By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

There seems to be a certain reservation among “regular” gym goers when it comes to trying Kettlebell Training.

I say this because when I train with my clients at the gym and have them do work with kettlebells, there always seems to be 3 or 4 wandering eyes peering over at what we are doing.

It’s pretty humorous because some will resort to stealth-like ninja techniques to perform the “wandering-eye-walk-by” whereby they pretend to be on their way to the water fountain and just casually stroll by 4 or 5 times to try and catch some instruction.

But honestly, 4 drinks in between your sets of ab/adductor machine?

Truth be told, Kettlebell Training is gaining momentum and it’s good to see that people are actually taking an interest in a simpler alternative to “traditional” weight training.

So with that being said, let me see if I can ease you into Kettlebell Training.

Here are 3 exercises you can start doing today, just by “subbing-in” a kettlebell for a dumbbell…

1. Substitute KB Military Press for any type of Overhead Pressing with a Dumbbell

Pick up a kettlebell and bring in it in close to your body ensuring that 1) your WRIST STAYS IN NEUTRAL (never flexing or extending) and 2) it is resting in the nook of your arm between your bicep and forearm (take a look at the picture of me above left in the header).

Brace your abs hard, pretending that someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Keeping your wrist straight, squeeze the handle of the KB as tight as you can and take a breath in, creating and even tenser brace in your abdomen.

Now press the kettlebell overhead moving your arm from a neutral GRIP (palm facing towards your midline) to a pronated GRIP (palm facing away) as you lock your elbow out over your head.

The important thing here is to LOCK OUT.  I know in some body building circles they tell you to keep a slight bend in your elbow, even in the overhead position, to “keep tension on the muscle”.  That’s not the case here.  This isn’t body building.

You are going to LOCK OUT and make sure that 1) Your shoulder is depressed.  That is, it’s not up by your ears, it’s down and back 2) Your bicep is almost touching your ear and 3) The kettlebell, while in the overhead lock-out position is in line if not BEHIND your head.

Slowly lower the KB back to the starting position following the same pronated to neutral curve you used when you pressed it over head.

2. Try a Modified Renegade Row in place of a standard 1-Arm Bent-Over Row

Unlike a standard DB Row, where you rest a knee on the bench, the Modified Renegade Row will force you to really use your abs to keep your low back stable.

Place a kettlebell on the floor on the left side and then place both hands on the edge of a bench (or chair).  With your hands on the bench/chair, set yourself up so that you’re in  a “push-up” position with your feet slightly wider that hip-width apart.

Reach down and grab the KB with your left hand.  Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes and row the kettlebell into your body towards your hip.  Remember when you row to squeeze your shoulder blades together prior to bending your elbow.

As you row, you’ll notice that your body will want to twist and rotate because of the uneven distribution of weight.  You must prevent this from happening.  By bracing your abs and squeezing your glutes, you will work your abs like they’ve never been worked before!

Slowly lower the weight, again not allowing yourself to rotate and repeat for the required reps.

3. Replace regular squats with a 1-Arm KB Front Squat

Just as the Military Press above, pick up a kettlebell and bring in it in close to your body ensuring that 1) your WRIST STAYS IN NEUTRAL (never flexing or extending) and 2) it is resting in the nook of your arm between your bicep and forearm (take a look at the picture of me above left in the header).

Brace your abs hard, pretending that someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Keeping your wrist straight, squeeze the handle of the KB as tight as you can and take a breath in, creating and even tenser brace in your abdomen.

Now, keeping the bell close, push your hips back and bend your knees.  You’ll notice that as you descend, because of the uneven distribution of weight, your body will want to twist or even bend sideways.  Just like the Modified Renegade Row above, you want to resist this and brace your abs hard.

Descend into the squat by pushing your knees out allowing your hips to go below parallel and keeping your spine straight.

Push your feet into the floor (keeping your heels on the ground the entire time) and drive your body up to the standing position.

So there are 3 exercises you can try out today, using only 1 KB, to help familiarize yourself with Kettlebell Training. 

In addition to the benefit of only needing one piece of equipment for the above exercises, the uneven distribution of weight during KB Training allows you to use your abs like no other exercises can. They force you to stabilize your spine and to try to stay straight forcing your abs to work the way they were meant to be worked – as stabilizers of your torso and spine and not as “prime movers”.

And because of this, you’ll find that people who train with KBs tend to have bullet-proof abdominals, while eliminating low back pain and gaining usable strength that will help you in everyday life.

www.TurbulenceTraining.com

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

For years fitness “experts” have been preaching the merits of endless crunches and sit ups in pursuit of great abs.

Combine that with the latest low fat diet and the tedious, slow boring cardio and – voila! Instant 6-Pack Abs.

Over time, however, evidence is showing that this just simply isn’t the most effective way to shed belly fat.  Unfortunately, the notion of crunches and sit ups has been in-grained into our brains as being the “tried and true” way.

So when I get regularly asked how to lose fat and get six-pack-abs, my answer more often than not, tends to be met with a look of confusion…

1. Perform full-body exercises.

2. Train your abs the way they were meant to be trained (by forcing them to stabilize your torso, not move it or rotate it).

3. Use some form of interval training instead of long boring cardio.

And the most important rule of all…

4. Eat real, clean food focusing on fruits & vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats limiting grains and refined carbs to a minimum.

That about sums it up in a nutshell and it doesn’t get any simpler than that.

If you’re training with kettlebells, then getting that six-pack is easy if you follow the rules above.

And one of the best exercises to get that 6-pack is the Turkish Get-Up or TGU.

Simply put, TGUs involve you laying on the ground holding a KB vertical with one arm and then performing a series of movements to get you standing upright.

Sounds simple enough, but rest assured, if you use a heavy enough kettlebell and use proper technique, it’s as hard an exercise as they come.  And it will challenge you like no other KB exercise out there.

It’s also important to remember that one of the main reasons we train with kettlebells is to simplify our lives and to give us an alternative to going to the gym. The time saved is precious time that can be spent doing more meaningful and impactful things – like spending time with our families & friends.

But it’s not so much what we do in the gym that gives us 6-pack abs and low % body fat, but instead what we do for the other 23.5 hours in the day.

Are we getting enough sleep?

Are we able to handle our stress levels?  (Stress will always be part of our lives. So, the real key is finding a way to properly handle it)

Are we eating whole, natural foods?

Don’t get me wrong, exercise plays a critical role in getting lean.  After all, it’s still just a matter or calories in vs. calories out – of eat less and move more.

But if you’re using KB exercises and training at least 3 times per week, then, from an exercise standpoint, you’re on the right track!
About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com