Do More, Grab A Bell
There are countless training modalities and different training equipment that can help improve your fitness and quality of life. However, there are some types of exercise equipment that are better suited for specific populations with specific goals. In 2024, most members of generation X (1965-80) and Millennials (1981-96) are more focused on fitness to improve and ensure their lifestyle.
This is mainly due to added information in which algorithms use to project life expectancy. It is estimated that the majority of Millennials will die in the year 2056 and generation X in the year 2042. This is specially alarming to those generations because between those two generations the accumulation of wealth in the U.S. increased over 250% since 1945. Being able to enjoy their life earnings and continue to enjoy life’s desires is the main motivating force behind the fitness boom in those generations. Gen X and Y are constantly searching for the most effective training style and equipment to reach their goals.
However, individual bias and personal experience steer them to one type of equipment over others. There is increased debate in which modality is better for most goals and populations, but the best piece of equipment for your specific goal is the one you are going to use, the one that you find the most enjoyable and the one that is available to you. Moreover, like most fitness professionals, at Desert Barbell we believe that dumbbells and barbells are essential to get strong and to increase hypertrophic gains. When it comes down to the best piece of equipment that provides the most benefit for functional strength, power, coordination, endurance, joint mobility, joint stability and has carryover to real life activities is the kettlebell. Training with Kettlebells is superior to other training modalities because it can improve your activities of daily living (ADLs), increase your life expectancy and keep you injury free by improving your body’s ability to function with only three exercises.
It is innate that the ability to transport equipment in physical jobs, transport groceries from the trunk of your car to your house, and transferring babies from a car seat to a stroller are common activities that hundreds of millions of people do daily. Arguably, the best exercise you can do in the gym is the kettlebell suitcase carry. In this exercise, the individual holds on to a kettlebell in anatomical position (thumbs pointing away from the body). Keeping the head up high, shoulders back and down, the individual initiates a heel to toe walk without crossing their feet. Maintaining the body moving in a linear manner, without shifting side to side is the correct way to execute this simple but effective exercise. The suitcase carry exercise works on many core stabilizing muscles responsible for protecting spinal integrity and trunk rigidity. Main muscles being worked in a suitcase carry include the quadratus lumborum muscle (QL), erector group, gluteus medius, internal oblique, transverse abdominis, and all the muscles of the forearm (flexors and extensors) among others. This exercise helps you establish a base to improve all the lifts in the gym ranging from pull-ups to deadlifts.
In most cases the limiting factor that prevents people from doing pull ups is grip strength and what causes back pain during deadlifts is QL strains due to weakness in that muscle. In addition to an increase in strength in those limiting muscles, seniors have shown to increase balance and decrease falls, the number one cause of mortality in this population, over cancer and heart attacks. The risk of injury is very low in the suitcase carry due to the effect it has on balance during the gait cycle. Overall, the suitcase carry exercise can be an injury prevention exercise because it prevents lateral spinal flexion. This makes it an excellent addition to everyone's workout program.
Another addition to a concise exercise is the Turkish Get Up. This exercise challenges balance, coordination, shoulder and core stability. The goal of the exercise is to maintain structural integrity while getting up from the floor using a three point base of support. There are three movement phases in this exercise during the ascent and three phases during the descent.
First, you set up your body in a fetal position with the arm closer to the ground holding on to the kettlebell, this is going to be your starting and finishing position. Starting with the ascent, the first movement is to roll to one's back keeping the kettlebell glued to the chest, the knees tight to each other, and the knees and torso rotating at the same rate. Simultaneously, chest press the kettlebell and extend the leg distal from the pressing arm. The roll and the press completes phase one of the lift. In the second phase, one needs to brace the core while lifting the chest using the elbow as support (the arm bends). Next, extend the arm transferring all the weight to the hand. At this point the hip, feet, and hand are in contact with the foot and the kettlebell is pressed over head. Then one lifts the hip keeping the leg distal to the kettlebell straight and the leg in the kettlebell side at 90 degrees pushing off the floor. Keeping the supporting hand on the floor, bend the distal leg and place the knee inside of the supporting hand, this knee will take the load of the supporting hand. To finish phase two lift the body to an upright position and reposition the leg into a half kneeling position. The overview of this phase can be resumed by taking the body from a sitting position to a kneeling position. In the third and final phase of the Turkish get up one has to stand up from the half kneeling position to a standing position while keeping the shoulder stable with a fully extended elbow. To complete the descent of this exercise repeat the movements in reverse, finishing in the side lying fetal position. The practical application of this exercise is to retain the body to adapt to different positions under load. This is specially useful for parents that must have a strong spinal integrity when transferring children in and out the car, athletes that undergo bodily impact and seniors that want to prevent falls.
The previous exercises main focus is to increase postural stability by training the muscles that protect the spine. In the cross body swing however, the main goal is to absorb anti rotational forces while generating power through hip extension. This movement is more advanced and it should not be done by novice kettlebell users. It is recommended by the National Strength and Conditioning Association to engage in a six week core strengthening program prior to incorporating power rotational exercises to your routine.
Once you are ready to add power rotation to your training this is the best exercise to develop your obliques and gluteus power. Starting from a kettlebell swing position one gives it a swing as the kettlebell descends step back into a mini-lunge position allowing the kettlebell to swing outside of the front leg. The front leg is pressing firm into the ground to activate the glutes to prevent hip rotation. Once the glutes absorb the momentum, one extends the hip while returning the rear leg to the starting position. At this point the kettlebell is flying up and across the body, do not let the kettlebell cross your chest, use your obliques to stop the rotation force. It is recommended to perform this exercise with moderate weight to allow for reps over 10. The accumulation of force absorption makes this exercise great to increase the rate of force production and absorption. The absorption and production of power force is beneficial for athletes especially those in combat or full contact sports. Transferring force from the hips through the oblique and into a swinging arm will definitely increase one's punching power and throwing power.
To conclude, the three exercises mentioned should be a staple in all training programs because they help prevent injuries, improve postural integrity and improves the ability to transfer and absorb forces. All three exercises have a direct effect in one's everyday life making them functional training exercises. Although these exercises are meant to train movement patterns they also provide aesthetic results but that's only a secondary effect of kettlebell training. The suitcase carry, turkish get up, and the cross body kettlebell swing should be implemented by all Desert Barbell members to improve their overall wellbeing. For the reasons mentioned Desert Barbell as a community believe that training with kettlebells is superior to other training modalities.
About the authors:
Coach Jordi Ramirez Roa has trained with kettlebell since 2010 but made them a constant part of his routine in 2012 because he started competing in collegiate boxing in Northridge State University. The immediate benefits in his athletic ability was an eye opener for him since he previously believed that using barbells in the olympic lifts was the best way to increase power. Attending seminars hosted by the NCAA and NSCA, he is now able to teach and program specific kettlebell protocols for diverse populations. He encourages seniors and athletes to train for function over aesthetics for improved quality of life.
Master Trainer Melanie Gonzalez got bit by the kettlebell bug in 2017 in Equinox Pasadena. Working alongside kettlebell experts, she was able to understand the importance of training with casted iron. After implementing kettlebells to her training, she saw improved posture and grip strength allowing her to perform pull ups and heavier deadlifts. Now she tried to sneak suitcase carries, kettlebell goblet squats and swings into her clients training regardless of their fitness level.
