What are 5 Benefits of Kettlebell Training?
The secret is pretty much out of the bag at this point. Unless you’re Rip Van Winkle and have been asleep for the past two decades, you’re probably well aware that these tools called kettlebells have made their way into the hearts and hands of many gym goers and home fitness enthusiasts across the entire globe.
Today we are going to take a deeper dive as to why these cast iron orbs have gained such popularity and acclaim. But before we get there, allow me to give you a little backstory on the kettlebell.
Ra Ra, Rasputin!
You can trace the lineage of kettlebells all the way back to the early 1800s where they were used in Russian markets as weights to secure tents and prevent them from blowing away.
Interestingly, I now see them used for this exact same purpose at local outdoor events happening in my town during the summer months. Aside from that, they are staples in my personal workouts and training sessions. We’ll get to that in a minute. But let’s go back to history.
According to legend, one day, when it came time to break down the tents at the marketplace, two employees got into an argument. One of which picked up a kettlebell to throw at the other. He recognized the fact that it was too heavy to easily toss, so he hoisted it back between his legs and lofted it straight at his adversary.
After falling at the feet of the second employee, he too did the exact same thing out of anger. Five or six attempts later and both employees were out of gas. The next thing you know, they figured out the kettlebell was more than just a fancy decoration to tie tents off on. It was actually a viable fitness tool.
The Russian military then caught wind of the magic behind kettlebells and adopted them as legit training tools. They then proceeded to become one of THE most powerful militant forces EVER. The rest as they say is history.
Now let’s fast forward to modern times. Kettlebells have taken center stage as these amazing tools for body transformation that can barely be compared to anything else. As long as you execute pristine form, train with them on a regular basis and never let ego get in the way, they can do amazing things to YOUR body as well.
Although there are probably close to 100 benefits of kettlebell training, I’m going to focus on my personal top five. Use these as key motivators to get your swing on and achieve the best body you ever had.
Increased Strength
You want to add more muscle to your frame? Use kettlebells! They come in sizes that range from as light as 1 lb all the way to 48 kilograms! That’s 106 lbs in case you don’t know the metric system.
A steady gym diet of kettlebell exercises like military presses, floor presses, squats, rows and Turkish get-ups will add muscle to your body in a hurry. This translates to better function in daily activities, a higher metabolism, reduction in hypertension risk and more stable blood sugar levels.
Because kettlebells require multiple muscle groups and joints working together, you get another benefit of being able to hoist more weight. This expedites the muscle-gain cycle.
Fat Loss
I don’t know too many people who love the idea of carrying excess fat on their body. If you are in this boat, I have great news! Kettlebells are the fat incinerator’s best friend. If you use them on a steady schedule, you will become a fat incinerator! And that comes with multiple benefits in and of itself.
If you lose fat, especially in the midsection, you can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, diabetes and cancer. You will also feel better about your appearance, so your self-esteem will go up. Lastly, you’ll be able to move around with more grace and ease.
The brilliance behind fat loss with kettlebells resides in the ability to make quick transitions between drills and perform moves called “complexes” where you pair two or more exercises together. Not only can this burn a ton of calories, but it can also aid your muscle-building efforts, improve your muscle tone AND shorten your workout time in case you are in a hurry.
Improved Balance
Slipping and tripping is not fun. Falling is even LESS fun! Kettlebell training tends to have an automatic carryover effect when it comes to balance. This is due to the fact that they are relatively unstable tools. The unique design and shape causes you to hold and move them differently then say, dumbbells.
By default, this requires you to use more stabilizer muscles and stiffen your body while doing various drills. The end result is you are better able to maintain your balance in daily affairs. This can also have a benefit on any sport or physical activity that you play or partake in.
Better Brain Function
Are you feeling down, depressed or sad right now? Well a mood boost is no farther than a kettlebell away. Pick it up, do a complex consisting of a one-arm swing, snatch and windmill for 5 reps. Repeat on the other side and perform 5 sets total. Watch what happens to your mood and ability to concentrate.
Simply put, you need to be 100% present when doing kettlebell exercises. There are a lot of things going on. You need to focus on your technique for starters. And mastering good technique with kettlebells is much like mastering a perfect golf swing.
Secondly, you need to think about what your next move is going to be. In the example above, you are doing three things–a swing, a snatch and a windmill. You have to gracefully go from one drill to the next without missing a beat.
Lastly, you have to remember which rep you are on and how many you will do total. All of these mental gymnastics fires up brain cells faster and better than any form of crossword puzzle or word-find that you’ll ever come across.
Plus, you’re doing a physical activity instead of sitting in a chair with your shoulders hunched forward. Instead of contributing to bad posture, you are improving it! There’s yet another benefit of kettlebells.
Convenient
In my nearly 25 years in the health and fitness industry, I’ve heard every excuse in the book. One that ranks near the top is, “I don’t like going to the gym.”
OK. But you don’t need to go to the gym to exercise, lose weight and get into great shape. All you have to do is get a few pairs of kettlebells and you’ll have over 100 years-worth of workouts at your fingertips!
They easily fit alongside a wall, they don’t take up a lot of space and you don’t NEED a lot of space to do full-body workouts. And if you’re a nature lover, you can seamlessly place them in the back of your car and take them to a local park to get your sweat on there. So they’re easy to travel with as well.
Final Words of Wisdom
I can probably go on for another hour about how much I love kettlebells and why you would want to use them, but I know your time is valuable and I don’t want to keep you longer than necessary. Just know that kettlebells are game changers and they can get you in shape faster than a hiccup.
Also, stay tuned for my forthcoming 12-week Kettlebell Incinerator Challenge. If you’re willing to put in the effort, I’m willing to give you great results!
In the meantime, if you want to deploy my services for Health Coaching or Training, feel free to hit me up! And if you haven’t done so yet, please follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I give an abundance of information on health, fitness, nutrition, motivation and healthy lifestyle.
Until next time,
This is Kevin David Rail signing off.
