Kettlebells for Bodybuilding

Kettlebells for Bodybuilding

My idea of bodybuilding is using compound movements (multi joint exercises)as a base for creating the bulk of your body and then padding this out with isolation exercises.

Kettlebells lend themselves very well to compound movements (snatch, swing, squat) and can also be used on the isolation movements too (flyes, curls etc)

There is absolutely no reason not to add in a session or exchange a few sessions a week if you are a bodybuilder. The change in the direction maybe a real boost for you and can often turn stale old workouts into new passion.

As bodybuilding can quite often be higher rep based (6-12) then kettlebells will fit nicely into this rep range but could even be used upto say 20 reps depending what phase you happen to be in.

Recommended exercises for body areas

Legs:

Double/single kettlebell squat, step up to bench, lunge matrix, deep seated swing.

Lower Back:

Swing, waiter bow, windmill, bent press.

Upper back:

Bent over row, renegade row (Mahler style), bent flyes.

Shoulders:

Clean and press, seesaw press, double/single jerk.

You may want to view my previous article regarding mixing trad. weights and kettlebells here

I will not list any exercises for biceps, triceps as these areas get hit sufficiently with many other exercises.

As a starting pointtake a look at your existing routine and try subsitituting the exercises for ones done with kettlebells.
The only trouble you may have is with squats depending on your current standard.

If you've never heard of EDT (escalaitng density training) then you must. Mike Mahler has written a superb article about EDT with Kettlebells Here.

Kettlebells for Bodybuilding