Last Updated 3 years ago
Many people, upon entering a gym, ask this question: “what is the best way to lose fat, fast?”
Well, there are many ways, but if you want to lose fat, tone your muscles and save time at the same time, the answer is one word: Kettlebells.
Kettlebell: a Powerful Fitness Tool
Kettlebells are neither new nor a passing gym fashion trend, as this extraordinary fitness tool was introduced to the world by Russians several hundreds of years ago.
Originally they were made to be used as counterweights in scales, yet quickly they entered the weight lifting world, and by 1948 they had become Soviet Union’s national sport.
At first glance, a kettlebell is like a cannonball with a handle. And while it might seem like weight lifting with a handle addition, a workout with kettlebells differ a lot from conventional weight training.
As a matter of fact, kettlebell training combines cardio and strength training in a short period of time, burning 400 calories on 20 minutes on average.
The key to the tremendous effectiveness kettlebell workouts have is causing excessive demands on the body by pulling, pushing and swinging.
Benefits of Kettlebell Workouts
Kettlebell workouts are not only useful for building muscles and burning fat, there are a range of additional benefits:
- Kettlebell swinging works stabilisation muscles as they try to keep joints aligned, hence your posture and stability is improved
- Kettlebell swinging increases lung and heart capacity as high intensive exercise movements require more oxygen
- Kettlebell swinging does not require much movement of the feet, hence a full body workout can be done in a limited workout space
- Kettlebell exercises improve core integration as they require body movements from head to toe, so exercising with kettlebells reliefs significantly from back, neck and shoulder pains.
Are Kettlebell Workouts Safe for Beginners?
Since kettlebell workout is more than weight lifting, some might get frightened to the idea of using them because of the difficulty level and the possibility of injuries.
Yet, like any fitness tool, kettlebells can be used correctly and incorrectly, by beginners and advanced alike.
Still, if you pay attention to the guidelines of the exercise or have a trainer by your side guiding you throughout the workout (at least for the first month, until you ride the wave), everything will be just fine and under control.
But let’s cut to the chase and see why kettlebell training is recommended when you want to burn fat, and fast.
Kettlebell Workout Facts
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The entire body is working out, like a complete unit.
Kettlebell training focuses on your body’s natural moves, which includes all muscle groups. In other words, in a workout with Kettlebells you don’t just exercise your legs, abs or back; but the whole body.
By using kettlebells in your routine correctly, you increase fat burning without losing muscle mass, as is usually the case with cardio workouts.
The “Kettlebell swing” workout, in particular, involves muscles in hips, glutes, lats, abs, shoulders, hamstrings, grips and pecs, while it also refines small muscles that usually remain untouched with isolation exercises.
The transformation of your body with such a workout routine is rapid, and it gives evidence of the fact that kettlebells treat your body as a unit; the upper body is linked with the lower and the overall look achieved is of functional power and strength.
Since this type of training is very demanding, energy and oxygen demands are high as well, as your body tries to fuel more than 600 muscles simultaneously!
Hence, fat burning during kettlebell workouts is huge.
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Your metabolism increases
When you are working out using kettlebells you are basically repeating everyday moving patterns that demand muscle power, such as bending over to pick up something heavy or squatting down to sit. And why is that so important?
Since our everyday life has been made easy for us (we move by car or bus rather than on foot), our muscles need building up and toning, or else even the easiest moves will eventually put them on strain!
With a Kettlebell workout routine, as you are repeating over and over these moving patterns, your muscles will reward you be getting stronger and toned.
This, in turn, is very important for fat loss, because toned muscles have tremendous energy needs, in order to maintain their size.
Where will they find the energy they need? You guessed it – Body Fat.
But there is also another reason your metabolism increases with the use of kettlebells in your workout routine.
A recent study that appeared in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research revealed that the kettlebell swing exercise has a very significant effect in rising growth hormone and testosterone levels in the body.
Growth hormone and testosterone are proved to be two fat-burning hormones in both sexes.
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Your body continues to burn calories at a high rate (even 24 hours after the workout is over)
Kettlebells are very effective for fat loss due to the EPOC (excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption) or, as it is commonly known, “Afterburn”.
High Intensive exercise, like kettlebell training, drives your body into the anaerobic zone and creates “Afterburn” or EPOC.
To explain, after a kettlebell work-out session, your body has to work hard to reach an equilibrium balance, which includes re-oxygenation of tissues, glycogen refuelling, clearance of lactic acid, etc.
All this process demands high levels of energy and where does this energy come from? You guessed it again, your fat stores.
This means that, unlike some other forms of exercise, with a kettlebell work-out routine, you will actually be burning calories when you are done, and for up to 24 hours after the workout is over.
What Kettlebell Type Is Ideal for You?
Nowadays, buying a kettlebell is the easiest thing in the world, as it is literally a click away.
Yet it is important to know that not all kettlebells are the same. Small differences in material and size of handle play a major role in your workout routine.
In fact, a mismatched kettlebell might hinder your workout routine instead of improving it.
Here are some tips that might prove handy before you proceed in buying your first kettlebell:
Competition Kettlebells
These kettlebells are designed for competition.
They have a squarer handle, while the size of the kettlebell’s body stays the same no matter the weight.
The narrow, square handle ensures a safer grip of the handle, enabling minimum hand movement.
These type of kettlebells are great for single-handed exercises.
Yet, it might not be recommended for beginners who seek a kettlebell to hold with two hands.
Cast Iron Kettlebells
These kettlebells have a more rounded handle, while the body consists of a solid cast iron ball.
A good quality cast iron kettlebell is smoothly shaped, with no sharp corner in sight.
At a well-made kettlebell, the space between the handle and the body should be large enough to push through a horizontal closed fist but at the same time not enabling you to push through a vertical closed fist.
Be cautious with kettlebells with very large handles, sharp corners or edges.
Remember that selecting the right kettlebell for you is vital for training without injuries.
A badly designed kettlebell will likely destroy your wrists and make you quit easily, right from the stat.
Kettlebell Weight Sizes Recommended for Men and Women
- 8kg is a good starting weight for women.
- Men beginners and advanced women can start with 12 kg
- Advanced Men can start with 16kg, while this is a weight many women can reach within 6-12 months
- Kettlebells of 20kg are fit for progressed men and some women, ideally for Swings
- Kettlebells of 24kg are a nice goal for men and demanding weight for most kettlebell workout routines.
- Between 24kg and 32kg (maximum weight) lies the 28kg, a kettlebell in between.
Although the above are the classic kettlebell weights, there are various weights in the market available because of the increased popularity of the kettlebell training. You can always consult your trainer which kettlebell is the best option for you.
In most cases, most men can benefit from their exercises with just a 16kg kettlebell for a period of time, and most women can see results with an 8kg and a 12kg kettlebell.
If you are a beginner, always start with the lighter weight recommended by your trainer, and make sure you are making the correct moves to prevent injury.
Conclusions
As a recap, a kettlebell workout is an excellent way to exercise and tone your whole body muscles as a unity, as it combines cardio with strength training and weight lifting.
It improves general fitness, mobility and flexibility and it is proven to be an excellent option for fat loss goals. The key is to learn how to use the kettlebell correctly to prevent injuries and pick the right one for you.