Has anyone ever told you to “lift with your legs”? It’s sound advice that has plenty of applications like rearranging furniture and crushing a set of deadlifts. What about; “it’s all in the hips”? Perfecting your hip action is a vital component of dancing the salsa, and critically important to your success in the sack.
If you we’re to put these two pieces of advice into practice you’d become a highly sought after furniture mover, dance partner and lover. And, to specifically address the topic of this article, you’d become a better athlete. That’s because strong legs and powerful hips are both attributes possessed by high performing athletes; regardless of their chosen sport. If you’re looking to improve your athletic prowess, by becoming stronger and more explosive, it’s time to begin training with a kettlebell and some targeted kettlebell exercises.
In case you’re new to this kettlebell thing, that shot-put sized ball with a handle – the one that clueless trainers use a doorstop – that’s a kettlebell. If you we’re to pick it up, and even if you had no idea what you we’re doing, your first instinct would be to swing it around. No, you’re not a fitness savant; a kettlebell is designed to be used for dynamic or ballistic exercises. Unlike a dumbbell or barbell that has an equal distribution of weight, the asymmetrical design of the kettlebell places the resistance away from your body. As a result you have to recruit multiple muscle groups, and engage even more stabilizing muscles, to compete compound movements. All these moving parts teach your body to work as one unit, helping you perfect athletic based movements while training strength, balance and coordination.
Before I reveal the exact kettlebells exercises you’ll want to use, and at the risk of being redundant, the significance of compound movements is one that warrants further exploration. Isolated movements like leg extensions and biceps curls are mainstays in most bodybuilding routines. However, athletic performance is about more than a pump – it’s about power. That’s why, when it comes to kettlebell training, it’s best to stick with compound – multi-joint – movements. If you’re squatting or hinging you’re in the clear, but if you’re standing stiff-legged while doing shoulder flyes you’re way off base.
Now for the main event: four kettlebell exercises you can use to improve athletic performance.
1. Two-hand Swing
The Kettlebell swing is the foundational move of kettlebell exercise. To the untrained eye it appears as though the guy doing kettlebell swings is thrusting this weighted ball out from in-between his legs by pulling the weight with his arms. Be warned, this is an optical illusion.
If you’ve ever tried your hand at Olympic weight lifting exercises like the power clean you’ll know what I am talking about. You can’t reverse curl a loaded barbell to your chest and call it a clean; and you can’t yank a kettlebell with your arms and call it a swing. For the most part, your arms are along for the ride; your legs, hips and core do all of the hard work.
The best way to figure out what I am talking about is to try it for yourself. Begin by holding the kettlebell with both hands on the handle; sink into a squat with the weight between the legs. Keep your chest up, core engaged and arms loose. Shift your weight back onto your heels and stand up out of the squatted position driving with your legs and hips. Like magic, the kettlebell will swing out in front of you.
2. Double Kettlebell Thruster
Combining a front squat and an overhead press, the Kettlebell thruster is a demanding total body movement. Sure, you can do them with dumbbells or a barbell, but using two kettlebells is way more fun. (and also more difficult)
When you’re ready to begin you’ll hold the kettlebell into your chest with the ball of the weight resting on your wrist. Let the weight ride into your chest to support the load, then sit back and down into a squat. Use your legs to explode out of the squatted position. As you reach the top of the squat begin to press the weight overhead. You can press one arm at a time or both together. Either way, the more power you generate with your legs and hips, the easier it will be to press the weight overhead.
3. Kettlebell Gunslinger
Combining an isolated squat hold and a single-arm swing the kettlebell gunslinger is a tortuous exercise. Remember that figure-8 drill back in rec-league basketball, when you had to dribble the ball between your legs? The gunslinger is kind of like that, but with a kettlebell.
Grasping the outside handle of the kettlebell with your right hand, sit into a squat. Now, hold that squat. Passing the kettlebell in front of your right knee and between your legs, grab the open end of the handle with your left arm. As the kettlebell comes around your left leg, drive out of the squat hold and swing the weight. You’re almost done; I promise. At the top of the swing turn the open end of the handle towards you and pass it back between your legs and into your right hand.
4. Kettlebell Snatch
One of the more technical and challenging kettlebell exercises, take your time learning how to perform the snatch. Like the swing and power clean, the kettlebell snatch is not what it appears to be. At first blush it looks as simple, and as painful, as firing a weight over your head and flipping it over your wrist. Don’t do that, try this instead; use your legs and a twist of the wrist to finish the movement.
Place the kettlebell between your feet. Sink into the squatted position and grip the handle with one hand. Begin the lifting the kettlebell, drive through your heels and through your hips. As the kettlebell rises, keep it close to your body as though you were starting a lawn mower. When the weight reaches shoulder level, punch your hand overhead. Opening your hand and rotating the wrist will prevent the weight from slamming on your wrist.
Like our other three exercises you’ve just trained strength, cardio, coordination and explosion at the same time. Congratulations; you’re already more athletic than you were when you started reading this article.
This has been a guest post from Joe Vennare, co-founder of The Hybrid Athlete. Check out their website and follow Joe on Twitter for more health and fitness information.