If social media channels are anything to go by – and let’s face it, it is when it comes to fitness pics – then you would have seen that kettlebells are more popular than ever before. Scroll down your feed and you will see clip after clip of these cast-iron weights which are being swung left, right, forward and back.
It’s no surprise that kettlebells have helped usher in a new way of totally blitzing your workout – whether it’s on an isolated or full-body basis. This helps to cut fat with high-rep sets of swings, snatches and jerks. These are moves that bodybuilders and athletes alike swear by.
Kettlebells are a phenomenal tool for strength training. Yes, for many exercises they’re absolutely interchangeable for dumbbells or other forms of weights. However for some weighted moves, especially ones that need an explosive movement, kettlebells reign supreme.
The Shape Of The Kettlebell Is Key
The way that kettlebells are shaped makes them much easier to swing around. It is also possible for you to hold them by the handle or, alternatively, the bell (which is the round part of the weight). This allows you to get a different range of motion depending on the kettlebell exercise that you’re doing.
In addition, the shape of a kettlebell allows you to work your muscles a little differently than a traditional dumbbell. This is because the weight is distributed differently as opposed to a typical dumbbell. This means that it works different muscles doing the same movement. It also requires more wrist motion, so your wrists as well as forearms get a little extra work.
A Safety Precaution With Kettlebells
Don’t utilise a kettlebell that has too thick a handle. Make sure that the kettlebell’s handle is thick enough to work your grip but not so challenging to hold that it creates needless fatigue.
When you’re performing an exercise like the kettlebell swing, you may be doing hundreds of reps in a single workout as opposed to four sets of eight or another standard set-and-rep-scheme that you’d use with conventional exercises. Don’t let your grip to burn out. This is counterproductive from a technique standpoint as once someone’s grip is overworked; you’ll see a whole slew of mechanical problems which come into play.
As for how much weight to begin with, men can invest in one or two bells which are 16 kilos. This will provide plenty of challenge on a wide range of exercises. For ladies, eight-kilo kettlebells will give a great workout.
Kettlebell Workout Tips
Firstly, for nearly every kettlebell exercise which you do, keep your feet planted as well as your weight on your heels. This will make sure that your body is forming a strong foundation in order to lift as well as move the kettlebell.
Next, you must never lift a kettlebell directly over your head. As compared to a dumbbell or barbell, it is much easier for your grip to slip with a kettlebell or for you to drop the weight
Finally, just as within any exercise, protect your lower back when utilising a kettlebell. If you’re picking it off the ground or just swinging it up in the air, never slouch your lower back. Rather, the power and force for all movements should be generated by your hips as well as your legs.
Contact Trifocus discover Academy
If you would like to learn the fundamentals of kettlebell training as a kettlebell instructor would teach you, why not become a kettlebell instructor yourself? Follow this link for extra information on how you can to do this.
