To increase muscle mass and strength, many athletes today use strength exercises with dumbbells and kettlebells. Moreover, the most important thing when performing a push or snatch of weights is not the force applied, but the ability to control oneself, coordination, and the ability to maintain balance even with a high pulse. Otherwise, you can easily get injured or not complete the exercise. In other words, jerks and jerks involve not so much physical qualities as spiritual ones. It is also good to use them for the development of the “breathing system”. Exercises such as dumbbell and kettlebell bench presses have some differences in their effect on muscle groups. The load is distributed with different intensities, and therefore the effect of what seems to be the same exercise, but with different equipment, turns out to be different. When using kettlebells, the focus shifts to strengthening the forearms and triceps. In addition, the ability to work with dumbbells while lying down does not indicate the ability to squeeze two-pound weights at a free pace. To produce a powerful bench press with dumbbells, it will be sufficient to have strong deltoids and pectoral muscles, and arm strength is not particularly important. Moreover, the strength of the forearms does not play any role at all. Dumbbells and kettlebells differ in that the former are quite comfortable to press. At the same time, the latter constantly “dance” and spin in the athlete’s hands. To compensate for this inconvenience, it is necessary to use additional arm strength, which involves the work of the periulnar part of the triceps and hands, which must have sufficient strength and strength. It is these that the kettlebell press helps to develop well. It is preferable to perform incline presses with kettlebells and dumbbells on a board, which is installed at a 45-degree angle. This allows you to bring the movement closer in biomechanics to the shoulder press. For those with a flat chest, you can resort to using a smaller board angle, approximately thirty degrees. In another case, the middle part of the chest muscles, which is not particularly functional, will initially be loaded. With a strong development of the lower chest, the chest seems to hang, like Schwarzenegger’s, while with a powerful top, the muscles of the jugular fossa and collarbones stand out most clearly, which is very beautiful and useful, for example, for throwing heavy luggage upstairs. It is better to press dumbbells in a cross with the elbows extended to the sides to the maximum, which allows you to turn off the triceps from the work. Although this increases the load on the elbow joint, although not as much as when pressing on a horizontal surface.
“No one type of strength training is superior to another. Various equipment have both their advantages and disadvantages,” writes coach, author of books and fan of kettlebell lifting Pavel Tsatsouline. LJ user republicommando quotes from his book Naked Warrior.
Own body weight
The biggest advantage of these exercises is their accessibility. I could ramble unscientifically about the naturalness of gymnastics or pseudoscientifically about “open” and “closed” kinetic chains, but I won’t. The main advantage of exercises with your own body is the fact that anyone can do them anywhere and at any time.
These exercises force you to maintain a functional and healthy body weight. You can get yourself a heart attack by setting a bench press record, but that trick won't work with one-arm push-ups. High levels of relative strength cannot be achieved by carrying around a ton of extra fat (or extra muscle, for that matter).
The biggest disadvantage of bodyweight exercises is that without some kind of apparatus, you won't be able to do great full-body pulling movements like deadlifts, snatches, and cleans. These exercises lay the strength foundation for many sports. You can, of course, develop the muscles of the back surface of the body with bridges, extensions, etc., but loading muscles and lifting weights are “two big differences,” as they say in Odessa.
The authoritative Soviet yearbook “Boxing” recommended that athletes do snatches with a barbell of their own weight. Frank Shamrock had this to say in an interview with Mike Mahler: “The clean is done with a concerted explosive force from the entire body, from the feet all the way up, and that's exactly what we need in MMA. It all starts in the legs and ends in the fist. This connects all the muscles of the body, and if you learn to collect and transfer all the energy in this movement, you will be able to apply it in other activities. The body remembers everything and becomes stronger. It’s a lot like practicing punches.”
Barbell
The barbell allows you to lift a lot, which is just fun. There's nothing better than pulling a weight that makes the bar bend.
But besides this testosterone joy, the barbell is good because it allows you to accurately set the desired working weight, for example, “82.5% of 1RM” (% of the maximum weight at one time - Zozhnik’s note). Why is it important? Because with it we can carry out a long strength cycle with prescribed working weights, gradually approaching a new record. This is a very simple but effective method.
It will not be possible to carry out such cycles with other projectiles, because the weight changes in too large steps. Even if you have an extensive row of dumbbells with 2.5 kg increments, the difference between a 10 kg dumbbell and a 12.5 kg dumbbell is 25%, and kettlebells traditionally use half and quarter pound increments. In exercises with your own weight, it is always constant, and changing the load (lever) will also not work with such precision as on a barbell.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells add stress to the stabilizing muscles and allow you to work both arms equally, which is not possible with a barbell. But you need a huge row of dumbbells to use them for different muscle groups and exercises. Collapsible dumbbells are our choice.
But dumbbells are still not suitable for some great exercises. For example, a strong athlete will not be able to work his legs properly with them: their weight is not enough for a deadlift, they are uncomfortable to hold on your shoulders in a front squat and in front of you if you squat on one leg.
Kettlebells
I have yet to meet an athlete who, having completed my kettlebell training course, did not admit that kettlebells are an ideal tool for improving physical fitness. Denis Kozlowski, Doctor of Chiropractic (chiropractor) and Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, says bluntly: “Training with kettlebells is 10 times more effective for me than with a barbell... If I had met Pavel in the early 80s, then could have won two gold medals. I am not kidding".
Thanks to its design, including the handle being further away from the center of gravity of the projectile, the kettlebell has some unique advantages. The thick, smooth handle combined with the ballistic nature of many kettlebell exercises “forges” steel grips and wrists. Also, the forearms get a lot from lifting weights and upside down jerks. The shifted center of gravity is very effective both for stabilizing the shoulder joints and for developing mobility in the shoulder girdle.
The features of the kettlebell also allow you to perform various movements with an interception from hand to hand, the so-called “power juggling,” the benefits of which are noted by the State Committee for Physical Culture of the Russian Federation. These exercises develop dynamic strength and prevent injury by strengthening the body through multi-plane movements, as opposed to traditional single-plane exercises.
Another advantage of kettlebell training: you only need kettlebells, and not a bunch of equipment, collapsible or not. Increasing the load is achieved by other methods and selection of exercises. For example, in squats, you can start by holding a kettlebell with both hands by the “horns” between your shoulder blades (which cannot be done with a dumbbell), then move on to front squats with kettlebells on your shoulders (which is awkward to do with dumbbells and sometimes very painful with a barbell), then Huck - squats with a kettlebell behind the back below (which is again more difficult to do with a dumbbell) and, finally, squats on one leg with a kettlebell held by the “horns” in front of you, and for the most powerful guys - with a kettlebell on the shoulder or overhead.
Thus, as you can see, you can increase the load with one projectile without going broke on a bunch of equipment that takes up a lot of space. That's why kettlebells are the ideal choice for many who want maximum performance with minimal investment.
Since I train with kettlebells myself, teach people to train with kettlebells, and sell kettlebells, I can praise them endlessly. But you need to remember one main idea: training with kettlebells is training with “iron balls”.
I only talked about the basic equipment for serious work on yourself and am not going to describe the entire equipment market. I hope you get the idea.
One tough parting thought: you should choose the equipment that best prepares you for your sport. For example, it is advisable for a gymnast to train with his own body weight, and for a powerlifter with a barbell.
Supplementing strength training with cardio
Kettlebell exercises have a wide range of motion and significantly raise your heart rate, making them a cardio workout as well as a strength workout. This is a great option for those who hate the treadmill and other cardio equipment.
By diversifying your workouts with kettlebell exercises, you will pump up your endurance and train your cardiovascular system.
Here are some popular kettlebell exercises that will get you up and running quickly:
2. Throwing weights onto your shoulders.
5. Kettlebell swings.
Explosive Strength Development
Many exercises with weights develop the ability to exert maximum strength in a minimum period of time.
Explosive strength is necessary for many sports, such as basketball and CrossFit. In addition, explosive exercises help overcome stagnation in training when the weight reaches a certain point, and then progress stops.
Here are some exercises to develop explosive strength with kettlebells:
Making exercises more difficult due to instability
Unlike dumbbells, kettlebells move the center of gravity 15-20 centimeters away from your hand, so they are more unstable. To hold the weights during exercises, you have to strain much more.
For example, if you do squats with a kettlebell, holding it in a vertical position with the heavy part facing up, you have to put in extra effort to keep the kettlebell from falling and hitting your arm. The same goes for the kettlebell snatch and overhead squats. These exercises will be easier to perform with dumbbells.
Uniform body development and functional strength training
Exercises with kettlebells do not involve any specific muscle group, but the entire body. For example, during kettlebell swings, not only the pectoral muscles and shoulders work, but also all the muscles of the core, legs, and buttocks.
By training with kettlebells, you evenly pump your entire body and develop functional strength, which can be useful in life.
Increased grip strength
Because the kettlebell handle is curved and often quite thick, it requires more wrist strength to hold it securely in your hands. This can be used to prepare your wrists for other exercises.
For example, bent-over kettlebell rows build grip strength and prepare your wrists for pull-ups and other bar exercises.
When is the best time to choose dumbbells?
Oleg Klementiev/Flickr.com Dumbbells are a more popular piece of equipment than kettlebells, which are found in any gym. Dumbbells also have a wider range of weights.
To perform basic movements
Dumbbells are ideal for most compound movements. With them you can perform bench press, seated press, bent-over rows, squats with dumbbells on your shoulders.
With dumbbells, you don't swing the weight like you do with a barbell snatch or kettlebell swing, so momentum won't make the basic exercise easier.
For newbies
Dumbbells are more stable than kettlebells, making them easier and safer to exercise, which is good for beginners.
You can easily find or combine them with each other, while kettlebells are best left for training with a trainer. He will teach you proper technique and make sure you perform the exercises without risk of injury.
For isolated exercises and muscle hypertrophy
Isolated exercises with dumbbells will help you quickly increase absolute strength and build muscle mass. If this is what you came to the gym for, choose dumbbells and perform basic exercises. Cardio exercises can be done separately.
For most exercises
For some exercises, kettlebells can easily be replaced with dumbbells. For example, a kettlebell snatch can be replaced with dumbbell swings. The exercise will be different from the jerk at the top point, in addition, you will not be able to gain such inertia by shifting the center of gravity of the projectile. But in general, dumbbell swings will make the muscles of the arms, legs, and core work.
Turkish get-ups, jump squats, overhead lifts, side bends with weights - all of these exercises can be performed with dumbbells. The load distribution will change, but you will still work the target muscle groups.
If you don't have specific preferences regarding training methods and exercises, feel free to take dumbbells. They will be a worthy replacement for both barbells and kettlebells.
What to choose for studying at home
If you decide to exercise at home and are choosing between free weights, give preference to dumbbells. There are three reasons to make this choice:
- Dumbbells are a universal equipment. There are many more exercises with them than with kettlebells, they are easier to find and combine.
- Most kettlebell movements involve a wide range of motion, swinging and swinging, and at home, especially if you are working out in a confined space, this can be quite dangerous. You may hit, break or scratch some objects.
- Compound kettlebells are much harder to find than dumbbells. Mostly, weights are sold in one piece, but there are no problems with stacked dumbbells, because they are available almost everywhere. Stacked free weights save space and money. When you need to increase the load, you simply put on another plate.
It is better to exercise with weights in the gym, but dumbbells are more suitable for working out the body at home. Maybe you have a different opinion on this matter? Write in the comments which free weights you prefer.
Welcome to Alexander Bely’s sports blog, today I decided to talk about a long-known and effective type of training for biceps, which many athletes have recently begun to forget about. I will talk about exercises with kettlebells for biceps, as well as options for training with kettlebells and the correct technique.
Which is better, kettlebells or dumbbells?
Kettlebells are a very specific exercise machine. Let's look at their main differences from the more familiar dumbbells. Dumbbells are much easier to use, and thanks to them, all the smallest and narrowly specialized muscles are worked out. When using a kettlebell, almost the entire body is involved, covering the arms and back, and even the muscles of the abs, legs and buttocks; it is much more difficult to pay attention to a specific muscle.
In addition, dumbbells are much easier to change weights, the weight range is quite wide, while kettlebells use 4 main weights: 8 kg, 16 kg, 24 kg and 32 kg.
It is impossible to talk about which weighting agent is better, because they work completely differently.
It’s no secret that weights only in the form of kettlebells will not help you become a professional bodybuilder, but they can easily help you qualitatively improve your physical fitness. This equipment is especially suitable for people prone to athleticism. Strengthening all muscle groups and improving endurance will be greatly facilitated by training with kettlebells.
If you have not yet acquired the necessary sports equipment in the form of weights, dumbbells, barbells or exercise machines, hurry to online store, where you will be presented with a wide range of products for sports, health and an active lifestyle.
I have already said that with kettlebells you cannot work only one muscle, which means that several groups will be involved, namely, in addition to the biceps, they will work:
- triceps;
- shoulder;
- pectoralis major muscle;
- deltoid muscles of the shoulders;
- backs.
The right approach
Everything needs the right approach, and this type of training is no exception. Remember a few tips that will help you avoid injuries and make your workout more useful and effective.
First, be sure to warm up before starting to lift weights. Stretch your hands and shoulder joint well, stretch your back. It is better to warm up your muscles and run or jump rope.
Secondly, carefully monitor the execution technique. Here this is more important than ever since most tasks are performed jerkily, which is very dangerous for the back.
Thirdly, do not under any circumstances perform exercises to the limit. You have most likely noticed that when you perform the final series of exercises, and you are already pretty tired, your technique suffers greatly. This is unacceptable here.
Finally, choose the right weight. Don't overestimate yourself, you can easily cause harm.
What weight to choose.
The most important principle: start with a lighter weight, depending on your general physical fitness. If you get a lot of repetitions (40 and it will be easy for you), then you can increase the weight and thereby reduce the number of repetitions.
Set of exercises
1. Snatch the weight upward with one hand. Feet wider than shoulder width apart, slightly bent; the position should be very stable. Be sure to grasp the apparatus firmly with the correct grip. When jerking, help yourself with your back. Keep your back straight when performing. You lift the kettlebell from the ground, perform a straight arm snatch, and lift the kettlebell over your head with your arm outstretched.
During the approach, the projectile does not fall to the ground and is constantly suspended. When lowering, you need to lightly wrap the weighting material behind your legs. The second hand hangs freely, without resting on the leg. Do a few repetitions, then switch hands.
In the first paragraph, I emphasized the main rules for working with a projectile, then I will highlight only the main features.
2. Press with two kettlebells from a standing position. You will need 2 weights, one in each hand, so that the projectiles are on the back of your hand. Perform the lift with your head. Important! Don't arch your back.
3. Bench press. Starting position: elbows on the floor, lift the implements over your head.
4. Alternate bent over biceps curls to increase the load. Keeping your back straight, you need to lean forward and support your leg with your free hand. And lift weights.
5. Isolated lift with wall support. It will help to make more specific support for working with the biceps. That is, lifting the biceps as in the fifth exercise, only we lean our backs against the wall.
6. Lifting the projectile with both hands with a “hammer” grip. It is necessary to grasp the apparatus with both hands and perform hand contractions. In this case, the back should be slightly inclined. It is advisable to perform to failure.
7. Lifting the weights to the chest with further access to the top.
8. Push-ups. We complement the classic ones with a kettlebell stand, which will significantly increase the amplitude of the execution. As you remember, during this exercise a large number of muscles are involved, including the biceps we need.
Perhaps we have looked at the most common exercises that are more suitable both for working out the biceps and generally strengthening the muscular frame of the arms and back. Below you can see a video that will help you more accurately examine the technique and avoid injury. Continue reading the articles and practicing with me.
Despite rapidly developing technologies, there are things in fitness that will always be relevant and effective. This is work with free weights, including kettlebells and dumbbells. Master trainer of the X-Fit fitness club network Ivan Ermolaev talks about the features of using these equipment.
Ivan Ermolaev
The main advantage of kettlebells and dumbbells is also their biggest disadvantage: freedom of movement. On the one hand, a person is not limited by the lever of the simulator, which cannot always be adjusted to a specific height, length of arms and legs. He can work with weight in any plane. On the other hand, if a person is new to fitness, any wrong move can lead to injury. Therefore, you need to work with light weights and under the supervision of a trainer (at least for the first six months). He will establish the correct technique, correct mistakes and minimize the risk of sprains, muscle and joint injuries.
Kettlebells
Ancient Greek Olympians trained with an apparatus similar to a modern weight. Since then, the kettlebell has not changed much, but is still considered one of the best weights. It consists of a body, horns and a handle. Unlike dumbbells, the weight's center of gravity is shifted - this creates additional stress on the stabilizer muscles.
With a kettlebell, you can perform exercises for the whole body, loading both individual muscle groups and all at once. When training with kettlebells, you must follow a few simple but important rules:
- the training area must be adapted for working with weights. The floor must be strong enough to withstand the fall of the weight and non-slip;
- For training, you will need special shoes - weightlifting shoes or shoes with flat soles. Under certain circumstances, you can train barefoot - this will improve coordination and motor balance;
- Make sure you perform the exercise correctly. It should not change from the first to the last repetition.
Dumbbells
Unlike weights, dumbbells are a symmetrical and centered apparatus. Typically, dumbbells are used in pairs. They can replace almost all barbell exercises, and the movements in the shoulder joint will be more natural. In addition, the stabilizer muscles will turn on and you will have the opportunity to work in a greater amplitude than with a barbell.
Follow all rules noted above. And here's something else you need to know:
- Always maintain a stable position of the body and shoulder blades. Strive to maintain a strong “center” and mobility in your limbs;
- in pressing exercises, use the support of a partner to protect yourself from injury;
- do not lose control of the apparatus during strength exercises. Control the negative phase of the movement especially clearly - when you lower the dumbbells.
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