The kettlebell is an ancient exercise machine, originally used by the ancient Greeks and chosen to be their national sport. The kettlebell has a tall, thin handle attached to its top in a cross design. It’s typically used to do a variety of upper-body exercises, which include explosive exercises that combine upper-body strength, cardiovascular and stretching ability. These exercises can be done by non-athletes, as well as athletes and serious body builders. In this article we’ll go over how you can use kettlebells to build your body!
Kettlebells are unique because they enable you to target many muscle groups with the same movements. You see, kettlebells are set up so that you swing them around between your legs, much like a cannonball or cannon shot being fired from a long distance. This means that you can perform kettlebell swings with your arms, hips, legs, torso and even your head! Kettlebell workouts require being extremely precise with your movements and exact timing is essential to getting the best results. Also, keep in mind that these movements don’t allow you to use your hands; they only utilize your core muscles to swing the bell from one place to another.
So, what makes kettlebells such a great strength and conditioning tool? Kettlebells are designed to improve your grip strength and endurance through the kinetic chain between the bell, your arm and your body. They’re also extremely dynamic, meaning that you never get used to the momentum of swinging, bouncing and pausing between positions. Instead, kettlebells are “stabilized” or in other words, they’re perfectly balanced, so that your weight doesn’t shift from one side to another and you always maintain proper grip strength throughout the entire movement. As a result of these qualities, kettlebells allow for a level of fitness that most other exercises simply can’t match.
In order to properly perform a single arm kettlebell swing, it’s important that you get into an overhead press position. First, grab the barbell with your free hand, grip it at your sides with your thumb on the top grip and your link in the bottom grip. Next, lean forward and extend your arms out to your sides, keeping your elbows slightly bent and lightly tapping your hips into the floor with each movement. Make sure to make an effort to lock your elbows as you keep your back straight, even if it’s a bit awkward at first, by raising your body so that you’re basically at your maximum height in the air. From there, just swing your hips out to either side, like a cannonball going across the field!
You can perform three-arm kettlebell swings, two-arm kettlebell swings and single arm kettlebell swings with a single handle, respectively. It’s important to know that kettlebells are designed for speed, and that you should be able to move them quickly while maintaining good form. The design of the handle allows you to do so while keeping your center of gravity over the entire area of your body, which greatly reduces the risks of injury. Also, since they have so much versatility, kettlebells can be used for a wide variety of exercises including squats, lunges and dead lifts, which all improve mobility, core strength, and overall stamina.
Another one reason to consider kettlebells is because they allow one person to use them for an entire set rather than having to pick up two individual handles. One drawback to using one handle is that the kettlebell will not be at the right angle to your dominant hand, and this may cause injuries due to uneven weight distribution. Also, with two handles, if your dominant hand is injured, then you’re forced to use the other hand, and obviously this doesn’t allow you the same freedom of movement. Kettlebells solve this problem because you can swing them around in both hands, equally, which also gives you the same balance you would get from using one handle.
Lastly, kettlebells are safer than dumbbells because you can use them from a more natural position. When you have a barbell in each hand, you’re essentially just holding two hammers with your arms crossed behind your head. Dumbbells, on the other hand, require you to lift the dumbbells by standing upright with your legs apart. This unnatural lifting position can lead to back injuries and shoulder injuries because you aren’t keeping the proper posture while lifting.
So in conclusion, while I don’t think that kettlebells are the best option for everybody, they definitely make the cut as the number one home gym tool. You’ll need to determine your personal goals first, of course, but once you have a better idea of what you want to accomplish in your home gym, you can start researching the different options available. And remember, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get into great shape. Kettlebells are certainly worth looking into.
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