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How and why do kettlebells burn fat?
What is so magical about kettlebells that gives them the ability to burn fat so effectively? Well, there’s no magic, so how does a kettlebell burn fat? The fact is, many of the exercises the kettlebell is suited to are just great for losing fat. It’s the exercise (and diet, of course), not the tool. The tool just makes the exercise more doable.
There are two simple things to keep in mind when you’re trying to lose fat: burning calories and keeping your muscle. It’s fairly basic math, in order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. When you’re losing weight, you have to give your body a reason to keep the muscle it has (or even add more). That’s where the kettlebell is gold.
Using more calories than you take in is fairly straightforward. You eat less, and you exercise. However, you should choose your exercises carefully. If you only do aerobic exercises, it’s likely that you won’t see the results you’re after. You may lose weight, and may lose fat, but your body will lack the muscle tone you want.
The key to getting around this problem is to give your body a reason to keep (and firm up) its muscle. The way to do that is with resistance training. Resistance can come in the form of barbells, dumbbells, machine weights (not optimal), resistance bands, and even just your own bodyweight if you know what you’re doing. Now listen up, because here’s where the kettlebell shows its value.
A kettlebell allows you to do both your aerobic (cardio) activity and your resistance training at the same time - with one tool. Sets of kettlebell swings or snatches are excellent for this. High-rep ballistic exercises such as these with kettlebells are extremely effective. All of the other types of equipment I listed above are unwieldy, uncomfortable, or just plain unsafe for these types of drills. Once again, the kettlebell reigns supreme due to its one-stop-shop factor.
So if your goal is to burn fat; start eating a little less, get a kettlebell and a training book or DVD, and start with swings.
For kettlebell instruction, Enter the Kettlebell is great. I have the book (haven’t seen the DVD but I’m sure it’s just as helpful). For ladies (or even men), I also recommend From Russia with Tough Love. I have this DVD (though it’s out on perpetual loan). It’s a great DVD, over an hour long with LOTS of exercies shown. The Kettlebell Goddess Workout is relatively new and I haven’t seen it, but it’s gotten very good reviews. All of these products can be found at RussianKettlebells.com.
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