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What makes Kettlebell Training so special?
Kettlebells are small, but woah! Newcomers to fitness often massively underestimate the iron balls, and training can backfire even when they’re using light weights. If the exercises are not done properly, there is a risk of overload, imbalance or injuries – something that can also happen if you don’t warm up. But what is special about training with kettlebells? Regardless of your level of fitness, functional training is always designed as full-body training and uses all of your muscles ligaments and tendons, your cardiovascular system and your coordination. The best thing about it is that it prevents back pain. This means it’s ideal for people who don’t have much time as a whole range of positive effects can be achieved with a low level of effort. But what’s training with the balls about?
The weight is key
A kettlebell is an iron ball with a handle. The weight is key to optimal success, because it’s all about having the right resistance. Strain being placed on one side means the body has to balance itself, which in turn makes the training so effective. We recommend that women start at 6 to 8 kilograms and men at 12 to 16 kilograms. Always choose a weight at which you can manage to do the exercises but you can feel a significant effort. At the start, the most important thing is to do the training units cleanly and correctly, as the complex sequence of exercises is hiding certain risks for the inexperienced. It’s best to do the exercises with a trainer.
Breathing like in strength training
If you consciously control your breathing while training, you can further improve your performance. Breathe like you do during strength training and breathe out during the active exercise phase. Breathe in again when you return to the starting position.
The back benefits in particular
Training with kettlebells is mostly carried out while standing up. The correct basic position is as follows:
- Stand upright
- Relax your arms and shoulders
- Bend your knees slightly
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart
- The kettlebell should be on the floor on front of you in the middle
- Bend the knees slightly to grip the ball
- Tilt your upper body slightly forwards with your back straight
- Ideally push your chest forwards and pull your shoulders backwards and down
- Do not curve your back to avoid any injuries!
Unlike on machines in the fitness studio, you are not isolating individual muscles in this case while training. Almost all of the exercises work on several groups of muscles at the same time across several joints. The back, the greatest weakness for many of us, benefits as the lumbar spine is stabilised and the connective tissue strengthened. Even the deeper muscles benefit, and this becomes apparent even after training with the kettlebell just one minute a day. You can also quickly see the amount of calories burned in each training unit. If you master fundamental patterns of exercise, though, you can start building on the exercises.
Who is kettlebell training suitable for?
If you like training with dumbbells, kettlebells are for you too. The real all-rounders are not just suitable for fans of strength training but also for amateur athletes who want to improve their strength and stamina or are working on an athletic appearance. Kettlebell training offers a range of exercises and supports various goals. General fitness also improves. Make time for a warm up lasting 5-10 minutes before each unit and prepare the muscles for the exercise by stretching. Theraband and foam roller exercises work well for this. Steppers and treadmills can also be used for this in the fitness studio. If you train at home, you can run around the block once. If you train with cold muscles, you run the risk of injuring yourself.
You have to take breaks
Beginners in particular tend to overdo it and start their training plan with massive amounts of motivation. We recommend two to three kettlebell workouts a week and leaving at least one day between every two units. At the start it is important to stay on the ball, to maintain consistency when choosing exercises and to increase the training weight slowly but continuously. This prevents overtraining and minimises the risk of injury.
One very popular exercise is the SWING. The hips really move in this exercise. Dr Till Sukopp and Dr Ingo Froböse demonstrate how it’s done in this video: