THE WAY OF THE KETTLEBELL
The benefits and appeal of kettlebell training are many and varied, and so, on occasion are the reservations people have about using them. Many people’s first impression of the kettlebell are that it looks scary and dangerous.
Well looks can be deceptive as this could not be further from the truth.
Granted when you see someone throwing a huge ball of iron around the gym you could be forgiven for having this same misconception, but the truth is that it is actually one of the best forms of building true functional fitness and rehabilitating muscular imbalances and injuries.
The benefits of kettlebell training include:
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Power
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Muscular Endurance
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Muscular Strength
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Injury Prevention
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Aerobic Endurance
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Functionality
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Flexibility
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Motor Skills
Let me expand on 3 of the main reasons why you should start including Kettlebells in your workouts.
1: You burn more fat in less time
Kettlebell training is different from conventional weight training because it focuses on the body's natural movements, these natural movements leave no muscle untouched. So rather than exercising just your arms, legs, or back, Kettlebell training works the entire body as a complete unit.
This type of training is very demanding, imagine how much more oxygen and energy is required to fuel 600+ muscles rather than just 1 or 2!
The consequences of this are phenomenal; you can get an incredible workout in just 20 minutes and burn huge amounts of fat compared with regular long drawn out exercise.
2: Increase your metabolism
Your body has evolved to function in certain movement patterns whether it's bending over to pick up a child or squatting down to sit in a chair.
It is these exact movement patterns that Kettlebell training mimics and as you replicate these patterns your body will reward you by getting stronger and building muscle tone fast.
I have never seen such quick gains in muscle tone than through Kettlebell training, and ladies I know what your thinking "I don't want big muscles" firstly you don't have the testosterone levels that a man has, so you can’t get big muscles period!
But what the Kettlebell will do is reward you with a nice shapely figure, tightening and defining.
Muscle tone is very important when it comes to fat loss because muscle is very metabolically active which means it constantly needs energy to maintain size.
The great news is that its favourite source of energy is fat, so the more muscle tone you can develop the more fat you will burn, even at rest.
3: Burn calories even after exercise
The "Afterburn" or EPOC (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) is another great reason Kettlebells are so effective for fat loss.
Certain intensive exercise, like Kettlebell training, drives your body into the anaerobic zone which causes a metabolic disturbance within the body and in turn creates the "Afterburn" effect or EPOC.
Following a Kettlebell session the body has to work hard to return itself back to equilibrium: re-oxygenation of tissues, clearance of lactic acid, glycogen refuelling etc.
This process demands energy and this energy comes from....you guessed it, your fat stores. So unlike other forms of exercise you will actually be burning calories after your workout, and for up to 24 - 36 hours after.