14 Powerful Kettlebell Exercise Tips

These guidelines can help you get the most out of your kettlebell exercise routine. The following 15 tips will teach you the proper number of reps and sets to perform, when to work out, and what kind of workouts will sculpt the body you desire.

Train two to seven times a week. You must train on a regular basis if you wish to see any benefits. This should be a give-me, but many people look for push-button solutions. In the world of exercise, those buttons do not exist.
Work out for 45 minutes or less and you'll see the best results. Doing a few reps and then quitting won't get you anywhere. At the same time, you need to make sure you do not train for too long either. Working out for too long can actually make your exercise program less effective as various hormones in your body drop from peak levels after about 45 minutes of working out.
Total workout time should be altered. Keep your body guessing by switching things up every now and then. Increase your workout intensity by completing your exercises in 20 minutes one day and then taking it a little easier the next day by taking 40 minutes.
Perform as many exercises as you wish. You can do as many different kettlebell exercises as you wish. If you hit the whole body, make sure you're eating right to supply your body with the proper nutrients for the quickest recovery.
Vary the intensity of each exercise You don't have to hit every exercise super hard. Do a few intensely and a few with less intensity. This is similar to changing the time of your work outs. You'll adapt to different lifting situations do to this and you'll also fight off boredom more easily by having a more dynamic workout routine.
String exercises together in a circuit. Circuit training consists of performing an exercise, resting, performing a different one, resting, and repeating the sequence until the total number of sets is completed for each exercise. Circuit training will increase your strength and endurance levels.
Rest between your sets. You'll want to make sure your muscles are ready to go when you start each set. Make sure you rest at least 1 minute between each set.
Hurrying through strength exercises can spell disaster You want to get strong, but have some patience. Injuring yourself because you wanted to go too quickly and got sloppy is a sure fire way to hinder your progress. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare: "slow and steady wins the race".
Shorten the rest time for endurance training. When you are working on your endurance levels, you may want to compress your rest periods. Remember, you do not want to be in a hurry when strength training though.
Start hard. Finish easy. Starting your session with the hard exercises. Doing this will ensure you are at your freshest so that you have the coordination and strength to complete the exercises in good form.
Lift your kettlebells before endurance exercises.
Do as many sets as you wish. If you can do 500 sets, the more power to you. In most cases, however, you'll probably be wanting to perform 3 to 20 sets per exercise. You'll also want to vary the number of sets each time you work out. If you have only one kettlebell, try to add on a few more sets each time you work out.
Do not go to muscle failure. Some high intensity routines recommend you work a muscle to failure to damage your muscles as much as possible. The idea is that your muscles will be stimulated to repair themselves much more and you'll become much bigger. The goal with kettlebells is not to become big, but to have functional, whole body strength and endurance. Working out to muscle failure also increases the chance you'll go out of form, hurt yourself, or drop your weight on yourself. Either way, not pretty!
Do not do more than 5 reps per set with presses and side bends. Presses and side bends are difficult exercises to begin with. Doing more reps increases the chance you'll use poor form. Increase difficulty by using a heavier kettlebell. If you do not own a heavier kettlebell, compress rest period or perform more sets of 5 reps. You may also select a more difficult exercise, move slower, and pause at different points.