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What do yoiu think is better to get a really toned body. A friend of mine (female) has recently started working out and is doing fine with her cardio and weights. I had recommended to her the kettle bell workout. Do you think since she is a beginning at her fitness level that , she should start with that?I know she would see more results with the kettle bell but wanted your thoughts…

Absolutely. Kettlebells can be one of the best, if not the best, ways to get someone in shape! The things you can do with them are just limitless. I mean you can work up unto doing 20 minute long cycles of snatches or clean and jerks, do swings, presses, curls, pushups, lunges, absolutely anything. The way they are built is just pure genuis as far as convenience and being able to do a ton of things iwth them. I would have her set goals though for what she is doing. That way she isn’t just going through the motions and whatnot.

good advice. I will have her try that…

Don’t you think kettle bells are a little to advanced for beginners??
I would think doing some compound exercise (starting off slow and light) would be more beneficial for them to understand the muscle and mind connection, forum, tempo, breathing ect…
 
I LOVE kettle bells and i think they are fantastic but imo i would not start a beginner with them… any thoughts?

Maybe your right, but I thought starting her out on low kettle bell weights might not hurt, what do you think?

i dont think its a problem but i think learning how to weight train (for building muscle, losing fat) is more important.. however is she really wants to excel in kettle bells then that woudl be a great way to start

Llulko, absolutely not! You cannot get any more simple than a kettlebell. It does not require complex movement patterns. Yet, it uses the entire body. I mean, it’s not like she’s figuring out how to go do a power clean with a barbell from day 1. ANYONE can begin their fitness regimen using kettlebells. They are of the simplest tools known to man, yet one of the most effective.

I agree. I think kettle bells are good for beginners. They are simple you dont need a whole lot of weight to do them. I think they would be very effective for beginners.

I see your point however i see trainers training their clients using really advanced movements… their form is all wrong and they look like they could break their back at any moment…
 
If a client came to me for the first time and never lifted a weight before i would rather start them on machines and simple dumbbell exercise. that’s just my opinion..
 
Once they become more comfortable (muscle and mind connection) I would advance them to kettle bells…
 
Don’t get me wrong… There ARE really simple kettle bell exercises however i would feel more comfortable using my protocol… 
 

But you can also do very, very simple kettlebell exercises that would be just as effective as light dumbells and machines. I mean, obviously if you are moving and being active that is the #1 priority!

yep! bottom line!
 
As long as you are moving and activating muscles!
 
I dont understand how the kettle bell is made to be so balanced?
 
is there alot of detail in the making of one?
 
it really is such a great tool

one of the best tools….

what is our favorite kettle bell exercise?
 
i liek the good old kettle bell swings, tricep press, shoulder press, step ups, single arm bent over row, single arm squat to shoulder press.
 
I dont get to fancy lol

I agree I think starting out with cardio for a  new comer would be a good start , then working weights in as well. The more you train you can add more weight as your body gets use to the system, correct?

Yep! thats how I see it… I am not saying its the RIGHT answer but thats just my opinion

:)

I dont understand how the kettle bell is made to be so balanced?

The 3 best exercises with a kettlebell are 1. Clean and presses (or jerks) 2. Snatches 3. swings. They all provide a full body workout and can leave you gasping for air from a cardiovascular standpoint. I think that is the most left out part of kettlebell wrok. They will leave you just dead tired! A great CARDIO workout too!

thanks for the tip!! this morning i was not in the mood to do traditional cardio so I added a kettle bell complex in my workout and let me tell you! i definitely felt like I got a cardio based workout

That is awesome to hear! I am glad you found something outside the traditional cardio workout. Good stuff.

Why do people think you have o do traditional cardio… they can do hiit, tabata http://www.tabataprotocol.com/, kettle bell work, plyos, weight training circuit, high intensity weight training with compound exercise,, boxing ect.. There are sooo many different options.

I had a wonderful trainer who taught me that you don’t need a ton of cardio, 30 min here , there to be fit. I have learned that weight training is a great way to stay in shape with a good diet. i cheat tooat times, but that;s okay. They do actually say that chocolate can be good for you. Can anybody back me up on that?

I think it depends on your body type… i have to do cardio and weight training in order to stay lean… If i cheat a little to much on the weekends it holds me back for sure…
 
3-4 lbs makes a big difference on me… its the difference between lines or no lines..  ( i do cardio 4 time a week hiit)
 
Even if i eat super clean during the week and go through a bottle of wine, pita chips, cheese and hummus on the weekends for a month period it definitely holds me back.
 
SO i stand by my word… it depends on your goals genetics and intensity
 

llulko you hit it right on the head!! Some people really respond well to cardiocascular training and others don’t respond well at all. I think it is best to try doing some serious cardio for an extended period of time and see if it gives you the weight loss and body composition results you want! Well, everyone should be doing SOME cardio for general health reasons anyway.

Thanks MIke.. it is sooo individual.. I read athletes diets and training programs all the time..
 
some do NO cardio, eat tons of calories and look shredded, Were other athletes do cardio every day and have to maintain a low carb diet.. (body type and genestics, & metabolism health)
 
Some people eat SUPER clean however NEVER  do cardio and looked ripped.
 
It really all depends on the person, body type and lifestyle.
 
I like to live a little on the weekends (wine and cheese) so extra Hiit is a must for me..
 
If i ate SUper clean 7 days a week i know i could cut down on my hitt cardio 4 days a week or maybe decrease intensity//
 
 
 

Yes! That is exactly right. so true

I heard that some people take kettle bell classes……and then I almost fell over out of confusion.   what the hell.    I think keddle bell excercises are great for anybody trying to get in shape, if you are doing very high volume in anything I think thats great, I think a cave man can do a kettle bell workout blind folded.   

Haha! I think classes can be great for the older group of people who need extra motivation to workout. So, they use a class of other friends and people to hold them accountable and to be with while training. So it becomes just as much a social aspect as it does a workout.

i use to love classes when i was younger.. other then spin (which i actaully do my own thing anyway) i dislike classes.. i would hate to follow someone and work to there level with reps weights set ect..
 
i guess it great for unmotivated or uneducated (about fitness) people