The kettlebell is an ancient weapon used to fight against weakness. Throughout my career I have dabbled in my use of this tool, but never took it seriously until just over two years ago. After watching Pavel Tsatouline speak for about two hours on The Joe Rogan Experience about kettlebell training, I knew I had to learn more. Three books, multiple podcasts and youtube videos, and a Strongfirst kettlebell certification later, you could say I am convinced of its value as a training tool. This article is a description of the major reasons I find the kettlebell (known as a girya in Russian) to be essential to a well rounded strength plan.
It's Simplicity
The kettlebell is nothing flashy. It has been around for hundreds of years and has a long history of making people strong and resilient. In his book "Enter the Kettlebell", Strongfirst founder and CEO Pavel Tsatsouline states “The girya first appeared in the Russian dictionary in 1704. Yes it’s a fad. I expect it to go away in the next 300 years”.
Einstein once said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”. The kettlebell is an iron cannon ball with a handle attached to it. You can’t get much simpler than that. If you have been following me on social media for even just a few years you will know I am a big fan of utilizing the most simple, but effective tools to make people strong and more capable to do the things they both want to do and need to do.
All Lifts that can be done with a barbell or dumbbell can be done with a kettlebell, but not the other way around. Sure you could swing a dumbbell between your legs but as we will discuss later, the loading of the body changes with the offset center of mass of the kettlebell. And as Strongfirst Director of education Brett Jones states “You can’t swing a barbell between your legs more than once. You’ll realize quickly that it was a bad idea”.
From presses, to front squats, get-ups and swings, the kettlebell checks all the boxes for simple, no nonsense training. An entire gym can be replaced with three kettlebells of varying weights. You can keep your shake weights and booty blasters, I’ll stick with my iron.
The "What The Hell Effect"
An aspect of the kettlebell that really caught my attention when I started deep diving into what it was all about was the “what the hell effect”. This refers to the unexpected benefits of training with the kettlebell. Individuals commonly find that after a period of training with the kettlebell, they suddenly can set new personal records with other movements they may have not even been training at the time such as chin-ups, barbell lifts etc. There have also been instances where distance runners have seen improved running times and championship level powerlifters see improvements in their lifting totals.
Dr. Michael Hartle MSFG, stated at my weekend cert, that doing the kettlebell swing helped him improve the lockout of his deadlift during his time as a powerlifter. Donny Thompson, the first powerlifter to total 3,000lbs., uses the double kettlebell snatch as an accessory lift to help with his squats and deadlifts, citing the emphasis the movement has in connecting the body as whole. This is key in powerlifting and in everyday activity as our muscles work together when we move, not in isolation. This extremely wide array of benefits has massive implications for anyone, athlete or not.
Unique Loading Opportunities
In one of my recent episodes of the Fortitude Training Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with the previously mentioned Brett Jones. He cited the kettlebell's offset center of mass and thicker handle as being the primary differences from training with dumbbells and barbells.
The kettlebell is more “alive” in your hand, as you adjust to it pulling you in multiple directions. Where the dumbbell or bar is more convenient to lift due to the weight being balanced on both ends, the kettlebell has the majority of its mass on one end. This can result in the center of mass of the bell being six to eight inches away from your hand depending on the size of the bell. When holding the bell in the rack position (as in the top of a clean), not only is it pushing directly down towards the floor, but also outward to the side. This multi-directional pull causes your body to contract more muscles to stabilize and maintain your balance in a way that is far more challenging than holding a dumbbell.
Get-ups are another great example of how the offset center of mass causes a different type of stress. Holding the bell with a locked out elbow forces the muscles of the shoulder and rotator cuff to work overtime, building much more stability within the joint. As one progresses to heavier bells in the get-up, the angle of the arm will even change from vertical to angled forward due to more mass being out away from the shoulder.
The thicker handle you find on the majority of kettlebells is another aspect to consider. This may not sound like it has much value until you actually use it in practice. Think about how much you can bench press or deadlift. Now try doing the same weight, but with a handle that is twice the circumference. I guarantee you will not be able to lift that same weight (unless you have been holding back on your training a great deal).
The thicker handle makes it much harder to manipulate the weight, this has tremendous value for your grip strength. Your ability to grip weight is invaluable when it comes to lifting weights in the gym and generally interacting with your environment. Overstressing your grip with something like a kettlebell will enable you to lift bigger weights with less form breakdown. I have seen people’s deadlift form go completely down the tubes (major back rounding etc.) all because their grip was slipping from the beginning of the lift. Train your grip with some kettlebell swings, snatches or carries and avoid injury and missed lifts.
If we’re going to talk grip and shoulder stability then taking things to the next level by using the bottoms up position (holding the bell upside down) is also a unique aspect to kettlebells that doesn't get much attention. Cleans, get-ups, and presses are just a few examples of movements that can be done with a bottoms up kettlebell. Lighter weights will need to be used, but the benefits can be big!
Ballistics
The kettlebell swing, the center of the kettlebell universe and the most recognized movement in kettlebell training. When I was younger I worked at a sports retail store and of course I worked in the fitness section. At some point during my time there we received a shipment of kettlebells and not a day went by after that did I not see at least one person walk into the department, pick up a bell, and swing it.
The swing looks like a movement that is easy to pick up, until you try with the watchful eye of an experienced coach. If you take the time to learn to do it properly, the benefits are plentiful. The swing allows you to work power and explosiveness without high volumes of impact on your joints. It is essentially jumping without leaving the ground. The swing also works the posterior chain (back of the body), muscles such as the glutes and hamstrings, that tend to suffer from our modern lifestyles mostly spent sitting.
Kettlebell ballistics, such as the swing, single arm swing, clean and snatch, are also fantastic ways to develop force absorption and redirection. This physical skill is sport and life. In the majority of sports one must be able to absorb force and redirect it, as in rapidly changing direction while running a route in football or a sudden turn in hockey. When doing such movements, the body must absorb not only the weight of your body, but also all of the momentum that has been generated up until that point. This force can end up being many times the bodyweight of the individual. A more specific example: sprinters at max speeds can have upwards of eight to ten times their body weight being generated through their joints. Each stride must be absorbed by the body, and in the case of other activities that require rapid changes of direction, redirected to continue movement.
Now you may be thinking “But Ren, I’m not an athlete! I just want to get around easier, play with my kids, and live my life!”. Absorbing and redirecting force is just as important if not more so in day to day life than it is for sport. You want to talk about force absorption, how about catching your kid or grandchild when they leap lovingly into your arms. How about fall prevention? Slipping on ice requires you to catch yourself (absorb) and regain your center of gravity (redirect). Not only is this important for non-athletes, it’s essential for health and safety.
Slow Grinds
Contrast to the ballistic, slow grinds are just that, slow and deliberate. The Turkish get-up is one of the main slow grind movements that has a tremendous global effect on the body. Once again referencing the fact that kettlebells by nature work the body’s muscles synergistically, mimicking more closely the movements we go through day to day. As the highly regarded Strength Coach Dan John says “The body is one piece”.
Slow grinds such as the get-up and kettlebell overhead press, teach us to use muscular tension to create a solid foundation for lifting and moving big weights. The get-up and overhead press both require maximal muscular contraction in not only the primary movers but also the stabilizers of the shoulder, midsection and lower extremities.
A bonus to this aspect of kettlebell training is the amount of time under tension that the muscles get. Bodybuilders and powerlifters alike, both manipulate time under tension (i.e. intentionally slowing the lift down or speeding it up) to challenge their body in a different way or fix a weak area of their lift. A typical get-up can last as long as 20-30 seconds with little to no relief until the bell is on the floor again. This may not sound like much, but most lifts have a “resting point”, such as the top of a bench press or back squat, that allows the lifter to regroup. The get-up has a limited resting point, and thus it provides longer time under tension by default.
If you’re looking to increase muscle tone or even bulk up, I strongly encourage you to incorporate kettlebell slow grinds to your routine.
Conclusion
The kettlebell has been around for hundreds of years, making people stronger and forging mental fortitude. With its simple design and wide array of benefits, it can literally reshape you inside and out. If you want to build strength, cardiovascular conditioning, a better physique, or develop explosive power, the kettlebell can do it all. This swiss army knife of strength tools should be a part of everyone’s toolbox. With the right coaching and consistent training, it will help you build a body that is both unbreakable and ready to take on all of life’s challenges.
By Coach Ren SFG, CPT, B.S. Health Science