It is now widely accepted that is phenomenal for building strength and conditioning. It is also a go-to tool for building explosive power, but it often gets overlooked as a modality for building muscle.
Kettlebell movements are predominately . This means they use more muscle fibres to perform than single joint isolation exercises. Not only does this allow us to work more muscle but it also causes the body to release more muscle-building hormones and burn more calories, making kettlebell exercises ideal for .
Here are a few reasons why you should consider training with kettlebells:
Improves overall strength: Kettlebell training involves using multiple muscle groups at once, which can lead to overall improvements in strength.ADVERTISEMENT
Increases endurance: Kettlebell exercises often involve a high volume of reps, which can help improve your endurance over time.
Enhances flexibility: Many kettlebell exercises involve movements that require a good range of motion, which can help improve your overall flexibility.
Boosts cardiovascular health: Kettlebell exercises are often performed in a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) style, which can help improve your cardiovascular health and burn calories.
Provides variety: Kettlebell training can be a fun and challenging way to mix up your workout routine and prevent boredom.ADVERTISEMENT
Accessible: Kettlebells are relatively inexpensive and can be used in a variety of settings, from the gym to your own home.
If these are still not reason enough for you to consider changing your barbell bench press for the kettlebell variation, then keep on scrolling. Squat, hinge, push, pull, carry – these big movement patterns are what the Kettlebell was built for.
So check out this kettlebell hypertrophy guide where I compare traditional movements with its kettlebell variation.
We think of the , the pec pumper amongst pec pumpers, but a kettlebell floor press can be just as if not more powerful than the traditional bench press with a barbell.
Firstly, the loading position is more natural for the wrists and shoulders. Rather than the weight being balanced at the top of our leavers on our hands, it is racked and resting midway down our forearm, making the kettlebell floor press safer for the wrists and shoulders.
The break-up of the concentric and eccentric chain when performing the floor press allows for a greater muscle stimulation as we take away that stored energy in the muscle that is used to slingshot the weight up in the bench press.
When comparing the barbell squat variation and the kettlebell Squat variations you may think the barbell always wins due to its increasing loading options. However, if you compare the range of motion achieved in your barbell front squat and your kettlebell goblet squat, it is clear to see that the increased range of motion has value.
Not only does the kettlebell goblet squat’s increased range of motion allow us to work more of the muscle, but it also provides less pressure through the spine making it a safer movement when working with tempo reps, pause reps, etc.
Read More:
Bent-over rows are the staple of any good pull session in one variation or another. The kettlebell trumps all in this department as the list of row variations is huge, from ballistic row variations to the steadier but equally powerful gorilla row.
The Hinge movement pattern is where the kettlebell really is the king – no barbell or dumbbell movement can replicate the power of the .
Kettlebells can produce the same muscle stimulus as any other resistance implemented to stimulate muscle growth but where they excel is in adding that ability to overload muscles into your conditioning work.
Staggering the stance for the kettlebell deadlift, Romanian deadlift and chest-loaded good morning also allows us to achieve the same stimulus as the barbell counterparts.
The kettlebell-loaded carry options are also in abundance, from the single-kettlebell goblet or suitcase carry to the more standard farmer’s walks and racked carries.
The kettlebell excels here too with it having a larger handle than the dumbbell making it more demanding for the grip.
The Kettlebell really is the of the fitness world – it can do everything any other fitness equipment can do and more. Don’t limit your hypertrophy work to dumbbells and barbells; the kettlebell can definitely give you something to freshen up your training.
Give this total-body kettlebell hypertrophy workout a try and see for yourself the benefits of adding kettlebell to your training.
Four sets of:
Three sets of:
Three sets of:
Finisher:
21-15-9 reps of:
This workout will give you all the pumping you need with a little bit of fire to finish up with.
If you want more from your Kettlebell Training check out The Graft IV the most complete KB Program ever created. This program works contains 3 cycles, strength, mass, power, all designed to give you the biggest bang for your buck possible. Every workout has a conditioning piece to end with which ensures every single box of the total fitness wheel is ticked.
Just keep moving…
Take Care
LD
About Luke Downing
Image Sources
