Introduce the kettlebell to your fitness routine

IT’S better than a dumbbell and will give you twice the results, and that’s why fitness experts are all gung ho about the kettlebell.

This piece of equipment comes in various weights and you can use it for various routines, including lunges, lifts and shoulder presses.

“These kinds of exercises, using the kettlebell, will get your heart pumping and have you burning calories fast,” says fitness trainer Lennox Richards. “If you are serious, you can burn as much as you would running a 1K, for example, with all that strength training.”

Richards said comparing the kettlebell to the dumbbell is not necessary, as they can be used as complementary tools.

But the kettlebell will certainly add variety to your workouts, add cardio to resistance training, improve your functional fitness, and increase your strength fast.

“You can swing the kettlebell, which will give you a better workout because more muscle groups will be engaged,” Richards said. “This extra movement will give you a better cardio workout because it gives an all-round type of training.”

Here are three exercises made better with kettlebells.

Deadlifts

Deadlifting, which is basically weightlifting that involves picking a training tool off of the floor, zeroes in on your buttocks, thighs, and back. This exercise is usually completed using a barbell, but is good with kettlebells too.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Use two kettlebells — one outside each foot on the floor.

3. Engage your abdominal muscles and draw your shoulders down as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.

4. Push your hips back and bend your knees to reach the handles, then grip them while keeping your arms and back straight and feet flat on floor.

5. Slowly lift your chest and press your hips forward until you’re standing up straight.

6. Pause and inhale before lowering your body. Repeat six to 10 times.

Lunges

The lunge includes any exercise where one leg is positioned forward, with knee bent and foot flat on the ground, while the other leg is positioned behind. It’s a resistance exercise that strengthens your back, hips and legs, while improving mobility and stability.

How to do lunges with kettlebells

1. Stand with your feet together, then hold a kettlebell by the handle in your right hand, arm by your side.

2. Keep your shoulders back and your chest upright.

3. Slowly step forward with your left leg, bending your knee while keeping your right foot in place.

4. Pause for a few seconds, then push down through your forward leg to move your body upward to standing.

5. After you finish your reps on one leg, switch sides so that the kettlebell is in your left hand and your right leg steps forward.

6. Do one set of six to eight repetitions on each leg.

Russian twist

The Russian twist is an easy-to-do abdominal exercise that tones your core abdominal muscles when you do its twisting motion while seated.

This exercise works the abdominal muscles and the obliques.

How to do the Russian twist with kettlebells

1. Sit with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor.

2. Holding the kettlebell handle with both hands, lean back so that your torso is approximately at a 45-degree angle to the floor.

3. With heels a few inches above the floor, rotate your torso from right to left, swinging the kettlebell slightly across your body.

4. Rotate from side to side six to eight times.

5. Try to work up to three to four sets as you build your fitness and strength.