If you want to try an unconventional way of working out, kettlebell juggling is something to try. It is going to involve a lot of hand and eye coordination, balance, strength and more. If you’re willing to put in the work, your body is going to respond accordingly, and benefit greatly. The weight being hefted in the video is heavy but begin small.
Getting started doesn’t mean that you have to be an expert or an advanced kettlebell lifter. You just have to have patience, action and desire. If you look at this video you might think that’s pretty difficult to do. A lot of twisting, pulling, squatting is done. Keep in mind that you’re going to develop faster reflexes over time. Start small and eventually go big. As you get stronger you can add larger bells. If you are a beginner, I recommend beginning outdoors, or you’ll ruin those nice wooden floors that just got mopped.
Some of the benefits:
- It’s fun: If you want to break up your lifting routine with something that gets you to squat, twist and pull then juggling is good for you. Doing this is a challenge and different. It might crank up your motivation.
- Working the angles: You are going to build up a lot of explosive strength chucking a kettlebell up in the air. Doing this requires you to squat, stand erect, grip, toss, be speedy, move side to side, and use your brain and eyes to make it work. Your body will enjoy being tasked to exert itself at different angles. You are going to build more than just your posterior chain from juggling. A lot of muscles used for twisting are used and juggling helps build up some of those weak areas that are never used in regular lifting.
- Coordination and reflexes: You become keenly aware of the position your body is relative to the weight. Your muscles begin to work together more effectively. You also learn to move instantly because you develop quick hand-eye coordination.
- Strength: You’re going to end up building good pulling strength too. This should help you with explosive movements like cleans and jerks. All of this comes from stronger hips, forearms, wrists, and fingers.
We only lightly touched on some of the benefits. If you get a chance give it a try.