Friday, November 28, 2008

Kettleballs: Build Muscle and Improve Range of Motion

By Jared Conley

While kettleballs have been used for over a century in places like Russia, their use was not common until recent years. In America, kettleball training is virtually exploding, thanks to some very unique benefits that you can achieve with kettleballs. For anyone looking for muscle weight gain, kettleballs make an attractive entry in your conditioning routine.

Kettleballs look like miniature bowling balls with large, thick handles. They come in various weights from around 2 kilos to 35 kilos, but the heavier weights aren't used often, because kettleball training is more focused on explosive strength, conditioning, and movement, instead of sheer strength.

The incredible aspect of kettleball training is their versatility. In one short session you can achieve many different goals. Some of the numerous benefits you'll obtain from kettleball workouts include:

* Strength increases

* Explosive power improvements

* Improvement in your conditioning level

* Increased joint flexibility and range of motion

* Anaerobic conditioning gains

* Core strength improvements

* Balance and stabilization improvements

* But wait, I've saved the best for last: kettleball training can boost your metabolic rate for quite some time after a workout is over, making kettleballs ideal candidates to help you build muscle up and shed fat.

Kettleballs do have drawbacks, however, but they can be overcome. The drawback cited most frequently is that kettleballs only work for core and upper body conditioning, and not your lower body. To make up for this you'll need to pair your kettleball routine with a solid lower body session, or perhaps even a quick high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout.

Keep in mind that ketteballs will work best in interval-based workouts, so traditional body building workouts aren't the best fit. However, if your goal is to build muscle up and you stay abreast of advances in fitness science, you're probably aware already that traditional strength training exercises aren't the most appropriate option.

With the many advantages that kettleballs offer, they should be added to your workout routine, provided that your routine already emphasizes recent advancements in exercise science and is a good fit for your goals and body type. - 16752

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