Kettlebells - the basics, no hype, no crazy claims, just real training info.
Nat Pero
There are many ways to stimulate physiological changes in the body - at this magazine we are dedicated to bringing you practical information on all of them. In this article, Nat Pero discusses the benefits of swinging around a heavy cast iron ball within your fitness regime.
Mr Pero's mission
When Tom Whelan (founder of More-Athletic Magazine, a very good looking man and all round great guy) approached me to become the kettlebell ‘guru’ for his new online fitness magazine, I had reached a cross roads with regards to my own personal fitness regime. My conditioning work centred on body building and power lifting techniques but I had become stale. Tired of endless reps and sets, and if I’m honest I had become less obsessive with size and mass in my old age!I needed a new challenge, a fitness method which would not only maintain an athletic, powerful physique but also take care of my cardio-vascular needs too. The answer was staring me in the face: Kettlebells.
After completing an intensive course with The London Kettlebell Academy, I then made it my mission to learn as much about kettlebell training as I could prior to unleashing my new found torture technique upon my poor, unsuspecting clients. Not only have I found the use of Kettlebells fun and enjoyable, the training gains I have experienced in a relatively short space of time have been quite an eye opener.
What is a Kettlebell?
Spherical in appearance, a single handle is attached at the top of a weighted ball. This allows the kettlebell to be swung and rotated, techniques which sets them apart from dumb-bells (which will be explained later). Nobody seems to know exactly where they come from. Russia, Greece and Scotland have all been credited with being the original founders. What is clear is that it was the Russians that embraced the Kettlebell as a serious training tool, taking the art onto a whole new level.
Why Use Kettlebells?
Primarily, effective Kettlebell training develops functional strength. As humans we all perform movements such as walking, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pulling, bending, twisting, turning etc. All these actions are performed along three cardinal planes of motion – sagittal, frontal and transverse. Training to improve functional strength involves more than simply increasing the force-producing capability of a muscle or group of muscles. Rather, it requires training to enhance the coordinated working relationship between the nervous and muscular systems. The chief aim of many of the Kettlebell exercise is to work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, quite often through a range of motion you wouldn’t necessarily achieve during a ‘bog’ standard strength training regime. The staple exercises such as the swing, snatch, clean and Turkish Get-Up are great examples of the compound nature of Kettlebell training.
Kettlebells can be implemented within a circuit format, creating a highly effective and quite often brutal fat burning technique. The handle attached to the ball creates a type of versatility which is impossible to recreate using dumb-bells. This versatility allows you to seamlessly move from exercise to exercise without having to stop in order to change hands for example. This notion is the very essence of Kettlebell training, allowing you to train all three energy pathways in accordance to your specific aims and goals.
Most training methods address acceleration and ignore deceleration, which is why many sports injuries occur during the deceleration phase. Kettlebell training enhances athletic performance by working both acceleration and deceleration phases. Another major training benefit is proper eccentric loading and concentric explosion. The posterior chain muscle groups (hamstring, glute's, erector spinae, traps etc) are subjected to load with force which is then quickly re-directed.
Enhanced grip strength is another training benefit, particularly when put under heavy load. Skill and coordination are also greatly improved, particular when performing the more complex techniques that involve hybrid movement patterns. These more advanced actions should only be attempted once the basics have been mastered. Once this is achieved the world is your oyster, start designing fun yet challenging regime’s that will get you results in record time!
Quite often, because of their design, Kettlebells can be more difficult to use than dumb-bells of the same weight. This is due to the centre of gravity of the Kettlebell, which is approx 8 inches below the palm compared to the centre of the palm when using dumbbells. This complexity forces the user to balance and stabilise the weight of the Kettlebell through enhanced recruitment of the core and posterior chain muscle groups.
In short, there isn’t an aspect of fitness an effective Kettlebell workout doesn’t develop. Strength, power, aerobic/anaerobic endurance, flexibility...you name it. However, despite its endless benefits it’s not a training technique that is suitable for everybody, well initially anyway. If you are relatively new to weights training, or even a complete novice within the exercise world my advice to you would be to learn basic strength training techniques first prior to Kettlebell training. The basis of the swing relies heavily on correct squat and deadlift technique, if you can’t perform these I would highly recommend you learn these skills first or you’re on a one way ticket to prolapsed disc territory. Many of the exercise involve pressing above the head so tread carefully if you do not have adequate shoulder and thoracic range of motion. If you’re lacking in these areas go and see a personal trainer or physiotherapist in order to obtain corrective strength and flexibility exercises which will in time, give you the range of motion to perform Kettlebell techniques safely and effectively.
Basic Drills
The staple Kettlebell exercises are the swing, clean & snatch. Once these have been mastered the possibilities are endless. If you are new to Kettlebell training I would highly recommend enrolling on an industry recognised course or booking a session or two with a personal trainer to get you up to speed with the basics. Whatever you decide to do, master the basics first and then crank up the intensity.
The Swing:
• Start with feet shoulder width apart and parallel
• Knees directly over feet and soft, almost locked
• Avoid any tilting of the hips
• Brace core for lumbar protection with lumbar curve maintained
• Emphasis on sitting back, NOT leaning forward
• Inhale during the squat and forcefully exhale during acceleration of the Kettlebell
• Keep neck neutral
• Lifting action based on a pendulum motion
• Hip drive derived from posterior chain and adductor magnus
The Clean
• Feet shoulder width apart and parallel
• Knees over feet and soft, almost locked
• Hips square to feet
• Core braced
• Upper body relaxed and prepared for the low pull
• Lifting action is a sharp pull allowing the arm to position compactly against the torso with Kettlebell nestling on forearm.
• Emphasis should be on utilising posterior chain and trapezius to generate an upward action
• Kettlebell should roll on rather than strike forearm
• Inhale during the pull, forceful exhalation when the kettlebell is in the rack position
The Snatch
• Feet shoulder width apart and parallel
• Knees over feet and almost locked
• Hips square to feet
• Core braced for lumbar protection
• Upper body relaxed and ready to contract with a shrug for the high pull
• Lifting action is a sharp pull
• Initial force should be enough to carry the kettlebell head height
• Rotation of the ball is at head height and meets the forearm at lockout
• Emphasis is on the posterior chain and traps to generate a powerful, almost vertical action
• Inhale during the pull, exhale when lock out is achieved
Here are three examples of an effective Kettlebell circuit regime using the techniques mentioned above. Ensure you are thoroughly warmed up before tackling any of the circuits below, working the frontal, sagittal and transverse planes of motion.
Circuit 1: The Double Handed Swing
Extremely deceptive yet incredibly effective, this technique is brutal and will have you gasping for air like no other. With a moderate to heavy dumb-bell, perform the double handed swing for 30 sec’s then rest for 30 sec’s. Repeat this sequence for at least 5 minutes (depending upon you current fitness level). For extra brutality, throw in some press-ups as an active recovery.
Circuit 2:
Complete each of these exercises seamlessly, without stopping to change hands. Repeat up to 5 times (depending on your current fitness level) giving yourself no more than 2 mins rest between rounds.
1) Snatch (12 each arm)
2) Single arm swing (12 each arm)
3) Clean and Press (12 each arm)
4) Double handed Swing (x12)
5) Squats (12 each side with kettlebell in the rack position)
Circuit 3:
This circuit contains hybrid moves with require greater co-ordination, strength and endurance so only have a go at this circuit if you are reasonably experienced with Kettlebells. Repeat 2-3 times depending on your current fitness level.
1) Clean, squat & press (10 on each side)
2) Skipping (60 sec’s)
3) Snatch & reverse lunge (10 on each side)
4) Skipping (60 sec’s)
5) Overhead squat with military press (10 on each side)
6) Skipping (60 sec’s)
Summary
Kettlebells aren’t some revolutionary invention that has only just been unleashed, they are a sound, effective and extremely challenging training technique that has been around for donkeys years. Their design allows the athlete to perform multiple actions along the three planes of motion, and can be used to enhance both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. So whether your goal is fat loss, gains in functional strength, power and endurance Kettlebells should be an important weapon within your arsenal during your quest to achieve results - fast!
About the Author
With a degree in Sport and Exercise Science and 8 years of personal training behind him Nat makes a useful addition to the team. With many years of muscle building action under his belt, Nat has been ordered to become a kettlebell master and is bringing us a well rounded look at training.
