Benefits of Kettlebell Swings

Did you know that you can get fit in just one exercise and use one piece of equipment? You heard that right.

If you haven’t heard of Proper Kettlebell Swings (KBS), it is an exercise that helps you burn fat, improve endurance, build muscle, count as cardio, correct body imbalances, and reverse pain.

This kettlebell swing is more versatile than deadlifts, squats, or sprints. A kettlebell swing uses posterior chain muscles, so you thrust a kettlebell powerfully.

If you’re interested to know more about the benefits of a kettlebell swing, keep reading to find out. We’ve done our research and created a list of the best benefits of a kettlebell swing.

Top 10 Benefits of a Kettlebell Swing

kettlebell swing

1. Body Toning

Kettlebell swings work all of your major muscle groups at once, instead of isolating specific groups by doing different exercise moves. Doing a kettlebell swing saves you more time, energy, and money from spending different pieces of fitness equipment.

A kettlebell swing can target up to 600 muscles. This happens whenever you swing a kettlebell around, your whole body has to work in order to keep yourself in control. A kettlebell swing is all about keeping your balance and stabilizing your core.

2. Increases Strength

Kettlebell swings are also a form of resistance training (also known as strength training). A kettlebell swing is an exercise that pits muscles against a large force. In this case, the kettlebell is that large force. 

Since a kettlebell swing can work over 600 muscles with just one movement, it’s no surprise that a kettlebell swing can make you stronger in no time! 

3. Increases Endurance

Aside from strength and conditioning, kettlebell swings also belong under the cardio category. If you’ve ever swung a kettlebell before, then you’ll probably know by now how it can really get your sweat dripping and heart pumping. The more your body will be able to handle it when you do more cardio.

According to research, VO2 max and Lactate Threshold are two of the main factors that contribute to endurance. The prior helps you consume the maximum amount of oxygen during exercises. While the latter allows you to accumulate exercise intensity in the muscles. 

Luckily, the kettlebell swing and its kettlebell exercises are a perfect way to improve both of these factors.

4. Burns Calories

Studies and research by the American Council of Exercises discovered that the average kettlebell workout burns 20 minutes per minute, which equates to 600 calories in 30 minutes. Not to mention, there’s also an afterburn effect.

Kettlebell swings and other intense exercises help your body burn calories even after you finish your workout session. However, don’t forget to pair your kettlebell swing and other exercises with a healthy diet and other lifestyle choices.

5. Burns Fat

Have you always wanted to burn all the excess fat from your arms, belly, or thighs but don’t know how? The kettlebell is your friend. In a short period of time, kettlebell swings and other moves help you build muscle mass and burn an impressive amount of calories. Without noticing or realizing it, your fats have disappeared.

6. Improves Heart Health

The kettlebell swing is a workout routine that is also best for your heart. Since kettlebell swings combine both strength training and cardio, You are doing your heart a favor whenever you exercise or get moving. 

Studies by American Heart Association have found that an inactive lifestyle is one of the five major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure, high “bad” cholesterol, and obesity are other factors that lead to heart problems. 

However, with the help of kettlebell swings, they can promote the three most important factors for a healthy heart: weight loss, lower bad cholesterol levels, and lower high blood pressure.

7. Improves Posture and Balance

Overall, workouts like kettlebell swings help improve the heart’s function. Doing cardio helps increase an individual’s blood flow. Moreover, that flow directly goes towards the muscles and then returns to the heart.

The heart holds more blood when there is a larger cavity. So, if you’re an active person, each beat will deliver a bigger burst of blood, allowing your heart rate to slow down. This is a good thing since it takes some of the workloads off of your heart. 

8. Helps Reduce Back Pain

If you are someone who suffers from backaches, perhaps you should try swinging the pain away. Researchers have found that kettlebell swings include therapeutic benefits as well and can help relieve back pain.

They have found that a kettlebell swing’s movement can reverse posterior strain on the person’s discs in the lower back (namely L4 and L5). That same research asserted that back raise, deadlifts, and other posterior chain exercises can also make lower back problems worse. 

9. Makes Performing Tasks Easier

Many people have referred to doing kettlebell swings as a functional workout, due to the fact that it can strengthen the muscles that you use in your daily life.

Soon enough, doing everyday tasks such as carrying grocery bags, lifting huge and heavy boxes, and carrying a toddler will feel much easier for you.

10. Gives you a full-body workout

If you’ve made it this far in the article, you’ll probably know that a kettlebell workout benefits not just one part of the body, but the full body. The kettlebell swing involves large muscle groups and small stabilizers. 

Yes, the kettlebell workout mostly involves swinging and movement in the lower body. However, the swings also strengthen the upper body as well. It also strengthens the entire posterior chain (lower back, glutes, core, and hamstring), mid-back, upper-back, formers, shoulders, and lats. One session of a kettlebell swing hits everything.

How To Do Kettlebell Swings (The Right Way!) 

kettlebell swing benefits

Kettlebell swings were once performed by Soviet Union athletes. But now, you can do it, too! Here’s how:

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a kettlebell about a foot in front of you on the ground. Bend at the waist and grasp the kettlebell handle with both hands. 

Your palms should be facing your body, and your torso should be nearly parallel to the ground.

Step 2: Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your core before starting the exercise. Maintain these form cues throughout the entire set.

Step 3: Lift the kettlebell off the ground and allow it to swing between your legs. Your knees slightly bent during this movement. Keep your back flat and neck straight.

Step 4: Forcefully drive your hips forward to propel the kettlebell into the air. Control the kettlebell with your arms, but don’t pull it up. The kettlebell should travel no higher than your shoulders.

Step 5: Allow the kettlebell to swing down and back through your legs. Control the descent by keeping your core engaged. As the kettlebell lowers, move immediately and fluidly into the next rep.

Step 6: On your final rep, allow it to swing back through your legs, and then place it a foot in front of you on the ground.

The Bottomline

If you’re looking for an exercise or a piece of gym equipment that will help you get fit, kettlebell swings are the solution. 

It is an exercise that may involve lower-body swinging movement, but it also offers your upper body strength and conditioning, eventually giving you a full-body workout.

Unlike other workout routines and fitness equipment, kettlebell swings can target up to 600 muscles. A kettlebell swing also allows you to burn more calories, improve your heart health, posture and balance, and many more. 

If you like this article, you might want to check our other articles at Dumbbellsreviews.com.