If you have ever worked out with kettlebells, you know that a kettlebell workout differs significantly from free weight or dumbbell exercises. Although kettlebells may be equivalent in weight to dumbbells, they engage different muscles because the center of gravity in a kettlebell exists on a vertical rather than a horizontal plane.
When, for example you initially grip a kettlebell placed on the floor, you hold it by a handle. As you begin lifting the kettlebell, you are engaged in a pulling motion. As you raise the kettlebell, its center of gravity relative to your body begins to shift and at approximately shoulder height, the pull on your bicep, tricep and shoulder muscles becomes a pushing motion.
The effect of this change in the center of gravity in this sample exercise is to engage stabilizing muscles at multiple points in and around your arm and core. By contrast, a standard biceps curl engages only those stabilizing muscles necessary to support your arm in a single plane of motion.
While kettlebells offer advantages over dumbbells, both are far superior to using exercise machines commonly found in exercise gyms. This past Thursday, my regular workout partner, Michael, and I conducted an experiment to examine this difference. The exercise we selected was an overhead triceps curl. Our regular triceps exercise involves lying on an exercise ball with arms extended overhead, grabbing a 70lb. weight and raising 45 degrees until the weight is directly overhead. My maximum for this exercise is currently 70 lbs. and Michael's is 75.
We decided to test our capacity on a pulldown machine, which triggers approximately the same muscles. Each of us was able to comfortably pull down close to 150 lbs. The reason – the pulldown machine does not engage any stabilizing muscles and requires movement in only one plane. All muscle energy can be focused on one controlled movement. This machine might be helpful building bulk, but I suspect that it would not be helpful creating strength.
Our next step is to substitute a kettlebell for the dumbbell in our exercise ball routine. I would imagine that the center of gravity weight shift will occur at about a 20 degrees angle of lift.
Filed under Blog, Sample exercises, Strength training by 
The kettlebell is a cast iron weight that looks like a basketball with the handle of a suitcase attached. It has become a common addition to fitness and weight training. A kettlebell is a common training tool in Russia. They come in poods a Russian measure of weight that equals 16 kg. ( 36 pounds). There are one, one and a half, and two pood bells and heavier ones called bulldogs. Usually athletes stick to the 32, 24 and 16 kg, bells for their training. It is a lot harder to do a kettlebell exercise than to exercise with dumbbells because the bells require you to pull at least a foot higher.
You really have to know what you are doing when you start kettlebell training. If you do it incorrectly, you can easily injure your lungs. Once you master the techniques, the wrist action of kettlebell exercises will help you develop strong tendons and ligaments in your wrists, elbows and shoulders and thus will increase the strength of your arms.
More on Kettlebell Training – Do The Russians Know What They Are Doing?
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The Western world is gradually listening, receiving and applying simple, primitive and more effective training methods from the archives of the Eastern bloc. Kettlebells (KB’s) have already become the tool of choice for ‘in the know’ strength and power athletes. Joint Mobility (JM), a combination of Qigong and dynamic stretching, has also become one of the most effective warm-ups for any athlete. How can the re-birth of these two timeless protocols benefit triathletes?
Triathletes are a special population due to the fact they are training for three events simultaneously, i.e. swimming, biking, and running. Efficiency is of the utmost importance, especially for Ironman competitors, 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run ALL IN ONE DAY!! Thus, there are many problems these athletes run into throughout the course of their training programs. The most common issues are over-training, weak core, tight hip flexors, tight low back, and stress fractures mainly in the lower leg and small bones of the feet.
More on Kettlebell Training for Triathletes
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Listen up, ladies! I finally found the perfect form of exercise. Training with kettlebells! I won't be going back to traditional weight training because kettlebells give me quicker results and more challenging exercises. The name of the game in fitness these days is intensity. That is, everyone is trying to get the most out of their workouts for maximum results in the shortest amount of time. Kettlebells will provide intensity. Unlike dumbbells, kettlebells displace weight, so physics forces body awareness and requires you to work against resistance through a longer range of motion. This increases the intensity of your workout and improves flexibility. Because the kettlebell hangs behind your hand and rests on your forearm it makes the weight easier to balance. And the handle makes it easier to hold on to for ballistic movements. This more intense workout will result in achieving your fitness goals more quickly.
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Most people would look very puzzled if you told them you use kettlebells for strength training. You would have to explain what a kettlebell is and what it does.
Everyone who is involved in a strength training program agrees that good strength training equipment is worth its weight in gold. Are kettlebells good strength training equipment? The answer is a resounding "Yes!"
Are Kettlebells Good Strength Training Equipment For All Sports?
It is important to thoroughly understand the purpose of a kettlebell. A kettlebell is aptly named. It is a cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball that has a handle on top. It was originally developed in Russia and is considered one of the most effective training tools available on the market.
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