Roth Regatta

Copyright (c) 2009 Caroline Radway

Kettlebells tick all the boxes as far as I, as a trainer, am concerned. My clients want great results in minimum time, and they want fun and varied workouts. The kettlebell delivers on all counts.

So, what is it about kettlebells that make them the best choice for fat loss?

1. Maximum Results, Minimum Time

You hit every muscle in the body in most of the kettlebell moves – string a few targetted exercises together in a circuit (or even

in one super exercise) you leave no muscle un-worked. This is they key when it comes to maximum fat loss – working as much of the body as you can. The bodybuilding style of hitting one muscle at a time is very outdated when it comes to fat loss in less time – of course bodybuilders have very little fat and plenty of muscle, but it takes hours of painstaking work to get there.

Kettlebells deliver double the results in half the time – a no-brainer in our busy world.

2. Kettlebell Trai

ning Boosts the Metabolism – So You Burn Fat All Day Long!

Muscle uses up more calories at rest than the equivalent weight of fat, and also takes up less space. So if you are composed of more muscle and less fat, you take up less space and can eat more calories just to maintain your weight! A double whammy, that is the result of the fact that muscle is more metabolically active. Kettlebells enable you to create long, lean muscles that are burning more calories while you do nothing than all

that extra fat. Kettlebells make your body a fat burning furnace!

Added to the long term effect of having more muscle in relation to fat, is the fact that you actually burn more calories all day after a kettlebell session. When you burn 300 calories on a cross trainer or treadmill, you get off and go back to normal. With intense kettlebell training, you not only burn more in a session, but you also continue burning calories for 24 – 48 hours (known as post-exercise oxygen consumption, EPOC).

3. Kettlebells Make Your Life Easier!

Increasing the strength and tone of your muscles means you will not only look incredible, but you will function better too. Whether you are carrying shopping or children, or playing your favourite sport, being strong means you can perform better in every area of your life. If you are used to throwing around a heavy weight in your training sessions, a bag of shopping seems easy in comparison. You also get cardiovascular conditioning, so previously hard activities, like running up the stairs, will also seem easy. You can get more done in your day when you are fitter.

Kettlebells are superior to traditional weight training as you perform movements that mimic the challenges of daily life, and the uneven stresses that are imposed on the body. In addition, the kettlebell is held differently, and has an offset centre of gravity, meaning your small, stabilising muscles have to work harder to support the weight. This adds a core challenge to every exercise (for great abs and a strong back) as well as preventing injury by strengthening all your muscles, including the stabilising muscles.

In terms of fat loss, this is an added bonus – if you are laid off exercise because you are injured you are likely to get fat again and lose all the results of your hard work! Training yourself to be strong and injury-free means you can keep yourself in tip-top shape all the time.