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Why does the kettlebell dominate other
equipment?
The Russian kettlebell owes half of its power to the proprietary RKC training
system.
The other half is due to the kettlebell's design, namely a thick handle
removed from a compact center of mass.
 The
kettlebell is the ultimate in
conditioning the body for extreme decelerations. Think of all the sudden
stops and direction changes on the football field. If you have not conditioned
yourself to handle these forces, you will perform sub-par and run a high risk of
injury. Traditional strength training, even the Olympic 'quick lifts', does not
address this issue as the weight is either dropped or treated to a slow
negative.
As Brett Jones, RKC Sr. put it, "You cannot swing a barbell between
your legs." You could try it with a dumbbell -at least until the sheer width of
it takes your knees out. The compact kettlebell can be dropped from the lockout
between your knees and way behind you where it will impact load your hips.
This
dynamic loading sets up the hip muscles for a powerful contraction. The
kettlebell is the definitive tool for
developing the hip thrust, the power generator in all athletics. Be it a
jump, a kick, or a punch, when expertly performed, it comes from the hip.
The
kettlebell will make your back
resilient. Unique Russian exercises condition your back from every
conceivable angle, statically and dynamically. One would have to take up
powerlifting, yoga, strongman, gymnastics, and a couple of other things to half
way imitate the benefits of kettlebell training.
Kettlebell's
offset center of gravity maximizes
shoulder strength, flexibility, and health. Most Russians have never
heard of 'rotator cuffs.' Save for combat wounds, shoulder injuries are
virtually unheard in the Russian armed forces. They train and test their
personnel with repetition one-arm snatches with a 53 lb. kettlebell rather than
pushups.
The
kettlebell is an outstanding grip,
wrist, and forearm developer. A thick and smooth handle combined with the
ballistic nature of many exercises loads the grip like rock climbing. Bottom up
cleans and similar leverage drills unique to kettlebells take care of the
wrists.
The
position of the handle allows dynamic
passing of the kettlebell from hand to hand for a great variety of
powerful juggling type exercises strongly endorsed by the Russian Federation
State Committee on Physical Culture. These drills develop dynamic strength and
injury-proof the body in many planes unlike conventional linear exercise.
The
kettlebell will give you infinite
freedom of lifting. It has been said that kettlebells to traditional free
weights are what barbells and dumbbells are to machines. Taming a kettlebell is
akin to medieval sword, spear, and battleaxe play, liberating and aggressive.
The
Russian kettlebell is a complete,
no-compromise, extreme hand held gym. "We train with kettlebells in case
civilization is temporary," stated the Philadelphia Kettlebell Club, "…don't
rely on anything you can't carry."
The Russian kettlebell replaces all this equipment!
* Barbells * Dumbbells * Belts for weighted pull-ups and dips * Thick bars *
Lever bars * Medicine balls * Grip devices * Cardio equipment
Barbells. — Inventive gireviks don't need a ton of weight to provide
progressive resistance. We have yet to meet a man who can press an 88-pound kettlebell bottom up. We know 600-pound squatters who cannot duplicate Steve
Maxwell's Hack squats with the same kettlebell. On the lower end of the strength
spectrum one can do basic dead lifts and squats with the same bell.
Dumbbells.—The kettlebell can do anything a dumbbell can do at least as
well and usually better. For example, the KB provides unsurpassed military press
range of motion: it does not restrict your shoulder on the bottom and it
stretches it on the top.
Belts for weighted pull-ups and dips.—Hang a kettlebell on your foot,
Russian spec ops style, and off you go.
Thick bars.—Lifting two kettlebells with one hand is a lot more
extreme than a thick barbell.
Lever bars.—Lay your KB on the floor and tilt it with your wrist
strength or do Russian hammer curls.
Medicine balls.—Thanks to its handle, the kettlebell can be thrown
more ways than a medicine ball, save for bouncing it off your six-pack.
Grip devices.—Soap up your hand and swing your kettlebell away. Not
for sissies or beginners!
Cardio equipment.—We don't need no stinkin' treadmills! Every
endurance stud who has given our kettlebells a try has reported that their
conditioning benefits are untouchable.
Amazingly, the Russian kettlebell will make you good at many things you have
not practiced. Gireviks' report on the
Dragon DoorStrength Forum that they run faster, bend sixty-penny nails, bench or
dead lift heavier, etc. -just from lifting kettlebells. The only time they see the barbell, a nail, or running shoes is during the test!
It's like this old joke. A man asks his doctor after a surgery on his hand,
"Doc, will I be able to play piano?" -"Absolutely!" The man is perplexed, "It's
funny, I could never play it before!"
The amazing Russian kettlebell "what the hell effect" notwithstanding, if you
want to excel at a certain exercise, be it the dead lift or a heavy-duty gripper,
you should practice it specifically in addition to your kettlebell training. To
use a martial arts analogy, you will never be able to express all your strength
in a punch if you do not work with a heavy bag.
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