1. Have fun doing Cardio
Arguably one of the most boring yet effective things at the gym is the treadmill, although it is amazingly convenient for running long distances whilst well being stationary, it also happens to be one of the most boring things to do ever especially if your cardio workouts do not consist of a 10 minutes brisk walk. So for all of us fitness enthusiasts cardio training in the gym is well not one of the exciting things to do, this is where kettlebells come in.
One of the most amazing things with kettlebell workouts is that unlike their free weight counterparts, a kettlebell workout will have a strength and cardio element. This aspect of kettlebell training will not just make you break more of a sweat but also gain some muscle in the process, making it a more complete workout. This suggests that instead of you spending a huge amount of time contemplating your life whilst also looking like a sweaty dog at the treadmill, you can be equally as sweaty when swinging weights around. Personally, I just think that's just overall a better look.
The cardio found in the kettlebell routine will also help introduce cardio training to people who well, never ever do anything in the gym if it does not incorporate lifting weights.
2. Get super strong
Unlike the fellow in the photo above, kettlebells will actually grant you functional strength. Oh yes, I said it, FUNCTIONAL!. That term is rarely if ever heard around the gym as every other guy is trying hard to look like Mr. Cloud guy (shown above) and have little to no functional strength. This is mainly because Mr.Cloud spends most of his time training with machines, although machines will enable pretty much anyone to lift relatively heavy weights, they only focus on a single or a small group of muscles at a time. Kettlebells on the other hand works in a more natural fashion, let me give you an example.
Let's take a look at the guy in the photo above, you can obviously note down that he is lifting a stone however you can also notice that he is using his entire body as a singular unit in order to lift that weight. He is not using only his back, or his chest muscles or his quads alone however his entire body thereby combining a number of muscle groups together to produce this result.
This style of lifting is also portrayed in olympic style lifting as the only way to lift astonishingly heavy weights is the combination of using your body as a single unit in addition with enormous explosive strength. That is how kettlebells work, thereby making every single routine a functional one and thereby making your flashy muscles useful not just for show like Mr. Cloud.
3. Sport Specific
Assuming we are not all bodybuilders or train just for staying healthy, a number of people incorporate gym workouts in order to improve their performance in a specific sport. This is where sport specific training comes in. If you take time to consider basically all different kinds of sports in the world, most of them will require the participant to have combination of functional strength and stamina in order to perform admirably. Owing to the nature of kettlebells, they are able to easily compliment your sport specific routine.
"Front squats are arguably one of the most beneficial and functional exercises out there"
The unique combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training makes kettlebells workouts found in the routines of a number of professional athletes.
"Fedor Emelianenko a legend in the world of mixed martial arts used kettlebells in his routine to improve his striking power"
4. Flexibility
Because of the dynamic movement associated with kettlebell training, it does not result in the same affect that usually comes with conventional free weights. This is mainly owing to the fact that kettlebell literally hit your muscles from head to toe and highly affects your stabilizing muscles unlike it's weightlifting counterparts. The movements associated with kettlebells also encourage a greater amount of flexibility, one of which is the turkish get up.
"The turkish get up is arguably one of the most difficult feats accomplished by a kettlebell practitioner, it requires a high level of stability in a number of muscle groups in addition to increased flexibility"
If you are sick of the stiffness associated with isolated muscle exercises and the overall lack of flexibility, then I suggest you give kettlebells a try.
5. No more shoulder pains!
Admittingly kettlebells tend to look quite intimidating at first, however according to recent discoveries in regards to kettlebells, they tend to be quite safe especially in comparison to weight lifting methods. One of the three fundamental movements associated with kettlebells are the kettlebell swing, the turkish get up and the goblet squat. Let's examine each movement independently in order to see the effect of kettlebells in action.
"The Kettlebell Swing"
The kettlebell swing requires the user to swing the kettlebell with momentum from deadlift like position to about shoulder height. This exercise also hits various muscle groups including shoulders, quads and the core. Because of the dynamic nature of the exercise, it uses a number of stabilizing muscles thereby reducing the chance of injury if done with proper technique ( as seen above ).
"The Goblet Squat"
.The goblet squat is the kettlebell equivalent to the front squat performed by dumbbells or a barbell.
With similar benefits to your tradition front squat such as the high stimulating of the core region, kettlebell squats are capable of effectively impacting the quads whilst doing little to no damage to your back, The shape of the kettlebell allow for the goblets squats to also be performed easily as you can comfortable grab the kettlebell whilst performing the exercise, this is usually a drawback when performing a front squat with a barbell for instance as a number of athletes employ the use of straps when lifting heavier weights.
With similar benefits to your tradition front squat such as the high stimulating of the core region, kettlebell squats are capable of effectively impacting the quads whilst doing little to no damage to your back, The shape of the kettlebell allow for the goblets squats to also be performed easily as you can comfortable grab the kettlebell whilst performing the exercise, this is usually a drawback when performing a front squat with a barbell for instance as a number of athletes employ the use of straps when lifting heavier weights.
"The Turkish get up"
The turkish get up also being a core exercise, mainly focuses on the shoulder area. A number of athletes report shoulder pain after free weights workouts such as the infamous shoulder press. Unlike the shoulder press, the turkish get up requires high muscle stability to be accurately performed thereby making it a relatively safe exercise when using the proper technique.
6. It's a time saver
Let's be honest now, we live a world were time is always of the essence. Whether you are busy at work, watching your favourite tv show or constantly updating your facebook status (you know who you are) there just is never enough time. The average kettlebell workout can be as little as 30 minutes and will still achieve effective results. Unlike weightlifting and bodybuilding in general, workouts sessions do not have to be 2 hours long anymore for you to hit every single muscle group, kettlebells simply hits them all simultaneously. You can also do it anywhere, you do not need a squat rack to hit your quads or a bench press to work your chest, with kettlebells anything is possible with very little equipment involved.
7. It's easier on the wallet
Unlike your casual gym membership, kettlebell training does not require you to sign a rolling contract that can charge up to an excess of 75 pounds(118 dollars) monthly in order to access your gym membership that also happens to be about 20 minutes away. Kettlebells can be purchased as cheap as 5 pounds ( 8 dollars ), you can also easily build your own kettlebell home gym over time and it will also result in saving a lot of money in addition to having unlimited accessibility.
I hope this post has taught you a thing or two about the different aspects involved with kettlebell training and perhaps inspired you to pick one up the next time you hit the gym .
Thank you for your time guys and have an awesome day, peace out.
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