Kettlebells for Strength and Fitness

Kettlebells, once a very niche component of the fitness industry, are rapidly becoming more popular. Most gyms now have a selection of kettlebells, and many coaches use them as part of their clients’ training.

History

The use of kettlebells can be traced back to the 1700s. They were used throughout the 1800s and 1900s in Russia before they became more widely known in other countries. Pavel Tsatsouline, a Russian born fitness instructor, is credited with bringing kettlebell training to the United States in the late 1990s. In Russia and Eastern Europe, there is a long history of using kettlebells in competitions. In the 1960s, the rules were formalised under the name Girevoy Sport (Kettlebell Sport Lifting).

Several types of kettlebell competition now exist around the world. They use different rules, but all of them share the idea of performing repetitions of specific kettlebell movements against the clock. Fitness competitions (for example CrossFit) often include kettlebell movements in their workouts. The required combination of strength, endurance and skill makes the kettlebell a great tool to test athletes.

The Kettlebell

All kettlebells share the same basic shape: a roughly spherical body and a handle above. However, there are differences in their construction and dimensions.

Cheaper kettlebells are often made of plastic, meaning they can be damaged if dropped. High-quality, all-metal kettlebells are virtually indestructible, meaning they will last a lifetime and beyond.

The handles on competition kettlebells are thicker, wider and straighter than those on many cheaper kettlebells. This accommodates two-handed exercises better than a narrow, curved handle. Competition kettlebells are designed to have a uniform size regardless of weight – meaning that athletes can use a consistent technique irrespective of the weight they are using.

The Value of Kettlebells

The kettlebell shares some things in common with the dumbbell – they are available in a similar range of weights and feature a handle. They share the same advantages in terms of portability and versatility. Many movements can be performed with either. However, their different handle configurations mean that the kettlebell is much better for certain kinds of movements.

The design of the kettlebell allows them to be well suited for dynamic movements. So, while the dumbbell tends to be used just for strength development or bodybuilding, the kettlebell can also be used for endurance and high-intensity interval training.

Compared to the barbell, kettlebell movements will typically use lower weights. However, while barbell training will often focus only on movement in the sagittal plane, the kettlebell can enable the body to be challenged in the frontal and transverse planes.

Training the body with movements in a variety of planes has advantages even for athletes whose sport is primarily in the sagittal plane (for example weightlifters). Both athletes and the general population can benefit from overall fitness and protection from injury.

The kettlebell equivalents of weightlifting movements such as the snatch can provide an accessible way for a client to incorporate explosive training into their program. While it is important to develop good technique with the kettlebell, the barrier to entry is much lower and the weights less intimidating.

The kettlebell can provide a lot of variety, enabling everything from strength work through to metabolic conditioning. This makes them very useful for keeping clients engaged and providing a rounded program, no matter what the goal is.

The Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is the foundational movement for almost every kettlebell exercise commonly used for strength training and metabolic conditioning. Before a client can start performing kettlebell cleans, or kettlebell snatches, they need to be comfortable with the proper technique and cadence of the swing. It uses a hip hinging movement rather than a squat movement.

A hip hinge differs from a squat as the hinge acts more like a lever that lowers and raises the torso without much knee flexion. If you think about a jump position from two feet, you are more than likely envisioning a good neutral torso position. You should be leaning slightly forward with the hips jutting backwards, and the knees slightly bent. While firmly feeling the ground with your feet, drive the hips forward to full extension of the hips, knees and ultimately the ankles. This extension is the source of power from the hip hinge.

This cantilever motion, with the hips travelling back and forth, is the key to an efficient kettlebell swing. It is essential to take the time to emphasise proper position in the hinge to progress through the kettlebell movements. If your client is having a hard time with a hip hinge, there are several drills you can use to emphasise proper position.

Using a wall, work on touching the wall with the glutes and standing up straight. Using a wooden dowel or PVC pipe, focus on maintaining good torso position through the hinge. A plyometric box can be useful to teach the client to sit back while maintaining contact with their calves on the box.

Other Kettlebell Exercises

Although the swing is the foundational movement for kettlebells, the real benefits of kettlebell training are gained by using the full range of movements. We’ll look at a few of the most popular ones here that show the variety of movement types, but there are many more to explore.

Kettlebell Snatch

When referring to the kettlebell snatch, it is essential to preface “snatch” with “kettlebell”. A barbell snatch and dumbbell snatch are different movements due to the movement path the other implements require.

A kettlebell snatch uses the hip hinge just like a one-arm swing. However, instead of swinging out, it is essential to allow the elbow to break mid-swing, causing the kettlebell to move more vertically. As the kettlebell elevates, the client needs to “punch” the air as the kettlebell flips over the top of the hand and simultaneously squeeze the handle to decelerate the kettlebell. This requirement to control the kettlebell through grip provides the opportunity to improve coordination.

The kettlebell snatch enables clients with limited range of motion to work on their overhead position while allowing shoulder rotation to ease the stress on the shoulder.

Kettlebell Clean

Like the kettlebell snatch, the kettlebell clean is unique in the way the kettlebell has to travel due to its shape and size.

A swing is initiated with one arm. Rather than extending the arm and kettlebell out, the client must shrug the shoulder up and softly flex the elbow. This will allow it to internally rotate. They can then externally rotate the wrist to allow the kettlebell to travel around, not over the hand and wrist, to end in what we call a rack position. Once in a solid rack position, press and jerk variations can be performed, depending on the client’s needs and goals.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Kettlebells offer a great variation for Romanian deadlifts. By running the handle alongside the planted leg, the client can keep an anatomically natural grip as they hinge forward and stand back up with the kettlebell.

You should gauge your client’s flexibility and adjust the height of the kettlebell accordingly. You want to facilitate neutral spine and prevent them from excessively twisting their torso to the side holding the kettlebell.

Turkish Get Up

For clients who have good coordination and have sufficient core strength, Turkish getups are an excellent accessory exercise.

The client starts on their back with the kettlebell pressed straight over their chest with one arm. The leg that is on the same side of the arm with the kettlebell starts with the knee bent, foot firmly planted on the ground. Using the foot planted on the ground, the client drives through the foot and extends the hips into a bridge. They must maintain the kettlebell over the centre of their base of support. The leg that was extended slides underneath the body to come to a kneeling lunge position. As the leg slides, the kettlebell has to move upwards with the torso into a top shoulder press position. From the kneeling lunge, the client stands straight up, then reverses the process down to the ground.

The challenge to this exercise is to keep the arm completely extended through the entire movement. An excellent tip to give the client is to tell them to focus their eyes on the kettlebell the whole time.

Coaching Tips

If you are new to kettlebells or are working with clients who are new to them, start light and with simple movements.

Proficiency in the hip hinge by itself is essential to have an effective swing instead of a prolonged squat. Once the hip hinge has been mastered, add some resistance and have your client conventional deadlift with a kettlebell. Emphasise proper hip and torso movement. Once your client can maintain good position without letting the shoulders roll forward or letting the lower back round, they can start swinging the kettlebell.

The best attribute kettlebells have is their versatility. Whatever adaptation you or your client are trying to achieve, the kettlebell can help. Set and repetition schemes can be used with light to heavy kettlebells with appropriate rest interval for the adaptation you want. If you want to focus on the endurance aspect, rest for thirty to sixty seconds. If you are trying to increase power, ease off on the traditional endurance rep range of fifteen-plus and give yourself at least a couple of minutes to rest in between repetitions of eight or less.

It is important to remember that kettlebells will never replace traditional barbell exercises. Still, they are a great tool to complement those movements. Kettlebells are extremely popular in many fitness communities because of their efficacy in metabolic conditioning. Rather than using a defined set and repetition scheme, timed rounds with basic movements are very beneficial. This system works great in group training, where everyone can get their hands on an appropriately weighted kettlebell and work together.

Conclusion

Kettlebells are an extremely effective tool to help improve our strength and power. Kettlebells offer variety and simplicity in training methods. This helps inspire confidence in our clients and also builds a solid platform in positioning to assist in more complex movements. If you have not trained with kettlebells, you should learn more about them – you will soon see plenty of opportunities to use them in your programming.

References

Manocchia, P., Spierer, D. K., Lufkin, A. K. S., Minichiello, J., & Castro, J. (2013). Transference of Kettlebell Training to Strength, Power, and Endurance: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(2), 477–484. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825770fe

Matthews, M., & Cohen, D. (2013). The Modified Kettlebell Swing: Strength and Conditioning Journal, 35(1), 79–81. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0b013e31826993c5

Otto, W. H., Coburn, J. W., Brown, L. E., & Spiering, B. A. (2012). Effects of Weightlifting vs. Kettlebell Training on Vertical Jump, Strength, and Body Composition: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(5), 1199–1202. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824f233e