Kettlebell Workouts — Time Efficient Fat Loss Training
If you know what a kettlebell is, you know that it looks like a cannonball with a handle on it. And that design is what makes it so special.
Unlike dumbbells, kettlebells coax your body into working harder without you really even knowing it. That’s because the weight of the bell is off-center and demands greater stability and control of your joints, and therefore muscles.
That’s half the battle when trying to lose fat — working harder. You see, the harder you work per unit of time, the more calories you’re going to burn. The more calories you burn, the more potential fat you can lose.
The best type of workout — and this is the secret to fat loss, so pay attention — is the one that demands you perform the highest quality and amount of work in the shortest period of time. This will increase your Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and require your body to burn calories long after your workout is over, sometimes, according to recent studies, up to 38 hours after you’ve finished!
And the best way or method to accomplish the highest density of work in the shortest amount of time is to combine your strength training and cardiovascular exercise into the same session. In fact, it’s even better if you can derive some sort of cardiovascular benefit from your strength training sessions.
This is where kettlebells come into play for giving you arguably the most time efficient workouts — both strength and cardio — that you’ll ever experience.
Because of that unique shape — the handle on top of the bell instead of in the middle — you can focus on loading up your hips (the largest muscle group in your body requiring the most energy to function) and not only getting a great, functional strength training program, but you can get one heck of a great cardio workout too!
For example, the Kettlebell Swing requires you to toss the kettlebell between your legs, stretching your gluts and hamstrings and forcing your abs to contract. You quickly stand up by pushing your feet through the floor and contracting your gluts and abs. Perform 20 reps of this exercise and you’ll be huffing and puffing harder than you thought imaginable and your legs will be almost quivering if you’ve never performed them before.
Another example, the Kettlebell Snatch, is similar to the Swing, and performed with one arm. Like the Swing, the hips are loaded by tossing the kettlebell between the legs but this time the bell finishes overhead, perpendicular to the floor, like the finish position of a shoulder press. The Snatch not only works the arm, but forces the hips, legs, and rest of the body to work harder because the kettlebell travels further. This is arguably the best exercise for combining strength and cardio into the same workout.
So if you’re pinched for time but need to hack off some fat, invest in yourself and learn how to use kettlebells for the most time efficient and productive workouts you’ve ever experienced!
Geoff Neupert has been a fitness professional for over 16 years. He helps all types of people lose fat and get in the best shape of their lives by using kettlebells. Learn how to get in the best shape of your life by accessing my website.
