The Gauntlet opens on the legs and lays out its rules on the first card. One kettlebell is all the equipment you need, and this is straight sets training: you finish every set of one exercise before the next one begins - 4 sets of squats, then 4 sets of reverse lunges, 4 of deadlifts and 4 of squat hold chest presses - with 30 seconds of rest between sets and 2 minutes of rest once an exercise is done. The reps come down as the sets go on: 10, 8, 8 and 6 for the squats and deadlifts, 5, 4, 4 and 3 for the presses. The lunge count is per leg, so 5 reps means 5 on each leg inside the set.
The descending numbers are the design, not a concession. The first set is the biggest because you are freshest; each set after it asks for slightly less while the muscles carry the fatigue of the one before, so the last set of 6 should feel as demanding as the first set of 10. The four exercises cover the leg in a circle: the goblet squat, bell held at the chest by the horns, loads quads and glutes; the reverse lunge works each leg on its own; the deadlift hinges at the hip to bring in hamstrings and lower back; and the squat hold chest press parks you in the bottom of a squat while your arms press the bell forward, so the legs work as stabilisers while the chest and shoulders take the movement.
Squat: hold the bell close to the chest, elbows in, sit down between the heels and keep the chest up. Reverse lunge: step back, lower the rear knee to a hover, drive up through the front heel, bell staying at the chest. Deadlift: bell between the feet, hinge at the hips with a flat back, stand tall and squeeze the glutes at the top, then lower it by hinging again rather than rounding. Squat hold chest press: sink into the squat and stay there, press the bell straight out until the arms are extended, pull it back to the chest - the squat does not rise between reps.
Thirty days of kettlebell work begin with the biggest muscles you own, and they begin with the rules you will use on every card after this one.
Make it Harder: Shorten the rest between sets to 15 seconds on the squats and the deadlifts.
Make it Easier: Do the squat hold chest presses standing tall instead of in a squat, keeping the reps as written.
