Question by lmj: How well do kettlebell exercises really work?
Ive been trying to get back in shape and I am looking for new ways to change up my routine. Im thinking about getting a kettlebell to incorporate into my workout. Do they really work? need some help losing the last 5 pesky pounds!….Im a female- 125 pounds.
Best answer:
Answer by Isometric-Man
Bodybuilding.com says this about the kettlebell:
“If your goals are strictly size-based, kettlebell workouts probably aren’t meant for you. Kettlebells work amazingly in terms of core strength, stability, explosiveness, compound movement, and raw strength. The major kettlebell lifts usually require a large movement through the body from the ground and ending the kettlebell above one’s head, or at shoulder height.
While going through these motions you notice how tense your core gets because of the effort it is putting into carrying the kettlebell. Since using a kettlebell is going to require movement through many muscle groups, it is going to do so much more in terms of strength in comparison to size. You can notice after training with them that your overall explosiveness is greater as well as joint strength and impact resistance.
Endurance is also a big factor for athletes, and I’ve personally noticed, and so have others, that muscular endurance gets much better while using kettlebells.”
Kettlebell Exercises are the different form of training
“As with all “different” forms of training, you always get that edge that you’re training differently than the next guy. You’ll get the added benefits of explosiveness and raw strength while that other guy is busy getting big. For athletes and especially Olympic competitors, kettlebells can work wonders.
As much as we all hate to admit it, no matter what our primary goal is when we are training, we always have that piece of us wanting to get big. As more of an impact resistance style training, the kettlebell’s explosive movements may not offer much in terms of size, but with strength, size will come, and with a kettlebell, strength will come.”
Check out the link below for the full article.
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To see the amazing results that kettlebell exercises can give, it is important to have a broad understanding of all of the types of movements (i.e. pulls, swings, snatches, etc.) available to you and what they offer. Once you build up your repertoire, you can build a successful kettlebell routine with the sole purpose of shocking your system on a weekly basis.
Doing the same kettlebell swing or squat workout day after day, week after week, will not result in fat loss. Those crucial days between workouts are vital to your muscle development and weight loss. You must be sure that your body spends its recovery time adapting to a variety of exercises – this is the way that a kettlebell workout can help you burn fat incredibly fast.
What Types of Kettlebell Exercises Will I See the Quickest Results With?
We need to break down the many different types of kettlebell exercises that are available to you when you use a kettlebell. There is a myth that kettlebells do not build mass. On the contrary, they can build mass and burn fat just as quickly as traditional training. The key is to develop a kettlebell routine with that goal in mind. To get your body in peak shape, knowing what exercises to do, when to do them, and in what manner will be half the battle. Here are a few tips to remember before we explore different kettlebell exercises:
1) In any kettlebell routine, always start with the biggest muscle groups first and work your way to the smaller ones. This is mainly because of your fatigue patterns. You don’t want to work out your shoulder muscles to exhaustion before you work on your chest muscles, because your shoulder is made up of secondary muscles, which assist your chest in movement. If you fatigue your shoulder’s smaller muscles before you hit the bigger chest muscles, you won’t be able to work out your chest to fatigue because your body will be sending signals from your shoulders saying, “We are done working out!” This will make it impossible to add atrophy to your chest because it can never be running at full capacity, and will never reach true exhaustion.
2) There is a method to training. How you develop your routine and how you group your muscles when training them will also be a positive or negative factor in building mass and burning fat. There are many different ways to group your muscles during a routine effectively, but typically it is best to work out your chest and back on one day, your shoulders, triceps, and biceps on one day, and your legs and core on a different day. This gives all of your muscles a much needed break between exercises as well as balancing out the rate of muscle growth, giving you a balanced look from head to toe. This style of training also cuts down on injury because you are not trying to work out every single muscle more than once a week.
Exercises that Will Unlock the Secret of Kettlebell Fitness Success
Training with a kettlebell is so unique and successful because the shape of the kettlebell weight is made to move with your body in its natural line of movement. The balanced distribution of weight makes an ordinary squat less of a strain on your body and maximizes the muscles during the exercise.
Here is an example workout of a well-designed chest and back kettlebell routine:
Chest and Back (Day One)
Alternating Kettlebell Row (Back)Alternating Renegade Row (Back)One-Arm Kettlebell Row (Back)Alternating Floor Press (Chest)One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Press (Chest)Leg-Over Floor Press (Chest)