seen your stuff before. Subbed.

i really like your videos! you should post more often🙂.

This video gave me motivation to train idk why

Wow! Great video, fair play👍

very good choice...wish you a million subs

Thank you for this video

Thank you!

Thanks for sharing 🙏🏾

Another amazing video brother. I've been doin windmills past few weeks and seen great results. a it's like yoga and strength all in on. Also if the weather is good I try to walk out my back garden with a 70kg sandbag on my shoulder swapping sides when gassing out.

Yes! New video🎉

Another Amazing Video!!!

What a great video!!!!!

Your drawings!!!!! Lovely...

I LOVE the windmill. Sadly, I lost the ability to do the exercise some years ago due to extensive arthritis in my right hip. I got an artificial hip 2,5 years ago, and now I feel fit to re-enter the windmill into my training program. At my peak, I could perform the exercise with a 40 kg/88 lbs KB.... I guess, I will have to start from scratch ie. 8 kg.... Still looking forward to it, though. THANK you for this inspiring video 👍👍👍

It would be nice to also see an actual person doing these movements. Great information here, but there's no way I can do the windmill with a 35lb KB. I'll have to start with the unweighted version.

"You could have the strongest abs in the world and still not be able to suplex your enemies during hand to hand combat"

brilliant video

thanks, great content, will try the windmill.

Thanks!

Great work and info on these videos, thank you

Hi, can you please make a video of mobility , stability and speed . You make great videos and they are well presented . Thank you.

absolutely right on my first kettlebell at 16 kg... i NEED the windmill. windmill plus swings? superhero.

Your content is so extensive

Mini squad core twists are great to add as well

good shit! Thank you kindly 😊

My core training day is very similar. I warm up with farmer walks for a couple sets, and do suitcase carries for 30 sec intervals of marching, for 5 sets (i do all sets on one side before switching). Instead of windmills i do plank row holds for 30 sec intervals of 5 sets to challenge anti transverse plane, similar to suitcase carry training anti frontal. Leaves you severely out of breath at the end of the workout!

When doing weighted carries, I’d also stationary carries in front of the mirror still do wonders if you don’t have much space. Use a slower tempo, and raise your knees a bit higher and you’ll feel every rep as well as lower your risk of injury as you can see your form

What is the fundamental difference between a dumbbell and a kettlebell? Are they not the same? Or is it something special with kettlebells? Would like to know

Helpful sir.

Great animations!!

Good stuff

Good video

I clicked on this expecting a genre of music called brickhousecore 😅

need the ultimate knee strenght guide

Great drawings!

Man, these illustrations are SO good! Also is that page turn sample from Baldurs gate games?

This video is awesome inspires me to do a core workout and learn to draw 😅😂❤ thanks for sharing

I was expecting Overhead Squats and Turkish Get-ups.

2nd one is devious

Real pro spirit knowledge skils and respect approach, give a honest result Best wishes

I love the Viking type superhero =)

Here's a story as well as (maybe) an idea to incorporate into your drawings - core is kinda sorta absolutely essential for swordfighting. You are, after all, swinging a long, one kilo bar of steel around at as great a speed as you can. This leads to you developing a solid core as you go about your stabbin' business, and can lead you to adopt a smug sense of superiority over all those weak people with weak cores doing weak situps. Then you decide to try out sword and shield fighting and find out that shield is at least four times heavier and ten times unweildier than a sword and *you* were the weak one all along. A quick test determined that this exercise can be done just fine with a heater shield, so I have a new form of productive torture to inflict upon myself.

Great video! Windmills are good. Turkish getups are better (and include a windmill component).

Excellent! I bought a poster :)

The grizzly man is just Kettlebell god.

I've been using/training kbs and maces for 12 years. Carries are 100% slept on. Let's colab!

2:48 Runescape bot doing groceries

I loved this thumbnail so much i used it as a reference for a thicc boi character I'm designing 😂 Great drawing 👍

never seen any of these videos from this group before but damn im impressed af with the animations. are these something yall came up with on your own or did yall find these somewhere else?

Instead of the windmill, i would pick a one arm clean and press with dumbell or kb. Best to keep things simple. Keep up the great videos.

2:47 man the runescape bots are buff nowadays

Excellent anatomy figures tbh 😯

I love ur videos bro Can u make one to align posture plz

Double windmill badass

I very weak core and also i want to learn more training at home. Thank you for the information.

Hi can you make a video about ruckmarches? I do them everyday!

This is why I wanna do strongman

Do a video about sit ups

Can you do a video on how to increase jump power?

@moversodyssey can you make video about neck traning

i kinda need to start with this because im more stiff than a dry bamboo

Do you draw all of this wonderful anatomical art yourself? If so, massive props man. Love the videos!

The groceries I’m dead