Most of us have seen those workout videos designed for people who don’t have time to work out. Four minute abs. Six minute butt. Three minute calves. You get the gist. They’ve been around forever, but have you ever heard whether they actually work or not? Me either.
There is a workout that is quick and provides a thorough workout, though. Even better, it doesn’t come on VHS and it isn’t pitched to you via infomercial. I’m talking about Russian kettlebells. The kettlebell is a weight. It looks like a rounded ball of metal with a hooped handle protruding from it. The kettlebell was most popularly associated with turn of the century (19th, not the 20th) strongmen. It’s now making a comeback — and for good reason.
The traditional workout associated with kettlebells resemble manual labor tasks like shoveling or carry buckets. The unique shape of the weight is very different from the balanced weights we are used to seeing in the gym. As a result of the weight’s imbalance, the body has to work to make up for it and you develop more dynamic strength as a result. Instead of isolating individual muscles (as you do when you curl a dumbbell), your muscle groups work together to maintain balance as well as lift the weight. Why’s that a good thing? It both builds and tones muscle. Switching to a kettlebell workout can cut numerous machines, weights, and exercise devices from your workout and save you a lot of time. Who wants to spend all day in the gym anyway?
Kettlebell workouts are a also a great change-up for your cardio routine. A typical kettlebell routine includes exercises that are aerobic. They’ll get your heart working and have you breathing deep, so you’re burning calories. Think of it as a day you don’t have to run on the treadmill, stair-stepper, or elliptical. It’s also great to add to a conditioning program if you participate in endurance sports such as long distance running or swimming.
Kettlebell workouts need not be long, arduous tasks. 30 to 45 minutes is about all it takes. Many participants claim that they lost weight quicker doing these exercises than they did regularly attending a gym where they ran and lifted weights. It’s not totally surprising, though. Exercises that strengthen the core while providing an aerobic workout are a great means of losing weight.
Eventually, if you choose to, you’ll be able to perform kettlebell exercises at home. It’s best not to start at home though. If you’d like to give kettlebells a try, then be sure to go somewhere there is an experienced trainer. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could get hurt. It’s important to have someone to supervise you and make sure that you’re doing it right.
More facts about kettlebells.
An interesting story and the history of kettlebell training.
A great article on how Kettlebell workouts can help ease back pain. (Thanks to @karawaane for the contribution!)
TweetA lot of the big gyms around Richmond offer kickboxing or cardio-kickboxing courses. It’s a great way to both lose weight and tone up, as well as improve your overall conditioning. Kickboxing in one form or another is among the top recommended aerobic activities for losing weight. An ACE (American Council on Exercise) study found that people participating in kickboxing programs burned, on average, between 350 and 450 calories per hour. Not bad right?
Can’t I just take one of those aerobic dance classes and get the same effect? Probably not. Kickboxing works your whole body. Punches work your shoulders, arms, and back while kicks work glutes, thighs, and calves. The turning of your upper and lower body as you punch and kick works your abs like crunches. Kickboxing also helps develop better balance. As an aerobic activity, it will also improve your heart and lung health.
Unlike many traditional workouts, kickboxing will leave you tired in the best way possible. After that first session, you’ll sleep great. The high energy environment and high-impact workout will help you rest better than you have before. As your body adjusts and you continue your classes, you’ll have more energy as well. Because it is a contact sport, either with bags or with partners, kickboxing is also a great means of stress relief. It’s also an easier exercise to stick with as you’ll often have a partner who needs you to be in class to help them. Relying and being relied on can give you that extra push to get to the gym.
It’s not exactly easy to find kickboxing courses in Richmond. Sure, a lot of the big gyms offer cardio kickboxing or something similar, but it’s not always easy to get information about the person teaching the course. Kickboxing is about proper technique as well as throwing punches and kicks. It’s the fine tuning of technique that works your muscles just the right way. That’s why it’s extremely important to work with someone who has extensive training and experience. Do your homework. Ask around town and check online to see who has the most experience teaching kickboxing.
We checked around and really liked MMA Institute on Jahnke Rd. The gym is owned by Rick McCoy, a big name in Virginia combat sports. He has years of experience training professional fighters, so you know you’re in good hands. They also offer a style of kickboxing from Thailand called Muay Thai. It adds elbows and knees to the usual kicks and punches. That means more moves and more muscles worked. They also offer some other classes we’ll be discussing later, such as kettlebells and strength and conditioning. You can click here to view their Class Schedule. We thought it was great that they offer daytime and weekend classes too, so you can be sure to get your workout in.
Tweet
Every year lots of women make the resolution to get into better shape by exercising regularly. Whether it’s about losing weight, or just getting into better shape, it’s a fantastic idea. Despite their best intentions, many ultimately give up. Exercising isn’t always the most exciting thing in the world and running on a treadmill or lifting weights can only be exciting for so long. Eventually, your workout becomes a chore. There are better, more exciting ways to work out and fulfill that New Year’s resolution. Here are a few you might want to try.
Think the only way to lose a few pounds or to meet your fitness goals is to run on a treadmill, work on the bulky and confusing machines at the gym, or engage in an embarrassing aerobic dance class? Think again. There are a ton of creative, challenging, and fun training programs out there that suit everyone from the beginning to the athlete. Here are just a few of them.
Over the next several posts, I’ll introduce you to each one of these workouts. I’ll discuss the pros and cons of each, as well as how they offer something different from your usual workout. I’ll also keep an eye on the comments section to answer any questions you might have. Additionally, we’ll be offering info and advice from the Richmond, VA athletic community. From marathon runners to personal trainers to equipment specialists, we’re going to help you you exercise better, smarter. Want to know more? Read About Us.
Tweet
MMA Fitness RVA Feed