The simplicity of the kettlebell can’t be beat. I love the idea of grabbing a bell or two, finding a park with a pull up bar and getting to work. With a couple of kettlebells you can do just about anything except change the weight of the bell. Most people have access to a bell or two (or three if you’re REALLY lucky), but few have access to a rack of kettlebells as you’d see with dumbbells. Let’s say you take a lesson or a course and fall in love with kettlebell training. You find a bell, start progressing, but then there’s a gap between getting your next bell.
What to do?
In order to get stronger you need to adhere to the principle of Progressive Overload. With a bar or dumbbells, it’s fairly easy to add another 5lbs every few sessions, but that’s not going to work with the kettlebell.
When I first started I only had access to a few bells so out of necessity I tried progressing in different ways. Little did I know...
Living.fit is now all around the world. We've had people from Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, India, Dubai, England, Ireland, Germany, France, and the list goes on.
What is Living.Fit's big differentiator?
The two from Marcus's perspective are the amount of technical knowledge that goes into these plans, and the amount of plans.
Normally, you find a lot of not the highest quality programs, or really technical and really great programs, but you get very, very few of them. We wanted to do high quality, high quantity, so that way, there was so much to pull from. Whether you are a coach, whether you are a fitness enthusiast, dabbling with battle ropes and kettle bells, we have every base covered.
For Aaron, it is a bit different. How can you get them the ground floor, so to speak, and be able to go all the way up to the highest levels? Or if you're at the highest level, how are you gonna get benefit?...
If you’ve picked up even the slightest bit of kettlebell knowledge you’ll have learned about the Get Up. Not only is it a powerful, full body strengthening exercise, but it’s a great way to assess core, shoulder, and leg strength as well as mobility and coordination. There’s time under tension from the second you start until you bring the bell down safely to the ground.
Traditionally you’ll be starting from the ground with a bell overhead and work your way up through a series of positions until you’re fully standing. You’ll then reverse the movement and make your way back to the starting position on your back on the ground.
If we’re talking efficacy and functionality it’s a fantastic movement. Practicing getting up from the supine position is enough for most. Adding in load makes it significantly more challenging. Why is it so effective? For one thing it’s multiple movements in one. For a standard get up...
Why Carry Heavy Things?
Whether you’re an aesthetics seeking lifter or functional purist carries will do you a load of good. As far as exercises that benefit you in multiple ways loaded carries can’t be beat. Carrying heavy things in a variety of positions has the potential to make you a stronger, more resilient person.
The farmer walk is the go to when it comes to loaded carries whether with one implement or two. You can load it heavy and you can do it just about anywhere to build Herculean strength. While this may be one of the best things you can do with heavy weights it’s just one of the MANY variations of loaded carries you could (and...
A common complaint with most kettlebell programs is the absence of horizontal pressing. Sure you’ll get some push-ups, but who doesn’t love that feel of pushing weight away from you multiple times?
From a programming standpoint the lack of horizontal pressing is made up for in overhead pressing, but this can lead to imbalances. Chest presses aren’t just for the beach and mirror. It aids in your overall strength while building shoulder and triceps strength as well and putting more stress on bigger muscles like your chest.
There are myriad tools you can use for chest exercises. At the end of the day a weight is a weight so anything that challenges you has the potential to build strength and size. With that said here are three movements specific to the kettlebell that offer unique benefits. At the end of this article there will be a chest workout you can incorporate into your training to supplement or replace what you currently do for a...
By: Venus Lau
Strength at every angle is a motto I train by because it’s truly the difference between the average gym goer and a high performance athlete… And I truly believe EVERYONE can elevate their fitness and move like a high performance athlete!
There are endless ways to get stronger at every angle but I’m doing to talk about
5 basic ways you can start with:
Kettlebells are still the new kid on the block in most big gyms. There are plenty of ellipticals and benches, dumbbells and mirrors, but still only a handful (a small rack if you’re lucky) of kettlebells. Even with ALL the information out there I’ll still see and hear some things being done with these versatile little cannonballs that make me shudder.
What attracts most people to the kettlebell is its devious simplicity and how it can deliver incredible workouts in limited time just about anywhere. From complexes to flows and everything in between you can hit just about every muscle and movement pattern while adding a unique flavor to your sessions.
Here are a few things to avoid as you begin (or continue) your kettlebell journey and some ways to get the most from your training.
#1: Don’t figure it out on your own
The kettlebell is simple in nature and design, but delivers complex...
Why not just use dumbbells?
“If you can do it with a kettlebell you can do it with a dumbbell!”
I hear this all the time from people who have zero experience with a kettlebell and it couldn’t be further from the truth. Most tools have a time and place in your training depending on the goal. If you’re just going to do deadlifts, farmer walks, rows or just use the weight to prop a door open then sure, kettlebells and dumbbells offer the same thing. However, if you plan on using the kettlebell for the things that make a kettlebell unique, then no.
Before you think that this is a dumbbell-bashing article and kettlebells are superior in every way, you’re right. End of discussion.
Seriously though the intention here is to shed some light on why kettlebells are unique to dumbbells and what you can do to get the most from each tool. Let’s take a look at the anatomy of...
A strong back will take you far in life. While most people are out there focusing on their “mirror muscles” you’re doing your rows and building a healthy, resilient, muscular back. The row is a compound movement that hits your back, shoulders, arms and core. When programming rows it’s important to maintain a 2:1 (or even 3:1) ratio of pulling to pressing. This will help alleviate imbalances and specifically shoulder issues. A stronger front side because of years of pushing horizontally and vertically can lead to rounded shoulders and less than optimal posture which will eventually lead to pain. A strong back from top to bottom will help alleviate postural issues and create a solid foundation for heavier lifting.
When it comes to pulling there are many implements you can use. Kettlebells offer an ergonomic advantage with their higher position than a dumbbell. The center of mass with a single base (as opposed to two sides of a dumbbell) makes it slightly...
5 Kettlebell Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Just as with any tool the kettlebell can do some damage if they aren’t treated properly. Too many trainees see a picture or watch a couple of videos and give the kettlebell a whirl. The devil’s in the details with kettlebell training, but with many explosive kettlebell movements a few bad moves can be exponentially dangerous.
Some mistakes are obvious and require a complete form overhaul while others are a bit more nuanced. Here are five of the biggest mistakes I see with kettlebell training and the easiest fixes to get you back on track.
1 - Back Pain with Swings
Swings are a dynamic movement that require a hinge that already puts your back in potential danger and speed. Combining those two things with a client who doesn’t understand moving through tension. Get free kettlebell workouts here!
The Fix: Increase intra-abdominal tension through diaphragmatic breathing
2 - Slamming Forearms with Cleans...
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