The Best Kettlebell Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Body

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Personal/Fitness Training Blog

When you walk into the weight room at the gym to crush your legs, do you instantly feel a feeling of dread when you see a barbell or dumbbell? If you do, you might be suffering from a severe case of training monotony.

However, this is not a reason to overlook your lower body. At the end of the day, lower-body strength is a huge part of your athleticism. It may be time to differ your routine by combining lower-body kettlebell movements.

You can swing and move the kettlebell in ways that are difficult, or even impossible, to replicate with dumbbells and barbells. Their unique characteristics open up a wide range of new exercises that can provide the boost you need in order to increase your strength, size and power. Kettlebell exercises can make your workouts fun as well as exciting again.

What Are Your Fitness Goals?

If your overall fitness goals are fat loss, increasing strength, toning your lower body or increasing your ability to move faster or more effectively then kettlebell leg exercises are incredibly important.

Research shows that exercises which are focused on the lower body have more of a carryover to the upper body as opposed to that which upper body exercises do to the lower body.

So, if you have the option, working on your lower body will have a more significant impact on your health in general as opposed to upper body exercises.

Adding Kettlebells To Your Exercise Routine

If you’re eager to add kettlebells to your workout routine, these lower-body kettlebell exercises are a great place to start. While they specifically focus on muscles in your lower half — such as the glutes, hamstrings, and quads — these also recruit other muscle groups across your entire body. In particular, your core has to engage throughout in order to keep your body stable as you perform these compound exercises.

As you do these lower-body kettlebell exercises, constantly keep form top of mind and listen to your body. Prioritise quality over quantity  and only train with weights which enable you to use safe form and technique. If you have a rep which is noticeably slower as opposed to the previous reps – or that doesn’t feel as engaged – end the set. There isn’t a rep or a weight out there which is worth injuring yourself over.

What’s The Correct Form For Kettlebell Squats?

Before you dive into the biomechanics of the fundamental squat, know that your form will look a bit different depending upon the exact type of kettlebell squat that you’re performing. But no matter how you’re squatting, it’s vital to have a solid foundation before you calmly pick up a weight and try a complicated or heavy-loaded exercise.

For a basic kettlebell squat, begin by standing with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Note that the precise distance from foot to foot, as well as the angle at which your toes are pointed out, will be different depending on your individual biomechanics.

Once your feet are in their correct place, stand tall in a vertical plank position. Draw your shoulders down as well as away from your ears. Brace your abs and glutes. Tighten your quads and lift your kneecaps.  As you sit down into your squat, stimulating your core will assist with stabilising your spine so that you can efficiently drive into the floor and pop back up to standing. Keeping this “straight spine — or when your lower back has its normal, minor inward curve (the lumbar curve) and the upper back has its natural, minor outward curve (the thoracic curve) — is an essential safety step. “

At the lower end of your range of motion, check in on your knees and ensure that they’re not pushing outward or carving in, which could harm your knees. And then, push through the centre of your foot. Stand straight back up into that vertical plank position.

Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy

Kettlebells are a great addition to your workouts. If you want to learn more ways about how to use them, you need to do our Kettlebells Instructor Course. Follow this link for more information.

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