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Doug's Kettlebell Clinics are beginning next Saturday. Kettlebell training can have amazing benefits, but only if you know how to properly move with them. If you don't know how to move the Kettlebells properly and effectively, then they become frustrating and painful at time!
Here are some ways that Kettlebell training can benefit you (taken from Bodyduilding.com article KB Training Benefits by Mike Mahler....which is saying a lot, because Bodybuilders traditionally aren't so welcoming to many other fitness styles!):
KETTLEBELLS FOR KILLER CARDIO
There is no better way to burn fat than with a few high rep sets of kettlebell swings, snatches and clean and jerks. These killer ballistic exercises work your body as one unit and require a great deal of hard work. The harder you work the more calories you burn. This is why sprinters are ripped to shreds and marathon runners have a skinny-fat look.
As effective as sprinting is, ballistic kettlebell exercises such as high rep snatches (20 reps or more per set) make sprinting look like a walk in the park. High rep snatches work more muscle groups than sprinting and will build strength in the lower back, shoulders, and hip flexors.
Unlike many other forms of cardio, kettlebell training is "brutal fun" and a hard cardio kettlebell workout gives you a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Moreover, using kettlebells for cardio does not make you feel like an idiot the way that step aerobics, spinning and other "body shaping" forms of cardio do. Just remember that if you feel dumb doing something than it is probably a dumb thing to do. Don't believe me, than forget about kettlebells and check out Richard Simmons' "Sweating To The Oldies."
One way to take the benefits of ballistic kettlebell exercises up a big notch is to combine them with aerobic activities such as jogging or moderate jump roping.
KETTLEBELL TRAINING FOR ACTIVE RECOVERY
Adequate recovery is crucial for athletes. However, programs in which you train to failure and than take a week off to hang out on the coach are not effective for athletes. The key with athletes is to improve performance and conditioning. Doing a few light workouts per week will speed up recovery by getting some blood into the worked muscles.
In addition to all of those benefits, these exercises are flat out fun and you will not even feel like you are working out. Try doing two active recovery kettlebell workouts on your off days to speed up recovery.
KETTLEBELL COMBINATION WORKOUTS
Yes, you can have your pie and eat it to. There is no need to drop what currently works for your athletes and do kettlebell only programs (although there are some benefits of doing that which I will go over next).
Coach John Davies incorporates killer core kettlebells drills such as the Turkish Get-up, The Windmill, The Push Press and the Renegade Row into his athlete's training regimens. His excellent book on training for football entitled, "Renegade Training For Football" reveals several kettlebell exercises that he uses with his football players.
Wake forest Strength Coach Ethan Reeve likes to have his athletes warm up with the kettlebell clean and the kettlebell snatch before doing barbell cleans and snatches. It is much easier to teach the rapid hip fire movements with kettlebells and have them carry over to barbells. BJJ champion and strength coach Steve Maxwell, likes to combine kettlebell training with bodyweight drills and clubbells.
This combination has worked very well for Steve and his athletes. Finally, RKC Dylan Thomas likes to do some workouts in the gym and takes his kettlebells along for the ride. After knocking off a few sets of bench presses, chin-ups and deadlifts, Dylan will bang out some kettlebell snatches and other drills. Dylan has had many of his clients do the same with success. The possibilities are endless for combing kettlebells into athletes training regimen.
KETTLEBELL FOCUS WORKOUTS
With some careful planning and some creativity, you could design a killer training regimen that revolves almost entirely around kettlebell training. I have done this for my own workouts and many of my clients with excellent results. However, rather than convince you that this is a viable approach, I will meet you halfway.
Try doing one month of Kettlebell-only training for every three months of regular training. The one month of kettlebell only training will be a nice change of pace and allow you to focus on one thing really well. You will not lose strength in other exercises and will most likely come back stronger each time.
If anyone is up for any of these challenges, then come to the Kettlebell Clinics!
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