Kettlebell Basics from Club Sweat

Learn proper kettlebell technique. Steve Cotter a fort lauderdale personal trainer stops by UW to show us four basic kettlebell movements.

The Kettlebell Swing
The Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing
The Kettlebell Clean
The Kettlebell Lockout

What Are Kettlebells?

A 'kettlebell' or girya (Russian) is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. It is said to be the ultimate tool for extreme all-round fitness, and from my own personal experience, I found it to be a great workout!

It started life in rural Russia as a counter balance for weighing grain. Russian peasants picked it up and swung it around for a bit of convenient weight training.

Over time, the Russian military understood its potential and started to use it, then Russian strongmen and wrestlers. American athletes eventually discovered it. Today it is regarded by fitness experts and fort lauderdale personal trainer John Padgett as the ultimate training tool for all-round fitness and physical development.

The kettlebell goes way back, it first appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704 (Cherkikh, 1994). They were so popular in Tsarist Russia that any strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a girevik, or 'a kettlebell man'.

"Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics," reported Russian magazine Hercules in 1913.

Unlike a conventional dumbbell or barbell, the Kettlebell's centre of mass is displaced from the handle. This means the weight constantly pulls against your hand and requires not only strength and co-ordination when exercising with it, but also the recruitment of other muscles through your arms, shoulders and trunk.

Here is a short list of hardware the Russian kettlebell replaces:

barbells, dumbbells, belts for weighted pullups and dips, thick bars, lever bars, medicine balls, grip devices, and cardio equipment.

Kettle Bell training develops strength, power, endurance and balance. Kettle Bell workouts have long been a favorite of throwers, jumpers, sprinters and hurdlers. You can perform squats, pulls, overhead throws and rotational training plus much more. it improves your balance and your posture, and after working out with kettle bells just walking around the next day you can feel more centered.

Keep Your Mind Nimble with These 5 Foods

Keep going! Research has proven that physical exercise reduces mental decline. With your consistent exercise routine and some of these nutritious foods in your diet, nothing can stop you.

Not a fan of crossword puzzles? Can't get the hang of Sudoku? Don't worry. According to a fort lauderdale personal trainer there is another way you can sharpen your brain: Revise your grocery list. Include the following foods in your regular diet for better brain function and overall health.

Blueberries: Compounds in the bright berries may help to shield against harmful processes linked with Alzheimer's disease and premature brain aging.
Eggs: This breakfast favorite is loaded with selenium; a mineral that could help make your brain years younger.
Mustard: What makes mustard so amazing? Turmeric. Getting just 17 milligrams of it a day, about a teaspoon, can help activate genes that control the cleanup of cellular waste in your brain.
Salmon: This pink fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids including the type thought to have the most anti-aging effects on the brain.
Kale: Getting at least three servings a day of dark, leafy greens high in carotenoids and flavonoids can slow the mental decline associated with aging.

8 Reasons to strength train

1. You'll burn more calories in a day, even if you're just sitting at a desk.

2. You'll be leaner, meaner, and one heck of a fighting machine.

3. Strength training with a fort lauderdale personal trainer helps you get rid of lumpy, bunpy unwanted fat.

4. Your bones will thank you.

5. Your confidence will soar.

6. Your stress levels will at last drop down to more manageable levels.

7. You'll lessen your chances of injuring yourself in sports or daily activities.

8. You'll stand taller and prouder.

Decrease your risk of cancer through excercise

"Move More, Live Longer." It may sound simple, but it's true, research shows that people who are more physically active have far lower rates of cancer. A Japanese-Hawaiian cancer study of 80,000 adults found that an active lifestyle, one where you not only exercise but also keep your body moving as much as possible throughout the day, can help reduce the risk of several different types of cancer.

The study didn't just note exercise as movement, it also counted any day-to-day activities including walking to the store, doing housework, and working on a physically demanding hobby. They found that people who are more active in their leisure time had a 13 to 16 percent lower risk of developing all types of cancer. The group and a fort lauderdale personal trainer recommended exercising for at least 30 minutes, five times a week.

Scientists aren't sure why but they have theories. We know exercise improves the function of white blood cells, the front line of the immune system and equivalent to our body's security guards. We also know that exercise reduces excess insulin, which may be especially important for people with colon cancer. Also, exercise can modulate estrogen and testosterone, which may play a part in protecting against breast, uterine, ovarian and prostate cancers.

Keep moving!

THE KEY TO MORE MUSCLE

Don't let your workout become routine : For the fastest results, change the number of reps you perform every time you hit the gym. In a Brazilian study, performed by a fort lauderdale personal trainer people who alternated upper- and lower- body training days gained more strength when they rotated among 4, 10, and 15 repetitions each workout. They outperformed those who did the same number of reps every session or even shifted rep counts weekly. That's because changing the load recruits different muscle fibers, which let's you train your muscles completely, the researchers say. Best of all? The approach works for both beginners and experienced lifters, making it the perfect way for anyone to bust out of a plateau.

Why getting a personal trainer

If you want to lose some extra pounds, be healthy or get muscular, hiring a personal trainer can be a step in the right direction. A good trainer can help you set up a program that meets your goals and teach you the best way to exercise saving you a lot of time in the beginning. Here's what you should know before you hire a fort lauderdale personal trainer.

What is a Personal Trainer?

A personal trainer should be, at the least, educated and certified through a reputable fitness organization. This person's job is to assess your fitness level, set up a program for you and keep you motivated. He or she will push you past your comfort level--something difficult to do on your own. A trainer also provides:

• guidance on reaching your goals
• education about strength training, cardio and basic nutrition
• a reason to show up at the gym each week
• accountability
• ways to help track your progress