Kettlebell Workouts Primer: How to Get Fit, Russian Style
Don’t get the wrong idea; kettlebells aren’t a fresh idea. The estimates endorsed by sports scholars place the kettlebell as being developed early in the 1700s. However, would you be surprised to hear that it is now among the most popular workouts globally? And why is this the case? The Russian kettlebell has just earned an astonishing jump in popularity. And why not? You don’t need anything beyond the kettlebells and anybody can start out using these easy routines. Naturally, the more advanced moves aren’t as straightforward. Always learn to walk before you try to run, as they say. An essential precaution before beginning to use kettlebells is to ensure you buy the best weight. That said, when you use kettlebells in your exercises, it doesn’t take much. Dividing according to gender, the 18lb weight is commonly best for women just beginning, and men beginning should expect to get the most out of a 35 pounder. The weights are notably low — because with these exercises, the improvement comes more from the movement rather than the size of the weight that is involved. Making sure you’ve got your exercises right is key, so get hold of an instructional video or brochure to get it right.
In the beginning, before you attempt any other Russian kettlebell exercise you have to study a two-handed swing. This move acts as the core of many other kettlebell routines, and its straightforward appearance is deceptive. Everything should ideally move freely, with no abrupt stops or jerks. A handy health reminder merits relating as you limber up — your back and shoulders shouldn’t be used to lift the weights. Instead, employ your hips.
After you have perfected this move, you’ll be in a position to move onto a few of the more advanced routines. Keep your routine interesting by means of adjusting techniques, accompanied perhaps by different varieties of music. More than one pair can be incorporated once you’re comfortable, and to punch things up fully you can perhaps even alter the weights. When you follow the above advice you can evade the levelling effect that makes later exercises less effective.
It should be noted that if you’ve begun working out with kettlebells to build your muscles or to body-build, you’ll probably be disappointed. You should, instead, turn to them for weightloss and, also, to develop and cultivate all round fitness and health over time.
Personally, I advocate bringing a session with the kettlebells into your well rounded workout program. How often you actually take advantage of them is of course at your discretion. Start off with once or twice each week for general fat burning, or go for more and factor in these workouts once a weekday. You will burn your fat away quicker than you’d expect…