This is because the general conditioning that a kettlebell-based training program can offer proves to be very useful in the athletic preparation of many sports, fitness or functional activities - with a few exceptions, such as advanced bodybuilding and strength activity subjects. pure powerlifting type.
In this article we will try to understand how to set up a training protocol based on the use of kettlebells.
or sports, in fact, there are components of strength, speed, endurance, agility and coordination.Moreover, the expression of force "almost" never occurs in pure or maximal form, but always in combination with other organic-muscular factors (conditional).
Simplifying:
- The exercises that allow you to improve the ability to overcome external resistance are strength exercises;
- Those that raise the ability to react and the frequency of movements to the highest level are speed exercises;
- Those of considerable duration or that have numerous repetitions are defined resistance exercises;
- Those consisting of complex movements are known as coordination exercises.
Strength, speed and endurance are important skills to guarantee a successful performance and the relationship between them is the basis of the physical qualities of every athlete.
Strength training as a conditional capacity is now a must even in disciplines for which, in the past, it was not recommended.
In any sport, methods for the development of strength must be included - with appropriate terms and methods, obviously paying attention not to neglect the development of other motor skills.
The kettlebell can meet these needs very well; with this simple tool, in fact, you can perform exercises and workouts capable of developing each of the skills mentioned.
and resistance to speed.
It is particularly indicated in combat sports - especially hand-to-hand and in those that also use the legs - and in the training of special military units which required superior physical abilities.
Strength resistance means the body's ability to resist fatigue in endurance strength performance.
The criteria for resistance to force are: the intensity of the stimulus (as a percentage of the maximum contractile force) and the volume of the stimulus (sum of repetitions).
Power is the ability to perform an explosive movement, as a result of the interaction between force and maximum speed.
There the combination of resistance and speed is called resistance to speed.
For some, kettlebells would develop better - than any other equipment - strength / endurance, mental toughness / physical toughness, martial specificity, and efficiency (economy of movement).
In a fight of any kind, the resisting force corresponds to the "ability to fight hard for extended engagements.
This ability even becomes crucial when maximal strength and speed come into play; in other words, the ability to deliver powerful blows.
Maximum strength is just as important for both the power of a knockout blow and for bringing about a quick submission, but a complete martial artist must be able to deliver multiple blows in different combinations for even a long time. This requires some skill, both in terms of strength and endurance.
Snatches performed with a high number of repetitions with kettlebells, for example, develop a solid work capacity and an equally solid anaerobic threshold; this translates into the expression of power even in the phase of consistent metabolic fatigue.
For a "martial artist, this skill is essential, because what really matters is not how strong you are in cool conditions, but how" breathless "you keep it.
Because kettlebell exercises require full muscle use, they also prove to be a far better means than high rep training with isolation movements.
The highly ballistic nature of certain exercises such as swings, cleans, snatches and jerks effectively mimic the execution of punches, kicks and throws.
The kettlebell, therefore, can be inserted very well both in general preparation - exercises that involve a relevant muscle group but that do not have any common element with the athletic gesture of the specialty and that differ, in terms of execution time, position and movement, from the gesture competition - and in special and specific exercises - exercises that respect the gesture of competition, but modify the space-time characteristics of the technique and reduce or increase speed.
It could be said that kettlebells represent, in some way, "the" missing link "between bodyweight exercises and activity with classic free weights.
stabilizers. Wanting to draw up a sort of ranking based on the stress of these muscles, the kettlebells should certainly be placed among the first places.
The kettlebell allows greater freedom of movement, ensuring more natural trajectories and adapting more to the lines of the body.
Other advantages of a kettlebell training program over other overloads "could" be:
- Lower incidence of injuries, as long as the exercises are performed according to the correct form of execution;
- Improvement of the manual grip;
- Strengthening of the core;
- Economical compared to gym equipment;
- They increase the mobility of the shoulders and pelvis;
- In addition to muscle training, they are also useful in slimming thanks to metabolic conditioning and the preservation of lean mass;
- They significantly reduce training volume - with a couple of kettlebells you can train even in 30 minutes;
- They realize an excellent global motor conditioning;
- Thanks to the separate load on the limbs, they train stabilization and are useful in recovering any symmetrical imbalances;
- They can be complementary to exercises with barbells and dumbbells.
The use of kettlebells allows both to obtain a considerable state of general form (keeping body weight under control) and to increase strength without increasing muscle mass. They also represent a valid alternative to those single-joint exercises with weights that often result stressful at the musculoskeletal level.
For further information: Kettlebell training: complete workout
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