Pushing Weight: Living That Kettlebell Life

You're sitting on your couch binge-watching Netflix, with a 44oz Big Gulp in one hand and a bag of Hot Cheetos in the other. Right before you pop another cheesy yet spicy treat into your mouth, you look down at your stomach, which is spilling over your medium-sized gym shorts—by the way, they’re probably cutting off circulation to your legs now, because they’re so tight around your waist—and grabbing your flab with your Cheeto-dusted fingers, you realize that something has got to change. Right then and there, you tell yourself it’s time to break this sloppy cycle. It’s time to start a journey to lose weight and become healthier. But how?

If you're new to working out or trying to get back into it, getting started can be intimidating. Some people hire personal trainers, others watch YouTube videos to find a routine that suits their fitness level, and some dive right into the deep end, figuring it out as they go. All are great options. The important part is that you're making a change. You're taking the initiative to become healthier, and to look and feel better. Congratulations, you've taken the first step toward becoming a better you.

Now, how to do it?

Through personal experience and research, I’ve found a solution that is both easy and doesn’t require much equipment or time. In fact, you really only need one item to start, and you don’t even need to step foot in a gym if you don’t want to. Get yourself a kettlebell. Personally, I’ve concluded that there is no other piece of exercise equipment more versatile or hard-working than a kettlebell. Sure, you can use dumbbells, which can give you a great pump and are versatile too, but in many cases, you need two. One kettlebell, a handful of exercises, and 30 minutes is all you need to get a fantastic workout without spending hours in the gym.

Learning the Way of the Kettlebell

Using kettlebells can give you an amazing core workout (think abs all the way down through your legs), train your stability and mobility (balance and flexibility), increase your strength and muscle mass, and blast your cardio (healthy heart and endurance). You can do all this with one kettlebell. Pretty impressive, right? I thought so too when I started my fitness journey. I actually got motivated when I was scrolling YouTube Shorts and came across a page called Mid Life Fit Club. This gentleman is 50 years old and more defined than most people 30 years his junior. When I found his videos, he was already looking like a Greek god, but I started looking at older videos, and he started out just like everyone else—with a flabby dad bod that he wasn’t proud of. I went down a rabbit hole of watching his videos, and then my algorithm adjusted and started showing me nothing but fitness videos.

After watching his videos and seeing his amazing physique, I was determined to get abs. Definitely harder than you think, but we’ll get into that in a bit. Jeff, who is the creator of the content, was very open and honest about his lifestyle and his workouts. I noticed that almost all his workouts were done with kettlebells. I went down another rabbit hole to find all the exercises I could that used kettlebells. My gym has a nice kettlebell setup with weights ranging from 10lbs to 70lbs. I started doing a circuit with 26lb kettlebells. Five exercises, 8-10 reps, 1-minute breaks in between each exercise, and I aimed to do five rounds. For the first week, I couldn’t make it through all five rounds. I was a sweaty mess and could barely catch my breath after three. I was also incredibly sore all week. Finally, in the middle of the second week, I made it through all five rounds. From then on, I was hooked. I’d go to the gym 5 days a week, get my five rounds in, and get out of there in about 30-45 minutes, including stretching. I started switching up the exercises to kettlebell complexes, which are the same exercises, but you perform them in succession to make one round. It's usually lower reps, but more rounds. I also did what they call EMOM (every minute on the minute) workouts, where you utilize many of the same exercises in succession, but your rest is whatever time is left in the minute after you finish the complex. It could get brutal after about 8-10 rounds. I still hit the gym and maintain my kettlebell routine weekly. It's the best way to get a full-body workout that builds muscle and works your cardio all in the same time frame. If you want to learn the exercises, check out Jeff’s YouTube page. You’ll get tons of great exercises and probably get pretty motivated too. You can also check out Trevor’s Instincts content. He has an amazing physique and is a big proponent of kettlebell workouts.

Getting Those Abs You've Always Wanted

I’m sorry to say that I haven’t yet achieved the abs I wanted, but I did lose weight and feel a lot better about myself. I’m still determined to get abs someday, but I’d really have to change my lifestyle outside of the gym. After watching many of Jeff’s videos along with other fitness influencers, you realize that you really have to give up many of life’s joys to fit into a nutrition plan that caters to getting the abs of your dreams. It seems like you have to give up sugar, almost all carbs, and alcohol. I’m just not ready to give all that up at the moment. I did switch to a healthier diet, especially during the week, though I usually backslide on the weekend. I still work out 4 days a week, which I’m proud of, and I’ve got a good regimen down once I hit the gym floor. I’m still proud of myself, and maybe one day I will give up what I need to in order to have the Greek god physique.

If you do have the discipline or are looking for a complete lifestyle revamp, what you put in your body is the most important factor to focus on. You can swing all the kettlebells you want for hours at a time, but without proper nutrition, you'll never get the physique you want. Don’t let anyone fool you. Find influencers who share their daily nutritional habits with you. The ones who can show you what’s on their plate. Some may even provide you with shopping lists of the foods they eat. Most influencers with amazing bodies follow a strict diet. Many of them, who aren’t bodybuilders, follow a low-carb, no-processed-sugar (candy, ice cream, etc.), whole-food diet. That means buying foods with one ingredient, like meat, fruits, and veggies, and building your meals from there. Almost all of them limit white flour foods and carb-heavy foods such as bread, pasta, and rice. They also pay attention to sauces and marinades. Definitely no alcohol. Some of these influencers are trainers and sell eBooks or meal plans, but do your research before you buy any of their items. You can probably find all the same information with a simple Google search.

Conclusion

If you’re not trying to become a fitness competitor or a bodybuilder, and you just want to look good naked, kettlebell workouts can be exactly what you need. No need to make things complicated. A simple kettlebell circuit and 30 minutes is all you need. Pair that with some healthy meal choices during the week, and your body will undoubtedly see and feel the results. You may not get the abs of Brad Pitt unless you cut out all the unhealthy food choices you make, but in many cases, that’s not the goal. The goal is usually to get fit—to be able to walk up stairs without being out of breath, for your clothes that you used to fit in to fit comfortably again, and for people to notice that you're making a change. I believe you can do it, and I believe that a kettlebell regimen can get you there. You know what I mean?