Is uniqueness a word? The spell checker says yes so I am going with it.
It can be very difficult to explain the kettlebell to a novice. Here are some common explanations of the kettlebell followed by the typical reaction.
"It's a weapon against weakness"
huh? I just want to get in shape!
"An all-purpose training tool that can replace 90% of what you do in the gym"
Show me how you curl it I want bigger guns!
'Weapon against weakness' is a great expression but it tells us very little about what a kettlebell is and what it does.
Does a kettlebell replace all of that fancy equipment in your typical commercial gym?
Not really.
A floor press is not a barbell bench press.
A swing may have similar mechanics to a deadlift but a swing is definitely not a deadlift.
Squatting 2 kettlebells, no matter how heavy, can not replace the barbell back squat due to the increased leverage the barbell gives you.
There are many other examples but a kettlebell can not replace the equipment typically used for bodybuilding, powerlifting or olympic lifting.
So instead of treating people like nothing more than stupid consumers I like to assume they are all intelligent. Give them the facts and they will most likely come to a conclusion that best fits their needs.
Now with all that being said, here is why kettlebells are unique.
1) You can hold a kettlebell 3 different ways.
The traditional rack position.
Bottoms-up, holding upside down by the handle.
Waiters style, holding mostly upside down by the bell palm spread wide.
2) Kettlebells offer the largest variety of full body functional exercises that you can do with just one piece of equipment.
So while I am telling you that the kettlebell does not replace an entire commercial gym it does offer a tremendous amount of variety when it comes to full body functional training.
Swings, cleans, getups, standing presses, bottoms up cleans, bottoms up presses, bottoms up squats, rack squats, goblet squats, pistol squats, snatches, high-pulls, windmills - the list is long enough to keep you busy for a lifetime.
3) You can move the kettlebell from deep behind you all the way to a standing over head press position.
When you snatch a kettlebell you experience the largest possible range of motion the body can do with a braced neutral back. This is the ULTIMATE full body exercise for strength and conditioning. The kettlebell allows you to access and work the posterior chain (hams, glutes, low, upper back) way more effectively than a dumbell. Dumbells tends to access the anterior chain (front delts/thighs) because they prefers to go up and down as opposed to the kettlebells desire to move 360 degrees.
4) Kettlebells are the best tool for overhead work when it comes to beginner and compromised athletes because they rotate as you press them.
A kettlebell can step in and out of the pressing groove to a much higher degree than a barbell or dumbell. The moment you fall out of the pressing groove with a barbell you are basically fucked. During overhead pressing the barbell only wants to go straight up and down directly under your center of gravity. You can not move from the wrists at all when pressing with a barbell so if you can not extend your arms fully straight overhead with the palms forward you can not even do a barbell overhead press. Dumbells give you a little more play but the big difference between a dumbell and a kettlebell is that the kettlebell can rotate while you press it. This allows the kettlebell to stay more directly and more easily under your center of gravity than any other tool. It is the unique grip in the rack position that allows you to rotate your wrist without rotating from the shoulder. This makes it much easier to press overhead with the shoulders packed into the lats, increasing the strength and long-term safety. KETTLEBELLS ARE FUCKING AWESOME FOR OVERHEAD PRESSING! No, the Arnold Press is not a viable option to a kettlebell rack press. Try it, you will be able to go much heavier with kettlebells.
5) You do not need much room to train with a kettlebell.
A barbell or any sort of weight machine setup requires a dedicated room. A typical kettlebell collection is just 2-3 bells which can easily store in your closet right next to your shoes. Yes, you can do something similar with dumbells as far as storage goes but for the reasons stated above, kettlebells make dumbells look, well, sort of dumb.
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