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Kettlebell Training and Your Body
What kind of results, when, and the effects on you. Challenge your body, respect it, progress
By Israel A. Sanchez
Bainbridge Island's Most Trusted Strength & Conditioning Coach
There is no doubt kettlebell training will have an effect on your body. Learning and getting comfortable with kettlebell lifting involves many factors and varies from person to person. I have seen a few become quite proficient at kettlebell lifting and go from basics to complex in a matter of six sessions. I have also seen many who required at least 3 months of steady training before feeling comfortable with the fundamentals. I have also seen a very few with such poor awareness of their body and movement, they required a different type of training before attempting kettlebell lifting.
The peak of the statistical bell curve (where most individuals fall) is somewhere within 3-4 weeks of training 3-4 times per week. You cannot compare yourself to another person as your structure and circumstances are entirely different. It is impossible to predict how you will do unless I see you moving and get to know you. My advice is to let your learning take its course without rushing it and always err on the side of caution.
Will I get sore? Will my joints ache?
Like every new stimulus in the body, there is a good chance you will get some initial soreness from kettlebell training.
Depending on how hard and how long you go in your first session, you may get something in the neighborhood of mild soreness to crippling soreness. The good news is that you have complete control over that. Understand that the first sessions are all about learning and getting acquainted, not getting challenged.
Should you get carried away and get excessively sore after your first week, you have no one to blame but yourself; after all, you are the one who made the decision to go full throttle even when advised against it.
This is not to say that you should go easy all the time. As you get in better condition and understand kettlebells better, there will be a time in which you will have to challenge yourself and you bet it'll bring some discomfort.
There's nothing wrong with the occasional soreness, more so if you are incorporating new activities. Chronic soreness however is a sign of poor strategy and excessive wear. Don't be surprised if you are start going the opposite direction if you allow chronic soreness to be your faithful companion.
Ditto for joint pain. It is a different issue from typical muscle soreness and a sign that you are crossing the line. You do not have to necessarily be lifting heavy to wear your joints and cause pain, excessive repetitive motion will do just as fine of a job.
On the other hand, avoiding joint pain is a lot simpler than many think. Here are few simple and straightforward strategies to avoid unnecessary joint pain.
- Increase your load (in its many expressions) gradually.
- Vary your activities strategically, not randomly.
- If you are lifting heavy and your joints ache, STOP and reduce the loads.
- If you are lifting light and your joints ache, STOP and take a break first, then change your routine.
- Avoiding excessively loading a fatigued body.
Muscles can heal up to a certain extent (abuse them and you will change their characteristics unfavorably) in relative swiftness but joints do not, and you only have one set of them. Once a joint is worn out and damaged there is no growing it back, I don't care what some miraculous products claim. There is no cure for irresponsible damage. Respect your joints and heed your body's warning signs.
How long before I see results?
The way that question is formulated makes it appear as if there was a general magic answer. What people refer to as results also varies significantly from individual to individual. For some, it is the moment they notice the first hints of change in their bodies, for others, it is the moment in which they notice their strength increase, and for others, it is when they feel more energized and confident.
For the sake of simplicity, and as much I dislike generalizations, I can give you some overall guidelines. I beg you to please avoid selective attention and take the entire message. Provided that EVERY other OPTIMAL FACTOR is present, you will first notice the changes in your energy, mood, and self-confidence within the first 1 to 2 weeks. The changes in strength will become noticeable in weeks 2-4 and some definite changes in body shape and composition will be obvious by weeks 4-5.
I hope you noticed how before everything else, the importance of the other OPTIMAL FACTORS was emphasized. What does this mean? It means that you should be getting enough restful sleep at a regular schedule, getting nutritious food, avoiding processed, refined and high sugar products as well as alcohol, staying well hydrated and creating strategies to deal with daily stress. Mess up in one of the factors or neglect them altogether, and your results as well as your health will pay the price. Remember, exercise is just another component of health and should be used to enhance it, not to justify poor nutritional habits or phobias.
Next Step Conditioning Systems
9727 Coppertop Loop NE
Suite 102
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206.842.9900
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