Movement and The Metabolic Power of Kettlebells

It wasn’t all but 20 years ago that fitness experts were telling you to eat low fat diets, exercise with machines and to make sure that you are burning enough calories by doing slow boring cardio workouts.

Things have definitely changed over that time.

Now, research has proven without a shadow of a doubt that performing some type of Metabolic Resistance Training is the sure fire way to shed unwanted belly fat and build muscle at the same time.

The big secret is that some of the world’s top coaches & trainers have been using metabolic resistance training for years now.

Anytime you use circuits or supersets to train with an elevated heart rate with insufficient recovery, you are doing metabolic resistance training.

One of the most common issues, however, with doing an MRT workout is that access to adequate gym equipment is limited unless  you’re lucky enough to train in an empty gym or you train at a private a private studio that specializes in MRT workouts.

Your ability to move from one “bang for your buck” exercise to the next is limited when you have maneuver through a busy gym or when the pretty boy is doing bicep curls in your squat rack again.

And that’s where the beauty of the kettlebell comes into the MRT equation.

What most people don’t know is that Metabolic Resistance Training has been the standard practice of training with kettlebells since they were conceived back in the 18th century!

Lifting a challenging weight several times with an elevated heart rate for a given period of time is the essence of using a kettlebell.  Not only are you forcing your muscles to work hard, but you’re forging a heart of steel and creating an environment in your body that will burn fat all day long.

The beauty about kettlebell training is that not only are you getting a great muscle-building and fat loss workout at the same time, but you are also able to increase your movement efficiency as well.

Yes that’s right, training with kettlebells will allow you to move better and with greater efficiency than training with traditional weight equipment.

All kettlebell exercises require the use of the entire body.  From “grinds” like the Get Up to ballistic exercises like the kettlebell swing, each exercise you perform uses every muscle in your body in a coordinated network to move the kettlebell.

By moving the kettlebell or – in the case of the Get Up – moving around the kettlebell and because of the way the weight is distributed when you hold a kettlebell, your body pulls itself into alignment forcing you to open up chronically tight areas like your hips and chest and strengthen areas that are chronically weak like your glutes and shoulder girdle.

So what does this have to do with losing fat and building muscle?

Well, every kettlebell workout is a metabolically demanding workout, but with movement efficiency as the foundational principle behind kettlebell training, you not only will shed that unwanted belly fat and build lean mass, but you will be moving better allowing your body to work harder and longer.

The benefit of this is that chronic issues that plague our western society are often combated and alleviated through kettlebell training.  Poor posture by sitting at a desk 8 hours per day hunched over a computer keyboard is quickly battled by holding a kettlebell over your head or explosively extending your hips countless times when you perform kettlebell swings or snatches.

Kettlebell metabolic resistance training, not only will you give your body the ability to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, but you will begin to move better and stave off common issues associated with living everyday life.

Not only will you be stronger and leaner, but healthier as well.

Chris Lopez, RKC, Certified Turbulence Trainer www.KettlebellWorkouts.com/losefat