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EXCERCISE OF THE MONTH

Sam Bond - UK Gladiator Atlas has written an article on the Exercise of the month the Kettlebell Row

Kettlebell Row Exercise of the Month

Pull ups

I’m a big believer of hitting the back from as many different angles as possible for overall strength and muscle development. Recently, I was introduced to the Kettlebell row. I immediately switched the dumbbell row to kettlebell rows in my next microcycle. I’m not saying I will never use dumbbell row again; everything has its place and use. But I can already see the benefits this exercise will yield if performed correctly and progressively over time.

Why I like this exercise.

Typically, when performing the dumbbell row, the movement comes to a natural stop when the sides for the dumbbell meet with your torso. Some people prefer to rotate their torso at the top to squeeze just that little bit more out of the exercise, but within reason, the exercise has reached its end point.

All too often I see people jerking the dumbbells up and down when performing rows relying on the momentum of the dumbbell to complete the concentric (upwards) part of the movement. Its much harder to do this with a kettlebell due to the weight hanging below the handle. Also, using the kettlebell will allow you to achieve a greater degree of flexion in all of the joints involved.

Personally, I’m not a fan of holding any back movements at the end of the concentric movement, but I do agree that you should get a full range of motion through strength rather than inertia. The kettlebell allows you to continue applying force throughout the full range of motion and allows a stricter form to be implemented.

How to perform this exercise.

1. Place one knee on a flat bench with the other foot planted firmly on a flat surface next to the bench, a shoulder width away from the knee.
2. Lean forward at the hips keeping the upper leg of the knelt leg perfectly upright. Brace yourself in this bent over position by placing your hand on the bench (same body side as the knelt leg).
3. Reach down to the Kettlebell and position it with the handle pointing in the direction to the bench, i.e. the long axis’ of the bench and the kettlebell handle will be parallel.
4. Grasp the kettlebell handle at the furthest end to the front, right next to the end of the handle top.
5. Pull the index finger around the handle and grasp the thumb over the index finger to form a tight lock on the handle.
6. Ensure that the spine is aligned (back flat) and keep your head in a neutral position (not looking up or down but focused
7. Maintaining this correct lifting position, pull the kettlebell up toward your midsection aiming to pull your hand (and therefore kettlebell handle) into your sides, just between your hip bone and last rib. You can rotate the torso away from the kettlebell and continue to pull a little further if you would like but it is not necessary.
8. Once the kettlebell has reached the end of the movement, lower it back to the start position (without touching the floor) in a controlled manor.
9. Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions ensuring you are using the appropriate weight.
10. Repeat this set on the other side of the body.

On a brief note, another positive above this exercise is you will not get the sides of the weight resting on either your forearm as you do when using dumbbells.

This exercise might not be something you wish to do all year long and I think it would be wise to alternate between the kettlebell rows and the dumbbell rows but I’m convinced its application within your Strength Training Routine will offer some welcomed rewards.