Kettlebell Training Guide From Beginner to Advance

Nothing gets the heart racing like the heart racing and muscles tightened like kettlebell training, plus it’s fun! Follow along with this simple step guide to get you started.

In one study, kettlebell enthusiasts performing a 20 minute snatch workout were measured to burn, on average, 13.6 calories/minute aerobically and 6.6 calories/minute anaerobically during the entire workout – “equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace”. Because of their high repetitions, kettlebell progression should start out slowly to build muscle endurance, support the joints and prevent injury.

Be sure to check out 14 Kettlebell Calorie Blaster Workouts

Benefits of Kettlebell training

There are also many benefits of kettlebell training such as improvement in core muscle integration, improves strength and stabilization, increase lung and heart capacity as multi-joint movement require more oxygen.

 

1. Start with stabilization exercise

• • 1a) Turkish Get Up

A kettlebell exercise that combines the lunge, bridge and side plank to build strength, the get-up is a slow and controlled movement, unlike the other exercises that have a power or ballistic element. Keeping the arm holding the bell extended vertical, the athlete transitions from laying supine on the floor to standing, and back again.

• • 1b) Single Leg Deadlift

Usually performed sumo-style with one or more bells between the legs, it can also be performed with the feet between the bells. Deadlifts can also be performed with one-arm, one-leg, or both.

2. Progress to dynamic excercises

• • 2a) Two Handed Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell is swung from just below the groin to somewhere between the upper abdomen and shoulders, with arms nearly straight. The key to a good kettlebell swing is effectively thrusting the hips, not bending too much at the knees and sending the weight forwards, as opposed to squatting the weight up, or lifting up with the arms

• • 2b) Kettlebell Squat

The basic squat is performed holding one or more kettlebells in the rack position, or a single a bell shoulder height.

• • 2c) Kettlebell Lunge

A lunge performed with the kettlebell held in an overhead or chest position.

3. Advance Exercises for the brave

• • 3a) Kettlebell Clean and Press

The clean is often combined with a press or jerk to make a clean and press or a clean & jerk (also called a long jerk).

• • 3b) Kettlebell High Pull

A swing variation where the kettlebell is thrusted a little higher than the Russian swing, and at the apex the bell is pulled in towards the shoulder, and the pushed out again and back into the swing down. Sometimes the “high pull” instead refers to a deadlift that continues into a pull straight up to shoulder level.

• • 3c) Kettlebell Snatch

The kettlebell is held in one hand, lowered to below the groin, swung to an overhead position and held stable, before repeating the movement. The dead snatch or true snatch begins with the bell on the ground. The lunge snatch lowers into a lunge while the bell goes to the overhead position.

Infographics by gbpersonaltraining.com