They say first impressions last the longest. In the case of kettlebells, my first impression was way off. I was formally introduced to kettlebells about three years ago by my colleague Josh Henkin during one of our weekend training sessions. My wife got hooked on them and almost immediately started looking for them on eBay.
To say I was a little hesitant about kettlebells would be an understatement. As a matter of fact, when I learned that she had purchased a pair of 12 kg kettlebells, I believe my comment was something like, “You can do the exact same thing with dumbbells.”
How things have changed. I now have at least 10 kettlebells in my facility and will probably add a few more in the relatively near future. I also drag around another six or so in my truck for my outdoor fitness camps. I’m sure some of you are thinking that I have gone and drunk the proverbial kool-aid.
No, what actually happened was I realized two things.
1. All of the best coaches that I know use them for many different types of clients. Whether they’re coaching for athletic development, fat-loss, powerlifting, or hypertrophy, you will likely see kettlebells being used during some portion of a training day. There must be some merit to the implementation if all those guys use them with their clients.
2. As a coach and businessman, I can’t afford to ignore such a versatile implement. I have a limited amount of square footage and a limited budget so it is important for me to invest in equipment that I can get a lot out of in a small amount of space.
In other words, kettlebells are just too big a deal and too good a tool to ignore. Whether you are a fitness competitor or a powerlifter, there are many reasons you should at least consider kettlebells. These are my top 10:
1. Pound for pound they are the best piece of home equipment you can purchase. Not nearly as expensive, and they take up a helluva a lot less space than the “clothes hanger” err… treadmill many of you have. For a modest investment, you can get a kettlebell, an instructional DVD, and probably one or two sessions with a local instructor – a much more effective start to a fitness program than “some assembly required.”
2. Price Point – They say duplication is the highest form of flattery. Well, that must be true in the case of kettlebells. It used to be that you could only get kettlebells at Dragon Door. Now there are no fewer than a half-dozen other distributors out there. Are they all the same quality bell? No, but if you do a little research and ask around, you can find out who is selling the best bell at the best price.
3. Instant Feedback Loop – One of the keys to coaching is having the client/athlete understand the difference between proper and improper techniques. With the kettlebell, drills such as cleans and snatches provide clients/athletes with instant feedback. The way the kettlebell falls gives them a not-so-subtle reminder of their improper technique, and after a workout or two, they won’t have any trouble with the technique at all.
4. Teach Olympic Lifts Fast – The bane of teaching Olympic lifting has always been that the lifts are difficult to teach. Kettlebells make an excellent segue. Not only can you teach variants of the Olympic lifts but things can be taken back a notch farther. One of the first things you learn, even in the most basic kettlebell drills, is hip drive.
5. Great for Fat-Loss – I don’t know if there is a better, more easily learned drill than a two-handed kettlebell swing. There are so many different complexes available that the opportunities for ass-kicking fat-loss work are endless. If you could do only one drill, this is it because what you need for fat-loss is to move a load for as long as possible. That’s exactly what kettlebells allow you to do and you can add some speed as well.
This is Part 2 of a 2-part article series covering the top 10 reasons kettlebells are relevant fitness tools for almost any fitness program. To read Part 1 Click Here.
6. Athletic Conditioning:
Kettlebells are incredibly mobile, and much easier to have available while conditioning or even at skills practice.
Kettlebells provide valuable variety in conjunction with speed, agility, endurance, and quickness work.
Additionally, what athlete couldn’t use a little development of hip drive along with learning to accelerate and decelerate load?
These are some of my favorite athletic conditioning drill and kettlebell combinations:
Two-handed Swing + Hill Sprint
Snatch + Suicides/Ladders
Horn Squat and Press + Squat Thrust with Jump
Cleans + Box Agility Drill
7. Strength Development – One of the knocks on kettlebells has always been that “they are good for conditioning but poor for strength development.” This argument becomes pretty much a moot point when you run into the likes of Steve Cotter and Mike Mahler, both of whom are pretty damn strong guys.
Of course, then the argument becomes that it doesn’t transfer. Again, the answer is that it does transfer. Coach Ken Black was recently here in Phoenix and did some strongman training. He was easily able to lap a 300 lb stone and flip a 900 lb tire for several reps. Not too bad for the first time on both implements.
By the way, Ken does the majority of his training with kettlebells. Are kettlebells going to make you a 600 lb bench presser or a 1000 lb squatter? Probably not. However, for the majority of people out there who want to look good “nekkid” and have a good amount of strength to boot, there is definitely merit in using kettlebells for strength training. Given that kettlebells are available for a good price up to and beyond 105 lbs, most guys will be able to find a bell that provides more than adequate load stimulus.
8. Unilateral Lifting – The traditional programming for the kettlebell is unilateral. One-arm cleans and snatches are the basis of a lot of kettlebell work, but that is just the start. Two of the most compelling reasons for performing unilateral kettlebell lifts are:
a. The carrying position of the load while performing press drills allows the shoulder girdle to open up which is very beneficial in this day and age of shit posture. Anything you can do to work against a kyphotic upper back posture is huge.
b. The height at which the kettlebell hand is held when performing drills such as the single deadlift is perfect for quick and smooth transitions through a workout. When performed in a traditional manner, single-leg squats or pistols place a massive demand on the trunk to provide stability throughout the entire movement.
Want more unilateral movement and trunk stabilization?
Perform some one-arm cleans and snatches using a kettlebell. You’ll have it figured out after just a few reps. Sure, all these drills can be performed with dumbbells, but they are definitely enhanced when performed with kettlebells, enough to warrant their consideration.
9. Easy Grip Strengthening – About 90% of the people who walk through the door to my facility have the grip strength of a nine-year-old girl. The kettlebell is a very appropriate tool for improving grip strength because the handle gets incrementally thicker as the weight gets heavier.
This works perfectly. As clients get progressively stronger, they are challenged with thicker handles. One of my favorite introductory drills that kills two birds with one stone is the kettlebell farmer’s walk; simple yet very effective at accomplishing several training goals at once.
10. Only One Priority – Whether you are a coach or someone training hard for a particular goal, there is only one thing that matters – Getting Results. The majority of trainees with whom I have contact are very novice and the mere sight of a barbell could send them running out the door and leave me with an empty pocketbook. In contrast, I can have clients deadlifting, squatting, pressing, and sometimes even cleaning or snatching a kettlebell within one or two sessions.
To me, the sacrifice of the barbell is well worth it, not only from the business aspect but also because my clients lay down a solid base of good technique due to the aforementioned benefits of using kettlebells. Does this mean I have thrown out my barbell? Hell no! It does mean, however, that I have learned a new way to skin a cat. A faster tool to teach = faster results. And that’s what really matters to me, and to my clients. (Note: Most women do well starting with a 12 kg/26 lb bell and a somewhat experienced male could start with a 24 kg/53 lb bell).
Could you and I argue the pros and cons of kettlebell training until we were both blue in the face? Yes, and we probably wouldn’t come close to a consensus. Do you need to own as many kettlebells as I do? Probably not. But you would be ignoring a very valuable training tool if you didn’t at least consider having kettlebells in your training toolbox. In addition to everything that I have discussed here, it’s a well-documented fact that kettlebells can help you become bigger, faster, stronger, and more athletic. I am pretty sure each and every one of us is looking to develop at least one of those aspects with our various training programs.
(Araw ng Pasig Bodybuilding Competition) June 29, 2002 (Saturday) Pasig Sports Complex (Beside City Hall) Sponsored by: Honorable Mayor Soledad C. Eusebio & Councilor Bobby Eusebio In cooperation with Rainforest Fitness Gym Association Inc.
Araw ng Pasig Bodybuilding Competition June 29, 2002 (Saturday) Pasig Sports Complex (Beside City Hall) Sponsored by: Honorable Mayor Soledad C. Eusebio & Councilor Bobby Eusebio In cooperation with Rainforest Fitness Gym Association Inc.
