Getting started with kettlebells

Have you ever heard of a kettlebell ? It's a traditional Russian piece of sports equipment originally used to train troops in the Russian army. A kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a handle. You can use a kettlebell for strength training. It allows you to perform full-body exercises. So, with just one piece of equipment, you can train your entire body! This blog explains which exercises you can do with a kettlebell and why it's so effective for muscle building.

Why train with a kettlebell?

The kettlebell's shape makes it suitable for a wide variety of exercises. This allows you to train your strength, flexibility, and fitness. A kettlebell's center of gravity isn't centered in the hand, as with dumbbells, but rather away from your hand. This helps improve your core stability, posture, and explosiveness.

Exercises with a kettlebell

There are countless exercises you can perform using a kettlebell . The next part of this blog will highlight a few exercises, starting with the shoulders and back and ending with the leg muscles.

Upright rows

Upright rows are a great exercise for training your shoulder muscles and upper back. Perform this exercise by standing upright with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold the kettlebell with both hands and start with the kettlebell at thigh height (arms extended). Then, pull the kettlebell up toward your face in a smooth motion. Keep your abs engaged and focus on your shoulder muscles as you do this. Keep the kettlebell close to your body throughout the exercise. Pause briefly when the kettlebell reaches its highest point, then lower it. Repeat this several times.

Kettlebell swing

We'll move down a bit further to the leg, glute, back, and shoulder muscles. Kettlebell swings train these muscle groups. Perform this exercise by lowering your hips, tilting your hips slightly, and bending your knees. Then, place the kettlebell between your legs and bring it forward with a swinging motion. During this movement, push yourself up from your hips and knees. Then, bring the kettlebell back down and return to the lowered position. Repeat this several times.

Squats

A leg exercise you're probably already familiar with is squats. You can also perform this exercise using a kettlebell. To perform this exercise, start in a standing position with your legs shoulder-width apart. Then, hold the kettlebell with both hands against your body at torso height (just below your chin). To perform the squat, bend your knees. It's important to keep your back straight and your feet fully on the floor. Hold this position for two seconds and then stand back up.

Create a schedule

What's important when training with a kettlebell is consistency. It's recommended to create a workout plan consisting of at least two workouts. This way, you know in advance which exercises you'll be doing, but it still maintains variety. A plan also makes it easy to track your progress. To add even more variety, you can also alternate between different training methods. To build muscle, you can repeat each exercise about ten to twelve times. To also improve your fitness, you can perform the exercises as a HIIT workout, where you perform them at a high speed with short rests in between.