I wanted to post this article from Chris Lopez of the Turbulence Training Kettlebell Revolution program because I have been having some great conversations and arguments about kettlebells, fat burning and getting lean tight abs.
It seems some people (who have never used kettlebells before I’m sure) think they ar
e nothing but a tool for building strength. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And yes I also heard the I will build huge muscles using them. Again not really. Take a look at the picture to the right that’s Lauren Brooks (cute as hell right?) but those huge unsightly muscles UGH! Lauren is a certified kettlebell instructer uses them all the time.
I rest my case.
5 Reasons Kettlebells Can Get You 6-Pack Abs This Summer
Kettlebells have been around for over 100 years and they’re the simplest form of exercise equipment there is.
Only now are they beginning to gain popularity with the masses.
Here are 5 reasons kettlebell training can get you 6-pack-abs…
1. Unilateral Work
Most people that start out with kettlebell training really just want to see if it’s for them. Because of that, they go out and buy ONE kettlebell. Little do they know that they’re frugality is probably the best thing that they could do to get that 6-pack.
As they start to snatch, swing, row & press that single Kettlebell they’ll notice that their form has to be impeccable in order for the exercises to work.
Training with that single Kettlebell creates an imbalance in weight distribution while they are performing their exercises, meaning that the side that isn’t loaded has to work extra hard to maintain balance. That imbalance results in your abs and your low back & glutes to contract resulting in strengthening like no other.
2. Kettlebell Training Forces Your Abs to Work The Way They Were Meant To
You’re already aware that doing endless crunches or situps will NEVER get you six-pack abs, right? Let’s understand why and how KB training can help you get a 6-pack that works.
One of the many functions of your abdominals is to stabilize your spine and torso – to hold you upright, not allowing your torso to collapse.
That said, by swinging, snatching or doing any Kettlebell exercise where your center of gravity is being moved around, you are using your abs to resist rotation or any excessive lateral flexion (bending sideways). Doing this forces your abs to contract or brace and protects your very sensitive lower back area forcing your abs to not only work the way they were meant to work, but doing it at every conceivable angle.
3. They force you to relax your hip flexors, getting rid of that paunch.
Living in a society that is constantly sitting, it’s no wonder that our posture is terrible. One of the most commonly tight areas of our body are our hip flexors (the muscles responsible for bringing our knees into our chest). The problem is with tight hip flexors (from excessive sitting) is that we force our pelvis into anterior pelvic tilt (the swaying of the back of our pelvis up giving us a big arch in our low back).
Not only is having that arch bad for our low back, but it unnaturally forces our guts out giving us the appearance of a paunch belly.
When you do the bread & butter exercise of Kettlebell training – the 2-arm KB swing, we force our hip flexors to relax by using their antagonist muscles, the glutes and hamstrings. After doing high reps of swings to finish our workout, your hip flexors will have no choice but to relax and thus eliminating that excessive protrusion peaking out of your shirt.
4. Kettlebell training keeps your low back healthy.
It’s a myth that Kettlebell training is detrimental to your back.
Learning and mastering “bracing” techniques (the same kind of bracing that you would use when you squat or deadlift), will actually allow you to strengthen your back when you dynamically use a KB.
As we stated in point #2 above, moving that Kettlebell around and shifting your center of gravity forces your abs to work in such a way that you are resisting rotation and flexion. Your abs don’t work alone in this as they have to contract in concert with your obliques and your erector muscles (the 2 columns of muscles in your low back).
Bracing properly and using a Kettlebell will make your back bullet-proof and safe guard you from any kind of “everyday” injury.
5. Kettlebell training is interval training “on steroids”.
Interval training, usually done at the end of a workout, involves bouts of high intensity exercise (sprinting, bodyweight circuits, complexes, etc) followed by recovery periods.
Research has shown that training of this type creates an amazing fat burning response and will spare your hard-earned muscle.
Traditional Kettlebell training usually involves doing a series of full body exercises and movements continuously without any rest until we reach a certain time or until we finish our required number of repetitions.
These “circuits” or “drills”, as they are sometimes called, give us a more of challenge simply because we adding Kettlebells into the mix. The result is one of the gut wrenching interval sessions you’ve ever done in your life. And the beauty of it is the variety of movement that will reduce the amount of overuse that occurs with traditional sprinting on a track or bike.
Kettlebell training, although it’s history is rich in tradition, is the wave of the future. It’s the hottest 6-pack-abs generator of the moment and will definitely help you get those rock hard abs you’ve been looking for.
Make sure to get your 6-Pack for Summer with the Turbulence Training Kettlebell Revolution.
Well I hope that helps clear this up I know many of you are using kettlebells with great results keep up the good work. Those of you on the fence about using kettlebells I wouldn’t steer you wrong and that’s coming from an old weight training guy. They really do work and they bring variety to your workouts.
Talk to you soon Joe.
