Kettlebell training is an incredible way to burn fat, build lean muscle, and increase your overall strength and fitness levels. Studies have shown that 20 minutes of kettlebell training will burn more fat and calories than 1 hour of steady cardio. Through personal experience and that of others I’ve worked with, it is a proven way to help you get you the body you want, and fast!
But what do you do when you stop seeing results? I’m sure we’ve all had a point where the dreaded plateau strikes. I have received numerous emails asking for advice on this, so here goes:
Workout plateaus often occur when your body has gotten used to the workouts and is ready for something more challenging and engaging. The key is to make sure you are not doing the same thing every time you’re working out. What got you to your current state will not necessarily work to progress you further. When you first began kettlebell training, your body was thinking: ‘ok, how can we make this easier?’ Once it adapts and becomes efficient at performing all the moves and workouts, it no longer has a need to work as hard. Having said that, if your body is constantly being challenged, it will be forced to adapt, and therefore bring you to new levels of fitness. Here are my top 5 tips on breaking out of it:
1. Take an active break – Not seeing results can also be a sign that you’ve been working out too much for your body to take in the benefits of your workouts. By taking a week off working out, this will allow your body to rejuvenate and come back stronger once you’re back at it.
2. Switch it up – Try varying your kettlebell workouts by doings things like adding more reps, decreasing the rest time between sets, different moves, and/or adding a new activity/sport to your workout schedule. If you haven’t noticed already, you’ll be surprised at how well the benefits of kettlebell training transfers over to sports, martial arts, and everyday life activities.
3. Vary the intensity – This is a good way of challenging yourself. Try varying the intensity of your workouts each day, whether it be low, medium, or high intensity. Interval training within a workout session is also beneficial. For example if you’re cycling, try alternating between high intensity for 8 seconds and moderate intensity for 12 seconds for 20 minutes. I find this works well if you really want to work up a sweat but are short on time.
4. Food is fuel – Make sure you are eating enough to power yourself through your workouts. Eat 5 small healthy meals a day, every 3 hours along with 1-2L of water/day. This will help rev your metabolism and keep energy levels up. Each meal should consist of a healthy carb (ie: oatmeal, sweet potato, fruits, vegetables) and lean protein (ie: yogourt, cottage cheese, chicken, eggs, turkey, tofu, whey protein).
5. Get your sleep – Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, as this will allow your body to rest and muscles to recover from your last workout and recharge/energize for the next.
Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to progress your training further.
For kettlebell workout ebooks, check out:
www.kettlebellpros.com
Keep on training,
Estella