Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Training with Kettlebells

The popularity of training with kettlebells has really picked up in the last 5 years...


In reality, it has been around since practically the beginning of strength training (16th century Russia to be specific), but the recent resurgence of popularity is GREAT NEWS because it is one of the most effective ways to train.We live in a world where we are pressed for time and need something that is both quick AND effective. Enter kettlebells...

Standard strength training, ESPECIALLY in the traditional gym setting, locks the body in a linear plane and can place stress on joints. Kettlebell exercises are natural to the body's range of motion AND have the capability to serve double-duty as strength training and cardio, simultaneously! This is what we mean by quick and effective!


Kettlebells come in a variety of weight, but unless you are very much a beginner, anything less than 10 pounds is likely too light!

The exercise combinations are virtually endless: you can do more static moves like windmills:

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Or you can up the cardio factor with moves like the kettlebell swing:

Source

Kettlebells can be purchased at any sporting goods store, and we've even seen them in places like Target! Craigslist is also a good place to get used equipment that is often a little cheaper.

If you want to play around with kettlebell exercises before you invest in an actual kettlebell, you can try these moves out with a traditional dumbbell!

Question for you: Do you use kettlebells? What's been your experience?

In Health,

Timothy and Lindsay
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2 comments:

  1. Kettlebells have certainly picked up pace recently and are now expanding from the fitness and fat loss market to performance training with athletes based on developing explosive power. For fat loss - you will not find a better training tool!

    Steve
    www.thestrengthacademy.com

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  2. Up until now my experience with kettlebells has been limited to a few upper body exercises. I've never got to grips with the wealth of exercises you can do with them or trained with someone who uses them for full body strength & conditioning. nutrition courses

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