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YOUR FITNESS COACH
&
Why YOU Should Train with Kettlebells
By Willie B. Ray, Personal Trainer,
Art of Strength Kettle Bell Gym
1301 Winchester Road #129
Lexington, KY 40505
True, there are many fads that come and
go in the fitness industry related to training and diet. But when a training technique
stands the test of time, there has to be a good
reason why. Kettlebells were developed by
the Russian strongmen in the early 1700s as
a way to build strength, balance, flexibility,
and endurance quickly. Yes, you read that
correct…build all of these coveted aspects
of training quickly. The bell is the only free
weight with a handle designed to put the
mass off-center to the motion of your hand,
forcing you through every moment of every
move to work assiduously on your balance.
If you want proof, take a look at Gerard
Butler who plays King Leonidas of Sparta
in the film epic 300 or Chris Hemsworth
who plays the leading role of Thor. But this
training is not just for Hollywood, the world
renowned Art of Strength kettlebell classes
are offered right here in Lexington. But is
kettlebell training right for YOU? Whether
you want to lose weight, better muscle
imbalance in terms of functional daily tasks,
improved sports performance, or to counter
the effects of aging or injury – the kettlebell
is your answer.
Losing Weight
The good news if losing weight is your
major focus is that kettlebells provides cardio and strength in one quick exercise, so
instead of lifting weights for half an hour and
doing the treadmill for another half hour,
you can get everything done with kettlebells
in 20 minutes. Not only will you save time,
you will also be burning off the chart calories
in this short amount of time according to a
recent study by the American Council on
Exercise (ACE) (2010). This study reported
participants burning on average 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts and
equivalent to running a 6 minute mile pace.
It’s the only quick workout giving you a big
bang for your buck in a very short amount
of time.
Better Muscle
Imbalance for Improved
Performance and Counter
Effects of Aging and
Injury
Used properly, kettlebells can help with
muscular imbalances which in turn can
improve our performance as well as counter
effects of aging and injury. “By nature kettlebells should be used unilaterally -- one hand
at a time,” notes groundbreaking kettlebell
trainer Anthony DiLuglio of Art of Strength
in Providence, Rhode Island. “If you are a
little stronger on your right side, and not on
your left, you will balance on your left.” The
kettlebell can also help you discover your
imbalances by performing the moves on each
side. If you do a clean, a squat and a press, or
a long cycle press on your left and the right
side, you won’t be able to complete as many
repetitions on your non-dominant side. Or if
you perform a windmill or a Turkish getup,
it is easy to pinpoint problem areas that need
work.
Kettlebells not only help with your nondominant side, they bring your posterior
chain -- all the muscles in the back of the
body -- into balance with the muscles in
the front of your body. This can prove to
be especially beneficial for athletes, who
are often plagued with hamstring injuries
because of overdeveloped quads. The
cornerstone kettlebell exercise, the swing,
deserves much of the credit for developing posterior and anterior balance. “Here’s
the reason,” DeLuglio says. “The force of
the swing is pulling you forward.
To maintain your
position and stay
rooted, you need
to use all muscles
in posterior chain.
You get results and
benefits whether
you like it or not.”
And DiLuglio concludes, “Kettlebells work
the entire chain in the body. They work the
muscles in concert. The stronger muscles
will pick up slack for the weaker muscles, but
the weaker muscles will be forced to work in
a way they’ve never worked before.”
If you would like to see how kettlebells
can help you lose weight quickly or improve
your physical power and every day function,
please feel free to contact me at 859-2214479 or [email protected].
Yours in Health,
Willie B. Ray
Win a WEEK of
FREE FITNESS
Valid for new clients’ first visit only
www.artofstrengthlexington.com
1301 Winchester Road Suite 129 | Lexington, KY 40505
CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION
859-225-3488
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