kettlebells??? how good at they for a fighter

You made a statement about a particular lift and said it wasn't transferable to athletics when that's clearly not the case. If you look at that particular coach's strength and conditioning plan, you'll see what I'm talking about.

And that's world record with no drugs.

 

I'm guessing he likes deadlifts? That's fine, but a track athlete is constantly working on running technique, and they'd likely only be dead lifting once a week and not in a competition phase. Deadlift has it's place, unless movement is already very good it's going to be detrimental to Olympic lifting, running and jumping. You can also be great at something despite performing movements that are detrimental to it. Do deadlifts and kettlebell swings enough and it will mess up your movement. If we're talking about transfer to athletic movements and value for time generally speaking then deadlifts are not a good exercise. There are too many factors to label something completely bad or good, the same with nutrition. You need to take individual factors into account.

 

Exactly.

Which is why it sounds silly to be so dismissive of something such as kettlebells, which are nothing more or less than just another type of weight training.

Off the top of my head here are just a few KB exercises: goblet squats, TGU, various swings, snatches, cleans, pulls, presses, farmer walks, slams, and any number of complexes.

To dismiss KB's generally as being 'bad for movement' or useless to anyone but soccer mums is wrong. Some exercises maybe, but not all.

It's no different to saying something like "dumbbells are useless". It's too generalised. Like kettlebells, dumbbells are just another part of weight training, and can be used productively or counter productively.

If something is being used counter productively, the problem lies with the programming not the weights themselves!

And anyway, you admit to using them for TGU's ffs. So there you go!

 

You nailed it there I think. I mean if you used weights like a body builder and lifted slow doing mainly isolation exercises that would be useless too for boxing. It all just depends how you use the said weight and adapt it to a more explosive movement. Be it dumbells or kb i'm sure you can get some productive training with kb for boxing and building explosive strength. You don't have to go all out crazy with it, just supplement with kb and other exercises.

The truth is there are many ways to train and get results and if something works for you, then that's all that matters. I just dont like the snobbery in the fitness world where people would champion one type of workout, and totally dismiss another because they don't like it.

 

It's like nutrition, emotions seem to run high for some reason and the insults soon start flying. Which is a shame because it turns a sensible discussion into a spat / p.issing contest and that helps no one. It invariably ends up with "I can do more pull ups than you tough guy". :roll:

When I see someone spouting bro-science it bugs me, but not to the extent I want to insult them. The internet's full of anecdotal 'evidence', you just have to take the time to sift through the fiction to discover the truth, and find what works for you through experience.

End of the day we're talking about lumps of cast iron lol. :good

 

I bought Power Behind the Punch: Kettlebell Conditioning for Boxers several years ago. It was my first exposure to kettlebell training. I did it for quite a while and it was definitely geared to boxers. I get bored pretty easily though and have since moved on to different workouts but I still throw a workout from the DVD in now and again.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Behind-Punch-Kettlebell-Conditioning/dp/B00390AAE4

 

Anybody who is doing cleans or snatches with a kettlebell is an idiot, straight up. When I say kettlebells are bad for movement I'm talking about swings. The other stuff (other than TGU's and goblet squats) can be done more effectively with something else. Plus kettlebells are overly expensive. I get your point and agree to an extent, understand that I'm talking about swings when I talk about kettlebells.

 

Why would you only be referring to swings when talking about Kettlebells? and what makes other excersizes more effective if it 's just a different style / type of weight you are using?

 

Can some of you guys that are strongly defending kettlebells explain the results you've gained from the use of kettlebells specifically and why you're're using them? Just wondering.

 

People get emotional over nutrition?

 

I'm not sure what the point of this question is. Kettlebells are but one aspect of weight training. The benefits of weight training are obvious aren't they? You gain muscular strength and endurance...

KB's aren't necessary as results can be achieved using various weight training methods. But they're not useless either. I use 'em cos they're convenient and I enjoy using 'em. :good

 

Yes, they are. Yet people are getting very defensive over this particular form of training. I'm just wondering why.

Depending on how you train, yes. But again, I'm referring specifically to kettelbells.

 

I think they are a good tool if you have access to one. For me, they were useful in increasing shoulder endurance. I noticed less fatigue in later rounds while keeping my guard up. Now I have no evidence of this next part having any usefulness, but popping my hips during a swing while breathing out reminded me of exhaling while punching and I had to consciously do it or I'd gas.

 

Search me, but perhaps the reason why people are getting so defensive is because the very first reply to the thread was so offensive. :conf

It starts off with the sweeping generalisation: "They're bad for movement..."

 

Because that's the traditional kettlebell exercise, the only one that is really unique to kettlebells. Otherwise it's just an expensive chunk of metal.
Bilateral versus unilateral and the load used. The distribution of weight in a kettlebell makes it more unstable meaning less weight used effectively in that movement, meaning less of a training effect. Unilateral cleans and snatches is just idiotic.