Top 3 uses of a kettlebell

Hope every one had a good thanksgiving. Short post here. This is just my philosophy on the use of kettlebells as a tool in a broad spectrum training program.

• Work capacity
• Portability for travel or deployments
• 'Feeder' Exercises

Work capacity is pretty self explanitory.

The small size makes it easy to take just about anywhere for a total body gym. Going on deployment? Shove a couple in a conex and take an adjustable one on the plane. At work all day and don't have much time or space to get a workout in? Tote it along and knock out some short work throughout the day. Your co-workers may think you're a little nutty, but that's ok you've got the six-pack and he that sports the six-pack makes the rules.

Jumping straight into olympic lifts is a very techinical sport and takes years of training. Kettlebells allow you to start training the gross motor movements(hip extension, coordination) with more room for not quite perfect form. And just as the kettlebell clean and snatch are slightly more complex, you can start just about anybody on swings and have them slowly progress to those exercises and if they so choose to trasition to the bar versions, they will have many of the mechanics already set.

So those are my top 3 uses of the kettlebell. The reason I break it down to these three is for whatever reason I see people trying to make the kettlebell things it's not. I'm not talking about the guys that actually use kettlebells only, that's their thing cool. I'm talking about the gym idiots that are doing curls with them, when there are freaking dumbbells right next to them. If you're trying to bodybuild with kettlebell front raises.....you're probably not a very successful bodybuilder, might want to find a new hobby.

Use them to become a workhorse while on the road because when you get back you want to get into olympic lifts. Don't use them in front of a mirror or you will have your man card revoked....for life.

Olympic weightlifting sophistication

Technical sophistication. These olympic lifts seem cool, but aren't they dangerous? No. Not when progressed properly and the actual lifts are coached. They are actually one of the safest sports injury wise. Safer than general lifting weights. There are over use injuries, but you are getting them, you are probably working with some world class coaches that will help negate them.

These are just the way I like to progress things. Taking somebody with no experience to technical lift. Some people may be able to skip and progress in a matter of hours. Others may take years. Find yourself an USAW Club Coach to teach you proper mechanics when you get to the dowel rod phase. They are much more common than you would think(I'm one) and your football coach in high school most likely taught you incorrectly.

-Deadlift and it's progressive variations(bodyweight, sandbag, kettlebell/dumbbell, etc)

-High pulls with various implements(bar, med balls, kettlebells, sandbags, etc)

-Kettlebell swings, this teaches the hip drive while using the arms as only attachments and not doing any of the work. Swings and high pulls may be taught at the same time.

-Overhead throws, these teach 75% of what an olympic lift is. Taking something off the ground and getting triple extension(ankles, kness, hips) Use various implements and odd objects.

-Kettlebell and sandbag clean and presses. Find a good kettlebell coach to show you these and you'll be very close to having the technical mastery needed for O-lifts.

-Dowel and PVC O-lift skills practice. I like to use this as a warmup prior to lower body work. Muscle snatches are excellent for warming up the shoulders prior to grappling or upper body work.-At this point you should get a coach to analyze form, at a minimum send a video in to a coach if you don't have one near by. Don't go past this point without professional coaching unless you can promise to never ever blame a single injury on olympic weightlifting. I love the sport and it is extremely safe, but there are millions of douches giving it a bad rap when they have never even bothered to take one hour out of their life to have someone teach them properly.

As a side note the actual bar lifts have only two advantages over other implements. Heavier weights and increased coordination skills. For the majority of people the kettlebell/sandbag and odd object(logs, kegs, etc) lifts will be enough. I view the actual olympic lifts as the very end goal after years of skills sophistication or as a hobby sport.

The sandbags used in the above exercises are the Ultimate Sandbags. A normal sandbag would not really allow this type of exercises efficiently. Ultimate Sandbags have properly placed handles while still maximizing the unknownness of sandbag training.