There are several reasons why you may want to train with kettlebells if you are interested in cardiovascular training.

Kettlebells can provide you with a tool for light, medium and very high intensity cardiovascular conditioning workouts in limited space.

By modifying the selection of exercises and the loading weight used it is possible to train at whatever intensity is suitable for you. In a well rounded health/fitness directed training program cardiovascular conditioning is an important consideration.

It is possible to use a single weight ( for example 16-kg for men) and to use it continuously for 20 - 40 minutes whilst keeping your heart rate precisely where you need it by modifying the heights and intensities of the lifts or exercises performed.

Using higher intensity techniques such as alternating cleans, it is possible to provide very heavy loading to the cardiovascular system, without need for much room.

Additionally the muscles and nerves are trained in highly practical, natural and relevant movements and postures which can transfer gains to usable real life tasks more effectively perhaps than say biking. All movements are closed kinetic chain movements and train the user to develop power from the legs, controlled precisely by the muscles of the core and then expressed in the limbs.

You really can get as intense a cardiovascular workout as you need with the right exercise choice, loading and leverage (range of motion)

If you need or want to put on muscle or improve strength levels kettlebells are an ideal choice.

Firstly they are ‘very free’ weights and as such provide additional challenges to all the stabilizing muscles that are involved in the exercise.

Again the exercises are in the vast majority ‘closed chain’ so you always train your strength from real world positions, which is know to be important for transference of trained strength gains to practical or sporting tasks.

All movement patterns and strength needs can be expressed and trained with kettlebells.

The core is often highly involved in the control and stability of exercise performance and training improves performance of isometric, dynamic and rotational core control. Any strength leakage that often occurs in the trunk is very well trained. and prevented.

This is amplified when the user concentrates on unilateral training (as many do).

Kettlebells provide lots of opportunity to train ‘power’ in a variety of ways. All sorts of explosive ‘ballistic’ types of exercises can be done from a full spectrum of postures and positions. This is in contrast to olympic lifting, which while it provides great opportunity for heavy loading and linear expression of strength/power upwards, offers little opportunity to change training stances and positions.

The training laws of specificity dictate strongly that the closer we are to our sports position in resistance training - the stronger the training transfer.

Kettlebells allow you to do this. Not only when training leg explosiveness but there are many upper body plyometric drills that become possible to train explosive rotational power, explosive pulling and explosive pushing.

KB’s provide a fun way to train with lots of possible variety and uses depending on how you feel and how you feel you should train. You can take them to the park, use them in the gym or in front of the TV.

They will develop fitness and stamina, strength and power, coordination and efficient biomechanics and leave you feeling extremely well exercises (depending on how you use them of course!)