If you are tired of doing the same old exercises every session, we can incorporate a kettlebell deadlift to create variety. Deadlifts are a highly effective exercise and there are numerous variations of the movement.
Most gyms have kettlebells of various weights, so it will be easy to progress into this variation of the kettlebell deadlift.
What is?
A kettlebell deadlift is similar to what we probably know as a normal deadlift, with the only difference being the material used. It is a lower body movement that builds strength, particularly in the hamstrings and glutes.
To do this type of deadlift, all we need is a kettlebell. If we want to try a double kettlebell deadlift, then we’ll need to grab a couple of kettlebells. While setting up a barbell deadlift can take a little longer than we expect when doing a quick workout, this kettlebell alternative makes the move effective and easy to do with minimal equipment and space.
How is it done?
Performing a kettlebell deadlift is quite simple, we can do it at home or in the gym with ease, since we need a single kettlebell. If we are new to this exercise, we can practice the movement first with a lighter weight.
If we’re still not comfortable deadlifting with this material, we’ll try starting with an empty bar. This will help us get familiar with the correct movement before moving on to a heavier weight.
We will prepare this deadlift using a kettlebell with a light weight if we are new to the exercise. If we go to the gym and are familiar with the deadlift and want to push ourselves a little harder, we’ll choose a weight heavy enough to challenge us, but not so heavy that we can’t maintain good posture.
- We’ll start with our feet hip-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor in the middle of our feet, between our ankles.
- The legs should be straight and the toes should point forward with a slight twist to either side.
- From the starting position, we will bend the hips so that the back is flat and the body is at a 45º angle.
- We’ll make sure the chin stays neutral.
- Bending at the knees, we’ll grab the kettlebell with an overhand grip.
- The hands should be next to each other.
- With the abdomen contracted, we will contract the buttocks to stand up straight.
- We will lower the kettlebell to the ground by bending the knees and rotating the hips.
Advantage
We know deadlifts have numerous health and performance benefits, but when using kettlebells, the benefits can vary.
Increase muscle mass
When performing a kettlebell deadlift, your muscles are pushed to the limit. Deadlifts are a key indicator of strength. Many people avoid it because of the pressure it can put on the lower back, however as long as the technique is correct and a weight is gradually brought up, it should reduce the risk of injury.
The deadlift is an overall compound movement, so while you won’t be isolating muscles for super definition, it will increase overall volume and build overall strength. This type of practice makes isolation exercises even more effective, as you can build strength in the compound movement and prepare your muscles for an isolated exercise.
This can improve overall strength and muscle mass, since a compound movement, such as a kettlebell deadlift, typically allows for more weight than we would use in an isolated movement.
Variety in training
There is not just one kettlebell deadlift variation, there are many we can perform to ensure workouts remain exciting each week. With an exercise like the deadlift, it can become fashionable to perform the same movement, with the same weight, day in and day out.
Therefore, with the kettlebell deadlift we can count on many variations such as:
- Double deadlift with kettlebell
- Suitcase deadlift with kettlebell
- Kettlebell Deadlift
- Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift
- Romanian deadlift with kettlebell
burn a lot of calories
Like any exercise, doing a kettlebell deadlift can burn calories. However, kettlebell deadlifts can be performed with weights heavier than the average compound movement. Therefore, more weight equals more effort, more effort leads to more calorie expenditure.
We can always manipulate the weight we’re working with, if we want to burn more calories but aren’t ready to move up a weight yet, we’ll just increase the reps. This way we can still push ourselves without needing to overcompensate.
Increases bone density
Another great benefit of performing a kettlebell deadlift is that it can help us improve and build bone density.
In the same way that muscles and tendons react to physical stress, bones do the same. Exercise, and in particular strength and endurance training, builds muscle and, along with this, increases tendon strength, bone density, and tensile strength.
So while we may have assumed that exercises like the kettlebell deadlift only benefit your muscles, they also benefit many aspects of your overall bodily function.
Strong posterior chain
One of the key benefits of regularly performing kettlebell deadlifts and contributing to your resistance routine is posterior chain strengthening.
For optimal spinal stability, a strong posterior chain is essential. This involves the back of the body, more specifically the lower back, the gluteal muscles, the hamstrings, and the calves. Therefore, by performing kettlebell deadlifts, we can strengthen these areas and ultimately increase balance, posture, and power abilities.
By having a strong posterior chain, we will see that the power in explosive exercises will increase. Also, injuries can become a bit less common since we have the strength on our side.
