8 best kettlebell workouts

Kettlebells have worked their way into most modern gyms and several trainers have incorporated them into modern day workouts. They are used for performing calisthenics and ballistic exercises that emphasize on strength training, cardiovascular development, strength training and the improvement of flexibility.

But what are kettlebells, you may ask? They’re basically mini bowling ball like weights with handles, made of iron or steel. Available in most shops that sell sports equipment, kettlebells were first developed in Russia in the 1700s and used primarily for weighing crops. Now, they are a common sight in most gyms.

We at Live Your Sport now tell you how to have a great kettlebell workout. The first thing you need to do is to grab the perfect kettlebell for you. Women usually pick one between 8 and 16 kg while men prefer ones between 16 and 32 kg. Find one that suits your body weight and has a steady balance. Find your perfect kettlebell herehttp://www.liveyoursport.com/kettlebells/.

Got that? Let’s go.

The Swing: This targets the shoulders, hips, glutes, legs and back and is great beginning exercise.

How to do it: Stand with your feet slightly apart, bend your knees. Grab hold of your kettlebell and swing it forward explosively while thrusting your hips forward simultaneously in a fluid motion, keeping your glutes and your core engaged. Lower the weight back to between your legs and repeat about 15-20 times.

Kettlebell Swing

The Row: This exercise works on your shoulder muscles, your arms and your back.

How to do it: Grab a kettlebell in each hand (you’re going to need two for this), stand straight, bend forward and place them at your feet. Bend your knees slightly, grab them and pull the kettlebells towards your stomach. Don’t forget to keep your back straight throughout to avoid straining it. Repeat 15 times.

Goblet Squat: Want to work off that bulging behind and those tremendously terrible thighs for swimsuit season? This exercise is the perfect one for you. Acting as it does on the glutes, thighs and back, it makes you shed away those extra kilos and tone up your muscles.

How to do it: Stand tall, holding the kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands. Squat repeatedly by pushing your hips forward and driving your heels into the ground, until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Return to the standing position. Stick to about 10-15 reps for this one, it’s tougher than it sounds, at least in the beginning.

Kettlebell Row

Russian Twist: This exercise acts on your abdominal muscles and makes you burn away that persistent belly fat quickly and effectively.

How to do it: Sit with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor, your ankles hip wide apart. Hold the kettlebell in both hands in front of your chest and angle your torso to a 45 degree angle. Now rotate your body from left to right and vice versa, swinging the kettlebell from side to side along with you.

Kettlebell Russian Twist

Floor Press: The kettlebell floor press acts on your chest and arms and strengthens your core muscles. If you want a chiselled set of pecs, this is the exercise that’s perfect for you.

How to do it: Lie flat on the ground with your legs straight. Get hold of a kettlebell and lift it from your straight, raising it straight up while rotating your fist till it your palms face the feet. Lower the kettlebell to starting position and repeat about 15-20 times.

Kettlebell Floor Press

Military Press: This one toughens up your shoulder and arm muscles like nothing else.

How to do it: Grab two kettlebells in your hands and raise them to chest level. Then slowly press them upwards, while leaning forward at the waist so the ketllebells are positioned above your head. Lower them back down to shoulder level and repeat 15-20 times, slowly and smoothly. Be sure to exercise extreme caution, do not drop the weights from a height, you could injure yourself severely.

Kettlebell Military Press

The Kettlebell Push Up: Like its name suggests, this one is simplicity itself to understand, even if it isn’t that easy to execute. Acting on your chest and back, this exercise is basically a simple push up but with kettlebells involved.

How to do it: Grab the handle of both kettlebells, one per hand, and lower the body before pushing yourself back up. It’s tough to get a hang of the balance in the initial stages but persevere, you’ll pick it up fast enough.

The Chair: This easy exercise acts on your arms, thighs and glutes and perfect for building endurance and strength.

How to do it: grab your kettlebell in your hands and standing straight, stretch your arms out straight in front of your body. Lower your knees and perch in midair on an imaginary chair. Hold the pose for ten counts and return to the standing position. Perform about 15 reps.

Kettlebell Chair

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