Kettlebell Articles

This page contains links to articles related to kettlebells, strength, fitness, and Tae Kwon Do, and Z-Health that have been posted over the years.

All articles were written by Jay Armstrong who retains the rights to all materials therein.

Kettlebell Swing -One Hand Slap -- Swinging a kettlebell is a terrific, total-body workout. Do a couple hundred swings with a moderate weight and you will quickly discover that your forearms, shoulders, back, and legs are all involved in the exercise.

Get your abs involved in the kettlebell swing to help protect your back. As the kettlebell athlete becomes fatigued there is a tendency to drive the hips forward and lean back slightly. This is because the signals from the brain instructing the body to tighten the glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles override all other instructions. This can also put stress on the lower back. ...

What is a Bent Press? -- The Bent Press is a means of elevating a weight from the shoulder to the locked-out, overhead position using one arm.  Contrasted with the strict military press, the knees and hips are involved in this lift as the athlete bends and rotates himself under the weight.  Although the kettlebell is moved overhead with one arm, it does not involve “lifting� the weight...

Don't Forget the SLOW Speed -- What are the key elements of a successful exercise program? I credit John Wood for one of the best enumerations of these elements:

• Expect to push yourself – effort must be a part of the program
• Begin training at a manageable level and build up from there
• Always train in a safe and productive manner
• Keep reminding yourself of the overall goals
• Make adjustments as necessary
• And, most importantly, NEVER give up!

You must continue to do the work in order to make progress.

Now, what is missing in this workout recipe? SPEED.

Wanna be a Kid Again? -- One of the obvious differences between adults and children is their movement. They move more and they move in a wider variety of ways. If you want to look and feel young -- start moving like a kid.

Level 1 "Counter-Actives" -- The daily activities of sitting for extended periods of time and wear tight, rigid shoes lead to the development of physical movement dysfunctions. A few corrective exercise practiced throughout the day can make a huge difference in maintaining function movement and good posture.

Pack the Shoulder for Strength and Safety -- Strength is a skill. Much of this skill is about proper alignment of the bone structure during the strength movement. Overhead presses with a kettlebell require proper orientation of the shoulder for maximal effectiveness.

Powerful Instep Kicks -- Developing powerful kicks is very important in many martial arts and especially in Tae Kwon Do.  Perhaps the most important kicking technique in Tae Kwon Do is the “instep kick� (similar to a “roundhouse kick�). 

Physical Dysfunction in 2010 -- Why can't you make significant progress toward a strong, mobile, and healthy body by exercising 3 hours per week? We are creating a generation of hunched over, rounded shoulder, upward looking, mouse-holding computer users!

Centurion Workout #1 -- This is an adaptable workout template that you can tailer to your goals of either strength or cardio. And, you can modify it to fit the available time. This is a workout I did at 54 years old with a 35lb kettlebell.