In the past decade, I have trained countless people with kettlebells and almost all of them say it was nothing like what they thought it was going to be. People don’t realize what this piece of equipment does for your body, so let’s take a moment to look at some of the benefits of kettlebell training. Please take your time to learn what kettlebell training is specifically, and learn from a master of the art. There are many people out there using this tool improperly and when used improperly not only is there little benefit, it can be quite dangerous.
Benefits of Kettlebell Workouts
Kettlebell training, when performed properly, works first on the level of the mind and the connection through the nervous system to the muscle. It creates strength by teaching;
- Correct motor patterns for real world lifting and moving
- Improved coordination
- Better flexibility throughout the nervous system
- Stability of an unstable object
- Balance of ones’ own bodyweight
- A mental awareness of where neutral alignment is
- Mental Focus
Kettlebells work second on the level of the muscle and develop:
- Tension
- Flexibility
- Neutral posture
- Power phase movement
- Strong joints
- The ability to absorb force
Kettlebells also work on the level of metabolism, assisting with:
- Weight management
- Toxin release
- Sleep cycles
- Cardiovascular conditioning
Finally, the kettlebell works in the real world because it is:
- A portable gym.
- Kind to your bank account (very, very kind)
- A confidence booster.
- Designed to make you move around the real world easier.
- Fun and always something new!
You may notice I listed a couple of the benefits twice. Under two different categories are flexibility and posture. The reason they were put twice is because you will improve your posture and flexibility in different ways. First, on the level of the mind and nervous system and then on the level of the soft tissue. I also wrote two benefits back to back that may sound almost contrary to one another, tension and flexibility. Bruce Lee once said, “Water flows and water crashes, be water my friend.” He was remarking on developing the balance between flexibility and tension.
Many people train their muscles in ways that create only tension, not only is that strength in the real world useless, it nearly always leads to injury. The art of strength training with kettlebells will teach you that balance Bruce Lee was pointing at. It will keep you safe from injury and make you stronger than you ever thought you could be, without unwanted bulk.
For me, the benefits of this art go even further, it is a way to align myself and to release and cultivate energy. I live in a beautiful place and train outdoors, it is also a chance to connect with the earth, under the sun, my feet in the grass or sand, with the smells and sounds of nature nearby. That seems much better to me than a rubber floor, fluorescent lights, smells of sweat and cleaning solution and the sound of spinning treadmills and slamming weights.
Please join me as I teach you how to achieve all of these benefits with my one step at a time approach. Always feel free to ask questions, work at your own pace, and love your practice!
