Hello Dear One!
Have you heard of Kettlebells, or even used them?
Kettlebells look like a cannonball with a handle, and are literally considered a handheld gym.
Kettlebells are such an efficient tool for all you can do with one/few, but they also create a mega caloric expenditure by essentially combining cardio with weights.
Kettlebells rock in so many ways for helping to enhance strength, agility, balance, power, endurance, and an awareness of your body in space – as WELL as saving TIME in your workouts.
I’ve had a long affair with kettlebells and have been recently feeling great LOVE for how stimulating they are for the brain and the body.
I thought to share some Kettlebell basics should you wish to get a sense of how someone would use them now that you’re clearer as to WHY.
All kettlebell exercises fall into one of two camps movement wise.
1) EXPLOSIVE:
Fast! Involves momentum. Not controlled. Creates POWER.
2) GRINDING:
Slow. Super controlled. Keeps joints over joints, and the kettlebell over those joints. Helps with strength and stabilization.
5 CORE MOVES:
1) SWING
The mother of all moves. This relies on a powerful hip snap created by hinging at the hips and squeezing with the glutes.
The lower back SHOULD NOT be involved or strained at all in this move, and the arms do not lift the weight but simply go along for the ride.
*Explosive Movement
2) CLEAN
Undeniably one of the more complicated and less intuitive of the kettlebell moves.
Uses the hip snap developed with swings to bring to kettlebell from the ground to the shoulder.
THIS IS NOT AN ARM EXERCISE – which makes it a bit of a head trip, but endlessly useful when mastered.
*Explosive Movement
3) PRESS
Often combined with a clean (as you need that to get the kettlebell to the shoulder).
One engages the lats and presses the weight up using the BACK.
The weight should almost be a bit behind the chest/at the shoulder as this enables the skeleton to support the weight, not just the muscles.
*Grinding Movement
4) HIGH PULLS
Essentially a single handed swing with an elbow strike.
Probably the most taxing exercise cardiovascularly, but essential for more complicated moves like the snatch.
*Explosive Movement
5) TURKISH GET UPS
The exercise everyone loves to hate!
This movement involves going from lying on the ground, to standing, to lying back down while holding a kettlebell overhead.
This move helps with a million things including balance, strengthening stabilizing muscles, as well as propriception (awareness of your body in space).
*Grinding Movement
These descriptions don’t do the movements justice, but if you’d like to check out a mini workout (done in the above order), please check this out.
And if you’d like any further instruction on how to use them SAFELY – please check out one of these TRAINING PROGRAMS or BE IN TOUCH.
To getting you clearer on how the body works, and how to make it work for you.
xo, M