Kettlebell Workouts Are the TRUTH!!

In an attempt to incorporate more strength training into my workouts, outside of what I do for Bootcamp, I've been collecting various toning exercises from fitness magazines. I store them in a binder for reference. One workout that I found is the kettlebell workout. For the longest time I was saying "kettleball" instead of "kettlebell" but whatever. Some say "tomatoe" some say "tomato". No one ever corrected me either...go figure. Anyway, I always see people working out with these weights and I made sure that I stayed very far away. I actually thought it was a silly looking workout. All the grunting and thrusting with the kettlebell...something about them just seemed unnatural. They were intimidating, maybe not so much the actual weight but the exercises that people did with them.

The kettlebell is a cast iron weight that first gained popularity in Russia years ago. Note their odd shape in the above picture. I thought they were called kettlebells because they are kind of shaped like a tea kettle...I have no clue if this is true or not. I read that the Russian Military uses kettlebells for conditioning and don't test pushups, as many American armed forces do, but instead do a kettlebell snatch test. There's a fun fact you won't find on Jeopardy. Kettlebells weigh anywhere from five pounds to 175 pounds. Could you imagine someone lifting a 175lb kettlebell?!?!? Insane to to say the least. The weight in the kettlebell is unevenly distributed which forces your "stabilizer muscles to work harder". Typically, kettlebells are used in swinging movements or push and pull movements. The push and pull movements are similar to what you would do with free weights.

Benefits of the Kettlebell
There are many great benefits to kettlebell training. It provides a nice lean, toned physique without looking bulky. Kettlebell exercises will reduce body fat, tone your upper and lower body, improve your core stability, improve balance and coordination, and increase bone density. Overall, the kettleball is great for a full body conditioning and is a major calorie scorcher.

My Kettlebell Experience
Women's Health Magazine has a great kettlebell workout in it's September 2010 issue (page 49). It's the one with Brooklyn Decker on the cover. I have no idea who she is but it's just a reference point for you folks. My plan for today was to work the kettlebell routine, some ab exercises, and 2o minutes of cardio to end it all. I stuck to this routine and it was quite the workout. The kettlebell was definitely a full body workout. The routine is geared toward working your shoulders, back, core, butt, and arms.

There were eight exercises to be completed in 2 - 3 circuits. A circuit is continuous groups of exercises done without any rest or very minimal rest. The reps required ranged from low to high. A rep is how many times you complete an exercise in a set. Here's the list of exercises to complete one circuit for the kettlebell routine:

• Around the Body Pass
• Bent Row
• Dead Lift
• Figure 8
• Half Get-up
• Swing
• Front Squat
• Windmill

To get a full description with illustrations of how each exercise is done visit www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/kettlebell-workout. I attempted to write out a description of each but opted against it; Ididn't want to risk confusing you b/c I was confusing myself. I completed three circuits with all eight exercises. I rested for one minute between circuits. I broke a mean sweat!! My thighs are burning right now from all those squats. FIYAHHHH!!! I didn't grunt but I did thrust a little, sexy right?? yeah right!!...LOL. Remember that you can modify any workout to fit your needs. Cut the amount of exercises in half to start with and then add on when you're ready.

Form is extremely important when working with the kettlebell. You don't want to injure yourself!! I practiced the exercises without the bell first to make sure that I understood how the move is supposed to be performed. I still need more practice to perfect my form but I'm at least comfortable with it.
This is definitely something that I will keep in my bag of tricks as I work towards a leaner physique. Here are some other websites that will get you acquainted with that wonderful cast-iron sculpting machine, better known as the kettlebell:
http://www.kettle-bells.com/kettlebells-faq.html

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1222

Just type "kettlbell routines" in your google or bing search and there is a wealth of information. Don't be scared of the kettlebell...like Nike says "Just Do It"!
PE@CE!!!