One of the biggest flaws - revisited (2)

Well...The fixed weight of kettlebells...
You always hear that one...

The last time I wrote about this I suggested you to simply to not put the bell down when doing, e.g. complexes or stuff like that. That way, the old, light 16kg- bell suddenly feels like it weighs a ton. ;-)


Since people are never satisfied with only one good thing I will give you something else:


There are two major things right now in the fitness- world people want to achieve with their fitness- programs:

First: muscle gain
(Well... That one has been around for ages...)
If you want to add muscle to your frame simply use the formula proven by time: use more weight with total- body- exercises with good form for more reps.
That´s it.


Second: Have you heard about "Core- training"?

No, I am not talking about crunches and situps.

When talking about real "Core- training" we are talking about the fact that the muscles which encase your torso are there to prevent movement.


Yeah...It´s ok, read it again. PREVENT MOVEMENT.

Now what does this tell you about the sense crunches make in your training-regime? ;-)


They are there to stabilize the torso, transmit force between the extremities.
Have you ever tried to build a model-house on rubber-pillars? It will wobble and fall over. The same happens to your body:
If you try to transmit a powerful force from you legs to you hands and you only got a rubber-core you will wobble and fall right into a hospital- bed.

So...Core-Training...Developing a stable torso.
Now the link to the "dammit-I-only-got-one-kettlebell-of-each-size-problem" you might have.


In my case: I got a 16kg and a 24kg available right now.
For some the difference in weight would be a problem, but lets take a look from a different point-of-view:
Using those different weights, having a different momentum in your two hands you create 2 advantages:

1) You create a rotational component, forcing you muscles to work overtime to stabilize your torso.
The only condition is that you really keep your torso still while moving the weight.
So no bouncing while performing Overhead-/Floor- presses, Bent-over rows, etc.!

2) Even tough you create a rotational force like in one-arm-movements (that´s why they became to popular...they enhance core-stability), you still got the benefits of two weights waiting to be moved which increases the impact on muscle- development!
(See "Return of the Kettlebell" by Pavel Tsatsouline)

So, again, we have changed our point of view to make a flaw into a benefit.


Now if you own a 16kg, a 24kg and a 32kg kettlebell you can not only progress to a high level of kettlebell-sport-performance using timed sets and the one-hand-switch-mode (also known as the American Kettlebell Club Fitness Protocol) but also effectivly train your core- muscles and increase your overall- athleticism and build functional muscles with a more traditional approach of exercise- selection and repetition-numbers..

You are welcome.


As always train smart, listen to your body when trying two-kettlebell- exercises and exercise caution.


Train hard and enjoy life!
All the best,
Harry