At the AdMac Fitness studio in East London, we’ve been upgrading some of our kit since we re-opened after lockdown. One of the new items our personal training clients may have spotted (and even used) is our new heavy kettlebell.
We invested in a heavy kettlebell because we’re big believers in training being more than just about aesthetics. At AdMac Fitness we want our clients to not only look fit and strong, but actually be fit and strong. One of the ways to achieve this is to continually present new challenges, making personal training interesting and varied, forcing the body to adapt in a positive way.
The new heavy kettlebell is the latest member of our kettlebell range at the personal training studio…
The AdMac Fitness kettlebell range…
Why kettlebells are so effective
We’ve written before about how important compound movements are in training, and the kettlebell swing is a classic example of a compound movement. In one single exercise you can effectively train all of the muscles along the back of the body. Not only that, you can improve movement quality, reduce injury risk and burn a lot of calories too!
Kettlebells train the ‘posterior chain’ muscles - the group of muscles that run up the back of the body, including the calves, hamstrings, glutes and back. The other thing that makes the kettlebell unique is that the exercise they’re most famous for, the swing, makes these muscles work eccentrically. This means they lengthen under tension.
This is known to help build more muscle and strength, plus it helps to lengthen the muscle which makes it more flexible and less susceptible to injury. It’s not often that you can say a resistance training exercise improves flexibility, but in the case of the kettlebell swing it’s absolutely true.
The muscles of the posterior chain…
Kettlebell Swing Technique
The biggest issue people have with the kettlebell swing is that don’t hinge properly - instead they lift with their legs and arms. The purpose of the kettlebell swing is to engage the hips and drive the weight forward. You don’t lift the kettlebell, you swing it, and the momentum is a big part of the exercise.
If you look at the video below you’ll see what we mean - note the focus is on keeping the legs almost straight, then swinging the kettlebell by driving hard through the hips. This movement engages the entire posterior chain, stretching and strengthening the muscles throughout. It’s a powerful movement and is supposed to be done with as much controlled ‘snap’ as possible.
The back stays straight throughout the movement and the spine as neutral as possible.
Benefits of Kettlebell Training
As we said earlier, the goal at AdMac Fitness is for our clients to not only look fit, but actually be fit. We know from research that the kettlebell swing has huge cross over into ‘real life’, not only does it improve the strength of the posterior chain, it also improves flexibility and mobility of the lower body - both of which reduce injury risk.
You can adjust the training effect of the kettlebell swing as well, just like any other form of weight training. You can lift a heavy kettlebell for strength and power development, or a lighter one for higher rep numbers which will develop endurance capacity.
Kettlebell training has a direct impact on your sporting ability too. Studies show that kettlebell swings directly improve strength and explosive power, which are really important in sport. By simply adding regular kettlebell swings into your training you’ll not only make yourself fitter, stronger and more injury-resistant, but a better athlete too!
You don’t just have to swing kettlebells…
Endless Exercise Versatility
Another benefit of kettlebell training is the endless exercise versatility you have with them. Kettlebells are like dumbbells in that come in a variety of weights, which lends itself well to different training approaches. You can perform lots of different exercises with them, for a start…
Swings
Single arm swings
American swings
High pulls
Snatches
Squats - overhead, goblet squats, front squats, split squats
Lunges
Presses - bench, shoulder
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Deadlift - suitcase, stiff leg, single leg
Rows
Alongside their specific use (swings etc), you can use them in place of dumbbells in lots of cases, such as with presses, snatches, rows and the like. This level of versatility is one of the many reasons we love them both as personal trainers and as people who like to exercise ourselves! Kettlebells are an excellent tool that will help anyone to get fit, regardless of their goals.
If you’ve never used kettlebells before they will add a whole new dimension to your training, increasing your gym skill level and challenging your body in lots of new ways. Our PTs are big fans of kettlebell training as well, so even if you’re not using them in your current training programme, they probably aren’t far away from making an appearance in your training!
If you’re looking for personal training in East London, get in touch!
At AdMac Fitness we’re not about fads, fashions and short term fixes. We want you to succeed properly over the long term, so with our help and advice you can get your fitness back on track! If you’d like us to help you, contact us on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!