Posts Tagged ‘free weights’

Dumbbells Vs Kettlebells

Dumbbells Vs Kettlebells 

So what are these relatively new kettlebells that everyone seems to be going on about?…they look like cast iron balls with a handle on it…but is there more to them than meets the eye?

Derrick Twum and Myself were invited to a fitness roadshow last week where we used allot of new up and coming equipment to give reviews and had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people that were attending the event.

Whilst using some of the gym equipment we moved over to the free weights section and noticed a set of kettlebells sitting there waiting to be used.

I have seen kettlebells being used in demo videos but never really had the opportunity to use them myself so we thought we would give them ago.

We went through a number of exercises that were illustrated on a poster and to my amazement they were actually really good workouts  and worked up quite a sweat.

Now I wouldn’t replace them for dumbbell exercises completely but they were an excellent way to get warmed up and get the heart pumping!

The handle plays a vital part in allowing you to swing and clinch the kettlebell in certain ways which a standard dumbbell doesn’t allow you to do, but all in all there were allot of exercises that could also be done with a dumbbell!

So is there really a big difference between a dumbbell and a kettlebell?…

Yes I believe there is, I no longer look at them as a ball of cast iron with a handle, that handle allows me to perform warm up exercises I wouldn’t really perform using a dumbbell or I could but it wouldn’t feel as comfortable as using a kettlebell.

Our favourite exercise had to be the kettlebell swing , this exercise is a great way to warm up the entire body, it really works the back, legs, shoulders, hips and we found our hearts were really racing after this exercise!  (we will be releasing a kettlebell training video VERY SOON – Watch This Space)

As we raised the poundage the exercises naturally would have become more difficult but the intensity was allot higher than we anticipated, this wasn’t necessarily because we were lifting heavier weights but due to the fact that every set you perform you are using the majority of your muscles resulting in quicker fatigue, where as with dumbbells you are isolating the muscle you are working thus using less energy and calories. 

This is why there is a big mention on burning hundreds if calories whilst training with kettlebells on every kettlebell training video and posters,  you definately can but one word of warning, make sure you practice and get the exercises done correctly, due to the swinging nature of these workouts you want to make sure you don’t end up injuring yourself! 

Start off with light weights and master the exercise before raising the weight and trying more complex workouts.

Good Luck and share you stories of kettlebells with us in our forum

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations and Personal Trainer
Musclemadness

Bodybuilding & Weight Training – Old Skool Vs New Skool

Bodybuilding & Weight Training - Old Skool Vs New Skool

There are allot of debates on weight training especially about the way “they used to train” back in the day and how “they train now”

The one thing we very easily lose prospective of is that as time goes on there are always new developments….that’s not just with weight training, it’s with almost everything and anything.

The biggest developments with weight training has been the type of equipment that is now available and the vast amount of nutritional advice at our disposal. 

Weight Training Equipment

Weight training equipment now allows you to place pressure on your muscles from angles that were not possible 30 years ago, there are now probably 10 more ways to train your chest using resistance machines all giving different angles to work with…this technology was not available to bodybuilders 30 years and more ago…

Nutrition

Nutrition was not as enhanced as it is today, we have better equipped labs and nutritionists that provide us with detailed nutritional guidlines on what we eat, as a result of this we have a much better understanding of nutrition and can use it to our advantage.  

Don’t Let Equipment FOOL YOU!

The one thing I would like to remind bodybuilders and the general gym goers of today is not to lose focus and look beyond what is available to them at their local gym or health club.  If bodybuilders 30 years ago managed to great great abs without having access to some type of abs machine then how did they get amazing 6 packs?…if they also managed to get their body fat percentages close to 6% without the use of treadmills and x trainers then do you really need those pieces of equipment to reduce your body fat?…there are always other ways to achieve your desired results.

Strength Training

Strength training coaches all over the world will tell you in order to get strong you need to focus allot on the following exercises: Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts, Bent over barbell rows…these exercises were the core exercises used since weight training started developing and are still used today in almost every training regime by top athletes…

Training for MASS 

Anybody wishing to embark on the route of mass training will be told time and time again, focus on the following exercises for good size but keep the reps low and weight heavy.  Bench Press, Squats, Deadlifts, Bent over barbell rows and chins…“Mmm…isn’t that what they used 30 years ago???….”…

The point I am trying to make is not training 30 years ago was better than today’s methods but rather to incorporate what they used purely because it worked!…What made bodybuilders big and strong 30 years ago will make you big and strong today…while technology gets better and develops over time… your body and the way it works doesn’t!…

30 years ago bodybuilders and weight trainers understood to get big and strong they needed to place their muscles under pressure using heavy weights and consume plenty of carbs and protein…this theory still works today and will in another 30 years time and so on…

Conclusion 

Don’t knock old skool training methods as they are still very much alive today in almost every gym and not to be phased by the equipment that you have available to you today…you don’t need the all singing and dancing treadmill or multigym to get you the shape and fitness levels you desire…just ask yourself…”how would they of done that back in the day”…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations & Personal Trainer
Musclemadness