Time cant be your excuse now!

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"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? ;)

FAT BURNER - ATHLETE BUILDER; Are you doing it right?

Dan John described the Kettlebell Swing best when he said, “The Swing is a fat-burning athlete builder.” -Dan John

The Swing is the unsung hero and here is why...

  • Builds stronger healthier backs by developing your posterior chain; specifically your calves, hamstrings, glutes (that kettlebell booty), and lats and strengthening your core.
  • Builds explosive power and helps to increase your overall power output.
  • Supports metabolic conditioning; and can be specifically targeted for fat loss or programmed to target a specific energy system component for athletic development.

A lot of people fail to take advantage of the benefits of the Swing and mostly because of pour technique. I hear often, but it hurts my back, my quads burn out yet, the kettlebell deadlift and swing are two very common prescribed exercises for those recovering from back injury even with the elderly. When performed correctly, the kettlebell swing is one movement that builds strength and endurance or can burn fat, and you can do it anywhere!

So are you doing right?

Here are the StrongFirst guidelines for a solid KB Swing:

  1. A neutral back. Your neck should be slightly extended or neutral on the bottom of your swing

  2. Your heels, toes, and the balls of your feet should remain planted and your knees should track your toes
  3. Your shoulders should be packed
  4. The handle of your kettlebell should pass above your knees during your backswing
  5. Your arms should be straight in the bottom position
  6. There is no forward knee movement (increasing ankle dorsiflexion) on the upswing
  7. Your body should form a straight line on the top of the swing; your hips and knees should extend full, and your spine should be neutral
  8. Your bio-mechanical breathing matches. Meaning you inhale on the eccentric (when you go down) and exhale on the concentric (when you come up)
  9. Your abs and glutes visibly contract at the top of your swing
  10. Your kettlebell floats momentarily on the top of your swing

This image belows show you the body position and how the KB Swing is a hinging motion similar to the deadlift. By engaging your core, lats and squeezing your glutes you will achieve the straight back at the top and not over arch your back and stop the bell going to high. *Please note the image below is not showing a neutral neck throughout which is a requirement to correct safe form.