[The Long Road]

Are any teams using Kettlebells to workout? Anyone using them in APC class?

This screams to me of functional strength. I tried a few movements with some light weight yesterday and could see how this could be a huge deal for interior lineman developing strength in leverage and for skill players increasing both their explosive power and balance. These also do a fantastic job of developing grip strength.

I don't think that they should/could replace your core lifts, but they would make an awesome supplement to them.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Lwme8rkzetg

[The Long Road]

Seems like it would go a long way towards reducing injuries.

[RegionCoach5591]

So, if the movements in the youtube video are correct, you're pretty much doing squats, cleans and military press, right??? I mean, if you like them, more power to you...I just don't see how they'd be worth the money invested by simulating movements you get actually doing the lifts in the weightroom. Plus, you aren't building much muscle-mass since the kettle balls weigh, what? 10-15 kilos?? It seems more like an aerobic workout to me, which is not what we're looking for in our off-season workouts. Again, I'm not hating on kettleballs! Just stating a viewpoint :)

[The Long Road]

From what I can tell, there are six core kettlebell lifts: The Turkish Raise, the two-arm swing, the one-arm swing, the Clean, the squat, and the press. In the Turkish Raise, you start by lying flat on your back with the KB held with one arm above your face. You bring the same leg in so that it is bent with your foot flat on the ground. Using your other arm for support you do a 45 degree situp. From there you move into a lounge position. From there you pop up into a full standing position then repeat the steps going down. The KB is held as high as possible at all times.

Just from the small amount of research I have done, I have seen probably around 50 different lifts. As I stated in the original post "I don't think that they should/could replace your core lifts, but they would make an awesome supplement to them." There is no doubt in my mind that I am working my core muscles unlike I have ever done before. The design of the weight alllows me to do different exercises than I could with a dumbbell as well as work the support muscles in ways I haven't before.

If I were going to implement these into a traditional football workout, I would still concentrate on the traditional mass-building exercises and then use these lifts as supplementals with the emphasis being on conditioning and injury prevention.

This post has been edited by TW: 02 March 2008 - 04:53 PM

[RegionCoach5591]

gridiron, on Mar 2 2008, 12:00 PM, said:

The big question is what do you hope to get out of your off season workouts. Kettle bells aren't going to make you big and bulky, but do you really need that. If you are just as strong that mass doesn't really matter, save maybe for linemen, but even then, a stronger linemen can win out vs a bigger linemen. I think they could be an effective tool for any team. Do I think you could replace everything with them? No. They could be a good change up or a nice addition to a workout, however the time of a student-athlete is already slim so adding to a workout could be tough. I think they would be excellent for during the season workouts...keep strength, increase the ability to absorb ballistic shock, plus get in some aerobic stuff. Just my thoughts!

I guess I am greedy...I want big, strong players who are fast! ;)

Seriously though, I'm not saying that kettlebells could not serve a significant purpose in someone's weight-training program. The original post asked if the benefits made them worth the investment; in my opinion, I think there are many different lifts/exercises that one could implant using the equipment provided in a standard weightroom that would provide the same benefits as the kettlebells. I saw on the Internet that kettlebells range in cost from $40 all the way up to $230 per item, so we're talking about quite an investment for a "good change-up workout". I could find many other ways to spend that money, but again, to each his own.

[Syk]

We just recently implemented kettlebells into our off-season workouts to increase shoulder flexibility and hip flexibility. They are considered to be auxiliary lifts for us. Many of our guys concentrate too much on bench press and squat, when those specific movements dont carry over onto a football field.

The basic principle in using kettlebells to train athletes is so that athletes 'train on their feet'. We want our guys doing strength/conditioning movements that are very similar to what they would be doing during a football/baseball/basketball game.

Like I said earlier, we just recently added kettlebells to our off-season workouts, so we're still kind of new to the whole thing. However, our two strength/conditioning Guru's are RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) certified, so they know their stuff.

Off the top of my head, we do 1-arm swings, 2-arm swings, cleans, clean & press, & snatches. I know there a few more that we do, but I can't think of them right now.

[pep76]

When i was at Georgetown College we used kettle bells alot and i have never hurt so bad after a workout in my life just seemed to get the usual muscles plus some.

[VLinc63]

pep76, on Mar 5 2008, 11:21 PM, said:

When i was at Georgetown College we used kettle bells alot and i have never hurt so bad after a workout in my life just seemed to get the usual muscles plus some.

I agree. I was always more sore after a workout with my track coach, who knew just about every exercise there was with kettlebells, than after a football workout.

They didn't start using kettlebells in our football conditioning program until this past season.

This post has been edited by VLinc63: 07 March 2008 - 12:58 AM