Believe it or not at first, Formula One drivers are some of the fittest athletes on the planet. But reaching their peak fitness level is no easy task, as they need to keep their weight relatively light, but muscles strong to help withstand the immense g-forces placed on them during a run.
So how does a Formula One racer work out? Well if you had to look Max Verstappen training, not very well, so let Australian Formula One driver and current McLaren F1 Team member Daniel Ricciardo reveal a much more beneficial workout with this six-exercise kettlebell circuit.
Rounding out his outdoor workout with some friends, Daniel’s six-exercise kettlebell circuit includes the following moves:
- Renegade Rowing with Push Up: get into a push up position with a kettlebell under each shoulder. Go into a push-up, grab one of the kettlebells, and tuck it in toward your hips. Think about reaching your elbow to the sky to help. Do another pushup and perform a row on the opposite side.
- Step up high knee: You will need a small step for this move. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. Hold them just above your shoulders (they can rest on top of you if you like). Step onto your platform or step with one lead leg, bring your rear leg up and up into a high knee, i.e. don’t put the foot of the rear leg on the platform. Take a step back and do the same on the opposite side.
- Knee Halos: Get on your knees and hold a dumbbell in both hands. Move the kettlebell around your head in a circular motion.
- Bus drivers sitting on the wall: Put your back against a wall and squat down until your knees are at right angles. From here, hold a kettlebell in both hands with your arms extended in front of you. Rotate your wrists as if you were holding a steering wheel, turning 90 degrees to the left and 90 degrees to the right. Complete 10 repetitions for each side.
- Reverse lunge with twist: Daniel is actually using a weighted medicine ball for this move, but it can also be done with a kettlebell. From a standing position, step back with one leg and drop down into a reverse lunge. When you’re in the bottom position, rotate your body away from your back leg (if you stepped back with your left leg, rotate your body to the right) by pivoting at the hips. Return to the starting position and act on the opposite sides.
- American swing: This move is similar to a standard kettlebell swing, but brings the kettlebell up above your head instead of directly in front of you. Start in a standing position, holding a kettlebell with both hands using an overhand grip. Have it dangling between your legs. Hinge at hips to push butt back. Bring the kettlebell under your legs and behind you, and then drive forward through your hips to swing the kettlebell up and over your head.
Perform each exercise for 40 seconds each and rest for 20 seconds between each exercise. You can choose to do a specific number of sets, 6 for example, or keep working on the circuit for 20-30 minutes. Either way, you can be sure of winning world champions.
Watch Daniel Ricciardo’s reaction training in the following video
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