MASTER CLASS

Lunge with kettlebell targets core, back, shoulders

Anna Swallow does the Bottom Up Walking Lunge using lightweight kettlebells. Step one.
Anna Swallow does the Bottom Up Walking Lunge using lightweight kettlebells. Step one.

Kettlebells didn't really catch on with ordinary fitness enthusiasts until well into the new millennium. These interesting weights gained traction primarily through group strength-training programs, as their handles make them more interesting than a dumbbell and yet less intimidating than a barbell.

If you think about it, kettlebells are nothing more than dumbbells with the weight on one end and a handle on the other. What makes them so special? While some historians see evidence of their use in ancient cultures around the world, they definitely have been around since the 1700s when the word "Girya" (hand bell) was published in a Russian language dictionary. Although they may not have been used for fitness back then, it's clear that the Russians were using kettlebells for body strengthening by 1880.

This makes the kettlebell one of the oldest resistance-training tools on record.

And yet, America wasn't exposed to kettlebell exercising until Rolling Stone magazine deemed it "the hot weight of the year" in 2002.

Kettlebell use increased exponentially through group exercise, functional training and athletic conditioning programs. Fitness professionals began working out movements that took optimal advantage of what kettlebells offer compared to dumbbells. Exercises that involved swinging or rotation of the handle were quickly adopted.

The kettlebell does give exercisers a very different weight distribution to work with compared to the dumbbell. This makes momentum-based movements (swings) easier to perform in a safe and effective manner.

Plus, one can grasp the handle in a few different ways to achieve different effects. The two-handed hold is great for lower body movements; the one-handed hold is perfect for swings, and the bottom-up hold will challenge shoulder/core strength in a very different way.

This week's exercise uses the bottom-up grip using two kettlebells. This balances out the resistance bilaterally but creates a challenge for the core and shoulders based on where the resistance is applied (in front of the torso).

The Bottom Up Walking Lunge is appropriate for those with moderate fitness levels, as some experience is required to manage the resistance and upper/lower body coordination.

1. Select a pair of very light kettlebells.

2. Hold one in each hand but flip them upside down so that the bottom of the weighted portion faces the ceiling.

3. Position your palms toward each other and your elbows at 90 degrees.

4. Perform a walking lunge while holding the kettlebells out in front of your chest with the elbows at 90 degrees.

5. Take 15 lunging steps, then turn around and come back. Do two or three sets.

If an exerciser hasn't used kettlebells before, this probably isn't the exercise to start with. First gain experience by performing kettlebell squats and kettlebell swings. Once you've mastered the weight distribution, I recommend using the lightest dumbbells available for this movement. In fact, only advanced fitness enthusiasts or the super strong should use kettlebells weighing more than 15 pounds for this movement.

The resistance position of this exercise is a challenge for the core, lower back and shoulders. But it's a great way to strengthen the total body in one simple movement. Enjoy!

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[email protected]

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Anna Swallow, group fitness instructor, does step 3 of the Bottom Up Walking Lunge exercise for Matt Parrott's Master Class column in Monday Style. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY

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Anna Swallow does the Bottom Up Walking Lunge using lightweight kettlebells. Step three.

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Anna Swallow does the Bottom Up Walking Lunge using lightweight kettlebells. Step four.

ActiveStyle on 08/27/2018

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