Fit Tip: Kettlebell Workout

The last few months we have been talking about finding ways to bust out of your fitness comfort zone. In January we discussed changing your repetitions and sets with dropped sets, in February we talked about putting exercises together with compound movements. This month let’s discuss one of the best ways to get variety in workouts and challenge your body is new ways: trying a new piece of equipment.

As I’ll always say, you don’t need much, if anything, to get a great workout. But having a few different tools at home or at the gym to make your body work harder is a great thing. It will help both your body and brain from getting bored, and generally gets your more excited for the workout.

One of my favorite tools to work with is the kettlebell. I fell in love with kettlebells after many years of working with dumbbells. Like so many, my first thought was “How different can this really be?” But after my first few workouts, and particularly learning the famous Kettlebell Swing (probably my most favorite exercise ever), I had my answer. Here are some ways that kettlebell training can challenge you and push you past the plateau.

Full Body Workout: Kettlebells target all areas of fitness: strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, endurance and power. It’s easy to get high intensity training without the impact of jumping or running, just by swinging a kettlebell. You’ll get your heart rate up to burn fat, while also strengthening your entire body.

Power: The amplified power output you get using a kettlebell is one of the things that sets them apart. Moves like swings or cleans increase power output which makes you stronger, faster, and able to produce power with endurance. Think about when you have to quickly pick your kid off the ground, or or hoist a box into the trunk of your car, or put that suitcase in the overhead bin---power endurance is so important to our overall health and staying injury free.

Functional: Using momentum in many kettlebell exercises creates centrifugal force, creating multi-directional movement that mimics a lot of things we do in real life! (See my examples above).

Core (& Coordination): Because the center of gravity is further away from your grip, it forces your body to learn to adjust to gravitational changes, and pushes your core to stay engaged.

Often Easier on the Body: I know it sounds counterintuitive when it comes to things like swings, but the FLOW of many kettlebell exercises and the weight distribution of the bell is often easier on your joints and you're able to go harder longer.

Ready to try? Try the Full Body Kettlebell workout below and check out the BowFlex SelectTech 840 Adjustable Kettlebell.

Kettlebell Workout:

Do each for 45 Seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest, then repeat!

• Goblet Squat
• Clean and Press
• Staggered Row and Curl
• Windmill
• Swing
• Half Turkish Getup

Want more kettlebell workouts? See our kettlebell exercise videos.