Why We Swing Heavy Kettlebells

Almost every time I have a client come in who has never trained with us before, we have a moment in our initial session.  It typically goes something like this:

Me: Here is the (insert a number) kg kettlebell.

Client: Slight look of fear - what are we doing with that?

Me: You’re about to pick it up…

Client: Really..?

5 minutes later…

Client: Wow, that was really easy…

A lot of the time, people separate what they can do outside, from what they can do in the gym. There are some good reasons for this:

  • Some people have had terrible instruction, the trainer who taught them wouldn’t know good structural anatomy if it was hurtling towards their face…

  • Some people have had previous negative experiences in the gym, where something or someone has been used improperly and they’ve been hurt by or discouraged from using large weight…

  • Some people have been assured that they need to lift lighter weights a huge number of times in order to gain/avoid gaining muscle…

And so on…

Most of the time though, the bell that people are freaking out about weighs less than their child, shopping, and the bag that they lugged to school as a teenager.  We start with bells that people can definitely achieve with, and we teach them how to maintain a safe structure so that the weight comes off the ground safely, and comfortably.

Do heavy kettlebell swings build muscle?

Big bells have a myriad of benefits, and when used correctly, a heavier weight (or more accurately the right weight) is almost always more efficient for achieving your goals whatever they are.  Recently in a StrongFirst article, Hannah Fons related strength to wealth.  If you have none, you can’t do anything, but having some gives you options (and as she mentions in the article, responsibilities, and expectations - the article is absolutely worth a read…). We want people to have more strength, which means that they can do the things that they want to do throughout their lives.

If you want to learn how to swing bigger bells safely so that you can confidently choose the right bell for your goals, we have kettlebell workshops in Brisbane that equip you with knowledge, progressions, and programming to help get you towards your goal. If you're interested, check when our next event is happening.

kettlebell-training-2Piers Kwan