EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE:
KETTLEBELL
TRAINING
Kettlebell routines feature in many
clients’ exercise programs, so how
does this form of training stack up
against other methods?
WORDS: DR MARK MCKEAN PhD
itness professionals have an array
of training tools and styles
available to use in exercise
prescription. While many of these create
interest and provide variety for clients, it can
be challenging to keep abreast of how
effective each practice is. In this series of
evidence-based articles, we summarise the
latest research on a range of training tools
and styles to help you better serve your
clients. Here, we look at kettlebell training.
F
Effect on aerobic system
Several recent studies have suggested that
kettlebell (KB) training has a positive effect
on the cardiovascular system. However,
most are acute studies comparing measures
or short term interventions with low numbers.
Farrar et al. (2010) showed that
completing as many two-handed KB swings
(16kg) as possible in 12 minutes (265±68)
achieved an average VO2 of 34.31 ± 5.67
ml.kg-1.min-1 and an average HR of 165 ±
13 b.min-1. This was equal to 87 per cent of
the %HR max and 65 per cent of the %VO2
max achieved on the graded exercise test to
exhaustion for the determination of VO2 max
on the treadmill. Even though the research
only used 10 recreationally active collegeaged males, the overall values suggest that
such a training protocol may be useful for
improving cardiovascular fitness.
Using RPE to compare treadmill and KB
swings, Hulsey et al. found that for their (