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The Russian Kettlebell–Top 3 Ways to Build Muscle
One often overlooked aspect of modern fitness is that of muscle building. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to burn fat and lose weight. However, your fat loss progress will move along faster if you add some weight training to the mix. Your body becomes more efficient at ridding itself of excess fat when it has more muscle on its frame.
This is another reason why the kettlebell is such a useful piece of equipment. With this one tool, you get both a fat-burner and a muscle-builder. The last article focused on fat burning, this one will touch briefly on adding muscle.
One of the most effective kettlebell exercises for adding muscle and strength is the press. Because of the kettlebell’s unique off-center design, it offers a much better range of motion and leverage accessibility than barbells or dumbells. A barbell forces you into its range of motion and doesn’t allow your hands to move independently of each other. This takes a lot of functionality out of the lift. Dumbells are OK for pressing, but not so good for cleans. So overall, the kettlebell is a much better choice.
Another excellent kettlebell exercise is the windmill. This drill is tops for building core strength, which is essential for overall fitness and especially for athletic performance. The core consists of the group of muscles surrounding the midsection, and is responsible for tying together your body’s strength. Imagine an aluminum can. If the can is new and empty, it’s amazingly strong considering how thin the walls are. But if you put the slightest dent in the side of the can, it will be crushed under even a light weight. The principle is the same, which is why you need a strong core. The windmill works the core in a way that is difficult to duplicate any way else.
Last in this short list is the Turkish Get-Up. This kettlebell exercise takes the windmill one step further, and consists of you lying down, pressing the kettlebell overhead, and holding it overhead as you stand to your feet, then back down the same way. This also works the core, in addition to the entire arm, shoulder girdle, and legs. This is another one that just doesn’t work as well with a dumbell.
Once again, one simple kettlebell is the only piece of equipment you need for a full-body workout. Here again are only three simple ideas will add muscle and strength to your frame, which in turn will speed up your fat-burning process if that’s your goal. No gym, no running, no expensive weight set. Just one kettlebell that takes up less than one square foot in your corner.
For everything you need to know to get started with kettlebells, check out Enter the Kettlebell.
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