Lauren Brooks Miller

Well, I’m here to give you some wonderful news.  You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get rid of the fat that you accumulated during your pregnancies. You can start by training with kettlebells which takes no time at all.  Here are some of the reasons why kettlebell training is perfect for a mom.

Kettlebells kill two birds with one stone
With kettlebell exercises you are able to get your heart rate up, more than any machine in a fancy gym, while strengthening and sculpting your entire body.

Get in and get out
Workout sessions can be effective anywhere between 10 and 40 minutes. Efficiency is everything with being a mom, since time is so limited. Being able to do 1 single work out session in such a short amount of time that targets all of your fitness goals, is enough of a reason to start using a kettlebell.  You can sneak 10-20 minutes before your kids wake up, during their nap, or right after they go to bed. No excuses not to give yourself that small amount of time!

A kettlebell is a complete handheld gym
You can bring them on any trip and never be stuck without your home gym.  You can use it outside at the park, on the beach, in a hotel room, or anywhere you want. 

Kettlebell training will help tighten up your stretched out stomach muscles
After pregnancy the stomach muscles are left weak and stretched out. The transverse abdominus muscles, which are the muscles that wrap around your midsection, get stronger and tighter with kettlebell exercises.

You will lose the junk and tighten your trunk
The mommy flat butt will start to reshape into more of a muscular and firm rear end.  You will start feeling amazing when you put your old jeans on and your butt is higher up.  (Beware: your firm butt may start attracting eyes and hands!)

Kettlebells are fun
Kettlebell workouts can vary so much you never get bored. You can keep them short and intense without getting that burnout feeling you do from being inside of a gym for several hours at a time.

You will not look like a bodybuilder!
When working with kettlebells you are using all of your muscles. You are strengthening your entire body, not isolating one muscle at a time. This is a much more functional way to train than the typical bodybuilding style. When you start isolating a single muscle and break down the muscle fibers, you can get the bulky muscles that body builders strive for. With kettlebell training that will not happen! You will get stronger, leaner and denser.

Your metabolism will increase
When you start working out with kettlebells your body starts turning in to a fat burning machine. You are developing dense muscles which require much more energy. In addition, more and more studies are showing that short bursts of intense exercises, such as interval training, will have your body burning for up to 24 hours after the workout. So just because you are finished with your short workout does not mean you stop burning. That’s a huge plus for anyone.

So what are you waiting for? 
Working with kettlebells has changed my life. I have very little time during the day, so incorporating them in to my life has allowed me to keep a very lean and healthy physique, without putting in too much time.  People are shocked when I tell them I hardly workout.

I do want to highlight the fact that I have clean eating habits. No matter what type of workout you have, if you don’t eat correctly you will find it nearly impossible to reach your final goals. Email me at Lauren@socaltrainer.com for a free workout to get you started.  Visit Lauren@socaltrainer.com for a free workout to get you started.  Visit www.OnTheEdgeFitness.com for more information about workouts, nutrition, and kettlebells. 

Lauren Brooks is a Russian Kettlebell Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Clinical Nutritionist based out of San Diego, California.  Lauren earned her B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Fitness, Nutrition, and Health from San Diego State University. She offers online nutrition and workout programs.  You can contact her at Lauren@socaltrainer.com or go to Lauren@socaltrainer.com or go to Kettlebell Training with Lauren Brooks.

Kettlebells are an alternative to modern day weights. Called girya in its nation of origin Russian, it is a traditional cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. Kettlebells come in several sizes from 10 to 106 lbs.

The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool in the United States due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach Pavel Tsatsouline and also by World Champion and world record holder Valery Fedorenko.

The effectivness of using kettlebells can be proven by those who use them. Soviet weightlifting legends such as Vlasov, Zhabotinskiy, and Alexeyev started their Olympic careers with old-fashioned kettlebells. The Russian Special Forces personnel owe much of their wiry strength, explosive agility, and never-quitting stamina to kettlebells. In fact, the official Soviet armed forces strength training manual pronounced kettlebell drills to be “one of the most effective means of strength development” representing “a new era in the development of human strength-potential”.

The elite of the US military and law enforcement also recognizes the power of the Russian kettlebell. One can find Pavel’s certified RKC instructors among Force Recon Marines, Department of Energy nuclear security teams, the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, the Secret Service Counter Assault Team, to name a few.

Once the Russian kettlebell became a hit among those whose life depends on their strength and conditioning, it took off among hard people from all walks of life: martial artists and athletes. Mixed martial arts heroes Frank Shamrock, BJ Penn, Bob Sapp, and Fedor Emelianenko popularized the use of kettlebells in the sport.

The basic kettlebell exercise is the power swing, a full-body workout we’ll have you doing in your first ten minutes. Master trainer and Brazilian Jujitsu World Champion Steve Maxwell has said that “the perfect kettlebell swing is superior to 99% of all the sophisticated strength and conditioning programs.”

Kettlebell training develops power and strength while adding intensity to cardio workouts. Just about anyone, from a professional athlete to a fitness novice, can train with a kettlebell and reap the benefits. Kettlebell training uses ballistic movement, a movement where the muscles initiate the action and the momentum of the limbs continues it. This type of training enhances strength, balance, and hand-eye coordination using the entire body for virtually every movement pattern.

When training with kettlebells, keep safety in the forefront. Be sure to choose an appropriate weight for you level of experience, and keep the weight low and the reps low when starting out or increasing weight. Start with basic exercises like the swing or clean and then advance to extended exercises that combine two or more basic exercises into one continuous rep.

From traditional to innovative, kettlebell and kettleball products come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, typically ranging from 5 lbs. to 100 lbs. With options that vary from black cast iron to color-coded, vinyl-encased, kettlebells and balls are ideal for training in practically in any environment.

Most fitness clubs, athletic facilities, and home or personal gyms can easily accommodate kettlebells because their compact size makes them easy to store. For storage solutions, look for steel racks that are designed specifically to hold kettlebells of any size. Some kettlebell racks come with rubber mats to protect the kettlebells and reduce noise.

Simple and unique, the kettlebell continues to be one of the most effective training tools ever created. While the basic form has evolved into new models, the kettlebell’s basic function remains the same as it did decades ago: develop muscular strength and endurance. Because it’s easy to use and takes up little space, the kettlebell is an ideal training tool. Kettlebell training builds total-body strength and flexibility, and encourages fat loss, all reasons for the kettlebell’s long history and growing popularity.

Made with a cast iron bell and handle, the traditional kettlebell is the most popular style used in training. It’s basic form meets the functional needs for training and its price is typically lower than newer models. Basic cast iron kettlebells are commonly available in weights from 10 lbs. to 100 lbs.

Developed by Power Systems’ own Education Team, this poster features 12 kettlebell exercises and shows the starting and finishing position of each along with bullet point instructions for proper execution. Total Training by Power Systems. Laminated. Color. 24″ x 36″. 1 lb.

Great information on how to incorporate kettlebells into program design. Two-volume set teaches ballistics, Turkish get-up, and more. Brett Jones, Michael Castrogiovanni. 2005, 60 min.

Challenging, yet easy-to-follow kettlebell routines with seamless choreography. If you can properly perform a traditional kettlebell swing, clean, and snatch, then you are ready for this workout. Maureen Martone. 2006, 34 min.

Learn fundamental kettlebell lifts as well as the history and support sciences (motor learning, biomechanics, and more) behind kettlebell lifting. Instructions and workouts based on Kettlebell Concepts CEC/U approved instructor training course and original research. Designed for fitness and strength and conditioning professionals/enthusiasts. 2003, 50 min.