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Top 5 Benefits of Kettlebell Training
Top 5 Benefits of Kettlebell Training
Kettlebell training has rapidly become the new fitness craze, and with good reason. Who doesn’t want to burn fat, improve endurance, and increase strength all in one quick workout?
1. Muscle Integration versus Isolation
For hundreds of years, kettlebell training has focused on muscle integration rather than isolation. Unlike dumbbells, kettlebells promote ballistic exercises, such as swings, clean, snatches, and jerks. The off-centered weight recruits multiple muscle groups to work in unison, providing a greater physical challenge to the body versus standard dumbbells, and therefore burns more calories. Ballistic movements are not the only exercises that you can profit from by using a kettlebell, as there are many others, including the turkish get-up and windmill, both of which develop a solid midsection and increase shoulder stability. With kettlebells, the whole body is trained with particular focus on the core and back muscles. The versatility in exercises, which can include both fast and slow-twitch muscle fibers, makes kettlebell training one of the most effective (and cheapest) ways to get an effective workout.
2. 30 Minutes or Less
Perhaps the most enticing benefit of kettlebell training is the ability to push out a calorie-blasting workout in less than 30 minutes. Kettlebell training, when done properly, is performed with minimal to no rest and incorporates both cardiovascular and resistance training. This enables you to perform a killer total body workout in about half the time of a standard gym workout.
3. Shed Fat
Kettlebell training is a great way to promote fat loss. First, swinging around a heavy weight that recruits multiple muscle groups increases your metabolic cost, and therefore burns maximal calories. Second, the interval style training encourages muscle confusion, which is necessary for optimal fat loss. Lastly, the combination of cardiovascular and resistance training promotes lean muscle mass, which can tap into fat stores long after your workout is complete.
4. Variety and Fun
Kettlebell training can be fun and provide variety to your workout regimen. As there are hundreds of simple and unique exercises you can do with a single kettlebell, it’s easy to avoid boredom.
5. Improve Muscle Endurance
The high repetition type of training that is used with kettlebells improves muscle endurance. Specifically, kettlebell training can significantly increase muscle endurance in the back, an area of the body that’s often overlooked in weight training.
It doesn’t stop there! These are only a few of the numerous benefits of kettlebell training. This type of exercise is tough, however if you gradually build up the intensity and duration of your workout, kettlebell training can provide a fabulous workout to get you fit, lean and healthy in a surprisingly short amount of time
The Low Down on High Protein Diets for Weight Loss
High-protein diets take a page from the low-carb craze. The goal is to lose weight by eating more protein-packed foods, which often means consuming fewer carbohydrates. The portion of total calories derived from protein is what defines a high-protein diet. In a typical diet, 10%-15% of daily calories come from protein. In a high-protein diet, this number can be as high as 30%-50%. Besides curbing appetites, high-protein diets may also change a person’s metabolism. When carbohydrates are severely restricted, the body begins burning its own fat for fuel – a state called ketosis. Ketosis may shed weight, but it’s also associated with headaches, irritability, nausea, kidney trouble, and heart palpitations. High-protein diets come in many forms, and not all are created equal. The most nutritious high-protein plans are low in fat and moderate in carbohydrates, rather than high in fat and low in carbohydrates.
Foods To Eliminate...Pronto!
Eliminate processed sugars. Processed sugars are merely carbs that are stripped of any valuable nutrients. How can you identify these types of sugars? It's simple- they're all white: table sugar, pasta, rice, and bread. They're worth kicking out of your diet, as they're nothing but trouble and rev up your appetite for more of the same. Still not motivated to ban these foods from your diet? Think of it this way- these foods are comparable to eating a candy bar...
Kick Boredom To The Curb
First, evaluate your current exercise routine and determine what really bores you. A new variation on your favorite activity—such as cardio-funk or kickboxing instead of step aerobics, or hoisting free weights instead of working on machines—may be enough to reinvigorate a stale routine.
If you’ve always worked out indoors, move your workout outside for a welcome change of scenery. Run, hike or bike on trails or swim in a lake or ocean.
When tweaking your routine isn’t enough, make bigger changes. Take up an entirely new activity—especially something you never thought you’d do. If you’ve always stuck to solitary pursuits, sign up for a team sport, such as volleyball, basketball or even doubles tennis. Or tackle something you’ve always shied away from—indulge your thirst for adventure with a rock-climbing class (starting on an indoor wall, then moving to the real thing as your skills improve).
Small exercise gadgets aren’t necessary, but they can make your workouts more fun and challenging. Pedometers, heart-rate monitors, iPods, aquatic toys and safety equipment are just a few items to consider. These may boost your motivation in a different way that gives you that extra push!
Lastly, consider a short break - cut back on your usual routine and substitute other activities. You might even find an activity that you enjoy more than your old favorites.
Once you’ve fought your first battle with boredom, you’ll know the tricks to keep exercise from becoming too routine. Trying new sports, new classes and new activities—and learning how to throw a little variety into your old standbys—can help you overcome the nagging inclination to devise those creative excuses for not working out.
If you’ve always worked out indoors, move your workout outside for a welcome change of scenery. Run, hike or bike on trails or swim in a lake or ocean.
When tweaking your routine isn’t enough, make bigger changes. Take up an entirely new activity—especially something you never thought you’d do. If you’ve always stuck to solitary pursuits, sign up for a team sport, such as volleyball, basketball or even doubles tennis. Or tackle something you’ve always shied away from—indulge your thirst for adventure with a rock-climbing class (starting on an indoor wall, then moving to the real thing as your skills improve).
Small exercise gadgets aren’t necessary, but they can make your workouts more fun and challenging. Pedometers, heart-rate monitors, iPods, aquatic toys and safety equipment are just a few items to consider. These may boost your motivation in a different way that gives you that extra push!
Lastly, consider a short break - cut back on your usual routine and substitute other activities. You might even find an activity that you enjoy more than your old favorites.
Once you’ve fought your first battle with boredom, you’ll know the tricks to keep exercise from becoming too routine. Trying new sports, new classes and new activities—and learning how to throw a little variety into your old standbys—can help you overcome the nagging inclination to devise those creative excuses for not working out.