Tag Archive for: kettlebell training

Top Kettlebell Movements For Complete Home Workouts

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The kettlebell is often heralded as a fantastic training tool thanks to its ability to train the body in a less conventional manner that involves more of our supporting muscle groups and challenges balance and focus at the same time.

This is only one advantage of the kettlebell though. What’s just as impressive is just how versatile the tool is – allowing you to train every muscle group in a vast variety of different ways. In fact, a kettlebell is versatile enough to provide an entire body workout and can be a ‘home gym’ all on its own!

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Here are some kettlebell movements that demonstrate this nicely:

Kettlebell Curl

The kettlebell curl is a movement that works similarly to a regular curl and targets the biceps. The difference is that the center of gravity is lower down, thereby altering the angle and changing the direction of the force.

Goblet Squat

Something that is very hard to do when training from a home gym is work the legs using squatting motions. Squats are widely regarded as some of the most functional movements and are particularly popular thanks to their ability to engage lots of large muscles in the posterior chain. The problem is that they require a large, heavy and unwieldy squat rack and bar! Or do they?

Using a kettlebell, you can hold the weight against your chest and then squat from there. This moves the weight forward slightly but is otherwise effectively the same movement as any other squat!

Straight Legged Deadlift

The deadlift is another movement lacking from most home workouts and once again, the kettlebell comes to the rescue. A deadlift can be performed as normal, simply by squatting and grabbing the handle with both hands.

Likewise though, you can also train similarly while keeping both legs straight and bending only at the back to hit the erector spinae. This works better considering the slightly lighter and taller nature of a kettlebell.

Turkish Get Up

Now for something entirely unique. The Turkish get-up is a movement that requires you to lie on the floor next to your kettlebell and then simply stand up with it. This is much harder than it sounds and involves a complex sequence of movements that train the muscles in unison.

Kettlebell Swing

This is perhaps the king of kettlebell movements and involves performing a squat like motion while swinging the kettlebell behind yourself between your legs and then up in front of yourself. The key is to use a continuous motion and to use your hips to thrust the weight forward rather than engaging your legs or back too much.

Kettlebell Clean and Press

This movement is good in all kinds of ways and involves squatting down to grab a kettlebell in on hand, then throwing it up to lean against the shoulder, standing up and pressing it over head. This trains a huge range of different movements but what’s perhaps most effective of all about it is that you are training on just one side of the body – meaning you need to work very hard to maintain balance and to stabilize yourself.

How to Train Like an Old-Time Strongman

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When setting out to get into a shape, a good starting point is to find role models. Who are your fitness heroes? Whose physique would you like to emulate? Whose training philosophy most closely resembles your own?

Get this right and you can find yourself with a blueprint to follow and ample amounts of inspiration and motivation. Get it wrong and you’re asking for disappointment and frustration.

fitness

An example of a ‘wrong’ fitness role model might often be found on YouTube. While there are some great personalities on YouTube in the fitness community, there are also some destructive forces that you must contend with. In particular are those who spout unhelpful training advice and use steroid-driven physiques in order to sell us on its merits.

They tell us we can look like them by training like them. What they leave out is the chemical assistance that helped them get there, or the crippling back pain that is the cost of developing all those ‘mirror muscles’ and approximately zero ‘functional strength’.

Why Old-Time Strongmen Are Great Fitness Heroes

So who might we choose to look up to instead? A good alternative might be one of the legendary ‘old time strongmen’. These are individuals who trained long before we had protein shakes – let alone steroids and yet they achieved physiques that are well beyond many of our modern YouTube stars!

What’s more, they could actually use that strength and would be able to do incredible things like bending iron bars and lifting huge amounts of weight. These strongmen trained using completely different tools and methods and the results more than speak for themselves.

So if you want muscle that’s not just for show and that has an amazing historical heritage, that is a much better way to train.

How to Train Like an Old Time Strongman

So with all that said, how do you go about training in such a manner? What tools and techniques did they use that you could replicate?

The first trick is to use functional tools that train your body from multiple angles and that require you to use supportive muscles and balance in conjunction with brute strength. These force us to use our bodies as intended: as a single unit, working in unison. This is how we are able to generate the most strength and actually use it in ways that are useful.

Some tools that you can use to train this way include kettlebells, Indian clubs, ropes and barbells with especially thick bars. Training with one handed movements is also a particularly useful exercise, as well using more unconventional lifts, like the Turkish get-up and ‘anyhow lift’.

Another tip is to make sure that you are training your grip. This is the secret weapon of any old-time strongman and anyone interested in building truly functional strength needs to give it serious consideration in order to ensure no energy is wasted and that all of it is directed at moving the wei
ghts.

Finally, combine this with a protein rich diet and if you want to go truly old-time: lots of raw eggs!

(Although maybe a little cooking to avoid a biotin deficiency… not everything was better back in the day!)

How to Lose Weight With a Kettlebell

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Kettlebell training has a large number of different advantages and lets you train your body from different angles and in a far more functional range of motion.

But what’s really great about the kettlebell is versatile it is as a tool and how it allows you develop your fitness and health in numerous different ways.

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If you want to build bodybuilder-type muscle, then you can do so by using single joint isolation movements and heavy resistance. This will create muscle fiber tears, flood your muscles with metabolites and generally help you to encourage more growth.

At the same time though, you can also use a kettlebell to lose weight and it happens to be particularly well suited to that goal. Let’s look at how you might do that…

The Exercises

The great thing about the kettlebell is that it allows you to perform resistance cardio. This means you are using cardiovascular training that increases your heartrate and helps you to burn fat. At the same time though, you are also lifting weight, which protects your muscle from breakdown and increases the challenge, thereby increasing the amount of calories burned and the amount of effort involved.

Also useful, is that the kettlebell allows you to train in this manner on the spot and without a lot of tools. Unlike running, you can enjoy kettlebell training in any whether and in a short space of time.

And to get the very most of this, you can combine the kettlebell as a tool with the HIIT modality. HIIT is ‘high intensity interval training’ – a form of exercise that challenges you to alternate between brief bursts of high intensity exertion and shorter periods of relatively steady-state exercise.

In this case for example, you might perform the kettlebell swing for 1 minutes and then rest for 30 seconds before going again.

The kettlebell swing is an ideal movement for resistance cardio that involves swinging the kettlebell between your legs and then straight back up in the air using a slight hip thrust movement to provide the forward momentum.

The Diet

To lose weight, this training must be combined with the right type of diet.

That diet should be one that is relatively low in calories. The objective here is to burn more calories in a day than you consume. So if you normally burn 2,000 calories and consume 2,200 calories, you can increase that burn to 2,400 using HIIT training and you can then reduce the amount you eat to 2,100 calories. Now you’re losing 300 calories every day!

Try to eat more protein and you will support more muscle growth while reducing fat storage. Combine this with 4 workouts a week, lasting about 20 minutes each and you should start to see the results you’re looking for using just this one tool and one movement.

Remember though, weight loss is only achievable if you change your entire lifestyle and habits. It is not enough to simply add in an exercise and forget about it! Walk more, spend less time in front of the TV and reduce unhealthy snacks!

Building an Unconventional ‘Functional’ Home Gym

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In the last few years, the face of fitness has changed a great deal. We’ve seen a move away from very static, single-joint movements like the bicep curl and a move towards more adventurous and engaging forms of training. These include things like kettlebell training, TRX (suspension training), Indian club training, weighted stretching, squatting, deadlifting and more.

These types of exercises effectively allow us to use our body in the way it was intended: by using all of our muscles together rather than in an isolated fashion. The result is that we produce more growth hormone and testosterone (triggering greater muscle growth) and that we build a more stable and functional body.

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The problem is that this type of training often doesn’t extend to the home gym. It’s not easy to fit a squat rack in your front room… so what can you do?

Here are some items that will allow you to build an awesome, functional and unique home gym that might be a little different from the other gym bros…

Kettlebell

The first thing you need to make your home workouts more functional is a kettlebell. This will immediately challenge you more by providing a more dynamic workout and by moving the center of gravity in unpredictable ways.

What’s more, is that kettlebell training allows you to perform movements like squats, deadlifts and more that you couldn’t train on your own otherwise.

Parallel Bars

Here is a simple tool that everyone can use in order to train and that not enough people have in their home. Parallel bars usually cost about $40 and allow you to perform dips, hand stands, planche, inverted push ups, neutral grip pull ups and much more.
They’re fun, easy to store and build incredibly dynamic strength.

Gymnastic Rings

Gymnastic rings can be used for many of the same exercises as parallel bars. The big difference is that you have to balance them and hold them steady while you train. They cost a lot less than TRX and have the added bonus of letting you perform dips too, so they are far superior in that sense.

Indian Club

Indian Clubs are the lesser-known little brothers of kettlebells. These let you train with similarly unconventional shapes and another uneven center of gravity, this time using a tool that looks a fair bit like a bowling pin! Grab onto the end and swing, push, lunge and generally sword fight an invisible opponent. That’s a fun way to build strength!

Balance Board

If you want to make any movement more challenging, more functional and more interesting then simply perform it while standing on a balance board. This will force you to balance while also moving the weight, which is much more challenging for your entire body.

Rope

A rope can be used for all manner of exercises. One of the simplest ways to train with it is to hang it over a pull up bar and then perform neutral grip pull ups with it. This will build grip strength as well as allowing you to train your biceps and lats. Otherwise, you can perform rows or even wrap it around your weights and pick them up that way!

Kettlebell Use Offers Impressive Benefits For Users

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Kettlebell training offers additional richness to an exercise program. A kettlebell is an exercise tool that resembles a bowling ball with a handle. Made of cast-iron, kettlebells come in a variety of weight options, from 8 pounds to 105 pounds. Historically, evidence of kettlebell use in Ancient Greece has been found. Since the early 1700s, Russian athletes have developed kettlebell use. Beginning in the late 1990s, kettlebell use has become more popular in the West.

Beginning users may find the movements involved to be awkward and difficult, but with proper training and practice, kettlebell use offers many benefits including cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training. Kettlebell training typically includes a series of many repetitions of movements. Exercises may include the typical movements involved with barbells and other conventional weights.

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Additionally, movements specific to kettlebells include snatches, wings, cleans, and jerks. During these movements, several muscle groups come into play. This combination improves strength and cardiovascular strength simultaneously.

Research shows that a twenty minutes workout with a kettlebell burns the same amount of calories as a person who runs a 6 minute mile. This level of calorie burn indicates a high level of cardiovascular exercise. Users of kettlebells also improve flexibility. They typically see improvement in mobility and range of motion. Core strength is also improved. The combination of all three aspects of exercise combined into one activity is unusual and speaks to a high level of efficiency for the programs using a kettlebell.

While kettlebell training is a highly efficient workout, it also provides benefits that make it more likely to be a consistently used program. The kettlebell is a single, compact tool that can be stored in a variety of convenient places. Workouts can be performed anywhere without the cost of a gym membership. Travelers can carry their kettlebells, making it less likely to miss workouts. Kettlebell workouts typically take less time because of the efficiency of movements. Users benefit by being able to workout when they choose for a shorter period of time.

In addition to time management benefits, the workouts with kettlebells are stimulating compared to conventional workouts. Users are not as likely to be bored and give up. The exercises require focus. The routines inspire a feeling of success that can not be gained on a treadmill. Kettlebell users experience efficient exercises, efficient use of time, and stimulating workouts.

Finally, kettlebell workouts are relevant. The movements within the workouts lend themselves to real life. For example, carrying groceries, picking up children, performing chores, and various other daily activities can be seen within the movements of kettlebell exercises. The workouts strengthen the core as well as other muscle groups that are needed in life.

This relevance makes the exercise mean more and inspires consistent use. The use of a kettlebell becomes a lifestyle, not just an exercise. Considering the many benefits of kettlebell use, it is no wonder that the tool is gaining popularity. Any tool that includes all three aspects of exercise in one workout, can be stored and used anywhere, banishes boredom, and relates to real-life needs is sure to become a staple within the exercise world.

A Comparison Of Kettlebell Training To Regular Weight Training

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Strength training is a critical element of any exercise program. Increasing muscle promotes fat loss and increases resting metabolism. The conventional methods of strength training generally include weight training of some sort. Kettlebells offer an alternative to traditional weight training, and this style of weight training may offer some surprising advantages over regular weight training.

Kettlebell training involves specific rhythmic movements of a kettlebell. Kettleballs are objects made of cast iron that resemble a ball with a handle. They range in weight from less than ten pounds to over 100 pounds. Kettlebells have seen regular use in Russia for hundreds of years. In recent decades, they are becoming more popular in the West because of the varying aspects that benefit cardiovascular health, strength, and flexibility.

kettlebell

Compared to regular weight training, kettlebell training offers several additional advantages. While all of the traditional exercises with weights can be performed with kettlebells, several exercises are specific to kettlebells. Regular weight training typically targets specific muscle groups, but with kettlebell training, several muscle groups operate to perform the movements. The two types of weight training, regular and kettlebell, offer similar results, but kettlebell training takes less time because it works several areas at once. Regular weight training is generally done separately from cardiovascular training.

However, kettlebell training offers intensive cardiovascular exercise simultaneous to strength training. The same is true for improvements in core strength and flexibility. Because of the asymmetrical nature of the kettleball, training requires improvement in balance. Additionally, the movements involved require full range of motion that improves flexibility while it strengthens the core. When comparing regular weight training to kettlebell training, the differences are seen in the advantages stemming from kettlebell training.

While kettlebell training offers additional benefits to cardiovascular health, flexibility, and core strength, the strength training gained from kettlebell training remains as effective as weight training, possibly more so. As with weight training, should the person desire bulk, they should use a heavier kettlebell. Should the person simply desire toning and weight loss, lighter kettlebells suffice. Specific areas can still be targeted with kettlebells. A person can still perform bicep curls, tricep curls, and other exercises associated with regular weight training.

However, kettlebells increase the effectiveness of the workout with exercises including the snatch, wing, clean, jerk, and others. Additionally, many prefer kettlebell training because it simulates real world activities, like carrying children or groceries. The muscles groups required for situations faced in life are actually the muscle groups developed. Comparatively, regular weight training focuses on the development of the muscle in a standing or lying position. These exercises do not relate to real-life needs as kettlebell exercises do.

When comparing regular weight training to kettlebell training, the results to strength training are similar. The differences include the time necessary to see the same results, the additional cardiovascular workout, the strengthening of the core, and the improvements to flexibility. Kettlebell training should be initially approached with the tutelage of an expert who can teach the proper technique and ensure the movements are done safely. When done safely, kettlebell training is highly effective for numerous areas of physical health, including strength training.