free
weights
MATT KENDRICK
.COM
owner and director,
T
O
mk personal training academy
OCKPHO
kettlebell
©IST
I
’m a fan of, and use, all types of free weight equipment, but
my favourite free weight is probably the kettlebell.
Relatively cheap and taking up little space, kettlebells are
very versatile, encompassing standard movements that may be
done with dumbbells – presses, rows, curls – but also ballistic
exercises including snatches, swings, and clean and jerks that
have an extremely high metabolic cost. They offer functional
movement too: kettlebell training requires control and balance,
working the body as a unit, and can cover many forms of pushing,
pulling, squatting, bending and core work with either one or two
kettlebells. Clients also love the fact that we can squeeze cardio, Using your own body
strength and fl exibility into a short, intense session. Not only weight: An effective,
that, but kettlebells allow for all types of conditioning – building versatile, inexpensive
muscle size, improving strength or endurance, boosting athletic free weight option
ability, aiding rehab and transforming any physique.
For example, for women who want to burn fat and tone up,
we design kettlebell metabolic circuits – endurance repetitions
and exercise combinations such as squat to dead lift to front STEVE KOUMA
lunge, or Turkish get-ups to push-presses. Meanwhile, for health and fi tness consultant
men focusing on size and strength, a ‘5 x 5’ programme is very
effective – fi ve sets of fi ve reps using a heavy kettlebell. Once
this becomes easier, instead of changing the weight, simply slow body weight + dumbbells
down the tempo or decrease the rest period.
We also fi nd kettlebells a very effective aid with patients
referred from physiotherapists or chiropractors for rehabilitation.
The off-centred weight helps recruit all-important stabiliser U
sing your own bodyweight to create resistance is my
favourite type of free weight – a very inexpensive,
versatile and effective option, allowing for training
muscles, working through a longer range of motion. Barbells and indoors or outdoors, on equipment or off equipment, and on
dumbbells do not hit those stabilisers to the same degree. any type of surface.
That fantastic piece of technology called gravity, combined
with muscular refl exes linked to reaction times within the
WINSTON SQUIRE human brain and ground force reactions, mean the human
keiser performance trainer body is the most sophisticated, advanced piece of equipment
on the market. But fi rst of all we need to educate, or in most
olympic bar
cases re-educate, people on how to effectively use their
bodies – ie how to use them as they once did when they
were children. People of all ages, and with goals ranging from
T
he Olympic bar provides a simple, effective means of returning from injury to improving athletic performance, can
progressive resistance exercise. It’s very versatile and then gain great benefi ts just by moving their own body.
can be used for a variety of objectives: power and Basic movement patterns can be enhanced by adding
strength, endurance, co-ordination, balance and speed training. variables to the mix – challenging balance or senses, for
The barbell uses the large muscle groups – leading to a high example, or adding resistance. Mobilisers are a particular
level of energy expenditure – as well as the core muscles, favourite of mine: stretches with movement that aim to
thereby helping to develop co-ordinated full body strength. As lengthen the range within joints by stretching fascia and muscle,
Wayne Westcott says in the second edition of Building Strength enabling greater range of movement, decreasing joint pain
& Stamina: “The application and benefi ts of the barbell are to and enhancing workout performance. These are normally
improve muscle function, develop stronger bones, tendons and performed at the start of the workout. However, by adding
ligaments, enabling you to perform better in everyday life.” resistance to the existing bodyweight in the movement, many
Clients can, however, fi nd the barbell frustrating – it’s a long- mobilisation exercises can be used as standalone exercises
term development and technique must be good, so building blocks within the body of the workout. The simple dumbbell –
are small. I create simple, progressive structures for exercises, versatile, compact and portable – is a particular favourite of
breaking technique down into three or four stages to ensure mine for providing added resistance to these types of exercise.
individuals work safely with the kit. We start off, for example, by Movement-based screening, assessing the client in all
looking in the mirror and working without the barbell. movement patterns before beginning the programme, is
But once they’ve adapted to it, the barbell is by far the best recommended. However, I stand behind and truly believe in the
piece of kit in the gym in terms of offering the greatest, quickest statement ‘Improvement Through Movement’ – so get moving!
benefi t to the individual’s body. But Rome wasn’t built in a day:
a slow, controlled manner when working with the barbell is the kate cracknell
most important thing, maintaining a good technique throughout.
healthclub@leisuremedia.com
50 Read Health Club Management online january 2010 © cybertrek 2010
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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