"But I don't have time to do all that.."
I hear this a lot and yeah sure it can be the case especially when you train isolated muscle groups as a posed to functional multi joint moves which most of us don't need after all functional moves replicate daily life movement and help us achieve longevity.
What's Functional, Dynamic, TOTAL BODY Strength and Conditioning… KETTLEBELLS
Kettlebells aren't anything new, they date back to the 1700s, when Russian strong-men began using them during training.
A kettlebell basically is a cast-iron ball and handle, due to its nature in shape exercising with kettlebells exercises throw off your center of gravity, forcing you to use multiple muscle groups, including your core, to maintain your balance. So that's also why, subbing a dumbell for a kettlebell isn't not the same; sorry for anyone out there who thinks if you use a dumbbell or kettlebell for the same movement gives you the same results, it doesnt, it gives you similar but the unique shape is what gives its key difference.
Like everything in life, mastering the fundamentals or basics are key to achieving the best results. The devil is in the detail as they say..
So what are the fundamental sacred 6 movements in kettlebell training?
Exercise 1 The Swing
The Russian-style kettlebell swing, when performed with proper form it's great for building your posterior chain and cardiovascular system. Its Strength & conditioning in one! It represents full-body power, while aiding extreme fat loss, and a high level of cardiovascular conditioning. It's also the foundation of all kettlebell ballistic moves.
Exercise 2 The Goblet Squat
Squatting is a fundamental movement pattern, you squat to sit on a chair, you squat to use the toilet and that's just the start, have a solid and strong squat and your on the path to a long happy independent life, no nursing home at 55yr for you. The kettlebell goblet squat isn't just a leg exercise; it's another total-body movement that offers strength, mobility and conditioning. It will never replace the barbell squat for strength but great at fine tuning that movement pattern!
Exercise 3 The Turkish Get-Up
The Turkish get-up is a slow, deliberate movement that's been around for centuries. You start by lying on the floor, then stand up, then lie back down again in a specific sequence of movement transitions. It's about fluidly but when you add the load of the kettlebell it now requires, strength, mobility, total body awareness, it's a high skilled movement and for good reason, like i've said before, it's the ‘Ultimate Body Builder’ physically and mentally!
Exercise 4 The Strict Press
It's not just any kind of overhead press because you use your entire body, pressing from the your feet all the way to your core to your arm and this and the fact you're pressing from your shoulders more natural plane of motion, it's no wonder it feels stronger than with a dumbbell or barbell. Clients of mine who have mastered this movement then applied its principles of total body pressing and corresponding breathing have seen gains in all their major barbell strict lifts!
Exercise 5 The Clean
Similar to the kettlebell swing, the clean is another explosive exercise for total-body strength and conditioning. The difference here is that the kettlebell finishes in the rack position as opposed to being projected horizontally away from your body.
Like the Snatch is the most technical lift in Olympic lifting and timing is crucial, the same can be said for the kettlebell clean. It can take a while to learn and even longer to master but it's an essential movement in high-powered kettlebell complexes.
Exercise 6 The Snatch
The kettlebell snatch—sometimes called the Tsar of kettlebell exercises—is the ultimate display of full-body power and is nothing like a barbell snatch.
The kettlebell snatch is physically demanding but the benefits are worth it, total-body strength and conditioning at its highest. It increase athletic performance, builds strong powerful shoulders and explosive strength.
This exercise should not be attempted until the kettlebell swing hip-hinge pattern and explosive hip drive are established.
Getting Started
Sure you can youtube how to do these moves but the kettlebell is a very unique tool that requires proper technique to get optimal results, it's not just the movement pattern but the breathing to correspond. If you want to learn more, I offer small group and personal training in Russian Kettlebells you can reach me at kylie@coachedbykylie.com and book your intro now!
So what's your excuse now? ;)
