Swing Kettlebells for Core Strength

Kettlebells are one of the greatest, if not THE greatest tools for developing core and overall body strength. If you heard the word kettlebell and said “what is a kettlebell?” Then listen up:

Kettlebells look like bowling balls with handles coming out of the top. They originated in Russia hundreds of years ago, and they have been used by strongmen to develop serious muscular strength and endurance ever since. The kettlebell was just recently introduced into the US and has been having a tremendous impact on everyone who decides o pick one up and give it a go. So, how do kettlebells help build core strength?

First of all, the beauty of the kettlebell is in its design. Because the handle forces your hand further away from the bulk of the weight, the center of gravity is always off requiring your core to do work throughout just about any kettlebell exercise thereby increasing the affect it has on your body. Compare this to a dumbbell that features weight distributed evenly on either side of a handle. Kettlebells are much harder to manipulate because of their design, which in terms of developing cores strength is a GOOD thing.

The next feature of the kettlebell that makes it such a great core developing tool is how you use it during a workout. The main exercise of the kettlebell is called the SWING. The way it is performed is by swinging the kettlebell through your legs and then thrusting your hips to swing it forward and up to or even above eye level. To properly perform the exercise, you will squat as you swing downward, and stand straight up and the bell moves forward and up, keeping the arms extended all the while.

To demonstrate the physics of how incredible this exercise is, picture in your mind a large trebuchet. (a trebuchet, for those who are unaware, is a centuries old battle weapon that would use a counterweight of hundreds or thousands of pounds in order to launch rocks and other debris into enemy territory using a long arm with a basket or sling attachment.) So, if you think of YOURSELF as the trebuchet, your core is the bulk of the machine and must perform all the work in order to move the ammunition (in this case the kettlebell) through the air. The more efficient and strong your core is, the easier it will be to swing the bell through space, and the greater and greater weight you will be able to handle.

Watching someone swing a kettlebell does not look difficult at all. The first time you swing one, while you will notice that you do start breathing heavily, you may not think you are getting a true muscular endurance workout…until the next day that is. Swinging a kettlebell will tax your thighs, your calves, our abdominals, your lower back, and possible even your shoulders and arms. In addition, the exercise itself is an incredible fat burner as well. One simply motion that will help build a rock solid core as well as strip away pounds of fat. If this is your goal, go pick up a kettlebell today and get to swinging!