By: Craig
Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
www-TurbulenceTraining-com
Certified Turbulence Trainer
www-TurbulenceTraining-com
kettlebell exercises |
There seems to be
a certain reservation among “regular” gym goers when it comes to trying KettlebellTraining.
I say this because
when I train with my clients at the gym and have them do work with kettlebells,
there always seems to be 3 or 4 wandering eyes peering over at what we are
doing.
It's pretty
humorous because some will resort to stealth-like ninja techniques to perform
the “wandering-eye-walk-by” whereby they pretend to be on their way to the
water fountain and just casually stroll by 4 or 5 times to try and catch some
instruction.
But honestly, 4
drinks in between your sets of ab/adductor machine?
Truth be told, Kettlebell Training is gaining momentum and it’s
good to see that people are actually taking an interest in a simpler alternative
to “traditional” weight training.
So with that being
said, let me see if I can ease you into Kettlebell Training.
Here are 3
exercises you can start doing today, just by “subbing-in” a kettlebell for a
dumbbell…
1.
Substitute KB Military Press for any type of Overhead Pressing with a Dumbbell
Pick up a
kettlebell and bring in it in close to your body ensuring that 1) your WRIST
STAYS IN NEUTRAL (never flexing or extending) and 2) it is resting in the nook
of your arm between your bicep and forearm (take a look at the picture of me
above left in the header).
Brace your abs
hard, pretending that someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Keeping
your wrist straight, squeeze the handle of the KB as tight as you can and take
a breath in, creating and even tenser brace in your abdomen.
Now press the
kettlebell overhead moving your arm from a neutral GRIP (palm facing towards
your midline) to a pronated GRIP (palm facing away) as you lock your elbow out
over your head.
The important
thing here is to LOCK OUT. I know in some body building circles they tell
you to keep a slight bend in your elbow, even in the overhead position, to
“keep tension on the muscle”. That’s not the case here. This isn’t
body building.
You are going to
LOCK OUT and make sure that 1) Your shoulder is depressed. That is, it’s
not up by your ears, it’s down and back 2) Your bicep is almost touching your
ear and 3) The kettlebell, while in the overhead lock-out position is in line
if not BEHIND your head.
Slowly lower the
KB back to the starting position following the same pronated to neutral curve
you used when you pressed it over head.
2. Try a
Modified Renegade Row in place of a standard 1-Arm Bent-Over Row
Unlike a standard
DB Row, where you rest a knee on the bench, the Modified Renegade Row will
force you to really use your abs to keep your low back stable.
Place a kettlebell
on the floor on the left side and then place both hands on the edge of a bench
(or chair). With your hands on the bench/chair, set yourself up so that
you’re in a “push-up” position with your feet slightly wider that
hip-width apart.
Reach down and
grab the KB with your left hand. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes
and row the kettlebell into your body towards your hip. Remember when you
row to squeeze your shoulder blades together prior to bending your elbow.
As you row, you’ll
notice that your body will want to twist and rotate because of the uneven
distribution of weight. You must prevent this from happening. By
bracing your abs and squeezing your glutes, you will work your abs like they’ve
never been worked before!
Slowly lower the
weight, again not allowing yourself to rotate and repeat for the required reps.
3. Replace
regular squats with a 1-Arm KB Front Squat
Just as the
Military Press above, pick up a kettlebell and bring in it in close to your
body ensuring that 1) your WRIST STAYS IN NEUTRAL (never flexing or extending)
and 2) it is resting in the nook of your arm between your bicep and forearm
(take a look at the picture of me above left in the header).
Brace your abs
hard, pretending that someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Keeping
your wrist straight, squeeze the handle of the KB as tight as you can and take
a breath in, creating and even tenser brace in your abdomen.
Now, keeping the
bell close, push your hips back and bend your knees. You’ll notice that
as you descend, because of the uneven distribution of weight, your body will
want to twist or even bend sideways. Just like the Modified Renegade Row
above, you want to resist this and brace your abs hard.
Descend into the
squat by pushing your knees out allowing your hips to go below parallel and
keeping your spine straight.
Push your feet
into the floor (keeping your heels on the ground the entire time) and drive
your body up to the standing position.
So there
are 3 exercises you can try out today, using only 1 KB, to help familiarize
yourself with Kettlebell Training.
In addition to the
benefit of only needing one piece of equipment for the above exercises, the
uneven distribution of weight during KB Training allows you to use your abs
like no other exercises can. They force you to stabilize your spine and to try
to stay straight forcing your abs to work the way they were meant to be worked
- as stabilizers of your torso and spine and not as “prime movers”.
And because of
this, you'll find that people who train with KBs tend to have bullet-proof
abdominals, while eliminating low back pain and gaining usable strength that
will help you in everyday life.
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