Muscular endurance: Physical fitness with kettlebells

Staying physically fit and in a good physical shape can make your life a lot easier. Namely, having enough strength to cope with the daily physical requirements will allow you to perform better and more successfully, regardless of the situation you are dealing with.

However, not all of us need the same amount and type of exercise. For example, while soldiers may need to pull cars, lift heavy tools and artillery or even transport their injured comrades on their backs, some other people may just need to be capable of walking long distances without getting tired.

Nevertheless, you need to plan your muscular exercise according to your daily needs. Naturally, you can increase the amount of weight you are lifting and introduce some new methods of exercising if you desire to do so.

Strength and Exercise

Our muscular fitness consists of two major factors – our muscular strength and our muscular endurance. The former stands for the amount of force our muscles can deal with through a single effort while the latter means the ability of one muscle or a group of muscles in our body to repeat the contractions over a given time, being exposed to exertion which is less than the maximum they/it can handle.

Both of these factors need to be addressed in order for one's exercise plan to be effective and result in an increase in both the endurance and the overall strength.

As for muscular contractions, these can be achieved through two different methods. The contractions may be isometric, taking place without you moving any body parts, like when you are pushing a wall, for example. On the other hand, the contractions can be isotonic or isokinetic, requiring to move certain body parts while, at the same time, exposing them to a certain kind of resistance. Push-ups, sit-ups and similar exercises are the best examples of this form of physical activity. Obviously, through these, dynamic forms of exercising, the muscles are placed in two interchangeable stages, one being the contraction and the other being the return into the initial, relaxed position.

Bear in mind that our muscles are more likely to be capable of dealing with more weight while they are relaxed than while they are contracted. Therefore, a proper exercise plan may incorporate several types of exercises, each addressing a different method of muscular contractions.

Kettlebells – a Good Way to Build Muscles

Kettlebells were first mentioned in a Russian dictionarry in 1704, being a part of market props, used for measuring weight. However, workers who handled these weights used them for exercising and, subsequently, kettlebells were used in physical training. During the following years, the world noticed that the Russian athletes who were training with kettlebells scored better during competitions such as track and field throwing. Hence, the potential of this training was noticed and taken advantage of ever since.

Basically, kettlebells have limitless potential and, during the training, you are supposed to move your body through swings and other forms of motion, in order to increase both your overall strength and your endurance.

Before obtaining your own kettlebell, use a friend's one, so that you can see whether this form of training is suitable for you and your purposes or not. The recommended weight for men is between 12 and 16kg, while for women the weight is best to be within 8 and 12kg. You will need to use the kettlebells carefully, and you may need to purchase more than a single type of these weights, as your training progresses.

In order to rest assured that you are working out with kettlebells in the right manner, it is best to purchase or rent a professional exercising video, such as Steve Cotter DVD. Once you have mastered the basics, however, you will be capable of building your fitness and losing your weight while developing strength and endurance.

For starters, you are advised to exercise in 20 second swing intervals, separated by a 10 second resting intervals. Start exercising by following this pattern and then, later, when you become more skillful and stronger, you can increase the exercising interval and decrease the breaks.

For instance, you can start boosting your core strength through an exercise called abdominal windmill. Clean and press a kettlebell overhead in order to perform this exercise, holding it in one arm. Keep your arm straight and the muscles contracted. While keeping the kettlebell in the overhead position, lower your body so that you can touch the floor with your other arm. During this time, do not lower the kettlebell and do not bend the knees. Once you manage to hold the position for about a second, return to the initial position slowly and carefully.

All in all, muscular endurance is a complex term, being based on many factors related to the contraction and the release procedures of exercising. Basically, the muscular strength encompasses both the strength and the endurance of your muscles. Yet, one is for sure – through exercises carried out by using kettlebells, you can easily boost your muscles and even lose the excessive weight bothering you, excelling in any sports you might be involved with.