Are you interested in burning fat, building muscle,
improving flexibility, or increasing strength and stamina?
Then welcome to kettlebell training! Kettlebells offer a different kind of training using dynamic moves targeting almost every aspect of fitness – endurance, strength, balance, agility and cardio endurance. At E.W. Training, we incorporate kettlebells into almost all of our workout sessions.
What is a Kettlebell?
Kettlebells are cast iron weights, ranging from 5 lbs to over 100 lbs, shaped like a ball with a handle for easy gripping. The kettlebell originated in Russia and was popular in the U.S. decades ago, but has hit a resurgence in the last few years. We are frequently asked how a kettlebell is different from a dumbbell. In some respects they’re the same, but what makes the kettlebell different is how it’s shaped. The u-shaped handle actually changes how the weight works with your body. You can do standard weight training exercises with kettlebells such as: bench presses, curls, and rows. However, the unique value of kettlebells is derived from ballistic (fast exercise) work such as: snatches, swings, cleans, and jerks. People love kettlebell workouts because they are challenging and highly efficient!
You Won’t Get Bored! – There are a few things you’ll notice when you start swinging kettle bells, but one of the first and most important things is that it’s not boring. E.W. Training dares you to start doing swings, snatches, cleans, and windmills and feel like it’s a waste of time!
Kettlebells Burn More Fat – Kettlebells are great for burning the fat right off your body! Let’s take a normal exercise you’d see in a gym, say the arm curl. During the exercise you work, without getting too technical, your biceps! Now, let’s take the kettlebell swing. During the swing you work your hamstrings, your glutes, your your back, your shoulders, and your grip. Not to mention your heart and lungs are working much harder to pump blood and oxygen into all of those muscles. Due to the extra work, your body burns far more calories than a traditional workout would.
Kettlebells Increase Full Body Strength – Another great benefit is the strength you gain from kettle bells. Due to the unbalanced nature of the bell, you have to work even harder to keep it under control. This extra work leaves you again burning more calories, but also develops all around, useful strength. Every time you win the battle of controlling the kettlebell means you are getting stronger and stronger.
Kettlebells Help You Burn More Calories – Kettlebells keep the fire burning! After an intense kettlebell session, you raise your EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) significantly. What this means is your body has to work hard to normalize itself from what you did during the workout such as clearing all the lactic acid, refuel glycogen stores, etc. Again, your body works harder so you burn more calories in the long run!
Kettlebells Build Stamina and Work Capacity – Many of the benefits have been about losing weight or gaining strength, but another major benefit is the endurance and conditioning you gain from kettlebells. Kettlebells have an amazing ability to build your stamina and work capacity. While your body is receiving all the benefits of a strength-building workout, your heart and lungs are also getting a workout. This dual workout provides the body with aerobic and anaerobic training all in the same workout. There’s that efficiency again!