The Kettlebell - What is it?

The kettlebell has been described as a bowling ball with a handle. It is virtually a hunk of iron with a handle attached to it.

Why would You want to use a Kettlebell?

Kettlebell training can bring you extreme total body fitness. Total body strength, endurance, flexibility and fat loss. The difference between training with a kettlebell and weight training. The unique shape and exercises make your body have to adapt to accelerating and decelerating forces you don't get in traditional weight lifting. Your core muscles, stabilizing muscles, and tendons will become stronger over time.

Kettlebell exercises are ballistic you are incorporating so many muscle groups, tendon strength just to complete each exercise. If you know anything about building muscle and losing fat it should be that the more muscle groups you use at each exercise the more lean muscle you are building which also means the more fat you are losing.

The kettlebell Swing what exactly is it?

The kettlebell swing is pretty much what it's name suggests you are swinging a kettlebell from between your legs up to chest level. Your arms should stay straight but loose you are generating all your power through you hips. Although it looks and sounds easy like anything else there is a right and wrong way to use kettlebells. I would reccommend learning the proper techniques for training with kettlebells before jumping in.

The basics of doing the Kettlebell Swing:

1) Keep your head up
2) Keep your back alignment straight
3) Sit back as if you are going to sit in a chair - Don't dip down.
4) Extend your hips and knees fully at the top your body will then form a straight line.
5) The kettlebell at the top of the swing (chest level) forms an extension of the straight and loose arm.

If you remember earlier I mentioned you could do Swings with a dumbbell and you can but the truth is for all around fitness and fat loss the Kettlebell is just much more effective.

So what would be the perfect way to use the Kettlebell Swing?

For total body conditioning and fat loss nothing beats doing swings with the Interval Training style.

Depending on your conditioning level Interval bursts of 30-60 seconds with short rest periods in between for a minimum of 10 minutes as your conditioning improves decrease the rest intervals in between.

Always get a physical and doctors okay before starting any exercise program.

Remember a sound clean nutrition program has to go hand in hand with your exercise or you will never see the results you are after.