Kettlebells for Fighters

As you’re probably aware we hold Kettlebells in high regard as a taining tool at the Trojans. This is kind of obvious as the Trojans are a Kettlebell Sport Lifting Club. However most of the Trojans are trainers and strength enthusiasts of other pursuits, not just Kettlebell Sport.

Kettlebells are great tools for developing a whole heap of attributes outside of those gained in Kettlebell Sport. Attributes that are sought out by athletes of all kinds of disciplines. Through movements such as the Swing and Snatch- speed, power and strength endurance can all be trained.

Fighters of all disciplines including mixed martial artists can greatly benefit from using Kettlebells. Below is a list of what I think are the three best exercises for fighters and the reasons why fighters can benefit from training with these Kettlebell exercises in their strength and conditioning programmes:

1. The One Arm Long Cycle
Otherwise known as the One Arm Clean and Jerk. This exercise is great for: developing power and snap in the hips during the Clean component; practicing keeping the elbows close to the body in the Rack position and; awesome for training speed and power for punching when you Jerk the bell overhead. Add the fact that you can alternate between hands and train for time which can be great for conditioning for ’rounds’ eg, 3minutes on 1minute off.

2. The Bent Press
This is an old time strongman exercise which is a great rotational exercise. If you’re a grappler this exercise can be used to train your rotational strength and power. Add this and you’ll be throwing opponents about with ease.

3. The Turkish Get Up
This is another great exercise for grapplers particularly those who end up on their backs with someone on top of them. This exercise trains the ability to get up off the gorund under load. It is also brilliant for developing shoulder strength and range of motion so that you’ll be able to resist and fight your way away from a submission.

So there you go. If you’re a fighter or even if you’re a lover these 3 Kettlebell exercises will definitley improve your performance.

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