If continuous, repetitive exercises like those on a treadmill or biking bore you, keep reading. If you are looking to improve your cardiovascular health, you can do so by lifting heavier weights for more reps. This will also help you to condition your body to be able to handle more weight in the future. Your cardio workout does not have to be the traditional type, but it does need to be effective. Kettlebell flows have some benefits that will leave you a stronger, better conditioned, and more versatile athlete.
The design of the kettlebell allows you to do many explosive moves, which makes it perfect for creating your own sequences. Even though kettlebell flows may appear to be simple, they are actually quite hardcore.
What Is a Kettlebell Flow?
You take one lift and perform it consecutively with two or three (or more) exercises without putting the implement down. An example of a kettlebell movement flowing into another kettlebell movement would be a one-handed kettlebell swing followed by a snatch, which would then be followed by an overhead squat. After that, it will come back to the center so that you can reverse hands and do it again. You maintain continuous motion and don't set the kettlebell down.
A four-move kettlebell flow would be a single-arm kettlebell swing followed by a clean, a front squat, and an overhead press. A three-move kettlebell flow could be a double kettlebell deadlift to a clean to a snatch, with each movement equaling one rep. The second flow would generally be considered more complex, even though it has fewer moves. The kettlebell snatch is a two-handed movement that starts with the kettlebells on the ground. This movement is more challenging because it uses two kettlebells rather than one and because it is a snatch movement.
Why Perform a Kettlebell Flow
If you want to improve your cardiovascular health, muscle endurance, or overall strength, kettlebell flows are a great option. You will complete several exercises in just one repetition, which will help you get the most value for your time.
Don’t love the treadmill? No problem. Since you will be repeating the exercises without pausing or putting the kettlebell down, kettlebell flows will increase your cardiovascular system. Want to be able to lift heavier weights? Kettlebell flows are a great way to force yourself to perfect your form, as they require a lot of physical strength and tension. This means that when you come back to the barbell, you won’t have to waste any time getting back into position — and therefore you’ll be able to lift more weight.
As you add kettlebell flows to your routine, your grip strength will also increase. Since you’ll never put the bell down between complex transitions and lifts, your grip will get stronger from all the holding. And yes, that translates into more powerful deadlifts.
How to Do a Kettlebell Flow
There are many elements to kettlebell flows and it takes dedication to learn them all. It is well worth the effort to take the time to learn how to do them. To simplify the process, break it down into a few steps.
Step 1: Learn Your Moves
First things first: know your kettlebell moves. You should not try to do a kettlebell flow until you can do each part of it perfectly. Never quite got the hang of single-arm kettlebell swings? Master them before trying a complex that includes them.
It is especially important to be cautious when performing kettlebell flows, because just one repetition of the flow is very strenuous. When you are working out at a high intensity, your heart rate will be increased and your whole body will be active, so it is easy to lose good form. This is especially true when you are doing a complex movement like a snatch or thruster within a set.
Step 2: Design Your Flow
The moves should flow smoothly into each other. An example of this would be programming a deadlift before a high pull. This works well mechanically as the weight is lifted from the floor and in a straight line up to face level. A kettlebell swing followed by an upright row is a technically sound move, but keep in mind that a lot of momentum is needed to stop the swing and your back may not appreciate the move. The kettlebell swing might work better as a deadstop kettlebell swing into a row. It will be challenging but will cause less physical strain.
When creating a routine, it is important to consider the individual movements you want to perform and then order them in a way that makes sense.
Step 3: Practice With Your Body
After you have learned the basic moves and are using a light weight, set yourself up for the flow without a kettlebell in hand. You might feel silly, but start practicing the movement with just your body weight first. If you do a short warm-up before working out, it will be easier to do the exercises and your body will be better prepared for the moves you are going to do.
Step 4: Select Your Weight
You should always select a weight that is much lighter than what you think you will need. You will always need to use some brainpower to teach your body how to do a sequence of movements smoothly.
As you improve and become more skilled, you will be thankful for a lower weight. When you are lifting weights in a flow, the weight you can lift is limited by the lightest lift in the flow. For example, if you can front squat a heavy weight, but the flow includes an overhead press, you need to take the overhead press into account when choosing the weight.
Step 5: Get To Work
Once you’ve done a few repetitions without any weight, increase the difficulty like you would do with barbells. Use a light kettlebell to flow through two or three repetitions. Choose a weight that is comfortable for you to lift. Otherwise, rest, select the next weight up, and continue.
A kettlebell flow is a type of exercise that involves using a kettlebell to do a series of movements in a continuous, fluid motion. Just perform each move in turn. The flow here is a single-arm kettlebell deadlift into row into clean and press. First set yourself up for a single-arm kettlebell deadlift. Perform that lift. To perform a single-arm kettlebell row, begin by locking out your hips, then immediately hinge your body to set yourself up.
After you have completed the first movement, change your position so you can perform a clean press. All of that constitutes one rep. After deadlifting the kettlebell, return it to the starting position on the ground. Be sure to keep both sides even.
Who Should Perform Kettlebell Flows
Short answer: everyone who physically is able. Long answer: everybody who physically is able. Longer answer: keep reading.
Powerlifters
While powerlifters may rely mainly on barbells, kettlebells can still be beneficial to them. If you want to improve your big lifts, kettlebell training can help by evening out muscle asymmetries. No one wants one arm to do more work than the other while bench pressing.
Plus, kettlebell flows will make you a more well-conditioned athlete. While weightlifting can help improve your strength, it will also help improve your cardiovascular capacity. Kettlebell flows can help you avoid collapsing after performing a lot of reps per set during your hypertrophy blocks with barbells. If you've ever done 20-rep squats, you know how difficult they can be.
Bodybuilders
If you're a bodybuilder, you'll be pleased to know that your program can help you build strength and change your body composition at the same time, by incorporating kettlebell flows. Flows that include multiple moves are more demanding than those that involve just one move. That’s because you’re moving without pause between different moves. You will improve your muscular endurance, conditioning, and strength all at the same time. This is definitely a good thing for bodybuilders.
Olympic Lifters
Olympic lifters need to have a lot of explosive power to be successful in their training. Olympic-style lifts are very physically demanding, especially when you are trying to lift heavy weights. Kettlebell flows are effective because they are explosive but do not put strain on the joints. Additionally, the weights generally will not be very heavy, allowing you to improve your power, coordination, and mobility without over taxing your body.
