Who else wants to burn fat, build strength and improve flexibility and neurological coordination?
In order to maintain optimal physical health and avoid backsliding into pain, limited range of motion and fatigue, you must reprogram your neurological habits.
The ONLY way to reverse a pattern is through conscious movement (bodywork frees up the potential for new movement but only you can change your brain, the crux of the matter). There are several types of conscious movement: slow, thoughtful movement accompanied by breath to increase awareness of the space inside your body, slow movement accompanied by heavy weight to give you a sense of balance and functionality, fast movement with varying weights to reduce muscle guarding and create new neurological grooves…
In my fitness protocol, I teach awareness above all else. Once you know how your body moves and how to learn a pattern, you can do anything and do it well.
I find that the kettlebell is a particularly useful tool for teaching body awareness as well as developing excellent fitness and high levels of neuro-muscular coordination. The fluid, dynamic movements teach you to engage your whole body and build core strength.
Here’s what you can expect working out with kettlebells:
- Burn fat and build muscle
- Improve neurological coordination
- Improve your flexibility and range of motion
- Build shoulder stability (one of the most frequently injured joints in the human body)
- Improve your posture
- Increase stamina and endurance
- Have fun!
I am a beginner and have never lifted weights before…can I still lift kettlebells?
YES! Beginners have the MOST to gain when it comes to kettlebell training. When I first picked up a kettlebell, I was using very, very light weights and couldn’t handle much volume at all. I very quickly developed greater and greater levels of fitness. I have taught both women and men to lift kettlebells, all of varying ages and abilities. I’ve seen women from 6 to 86 lift the bells and have fun doing it. You are not too old, and you can never be too young to start.
I’m looking for something I can use to work out at home, without having to go to a gym. Are kettlebells a good tool for this?
Kettlebells are awesome for people who want to get a great workout without having to go to a gym because they’re compact and take up very little space. To get a great workout with kettlebells, you really only need about a four-foot square area with a high ceiling (of course more space gives you more options for creativity, but it’s not completely necessary). Plus, you can absolutely smoke your body in 20 minutes or less, targeting every major muscle group. Kettlebells are truly the Swiss army knife of fitness equipment, giving you total functionality in a tiny, compact package.
I have neck and shoulder pain/lower back pain…can I still train with kettlebells?
Actually, yes, kettlebells can be a fantastic rehab tool when used correctly. Kettlebell snatches with light weights can strengthen and rehab a shoulder, restoring proper function to the joint. The shoulder joint is a very loose joint, designed for mobility, so it tends to get injured a lot. When you do a complete range of motion exercise with a weight like a kettlebell, it strengthens the joint throughout your full range of motion, healing any weak areas and preventing future injury.
Lower back pain is often brought about by weakness or inhibited muscle function elsewhere in the body, so if you can get some strength and mobility into your hips and legs, lower back pain often disappears completely. Two-handed kettlebell swings are fantastic for hamstring and glute strength – these muscles are usually weak because we sit around on them way too much, so your lower back ends up doing all the work of holding you upright and moving your legs around.
Of course, you’ll want to consult your physician before starting any physical training, particularly if you have an acute or longstanding pain condition, to make sure it’s safe for you to doing any kind of exercise. Once you’re cleared, though, have at it!
I am an athlete (rower, martial artist, equestrian, olympic lifter, cyclist, etc.)…can kettlebell training improve my conditioning and performance?
Kettlebells will help you reach levels of stamina and coordination that you just can’t match with traditional weight training because of the way they force you to focus your mind and connect all the muscles of your body together. Strength-endurance training with kettlebells is the perfect way to gear up for a martial arts meet or cycling race without over training your central nervous system. You’ll notice huge jumps in cardiovascular endurance.
I believe that ALL rowers should train with kettlebells for health and performance reasons. Kettlebell swings mimic the motion of rowing in the boat and provide tremendous opportunity to condition the weak muscles that tend to eventually break down and result in pain (I have never met a rower who didn’t have body pain, ever). They will make your drive more powerful, increase your lung capacity, strengthen your back, glutes, and hamstrings…it’s the perfect training accompaniment for rowers.
How do kettlebells work?
Kettlebells provide a dynamic and ever-changing weight that forces your body to engage small muscles and muscle fibers that can remain lazy with traditional weight lifting. A dumbbell is perfectly balanced on both sides of your hand, whereas a kettlebell rests on your wrist. Therefore, when you have a kettlebell overhead, your shoulder and core muscles are working overtime to stabilize the weight. Kettlebell routines engage much more than *just* upper body or *just* lower body muscles.
Also, kettlebells train your muscles and tissue to be long. The movements are dynamic and take your muscles through a full range of motion, so you won’t develop bulky body-builder muscles. Instead, kettlebells create a long, lean body that is strong like steel but flexible like elastic.
What do kettlebell exercises look like?
Kettlebells can be used for any number of exercises, but they really shine in ballistic, dynamic moves that engage the whole body and teach your muscles to be incredibly efficient. Here is an example of a kettlebell swing, the foundational kettlebell lift…
How heavy should my kettlebell be?
This, of course, depends on your level of fitness. I suggest that men choose a slightly lighter kettlebell than you think you might need and women choose a slightly heavier kettlebell than you would normally consider. This is because kettlebell lifting is highly technical. Men have very strong upper bodies and can overpower the kettlebell at first, especially if it’s too heavy for longer, endurance sets. Women often have far more power than they think and are surprised that they can easily work with a weight that seems – to their brains, at least – very heavy.
A word of caution…if you are dedicated to your kettlebell training or very athletic, you will probably move up in weight quickly. It can be helpful to have two kettlebell sizes to accommodate this growth. It’s also really nice to be able to alternate heavier weight, slower sessions with lighter weight, faster sessions. This keeps your nervous system in tip-top shape.
What kind of kettlebells should I buy?
I highly, highly recommend purchasing competition grade bells, even if you never want to compete. Why? Professional or competition grade bells are standardized so that each bell is the same size and shape no matter what the weight is. That way, when you get stronger and increase the weight, your technique doesn’t have to change to accommodate a thicker handle or larger bell that changes the balance of weight.
Competition bells are also made of a steel shell with an unpainted, sanded handle. Other kettlebells are cast iron, which makes them very rough to the touch, so it’s hard to do long, endurance sets. Since being able to condition both strength and endurance at the same time is one of the main advantages kettlebells give you over other weight lifting equipment, it’s frustrating to have to cut your workout short because the kettlebell is ripping up your skin.
