If you’ve seen kettlebells in the gym and you’re not sure how to incorporate them into your training, then this article is for you!
For a period of time, I studied and only trained with kettlebells. I would argue that kettlebell training has been the best component in my overall strength development as well as some of the most fun I’ve had in my workouts.
Read along to find out how you can incorporate kettlebells for honing in on technique, strength development, and for making your workouts more fun and exciting.
Benefits of Kettlebells
1. Increases Core Strength
Core strength is by far one of the most crucial components when it comes not only to fitness, but to EVERYDAY LIFE!
We need core strength to sit up out of bed every morning, to bend down to pick up our children, to deadlift, to do a pull-up….you get the point. It’s super important.
Kettlebells improve core strength in many ways:
Offset Kettlebell work (loading the weight to one side of the body) like single arm swings, single arm squats, single arm snatches, single arm presses, etc. all challenge bending and rotation of the spine. It’s the muscles of our core that work overtime to try and prevent any of this unintended rotation or bending.
Movements like the kettlebell swing and the kettlebell snatch also help to teach us how to brace our core in more powerful movements.
2. Precursor to Barbell Lifts
Barbell lifts require an insane amount of form and technique….which can be very intimidating if you’re new to lifting.
Kettlebells can teach movements like the deadlift, squats, pressing, etc. before learning to do them with a barbell.
It will encourage more grip strength, more stability, and better mechanics overall.
For example:
A Kettlebell Goblet Squat (kettlebell is held in front of chest) will force you to sit back more on the descent of your squat, while keeping a more upright torso.
Overhead Pressing with a Kettlebell will encourage stability by having to find the balance between left and right sides as the arms go overhead. They will expose any faults in your movement patterns with overhead work like back bending or side bending.
Generally speaking, kettlebells can be a lot less intimidating than a loaded barbell, which will allow you to get really comfortable with a movement and even build some strength in that movement before progressing to a barbell.
3. Improves Athleticism
Whether your goal is to lose weight, get stronger, move faster, or to be more enduring….kettlebells will help you achieve that goal.
The kettlebell swing can help you to become more explosive
The kettlebell press can help you to increase strength
Putting any of these kettlebell movements into a time constraint will not only help you become more enduring, but will also boost fat loss
While kettlebells are a great piece of equipment for everyone, some movements are VERY ADVANCED. Which means that even with kettlebells, you can increase athleticism over time since there is plenty of room for progression.
Most of the kettlebell exercises integrate the entire body and many of the movements involve lifting the kettlebell from the ground to overhead, which creates a tremendous cardiovascular demand improving overall athleticism.
How can you incorporate kettlebells???
1. Warm-ups & Accessory Work
For intermediate and novice lifters, kettlebells are a great tool for your warm-up and accessory work. You can warm up the movement you plan on doing during your workout with a lighter kettlebell doing the same movement (i.e. kettlebell deadlift for a barbell deadlift or a kettlebell overhead press for a barbell strict press).
You can even use the Turkish-Get-Up as a full body warm up with an emphasis on shoulder stability!
2. As a Full Body Workout:
Kettlebells got you covered!!
Seriously, there’s a kettlebell movement for everything…
Squat, hinge, push, pull, legs, upper body, core
You can pick from some of the Beginner Kettlebell Exercises listed below to create your own workout or this full-body beginner’s workout I made for you!
Full Body Workout:
Part A: 3 Rounds
KB Goblet Squat x 10
KB Single Arm Floor Press x 8 each
Forearm Plank x :30s
Part B: 3 Rounds
KB Deadlift x 10
KB Single Arm Bent Over Row x 8 each
Burpee x 10
Part C: AMRAP10 (as many round as possible in 10 minutes)
KB Single Arm Overhead Press x 5 each
Turkish Get Up Sit-Up x 5 each
3. As a Cardio/Conditioning Piece:
As I mentioned above in Improving Athleticism, kettlebells can be a fun (and sweaty) way to get your heart rate up during your workout.
It can be as simple as performing one movement for a number of reps per minute for a set time
i.e. 15 Kettlebell Swings at the start of every minute for 10 minutes
You can couple kettlebell movements together
i.e. 5 sets of 10 single arm clean and press per side
Or you can get wild and see how many reps of a certain movement you can do within a time frame
i.e. As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) in 5 minutes of Single Arm Snatches (switching sides every 10 reps)
Beginner Kettlebell Exercises
1. Kettlebell Goblet Squat
2. Single Arm Overhead Kettlebell Press
3. Kettlebell Deadlift
4. KB Single Arm Bent Over Row
5. Kettlebell Floor Press
6. Turkish Get Up Sit-Up
Whether you’re brand new to fitness, a novice lifter, young, old, coming back from an injury, training for a marathon, WHATEVER!
Kettlebells are a great tool in your gym you should be incorporating into your workout. Like anything, they take time and commitment to learn, but they will take you to a new level of fitness.
Give them a try and see what kettlebells can do for your workout!