Here is another piece of fitness equipment which will allow you to build sturdy muscle and maintain a stellar physique. This fitness equipment is none other than known kettlebell, which has gained tremendous popularity among the masses, basically fitness freaks. Performing many kettlebell exercises with this equipment offers better conditioning of your muscle mass and thus maintains your interest during the workout. A kettlebell exercise is considered to be one of the fun ways for individuals to perform a workout.
By using the kettlebell for their workouts, individuals would be able to train several parts of their body at a time. In this way, they would be able to finish their workout within a faster time period as compared to a normal workout that they may be performing at the gym or fitness centres with various types of weights. It is also important for individuals to become acquainted with the basic movements at the beginning when they perform the workouts using the kettlebell before they go on to train with exercises that are of a higher intensity level since it requires individuals to obtain enough strength and confidence for doing such exercises.
A kettlebell workout isn’t like other types of strength training routines you may have tried. It provides a more holistic type of exercise that targets several muscle groups at once. This targeting of various muscles in our body makes kettlebell exercise an excellent option if you want to optimize your physical activity if you are pressed for time.
Why Should You Prefer Using a Kettlebell
If you want to build strength then performing a kettlebell exercise is the one that you should consider. This fitness equipment has a long history that goes back to the days of Russian strongmen in the early 18th century, where the purpose was the same only to build strength. However, the kettlebell takes it one step further. It combines the health benefits of strength training along with ways to incorporate aerobic and flexibility workouts. Because of that, you get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to calorie burn. You can expect a burnout of about 20 calories per minute, depending on your gender and workout intensity.
With this fitness equipment, one can perform various types of kettlebell exercises, unlike some weight lifting machines like the shoulder press. Adding this to your workout regime will certainly allow you perfect functional fitness.
Benefits of Kettlebell Exercise
- Enhances Core Strength & Stability – Performing kettlebell exercise improves core strength and stability. Kettlebell exercises consist of ballistic training. Ballistic training works on explosive power through maximizing acceleration and minimizing deceleration. These explosive movements stimulate the abdominal muscles tremendously well. They require core contraction and coordinated breathing as the movements are intense. This leads to a serious improvement in core strength, even when not necessarily targeting your core like you would with crunches or leg raises.
- Stabilizes Muscles & Improves Balance – Performing kettlebell exercise improves balance and stabilizes muscles. When training with machines, you are producing force and moving on a predetermined path. Conversely, when training with kettlebells, you must control the movement path. This requires you to double down on strengthening the stabilizer muscles for each particular movement. Having strong stabilizer muscles in all ranges of movement, coupled with increased core power as we discussed in one of the benefits of kettlebells above, means your balance will be exceptional.
- Extensive Fat Burning Workout – Performing kettlebell exercise offers crazy calorie-burning potential, which means losing a huge amount of fat. Studies showed that kettlebell burns as many as 20 calories per minute, which is around 400 calories for a 20-minute workout. Besides all, kettlebell exercise for losing fat is often high intensity, so you have the after-burn effect as well. This is called EPOC, Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. For those who don’t know, this means you will be burning calories at a higher rate long after your workout has finished.
Top 5 Latest Kettlebell Exercises
1.) Kettlebell Swing
The kettlebell swing is one of the finest kettlebell exercises which allows you to elevate your heart rate and strengthen your posterior chain. It’s a hip-hinging move that requires full engagement of the hamstrings and glutes to initiate the hip thrust to swing. Performing this move will strengthen you faster, burn fat, and give you a great cardio workout.
How To Perform
- Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, with the kettlebell on the floor just behind you.
- Bend your knees to grab the kettlebell behind you. Make sure to tilt at the hips, pushing your butt backwards. Keep your chest up and back straight.
- Drive forward with your hips in a thrusting motion, and as your knees straighten, use that momentum to swing the dumbbell up to shoulder height.
- Repeat in a continuous loop for a full set.
2.) Goblet Squat
Goblet Squat is one of the best kettlebell exercises which offers your glutes, hamstrings, and quads an excellent workout. This exercise is a compound move that works multiple joints and multiple muscles at once, so it’s efficient and effective for fat burning and strengthening. Plus, goblet squats allow you to drop into your natural centre of gravity, which is useful for anyone struggling with form.
How To Perform
- Stand with your feet just wider than hip-width apart, and toes pointed slightly out. Additionally, keep your core engaged and head up.
- Hold the kettlebell at chest height, using both your hands with your palms facing in.
- Bring yourself down into a squat until your knees are fully bent. Make sure you bend at the hips, pushing your butt backward, and keeping the chest up. This posture, balanced with the weight, will allow you to find your natural centre of gravity.
- Drive up through the floor and return to a standing position.
- Focus on bringing the weight back up in a straight line. Tense your glutes and engage your core, moving your hips and chest as one unit. By doing so, you will make sure you’re back isn’t rounding, and you’re not swinging.
- Repeat for a full set.
3.) Two Arm Military Press
This military-level kettlebell exercise targets both the deltoids in the shoulders, as well as the triceps, along with the legs and core as a by-product of maintaining stability throughout the move. Performing a two-arm military press with kettlebells will improve the mobility in your upper body, and perfect your pressing form.
How To Perform
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and keep your core engaged and head up.
- Hold a kettlebell in each hand, palms facing forward, with the weight at the back of your hands.
- Pull the kettlebells up to shoulder height for the starting position. The weight should sit slightly behind your shoulders.
- Press the kettlebells up above your head until your arms are straight.
- Lower the weights back down to your shoulders, with control.
- Repeat for a full set.
4.) One Arm Floor Press
One arm floor press is the best kettlebell exercise as it targets the pecs, as well as the deltoids and triceps. Additionally, with this move, you will be going to be working your core as you engage these muscles to keep your back flat on the floor and initiate the momentum to push the kettlebell up.
How To Perform
- Lie on your back on the floor, keeping your abdominals drawn in so your back doesn’t arch.
- Hold the kettlebell in one hand, keeping the weight behind your hand, with your palms facing toward your feet.
- Push the weight towards the ceiling until your arm is straight.
- Lower the kettlebell back to the starting position.
- Complete a full set on one arm before moving to the other.
5.) Deadlift
Performing a deadlift is another brilliant kettlebell exercise that engages multiple muscle groups. With this move, you will feel the burn in your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, as well as your lats and traps. Deadlifts can be done with a barbell as well, but are great to do with kettlebells as an alternative.
How To Perform
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and the kettlebell positioned between your feet.
- Squat down to grasp the kettlebell with both hands in an overhand grip. As you squat, keep your back straight and chin up.
- Drive up through the floor out of your squat, pulling the kettlebell straight up, until your body is upright. Your arms should be straight down, and the kettlebell sitting in front of your thighs.
- Lower the weight back down, with control, until you’re back in the squat position.
- Repeat for a full set.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
