How fast can I lose weight with kettlebells?
I've often been asked, "Are kettlebell exercises good for weight loss?"
Kettlebells can help you lose weight because the exercises can engage up to 600 muscles at once, which helps burn more calories, increases your metabolic rate, and boosts your cardio. Kettlebell training can also produce an afterburn effect that can burn more calories for 24 hours.
Here are 5 reasons why kettlebell workouts are good for weight loss:
1. Each kettlebell exercise uses up to 600 muscles
Kettlebell training, if done correctly, is based on movement patterns rather than muscles.
So, rather than training biceps or triceps, you'll be using big total-body exercises like kettlebell swings, kettlebell cleans and presses, goblet squats, and more.
When you engage more muscles with each exercise, you use more energy and therefore burn more calories.
Quick summary:
Kettlebell training burns more calories in a shorter amount of time because you use more muscles per exercise.
2. Build more muscle and therefore increase metabolism
One of the key elements of weight loss is increasing your metabolic rate.
The faster and more demanding your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn every day, even while you sleep.
As mentioned above, kettlebell exercises work hundreds of muscles at once.
Kettlebells, being a weight, strengthen and tone muscles to enable them to perform better in the next workout.
Active muscles require a constant supply of energy to maintain their size and performance, which increases the demand on the metabolic system.
Quick summary:
Exercising with kettlebells tones hundreds of muscles at once, which increases the metabolic system and helps burn more calories throughout the day and night.
3. Kettlebell training increases cardio and muscle mass.
Another reason why kettlebell training is so effective for weight loss is that not only does it work your muscles, it also improves your cardio.
Many kettlebell exercises are dynamic and require swinging, pushing, and pulling using explosive movements.
Moving a kettlebell through the different positions requires a lot of muscle activation and energy.
Kettlebell exercises are typically organized into flowing circuits, meaning you move from one exercise to the next without putting the kettlebell down.
Quick summary:
Kettlebell exercises are dynamic and require a lot of energy to perform. Kettlebell exercises are organized into fluid circuits that keep your heart rate up and burn even more calories per workout.
4. Continue burning calories after every workout!
One of the important aspects of exercise and weight loss is that you don't just want to burn calories during your workout.
Fortunately, kettlebell training, when programmed correctly, creates a great imbalance of homeostasis throughout the body.
Once the workout is over, the body has to work extra hard to restore balance, which means it has to expend even more energy or calories.
Post-exercise burn or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is the more technical term for this and is another reason why kettlebell training is so effective for weight loss.
Quick summary:
Kettlebell training throws off homeostasis in the body, which can result in calorie expenditure for up to 24 hours after each workout.
5. Fun, practical and addictive
No type of exercise would be good for weight loss if it could not be maintained for a certain period of time.
Kettlebell workouts are fun and addictive, which is a great thing when you're trying to lose weight.
Every kettlebell exercise can be done at home and in a very small space (2.5m x 1.5m) because you don't need to move your feet very far.
Most kettlebell workouts can be done with just one kettlebell, making them very economical.
Finally, kettlebell exercises transition from one movement to the next, requiring practice and skill, with the emphasis on mastering the movements rather than training.
Quick summary:
Kettlebell training can be done at home with very little space and just one kettlebell. Kettlebell movements are fun to perform and require skill development, which puts the emphasis on training.
Conclusion
Above I have listed 5 great reasons why kettlebell workouts are great for weight loss.
Not only do kettlebell workouts work hundreds of muscles at once, they also improve your cardio, increase your metabolism, and continue to burn calories after your workout.
Kettlebell workouts offer you a fun, convenient and addictive way to lose weight.
***
3 Muscle-Building Kettlebell Circuits You Need to Try
Kettlebells are a versatile tool for building muscle, increasing power, and shedding body fat. Like most workout programs, building muscle with kettlebells relies heavily on:
load/intensity
the overall training volume
rest periods
recovery
In this article, we have designed three different kettlebell circuits to build muscle (lower body, upper body, and total body).
If you are going to do all three circuits in the same week, it is advisable to plan a rest day or an active recovery session between the three, in order to allow you to recover well and attack each workout in an optimal way.
Kettlebell Lower Body Circuit
The workout below is designed to build lower body muscle mass. It is an effective workout to target the quads, hamstrings, glutes maximus and minimus, and spinal erectors.
Part One
The first part of this workout should be done in order, completing all sets and reps per exercise before moving on to the next. Rest periods should be 45-90 seconds between sets. It is important to maintain control throughout the range of motion, maintaining tension on the working muscles.
Double Kettlebell Front Squat - 3 sets of 8 reps
Single Leg Kettlebell RDL - 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
Double Kettlebell Bulgarian Split Squat – 3 sets of 10 reps per leg.
Part 2
Finish the session with this burnout exercise. Complete all reps of goblet squats before moving on to kettlebell swings. Challenge yourself week after week by beating your best time.
It is recommended to keep loads moderate and avoid going too heavy, as the emphasis should be on longer sets in order to accumulate large amounts of metabolic buildup in the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Suggested loads below.
Double Kettlebell Front Rack Walking Lunge x 100 steps (20kg for men, 12lg for women)
Kettlebell Russian Swing x 100 reps (32kg for men, 24kg for women)
Upper Body Kettlebell Circuit
The workout below is designed to build upper body muscle mass. It is an effective workout to target the pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), latissimus dorsi (back), traps, biceps, forearms, and triceps.
Part One
The first part of this workout should be done in a circuit, taking 45 to 90 seconds of rest between exercises. Loads should be moderate to heavy in order to stimulate sufficient training volume and stress.
Perform the following list of exercises in a circuit, resting 45 to 90 seconds between exercises and 2 to 3 minutes between sets (perform all exercises at the same level).
Perform 5 sets of:
Double Kettlebell Clean x 8 reps
Double Kettlebell Push Press x 8 reps
Strict Pull-Up with weight x 8 reps
Part Two
Finish the session with this 12-minute AMRAP (as many sets as possible) muscle-strengthening workout. Perform the exercises and repetitions below in a cyclical manner, resting as needed.
The goal is to move, build up muscle fatigue, and keep rest periods as short as possible. Loads should be moderate to heavy, assuming correct technique and form under fatigue.
American swing with kettlebell x 10 reps
Bodyweight push-ups x 20-30 reps
Double Kettlebell Front Rack Walk x 40 meters
Total Body Kettlebell Circuit
This workout is nothing fancy, but it does pack an incredible amount of volume. We start by performing the Armor Complex on the minute (EMOM). Rest periods are fairly short (about 30-45 seconds) and the loads are as heavy as possible.
Once you've completed the 20 minutes of EMOM, take a few minutes to gather yourself and prepare for the second part of the workout.
Part 1
Perform 20 sets of the Armor Complex. You should perform a 20-minute EMOM (20 sets), starting with light sets and then increasing the number of heavy sets. Perform the Armor Complex every minute:
Kettlebell Cleans x 2 reps
Kettlebell Strict Press x 1 rep.
Kettlebell squats x 3 reps.
Part Two
The second part of this workout is done outside of the time limit, meaning you'll go through it at a reasonable pace, resting as needed between sets (the rest period should not exceed 90 seconds between exercises, however).
Kettlebell Shrugs - 4 sets of 20 reps. *After each set of shrugs, perform one minute of double kettlebell farmer's carry.
Kettlebell Push Up - 4 sets until failure.
***
What happens if you do 100 kettlebell swings a day?
100 Kettlebell Swings a Day: An Incredible Move to Burn Fat, Build Muscle, and Get in Shape.
If you’re looking for a simple, easy, and effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get in shape, 100 kettlebell swings a day is the answer. This quick, one-move workout takes less than 7 minutes to complete. It works every major muscle group in your body, tones your core, and improves cardiovascular and spinal health, all while increasing your energy levels. All of these benefits can be achieved at home for less than $50.
Read on to find out how to do 100 kettlebell movements a day, correctly and healthily, and start a new habit in your life.
KETTLEBELL MOVEMENTS ARE A TOTAL BODY WORKOUT.
Kettlebell movements work the hips, glutes, hamstrings, biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, core and back of the entire body in one movement.
With the right workout structure, this workout keeps your heart rate up for a healthy, heart-strengthening workout.
SWINGS TONE AND DEVELOP MUSCLES
Kettlebell movements naturally build muscle and tone the body. Kettlebell movements are a form of “resistance training” that trains your body by forcing your muscles to contract intensely under external resistance (the weight and momentum of the kettlebell). This allows your body to adapt to stimulate muscle growth, in addition to increasing the maximum strength and power your body is capable of.
Kettlebell swings do a great job on the muscles in the back of the body, from the heels to the head.
The muscles worked by Kettlebell Swings are:
The muscles of the "posterior chain," including the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, which help us lift objects, walk, and maintain good posture.
The "upper back", which includes the erector spinae muscles, the trapezius muscles, and the rear part of the deltoids (shoulder muscles).
KETTLEBELL MOVEMENTS PROMOTE HEALTHY HORMONE LEVELS, NATURALLY INCREASING TESTOSTERONE AND GROWTH HORMONE LEVELS.
Additionally, kettlebell movements have been shown to boost growth hormone and testosterone levels, according to a recent **study**. These healthier, higher hormone levels stimulate muscle growth and promote a leaner body, while also improving overall energy levels and sexual function.
KETTLEBELL MOVEMENTS PROVIDE CARDIO WORKOUTS, GET YOUR HEART PUNCHING, AND DEVELOP YOUR ENDURANCE AND WORK CAPACITY.
Swinging kettlebells not only helps increase strength and work capacity, but also provides a great cardio workout.
Kettlebell swinging is an exercise that falls into the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) potential zone, between the strength and cardio thresholds. Kettlebell swinging raises the heart rate to a level sufficient for a high-quality cardiovascular workout and, with proper training, can be maintained for over 20 minutes without prolonged rest.
This structure allows athletes to benefit from the cardiovascular benefits common to running while still receiving the muscular and strength benefits of resistance training.
BURN CALORIES AND FAT, DURING AND AFTER WORKOUT
According to another recent study, a 20-minute kettlebell swing session, consisting of ~400 kettlebell swings, burns about 400 calories.
This means that during our 100-swing kettlebell session, which can last anywhere from 7-10 minutes or less, we can burn ~100 calories. Another study found that HIIT workouts, similar to this 100-swing kettlebell session per day, burn significantly more calories than static cardio exercises, such as running, cycling, elliptical, and rowing.
For a one-hour kettlebell workout, the calories burned are in the order of 1200 calories! For some people, this is equivalent to the number of calories burned during a full day of normal activity (excluding vigorous physical activity and physical labor).
