By Larry Twohig Images Charlie Suriano

In the March issue we briefed you on the history of kettlebells as well as certain basic, yet productive kettlebell drills. In this second part I have addressed the common questions asked by those yet-to-be-initiated to the implement, and Ive also provided some sample workouts to piece the puzzle together.
ant I just do the exercises with dumbells? Yes, several kettlebell exercises can indeed be done with dumbells, but the movement wont be as effective. A good analogy would be comparing a free-weight bench press to a machine chest press. You may be able to lift more on the machine, but you still wont recruit as much muscle as you would doing the corresponding movement with a barbell. Because machines actually discourage the use of stabilising muscles and threedimensional motion, informed lifters have realised they shouldnt rely solely on them. Barbells and dumbells recruit and build more muscle by adding an element of instability, or degrees of freedom. Kettlebells take things up another notch since youre constantly wrestling them for control, but in the process you receive even greater neuromuscular stimulation. Other exercises, like bent presses and swings, would be more awkward to perform with dumbells, because of their shape and balance points. Still others, like around the body passes, would not be possible at all due to the

People are preferring real power over merely the appearance of power, iron balls over the absence of balls
dumbells limited design. Power exercises such as the jerk require that you rest the load against your body in order to optimise hip drive and set the weight in motion. Try doing that with dumbells and youll quickly realise another design limitation. With snatches and cleans, the flipping action of the kettlebell also provides excellent feedback and a sense of closure for each rep, as its satisfying to lock out the catch just right. Due to the lack of this flipping action, dumbell snatches feel more like high swings and dumbell cleans quickly become cheat curls. The unique design of the kettlebell means an offset centre of gravity. On all lifts, the mass remains outside the axis of the forearm, as opposed to being centred within the hand, as with a dumbell. You must work throughout the movement, even at the top of the lift, to control the resultant lever arm (discussed below in Rocket Science). Trunk and shoulder stabilisers are forced to contract harder and in greater numbers to control this awkwardness of the weight. Even if the kettlebell weighs exactly the same as a dumbbell, its a bit more of a challenge to lift.

I heard that kettlebells were used in the past only because they were easier and cheaper to build than dumbbells. Why should I use a primitive tool if I have access to better equipment? Theres no denying that kettlebells are simple tools. But they are what you make of them, and in the hands of a novice lacking proper instruction they only feel like funny-looking lumps of metal. They may be cheaper to cast than certain trick dumbells, but cost doesnt necessarily correlate to effectiveness. The first kettlebell wasnt even designed to be an exercise device. Its roots lie in agriculture and trade, having been originally used as a counterweight for measuring produce. According to lore, farmers and dockworkers tossed them around and their strength was admired. Eventually, this became an organized form of exercise. The same, however, can be said for the first dumbell. In the 18th century, steel rods were placed between pairs of church bells for a challenge lift. When the clappers were removed, the bells became silent, or dumb thus the origin of the word dumbbell. Even though the first kettlebells and dumbells werent actually designed for progressive resistance training, their modern incarnations have assumed an important role in strength and conditioning. Consider these weights ancient solutions to questions that hadnt yet been asked.

BALLS OF IRON PART 2

Something new from something old
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Balls Of Iron Part 2

Just Another Fad? Kettlebells are nothing new, and theyre not flashy. In the past they took a back seat to dumbells, barbells, and machines as people yearned for the quick fix and the six-minute path to fitness. Kettlebell lifting is not easy, and that turns many people off. But the fact that they have resurfaced signifies a shift in the fitness industry, as a certain percentage of trainees yearn to get back to basics, and are willing to do the hard work thats involved. Three More Exercises for Enhanced Discomfort Last time, I discussed the aroundthe-body pass, the swing, the clean and press and the first competitive lift in girevoy sport, the snatch. The jerk is the second girevoy sport lift and the amount of repetitions with two 32kg kettlebells in 10 minutes is added to the lowest of the two snatch numbers. Competitors usually have 30 minutes between the two lifts. Valery Federenkos jerk number is 137 a record not beaten in his weight class for more than a decade. An accomplished bodybuilder capable of military pressing 100-pound dumbells seated would be lucky to carry off even 20 jerks with two 32s. Jerk (pictured page 152-3): Dont tackle the jerk until the double clean and press has been mastered. For the jerk, once you have cleaned both bells to the rack position, take a breath, dip your knees and thrust the bells upward. As they reach their peak height, quickly re-bend by flexing the knees and hips, and lock out the elbows to catch the bells overhead. It helps to lean forward under the weights as they pass the head. There is no pressing involved. Straighten up holding the lockout above and slightly behind the head for a second. Return the bells to the rack position using a controlled drop, breathing out and dipping as they hit the arms and chest. Renegade Row (pictured left): This brutal drill requires full body tension as you fight for stability for the duration of the exercise. Assume a push-up position with each hand on a kettlebell, spaced about a foot apart. Keep the abdomen tight and maintain this position while performing alternating rows. This exercise conditions the abs and obliques as much as it does the chest, shoulders, back and arms. For an extra challenge perform a pushup between each row, making sure to row immediately once you reach the top of each push-up. Rack Walk (pictured page 152): This is one of Kostya Tszyus favourites, as it strengthens the respiratory and trunk musculature while conditioning for a strong boxing guard. Kostya never drops his hands and he never gets tired. If you perform front squats or barbell jerks, expect instant gains on either exercise from performing rack walks, as you learn to more efficiently transmit force through your trunk. After taking a six-week layoff from barbell work to focus on the kettlebell rack position, my 1RM power jerk jumped by over 20kg! To perform the rack walk, simply clean two kettlebells and hold them in the rack position as you go for a stroll. I like to incorporate stairs into this masochism. Feel free to incorporate jerks or presses, if youre still able to breath. To Swing or Not to Swing? Besides unique pressing, pulling, squatting, and rotating movements, a large percentage of kettlebell exercises are performed by swinging the weight rapidly. You surely remember what all strength coaches have always told you: Dont swing the weight! Well in the case of kettlebells you do, and the more the better. According to the official NSCA statement on ballistic training, Resistance exercises characterised by maximal or near maximal force development or by high accelerations, usually referred to as explosive exercises, are effective for enhancing physical performance. When properly taught and supervised, explosive exercises do not involve excessive risk of injury.7 They do, however, incur an extremely high metabolic cost, not to mention the fat-burning effect of the resultant release in growth hormone during such intense muscular effort. Inertia Defined Quick lifts produce momentum and inertia. Briefly, when an object is at rest, it provides resistance to any attempt to move it to a degree proportionate with its mass. Once the object is moving, force will be necessary to slow it down or stop it. Any time an object is accelerated (hurled, swung) it will tend to continue on its initial path unless force applied is in the opposite direction. This normal resistance to changes in an objects motion is called inertia. Any time we accelerate or decelerate an
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object or ourselves, we are fighting inertia. Additionally, if the objects weight is centred more distally to the axis of rotation (as in the case of kettlebells), its momentum of inertia is increased, making it more difficult to start and stop.8 The Funny Shape Has a Use The critical feature of the kettlebell is its U-shaped handle, which creates an additional lever within the lifterweight system. The great amount of rotational inertia is a result of the centre of mass changing in relation to the last human lever segment

1. Assume push-up position

holding it. When the lifters line of force is aligned with the handle, the resistance arm is constant. However, it is when the line of pull is not aligned with the handle that a torque of the bell creates a swing and resultant rotational inertia. During kettlebell cleans and snatches, you are required to let the kettlebell flip around your hand, which effects a change in the lever arm of the kettlebellarm complex. The fluctuating length of the moment arm forces the neuromuscular system to not only increase overall force output,

but to reactively modulate twitch amplitude and the rate of tension development. Hence, the ability to excite and inhibit agonist/ antagonist motor units is required, as mentioned previously relating to SPP (See Balls of Iron Part 1),

Beginners Sample Routine

Around the Body Pass 2 x 15ea @ 16kg Swing 2 x 15 @ 16, 24kg Snatch 3 x 5, 8, 10 @ 16kg Unilateral Clean & Press 3 x 5 @ 12, 16, 20kg Renegade Row 3 x 5ea @ 24kg

2. Perform push-up

3. Row one bell while maintaining posture and balance

Ahmo - Amy - Ashley Cori Frostee Karla Laura LeAnna Linda Paulina Rebecca Tanya Timea Tina Jo.

4. Perform next push-up

5. Row the other bell, whichcompletes one repetition

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Balls Of Iron Part 2

Advanced Sample Routine

Left to right: 1. Holding two bellw in the rack position 2. Dip with the knees 3. Drive as if trying to jump to se the bells in motion 4. Dip again, t his time with more hip 5. Fix the bells overhead and stand erect Around the Body Pass 2 x 30 @ 24kg (switch direction every 5 reps) Swing 2 x 20 @ 16, 24, 32, 40kg Snatch 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 @ 32kg Clean, Front Squat, Jerk 4 x 5 @ 24 + 24kg Super-setted with Overhand Chin 5 x 5 @ bodyweight + 24kg Rack Stair Climb 2 x 3min @ 24 + 24kg Super-setted with Renegade Row 2 x 5ea @ 24 + 24kg Juggling 2 x 3min @ 16kg heavy impact are relatively free of osteoarthritis in old age and those subjected to much lower loading experience a greater incidence of osteoarthritis and cartilage fibrillation. Joint cartilage subjected to regular repetitive loading remains healthy and copes

Intermediate Sample Routine

Unilateral Swing 3 x 10ea @ 16, 20, 24kg Unilateral Jerk 4 x 5ea @ 16, 20, 24, 28kg Super-setted with Reverse Chin 4 x 5 @ bodyweight + 16kg Snatch 2 x 15ea @ 16, 24kg Rack Walk 1 x 200m @ 16 + 16kg Ab Wheel Pike 3 x 3 @ feet

tremendous carry-over to any weight training endeavour. This has huge implications for resistance training and preparation for athletics (SPP) and activities of daily living (GPP). Attempting to Eliminate Momentum in Training is Bad Ted Keating, a professor at Manhattan Colleges Department of Human Performance (USA) says that the human neuromuscular system is well equipped to generate and control inertial forces and, in fact, it very seldom encounters a sustained level of tension throughout a movement. In real life, you pick things up and have to juggle, balance, or wrestle them suitcases, boxes, swinging doors, people. Standard free weights and machines dont enhance manipulation of odd objects as readily because they are inherently balanced, and not just bilaterally the mass is also centred within the dumbell-hand complex creating no additional lever arm as is present with kettlebells. Whether youre swinging a bat or a sledgehammer, or lifting a child from the floor, all of your movements are made more effective when the inertia is trained, rather than reduced. Life is a stop-and-go sport so training should prepare you for that reality. However, it is this very aspect of natural human movement that many modern resistance devices seek to eliminate. A lot of the current fitness methodology, such as the super-slow technique or elastabands, create an unnatural resistance curve or seek to minimise the role of inertial forces. The result is an unnatural and nonactivity-specific method of training since inertial force is an inescapable law of physics and life. In the context of training the muscle this may not seem like much of an issue. However, in the context of training the movement the implications are large.
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Inadequate training methodology lays the foundation for unfulfilled performance potential as well as increased risk for injury. Since inertial forces are simply a fact of life on and off the athletic field they should therefore be kept in the gym as well.8 Injury Prevention and Sporting Longevity are Good In addition to training you to control inertia, explosive kettlebell moves also develop the ability to

absorb ballistic shock by building extremely resilient tendons and ligaments, as well as denser bone structure. The repeated submaximal impacts of kettlebell lifting become an excellent conditioning tool for athletes from rough sports like kickboxing, wrestling, and football and it will add years to a bodybuilding career. Ballistic loading is highly beneficial to your joints provided you do not overdo it. Joints subjected to

Efim Kourbatski prepares to take a walk, holding two 32kg ketttlebells in the rack position

in order to meet shifting inertial characteristics. This stimulates the synergistic patterns of motor unit recruitment necessary for smooth, efficient movement.8 In other words, not only does the kettlebell require greater strength; it also demands a refined coordination of the musculature to control it. As a
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consequence of its high momentum characteristic, kettlebell usage is a more demanding skill than other modalities that have less inertial constraints. The additional lever created by placing the resistance distal to the handle provides a unique challenge to the nervous system, as well as to the grip. This, in turn, provides a distinct advantage when attempting to transfer strength gains to athletic tasks with a strong inertial component, such as pitching, bowling, golfing, weightlifting and the martial arts. Training with inertia also has

Balls Of Iron Part 2

very well with impulsive loads, whereas cartilage that is heavily loaded infrequently softens... the collagen network loses its cohesion and the cartilage deteriorates. 9 Performance of these lifts with one hand forces the trunk to engage harder in order to stabilise the spine under the unilateral load. Muscles crossing moving joints receive significant demands as they work to maintain equilibrium through loaded and fluctuating joint angles. As a result, you learn dynamic postural control and proper body mechanics skills enabling you to efficiently manage the net forces acting upon your body. Functional Strength is Important Functional strength is a term that nowadays gets thrown around far too often. Function is very subjective, and it obviously depends on the demands of your everyday activities. For example, if you were a powerlifter, bench pressing would be considered a functional exercise since it directly affects your sporting performance. On the other hand, balancing on a wobble board while performing transverse cable trunk twists may be totally non-functional for powerlifting. For a tennis player, the opposite may be true. For kettlebell lifters, training bestows upon them function in the form of GPP. Besides improving at the lifts they practice, they also attain bodies capable of handling a wide spectrum of strength and endurance demands. They become resilient. While bodybuilders often isolate certain muscles and burn them into submission, kettlebells require full body integration all the time. Bodybuilding, being an aesthetic sport, focuses less on work capacity and more on symmetry. After all, looking good doesnt necessitate performing well, and vice versa. But if big muscles and increased function are both goals of yours, there is nothing preventing you from combining both exercise modalities. Whatever your goal may be, you can never have too much functional strength. It is the glue that holds you together keeping you mobile and independent, the strength that enables you to continue your physical pursuits and activities. Being able to squat and bend to pick things up, put things overhead safely, stabilise your back while taking out the recycling bin, or lifting your suitcases is every bit as critical as your bench press poundage or body fat percentage.
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Conclusion Considering the modern fascination with superheroes like Spiderman and mythological characters such as Achilles, its no wonder more people are preferring real power over merely the appearance of power, iron balls over the absence of balls. Kettlebell workouts appeal to fitness enthusiasts suffering from gym languor a malaise that afflicts exercise buffs bored with the repetitive nature of most gym activities. Some simply want to train outdoors and get fresh air. And while most exercise programs claim to provide specific healthful benefits, kettlebell training apparently does it all. It boasts all the benefits of high-intensity cardio activity without the impact injuries, and all the benefits of weight training with added function. Injury-resilience results from practicing shock absorption and you simultaneously gain flexibility as your body bends around and under the kettlebell. Unlike traditional strength training, which involves lifting weights by using slower movements to isolate particular muscle groups, kettlebell training adds swift movements and postural holds swinging, lifting and even juggling, to work your entire body as a synergistic whole. This can only complement and boost your conventional training techniques. Kettlebell training is a time-tested system of total-body strength and endurance training. Though its centuries old, its something new and its rare to run across a completely unique form of exercise that includes all components of fitness in one workout. They may be awkward and they may not be too pretty... but the bottom line is theyre fun to use, and they work. IM References 7 National Strength & Conditioning Association www.nsca-lift.org 8 Cronin, A., Ganulin, D., and Khai M. (2003) Kettlebell Concepts Instructor Manual 9 Siff, M. and Verkhoshansky, Y. (1999) Supertraining Editors Note: Be sure to check out www.australiankettlebells.com for more information on products, techniques, program design and more. Special thanks to Efim Kourbatski for modelling, Rick Ravensdale for providing kettlebells and Adam Cronin for his valued imput.
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