Kettlebells can be a great way to round out your training regimen, boasting plenty of full-body benefits in each bell-shaped piece of equipment. But what good is a fitness must-have if you don’t know how to use it correctly?
Like a barbell or dumbbell, there are plenty of kettlebell-specific movements out there to help you get the most out of this effective workout gear. From the simple to the intricate, you can construct an entire fitness routine centered around kettlebells. Before we outline some popular and worthwhile exercises, however, it helps to understand why kettlebell training is so effective.
Why Train with Kettlebells?
While kettlebells are simple in their nature — just a cast, bell-shaped piece of metal with a thick handle — there’s a plethora of benefits baked into this traditional training essential. One aspect that makes kettlebell training so effective is the unbalanced structure of the weight itself. This unbalanced frame creates stress across multiple muscles groups through movement and lifts, allowing for a versatile approach to training. You can train for power and strength one day, coordination and mobility the next, all with the same singular kettlebell.
The multiple muscle group engagement also promotes cardiovascular training, allowing your workouts to pull double duty in one singular session. When you lift a kettlebell, you’re also raising your heart rate as you control the load throughout the movements, thus instilling a sense of cardio and making your training sessions as efficient as they are effective.
Lastly, kettlebells don’t take up a lot of space, and given how multiple workouts can be performed with just one kettlebell, they make for a wonderful addition to any home gym setup. You don’t need a full rack of kettlebells to generate positive numbers — just one weight can do the work of a handful of dumbbells or plates.