Saved By The Bell

You've walked by the kettlebell rack a million times as you make your way towards the dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls and weight machinese. If you haven't tried using them by now, I can guarantee you that you've barely tapped into how ass kicking of a workout you could be getting.

Perhaps you think that exercising with a kettle bell is more or less the same as exercising with dumbbells. What most people don't realize is that it is not necessarily how heavy the weight is (although I am always an advocate for increased weight) but how the weight is distributed. Because it is not evenly distributed, you will force all of your stabilizer muscles to work even harder. Therefore, you will be conditioning your entire body, increase resistance to injury, improve range of motion and increase your ability to simulatenously train aerobically and anaerobically.

Want to know another incredible benefit of kettlebell trianing? An average exercise can torch up to 20 calories per minute! Which means you'll receive maximume results in less time. However, this fact will not be true if you swing a kettlebell around with improper form and low intensity. You can't be a little bitch about it. Make it count for each and every rep and I promise you will reap the endless amounts of benefits.

There is a surplus of exercises you can do with a kettlebell, but I've chosen and outlined a few staple moves which activate the most muscles at once that you should be incorporating into your fitness routine.

1) Two Handed Swing 

    Targets: Shoulders, back, core, hips, glutes and legs

    How to do it: Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width apart. Hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of your body. Sustain a slight bend to your knee while driving the hips backwards and lowering the body. Now explosively drive your hips forward while swinging the kettlebell forward, keeping your glutes and core engaged, ending no higher than your chest. This motion should come from your hips, not your arms. Perform this movement for 12-15 reps. (3-4 Sets)

 

2) Push Press

    Targets: Shoulders, core, glutes and legs.

    How to do it: Stand with your feet about hip width apart while the kettlebell is in your left hand and in a rack position. Lower into a squat and speedily explode upward while pressing the kettlebell overhead. Return to starting position and repeat. Perform this movement for 30 seconds on each side, with NO rest in between. (3-4 Sets)

3) Kettlebell Lunge Press  

    Targets: Shoulders, back, arms, core, glutes and legs

    How to do it: Stand with feet hip width apart while holding the kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands, arms bent. Lunge forward with one leg while raising the kettlebell overhead. Return to your standing position while returning the kettlebell to your chest. Perform this movement for 12-15 reps and alternate to the other side. (3-4 Sets)