Perhaps your gym has an entire rack of kettlebells which are just waiting for you to get swinging. Or perhaps you’re working out from home and you’ve got a reliable kettlebell by your side in your living room. Wherever you’re training with kettlebells, you’re bound to get stronger, become a better overall athlete, and then fight off sticking points in your barbell lifts.
Despite there being no “correct” way to hold a kettlebell, these implements offer unparalleled training advantages. Unlike a barbell, most kettlebell exercises will generally force you to contribute evenly with both sides of your body. And unlike a dumbbell, the nature of the load itself tends to recruit more of your stabiliser muscles. From circuits to flows, you are able to work with kettlebells in more ways than you think to develop power or improve your cardiovascular endurance.
Kettlebells For Killer Cardiovascular Training
There is absolutely no better way to burn fat than with a couple of high rep sets of kettlebell swings, snatches as well as clean and jerks. These amazing ballistic exercises work your body as one unit and necessitate a great deal of hard work. The harder that you work the more calories you burn. This is the reason why sprinters are ripped to shreds and marathon runners also have a skinny-fat look.
As efficient as sprinting is, ballistic kettlebell exercises – for example high rep snatches (20 reps or more per set) – make sprinting look like a walk in the park. High-rep snatches work more muscle groups as opposed to sprinting and will build strength in the lower back, shoulders as well as hip flexors.
Kettlebell Training Combines Cardiovascular And Strength Training
Really busy people want the biggest bang for their fitness buck. Kettlebells can be the solution to attempting to squeeze cardio, strength as well as flexibility training in an already tight schedule. Owing to the intensive nature, the workout duration needs to be kept short. Best of all, they are so small and portable that training can take place in your bedroom.
Kettlebell Training Is A Form Of Low-Impact Cardio
While traditional cardiovascular exercises – such as jogging – can be a massive asset to strength athletes, these types of exercises can put a huge amount of strain on the body. Including hours on the treadmill into your training might not be the most effective cardio option if your recovery isn’t perfectly catered to that plan.
As your feet remain planted during even the most explosive kettlebell moves, you won’t be putting the same repetitive strain on your joints – as well as connective tissue – as running will.
A lot of kettlebell exercises are ballistic in nature, which makes them ideal for low-impact cardiovascular training. As we said previously in this article, kettlebell circuits and flows don’t take up a lot of time, are done at submaximal loads, and will put a lot of positive demand on your cardiovascular system. You can boost your endurance in a lot less time. The more efficient your engine, the more volume you’ll likely be able to handle in your other training.
Kettlebell Training Is Great For Active Recovery
Adequate recovery is critical for athletes. However, programmes in which you train to failure and then take a week off to hang out on the coach are not efficient for athletes. The key with athletes is to enhance performance and conditioning. Performing a few light workouts per week will quicken recovery by getting some blood into the worked muscles.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Would you like to become a kettlebell instructor? If you do then you need to do our Kettlebell Instructor Course. Follow this link to find out more.
