For a couple of years now I have incorporated kettlebell routines into my resistance training.  If you’ve never come across them before, think of them as Jurassic, unforgiving and brutally efficient tools for getting real-world fit! 

Both the Russians and the Scots lay claim to inventing the kettlebell and it’s likely that they were initially used as units of weight (a pood) for agricultural work -- the classic kettlebell is after all a great lump of heavy metal with a handle -- not exactly an elegant design but it certainly does the job!  The Russian special forces have a long tradition of using them for their conditioning work because they take up little space, are essentially indestructible and are extremely versatile.  Here are 6 reasons why kettlebell training is worth taking a look at -

1. It offers a whole body workout -- the stabilization and swinging actions require core strength and stability throughout the physique -- consequently kettlebell workouts tend to be brief and exhausting but also very productive.
2. The kettlebell workouts engage both slow and fast twitch fibres by combining controlled pumping actions with more dynamic explosive sequences.
3. Unlike many other forms of resistance training, kettlebells are excellent for the hip muscles and the core -- essential to a strong lower spine, improved athletic performance in many sports and long term health.
4. The kettlebell also develops excellent grip strength -- I always feel the burn first in my forearms and am till suprised at how quickly my grip becomes weak -- again a conditioning feature with obvious real-world value.
5. The workouts typically performed with kettlebells exploit strength, endurance and cardiovascular expenditure at the same time -- you get gassed, pumped and push the lactate threshold quickly!  That doesn’t mean these workouts are ‘fun’ -- they hurt…but in a good way!
6. The primitive nature of the kettlebell makes it particularly attractive I think -- I have nothing against gyms -- I have a membership myself but a kettlebell in the back garden on a cold morning builds character as well as strength!

Below is a clip of Steve Maxwell -- a kettlebell advocate, taking you through a few of his sequences -- he makes it look so easy that it might be tempting to dismiss this as a training tool -- my advice is simple: borrow one and give it a try for yourself before casting judgement -- if you can endure 5 minutes of unremitting kettlebell training, you are a rare beast!  Incidentally, Steve Maxwell is 54 years old in this video -- need I say more?!

Filed under: Functional fitness - Life Outside the Classroom
by admin