Kettlebell training is a centuries-old Russian method of weightlifting and strength training that is designed to maximize your overall strength with minimal equipment. Kettlebells are small iron balls that resemble cannonballs with handles. With proper technique and a focused workout program, kettlebells can help you achieve strength and cardiovascular goals that would normally require an entire gym full of free weights.
Types
American Kettlebell Club training is a volume training program designed to increase muscle size and definition. Russian Kettlebell Club training is about increasing your brute strength through heavy lifting. Other types of kettlebell training include meltdown, traditional girevoy sport and agatsu.
Features
Unlike dumbbells, kettlebells have an offset center of gravity and are therefore more difficult to control. Always perform a new kettlebell exercise slowly at first. The American Kettlebell Club recommends beginning your routine at six repetitions per minute, increasing the amount of repetitions as you become more comfortable with the exercise. Kettlebell trainer Mike Mahler recommends that you not only perform traditional exercises like bench presses and curls, but also include explosive exercises like cleans and jerks to maximize your strength and endurance gains.
Body Alignment
Your wrist, neck and back must all remain straight throughout your workout or you risk seriously injuring yourself. Keeping your back and wrists from rounding over is particularly crucial when performing snatches and jerks. Also "pack" your shoulders when bringing the kettlebells to shoulder height in the rack position. Packing your shoulders involves pulling your shoulder blades toward the center of your back instead of letting them hunch forward.
Misconceptions
Proper kettlebell training does not require you to lift massive amounts of weight, nor is it something that only men can do. While kettlebells are available in 100-lb. or greater sizes, Mahler recommends that most men begin with a 35- or 53-lb. kettlebell. Women can use an 18- or 26-lb. kettlebell when first beginning training. Mahler notes that even if you begin with a light kettlebell, you can increase your benefits by raising the number of repetitions and sets you perform.
Warning
Followed some safety standards when engaging in a kettlebell training program. Never lift until failure, as kettlebells can be dangerous if you lose control of them. Always return the kettlebells to the ground in a controlled manner, and maintain proper body alignment even on your final repetition. Keep moving after you finish a set of exercises, because the spike in blood pressure that you experience from kettlebell training can lead to heart attack or stroke if you do not.
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