With a myriad of machines and exercise devices to choose from, those odd-shaped kettlebells in the corner of the gym may yet to have peaked your attention, but a recent review of scientific studies has confirmed the benefits of kettlebell training, to get your sweat on, could be a superior approach. Here’s why.
Kettlebells Are an All-Encompassing Workout
A recent review of scientific literature has concluded that the benefits of kettlebell training as a great tool for adding strength, increasing power, and building endurance. If you hit the gym or participate as an athlete in any sport, the chances are that those benefits are exactly in line with your own training goals.
Kettlebells Give Circuit Training a Run for Its Money
In one study highlighted in the recent kettlebell review, it was shown that 12 minutes of continuous kettlebell swings provided more of a challenge than 12 minutes of conventional circuit training, generating 87% of a participants maximal heart rate and 65% of their maximal oxygen consumption. In addition, a 5 to 7-minute kettlebell workout was found to be more aerobic than incline walking, stationary cycling, and even running.
Kettlebell Training Improves Grip Strength
Grip strength is essential for lifting weights and competing in a variety of sports. In one study, High Intensity Interval-Based Kettlebell training alongside the battle rope was shown to improve grip strength after just 5 weeks. Participants who alternated between battle rope and kettlebells in these 5-times-per-week sessions received an improved average grip strength value from 39.5kg±10.63kg to 42.08kg±11.45k, according to the data.
Kettlebells May Be Good for Back Pain
Research has also found that the mechanics of kettlebell swinging may offer unique benefits for back problems. While dynamic kettlebell exercises like Turkish getups are thought to improve core strength and flexibility, the swing also offers different range of motion to that of traditional weight training, and is believed to be a good exercise to perform because it encourages postural changes in the spine and could contribute to less back pain for those that suffer with the ailment.
You Don’t Need a Gym for Kettlebell Workouts
All these benefits of kettlebell’s sound great, but if money is too tight to mention and monthly gym subscription costs have you seeing red, there’s good news. Kettlebell’s are relatively inexpensive and a welcome addition to any home setup.
Start out moderately, perhaps with a 35-pound (16 kilogram) kettlebell for men, and a 18 pounder (8 kilograms) for women, but note that this figure could go up or down depending on a variety of factors such as the kettlebell exercise that you are performing and your individual fitness level. This is the reason why people like to own multiple iterations.
One way of finding out which weight suits you could be to make a visit to your local sporting goods store and experiment before you buy. I’ll race you there!