Fitness

Kettlebells are basically round weight with handles. On the off-chance that you have never seen one, try to picture a large cannonball with a handle and you are pretty much picturing a kettlebell. These things actually originated in Russia hundreds of years ago but it has only been in the last 7-8 years or so that they have really started to make a splash here in the West. Let’s take a look at 5 reasons that kettlebells are so completely awesome:

1. Kettlebells are inexpensive – Now, right off the bat, anyone who has ever purchased a kettlebell will probably disagree with this statement, but when compared to expensive gym memberships or personal trainer sessions, kettlebells still come in pretty cheap over the long haul. You can pick up a 20 pound kettlebell (a good starting weight for male beginners, women should opt for one a little lighter) for about $30 or so. That one purchase can take you through a good 3-6 months of training with a kettlebell and help you get healthier while building muscle. Joining a gym, paying for a personal trainer, or buying many other types of fitness equipment is surely gonna run you quite a bit more. But if you must join a gym, they usually have them there.

2. Kettlebells are compact – Kettlebells, while they can be pretty heavy, are still fairly compact. Compare one to a treadmill or an elliptical and the kettlebell wins every time. Just keep it behind your bed, in your closet, wherever. They are small enough to store out-of-the-way when you aren’t using them.

3. Ok, now let’s get down to it. The real reason you should want to use ANY piece of equipment is because of how effective it can be with helping you get healthier. In the case of kettlebells, they do pretty well. A 2010 study conducted by the American Council on Exercise (one of the nation’s most respected authorities on health and fitness) concluded that performing snatches with a kettlebell is about equal to someone running at a 6 minute-mile pace or cross-country skiing uphill. If you only have a little bit of time and want to experience maximum results, the kettlebell can help get you there.

4. Kettlebells build muscle – Unlike most forms of cardio work that is designed to increase health, using a kettlebell actually helps you build muscle at the same time. You are lifting a weight after all and this weight is transferred to your muscles requiring them to do extra work for each movement. When working with kettlebells on a regular basis once can expect to see larger, firmer muscles as a result. Even if you only perform the swing, the most basic of kettlebell movements, you can expect to build muscles in your legs, back, shoulders, arms and even your midsection.

5. Kettlebells are pretty fun – One thing that can ensure your workout will be effective is if you enjoy doing it. Kettlebells represent a whole different kind of activity and many people (like me) think swinging these handled weights is awesome! It is a totally different type of feeling when you are swinging a kettlebell through the air. It gets your whole body involved and it does require a little coordination as your mind works to move your body correctly and your muscles begin to fire throughout the movement. It is so much more exciting than mindlessly lifting a dumbbell then putting it back down. With kettlebells, you are really engaged in the exercise the entire time and as you begin to make progress you start to learn that there are endless variations of what you can do with these things. No question about it if you find something fun you are likely to do it more often and in the case of exercise that is as effective as kettlebells are, this can lead to health increase and getting you in better shape than you have ever been before.

So, there you go. 5 great reasons you absolutely have to workout with kettlebells. If you haven’t tried them before, the list may seem a little too good to be true…if you have already tried them, then the list is probably not long enough. These things work…go ahead and grab a bell and swing away and you may just end up getting into the best shape of your life.

Planking. It is not just a fad where numerous people lay flat and still for a period of time doing little more than taking up a horizontal space equal to their height. However, when you look closely, they are actually doing something kind of amazing, even if they do not know it.

Muscle Groups

The primary muscle groups involved with planking are as follows: transversus abdominis muscle, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles (abductors), the adductor muscles of the hip, and the external, and internal obliques. But not just these muscles are used, in addition, secondarily, the gluteus maximus (glutes), quadriceps (quads), and hamstrings are all used as well. Now, please take a moment and look at an anatomical model and tell me what else these muscles may be used. From a health standpoint these muscles promote better posture, better distal tendon strength due to increased short fiber strength within the muscles, and increased flexibility due to increased strength of the core. From a vanity standpoint, the muscles used are the same ones that we are all trying to improve simply to look better. The basic plank will increase strength in the belly, buttocks, thighs and chest. Raise your hand if you do not want to have these muscles be stronger so that you look better.

The idea of improving your core is also important due to the role that the core plays in balance, posture and recombinant muscle allocation (meaning, the way muscles interact) and can reduce overall pain. For instance, it is common knowledge that poor posture in an office chair will lead to back pain over time, not because the back muscles are weak, but because the abdominal muscles are weak and not in proper location. Any chiropractor can tell you how important alignment is. If you sit in a chair all day and have some back pain there are two things to do to relieve it. First, get up and walk around so that you back does not hurt right now. Second, when you are done walking around, do some sit-ups, crunches and leg lifts to strengthen your core abdominal muscles. Better yet, find a 30-day planking challenge on the internet and follow it.

Why does planking hurt?

The primary reason that planking hurts most people is due to a lack of core strength. This is not to say that you should go out and do 6 months of Pilates before planking, but it does help. Seriously though, planking is one of those fun exercises that can be done at any level of fitness and for any duration. In addition, a personal best planking time for a lot of people between the ages of 24-39 is about 22 seconds, which is pretty good. That means that in under a minute, you can achieve a new personal best at something whenever you want.

Planking hurts because the muscles used to plank are not used for many other things, when looking at it directly. The muscles used are not used for walking or moving in general. The closest exercise that most people are familiar with is, in fact, a push-up. In fact, most people can do push-ups with more ease than they can plank for 20 seconds. The reason is because the muscles used for a push-up are completely different from those used for planking. When you extend upwards in a push up, you are actually providing a great deal of relief to your core. When you stop at extension to rest, you are actually planking. It turns out that the slow push-up is an excellent exercise to promote core and to promote arm strength. But it will hurt.

The Basic Takeaway

Planking is quite a great and convenient way to get some exercise in. The results are not noticeable in the vanity sense because you will not see the results of this exercise in a mirror for a while. But, one of the finer points of any exercise is the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with whatever you are completing. However, planking provides more than the rush of good mood that comes with any exercise in that it provides relief to the muscles that become tired and achy when you sit for a long period of time. So next time you begin to feel like maybe you were sitting too long, please take a second and plank. No one will think this is weird.

References: http://www.plankexerciseapp.com/guide/plank-exercise-benefits

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/12/05/5-plank-benefits.aspx

http://news.health.com/2014/02/28/4-things-you-need-to-know-about-planks/