Top 7 Kettlebell Ab Exercises For Beginners

There are various exercises one does in a gymnasium from weight training to cardio and rock climbing. The latest on the scene are kettlebell exercises which are gaining popularity. What are kettlebell exercises?  In the early 1700s, cannonballs-shaped iron orbs with handles lifted in a swinging motion were developed by the Russian men for building strength, balance, suppleness and stamina. They were used by military personnel, weightlifters and martial artists long before it became a mainstream personal fitness tool. A kettlebell instructor, Micheal Shade says that instead of lifting weights for half an hour and doing a treadmill for another half hour, one could easily gain from doing kettlebell workout in 20minutes. 

The Study
A survey was done to check out this on 18 volunteers, male and female who were experienced in kettlebell training. Twice a week, the volunteers participated in one hour kettlebell classes led by a pair of certified trainers. Each class commenced with a 5-minute active warm-up before the 30 to 45 minutes kettlebell exercise. The class included one- and two-handed swings, snatches, presses, cleans, lunges etc. Each class ended with a 10-minute cool-down period. At the beginning of the study, trainers encouraged participants to use  kettle-bell weight that felt manageable and gradually progress to heavier weights as they felt  comfortable with the movements. The results proved: kettlebell workouts marked an increase in aerobic capacity, in addition to strength gains and improve in balance and stamina. In regards to intensity, it is a cross between circuit weight training and running. The study also suggested that there are positive implications of being able to increase core strength by 70 percent for the older generation. This is because, the stronger the people are at the core, the less lower back pain they would have. The older generation doing kettlebell workouts are less likely to have dangerous falls. While for athletes, the better the dynamic balance, the better ability to balance, while doing the workouts. Kettlebell workouts might be old but the total-body nature of kettlebell workout has some serious body benefits which are stronger than ever.

Some of the Kettlebell Ab Exercises are as Follows

Around the Body Pass

• The kettlebell needs to be held with both hands in front of the torso and feet should be hip-width apart.
• Release the kettlebell into one’s right hand and move both arms behind the back.
• Grab the bell with one’s left hand and bring it back to the front (making a full circle around the body. After completing the procedure, repeat it 10 times.
• Switch directions and repeat the procedure without resting.

This workout can be done by anybody and is one of the good kettlebell ab exercises for beginners as it can be used as a warm up exercise. One should perform the Kettlebell ‘Around the Body movement’ to increase power in the abdominal wall and Oblique’s. This extra power will produce extra muscular definition and increased performance on other movements which require Core strength such as the Kettlebell Swing, Bench Pressing and all forms of Squatting movements.

Bent Row

• Take the kettlebell in the right hand, squat slightly and bend forward from the hips until the torso is parallel with the floor.
• The kettlebell needs to hang at arm’s length.
• Keep the torso firm as to pull the kettlebell to the side of one’s chest while keeping the elbow close to one’s side.

With this workout, one’s legs and core, the abdominal and lower back muscles contract to stabilize and increase strength in these muscles which improve posture and spine stability, reducing the risk for lower back injuries. If you really want toned abs, these kettlebell ab exercises can help you get those.

Front Squat

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of the chest, elbows bent and close to one’s body.
• Keep the back straight and the chest up. Push the hips back and bend knees till they are at 90 degree angle.
• Press down into one’s heels and return to standing.
• After completing this, repeat 10 -15 times.

Note: keep the knees over (not in front of) one’s toes at the bottom position of squat.

Kettlebell squats like any other type of squat involve similar motion. They help improve the mobility and the strength of lower back, hips and legs. This workout allows one to increase the amount of weight put on these muscles to increase strength further than one would use otherwise.

WindMill

• Stand with feet wider than hip- width apart, weight in one’s left hand.
• Raise it to one’s left shoulder, and then press it overhead.
• Rotate your chest to the left and watch the kettlebell as one tries to touch one’s right hand to one’s right foot.
• Pause and come to the starting position while keeping the left arm extended.
• Repeat this 5-10 times before lowering the weight.
• Repeat this on the other side.

One builds strong shoulders while performing windmills. The kettlebell stays put above the head with the hand holding it for the entire duration of the workout. This in turn makes the muscles around one’s shoulder to work in a static so that it keeps the bell from falling and the elbow from bending. This workout helps to increase one’s glute strength and reduces lower back pain. In addition, it also improves flexibility around one’s mid-section which makes it one of the effective kettlebell ab exercises.

Kettlebell Halo

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a kettlebell in both hands.
• Set your shoulder and brace, maintaining these contractions throughout the exercise.
• Exhale and slowly raise the kettlebell above the head.
• Perform slow circles around the head (‘halo’) keeping the wrist neutral and elbows bent.
• Complete the recommended number of repetitions.
• Repeat the procedure on the other side.

Halo exercise help build muscles throughout the upper body and targets shoulders and muscles supporting it. The Halo is effective as cardiovascular and resistance exercise which makes the body work without taking a break in repetitions. This workout engages the pectoral muscles in one’s chest and helps lift one’s arms and triceps as one moves the weight behind one’s head.

Renegade Rows

It is also known as Commando Row or Alternating Renegade Rows. One is basically combining a tough abs exercise in the plank with a solid compound movement such as the Row for the back muscles. The weight needs to be balanced as one transfers the lift from one arm to the other. The Alternating Renegade Row is an expert level exercise and should not be performed by a novice.

• Set one’s self up in a standard push-up position with a pair of kettlebells in front of one’s hands. The leg position should be slightly wider than the normal press up position advised.
• Push one kettlebell into the floor hard using full force to lift the other up towards one’s chest.
• Return the kettlebell that is at one’s chest to the floor and push it to the floor while lifting the other up. This completes one round of Alternating Renegade Row.

Note: Keep the abs in a locked position and the whole core of the body tight and contracting through the Kettlebell Renegade Row workout. If one relaxes the body during this movement there are chances of having a muscular injury. Keeping the abs in a locked position makes this exercise one of the very effective kettlebell ab exercises.

This workout can be used as a Mass building exercise at the beginning of the routine. One needs to remember that the human body does not know how heavy a weight is. It only identifies how much energy and muscle fibre it is using in order to complete the workout. Due to this, following a pull up, the Muscle tissue is forced to contract extra hard as if the weight was far heavier stimulating action in the capillaries and muscle growth. When this occurs, the Wide Grip Pull Up becomes an essential pre-exhaustion tool for the Kettlebell Renegade Row and assists in the overall benefit of the Kettlebell workout.

Gunslinger Curl

To execute the Gunslinger,

• Grasp the kettlebell by the handle and hold it by the hip as if it were in a holster.
• Quickly “draw” the kettlebell upwards, then push one’s arm straight out to “aim” as to rotate it forward so the bottom of the kettlebell is pointed to “fire” at the target.
• Replace the kettlebell in the holster and repeat.
• Start with two sets of 10 reps and increase to three sets of 12 to 15 reps as to gain strength.

Curls

• To properly target the bicep muscle, one has to cup the ball of the kettlebell in the hand with palm facing forward.
• Keep one’s elbows tucked in to one’s sides as to tighten one’s bicep muscle and curl the weight toward the shoulder.
• One can also use the kettlebells to perform a variation of the hammer curl.
• Turn hands so the thumbs point toward the ceiling and grip the kettlebell by the top of the handle.
• The bottom of the kettlebell should point directly forward.
• Using the same curling motion, get the kettlebell to one’s shoulder then return to the starting position.
• Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps and take a 30 second break between sets.

With this workout, one gains significantly in bicep strength and hypertrophy. If one has a wish to target specifically their biceps muscles then this will help achieve optimum results.

Kettlebells can deliver one heck of a workout. The kettlebell snatch routine provides a  high intensity workout when compared to a standard weight-training routine. In addition to this, the kettlebell snatch workout meets the industry’s recommendations for improving aerobic capacity. If you are looking for a very good resistance-training workout that will also help you lose weight and don’t have enough time to spare, but need to get in a good workout as soon as possible, kettlebell ab exercises are certainly a good option for you.

Important Tips For Effective Kettlebell Ab Exercises

• Some important tips to remember in the kettlebell workout is that although it is a great workout, one needs to really follow the instructions carefully before one can start. A good form is key to avoiding injury.
• One needs to get a minimum of two or three training sessions with a certified instructor.
• Never use your back, always lift with your legs.
• Follow the videos provided with this article for proper form.
• Kettlebells also make traditional dumbbell moves more challenging because the weight is not evenly distributed and one’s stabilizer muscles have to work harder.
• The benefits of kettlebell workouts are that they define one’s shoulders and back, tone one’s butt, core and arms while shedding overall body weight.

With kettlebell workouts, one can have overall fitness benefits. They increase endurance and tone, strengthen muscles as well stamina. Kettlebells are often used as a bodybuilding system or as part of weight loss program. In addition to this, it makes use of many muscle groups simultaneously which in turn give a complete workout in a short period of time.

Kettlebells help improve coordination and develop greater body awareness. In comparison to other workouts, the shape of the kettlebell allows for unique positioning of the weight directly above one’s centre of mass (unlike a dumbbell which has to be held in front of the body). It allows to keep the hands and wrists in neutral alignment which gives more endurance and longevity in the core lifts which produce a higher volume of exercise and greater conditioning and fitness.

Women, for example, love kettlebell training as it helps them tone up and lose fat without over developing muscles. Frankly, building muscle is not easy task for men and especially women, so that should be the least of worries. Kettlebells are great for building shoulders, hamstrings and arms but, they are not the best solution for quad development and certainly not for calf development. A blend approach of utilizing kettlebells and barbells is an effective way to achieve overall fitness.

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