Advanced Kettlebell Training

Kettlebells, vinyl-encased iron balls with handles, are effective tools for physical fitness when used appropriately. Kettlebells, like dumbbells and barbells, are used in weight training. Kettlebell workouts can increase strength, burn fat, and tone muscles without overdeveloping them.

  1. Benefits

    • Advanced kettlebell training is popular with power lifters and athletes who need to train specific muscles that aren't always worked by traditional weight training. Because advanced kettlebell training takes the body through many planes of motion while forcing the body to stabilize itself through the core, the athlete's balance, flexibility, stability, and coordination are developed as well as the targeted muscle group. Advanced kettlebell workouts prepare power lifters for lifting by allowing the lifter to work all muscle groups through various planes of motion, thereby reducing the risk of injuries during power lifts.

    Duration

    • Many athletes and power lifters use advanced kettlebell training to target specific muscle groups and work their bodies through a full range of motion. Three- to five-minute sets are typical at this level of kettlebell training. Working with lighter kettlebells and doing slower repetitions of each exercise for the first minute or two, followed by faster reps done with increasingly heavier kettlebells, is the usual training suggestion. Experts recommend each set be done in continuous, fluid movements with no rest during the set.

    Exercises

    • Advanced kettlebell training typically consists of a series of continuous moves with names that describe the movement, such as the swing, the jerk, the press, and the snatch. Performing these advanced kettlebell exercises trains the body to control acceleration and deceleration, whereas most training routines teach only acceleration. By teaching the body to control the slowing-down phase of an exercise, advanced kettlebell training enhances overall and sport-specific performance while training the body to balance and protect itself against injury.