The Turtle Speaks

There’s nothing new about Kettlebell training. It’s a system of exercise techniques that have been around for hundreds of years, and in many ways it has undergone little change from generation to generation. What is new is that strength training programs involving Kettlebell exercises have been enjoying a higher level of popularity among gym goers and fitness experts, particularly in the Western world.

Some people go as far as using Kettlebells almost exclusively in their fitness routines. Others see them as merely a supplement, and use them to juxtapose their already balanced strength training regimen. Either way, it is difficult to argue against how effective Kettlebell Exercises can be when performed properly, and they can certainly help people that have reached a plateau in their training to achieve new heights.

But what makes them so powerful? If your body is accustomed to a traditional weight lifting program, then the key benefit from the start is the shock your muscles will get. Most strength training programs focus on isolating a single group (or a couple of groups) at a time. While this is definitely an effective way to wear out a targeted area of muscle fibers in a hurry, there are a lot of trainers that think it might not be the most effective way to gain the type of strength that relates to real world activity.

With Kettlebell exercises, you’re using many different muscles at the same time, and you’re usually performing a lot more repetitions than you would in a typical weight lifting set. With normal dumbbells or barbells, the idea is to choose a weight that’s heavy enough that you can’t perform more than 8 to 10 proper repetitions. Kettlebell routines usually go much higher than that, since the idea is to continue to perform until you can no longer move the weight through your range of motion with proper form.

It’s not uncommon for even very experienced strength trainers to struggle with basic Kettlebell movements at first. They place an entirely different set of demands on your muscles, and so it’s not surprising that there’s a learning curve while your muscles adjust. This type of training also puts a lot of emphasis on the stabilizing muscles in your shoulders, core area, and upper legs. These are the muscles that play the greatest role in keeping your body balanced, not only when you’re lifting free weights but also in every day mobility and posture.

Your wrists and hands are going to get a lot stronger with Kettlebells, and they will do so in a hurry. With traditional dumbbells, the mass and weight of the iron is centered in your palm. Even when you’re pressing it overhead, it doesn’t take that much gripping power to hold onto it. Kettlebell presses are an entirely different beast, since the weight is off centered. When you’re first starting, your grip will go long before your other muscles do, but you will gain an immense crushing ability in your hands over time. Suffice it to say, you won’t have any problems opening pickle jars after this.

Even if you’ve got a lot of experience in the gym, it’s important to start slow when you’re first starting out with Kettlebells. It’s still quite easy to injure yourself if you jump into a routine that’s too advanced too quickly. The demand on your joints, and the inter-muscular coordination it takes to go through even the basic routines with the right form makes it a lot harder than it seems like it should be. If you pace yourself, and stick with it through the period of awkwardness and adjustment, what you’ll find is that a step sideways like this can be the perfect thing to help propel you farther toward your long term strength training goals.