The Kettlebell

Using a kettlebell for any dumbbell routine is a plus because it adds to your fitness tolerance greatly. This means that the intensity from the repetitive lifts helps you reach your full strength potential. You can use the kettlebell for both lower body workouts and upper body workouts. Two of the most popular kettlebell exercises are the snatch and the double clean. There are other exercises to keep in mind as well such as:

• Lateral Raises
• Shoulder Press
• Squats
• Lawnmowers
• Biceps Curls
• Front Raises

The Snatch

The snatch is a great cardio exercise and is one of the first workouts created for the kettlebell. They not only increase strength and endurance, but also create a pain tolerance that many MMA and boxing competitors have learned to increase. The way you do this exercise is by standing with feet shoulder width apart with one moderate weight kettlebell in the middle. Squat down with back straight and leaning forward and grip the kettlebell with both hands. Swing the weight up as you explode which throws the weight over your head with arms locked out, and then repeat!

The Kettlebell Double Clean

The double clean to press is an intense workout that many fitness participants have come to love. It not only gives you all the benefits from using the kettlebell, but also helps you practice and train for power lifting competitions which use the barbell. Start of squatting with the kettlebells as if you were getting ready to do cleans with a barbell. Throw the weights up to position by letting the kettlebells fall back behind your hands settling against your forearms. Press them straight up from this point and lock out your arms. Bring back to starting point and then you are ready for the next repetition!

Be safe while using Kettlebells

Kettlebells are a great addition to your workout, but can also be a bit of a hazard to those new to the exercise. Always use a weight that is right for you, which means do not be the hulk and grab a 100lb. kettlebell for snatches. Most of the men who compete in the world’s strongest man competition do not even need to train with that kind of weight. Always keep a firm grip on the kettlebells to prevent throwing it across the room or behind you. Think of it as how a bowling ball works, and you can also imagine how much injury a full forced metal ball can cause. If you are having trouble with sweating and losing grip purchase gloves, wrist wraps, or wrist bands to assist you.