The hardest time of the season for any endurance racer is the winter season. The reason this time of the year is such a challenge for some endurance athletes is because they can’t spend as much time outside training.
When I first encountered this problem I looked for highly effective ways to build stamina and increase strength. This is when I fell in love with kettlebell training. In fact, I continue to use it year round on a regular basis.
STS Chicago has put together an article highlighting some of the benefits of this training during an interview with Jon Haas of Warrior Fitness. He is a martial artist that swears by the use of these bowling balls with handles.
If you are new to the kettlebell world you should keep in mind that kettlebells are one of the best pieces of exercise equipment that you can own because of the workout you get versus the amount of time you put in.
Haas states “An effective workout should take an hour or less. Sometimes much less depending on the protocol and style of training used. For example, a high intensity interval training workout using the Tabata Protocol with 4 different exercises would take 20 minutes (4 minutes per exercise with one minute of rest between exercises).”
This is the approach that I have taken over the last couple of years and have seen a dramatic increase in my strength and stamina. In fact, I use kettlebells more than any piece of exercise equipment that I own, although I use my own bodyweight a lot in order to get a highly effective workout.
Haas also points out that kettlebells are highly effective when compared to any other piece of exercise equipment that you can buy. The reason for this are “any type of strength training machine is going to limit range of motion to a prescribed path while kettlebell training is an exercise in controlled chaos. What I mean by that is your body is forced to control the swinging weight which allows the stabilizer and postural muscles to come into play providing a much more functional exercise than is possible with any sort of machine based training.”
Taking this approach to kettlebell training has made me a better endurance athlete. Haas says the reason for this is because “Endurance is defined as being able to keep going without fatigue setting in, or being able to push oneself through fatigue. Essentially, it is the ability to resist or bear fatigue. Fatigue is weariness or exhaustion from exertion, or the temporary loss of power to respond.” This is what a kettlebell does best and why I love them so much. They are a form of high intensity interval training that is promoted by Crossfit programs across the country.
If you are new to kettlebells and are not sure how to go about training with one, Haas give a simple program that can get any person started.
Although I love kettlebells a person must be sure they know what they are doing when they get one. It is extremely easy to hurt your back if you do not know the proper form or technique. It is best to invest in time with a person that is qualified to show you proper use of kettlebells in the beginning in order to stay injury free and get the best results.
Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/swim-tri-sail-chicago/2011/11/to-kettlebell-or-not-kettlebell-part-2/
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