Strength Couplets

Workout of The Week

Jul 03, 2025

A couplet is simply a superset or circuit of two exercises. Couplets can be used for conditioning, strength, and even muscle gain if parameters such as rep count and rest intervals are manipualted accordingly.

The couplet below is more muscular endurance focused but can be modified with the advanced version to be used for strength.

A conditioning style, light you on fire, and turn your lungs into dragon breath couplet would combine two burners back to back.

Dragon Breath Couplets (Conditioning)

Kettlebell Swings & Burpees

Sandbag Cleans & KB Snatches

Sled Push & Farmers Carries

Double Unders & Pushups

Kettlebell Burpees and Med Ball Slams

For conditioning I would keep rep counts higher and use one of the following rep schemes below:

3-4 Rounds of 15-10-5
5 Rounds of 10 each
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
50 total reps of each, break up as needed
21-15-9
10,8,6,4,2,4,6,8,10

For a sandbag couplet I would consider 5 reps as high rep.

Strength & Conditioning Couplets

Boost strength and conditioning. Use lower reps to build strength.

Weighted Chin-up x 5,4,3,2,1

10 KB Swings between sets

Rest 2:00 between Sets, add weight each set.

Waves

Weighted Chin-up 5,3,1,5,3,1

10 Kb Swings between sets

Rest 2:00 between Sets, getheavier as reps drop.

Scaled

3 Rounds of:

Inverted Row 5 x 10

10 KB Swings between sets

1 min rest between sets

You can replace the weighted chin-ups with any compound movement: Presses, Dips, Squats, Deadlifts, etc. you could even make it a barbell or kettlebell complex.

Couplet Complexes

Kettlebell Clean & Press

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell Clean, Snatch, Press

Kettlebell Swing

Hypertrophy Couplets

There are a million ways to do this but here are a couple favorites of mine.

Rep Methods

21-15-9 Circuit
5 x 10 w/ no rest
50 total reps of each exercise, break up as needed. Only 12 reps allowed at one weight, go up or down in weight as needed.
20,15,10,10

Couplets

Pushups

Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Kettlebell Seesaw Press

Kettlebell Sumo Stance Row from Dead Stop

Kettlebell Front Rack Lunge

Kettlebell Overhead Press