KettleBells NZ

Kettlebell training has recently had resurgence in the Western world, largely thanks to Pavel Tsatsouline in the United States.  This oddly shaped Russian piece of weight training equipment that resembles an iron bowling ball with a thick handle is now used by top sports teams, fighters, athletes, Hollywood celebrities and everyday trainers throughout the United States, and it’s now starting to catch on in New Zealand

1).   Workout efficiency is a key benefit of training with kettlebell swings as they enable you to combine resistance training and cardio training in one power packed workout.  Ideal for ladies who may shy away from traditional weight training but love how swings combine resistance and cardio workouts together to target those problem areas.  Also, Male trainees who have limited training time but want a power packed workout find swings a great kettlebell workout.

2).   Swings develop the important posterior chain muscles of the body such as the hamstrings, glutes and back.  These muscles are often overlooked with traditional weight training but are crucial for sprinting, jumping and tackling movements that are widely used in a large number of sports such as rugby or league.  Traditional training also often neglects the glutes which can lead to underdevelopment or lazy glutes that don’t work properly.  Weak glutes can lead to excessive back rounding as the back struggles to take over the movement, resulting in stress on vulnerable back ligaments as they take up the slack.

3).   Swings provide an extreme cardio conditioning option that is easy on knees that have suffered over the years from pounding too many pavements. Swings are the ultimate extreme cardio workout, whether done heavy with brief Tabata style swings working 20 seconds and resting 10 seconds or just doing swing intervals for 10 – 20 minutes on the minute.  Swings will push your fitness to new levels, just ask the numerous MMA fighters that utilise swings in their workouts.

4).   Swings build your back from top to bottom.  Not only is the lower back involved with kettlebell swings but the lats, traps and scapular are all involved in the movement giving you a total back training workout.

5).   High rep swings also develop back endurance which Professor Stuart McGill  a leading spine/back expert considers has a very positive effect on the reduction of back injuries.

6).   Swings work the abs and strengthen the core muscles as they provide a stable platform for other muscles to pull from.  Forget useless crunches that do nothing for you, hit your abs with functional abdominal training that actually has benefit in the real world.

7).   Swings are a fantastic conditioner and body fat burner.  More and more studies are concluding that greater body fat burning occurs when training is performed at higher intensity levels rather than long slow endurance type training.  Kettlebell swings done for high reps are definitely high intensity and they will help fry off that body fat.