workout tips

Kettlebell Training to Prevent Shoulder & Back Injury

By Kettlebell Kings

 

Kettlebell Training to Prevent Shoulder and Back Injury

Working out with kettlebells, whether it’s for sport or fitness can help increase strength and endurance, as well as decrease your chances of serious injury. Many kettlebell workout routines are full-body focused, and your entire body is being forced to move and stabilize muscle groups throughout the exercise. This strengthens the body and prevents future damage. The shoulders and back are especially vulnerable to injury when performing high-impact, weight-heavy workouts. Several kettlebell exercises can be done regularly during warm up to prevent back and shoulder injuries by building up and increasing the mobility of these areas.

 

Kettlebell Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Injury

 

When it comes to the shoulder, your rotator cuff is mostly to blame for muscle weakness and imbalance during exercise. The rotator cuff consists of four muscles tied together with the vital job of holding the ball and socket joint in place, allowing for mobility of your arm. Many exercises fire up the shoulder muscle and help increase stability and range of motion without irritating the rotator cuff.

 

The Kettlebell Swing – This exercise isn’t an apparent shoulder-specific movement since it is a full-body movement. However, it is an essential exercise for stabilization of your shoulder muscles. To execute, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, back arched somewhat and bend at the hips, forcing the kettlebell back and behind your legs. As you swing upward, thrust your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to propel the kettlebell up and away from your body. As you swing the kettlebell upward and as it falls downward, the rotator cuff muscles must contract to hold your shoulder in place, building strength and preventing future injury. Warm up with this exercise using a lighter weight, performing three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions to activate the shoulder muscles before a strenuous workout.

 

The Halo – Unlike the full-body motion of the kettlebell swing, this exercise focuses primarily on the muscles within your shoulders and is less cardio intensive. To perform this move, hold the kettlebell by the outer edges of the handle, pointing it toward the ceiling as you rotate the kettlebell in a circular motion around your head. This not only works the rotator cuff but the pectorals of the chest, deltoids of the shoulders and triceps located in the back of the arm. It is also an excellent way to warm-up the core muscles that are integral to any exercise routine. Warming up with three sets of 10-15 halo movements before a workout can keep your entire shoulder complex safe from injury.

 

Kettlebell Exercises to Prevent Back Injury

 

According to Physical Therapy Web, an estimated 80% of Americans will experience some type of back pain during their lifetime. This number could be substantially decreased if the general population would adopt a regular training program that includes kettlebell movements focusing on strengthening the back and spine. If the muscles surrounding your back are weak, it will compensate for the inadequate muscle strength, potentially causing injury such as a muscle pull or worse, a herniated disc. For example, if your glutes aren’t activated during a goblet squat, you will be more likely to use your lower back to lift the weight, increasing the potential for permanent damage. To ensure your glutes are firing it is also important to stretch your hip flexor muscles. Many exercises focus on these areas, improving their strength and allowing for less strain on the lower back.

 

The Kettlebell Snatch – This exercise is an excellent example of a movement that strengthens your glute muscles and opens up your hip flexors to protect your lower back. Unlike other exercises, it is a complex, full-body movement that should be mastered before executed. As you would in a kettlebell swing, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, back slightly arched and knees bent. Unlike the swing, you will only place one hand in an overhand grip position on the kettlebell. Using your hips and glutes, swing the kettlebell upward, keeping your elbow pointing outward as you pull the kettlebell slightly closer to your body and let the momentum drive it upwards. Unwind your hand and let the kettlebell fall downward, hinging at the hips and bending the knees as it approaches the bottom of the movement. Again, this is an advanced movement that works the shoulders, as well as the mid and upper back. After you have conquered the kettlebell swing, feel free to tackle this exercise using correct posture. By strengthening the muscles surrounding the back, you will be preventing injury and enhancing full-body strength. Warm up with this activity by doing three sets of 10-12 reps with low weight on each arm.

 

The Renegade Row – This not only builds strength in the upper back and shoulder complex, but it also requires stability of the core. This exercise will require two kettlebells of equal weight. Gripping the handles of the kettlebells, get in a pushup position, pushing off of the kettlebells to straighten both arms. Stabilizing your core, drive into the ground with your left foot and pull the kettlebell toward you with your right hand, lower the kettlebell and repeat on the other side. Maintaining core strength throughout this entire exercise will require squeezing and therefore strengthening of your upper back muscles. Using light weight, warm up with this exercise doing three sets of 10-12 repetitions on each arm.

 

It is important to note that you should never perform a kettlebell exercise if you feel pain or discomfort, especially when you are recovering from an injury. These exercises are only intended for advice concerning prevention, and a licensed physical therapist is always the best option for rehabilitation of particular muscle groups within the shoulder and back.


For more information regarding kettlebell workouts for injury prevention, as well as routines that you can perform in the gym or at home, check out our website at http://www.kettlebellkings.com/or call 855-7KETTLE for more information. We sell the most reasonably priced, high-quality products and come highly recommended by kettlebell sport athletes and regular gym goers and owners. We care about getting you the right product to increase your strength, stamina, and cardiovascular health to prevent unwanted muscular and joint injuries. We publish more helpful information about how to train with kettlebells on our blog as well!

fitness myth buster: weightlifting makes you bulky

there are SO many outrageous myths about fitness out there, and today i'm gonna tackle one of the big ones...weightlifting makes you bulky. 

to be honest, i kind of forget that this is a thing that people still think because most of the things i read and follow and surround myself with is fitness related and this is something that i feel like gets repeated over and over again.. . and i don't want to beat a dead horse...but i STILL see being said.

I get it a lot while i'm doing fitness consultations, meeting potential clients. Usually someone saying they want to get "toned" and lean out but "don't want to get bulky!!! so i don't want to lift too much weight!" and i have to explain to them that lifting weights won't make them bulky. 

so here it is: weightlifting will not make you bulky. (unless you are working insanely hard to BE BULKY). 

(side note: WTF is bulky?? like how does one define "bulk???" it is different for everyone i've talked to!) 

so what does weight lifting do for you??

  • you'll burn more calories throughout the day ~ when you are weight lifting you are building lean mass up in your body and lean mass uses more calories throughout the day. 
  • you are not making your body bigger, you are shaping your body ~ adding weight training into your workout routine is exactly how you get the "toned" looks that everyone asks how to get! 

important factors to remember: 

  • every body is going to react differently to weight training ~ we are all different people (yes, shocking brand new information!!) and so our bodies will react and adapt differently to adding resistance training into your workout routine. this DOES NOT mean that you're going to be bulky... it just means your results are not going to look the same as someone else following the same/a similar training plan. 
  • you are training for the results you want ~ look, if you want to be lean and strong, that's what you work towards, if you want to get big AF, that's what you make your program work towards. 
  • to get big, you have to EAT big ~ have you ever seen those big bodybuilders? they are eating A LOT, like, all the time. you have to eat SO MUCH to build and fuel those giant muscles. 
  • it takes TIME ~ you are not going to wake up the morning after a strength training session looking like Johnny Bravo. people work their entire lives to get that strong. 

Some bonus benefits of strength training: 

  • new types of goals: with my clients i try to make a few different types of goals, and one of the best kinds are strength training based goals. it is a real boost when you hit a deadlift or bench press PR and really keeps you moving towards your goals
  • confidence boost ~ hitting goals and lifting weights you haven't before is such a high. it's a great motivator and will keep you working towards more goals at the gym.
  •  get better at life ~ strength training helps you perform better at the gym, but also is gonna help you be better at getting through life. you'll be stronger and functionally fit so you don't hurt yourself going throughout your day.

SO here it is: 

go strength train! 

start with the basics and build those muscles! 

 

need some help to get started? i have training available- just send me a message and we can get you going! email me at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com or on instagram or facebook

HOW TO: get fit working full time

getting in shape is tough in perfect circumstances, but going for it while working or going to school full time is an added challenge. BUT that's how 97% of people are gonna have to get into shape... with a busy schedule. (that's obviously not a real statistic, btw).

but it is totally do-able. I did it! (i actually got the most fit in my life while working 40+ hours and commuting an hour to and from work) and so have so many other people! 

March 2015 (first day of work) vs June 2017 (during my last week of work)

March 2015 (first day of work) vs June 2017 (during my last week of work)

so here's how to do it:

1. check out my list HERE to see my advice on small changes you can make daily that can add up to a healthy lifestyle change

2. schedule your workouts! if you really have a packed day, schedule in the time to workout and STICK to it. this may mean waking up early or exercising on a lunch break or staying up late which means you have to...

3. make exercise a priority! this is a KEY concept. if something is important to you, you'll make time for it. that's how life works. and i'm not suggesting you have to make time for two hours at a gym, either. do a 15 minute HIIT session or a jog on your lunch break, there is always time for some sort of exercise in your day.

4. be consistent! make your routine and stick with it. once it's part of your regular schedule, it is so much easier to keep with it. it's so tough to keep starting and stopping and starting again. just stick with it, it's worth it... no one's ever regretted a workout. 

5. find workouts that work for you! if you hate running... don't do it! i swear no one is forcing you to run. no gym? home workouts! there are so many at home workouts you can do! no equipment? bodyweight training is seriously effective. (btw, click HERE to sign up last minute for my all at home bodyweight training group for August!) 

6. have a plan! in line, with everything else i've suggested having a plan for your workout is so important. make sure you don't just schedule your workout and have no idea what you're gonna do. know what you're gonna do! pick a youtube video to follow, write down what you're gonna do that day, get a trainer who will tell you what to do! (i'm available, btw) 

7. make your co-workers your workout buddies! a couple great reasons to incorporate your co-workers into your workout routine, 1) they're around already... instead of going to lunch go for a walk or do a hiit routine 2) having people do workouts with you will keep you accountable. workout buddies are immensely helpful when it come to keeping on track 

8. diet is key! food is fuel for your body. it gives you the energy to get through the day... if you're fueling poorly, you're not going to have the energy to workout properly! i'm not saying you need to entirely revamp your diet (though you might), just focus on being properly hydrated, eating enough protein, and cutting back on the processed sugary snacks that'll just cause you to crash anyway.

9. SLEEP! just sleep! get your required sleep in. your workouts will suck if you're exhausted. you will hold onto weight when you're not sleeping properly. and all around, your life suffers IMMENSELY when you don't sleep. i know, getting a full night's sleep is not always an option, but make it a priority and get your sleep in and your workouts, weight, and life will improve. 

 

If you do these things, you'll get fit all while working 40+ hours a week. I swear.

need help getting fit? click HERE to see if my in person or online training would work for you! or just send me a message on Facebook or Instagram if you have any questions about any fitness questions or my programs! always happy to help! 

think i missed any tips that helped you? leave me a comment! i would love to hear your take!