Kettlebell Basics

Kettlebells are a hot new topic in the U.S. However, they have been around for atleast a couple hundred years in Russia. Originating in Russian markets, they were used as counter-weights when measuring goods. After the market was closed they were thrown around and their benefit for fitness became apparent. They were named the official "workout tool of the people" in Russia a few decades ago, and there is even an actual sport in which girevics, or kettlebell lifters, compete.

Old-time strongmen used them in traveling circuses, and you can even see them used in Cirque du Soleil strongman acts today. Kettlebells worked their way to American military and police, then to the combat sports. Now, Kettlebells are starting to hit the mainstream American public as a hot new workout tool that melts fat like hot butter and turns nerdy boys into lean mean muscular machines. Most surprising is that this intimidating iron ball is becoming a popular item with women.

But why is the Kettlebell so popular with fighters? Is it truly better for conditioning fighters than, say, barbells? And if it is, why is it better? This is what I am here to answer. I am a retired Thai Boxer and a trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I am also a certified Kettlebell Instructor with Kettlebell Concepts.

In order to answer the question of whether or not Kettlbells (KB) are better than Barbells, we need to first understand how they are different in structure, and what that does to the body. The main difference that we are going to focus on is handle placement.

In a barbell, or dumbbell for that matter, the hand is placed between the weights. On the KB the handle is placed above the weight. This makes a very big difference. Basically what this does is cause the KBs weight to change as it moves through the air. Barbell's and dumbbell's weight remains fixed because your hand is in the middle of the load and the lever arm never changes.

As the KB swings through the air and the load moves around your hand; the weight is constantly changing as the distance of the ball portion from your hand changes. This is causing you to react to the changing weight by loosening at some points and contracting even more at others. This pattern of altering weight is more similar to fight conditions than a fixed weight could ever be.

If your opponent clinches you, and then starts to throw knees, the strength of his grip on your neck is going to be constantly changing as pulls you in for the knee, relaxes, and repeats for the next knee.

This load pattern that the KB creates more closely resembles actual fighting conditions, and trains your unconscious ability to react to those changing forces (proprioception) more keenly than a barbell or dumbbell can.

This is the first, and best, argument that supports KB training and its superiority over other types of training. Another argument for the superiority of KBs over other modalities, or tools, is momentum. Most KB training movements require you to accelerate the KB, decelerate it, and repeat; as opposed to slowly lifting, or "grinding" a barbell, dumbbell, or weight-machine handle. This pattern of accelerating and decelerating more closely resembles actual fighting conditions. Cleaning a 44kg KB requires you to absorb the impact as you rack it. This absorbtion is, again, similiar to what you have to do to absorb a punch, knee, kick or elbow, or stuff a takedown.

A third argument for superiority of KBs is stabilization. As you decelerate the KB, YOU must stabilize it. The machine won't stabilize it, the bar won't stabilize it, YOU must stabilize it, just like when you miss a hook and have to stop the momentum from spinning you around; you have to decelerate and stabilize that arm, and then accelerate it in the opposite direction quickly, before you get hit.

Now, to be fair, the second and third argument are somewhat weak as you can train momentum and stabilization with barbells and dumbbells. Momentum can be trained with Olympic style lifts, and stabilization can be trained in many, many ways with dumbbells. However, the structure of the KBs handle being outside of the load is something that cannot be replicated by any barbell, dumbbell, or machine. In finishing, I personally use Kettlebells, Barbells, Dumbbells, sometimes machines; and many other tools like Rubber Tubing, Sandbags, Ropes, Medicine Balls, suspension training devices like the TRX or JungleGym, etc. It is not the tool that necessarily makes the training good or bad, it's how you use it.

Take care,
Kedric "Wolf" Umaa
Kedric@TheThaiboxingAcademy.com