Adult Kettlebell Program
"Maximum Fitness in Minimum Time"
(Part of the Kickboxing, Self-defense, and conditioning program)
Tom leading kettlebell exercises.
This class is designed for people who want a challenging workout. We have weights for people of all levels of strength, and we caution members to pace themselves, but the class is geared to people who want a mix of strength and cardio. It includes Russian Kettlebells, Club Bells, Battle Ropes, Sandbags, body weight and circuit training. As with all our classes, the atmosphere is non-competitive, safe, and fun. You’ll leave sweating and smiling after just half an hour.
About Kettlebells
Kettlebells came into use in Russia in the 1700s by farmers who used them to weigh crops. The farmers became stronger by using them and eventually lifting kettlebells became a popular competitive event in village festivals.
Kettlebell lifts tend to engage the entire body at once, which is similar to real life physical labor, and by using an offset handle, the weight of the Kettlebell is extended beyond the grip. This makes it ideal for ballistic movements such as swings.
Kettlebell exercise is considered a blend of aerobic and strength training.
Benefits You Can Expect
- Functional Fitness
- Weight loss
- Rapid gains in strength and endurance without bulking up
- It's a quick, efficient workout, so you'll have more time for other things
As a member of our Program, below are two areas of training we'll do our best to help you with:
1. safety precautions for kettlebell training
1. Don't hand someone a Kettlebell, or accept one handed to you. Always set it on the floor.
2. Never go to failure, even with a spotter.
3. Lift only appropriate weights, and build gradually.
4. If an area of your body is particularly weak, prepare it overtime with body weight exercises and stretching.
5. Be aware of everyone and everything around you.
6. Don't attempt exercises that are beyond your current ability.
7. Don't "death grip" the Kettlebell.
2. Never go to failure, even with a spotter.
3. Lift only appropriate weights, and build gradually.
4. If an area of your body is particularly weak, prepare it overtime with body weight exercises and stretching.
5. Be aware of everyone and everything around you.
6. Don't attempt exercises that are beyond your current ability.
7. Don't "death grip" the Kettlebell.
2. Guildlines for Kettlebell Training
1. Move from your Hips
A natural athlete moves from the hips, never from his/her back or knees. Hip-first movement is safest for your back and knees – and most powerful.
To get the idea, as a Warm Up, try this: Stand up and place the edges of your hands into the creases on top of your thighs. Press your hands hard into your “hinges” and stick your butt out while keeping your weight on your heels. It will teach you to go down by folding at your hip rather than bending through your back.
Same thing on the way up: hips first. Drive with your glutes and hamstrings, less with your quads, and not at all with your back.
2. Don’t Slouch. Bend Back, not forward, when stretching your back
Just because your back started hurting immediately following a given activity, you should not automatically blame the activity. Things are not always as they appear to be; most likely it was your slouch. So avoid slouching after vigorous exercise, and wrap up with 5 back bends
3. Stay Tight through your waist
“Stay tight” – maintain a tight muscle corset around your waist to protect your back. The abdomen should neither suck in nor protrude. Useful imagery is bracing for a punch.
4. Stay loose with your arms
Kettlebell cleans and snatches are not curls; the arms barely pass the force generated by the hips. Should your arms tense up, especially on the downswing, you are asking to tweak your elbows.
5. “Tame the Arc”
One the way down , toss the kettlebell back rather than down, so your forearm almost hits you in the groin, like a football hike pass. On the way up, the answer is not pulling with the biceps, but rather yanking the shoulder back, like starting a lawn mower.
Taming the arc also applies to racking the kettlebell on your chest after a clean or catching it overhead after a snatch. Letting the kettlebell travel in a big arc means banging yourself on the forearm. Tightening the arc by outrunning the kettlebell with your fist makes the catch soft.
6. Keep your shoulders in their sockets
Pull your shoulder into your body the way a turtle pulls in its head when you are supporting the kettlebell overhead.
7. Don’t hyperextend your wrists
The determined kettlebell is determinded to bend your wrist backward. Don’t let that happen. Stick your hand far inside the handle so the weight rests on the heel of your palm. Then counter with the wrist flexors.
8. Keep your elbows straight
This rule applies to two points in the kettlebells flight plan, on the bottom of the downswing and at the overhead lockout. The purpose is giving your elbows a break.
A natural athlete moves from the hips, never from his/her back or knees. Hip-first movement is safest for your back and knees – and most powerful.
To get the idea, as a Warm Up, try this: Stand up and place the edges of your hands into the creases on top of your thighs. Press your hands hard into your “hinges” and stick your butt out while keeping your weight on your heels. It will teach you to go down by folding at your hip rather than bending through your back.
Same thing on the way up: hips first. Drive with your glutes and hamstrings, less with your quads, and not at all with your back.
2. Don’t Slouch. Bend Back, not forward, when stretching your back
Just because your back started hurting immediately following a given activity, you should not automatically blame the activity. Things are not always as they appear to be; most likely it was your slouch. So avoid slouching after vigorous exercise, and wrap up with 5 back bends
3. Stay Tight through your waist
“Stay tight” – maintain a tight muscle corset around your waist to protect your back. The abdomen should neither suck in nor protrude. Useful imagery is bracing for a punch.
4. Stay loose with your arms
Kettlebell cleans and snatches are not curls; the arms barely pass the force generated by the hips. Should your arms tense up, especially on the downswing, you are asking to tweak your elbows.
5. “Tame the Arc”
One the way down , toss the kettlebell back rather than down, so your forearm almost hits you in the groin, like a football hike pass. On the way up, the answer is not pulling with the biceps, but rather yanking the shoulder back, like starting a lawn mower.
Taming the arc also applies to racking the kettlebell on your chest after a clean or catching it overhead after a snatch. Letting the kettlebell travel in a big arc means banging yourself on the forearm. Tightening the arc by outrunning the kettlebell with your fist makes the catch soft.
6. Keep your shoulders in their sockets
Pull your shoulder into your body the way a turtle pulls in its head when you are supporting the kettlebell overhead.
7. Don’t hyperextend your wrists
The determined kettlebell is determinded to bend your wrist backward. Don’t let that happen. Stick your hand far inside the handle so the weight rests on the heel of your palm. Then counter with the wrist flexors.
8. Keep your elbows straight
This rule applies to two points in the kettlebells flight plan, on the bottom of the downswing and at the overhead lockout. The purpose is giving your elbows a break.