Kettlebells lover

The kettlebells in our program

I started to play with kettlebells during my first Sports Conditioning workouts as a Judo athlete. My two favorite personal trainers really liked them, and they started to work with them more than 15 years ago. That’s why this class is one of my favorites. It’s straight forward, very fun, and it reminds me of when I was an athlete. 

At Giorgia fitMindset we offer 2 different workouts specifically with the kettlebells. 

There are three big circuits, and each of them has six mini rounds (1 cardio exercise 30”-60” + 1 Kettlebells exercise) for a total of 18 mini rounds. 18 cardio exercises and 18 kettlebell exercises. 

I circuit: focus on arms, pullover, chest press, biceps and triceps.

II circuit: focus on total body, swing, lateral swing and modifications.

III round: focus on ABS, small, lateral and regular crunch.
On top of that we use the kettlebells during one of the total body workouts, and in one Tabata. 

Why add some weight? 

Using the kettlebells, we do a total body workout that trains our postural muscles and opens our chest to help maintain good posture during our daily life.  

The kettlebells also add some weight to our free-body fitness routine to improve our upper body strength and repair the imbalance between Left and Right that daily life creates.

At Giorgia fitMindset we require small and cheap equipment. We use milk/tea gallon jugs or laundry soap bottles and they’re as good as having fancy kettlebells! 

I personally love the Arizona tea gallons as kettlebells, the plastic is very durable and the tap is lasting. I know that in Europe it is hard to find big containers, so if you’re exercising there, I recommend laundry soap bottles. 

For women, I recommend using a 2-4 kg (4 - 9) weight, and 6-8 kg (13-17) for men. 

Benefits

The ability to swing kettlebells provides training for muscle groups across planes other than vertical (sagittal) and horizontal (transverse). 

Among their other benefits:

• 1. Kettlebells provide a better cardio workout because of the extra movement involved in the standard exercises.

• 2. The swinging action of kettlebells creates a fluid movement, which may be easier on the body. Bonus: A kettlebell swing can activate the entire posterior chain of muscles in a way that dumbbells can't. A 2016 study even found that kettlebell training is effective in lower back pain treatment.

• 3. Kettlebells improve functional strength, which is typically defined as strength that is applicable in everyday life situations (like carrying heavy grocery bags). 

• 4. Kettlebells increase grip strength because of their thick handles. Improved grip strength can help with exercises like pull-ups.

Including kettlebells in your training for variety can be beneficial and a lot of fun.