KETTLEBELL SWINGS FOR ABS
There are a number of modern day challenges that people face when setting fitness and health goals like being able to see those pesky abdominal muscles. The first is the problem of time. In this overly busy, distracted day and age it can often seem impossible to fit anything into a schedule that has most of us run ragged. The second problem is the overabundance of information from experts and so-called fitness influencers that comes at us from all angles.
What this article covers:
KETTLEBELL CORE WORKOUT
In the quest for better health and fitness, sometimes less is more. Making one small change to one’s lifestyle can be all it takes to get you on the road to better health and fitness and maybe even some visible abs! If only there were one key exercise that one could add to their schedule that would improve strength and mobility, burn tons of calories and fat, and get them closer to seeing those abs. Perhaps a kettlebell core workout is the answer. But how involved does it have to be?
Kettlebells have been a long-time training tool for competitive athletes and have over the last few decades begun to be used more and more widely by the average person looking for an efficient and fun way to improve their strength, fitness, and even show off those abs. What then is the best kettlebell ab workout? Are there simple, effective kettlebell exercises to flatten the stomach and get one in the best shape possible without endless hours in the gym?
The single most important kettlebell exercise is the kettlebell swing. Unlike what we have known as traditional ab exercises like crunches and sit-ups, the kettlebell swing offers us a standing kettlebell exercise for abs. Unlike those exercises which can definitely have an effect on the abs and conditioning the core, the kettlebell swing conditions the muscles of the core and abs, while simultaneously increasing the heart rate and working hundreds of other muscles, thereby burning boatloads of calories and helping to burn fat.
The kettlebell swing is a full-body exercise. It works muscles throughout the body. Adding just this single exercise to your exercise program each week can give you countless benefits. Let’s look at some benefits of this amazing exercise.
KETTLEBELL SWINGS BURN TONS OF CALORIES
There are a number of factors that will impact the number of calories that an exercise can burn. A person’s weight, fitness level, and the intensity of the work they’re doing are typically the leading factors. It is commonly believed that working with a moderately heavy kettlebell and performing kettlebell swings at a steady pace can burn up to 20 calories per minute for the average person.
If you’ve never performed a full minute of kettlebell swings, you are in for a heart-racing experience. This type of calorie burn can far outpace running for overall burn all while saving the joint pounding impact that comes along with running.
KETTLEBELL SWINGS SEEM TO WORK EVERY MUSCLE
After your first minute of kettlebell swings, you will find it hard to point to any muscles that are not being used. It doesn’t just merely impact the lower body or the upper body. The kettlebell swing is not just a workout for abs and arms but also works all of the legs, butt and core. This makes it efficient from a muscle development standpoint and is the prime reason why it burns so many calories.
KETTLEBELL SWINGS IMPROVE YOUR HEART RATE
Kettlebell Swings improve cardio by increasing the heart rate and keeping it elevated and pumping throughout the entire exercise. As it taxes the heart, it is also improving the efficiency of your breathing and lung capacity.
KETTLEBELL SWINGS IMPROVE MOBILITY AND CORE STRENGTH
The Kettlebell Swing with its inherent all-over body work not only builds strength, it can also help improve mobility, flexibility while building core strength. Because of the dynamic movement of the kettlebell swing, the muscles and joints being worked at each point of the movement changes over time. During the upswing of the movement, the muscles in the upper body, core, and lower body are different from the areas or muscles being worked during the downswing of the kettlebell. This back and forth between the different areas of the body is what helps the exercise burn so many calories, tax the cardiovascular system and improve overall body mobility.
So how should one go about incorporating the kettlebell swing into their lifestyle and ab workouts? As always, consult with your medical professionals to ensure you are ready to begin any fitness endeavors.
THE KETTLEBELL SWING
Once you are ready to begin, choose a weight that allows you to complete perfect reps of the kettlebell swing, while still taxing your cardiovascular system. Kettlebell Swings are more effectively performed at relatively higher reps than you may be used to if you have lifted traditional weights. For kettlebell swings, three sets of 10 might not be as effective as setting a timer and doing 30-60 seconds of the exercise for as many reps as you can perform and then putting the weight down to rest and repeat for a series of sets. Start slow and do 3-5 sets of these kettlebell swings for time as you get acclimated to the exercise. Overtime you can increase the number of reps you perform and add more sets as you get into better shape. Working up to three 20-minute sessions of kettlebell swings a week would be a good long term goal that can be achieved in a few months.
The kettlebell swing is one of the most fundamental kettlebell exercises out there and if you are short on time and equipment, it can be one of the most efficient ways to impact your cardio, your muscle structure, your flexibility and your body fat levels. And through consistent swinging you will be able to soon see those coveted abs you’re looking to reveal.
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