Achieve your Fitness Goals with a Kettlebell Workout
Weight lifting has long since been a staple of many a workout routine. Yet while many an avid weight lifter is well familiar with the traditional barbell, the kettlebell is only recently coming back into the good graces of exercise aficionados everywhere. Its country of origin is Russia, where it began as a simple cannonball to which a handle was attached. For those who do not wish to invest in yet another piece of exercise equipment, you will be happy to hear that you may use an ordinary dumbbell, which many already have in the back of the closet, and simply attach a handgrip or handle to the middle of it.
Kettlebell workout enthusiasts cite as some of the benefits of their workout routine their increased strength, balance, endurance as well as the cardiovascular benefits that the total-body workout yields for them. For those who are interested in giving it a try, here are some things to consider when purchasing your first set of kettlebells:
Be realistic about your own strength. Considering that the cannonball with the handle you will be purchasing is not just going to sit on the ground, but will actually be used in a variety of exercises, it is important that you start out small and work your way up. Sizes vary and usually start out at 8 pounds. Thereafter you will be able to purchase 16 lbs, 26 lbs, 35 lbs, 53 lbs, 70 lbs, 88 lbs and 105 lbs, yet unless you already are a professional strongman at the local circus, the latter four sizes should not matter too much to you. Most everyone will be able to do a good quality workout with a 16 pound or 26 pound bell.
Exercises
Exercises can be varied: you may wish to do bench presses, rows, and curls with them. While these are the kinds of exercises that you will many at the gym do with dumbbells, it is important to note that the kettlebell will require you to also work on your sense of balance in addition to simply the strength aspect of lifting it.
Learn some new vocabulary. There is a whole world of kettlebell exercises out there, and it is important that you know the lingo. We are talking about swings, snatches, and cleans.
A swing is quite possibly the simplest exercise and great for beginners. You simply grab the kettlebell with one hand, and position it between your feet. Now you swing it behind you and then immediately reverse the direction of the thrust and swing it forward. Now switch hands and repeat.
A snatch takes a bit more practice, and it is important that you start out slow so you do not injure yourself. Begin like a swing, but instead of stopping when the forward motion, continue it until you reach shoulder height and then use your other hand to steady the bell while you move your driving arm overhead with the bell resting against the back of your driving hand. Your other hand’s maneuvering will ensure that you do not bruise your wrist during the upward motion.
A clean is a similar maneuver, except that the bell will not go overhead, but instead stop at shoulder height, while pointing outward.
Once you master these exercises, you can now branch out into the more advanced forms of exercise. If you vary the exercises, you will be able to realize your fitness goals, such as a toned mid section, tightened abs, quads, and arms, increased strength, shoulder flexibility, and weight loss.
Additionally, the apparently awkward weights that you will be maneuvering around will more stabilizing muscles to be toned, and as a result your center of gravity will be much stronger and your ability to recent yourself as well. Those who participate in hands on sports, such as martial arts, football, hockey, or those who enjoy the gravity defying stunts of gymnastics and ballet will find kettlebell exercises well worth their while.
So go ahead and try something new. While the equipment is not new, you should rest assured that this crowd pleaser from the early days of the strongman routine is still around and what worked almost a hundred years ago to build muscle and awe the masses is sure to do it today.