Kettlebell Exercises - Safety first.
Filed under: kettlebell exercises, kettlebell safety, kettlebell training
There’s nothing more exciting than swinging a huge weight around your body. It’s a strangely exhilarating feel as you feel it flying through the air with momentum and thrust.
But, getting wrapped up in the moment while losing concentration isn’t a good thing. While kettlebells are perfectly safe to use in a kettlebell training program, they need to be treated with diligence and respect. Here’s a few tips to make sure your kettlebell training is both safe and productive.
First of all, stay in the moment. This is a very zen concept, but it’s crucial. Focus on your form, technique and breathing instead of thinking about things that don’t matter in that moment, like the bills that came through the letterbox that morning or what you’re going to have for dinner tonight. When working out, you should be thinking about kettlebell exercises and nothing else.
Secondly, never try recover a bad rep. It’ll only lead to disaster. If the kettlebell starts to go of on its own path, let it! Move out of the way and leave it to its own devices. Then, once it’s come to a rest, start the exercise again. Make sure to train in areas with loads of space. You never know when you’ll need it.
Thirdly, don’t get cocky. Even light kettlebells need to be used carefully. If you find yourself training with a 12kg kettlebell having used a 16kg for a long time, you should focus more than ever on the technique. “Light” kettlebells are still a force to be reckoned with. Don’t learn this the hard way.
Fourthly, push yourself, but do it sensibly. If you’re new to kettlebell training, starting with a 24kg kettlebell and performing 500 swings is not a good idea. Build up gradually, listen to your body and exercise good judgement when it comes to progressing to more difficult kettlebell exercises and heavier kettlebells.
And, finally, focus on technique rather than number of reps. If you find yourself tired, exhausted and physically unable to do another rep, then switch temporarily to another less strenuous exercise or take a breather. There’s no shame in performing a few sumo deadlifts to catch your breath because you can’t physically do another swing. Performing an additional rep while being physically unable to do so is simply asking for trouble.
Kettlebells are really, really fun to train with. They’re also very effective at building strength and conditioning. When you’re injured, you don’t improve your strength or your conditioning. It worsens.
Train hard. Train well. But don’t train stupid. It works out better in the long run.
The first step. Goal setting.
Everyone’s in a rush. Do this. Do that. We act first and think later. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing, of course. If you don’t take action, nothing ever gets accomplished. The problem occurs when it comes to results – we want results now and sometimes don’t have the patience to see things through. I’ve been guilty of this many times, as I’m sure you have too – its human nature! By setting goals, you can overcome this problem.
Before starting training, it’s important to define goals and decide what course of action is to be taken. It’s important to know what you want so that you can decide how you’re going to get it. By doing this, you can define what results mean to you specifically thereby giving yourself the motivation and the drive to keep on pushing when the going gets tough.
When it comes to goal setting, it is equally important to focus on both the short term and the long term. There are entire books focused on setting goals, but I’m going keep it simple and describe the two most effective techniques I use to make sure I’m on track and headed in the direction I want to be.
First of all, I write down my short term goals and leave them in a place that’s easily visible. I write down a few different types of goals; daily goals, weekly goals, a monthly goal and an over arching three month goal. By breaking your goals into smaller, more manageable tasks, it means that you won’t get overwhelmed. Every step forwards, no matter how small, gives a feeling of accomplishment and keeps the momentum going.
To keep my long term goals in check, I created what is called a vision board. In my vision board, I have pictures of the people I admire when it comes to athletic ability and also body type. For example, my vision board currently has pictures of Pavel Tsatsouline and Mike Mahler, both kettlebell athletes, as well as Daniel Craig and Ryan Reynolds, two celebrities whose physiques I admire. Whenever my motivation lapses, taking one look at that board reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing.
When you reach a goal, there are a few important things you should do. Firstly, celebrate! Give yourself a pat on the back! Secondly, make a note of your success. Whenever you’re feeling a little down in the dumps, it’s a great feeling to look back and take in what you’ve already accomplished. And, finally, make new goals! Push the boundaries – don’t get complacent. Keep pushing yourself.
The importance of goal setting cannot be understated. This simple exercise can be the difference between failure and success.
So, open a notepad document, grab a piece of paper, whatever – you decide – and spend a few minutes writing down some goals. They don’t have to be perfect - just start writing.
Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
(A bonus technique here for those of you who might be experiencing an especially rough patch. About a year ago, I was having a bit of difficult sticking to my regime. About a year ago, I’d been injured sparring while boxing and I couldn’t find the motivation to get back into training. I decided I needed to take drastic action. I wrote out a check for $250 and gave it to my best friend.
“If I miss a single training session and I don’t have a good excuse, I want you to cash the check and spend it on something as soon as you possible can”, I told him.
Funnily enough, I haven’t missed a session since! Not for the faint of heart, but definately effective.)
Five reasons why the gym sucks.
Filed under: home gym, kettlebell exercises, kettlebell training
The gym has quickly integrated itself into society as a vital cog in the machine of life. Twenty years ago, it was unusual for a person to go the gym to work out. Nowadays, it’s the norm. Something changed. A revolution happened. Fitness became a priority in people’s lives. Smart business men around the globe saw an opportunity and took advantage of this. Nowadays, gyms are everywhere and memberships are at an all time high,
But, do we need the gym?
In my opinion, they suck and we’d all be better off without them.
Why?
First of all, travelling to the gym sucks.
Imagine this. You’ve just finished a gruelling workout. All you want to do is sit back on the sofa, relax a little and take a breather. You leave the gym, get in your car and head on your way home. Five minutes into your journey, you hit a traffic jam. Your ten minute drive home turns into thirty minutes. Yuck.
Secondly, most personal trainers don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.
I don’t want to tar all personal trainers out there with the same brush (there are many who do know what they’re talking about), but the majority of the ones I’ve dealt with have been clueless and out of shape. It’s an odd feeling to have a guy who needs to lose at least 30lbs himself giving you fitness advice that he read in a book.
Thirdly, going to the gym costs a huge amount of money!
Gym fees are getting out of control! The average cost of a gym is currently $60 per month and rising. And, have you ever tried to cancel a gym membership? Good luck with that! Many gyms have long term commitment clauses that are near impossible to get round.
Fourthly, going to the gym limits your training options.
The first thing I do after turning off my alarm clock is to grab my kettlebell and do a workout. Ever done a workout in your boxer shorts? It’s pretty fun!
Working out first thing the morning can boost your metabolism for the day (meaning you burn more calories) and put you into an alert and ready state that is more effective than any cup of coffee. If you were to go to the gym in the morning, you’d need to get dressed, head over there, sign in, put your clothes in a locker.. and so on and so forth.
You end up wasting time doing pointless tasks when your time could be spent doing more important things. Like getting a little bit of extra sleep before heading to work in the morning. 
Finally, there are loads of distractions at the gym.
When I used to go to the gym, I decided that I would spend as much time as I could working out. I’d get in as much exercise as I could.
Looking round, it seemed like the majority of people disagreed with my way of thinking. I’d see people standing around, sipping water while wistfully staring at the television screen (or members of the opposite sex!) or admiring themselves in the mirror instead of pushing themselves and making the most of their time. Working out home, you can minimise the distractions and focus on working out.
It’s been three years since I’ve given up the gym. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m more independent when it comes to my health; I spend more time working out and less time is wasted and I’m in much better shape than I was back in my gym days, not to mention I’ve saved a ton of money.
The time of the gym is over. The age of the home workout is drawing nearer. Jump on the bandwagon now - you won’t regret it!
Ps. If you want to find out how kettlebells can help you with working out at home, check out the “Introduction to Kettlebells” article here.
Pps. One of the main worries people have about giving up the gym is that they’ll lose the motivation to work out. I’ve written about this specific issue in my “Goal Setting” article here. Give it a read!
Kettlebell exercises – Turkish Getup.
I love the ‘turkish getup’. I remember distinctly the first time I performed it - it was so different to anything I had done before while training with dumbells, barbells or resistance bands.
The turkish getup starts with you lying down on your back, kettlebell held up towards the sky with your elbow at full lock out. Gradually, you start standing up, kettlebell still held high, until you’re fully stood up with the kettlebell held directly above you. Next, you reverse the movement until you find yourself back on the floor gasping for breath.
Switch arms. Repeat.
Anthony DiLuglio from ‘Art of Strength’ has a brilliant video on YouTube with step-by-step instructions showing exactly how the turkish getup should be performed. You can check it out below.
Kettlebell Exercises - The swing.
The swing is the shining brilliant exercise that epitomises all that is brilliant about kettlebells and kettlebell exercises.
The exercise, comprised of a compound movement, works a great deal of the body including the legs, the arms, the core (abs and lower back) and the glutes too, all the while improving flexibility, balance and strength.
It sounds too good to be true, I’ll admit, but once you master the swing, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
While scouring the internet, I came across another video from Anthony Di Luglio that explains how the swing should be performed. I’m quite tempted to pick up one of Anthony’s dvds after seeing the quality of the free stuff he’s putting out there. Reviews to follow? Maybe!
Anyway - onto the video! Check out Art of Strength.com for more vids and lots of other awesome bits of info.