Get fit quick with kettlebells: Illustrated kettlebell exercises

May 05, 2008 11:46 AM by Michele Borboa, MS

Posted in Health & Wellness / Diet & Fitness

Kettlebell Fitness

If you want results quick, kettlebell training is for you! Kettlebells are solid cast iron balls with handles that work your entire body as you go through dynamic kettlebell exercises. Instead of isolating single muscles or single muscle groups, kettlebell training delivers full-body fitness. Kettlebell expert Sarah Lurie, owner of Iron Core Kettlebell Fitness Center in San Diego, California recommends the following four full-body kettlebell exercises to get you fit fast.

According to Lurie, kettlebells originated in Russia more than 100 years ago. Kettlebells are solid cast iron balls with a suitcase handle that range in weight from eight pounds to over 100 pounds. A long-time bodybuilder using freeweights and machines to get buff and cut, Lurie experienced a weight-lifting injury that required comprehensive rehabilitation. She discovered kettlebells and found that they not only allowed her to quickly rehabilitate but she was also able to regain her elite level of fitness.

Lurie says, "My hips were always tight from squatting in the gym, but they soon became loose and powerful from the foundation kettlebell exercise – the swing. Countless reps of lunges, squats and deadlifts could not even come close to the results I got in a few weeks of swings, cleans, Turkish get-ups, snatches and presses [with kettlebells]."

The benefits of kettlebell training are boundless – not only do you get a superb strength training workout, kettlebells boost your cardio and tone your body like no other exercise modality.

Kettlebell Exercises

If you are a beginner to kettlebell training, use a 10 to 15 pound Kettle Ball Swing

kettlebell. Do 2 sets of 10 for each of these exercises. As you get stronger and more adept at using a kettlebell, gradually increase your weight and do 3 sets of 10.

The Swing

This exercise targets the lower body but requires full-body movement, delivering results to your core and upper body.

1. Stand with your feet wider than hip-distance apart, holding the kettlebell handle with both hands in front of your body.

2. Sit back in the hips, knees slightly bent, keeping your shoulders back and chest up, moving the kettlebell between your legs.

3. Swing up, standing tall, squeezing your glutes, tightening your thighs, and lifting the kettlebell to shoulder height.

4. Repeat the swing movement in an uninterrupted motion for a set of 10 Kettle Bell Row

to 20.

Renegade Row

This exercise works the arms, back, and core muscles.

1. Begin in a pushup position on your toes, holding a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight, and shoulders over the kettlebells.

2. As you use your core muscles to balance, pull one kettlebell back toward your hip, elbow to ceiling, then lower down.
Kettle Bell Lunge

3. Repeat with the other side. Make this a fluid motion, pulling one elbow back as soon as the opposite arm has lowered and touched the kettlebell to the floor.

Lunge and Press

This is another full-body exercise that works the core muscles as well the upper and lower body.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a kettlebell in your right hand. Hold the kettlebell at shoulder-height, elbow bent, in a rack position.

2. Lunge forward with your right foot, keeping your core muscles tight, and press the kettlebell to the upwards until your elbow is straight.

3. As you step back to standing position, lower the kettlebell to your shoulder. Repeat for 10 reps and switch sides.
Kettle Bell Pistol

Pistol

This exercise targets your lower body and core muscles but also works your arms.

1. Start in a standing position holding the kettlebell handle with both hands in front of your body.

2. Lift one leg and bend the knee of your other leg, as you lower your rear to the ground. Bend the elbows and bring the kettlebell up into a bicep curl as you lower down.

3. Drive through your heel to return to a standing position, lowering the kettlebell. Perform 10 repetitions on one leg, then repeat on the other side.

Note: If you are a beginner or have trouble with your knees, do not lower your body all the way down. Start by bending and straightening your standing knee slightly, progressing down lower as you get stronger.

You can get more kettlebell training by checking out Lurie's DVD series Kettlebells the Iron Core Way or download Lurie's kettlebell workout videos at Lurie's site IronCore Kettlebells. Pick up a set of Lurie's GoFit line of kettlebells at Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Sport Chalet, Big 5 and other sporting goods retailers. Kettlebells begin at $29.99 and come with a beginner level DVD.

For more illustrated exercises to get fit fast, check out these links:

Illustrated Pilates exercises

Desk-side yoga poses

Tighten your tummy with these three exercises

Comments

Comments on "Get fit quick with kettlebells: Illustrated kettlebell exercises"

Can I use dummbbell instead of using the kettlebells to perform kettlebells exercises To save some money to buy a private plane, and the Palais in Paris don't worry ,am really joking but iwant really to answer me best regards thanks for your help.

Looks like somebody got scared by a lazy, ignorant trainer hurting people with kettlebells, or intimidated by the kb itself or an overbearing kettlebell athlete. Instead of picking apart UDB's incoherent and contradictory arguments one by one I will simply urge the casual reader to do some research. Scott sonnon, paul chek, Donnie Thompson and Dan John are world class authorities with many decades of experience and nearly as important, they are disinterested parties. These men do not sell kettlebells and will experience no loss or gain whether people use them or not. I will give you a short anecdote: I trained with free weights for sixteen years, before that Nautilus for three and Universal gym for two. I have competed in track and field, powerlifting, bodybuilding and martial arts. Now I only use kettlebells. If they were not the best tool I would not use them at all. This story is repeated often and everywhere that thoughtful athletes seek excellence.

To UseKettleBells: Would you like to continue this discussion in a newsgroup such as misc.fitness.misc or on misc.fitness.weights? Would be more convenient. To briefly respond to your points: You can make *any* basic exercise more difficult through some modification, such as doing pushups on your knuckles, or chinups from only two fingers on each hand. What's the point? You actually *interfere with the basic intent of the exercise* with these modifications. If it's torgue and increased difficulty you want, why not weld the kettlebell to the end of a 1" diameter one-foot-long bar, and lift it by that?? Instead of a distracting and contrived difficulties, I'd rather just lift more weight! The versatility of plate-type dumbbells is also mixed in with ergonomics. First, they're adjustable to virtually any weight. Second, using a kb for db exercises is like using a hexagonal wheel instead of a round wheel, and arguing that the resulting vibration will keep the driver awake. One other example: you can use small dumbbells for boxing/HeavyHand running. Very important but unrecognized fitness method. Your analogy between between kb/db's and freeweights/machines would be valid IF there any substantial payoff to the awkwardness (and cost) to kbs. If doing pushups on your knuckles is really important to you, then by all means do them, but don't think many other people will share your joy. Freeweights vs. machines DO have context-sensitive shared pros/cons. FW are cheaper, use more ancillary muscles, more "natural", etc. Machines are more expensive, but more convenient, albeit with a bigger footprint, and can isolate muscles better, if that's important. Most lifters use both, most newbies to Bally's just use machines. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with kb's either, except that most people will find dumbbells far more useful. KB's just hurt your hands, and beat up your forearms, make a lift/move more of a pita, and cost a fortune. If that's important, use kbs. If you want a versatile workout without the drama, use dumbbells.

They move the weight to an off centre position out of the palm of the hand. It's the same principle behind Sonnon's club bells. This is better because the body now has to balance the torque forces generated by the kb or cb. In something like a shoulder press there is no difference between the kb and db. A cb is burning your forearms because the weight is so far above the arm that it requires fine muscle control to hold it upright. In an exercise like a snatch the kb works the body harder for a given weight and also forces you to use a higher level of co-ordination and balance. Essentially it is the same argument as dumbbells vs machines. So I guess the question is, if you buy that argument, why bother with dumbbells at all? Ditch the machines, ditch the db and move on to the kb and clubs. I'm really not sure I follow your comment about 1/10 of the versatility of dumb bells, if you can give me a muscle group or chain I can pretty much give you an exercise to work it, or in most cases, several.

AWESOME MICHELLE! I COULD REALLY USE THIS.

Funny how the kettlebell people can't explain--at least not coherently--how kettlebells are any better than dumbbells. For the privelge of paying about 10 times the price of dumbbells, kettlebells then give you about 1/10 of dumbbells' versatility. I guess you just cain't put a price on pastiche and medievil russian mystique. So much for her knowing.

Great piece Michel! We have just featured it at liftkettlebells here: http://www.liftkettlebells/News/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/34/She-really-knows-about-kettlebells.aspx

The pistol is a very difficult exercise, as is the lunge and press. I would suggest one arm swings, cleans, and standing presses before these exercises.