The Armor Building Formula (ABF) is an 8-week kettlebell bodybuilding/workout program created by Dan John. The ABF comprises two different types of workouts — a day of the Armor Building Complex (ABC) and a day of high-volume overhead pressing. The ABF hits most of the body, but depending on your goals, you might want to add some chest or arm work.
The ABC comprises:
- 2 double KB cleans
- 1 double KB overhead press (OHP)
- 3 double KB front squats
The end goal of the ABC part of the programming is to progress to being able to complete a 30 minute EMOM (every minute on the minute) workout. That said, the complex is flexible, and this goal is a guideline. The complex can be modified to, say, 4-2-6 reps, or it can be done multiple times in a row, etc. There’s also a single arm ABC.
The high-volume press day comprises:
- 2 OHP, rest
- 3 OHP, rest
- 5 OHP, rest
- 10 OHP, rest
And do the above 5 times, for a total of 100 reps. This is the goal to progress to, but if it’s hard to get close to this many reps, it’s probably worth using a lighter weight.
Note that there’s no expectation to use the same weight KB on the ABC day and on the press day.
According to the ABF, we want to do these workouts 3 days per week in A-B-A, B-A-B style. So, on week 1, we might do the ABC Monday, press on Wednesday, and ABC again on Friday. Then on week 2, we would do press on Monday, ABC on Wednesday, and press again on Friday. etc. But this also isn’t, like, etched in stone.