For many people, a kettlebell is an old cast iron ball with a handle that has been in your dad’s or grandpa’s room for as long as you can remember. In fact, it is a very effective tool that will add variety to your workouts and help you work a lot of muscles. Today we will discuss with the trainer how to work out with a 24-kilogram kettlebell and what exercises you can do at home.
Trener i verdensklasse
“Kettlebell is a universal apparatus. With it you can build a complete workout for all muscle groups, work out both in the gym and at home”.
What we will tell you about
Everything you need to know about the kettlebell
It’s a superfunctional piece of equipment that, when used correctly, will help you on your way to the body of your dreams. Firstly, kettlebells provide both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, you will be able to burn a lot of calories. Secondly, kettlebell exercises are quite specific in themselves, and since the projectile is heavy, you will use a lot of muscles.
But be careful: in training with kettlebells there is a risk of unbalanced body development, so do all the exercises correctly, and make a training program together with a trainer to take into account all the nuances.
Boris Ilyin: In addition to coordination and balance, you can also develop classical qualities: strength, endurance, speed. In the days of lockdown, with one weight and a couple of rubber loops, you could build a killer workout, it all depends on your imagination and the degree of fitness of the athlete.
Preparing for the workout
Be sure to learn the technique of exercises before you start training. Kettlebell weighing 24 kg is a pretty solid weight, so take it seriously. This is especially true for home training, where most often you are not under the supervision of a specialist. If you are not sure that you can handle such a weight, it is better to start with a smaller one.
You know that correct execution of elements is the key to success and that quality, not quantity, is important. Kettlebell is a projectile that you need to learn how to work with, it is heavy and traumatizing. If you start training without knowing the technique, nothing good will come out. Below we have described in detail how to do the exercises, but for clarity you can watch a video or ask the coach for help.
And don’t forget about warming up and stretching, so you will not only prepare your body and muscles with ligaments and save yourself from injuries, but also improve your potential results. Do some warm up exercises to prepare your body for the exertion.
Top 11 exercises with a 24 kg kettlebell
Deadlift
Teknikk
- Place your feet wide apart and bend your knees slightly.
- Place the kettlebell between your feet.
- As you inhale, bend your knees even more, keeping your back straight.
- Take the weight with both hands and on exhalation gently straighten up.
- Then return to the starting position.
Squats with a kettlebell
Teknikk
- Feet at shoulder width, toes should be turned to the outside.
- Firmly grasp the handle of the kettlebell, bend your arms at the elbows and hold the projectile at chest level.
- Bring your shoulder blades together and straighten your back.
- As you inhale, start bending your knees and gradually lower into a squat position.
- At the bottom point, your knees should be turned away from each other.
- Hold in this position for a few seconds.
- Pust ut og gå tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.
Standing kettlebell press
Teknikk
- Put your feet shoulder width apart, back straight.
- Take a step forward with one foot, bend over and grab the kettlebell with one hand, the grip is arbitrary, hold the projectile as you feel comfortable.
- Step back and, bending the arm at the elbow, throw the kettlebell to chest level.
- Clench your fingers into a fist, with your thumb facing you at the starting position.
- Slightly bend back, the shoulder of the working arm should be pressed against the body, the free arm is straightened.
- As you exhale, lift the kettlebell up with your working arm until it is fully straightened, with the back of the hand facing you at the top.
- Slowly lower the kettlebell to the starting position.
After performing the approach, change the working arm and do the same exercise. If you feel strong, you can try to do this element with two kettlebells at once, using both hands.
Kettlebell snatch
Teknikk
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together. Bend your legs at the knees, straighten your back.
- Without bending your back, bend over and grasp the handle of the kettlebell with one hand.
- The grip must be straight so that the rest of the exercise is done correctly.
- From this position, start swinging the kettlebell back and forth so that it passes between your legs.
- On the forward movement, start lifting the kettlebell up in front of you with a jerk.
- Bring the kettlebell to the level of your abdomen with a powerful movement and lift it up.
- When the projectile is above your head, straighten your arm.
- Slowly and smoothly lower the projectile to the lowest point.
- Do not lower the kettlebell to the ground, immediately start performing the next repetition.
Kettlebell pull to the chin
Teknikk
- Feet on the width of the pelvis, take the kettlebell with both hands.
- In the starting position you should hold the projectile in straightened arms.
- With a powerful movement perform the pull of the kettlebell up to the level of your chin.
- Elbows at the top point should be directed to the sides and upwards.
- Stay in this position for a short while.
- Smoothly return to the starting position.
- Perform the exercise without jerking.
And a couple more exercises with kettlebells, so that you finally realize that this is a universal projectile. It is not for nothing that we said at the beginning that you can pump anything with it, and if you use it not as the main projectile, then at least as an additional weight.
“Farmer’s Walk”
Teknikk
- Legs at shoulder width, back straight, natural bend in the lower back.
- Pick up two weights from the floor, grasp the handles firmly.
- Press your arms against your body, lower your shoulder blades and bring them together.
- Bend your knees a little bit.
- Start to perform steps forward, you can walk in a circle.
- The most important thing – do not curve your back, it should be straight.
- Steps should not be very wide.
Pull-ups with a kettlebell on the belt
Teknikk
- Put on an athletic belt and attach a kettlebell to it.
- Grasp the bar with your hands and hang on it.
- As you exhale, perform a pull-up with your elbows bent.
- Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.
- Perform the exercise smoothly, without jerks.
Lunges with weights
Teknikk
- Take a kettlebell in your hand, pull it up and fix it in this position.
- Perform a deep lunge with one leg, keep your back straight.
- Then return to the starting position and do the same with the other leg.
- The arm should not be far away from the head, watch its position.
Standing pull with a kettlebell
Teknikk
- Legs shoulder width apart, back straight.
- Grab the kettlebell with both hands.
- Bend over without bending your back until the kettlebell touches the floor, with your pelvis drawn back.
- Return to the starting position.
- Perform the exercise smoothly, without jerks.
“Russian Twist”
Teknikk
- Sit on the floor, bend your legs at the knees, take your feet off the floor.
- Take the weight with both hands and hold it in front of your chest.
- Move the weight to the right side, but do not touch the floor.
- Then to the left side, perform the exercise without pausing.
- Breathe evenly, exhale in time with the movements of the kettlebell.
Kettlebell pull in the plank
Teknikk
- Place the kettlebells on the floor at shoulder distance.
- Grab the handles and stand in a lying position with straight arms, straighten your back.
- Transfer the weight to your right arm and with your left hand pull the kettlebell up to the level of the body.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the same exercise with your right hand.
Intensity of the training process
The exercises we described above do not have to be performed in one workout. We only told you how you can work your muscles with a kettlebell in a cool and effective way. Combine the above elements with other elements, choose a certain number of muscle groups for training.
The number of approaches and repetitions determine for yourself, it all depends on your level of training. Someone can perform a full workout with a 24-kilogram kettlebell, and for someone it will be a serious overload. Try it, and if you realize that it is still too difficult for you, don’t jump up and down, go at your own pace and take a lighter weight.
Decide what your goals are. If you just want to keep your body in tone and once every couple of days to conduct home workouts, a kettlebell will be a great help. But if you are aiming for more serious results, one kettlebell will not be enough. You will need to make your workouts more varied, including exercises of different formats on different training machines, with different weights.
Boris Ilyin: The development of strength and hypertrophy with one kettlebell is, of course, limited. Sooner or later any regularly training athlete will reach adaptation in the training process, and he will need new stimuli for growth. But for the average person who wants to maintain a level of activity and tone, the kettlebell will help to close all the tasks.
An integrated approach is important
You can not always focus only on training. Getting in shape or losing weight, for example, are complex processes that require control and attention to detail. One of these details is proper nutrition, without it nothing will work.
You should not kill yourself in training and at the same time ignore your diet. The result, maybe, and will be, but so insignificant that you are unlikely to be satisfied. This doesn’t mean you have to go on a strict diet or starve yourself. Talk to a nutritionist who can tell you which foods you can eat and which you should avoid.
Don’t forget about rest – giving your body a break in time is just as important as exercising properly. Do not do heavy workouts two days in a row, your muscles will be overworked and you will not get a good result. Do “unloading days” to relieve the stress on your muscles, your body will thank you. And if you don’t have the strength to train, don’t go to the gym, take a rest.