Ultimatekettlebell Fitness

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Ultimatekettlebell Fitness

Informational Booklet Copyright 2011©Ultimatekettlebell

What is Kettlebell Training?

Kettlebells are cast iron weights, ranging from 5 lbs to over 100 lbs, shaped like a

ball with a handle for easy gripping. The kettlebell originated in Russia and was

popular in the U.S. decades ago, but has hit a resurgence in the last few years with

a flurry of classes, videos and books. The reason? Kettlebells offer a different kind

of training using dynamic moves targeting almost every aspect of fitness –

endurance, strength, balance, agility and cardio endurance. People love it because

it's challenging, efficient and you only need one piece of equipment.

The idea is to hold the kettlebell in one or both hands and go through a variety of

swings (e.g., the one-arm swing), presses (e.g., clean, push and press) or pulling

motions (e.g., the high pull). Some movements have you changing the weight from

hand to hand as the weight swings up or as you move laterally, requiring you to

stabilize the body and engage the core in a whole new way. Other moves require

power from the legs and hips to move the weight, giving you integrated whole

body movements that are often missing with other types of training.

Benefits of Kettlebell Training

• Improves balance, coordination and agility • Increased overall strength, grip strength, strength endurance, pull-up • Lowers heart rate and blood pressure • Enables one to quickly build strength, endurance. • Improves strength and cardio simultaneously • Promotes weight loss and increases in metabolism • Prevents Injury • Increases mental toughness • Creates lean & functional muscle mass • Strengthens of the entire posterior kinetic chain • Builds Core strength • Corrects posture and imbalances • Helps body function as a whole, rather than as individual muscles. • Stabilizes the joints • Enhances mobility • Increases work capacity, muscular strength, endurance and power

KETTELEBELL TRAINING:

Physiological Adaptations to the Cardiovascular-Respiratory System

The cardiovascular-respiratory system includes the heart, lungs blood vessels, and blood and can be categorized into central (heart & lungs) and peripheral (blood vessels & blood). Adaptations to the cardiovascular-respiratory system while training with kettlebells include the following (Jay, 2009, p.12-13):

Central Effects Circulatory System: Heart Increased heart volume and weight Increased elasticity of the heart (compliance/heart stretching easier) Increased capillary density of the heart Eccentric Hypertrophy of the heart (expansion of the heart walls) Concentric Hypertrophy of the heart (thickening of the heart wall) Increased left ventricular – End diastolic volume (LV-EDV) Increased power in the contractile muscle fibers of the heart Increased stroke volume during rest, sub-maximal and maximal exercise Decreased resting heart rate, sub-maximal and maximal exercise heart rate Increased volume of blood flow per minute during maximal exercise Increased injection fraction Decreased blood pressure Decreased oxygen consumption at sub-maximal exercise level Increased oxygen consumption at maximal exercise level Increased baroreceptor sensitivity (receptors that detect blood pressure changes)

Respiration Increased endurance and strength of respiratory muscles Decreased ventilation at sub-maximal exercise intensity Increased ventilation at maximal exercise intensity Increased rate of oxygen transport from the lungs to the bloodstream Peripheral Effects Increased numbers of glucose transporters Increased capillary density of muscles Increased activity of aerobic ATP formation enzymatic activity Increased blood flow to the muscles Increased free fatty acid uptake from the blood Decreased rate of lactic acid production at a given intensity level Increased insulin sensitivity

Posterior Kinetic Chain

In North America, fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike, have been overly commited to training the front side of there body, i.e; chest, abs and quads, also known as the mirror muslces. However, the back side of the body is of equal importance for functional and esthetic reasons. Kettlebells not only train the back side, they promote coodination among all the muscles of the posterior kinetic chain. So what exactly is your posterior kinetic chain? Well it is the most important set of muscles in your body and run up the back of your body. The posterior kinetic chain is a group of muscles, tendons, and ligaments on the back side of your body. The muscles of the posterior kinetic chain include the lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and calve muscles, or more precisely, the erector spinea, the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles.

Training these muscles corrects posture, imbalances and reduces lower back pain among others.

6 Reasons Why Kettlebell Training is Great for Your Back ! “60-80% of all individuals experience low-back pain at some point in their lives (Plowman & Smith, 2008, p. 560). Following is a list of 6 reasons why kettlebells are great for your back.

1. Kettlebell Training Strengthens the Gluteal Muscles

Superficail View - Gluteus Maximus

Individuals with low back dysfunction often exhibit “’gluteal amnesia’, and if not overcome with proper recruitment pattern practice, it is likely to lead to more back problems” (Janda, p.159) since the erector spinae musles have to compensate for the glutes in the lifting task. The Gluteal muscles are made up of the Gluteus Maximus, Medius, and Minimus. Kettlebell training strongly emphasizes the gluteal muscle group.

2. Kettlebell Exercises Promote Flexibility of the Hip Flexors

Weak glutes are associated with tight hip flexors . The major hip flexor muscles are the Ilopsoas (Illicus & psoas major), and the rectus femoris (one of four of the quadricep muscles). Overdeveloped and tight hip flexors contribute to lower back pain by causing the pelvis to tilt forward. To counteract this, kettlebells promote hip flexor flexibility and strengthen the abdominal muscles. This reduces pelvic tilt and decreases lower back pain.

3. Kettlebell Training Develops Back Extensor Endurance

The major back extensor muscles are the erector spinae group, which are the spinalis (medial), the longissimus (center) and iliocostalis (lateral). When it comes to the muscles of the back “lower back strength … does not appear to reduce the odds of back problems, muscular endurance does” (Luoto et al, 1995). “There is no better method for developing back extensor endurance than high repetition Kettlebell swings or snatches” (Pavel, 2007, p.159)

4. "Bracing" is Superior to "Hollowing" for Spinal Stability

There is much debate over what is a better practice for preventing lower back injuries while performing exercises, “bracing” your abdominal wall, vs. “hollowing” (pulling your navel in towards your spine). The RKC school of thought argues that bracing is superior, and references the Ulitimate Back Fitness and Performance author Dr. Mcgill, leading spine biomechanist in the world.

5. Sensible Ballistic Loading Reduces the Odds of Arthritis

Repetitive ballistic loading of kettlebell swings and other quick lifts appears to be highly beneficial to your joints, provided you do not over do it. “Joints subjected to heavy impact are relatively free of osteoarthritis in old age and those subjected to much lower loading experience a greater incidence of osteoarthritis and cartilage fibrillation….It appears that the cartilage of joints subjected to regular impulsive loading with relatively high contact stresses is mechanically much stiffer and better adapted to withstand the exceptional loading of running or jumping than the softer cartilage associated with low loading. Thus, joint cartilage subjected to regular repetitive loading remains healthy and copes very well with impulsive loads, whereas cartilage that is heavily loaded infrequently softens…the collagen network loses its cohesion and the cartilage deteriorates.” (Verkhoshansky & Siff 1998, p.50)

6. Kettlebell Exercises are Great for Strengthening the Mulitfidus Muscle

Weakness in this small intrinsic spine muscle has been linked to back problems. "Kettlebell exercises ... safely recruit and strengthen the multifidus" (McNamura, 2010, p. 2).

Back Problems and Kettlebell Training Kettlebell Training is not only great for you back, it prevents and corrects existing back problems. However, if you have any issues such as spinal stenosis, spondylothesis, osteoporosis, mechanical back dysfunction or any other spinal, back, joint or cardiovascular issue.