The kettle bell has been around a long time, and it's back in fashion again as one of the most important pieces of equipment in the gym
The kettle bell is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the gym. As with the pull up bar, there's a reason that it has been around for a long time, and that reason is because they work. If you want to break a serious sweat or gain muscle, or improve your fitness, then the kettle bell will be your friend.
Well, more like your friend that you hang around with because you know you have to and you're really uncomfortable while doing it. You know that friend...
Anyway, JOE has a quick kettle bell circuit here that you can add on to the end of your workout to make sure that when you quit the gym, you've got nothing left to give. The key will be form on all of these exercises, and if you're not confident, then don't be afraid to ask a trainer to clarify.
Kettlebell snatch
The key to the snatch is to trying to do the whole thing in one movement. The correct form is to start with the bell between your legs, in a squat position. As you stand up, bring the bell with you (at this point you shouldn't be lifting with your arm) and as you come up, drive through your hips aggressively, swinging the kettlebell out in front of you at the same time. You should continue this movement with a powerful shrug to get the bell up and over your shoulder and extend your arm straight up and over your head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UcL3iMgiMY
As hinted at in the video, the most common complaint is that the bell hits the back of the foremarm or hand, but the video fails to mention that there is one key to the movement that will make sure that this doesn't happen. As you lift, there will be a moment when your momentum forces the kettlebell up, and just before it wants to come back down, it will be weightless for a second. That's the moment you want to key in on for the snap as you bring it over your wrist, so start with a light weight and try to get the form right before progressing to something heavier.
Perform three sets of eight reps on each arm.
Kettlebell swing
Once again form is key here. It's important not to engage your lower back in this movement, and the power should come from your hips as you drive into the swing. You'll feel this in your core when you perform it correctly, and you should be using the momentum of the drive from your hips to swing the bell from between your legs out in front of you, and using your core strength to control the movement on the downward swing.
Perform three sets of 25 reps
Kettlebell clean, squat and press
You can perform this with one arm, or do a double with two kettlebells to up the intensity, but the form should remain the same. Again, with one arm, many people find that the bell will hit them in the forearm, but a lot of that is to do with positioning. As we can see in our own workouts from the summer, the form should concentrate on bringing your hand in close to your chin and upper chest as you swing it, once again looking for that moment where the bell is weightless to get the snatch right.
http://youtu.be/SCl-23lTYQg
As Anthony demonstrates in the video, getting back underneath the bell by squatting as you snatch it over your wrist will help to make sure it lands properly on the outside of your upper arm, and adding the squat in makes it more of a challenge.
Perform three sets of 8 reps on each arm.
Kettlebell snatch and lunge
The snatch is the same form as outlined earlier, but this time with the added bonus of having to do a lunge at the same time. In the video above Anthony outlines the correct form, and you should lunge forward with the same leg that you're holding the kettlebell in. Again, start with a light weight and try to pinpoint the part of the movement where the kettlebell becomes weightless to ensure that you're getting the snatch right.
Perform three sets of 8 reps on each arm.
One of the key factors with any workout program is nutrition, and you need to make sure you get some protein to help maintain and grow muscle mass. For something that’s delicious, try Mooju chocolate milk. With over 10g of protein in a 250ml container, as well as carbohydrate, Mooju is a great choice for your workout.
