It’s been just over 15 years since I was first introduced to proper Kettlebell training technique and to this day I am absolutely in love with the effects of exercising with them. When I first saw a Kettlebell I had to ask the person who put it in front of me, “why lift this thing instead of a dumbbell or barbell?”. He didn’t really have a good answer for me but I had the faith to try them out anyway, and I soon learned that they worked so well, in addition to Dumbbell and Barbell training that I didn’t even need a reason why!
Since then, I’ve had a lot of time to muse over that question, “why should I lift Kettlebells”, both out of my own curiosity and from people asking me for the answer. So, I have come up with some good reasons that I think could be beneficial to someone considering starting a Kettlebell program of their own.
1) Kettlebell Progressions Are Honest. If A Technique Is Not Right Then It Won’t Feel Right!
Because Kettlebell training is meant to be done with weights that are most comparable to a person’s actual strength, a serious Kettlebell lifter is constantly measuring their technique against weights that at first might have seemed outside of our current ability or even, in later cases, originally unattainable. So if a lifter is going to progress to using these heavier weights then it is dependent on their confidence in their technique and their ability. If lifts and routines feel off or get sloppy with a heavier weight, or over the length of a set, then it becomes obvious that the lifter isn’t quite ready to level up.
2) Kettlebells Are Dynamic In Design and Require Focus and attention To Control.
Since the design of a Kettlebell consists of a single weight on the opposite end of a handle, it means that the person lifting it has to stay focused and mentally aware in order to maintain their counterbalance against this resistance that is constantly trying to pull away or twist around and find it’s way back to the ground. This becomes especially true with heavier Kettlebells and, as long as the focus is on good movements, then these principles become even more locked in.
3) Kettlebells Allow For Continuous Flows and Smooth Transitions Between Exercises.
Because so many Kettlebell routines are based on using the momentum and weightlessness created by the backswing and the explosive hip extension it becomes easy to flow from one Kettlebell movement into the next. From Kettlebell Swing variations, one can transfer into Kettlebell cleans, then into Kettlebell presses, snatches, and squats - utilizing repetition schemes, timed sets, and movement sequences that allow for endless variation!
4) In Order To Safely Progress With Kettlebells One Must Understand The Correct Sequence Of Muscle Engagement and Proper Alignment For Each Exercise.
Truly heavy Kettlebell progressions can’t happen safely without the proper sequence of muscle engagement that include activating the glutes, abs, and the arm that’s not holding the weight. In addition, one can never really feel comfortable under those heavy Kettlebells without the accurate alignment that creates the structural stability necessary for strong movements. These two pieces are so necessary in Kettlebell training that they become a part of a lifter’s general muscle memory, leading to overall increases in core stability, decreases in lower back stress, and improvements in proper alignment and safety when dealing with serious loads. All points that are again directly transferrable to real world activity dealing with weight or heavy objects.
5) Kettlebell Lifting is Easily Transferable to “Real World” Activities that deal with Heavy Objects.
Because the Kettlebell design consists of a weight on the opposite end of a handle, it resembles a number of “real world” objects - such as bags, suitcases, buckets, vacuums, or baby carriers - to name a few. The benefit then is that, as folks become even more familiar with the sequence of muscle engagement that goes with controlling heavier Kettlebells, this sequence becomes automatic and causes the body to respond in proper engagement and alignment when dealing with any similar object or weighted effort that go along with those objects. Leading ultimately to safer day to day function with heavy tasks in life.
These are just a few of the reasons that I love working with Kettlebells and why I love to teach other people how to work with Kettlebells! There are so many more reasons, both scientific and personal with why people lift Kettlebells regularly. I just wanted to present some of my own here, some of which aren’t typically presented for why Kettlebells are so beneficial. So perhaps some of these reasons help you to appreciate the singular benefits of Kettlebell training and hopefully you think back to them the next time you find yourself working out with them at your own fitness studio. Enjoy!
