slowandsteady

Just wondering if any else does kettlebells? I am really liking it. It is a lot more fun than just lifting weights.

ed073

Lifting weights is never fun.

Univega

Does your gym have them or did you purchased them?

biggsmoothe

please excuse the ignorance....but what are kettlebells?

slowandsteady

I have a gym at work and they recently got an outside guy to do kettlebell classes.

Here are a couple of links describing kettlebells. Basically they look like a cannonball with an oversized handle. The purpose of the offset handle is to create instability and it forces you to use many more muscles to hold the kettlebell than if you were holding a dumbell and certainly much better than weight machines. The exercises are also dynamic and involve swinging motions. Whereas traditional lifting is more static in nature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettlebells

https://www.russiankettlebell.com/?c=kb001

Okay, so this is the day after my first class and I am sore from head to toe. Keep in mind I regularly lift and ride 6 - 10 hours a week. The actual class felt easy.......but clearly it was a good workout since I don't normally get sore after lifting or riding.

kokomo61

Old school weights with handles....big in the Soviet Union....



https://www.dragondoor.com/p10.html

ldesfor1@ithaca

i am also a big fan of kettlebells, and believe they are a great suplement to cycling and overall fitness. One can get massively strong and lean with kettlebell drills as a base for strength training. I like most: KB swings, snatches, TGU's, windmills, c+j's, overhead squats, side plank/jerks, warrior row/pushups and 1 legged squats. These 9 exercises will be all one needs. I think windmills are tremendous for ham and oblique strength and shoulder stability. If you think you are tough, a few sets of KB complexes will humiliate you. Very high intensity.
Great for getting familiar with lactic acid in other areas besides the quads.
By the way: one does not need KB's to do these exercises, dumbells should work nearly as well while being much cheaper.

To keep in mind: if you are not really familiar with traditional exercises such as squats and deadlifts, be careful with KB exercises as they are dynamic and one must be in good control and be strong to do these safely, IMO.

I am an ex-powerlifter and current Personal Trainer.

biggsmoothe

i may have to give those a try.

oh man, this link is hilarious! i like the statements at the top of the page...
"Boosts your physical resilience—to repel the hardest hits "
"Hacks your fat off—without the dishonor of dieting and aerobics"
that is awesome!! for some reason, when i read these i couldn't help but think of Ivan Drago from Rocky IV

slowandsteady

Yeah, I would like some of my fat hacked off....