Kettlebells

Before I started using kettlebells, I was a traditional gym weight lifter (free weights) and runner. Needless to say, I spent many hours in the gym each week trying to get strong but feminine legs and glutes. When I discovered kettlebells, I was amased at the results I got within the first six weeks of training, especially in my legs and glutes from the kettlebell front squat. And the results came by spending less time in the gym — imagine that!

Your goal for the kettlebell front squat is to get into the rock-bottom position (butt touching heels) with good form. What’s good form? Think about this: Do you remember when you were a kid playing on the ground or in the sand pit? Children spend a lot of time in the rock-bottom position throughout the day. Unfortunately, with time and age, many people lose that ability. Some of you may have been told by other fitness professionals that squatting past 90 degrees is dangerous. When my clients give me a response like this one when I tell them to get into rock-bottom position, I usually say, “Well, the toilet is past 90, so I know you can do it!” Don’t worry if you don’t know what I mean by rock-bottom position — the kettlebell front squat shows you how to get there.

The front squat makes it much easier for you to move and prevent injury when doing everyday chores, like gardening, playing with your kids, or picking up heavy things. A couple of added benefits are the strong, nice-looking legs and glutes you’ll see thanks to your new exercise. (Do you remember when you had those cute little dimples in your rear end? Well, you can get those back with a combination of front squats and swings — kettlebellers refer to the end result as the “bell butt.”)

And don’t forget the abs! Although many people don’t think of the squat as being a core exercise, if you use proper breathing techniques and good form, the front squat can be a real ab burner. I don’t spend nearly as much time doing specific abs exercises since I started using kettlebells, and my abs are more defined, leaner, and stronger than I ever thought they could be (especially after major abdominal surgergy I had 6 years ago when my surgeon told me I could only hope for 80% strength back in my abs)!.

Kettlebell training has tranformed my body shape, strength and endurance over the past 5 years and I couldn’t imagine my fitness routine without them in it!