The rules of functional training are not as strict as you would think.
You can be very creative with functional training when you understand how simple the concept of it really is.
When the sole purpose of functional training is to improve functionality you can train with almost anything.
At the end of the day, we are trying to improve all aspects of our life.
Functional training is not about building an amazing body with ‘cooler’ equipment.
That’s still bodybuilding, you’re just using different exercises.
And functional training doesn’t have to just be done with ‘cool’ equipment.
Plenty of my clients that I train are still just using a barbell, nothing else.
But the exercises we are doing serve a functional purpose.
They are still being done to better their lives in other aspects than just building muscle.
But of course one of the other benefits of functional training is you are going to build muscle and burn fat.
When paired up with a balanced diet, you can get the amazing body you’re after with functional training.
But that isn’t the primary objective.
We are trying to build strength we can apply to our lives to make things easier.
We are trying to improve our fitness to make other aspects of our lives easier.
So when you understand what functional training is, and what it actually means you can see that functional training with kettlebells makes perfect sense.
Plenty of the movements we do with kettlebells will improve multiple aspects of our lives.
And at the same time, build muscle, burn fat and improve overall fitness and wellbeing.
But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to train functionally.
I train with kettlebells a lot.
For me, they really do make it easy to train functionally from anywhere.
And train for almost anything.
And their shape and design make them a great tool for hitting multiple muscle groups at once.
Training with kettlebells and resistance bands helped me shape my new mindset with training.
Being able to train when you want, where you want.
This mindset helped me to write my EBook Train wherever the f*ck You want.
You can get your free copy here.
What Do Kettlebells Work
Just like barbells and dumbbells, kettlebells work whatever muscle you are moving with them.
But a big bonus with a lot of movements with kettlebells is they work more muscle than you realize.
If you take a kettlebell swing for example.
You are going to feel that immediately in your lower back and forearms.
But if you do enough of them, the next day you’re going to feel your core, shoulders, and hamstrings more.
I mention this a lot but it’s worth saying again.
The weight being below the handle on a kettlebell changes the dynamic of the exercises you perform with them.
It brings your stabilizing muscles into play.
And by stabilizing muscles, I mean your core.
When you train with dumbbells and barbells the weight is evenly distributed through the bar.
You have equal weight on either side of your grip.
But with the weight being below the handle on a kettlebell, and the movement you make the weight is outside your grip.
Forcing your core to do more work to keep you in position.
And for me that’s dynamite.
When you’re training your core and you’re not even aware of it.
No one likes laying down and knocking out sets of situps or crunches.
I don’t bother, because I know I don’t need to.
I can work more than just my six-pack.
I can work with all the muscle groups that make up my core.
I can also work my legs, back, and arms with kettlebell swings.
I don’t want to go to the gym and spend hours doing 10 different exercises when I can spend 45 minutes doing only a few exercises and still work the same amount of muscle groups.
Don’t get me wrong, I love training. I’m not trying to cut corners.
But I also have plenty of other stuff to do every day.
I’m not trying to be the next Mr. Olympia so I’m not going to train like him.
How Many Kettlebells Do I Need
That really depends on you and your budget.
Kettlebells are cheap, but they don’t have to be expensive either.
Most of mine I’ve bought second-hand.
But I try to buy most things preloved now.
Sure you’re going to be limited to just one kettlebell.
You’ll need to find a weight you can do multiple movements with.
One big heavy kettlebell won’t be good for much.
But then again you’ll outgrow a really light one quickly.
So you need to get a little creative.
Find one in the middle, you can always do movements single hand to increase the difficulty.
You can slow movements down or increase reps.
You can also tie a resistance band around the handle and stand inside it.
This is going to make your standard swing a lot more interesting!
Not only is it harder to swing the bell up, but it’s going to come back down a lot faster.
So control becomes very important, and again our core starts coming into play again.
Losing Weight With Kettlebells
I don’t want to burst your bubble, but you need to remember that food is more important than how you train.
You can’t out-train a poor diet.
So if losing weight is your goal you need to look at your food first.
You will see results if you train enough to be in a calorie deficit, but you’ll see results even faster if you’re eating clean as well as training hard.
But, kettlebells are a great tool for aiding in weight loss.
You can train strength and cardio at the same time.
With just a few dynamic movements you can burn a lot of calories in one session.
Like I mentioned earlier, kettlebell swings use a lot of muscle groups.
And when you use more muscles you’ll burn more calories.
Especially when you’re using big muscle groups like the ones you use with a kettlebell swing.
And typically you do mainly swinging and dynamic movements with a kettlebell.
Keeping your heart rate high and fatiguing your muscles fast.
You stop resting for a minute then do it all again.
When you do these kinds of intervals you keep your heart rate higher for longer.
Sitting in a fat-burning zone sometimes for hours after finishing a workout.
If you’re not already training with them, then maybe it’s time to start looking into it.
Head down to your local gym and try a few movements out with a few different weights before deciding on a size that works well for you.
Want to try a gym where you can workout when and where you want?
Check out the Grizzly Online Gym here.
One last freebie before you go!
Check out this video below where I show you 5 great exercises to do a Tabata workout with kettlebells!