The kettlebell is a unique piece of physical fitness equipment. Like any other object you exercise with, there is a right and wrong way to perform these types of exercises.
Performed properly, a kettlebell can deliver impressive health benefits, which we will talk about in a minute.
Used incorrectly, you could limit the upside of your results, and more importantly, cause a significant injury.
Before we delve into the 7 most common kettlebell workout mistakes and how to avoid them, let’s take a look at the kettlebell itself. What are its origins? Where did it come from? How did this odd-looking piece of fitness equipment become a strength training staple that delivers so many fitness benefits, while also minimizing the amount of time you have to work out to see significant results?
This short report will show you exactly how to avoid dangerous and common kettlebell workout mistakes made by both beginner and veteran fitness aficionados. But first, let’s take a look at the history of this enigmatic fitness tool, and exactly why you need to incorporate it into your next workout routine.
The History of the Kettlebell and Why You Should Be Working Out with One
If you have seen a weird looking, cannonball shaped object with a curved handle in a gymnasium or health club, you have seen a kettlebell. These fitness devices look just like a cannonball or large shot put with a handle. Imagine a teapot without the spout, and you understand where this device got its English name kettlebell.
A type of free weight, a kettlebell is unlike a dumbbell in that the center of the weight extends beyond the handle. The modern-day kettlebell has its beginnings in Russia nearly 400 years ago. The word “kettlebell” first appeared in a Russian dictionary way back in 1704.
They were created in different weights, and used as counterbalances to weigh and measure dry goods. It wasn’t long before they were tossed around for displays of strength, and later put to use for strength building purposes.
In 1900, Dr. Vladislav Krayevsky wrote “The Development of Physical Strength with Kettlebells and Without Kettlebells”. When he opened the St. Petersburg amateur weightlifting society in 1885, this was considered the birth of weightlifting in Russia.
Once his kettlebell training text got into the hands of the general public, the future of kettlebells as fitness training devices was guaranteed. Today Kettlebell Sport Lifting is the national sport of Russia.
The Benefits of Kettlebell Training
Because of its handle, a kettlebell can be thrown, swung, juggled, pressed and moved in an unlimited number of ways. Available in different sizes, there are kettlebells for every level of fitness.
They have proven effective for losing weight, building long, lean muscles, toning the body, improving your respiratory and cardiovascular strength, and helping maintain mobility, flexibility and joint health.
One of the big benefits of kettlebell training is its versatility. Truly anyone, at any level of strength and fitness, can incorporate the versatile kettlebell into a productive, beneficial workout regimen.
This unique fitness device develops powerful forearms and gripping power, boosts your cardiorespiratory health, and eliminates the need for multiple fitness devices.
One attractive aspect of kettlebell training is the limited amount of time it takes to show results.
You can work out less than you usually do, and show quicker results when you train with the kettlebell properly. Since these devices are affordable and portable, keeping a few at home means never having to make an excuse that you can’t make it to the gym for a workout.
For a lot of reasons, kettlebell training makes sense for the fitness advocate. The key is knowing how to workout with them properly so you don’t injure yourself, and you maximize your results.
Avoid the following 7 common kettlebell training mistakes and your experience with this Russian-born piece of fitness equipment will yield the best experience and results.
1 – Going Too Light or Too Heavy
This is a training problem with a lot of people. It certainly is not exclusive to kettlebell training. You may hear some people complain that strength training doesn’t work for them. When you begin asking a few questions, you realize the person is not using weights heavy enough to produce any noticeable results.
The opposite is also true. Often times people anxious to achieve dramatic results will begin working out with weights that are too heavy. In this case, it is usually difficult to practice proper form. This can lead not only to injuries, but watered down results as well, since you cannot perform the exercises properly.
Women who are just starting out in a training regimen with kettlebells should choose weights between 5 and 15 lbs. Men can usually start with a 15 to 25-pound device. However, these are just averages. Choosing the correct kettlebell weight is going to be a uniquely individual situation for everyone.
Just make sure you use enough weight to push yourself, but don’t go so light that your workout doesn’t produce results.
2 – Wearing the Wrong Shoes
The next time you are in your gym, look at the shoes that everyone is wearing. Most casual strength trainers will have simply slapped on an old pair of sneakers. Believe it or not, you will even see some people working out with heavy weights while wearing flip-flops on their feet, or sandals. Just as every other aspect of physical fitness should be catered to, so is the case with your footwear.
Thick, cushioned running shoes are great for running and jogging. However, they can hamper your ability to bend, twist and move your ankles, feet and lower legs naturally. Some kettlebell exercises require extreme movement at the ankle. This is why kettlebell trainers like DailyBurn’s Cody Storey recommend wearing shoes with thin soles for this type of workout.
He even recommends going shoeless! This allows your foot to flex properly, and naturally absorb shocks. If you are exercising outdoors, your bare feet can better “ground” with the natural surface you are standing on.
Working shoeless with kettlebells outside on grass or the ground actually connects your body “to a negatively charged supply of energy”. The earth has a greater negative charge than your body does. Because of this, electrons are absorbed up through the soles of your feet, creating a true “grounding effect”.
This produces one of the most effective and powerful antioxidants beneficial to humans, and some studies have even shown anti-inflammatory benefits from this practice.
3 – Sacrificing Form for Number of Repetitions
You may as well write this down as a common strength training mistake not only for kettlebells, but for all other weight training devices and pieces of equipment. Smart fitness trainers will tell you time and again that one perfectly performed repetition delivers more results than 2 or even 3 hastily performed exercises or movements.
Kettlebell training works multiple muscle groups, and is a combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Because of this, you can find yourself tiring rather rapidly. If you are employing poor form, your workout can quickly end without you reaping the most benefits possible.
When you first start out, limit yourself to 5 to 10 repetitions per kettlebell exercise. Focus entirely on maintaining proper form and technique. As your strength increases, sticking to the proper form will allow you to increase the number of repetitions, and produce faster fitness results.
4 – Swinging the Bell Too Quickly
Kettlebell training is not about speed. It is entirely about proper form and function, as we just mentioned. Control and coordination produce the greatest results. Swinging your kettlebell too fast can easily result in injuries, for yourself and others. Not only does performing kettlebell exercises too quickly throw your body off center, but you simply can’t perform the movements correctly when the weight is traveling at too great of a speed.
5 – Ignoring Your Lower Body and Your Core
If you are familiar with strength training, you have probably heard of the traditional squat. This is widely heralded as one of the best all-around exercises because it engages so many different muscle groups and bodily processes.
Kettlebell training provides the same “whole body” benefits. Resistance training joins strength training, cardio fitness, stretching and range of motion in one workout. This means you absolutely must engage your core and depend on your lower body for support.
To keep from making this crucial mistake, try this:
When first working with kettlebells, start with a very light weight. Move through standard exercises like the basic kettlebell swing, Russian swing, American swing, sumo squat and windmill. Work on perfect technique. Feel how and where these exercises engage your body.
Done properly, you will see that your legs and core are important for proper form, and they receive muscle building, fat burning benefits when you engage them properly.
6 – Improper Spine Positioning
If you’ve ever had a lower back injury, you know how incredibly debilitating and immobilizing that painful experience can be. Because of the twisting, moving, rotating and weightlifting nature of kettlebell training involving your upper body, your spine is at risk.
You want to keep your spine “neutral”. Imagine a straight steel rod in place of your spine. It moves from your hips to your head. During kettlebell training, no matter the movement or exercise, keep this stiff, straight spine positioning to avoid a dramatic back injury.
7 – Trying to “Rescue” a Bad Repetition
There is nothing wrong with taking action when your reputation takes a hit. The same cannot be said for kettlebell repetitions. Even small kettlebell weights carry great force with them when they are swinging and moving. If you realize that you are in the middle of a repetition that has gone sour, and you are not practicing smart form, don’t try to correct this problem in the middle of the rep.
This is an almost guaranteed recipe for injury. In the best-case scenario it can throw your next 2 or 3 repetitions out of line as well. In a worst-case result, significant injury can occur, such as torn ligaments or an injured body part where your heavy kettlebell smacks into a joint or muscle.
