Healthy Happy Life Info: 5 Efficient Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners!

Published on March 16, 2013 in Exercises , full body

Kettlebells have been around for many years but have only recently become popular in the fitness world.

Because of fitness programs like Crossfit, kettlebells are getting much more recognition. Kettlebell training is great for everyone, ranging from beginner exercisers to Olympic athletes! Check out some of the benefits of using this piece of equipment, safety tips, and great kettlebell exercises for beginners.

THE KETTLEBELL

If you have never used a kettlebell before, you may be a little confused as to what this piece of equipment is. A kettlebell is a type of weight that is shaped like a bowling ball but has a single loop handle. Kettlebells are made out of cast iron and range in sizes and weights from two pounds up to one hundred pounds.

BENEFITS OF KETTLEBELL TRAINING

For starters, anyone can benefit from this type of training. No matter your age, fitness level, or gender, you can get the benefits of kettlebell training. Training with this piece of equipment is great because it goes back to the basics; whole body, functional fitness. Nowadays people focus so much on training specific muscle groups one at a time and while this may be effective for some people and for some goals, not everyone needs to train like that. The kettlebell will give you a full body workout.

Here are a few of the benefits of training with a kettlebell:

Full body conditioning
Builds strength
Builds stability
Builds balance
Engages multiple muscle groups at once
Increases heart rate
Improves mobility and range of motion
Increases muscular strength
Increases core strength
Burns a ton of calories

From the beginners standpoint, these are great benefits that you want to get out of any kind of exercise program. Kettlebell exercises for beginners provides all of that in one short workout!

BEGIN USING KETTLEBELLS

More and more gyms are beginning to purchase kettlebells for their facility but not all of them have them. If your gym has one, great; if not…you can purchase your own at any sporting goods store! Before you begin using a kettlebell for exercise, it is best to seek advice from a certified personal trainer or fitness professional prior.

Kettlebells are a little bit different from basic weights and the exercises performed are different. Not having proper training could result in injury. This type of training requires coordination and body awareness to perform the exercises. If you are not aware of this, you could end up performing the exercises wrong which could injure you or won’t make the exercises effective. Many of the exercises, even the kettlebell exercises for beginners, work multiple joints and muscles groups at once, which many people are not familiar with.

When starting out, you should always choose a light weight kettlebell. When learning the exercises, you want to get a feel for your range of motion and muscular strength before going heavier. Start off light and work your way up toward a heavier kettlebell.

BEGINNER FRIENDLY KETTLEBELL WORKOUT

If you’re just starting out and you have already talked to a trainer about kettlebell training, try out this workout! It consists of 5 efficient kettlebell exercises for beginners!

Exercise #1: Windmill

This move targets your shoulders, back, abs, obliques, and hips.

To perform this move:
Stand up straight holding a kettlebell in your right hand. Your feet should be slightly wider than hip width apart and your arms are down at your sides. Gently swing the kettlebell up from the side of your body to your chest by bending your right elbow. Lift the kettlebell up over your head until your arm is extended straight up. Keeping your arm up, bend at your hips reaching your left hand down to your left foot. Stand up straight and bring the kettlebell back down to your sides. Do this move in a swift and controlled motion.

Exercise #2: Kettlebell Swing

This move targets your shoulders, back, chest, arms, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core.

To perform this move:
Stand up straight holding a kettlebell with both hands. Open your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Squat down swinging the weight between your legs. Keep your chest and back up, head looking forward as you go down. Once you have squatted low enough, thrust up swinging the kettlebell out from under your legs up to about chest level, keeping your arms straight out. Lower the weight back down and repeat.

Exercise #3: Lunge Press

This move targets: shoulders, back, arms, glutes, quads

To perform this move:

Stand with your feet hip width apart holding a kettlebell in both hands. Bring the kettlebell up to your chest. Lunge forward with one leg while simultaneously lifting the kettlebell over your head. Repeat with the opposite leg.

Exercise #4: Upright Row

This move targets your shoulders, upper back, and triceps.

To perform this move:

Stand up straight with your legs hip width apart. Hold a kettlebell in both hands letting your arms hang in front of you. In a slow and controlled motion, bring the kettlebell up to shoulder height by bending your elbows out to the side. Hold for a second and bring the kettlebell back down to the starting position.

Exercise #5: Kettlebell Clean

This move targets the muscle in your upper body, lower body, and core.

To perform this move:
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart. Place a kettlebell on the ground between your legs. Bend forward slightly at the hips, keeping your back and chest up. Bend your knees slightly and use one hand to grab the kettlebell. In an explosive manner, stand up straight, lifting the kettlbell from the floor to above your head. Bring the kettlebell back down to the starting position and repeat in a swift motion.

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