Get Fit Wednesday: Fitness tips from The Sporting Club La Jolla — Kettlebells

This week E&L TV brings us a Get Fit Wednesday clip that we can’t live without. Kris Machain, a popular personal trainer and fitness manager at the Sporting Club at Aventine in La Jolla, and his lovely assistant Marcella.

Ever wonder what those cannonballs with handles can do for you when you are working out at the gym? Well, they are called kettlebells and they are a very underrated tool for getting that perfect body you have been working towards. The first action that Kris has us perform is the kettlebell deadlift.

Kettlebell deadlift instructions:  Approach the kettlebell and stand with your legs shoulder width apart, with the kettlebell centered between your ankles. Pick up the kettlebell from a squatting position, rather than a stooped position, to preserve the health of your back. If you so desire, you could then lower the kettlebell and continue to just perform the deadlift.

Kettlebell Swing instructions:  Kris instructs Marcella to switch into a new move called “the kettlebell swing”. From the top of the kettlebell deadlift you would thrust your hips forward to start the ball moving forward, and swing the ball upward to about eye level. That swing needs to stay controlled the entire time, especially on the way down.

Next, to make it a little more challenging, and also to perfect the form of the kettlebell swing and ensure that the right muscles are being targeted Kris placed a small towel in the loop of the handle and had Marcella perform the swing holding onto the towel instead of the kettlebell itself. This teaches the body that the kettlebell swing is a lower body exercise. The shoulders and arms should not be taking all of the stress from the weight of the ball, instead that weight should be dispersed between the hips, glutes and thighs.

We encourage you to visit The Sporting Club’s immaculate facilities and maybe check out one of the many group classes that they offer.  For more information visit them at: http://www.thesportingclub.com/