10: “Full-body… but part-time”
Kettlebells (in conjunction with CrossFit) provide an intense full-body workout in an incredibly short period of time.  Most workouts finish in less than 30 minutes and leave you drenched with sweat and gasping for air. Most traditional personal “trainers” recommend lengthy cardio and resistance sessions for up to 6 to 8 hours a week. A week’s worth of kettlebell workouts equal only a fraction of that and you get much better results. 

9: “You can finally get a grip”
Kettlebells require that you develop a high level of grip strength which readily carries over into all forms of athletics. The kettlebell’s displaced center of gravity creates grip and forearm strength that cannot be matched with other free weights or machines. Muscles become stronger when you learn to contract them more effectively, explosively, efficiently, and in concert. The body as a unit becomes stronger by learning how to instigate a coordinated firing of muscles in a more effective, explosive, and efficient manner. Grip strength is an important and often overlooked part of that equation.

8: “No more zombie workouts”
Kettlebell training requires you to “be in the moment”, and develops a high level of concentration and body awareness. Lapses in concentration or body awareness are swiftly punished. How many people have you seen staring off into space on a treadmill? Don’t even think about doing that with kettlebells unless you enjoy sitting in the ER waiting room.

7: “Hand eye coordination”
Kettlebells require you to constantly challenge your spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination and timing. Once again, these skills will crossover into every sport or life activity. Doing a 7.5 foot range-of-motion Snatch requires a much higher degree of skill and muscle mastery than a 1.5 foot range-of-motion bicep curl. Think about it.

6: “Usable strength over mere vanity”
Kettlebells develop thick, dense muscles that deliver when you need them. Traditional bodybuilding workouts create puffy muscles that look good in a mirror. By forcing the muscle to support the KB you end up activating the deeper, harder-to-work, stabilizing and supporting muscles. That’s real, usable strength.

5: “The left hand knows what the right hand is doing”
Kettlebells require you to develop unilateral skills and strength.  There is no hiding behind your strong-hand in kettlebell training. Many machines and barbells allow your stronger side to dominate the work being done.

4: “Get it all in one shot”
Kettlebells combine strength, flexibility and anaerobic training in one workout.  KB training specifically trains all of the physical traits required by the martial athlete and succeeds where other methods fail. In particular, KB training addresses strength, endurance (muscular & cardio-respiratory), agility, and coordination in one shot.

3: “Train body and the mind”
Kettlebells training develops a high level of mental toughness and controlled aggression. You can’t approach a kettlebell workout without either.

2: “Train for life… it happens while you are vertical”
Kettlebells require you to learn how to move your body. Sitting in a machine or lying on a bench is not going to give you the athletic ability to do knock-out an opponent, move a heavy bookcase, or pull a downed limb out of the street.

1: “Kettlebells are fun”
In a word, kettlebell training is FUN!  No other workout tool that I have ever found allows you to work your butt off and enjoy the whole process.  The workouts are challenging, exhausting, and mentally engaging – something that a machine will never be able to match.