Written By: Arnav Sarkar | Updated : April 30, 2015 10:43 PM IST
Move aside barbells and dumbbells, the kettlebell revolution is here. If you don't know what a kettlebell is, it's high time you found out. A kettlebell is a weight training equipment that is shaped like a cannonball with a handle attached to it. Originally from Russia, it's now a popular tool which is used all over the world by people to become stronger, fitter, and leaner.
How it's different
The biggest difference is that in a kettlebell weight is off-centre. This makes your core and grip work a lot harder than it would in standard weights. In fact, it is often said that even a 20-minute kettlebell workout can provide better results than many other protocols that you have working out for 60 minutes or more. The device is also very nifty and can be stored anywhere.
Basic Kettlebell Exercises
One-arm swing
Clean
Overhead Press
Snatch
Squat
Row
Things to keep in mind
When you begin training in some of the exercises like cleans and snatches, you might initially find that you end up banging your forearms with the bells crashing into it. This will be eliminated with practice. . Thus, it is necessary to avoid doing too many reps of such exercises in the beginning. Instead, do a few reps often to learn the proper form without harming yourself. And once you have mastered these moves, you can then include some more variety with exercises like lunges, alternating swings, floor presses, windmills, Turkish get-up, etc.
Like the other weights, you will see that if you continue lifting the same weight for the same number of reps, you'll not improve your strength or see muscle growth. It's important that you move onto heavier kettlebells and do more reps in order to increase your overall strength and lean muscle mass. (Read: Dumbbells are they better than machines?)
Workout routines
If you have been training with other forms like traditional weights, running or bodyweight exercises and you want to add kettlebells into your training routine, then you can gradually start with swings. Do about 2-3 sets of 10 reps at the end of your normal workouts. Once you are good with swings, then keep adding an exercise from the basic kettlebell exercise list to your regime.
However, if you're currently not following any training program and want to start fresh with kettlebells or want to switch over to an all kettlebell workout, then do the following program:
Kettlebell Workouts: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
After two weeks, add another set to all the exercises.
Once you get fairly comfortable and good with this basic workout, then start doing more challenging kettlebell workouts like doing circuits, complexes, high repetition snatch or clean and press workouts, etc. The options are limitless, and they are all fun and rewarding but also brutal at the same time. (Read: Know your fitness equipment: Elliptical trainer)
Arnav is a strength coach and fitness trainer based in Kolkata. His style of training depends on simplicity and sensibility over fad and short term methods.
Having trained a variety of clients from competitive body builders to busy businessmen, teachers and homemakers, he has the experience of helping and designing programs for people with highly varied goals and different time constraints. He shares useful training and diet information through various publications - offline and online. He is also one of the very few Indian trainers who contribute regularly to top global websites like www.bodybuilding.com, amongst others. His writings have also been published in the print media for international health and fitness magazines like the Dubai based Physique Magazine. He has been a guest on an American web radio show as an expert to discuss his fitness and training methods. To know more about Arnav visit his website- https://www.
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