When the weather is fine and you cut through the park there is a good chance you may come across some fitness trainers in the park swinging a funny round weight with a handle. Perhaps you viewed a segment on the news talking about this thing called kettle bell training and aren't really sure what to think. Well one thing is for sure, although kettle belll training is new to some people, it is really starting to take off, largely thanks to American based Russian strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline's efforts.
So what is a kettlebell? A kettle bell sort of looks like an black steel bowling ball with a thick handle and come in various sizes usually ranging from 8kg to 48kg.
Used previously by old time strong men and popularised by Russian athletes, the kettlebell is now used by top sports teams, martial artists, athletes, Hollywood celebrities and everyday trainers throughout the world, due to the outstanding results people are getting.
The foundation kettlebell exercise is the kettlebell swing. The swing can be done with 1 or 2 hands. It involves hiking the kettlebell between your legs before using your hips and posterior chain to propel the kettlebell forward and up in a circular swing movement before it drops under control back between your legs. Although kettlebell swings appear deceptively easy the following great benefits can be achieved by utilising them in your workouts.
1). Kettlebells are highly efficient and allow you to do fitness and weight training in one workout at the same time.
2). The kettlebell swing is one of the few movements that really targets the posterior chain muscles of the hips, back, core and hamstrings. This muscle group is very important for running, jumping and tackling effectively.
3). One option with kettlebell training is to do very brief but highly effective Tabata training. This training involves swinging for 20 seconds with only 10 seconds of rest. Although only 4 minutes long a tabata set is a brutal fitness regime.
4). Due to the quick nature of kettlebell swings the abs and core are highly stimulated as they contract to provide a stable base for other muscles to pull from. You may not get an ab burn but you will get functional core strength and real world ab training results.
5). Swings build your back from top to bottom. Not only is the lower back involved with kettlebell swings but the lats, traps and scapular are all involved in the movement giving you a total back training workout.
6). Swings for medium to high repetitions are very beneficial for back endurance which studios have shown to have a very positive effect on minimizing back injuries
7). Not only are swings great for getting you fit they are fantastic for burning body fat. there is a continuing trend towards short and intense workouts for fatloss and kettlebell swings definitely fit the bill
There are of course many more benefits of kettlebell swings and other kettlebell exercises. However, swings aren't an easy option, they may work very well but they can also be a very tough workout.
For more information then check out this resource about kettlebells
So what is a kettlebell? A kettle bell sort of looks like an black steel bowling ball with a thick handle and come in various sizes usually ranging from 8kg to 48kg.
Used previously by old time strong men and popularised by Russian athletes, the kettlebell is now used by top sports teams, martial artists, athletes, Hollywood celebrities and everyday trainers throughout the world, due to the outstanding results people are getting.
The foundation kettlebell exercise is the kettlebell swing. The swing can be done with 1 or 2 hands. It involves hiking the kettlebell between your legs before using your hips and posterior chain to propel the kettlebell forward and up in a circular swing movement before it drops under control back between your legs. Although kettlebell swings appear deceptively easy the following great benefits can be achieved by utilising them in your workouts.
1). Kettlebells are highly efficient and allow you to do fitness and weight training in one workout at the same time.
2). The kettlebell swing is one of the few movements that really targets the posterior chain muscles of the hips, back, core and hamstrings. This muscle group is very important for running, jumping and tackling effectively.
3). One option with kettlebell training is to do very brief but highly effective Tabata training. This training involves swinging for 20 seconds with only 10 seconds of rest. Although only 4 minutes long a tabata set is a brutal fitness regime.
4). Due to the quick nature of kettlebell swings the abs and core are highly stimulated as they contract to provide a stable base for other muscles to pull from. You may not get an ab burn but you will get functional core strength and real world ab training results.
5). Swings build your back from top to bottom. Not only is the lower back involved with kettlebell swings but the lats, traps and scapular are all involved in the movement giving you a total back training workout.
6). Swings for medium to high repetitions are very beneficial for back endurance which studios have shown to have a very positive effect on minimizing back injuries
7). Not only are swings great for getting you fit they are fantastic for burning body fat. there is a continuing trend towards short and intense workouts for fatloss and kettlebell swings definitely fit the bill
There are of course many more benefits of kettlebell swings and other kettlebell exercises. However, swings aren't an easy option, they may work very well but they can also be a very tough workout.
For more information then check out this resource about kettlebells
About the Author
Mike Capper is a qualified RKC kettlebell instructor from New Zealand. His website http://www.kettlebellsnz.com is packed with articles and tips to maximise your kettlebell training.
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