Intense Kettlebell Workouts

Kettlebell Cardio - Do the Kettlebell Swing

2014-10-12T03:31:00.001-07:00

Like most people who have a keen interest in physical fitness it is likely a sunday morning involves a cardio session to blow off the cobwebs and rejuvenate yourself for the remainder of the weekend.

Quite often we are guilty of making our Sunday morning Cardio sessions very run of the mill were we tend to go through the motions using a Treadmill or Exercise Bike.

If your Sunday sessions are going something like this, whilst you have to be commended for getting out of bed and going to the gym, you are surely aware that you are not getting the most out of your sessions.

This Sunday I would encourage you to go the gym with the intent to do Cardio but really go for it, use a Kettlebell with the aim of burning Fat and sculpting the physique that your dedication to get out of bed on a Sunday and go to the gym deserves.

The Kettlebell Swing, when done properly, is the complete body movement which not only incorporates most of the main muscle groups but also requires the anaerobic system to get involved due to the large demand for oxygen to the starved muscle groups required to explode and control the Kettlebell.

The key to using the Kettlebell Swing for Cardiovascular benefit is to deliberately use a far lighter weight than what you would work with, use correct technique and control your breathing throughout.

If you usually use a weight of around 20Kg for working sets of the Kettlebell Swing then take a 6Kg Kettlebell and perform repetitions for 2 minutes at a time and follow this up with a 30 second rest period. Every 4 circuits equates to ten minutes of Cardio, however the calorie deficit your body will create will be phenomenal in comparison to an exercise bike, cross trainer or even a treadmill.

By using the Kettlebell Swing for cardio you will also benefit from the body sculpting effects that using a Kettlebell has on your physique. The Kettlebell Swing in particular, has dramatic body sculpting effects on the Posterior chain so Swing a Kettlebell today.

Killer Kettlebell Legs Workout

2014-10-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to a personal trainer who had a keen interest in Kettlebell training and as he often trains five or six people at once always favours bodyweight and Kettlebell training as oppose to Barbell and Dumbells.

I took part in one of these sessions and have literally never had a workout like it targeting on the Legs. This is quite simply put one of the best Kettlebell Workouts you will come across on the web.

As with most things the workout routine I am about to describe to you is simple to learn, performing it is far from simple and requires commitment from the beginning just to make it to the end.

Take a Kettlebell that you would normally be able to perform sets of 15 Reps for Kettlebell Squats. Now what I am about to explain is a basic Superset but due to the way in which it is performed and the intensity of the session you are going to feel sick, tired and if you get to the end - Euphoria!

Take your Kettlebell and place on the floor in between your legs with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width with toes pointing away from the body at a 45 degree angle.

Perform 15 clean explosive reps in which the Kettlebell is returned to the floor each time for you to drive upwards holding the Kettlebell in each hand and ensure you are exploding using the muscles of the posterior chain.

After you have completed your set of 15 reps, let go of the weight and sit yourself in a squatting position with your backside being completely parallel with the floor and hold the position for 30 seconds - by the end of this your Legs should be shaking.

After completing this 30 seconds static hold, perform 15 squat jumps in which you range from the seated position you were just in, to exploding into a jump into the air - really explode and jump as high as you can here and remember to control the landing and move it into the seated squatting position as soon as possible to enable another explosive jump.

This basic superset of 3 movements (15 Kettlebell Squats, 30 second static Squat position hold followed by 15 bodyweight Squat jumps) will absolutely destroy you!

Your Legs will continue to crave Oxygen and nutrient rich blood and burn due to lactic acid build up whist your anaerobic and aerobic systems will be tested to the max ensuring that you are physically working as close to your maximum as you safely can.

This Legs workouts sounds easy but I can personally guarantee that just 5 circuits of this will have you reaching for the sick bucket - try it, hate it and then learn to love it and the results it will bring.

Kettlebell Bicep Exercises Part 2 - Reverse Grip

2014-10-05T10:12:00.001-07:00

Over 1 year ago now I posted an entry referring to Kettlebell Biceps exercises paying particular attention to curling movements.

Still to this day we get messages coming in from people who enjoyed the article, who ask more questions or offer their own opinion or advice.

One of the most common questions we are asked is whether we would recommend a reverse grip for Kettlebell Workouts when targeting the Biceps. Our answer is a resounding YES.

When it comes to developing the two heads of the Biceps, there is not a great variety in exercises that will allow you to target the muscle group which we all want to impress with. Generally speaking the Biceps come under strain when we are pulling a weight or resistance towards our body and have our upper arms in a fixed position. Naturally when pulling an object towards us the large muscles of the back will take the majority of the force with our Biceps simply acting as support to help aid in this.

When targeting our Biceps we have to deliberately do so, resisting the natural desire of the Back to take over. Form is everything with Biceps training as it is with the majority of all Kettlebell Exercises.

To keep this very small muscle group guessing and therefore progressing you need to switch up the angles and grip which brings into play the importance of the reverse grip.

Most of you reading this will have used a reverse grip on a Bicep curl probably using a cable contraption in the past as this seems to be the full extent of gym knowledge revolving around reverse grip Biceps exercises. Using a Kettlebell can be an awesome way to add real thickness to not only the upper portion of the forearms but also the central area of the Biceps.

The distribution of the weight of a Kettlebell will not allow you to lift too much on this movement unless you have superhuman strength in the wrist itself so keep the reps high and your form strict. If your wrist is bending under the weight, lift a lighter weight, keep the wrist straight, strong and locked and really squeeze the Biceps on each repetition.

You will find a full demonstration of how to perform this movement in our Kettlebell Exercises section of our website.

Although mainly known as an exercise for the forearms, using a reverse grip can really add another dimension to your Biceps training and physical development.

Intense Kettlebell Workouts Needs Your Help to Inspire

2014-10-05T09:42:00.002-07:00

The team here at Intense Kettlebell Workouts are asking our thousands of daily visitors to send in your pictures of your kettlebell influenced workouts.

We want to see your pictures of before and after shots, your training action shots, posing pictures or even workout videos to act as inspiration for the thousands of people per day who visit our site who do not yet use kettlebells workouts as part of their exercise regime.

We encourage all our regular or first time visitors to send these in throughout the month of October and at the end of the month we will award our favourite 5 pictures or videos with our official Hoodies from our Intense Kettlebell Workouts Store.

Send your pictures in now webmaster@intense-kettlebell-workouts.com

Kettlebell Workouts for Chest

2014-05-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

I often get asked about Kettlebell Workouts for Chest development as most of the traditional Kettlebell exercises tend to focus on core strength and swinging movements as oppose to pushing exercises. The truth of the matter is that if you get creative with the Kettlebell you can develop super impressive Pectoral development as the design of the Kettlebell will allow for a fuller range of movement.

I would still advise a beginner to weight training to stick to Barbell Bench pressing and dumbbell fly movements to develop the initial growth of the Pectoral Minor and Pectoral Major muscles. Once an athlete has a decent set of ‘Pecs’, they can then use the shape of the Kettlebell as a way to help stretch out and further develop the muscles.

If I am to advise on a basic Kettlebell Workout for Chest muscle development I would recommend a warm up consisting of body-weight push-ups and some light weight Cable crossovers – a simple 5 minutes of invested time performing two sets of ten push-ups and two sets of ten cable crossovers with a light weight will suffice to lubricate the Elbow joints and provide the beginning of a pump consisting of Oxygenated blood into the Pectoral region.

The Kettlebell Workout routine designed for Chest development consists of 2 Kettlebell exercises, each of which will be performed in a superset fashion with Kettlebell Push Ups.

Exercise 1 is the Kettlebell Floor Press.

To perform the Kettlebell Floor Press the athlete is to take a pair of Kettlebells and press them above their heads in an Elbows locked position and start to sit down, once sitting they are to lie down on their Back facing upwards. With the palm of the Hands facing forwards lower the Kettlebells downwards until the Tricpes touch the floor before pressing back upwards using a smooth, yet explosive motion. Whilst performing this exercise keep knees and feet pressed together.

The plan here is to do 5 sets increasing the weight each time and reducing the number of reps in a pattern of 20, 15, 12, 10 and 6 reps. In between each set of the Kettlebell Floor Press perform Kettlebell Push ups allowing the Pectorals to fully stretch on each repetition.

Exercise 2 is the Kettlebell Fly.

To perform the Kettlebell Fly, choose a bench to perform the exercise from. Depending on which area of the Chest you wish to target will depend on the type of bench you use. Use an incline to target the upper Pectoral region, a decline bench to target the lower Pectoral region and simply use a flat bench for an overall Pectoral exercise.

Once you are lying on the bench performing the Fly correctly is of paramount importance to the development of the Pec muscles. If you are to imagine a hugging motion, this will serve you well. Extend the arms out to your side with a slight bend in the Elbow and bring the Kettlebells together in a wide arc (similar to an over exaggerated hugging motion). Once the Kettlebells are touching, reverse the movement and concentrate on the stretch feeling that should be generated on the downwards part of the exercise.

The plan here is to do 5 sets increasing the weight each time and reducing the number of reps in a pattern of 20, 15, 12, 10 and 6 reps. In between each set of the Kettlebell Fly perform Kettlebell Push ups allowing the Pectorals to fully stretch on each repetition.

The development of Chest muscles using Kettlebell exercises solely relies on the Athletes ability to stick to strict form. Anyone can load a Barbell with weights and throw it around and whilst this can develop awesome power, it very rarely develops the chiselled body we desire (think of the last time you watched the UK’s strongest man on TV).

The athlete has to control the weight and take advantage of its shape and weight distribution to ensure they get the very best out of Kettlebell workouts for Chest.

*Please note that if you have one particular area of the Chest that you wish to improve simply replace the Kettlebell Floor Press with a bench based version. For instance if you are targeting your upper Pectoral region replace the floor press with an incline bench and then perform the Kettlebell fly with an incline bench also*

To read more on Kettlebell Chest Workouts and find out lots more about Kettlebell exercises in general visit www.intense-kettlebell-workouts.com

HIIT and the Kettlebell

2013-06-13T00:50:00.001-07:00

Have you, like many other heard of HIIT but are not quite sure what it is? You are not alone; let me assure you of this. The phrase HIIT is thrown around gymnasiums and Health clubs and people nod along as if they know what this is but are simply too afraid to look silly by asking.

There is something about the Gym atmosphere which makes people feel vulnerable and self aware that doesn’t happen in the Pub, Grocery Store or in their place of work. I am not sure if it is the scantily clad clothing, muscular bodies, lack of Alcohol or just the vulnerability of everyone knowing your physical limitations but something makes us insecure.

The gym is the worst place in the World to act insecure as there is so much knowledge bouncing around and people are more than happy to share training and diet tips with total strangers. So why are we not sure what HIIT is?

To compound your knowledge of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) this article will be based around the process of HIIT, designing a HIIT routine and the results you can expect by performing this type of work out on a regular basis.

Recent research in Cambridge University (cited in AXA’s health related magazine Better Health) states how just 3 minutes of HIIT can be better than a 45 minutes workout in the Gym. The reasoning behind this is that HIIT challenges your Heart and Lungs and Muscles to the maximum for just a short period of time (very similar to an Animal in the wild such as the Cheetah). This forces the body to improve and actually increases the metabolic rate of the human Body as well as helping with mental issues. The actual process of High Intensity Interval Training is to simply challenge the body for 20 seconds to perform to its absolute maximum and then breaking or a period of 40 seconds. Most HIIT routines will repeat this process anywhere between 3 and 20 times, depending on fitness levels.

When designing a HIIT routine most would be advised to purchase an at home exercise Bike as this is not only convenient but also reduces the risk of injury as the fast intense nature of HIIT makes you more prone to muscular and tissue injuries. As your fitness levels increase it is advised that Kettlebell HIIT training should be your chosen method of Fat Shredding and Muscle sculpting. The very nature of the Kettlebell makes every repetition a gruelling activity and perfect for High Intensity Interval Training to be practiced.

To perform a Kettlebell HIIT routine I would advise choosing one basic compound exercise such as the Kettlebell Swing, Goblet Squat or Kettlebell Clean. Simply adapt the method above of all out action for 20 seconds followed by 40 seconds of rest and repeat between 3 and 20 times depending on your level of fitness.

Performing Kettlebell HIIT on a regular basis will really crank up the metabolic rate and have your engine finely tuned to shred Fat and build rippling muscle tissue. Regardless of the research coming out of Cambridge, mentioned above, I would still perform traditional low impact cardio and traditional weight training regimes and compliment them with Kettlebell HIIT as the more variance in your training, the more likely you are to keep interested and improve your overall athletic abilities.

Kettlebell Bicep Exercises

2013-05-22T05:05:00.001-07:00

Performing a Biceps workout with free weight is simply one of the most pleasurable gym experiences an athlete can have. There doesn’t seem to be anyone, regardless of gym experience who doesn’t love training their Biceps, but all experienced trainers are more than aware that keeping things fresh on biceps routines is very difficult.

The role of the Biceps is to simply pull the lower Arms upwards, hence why all Biceps exercises involve a curling upwards of the lower arm. In a gym scenario we are all left to basically produce curling movements using dumbbells, barbells and various cable machines – even the Lat Pull Down has been adapted to become a Biceps curl towards the head from an ‘arms straight up in the air position’.

Most athletes will vary the angle they curl the arms upwards to add variety to the training and keep the muscles guessing but trainers worldwide are now starting to implement the use of Kettlebells into their clients Biceps workouts.

There are a number of Kettlebell Bicep exercises that you can perform to really drive the progress of this fantastic little muscle group. The most obvious of which is too simply swap your Alternative Dumbbell Bicep curls to the Kettlebell Curl. Anyone who has actually done this will testify to just how difficult it is in comparison to curling using Dumbbells. On average you will only be able to curl around 60% of what you normally do with a pair of Dumbbells (for instance, if you curl 20K Dumbbells for 8 reps, you will probably be able to perform 8 reps with 12K Kettlebells). The biggest plus to performing the Kettlebell Curl is that it dramatically increases the Biceps peak and is often the first remedy prescribed by a knowledgeable personal trainer for an under developed Bicep peak.

Other fantastic Kettlebell Bicep exercises that you can try include reverse curls where you hold the Kettlebell handle with palm facing down or a Kettlebell Hammer Curls in which you take the same grip and stance as a Dumbbell Hammer Curl but the location of the weight throughout each repetition is constantly shifting and really focuses on the Forearms. Athletes wanting to concentrate on the inner portion of the Biceps will often hold one heavier Kettlebell with both hands on Kettlebell handle and curl in this manner to focus the majority of the stress on the inner Biceps.

I suppose the moral of the story is to experiment with kettlebell exercises as just about every exercise can be adapted to use a Kettlebell and place the body under greater and/or a different amount of stress to help further develop the Biceps.

Increase your Biceps Peak with Kettlebell Curls

2013-05-18T03:10:00.001-07:00

The Biceps are without a doubt the most popular muscle group for Men, Woman and even Children. Ask anyone to 'show me your muscles' and a Bicep pose is the initial pose that will occur.

Double Biceps Pose

No one is quite sure why we instantly opt for this pose but there are probably many reasons with cultural impact certainly being amongst one of them. We learn from our peers growing up and if our first encounter of the question posed above is responded to by an Adult or authority figure with a Biceps pose we have 'learned' that this is the correct response. As to whether this is the reason why the Biceps exercises are the most popular is up for debate, again many reasons will probably contribute to this such as the feelng of the 'pump', the relatively simplicity of the Biceps movements, the Biceps response to weight training and the list goes on and on.

Many problems can occur in Biceps development as they are such a fast growing muscle group due to the fact that new trainers tend to target them and the fact they are only a two headed muscle. The fact they are such a small muscle group contributes to the simplicity of the movements and the fact that they do not tend to cause an Oxygen deficit on the indivdual when training them. As mentioned many problems occur in Biceps development, not least Elbow and Wrist injuries as the Biceps grow stronger a lot faster than the wrist and elbow joints meaning as we increase the weight and Biceps continue to get stronger, the joints often suffer and become sore and tender. The other main problems are the shape of the Biceps heads themselves, two common problems are the shortening of the Biceps (this is when a gap is present between the elbow and peak of the Biceps, this can be casued by performing half reps in which the Biceps are not stretched to full capacity during curling movements) and the other is flat or lack of Biceps peak.

Alack of Biceps peak is far from impressive but far from a disaster - it has probably been caused by not concentrating and forcing extra contration of the Biceps during curling movements, you do really need to dliberately squeeze the Biceps during the top portion of a curling movement.

If you have been training a while and are not happy with your lack of peak in the Biceps, Kettlebell Curls will be the movement to save you!

Due to the nature of the Kettlebell the Biceps heads are not allowed to rest at all during the set (at the top of a Dumbbell movement th Biceps momentarily relax - this is when a forced contraction is needed) and this forces complete contraction throughout the repetition. The weight being distributed directlyunder the hand throughout the movement forces a peak to develop in the Biceps.

As this exercise is also far harder than a Dumbbell curl you will be using a far lighter Kettlebell for the movement (if you can Dumbbell curl 20Kg in each hand you will probably be using 12kg Kettlebells) which will also help with any injuries to the wrist and elbows which are caused by heavy loads when curling with Barbells and Dumbells.

The best online demonstration is found on Strength and Physique Blogspot and highlights just how simple themovement is but also shows how effective it is at placing straing on the centre of the Biceps to develop that peak we all strive for.

You do not have to be a massive fan of Kettlebell Workouts to include this movement as you can easily stick with your traditional Biceps routine (no doubt on a a Monday with your Chest routine) using Dumbbells, Barbells and Cables and simply put the Kettlebell curl in at the end to just take your development to the next level.

The Cult Of The Kettlebell

2013-04-27T04:07:00.005-07:00

Most people reading this will dismiss any chances of them being involved in a cult without a second thought, of course they are probably justified in doing so. Or are they........

Let's take Barry Manilow, he often plays in the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and many people will go to 4 of his shows on the bounc in the same seat and watch the same show, we oftn refer to them as fanatical fans. The question is - do fanatics display anything differnet in their behaviour than those who belong to a cult? Your first answer maybe to say something on the lines of 'they don't perform suicide pacts' - and of course this is a valid observation.

Think of this - right up until the moment of the 'suicide pact' are those who are now deceased and now described as being part of a cult simply fanatics? I think they are, as fanatics the behaviour is very similar to those we percive to be in a cult. As fanatics we hang onto every word our 'leader' says, imitate, admire, research, try and get close to them etc.

Resevoir Dogs - A CULT classic. This simply means that although Resvoir Dogs was not percieved to be a mainstram Hollywood movie it was very popular with certain people who promoted it, sang it praises and tried to get everyone else to watch it - very similar to how a cult would recruit a new follower.

Now getting to the point.......... Kettlebell Workouts have had something of a cult following in the last decade to the point of now being seen as a mainstream way of exercising in a gymnasium. Long gone are the days of the Kettlebell rack gathering dust in the corner of the gym, Kettlebell are on the front of fitness magazines, advertised classes take part and oversubscribe in gyms and people ar even wearing Kettlebell related clothing to the gym. For instance the Intense Kettlebell Workouts store has items flying off the shelves as people love to wear novelty training gear in the gym such as '300lb Bench Prss Club' or 'Swing your Kettlebell'. This is not new, Next (a English clothing brand) brough out a rnage of T-Shirts displaying cult characters such as Pop Eye, Mr T, Bill Clinton a couple of years ago and they were selling crazyamounts of units.

Kettlebell workouts are one of the most popular searched terms of Google and Twitter and people who are unsure of them want to get involved as it now appears 'cool'.

Why don't you try Kettlebell Exercises too and see if you can become a faithful follower.

*Do remember that to get a lean body and the most out of your workouts that there is no better way than following dedicated workout routines*

The Importance of Cardio for Muscular Definition

2013-01-26T02:22:00.002-08:00

Every now and again in the gym we will come across someone with awesome muscular definition, they may not be stronger than us, fitter than us or even train harder than us - so why are they ripped and we are not?

There are 3 contributing factors to an indivuals ability to shred fat, diet, training and genetics. The last of which, we can simply not escape.

Let's not beat around the bush with this one, some people simply have it easier than others and there is simply no disputing it. There is a reason why only one White European man has run the 100 metres in under 10 seconds (Christophe Lemaitre did this in 2010) and another reason why no women of any ethnic background has ever achieved this. In fact only 4 out of the 76 human beings to have achieved this have not come from West African decent. Genetics are key! We can talk about role models or cultural difference all we want with this one but the fact is that the male human being has higher testosterone than the female human being and the mal with West African decent has higher testosterone and more fast twich muscle fibres than the rest of us. Genetics contributes to everything from who is more at risk to Diabetes even down to how an individual burns fat.

As we cannot control our genetic code, as aspiring beach bodies we have to concentrate on diet and exercise. If you want to be ripped you have to work for it - at the end of the day the body will adapt to make whatever activity you do seem easier. For instance, long distance runners carry very little muscular tissue or fat for that matter - running long distances is simply easier the lighter you are. If one is to take up a long distance running training regime the body will adapt to make this easier by shedding excess weight and increasing bone density in the lower half of the body.

Taking the above into consideration if we want to burn fat we have to convince our bodies this is in our best interest, increasing cardio vascular activity will do this but what is to stop the body shedding the havier tissue which requires more Oxygen which is muscle? Take in as much Protein as possible to avoid muscular loss and convince your body this is required by performing heavy weight training sessions to tell the body that the huge pectorals you have built are still required. Even use weight training sessions as cardio session by performing High Intensity Interval Training so your body will adapt by retaining muscle and buring fat.

The final point I wish to make is one that people know deep down but shy away from as the work is hard - here goes........ performing Abs exercises without doing cardio is exactly like body building without eating Protein - there simply is no point!

I read a really interesting article on the above point recently, see for yourself - http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/importance-of-cardio-for-abs-development-6418642.html

Does Kettlebell Training Become Boring?

2012-12-02T13:24:00.003-08:00

Does Kettlebell Training become boring? The answer….. yes! In all the years as a personal trainer I have never come across a training method that doesn’t become boring. There are certain exercises that certain people never become bored with; in general most men love Bicep Curls from the day they pick up a pair of dumbbells to the day that they stop training altogether. The Biceps curl is unique in this way that the muscle itself is the one we all love to show the most, it takes a lot to actually feel any pains or strains in the muscle group and it also doesn’t take energy out of the athlete as the muscle group is very small and doesn’t require much fresh oxygenated blood and therefore doesn’t put the cardio vascular system under too much pressure.

Looking above at all the reasons that people never fall out of love with the Biceps curls, you will be very hard pressed to find any characteristic that you could apply to Kettlebell exercises. They are difficult, they do take time to see the rewards, they do put major stress on the cardio vascular system and they challenge an athlete mentally also.

Kettlebell exercises became so popular at first as they created an awesome core without doing core specific exercises, they also tended to build dynamic power in an athlete without the need of heavy loaded barbells and massive dumbbells. With the recommendation of everyone who has ever worked with Kettlebells, celebrity endorsements and scientific papers showing just how devastating the results can be when performing Kettlebell exercises on a regular basis, why do so many people give them up?

A number of reasons can be given for this but the chances are that if you are reading this entry then you have ither cut them down, cut them out or ben tempted to in the past so probably know the answer. For me personally I find that the Kettlebell ends my training sessions, I stick to what I know with Dumbbells and barbells and then try and add Kettlebell exercises in at the end, using pre-fatigued muscles and an already under stress cardio vascular system. The fear of removing what I know already makes me perform these exercises at the end of an already gruelling session. It is as if deep down I believe the 17 inch Biceps I have developed will shrink if I give up Dumbbell curls with the 26k’s and start performing Kettlebell exercises.

So, there it is, with me it seems to be a lack of total commitment with a resulting lack of conviction when performing Kettlebell workouts. What is your reason and how can we overcome this?

Why Chose HIIT Over Traditional Cardio

2012-10-06T14:47:00.001-07:00

Why is HIIT so popular? The answer to this is very simple in essence, it works!

Most, if not all who have tried High Intensity Interval Training have found that using this as their main Cardio sessions can reward the Athlete with an efficient, difficult and incredibily high calorie burning training session.

The obvious example of High Intensity Interval Training over recent years in gymnasiums globally is through the always popular Body Pump classes.

During these classes participants will use light fixed weight Barbells and sometimes Dumbbells and perform basic compound movements such as stiff leg dead lifting, bent over back rows, squats and overhead shoulder press. The exercises themselves are not that important during body pump classes, as it is the manner in which they are performed which creates all the benefits of HIIT.

During a standard body pump class the participants are required to mix high intensity working sets with short rest periods whilst keeping the heart and respiratory rate reasonably high during the rest periods to keep the intensity of the training session and therefore keep the athlete within the fat buring zone. Throughout the working periods of the body pump sessions the participants are encouraged to work flat out for short period of times, for instance after 40 seconds of rest (sometimes total rest, sometimes jogging on the spot) they are required to do 20 repetitions of stiff leg dead lifts before taking another 40 second rest and then required to do 20 repetitions of bent over back rows and so on.

During body pump classes or any other HIIT routines such as body combat, the exercises are mixed with various muscle groups used. This is done so the Oxygenated Blood is moved from muscle group to muscle group, this keeps the Heart and Lungs working hard and further encourages the anaerobic system to go into overdrive during the working sets. It is this combination of activity in the respiratory system and the brief rests between sets which keeps the body in a fat burning zone.

The traditional Cardio that most people use to lose weight such as slow jogging, Cycling or Swimming are not always demanding on fat stores. As they vary rarely keep you in a fat burning zone the body often chooses muscle as the major fuel so although people will lose weight as a calorie deficiency is created with low impact Cardio, the body is not always sculpting the way in which the athlete intended. The exact same thing can happen with exercise that is too intense, although logic would say that the harder you work, the more Fat you will burn, Science tells us otherwise. When energy is needed urgently, the Body quickly uses Protein stores as this is more easily accessed and Metabolised and Fat stores are overlooked.

Moving on to 2012, and it is Kettlebell exercises which personal trainers are favouring as the number one piece of equipment to supplement their HIIT routines. For use in a HIIT routine, the Kettlebell offers the athlete everything they could want - a challenging piece of equipment which has no rest bite whilst in the working period but also something that is completely adaptable and can be used to train the shoulder muscles one minute and then used for Squats the very next minute with no changes in equipment needed.

Due to design of the Kettlebell and the force of the weight and directional pull of the weight which unlike a Barbell is directly underneath the handle it forces your core to work very hard all the way through every movement. Using a Kettlebell as oppose to a Barbell or Dumbbell prevents your muscles from resting during the sets and involves each and every part of your core muscles throughout every movement. This extra involvement of the core throughout each movement instantly increases the calorie burn and increases the Heart rate and makes it harder to fall below the Fat burning freshold even during your resting periods of your HIIT session.

Sometimes referred to as HIIT training, it is essential to remember that one of the main advantages is that you don't have to pay a personal trainer to design a programme for you as high intensity interval training isn't about the exercises you choose. HIIT exercises are not an actual thing, it is how you do the exercises that make it HIIT. That being said, the reason why Kettlebells are used now is that they are scientifically proven to be more efficient at calorie burning, not just during your Kettlebell workouts but post training in the muscular repair stage.

HIIT Cardio is becoming far more popular than the traditional slow, non impact fat burning Cardio workouts that you used to see in gymnasiums (mainly with people on rows and rows of Treadmills) and is not only decreasing the amount of time needed to be spent doing aerobic activity but is also increasing the amount of calories used up per sessions.

Great Abs Using Kettlebell Exercises

2012-10-02T05:52:00.001-07:00

With the decline in popularity of the isolation exercise for the Abdominals, the meteoric rise in popularity in kettlebell workouts has come at a good time and resulted in some awesome looking Abdominal muscles in gyms up and down the country.

It has been a long time since personal trainers advised that sit-ups were the way to achieve the perfect six pack as science and training techniques have improved over the years.

In no way shape or form am I advising you to completely abandon traditional Abs exercises as they do work to a certain extent but truly powerful abdominal muscles are only achieved through shifting heavy weight.

The body only improves to the amount of stress you put it under, consider how much stress you place your Abs under, performing the plank for example.................. a good solid bodyweight exercise, but one that will not induce growth in your Abs as why would it?

Truly powerful Abs that you come across are on display on power athletes such as weight lifters, sprinters, boxers etc. The truth is that only powerful, explosive movements that engage the fast twitch muscle fibres will induce muscular growth within the Abdominal wall.

This brings us to Kettlebell Workouts and how they bring about powerful looking Abs. The very nature of a any Kettlebell exercise especially the full body movements such as the Kettlebell swing and the Kettlebell clean require a lot of forceful momentum to drive the weight forward. This explosive force used engages the Abs and forces them to support explosive powerful movements. The result is that the muscle starts to resemble muscular tissue that is powerful such as the Deltiods of a Shot putter. This powerful muscle tissue is the difference between someone who has a 'six pack' visible due to low body fat and the rippling muscular tissue of a powerful athlete in which the Abs can be visible through a t-shirt.

Keep an eye out for our next post which will detail what we believe to be the very best Abs exercises to encourage powerful muscle growth within the Abdominal wall using a variety of Kettlebell exercises. We would also recommnd visiting the following link - Best Ab Workout

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Also worth visiting - Burn Stomach Fat and Get Ripped Abs with Flat Stomach Exercises and Healthy Food

Hammer Curls using Kettlebells

2012-10-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Replacing the traditional Dumbbell hammer curl with the Kettlebell hammer curl may seem a bit odd but let me re-assure you that the results are crazy!

Unlike the Dumbbell the Kettlebell has a non even weight distribution, therefore making the forearms and biceps support the weight from all sorts of odd angles during the movement. The strain one feels in the forearm during the negative part of the rep is hard to describe. At no point during any other weight bearing exercise would your muscles be under such strain from this angle.

Don't doubt what I am saying here, simply replace the Dumbbell for the Kettlebell - you will notice that you will need to drop the weight significantly but trust me it is worth it.

*To ensure you are doing the movement correctly, observe the top position of the very bottom of the Kettlebell. The very bottom of the Kettlebell should be pointing away from you at the top of the movement and not at the floor*

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Introducing Kettlebell Exercises to your Workout

2012-09-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

With so many Kettlebell Exercises available, how do you know which to choose to include within your workout?

There exists a few options when faced with this problem, but the main two which stick out like a sore thumb for me are as follows;

1 - Create a circuit! A great Kettlebell circuit will include some full body movements like the kettlebell swing and the kettlebell clean and include some more concentrated movements such as the figure of 8, the kettlebell windmill or even an adaptation of a regular dumbbell exercise such as the seated shoulder press.

During your circuit aim for reps of ten, never take more than 20 seconds break in between exerises and after you complete one complete circuit, rest for 90 seconds before repeating. A great kettlebell circuit will usually include 8 exercises, each exercise containing 10 reps and the whole circuit repeated 3 times. In total 240 reps will be completed and this should take roughly 20 minutes. A fantastic fat burner and muscle builder if done with a challenging enough weight.

2- Replace some of your regular exercises! During a Bicep workout for instance why not try alternative Kettlebell curls? This adds enormous stress to the muscles in the forearms which would not usually be under this amount of stress and as the forearm muscles suffer fatigue faster the Bicep itself has too work so much harder to lift the weight that the result can only be more muscular growth in the Bicep.

Both of the above are really basic concepts and are both very effective - don't believe me? Try them for yourself!

It is not just the physical gains that should motivate to perform Kettlebell exerciss, or any form of exercise for that matter. What is happening on the inside really matters also, learn about the anti ageing effects and the benefits of exercise.

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The Adjustable Kettlebell vs The Traditional Kettlebell

2012-09-26T05:06:00.000-07:00

The explosion in popularity of the kettlebell in the last decade has led to many exercise enthusiasts wanting to incorporate them into their home gyms. A solid idea in principle, by doing this a greater varierty of training session can be had from the comfort of your own home.

Whatever your goal and whatever your training routine the Kettlebell can be utilized to do the job. Whether you want to follow the overload principle to a muscle building routine, design a Kettlebell circuit to perfom HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) to lower your fat content or use a high repetition full body movement such as the Kettlebell Swing or Kettlebell Clean for your more traditional slow fat burning cardio – The Kettlebell can be used for all these purposes.

The main negative to the Kettlebell as oppose to the good old fashioned Olympic Barbell is that additional weight cannot be added. This was original problem home gym’s suffered from using dumbbells until the adjustable dumbbell was created. The next logical step was the adjustable kettlebell.

The adjustable kettlebell appeals in the same manner as the adjustable dumbbell. The main advantages being two fold, cost and less storage required.

Think of the amount of money that would be involved in purchasing a full set of dumbbells ranging from 2k to 50k. Now think of the significantly lower investment of purchasing two dumbbells and a few weighted plates going up to 100k (meaning you can have a pair of 50k dumbbells).

Think of the investment that would be involved in buying a set of Kettlebells ranging from 2k to 50k. Now think of the significantly lower cost of purchasing a pair (or even one) of adjustable Kettlebells with weights that can be added in increments to continue overloading your body over time.

Both of the above options give you a far more cost effective option and require alot less storage – it is very likely a full Steel weight rack would be needed to support a set of Kettlebells or Dumbells ranging from 2k – 50k, not to mention that the rack would be supporting a grand total of 1300k! In direct comparison an adjustable Kettlebell with the capability to construct 2 x 50k Kettlebells would weigh a very manageable 100k of weight and can simply be stored anywhere you choose.

As the reader you may now be wondering why everyone has not went out and bought an adjustable kettlebell?

As with most things in the fitness industry (and life in general) there exists an obvious downside. The adjustable kettlebell suffers from the major downside of having to change weight, the exact same issue you have with barbells down the gym will exist at home with adjustable kettlebell.

For example,as anyone who has sculpted an athletic physique will attest to, one of the key training principles for building good quality muscle is to keep the intensity of your workout high.

The famous adage ‘you can train hard or you can train long, you can’t do both’ springs to mind.

If you are continuously having to adjust the weights the intensity of your Kettlebell Workout is severely hampered and so will your progress. This is the reason why any gym you walk into has fixed dumbbells and fixed kettlebells so people can keep the intensity and train with maximum results. Although......People don’t always do so and we have all witnessed groups of people having 5 minute interludes between sets, but that discussion is for another day, another post and another time.

As with most things, the choice of buying a full kettlebell set or a couple of adjustable Kettlebells (technically speaking, as most kettlebell exercises can be done with one hand, only one adjustable kettlebell is required for a kettlebell workout) is up to you.

It is worth noting that most adjustable Kettlebell sets you will find have a handle weighing 6k which for some beginners is already too heavy so those wishing to use adjustable Kettlebells may wish to purchase a 2k and 4k Kettlebell before moving onto the adjustable Kettlebell.

Can Kettlebells Make you Big?

2012-09-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

The general principle for getting big or gaining muscle mass to be more precise, is and always has been the overload principle.

The saying ‘your body will improve to the degree of stress you place upon it’ sums this up perfectly.

So let’s look at the overload principle..............basically you start off shoulder pressing 40k, as your body adapts and tries to make movement easier for you, you will start to develop muscle mass in the deltoids which makes the weight appear lighter. Once this becomes easier and you can lift the 40k with little effort or for more reps, you start to shoulder press 50k.

Upon lifting 50k your body feels the extra stress of this and responds by trying to build more of and thicker muscle fibres in the deltoids and supporting muscles such as the triceps. You will also gain tendon strength in the wrist and elbows as the body does everything it can to make this easier.

The above pattern continues as you lift more and more weight – this is a basic explanation of the overload principle in building strength and muscle mass.

The overload principle is fine in theory; it does of course depend on a lot of other factors such as diet, rest and recovery and to some extent genetics.

Everyone will have a genetic potential for growth and strength and the role of genetics should never dismissed with physical development and performance – think of how many White sprinters you see in a 100 metre final line up and then thing of how many African American Swimmers you witnessed at the recent Olympic Games. The truth is that people from African decent tend to have denser bones which makes them heavier in the water and therefore they are usually at a disadvantage when it comes to swimming. People with African decent also tend to have a higher number of fast twitch muscle fibres which contributes to success in spring and power events.

The overload principle will also not work if the correct diet and recovery are not taking place – you will struggle to lift more and more if you are under nourished for instance and obviously you will also struggle to develop muscle without a protein rich diet.

Coming back to the original question..........Can Kettlebells make you big?

Of course they can, as can Barbells, Dumbbells and even bodyweight exercises to some extent. As long as the overload principle is followed and accompanied with good diet and rest you can get big, strong, powerful and lean using Kettlebell exercises.

Any well designed Kettlebell Workouts will aid you in getting big as long as you remember the key points highlighted in this article.

Kettlebell Clean - The Foundation of Kettlebell Workouts

2012-09-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

The Kettlebell Clean is the essential movement one needs to perfect to go on and have productful and enjoyable Kettlebell Workouts.

The Kettlebell Clean, as with the Barbell clean in weight lifting is the starting position for so many more advanced movements which are essential for building posterior power, strength and endurance. Not only is the clean important as a start position for compound pressing movements but as an exercise in itself it is excellent.

Unlike the Barbell Clean, this movement using Kettlebells can have a lot of varierty which is great for hitting the muscles from different angles and keeping your training fresh. Keping your training fresh is not only important to keep your body guessing but it prevents the mind becoming stagnant during your training sessions also.

The Kettlebell Clean can be performed from a Deadlift position which will improve brute strength as nothing increases raw power than lifting a dead weight from the ground up but can also begin from a hanging position with the Kettlebell beginning the movement at weist height. This is very similar to the half rep deadlift in which bodybuilders improve their overall strength and power by beginning the movement past the hardest stage.

Coming back to why the Kettlebell Clean is most effective............... It is quite simple really, once you can do this with perfect form, not only will your Hamstrings thank you for it but you will be much safer going into heavier compound movements which carry a higher risk of injury.

Kettlebell Workouts - Why Bother?

2012-09-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

The rise in popularity of Kettlebell Workouts has not just been down to a celbrity fad or a sudden craze in Gyms and Health Centres, it in fact has a lot of history.

Often called the Russian Kettlebells, Russian Bodybuilders used these trange looking weights as far back as 300 years ago to sculpt massive and muscular bodies - all this without the science and nutrition, just good old fashioned hard work.

Obviously times have moved on and we have become a science driven society and the fitness industry has certainly become a science driven machine with even Joe Average now fully capable of advising on the difference in Electrolytes and also fully aware of the importance of High intesity Interval Training in the goal of fat burning.

And here it is.............. Kettlebell Workouts have now came back into fashion, not due to difficulty or celebrity endorsement but science. The science behind sculpting your ideal physique has riven us all to dust off the Kettlebells in the corner of they gym and ask the nearest training how they work.

The versatility of the Kettlebell will obviously keep it around for a long time to come and Kettlebell exercises are sprouting up all over the place as yet another traditional barbell or dumbell exercise gets it's very own Kettlebell twist.

Some serious science..... A study has shown that the average person will use 272 calories in a basic full body Kettlebell workout, combing this with the muscle sculpting impact (the amount of calories used to repair damaged muscle fibres) the toal calorie count for a 20 minute worout excedes 400 calories. The only other activity which can claim this would be up hill cross country Skiiing, and how many of us have that planned this weekend?

The potential to sculpt a concrete body in 20 minutes appeals to everyone and the fact is that the science backs it up! Granted, it is unlikely the first question one bodybuilder will become ' How much can you lift on your Kettlebell deadlift?' We all know that nothing will ever replace 'How much do you bench?'

We do anticipate seeing top class bodybuilders, strength athletes and top class athletes of all disciplines encorporating some use of the Kettlebell into their routine in the future. We have already seen the Kettlebell become cool via the internet so now it's time for your general keep fit enthusiast to give them a go.

Have fun, be safe and ring your Kettlebell.