Myth 1: Kettlebell programs should be full body workouts.
Full body workouts are great. But, there's no reason you can't use an upper/lower split, PPL split, Arnold Split, bro split, or any other split with kettlebells. If the goal is hypertrophy and body composition, you'd benefit from having a few extra exercises/exercise variations in the program.
Full Body plans are fun, but, unless you want to train for 2 hours per day, you'll likely be using fewer exercises than you would if you were using a split program.
Also, full body workouts are generally more taxing and take longer to recover from. Frequency can be your friend for hypertrophy (especially if you like/require shorter training sessions). While some muscles are recovering, you can be training other muscles with high intensity. This may result in higher quality exercise execution.
Again, I'm not saying full body workouts are bad! I think full body training is a great option, but you need to be intelligent with how you design these workouts to make sure you're not potentially leaving stones unturned. I have lots of simple, but well thought out full body programs. But I really prefer splitting things up into some sort of split.
One smart way I've found to get more quality work for each muscle group that works well for full body enthusiasts is to alternate between 2 sessions:
1 session for legs & arms (the limb session)
1 session for chest, back, and shoulders (the torso session).
If this seems interesting to you, shoot me a message and I'll send you a copy of my "The Buffer 8" program.
Don't be dogmatic. Full body can work great, but if you've never experimented with a training split – even if it's just a quasi full body split – you could be missing out on potential gains.
Myth 2: Trying to make the kettlebell a one stop shop for all movement patterns. There's a thought in the kettlebell community that kettlebell programs should require minimal equipment – just a few kettlebells will be all you need.
Wrong.
If all you have access to is a small collection of kettlebells, than you should make the most with what you have.
But, if you're seeking maximum progress, you should make use of several different pairs of kettlebells, ranging from light to moderate to heavy. Furthermore, you should pair kettlebell training with other exercise equipment – even if that equipment is also minimal.
Everyone wants to pit dumbbells and kettlebells against each other, like Pepsi and Coke. But unlike Pepsi and Coke, kettlebells and dumbbells pair great together. There are exercises where the kettlebell is magnificent, yet other entire movement patterns where the kettlebell is awkward or impossible to use. Dumbbells fill in the horizontal pushing movement pattern, along with being better suited for key isolation movements like bicep curl variations, tricep extension variations, and lateral raise variations.
Bodyweight exercises also pair well with kettlebell training. It's tough to beat pullups and pushups for vertical pulling and horizontal pushing if you have limited funds, space, or equipment.
But, barbells and machines can also supplement a program that is primarily made up of kettlebell exercises.
Just like the idea of "barbell only" programs provides limited return on the investment, so do "kettlebell only" programs.
Use what you've got.
I, personally, prefer using a blend of kettlebells, dumbbells, bodyweight, and cable exercises. But I've also used barbells aplenty in the past, paired beside my kettlebells.
Myth 3: doing low rep sets and minimal exercises.
If you want bigger muscles or better body composition gains from your kettlebells, you should focus on training using basic hypertrophy training principles.
Use moderate reps (5-12 range) and take your sets at least fairly close to failure (0-4 reps in reserve).
Make sure you're training all 6 main movement patterns (squat/lunge, hinge, horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, vertical pull) along with at least 3 key isolation exercises (for biceps, triceps, and calves). I recommend throwing in some isolation work for the abs and delts, as well.
Too many kettlebell programs call for low rep sets without going anywhere near failure and with a focus on ONLY 2-4 exercises for the ENTIRE PROGRAM! Then people fail to build impressive physiques and the kettlebell gets accused of not being good for building muscle.
I don't use or prescribe a vast amount of exercises. But, I Do generally have somewhere between 9-16 exercises in each of my programs. I always include variations of the Big 6 compound exercises along with at least 3 isolation exercises, 1 apiece for biceps, triceps, calves. But, I often also include lateral raises, a forearm isolation, hamstring isolation (leg curls), and even 2 variation for squats and lunge pattern. At a minimum.
You can't build muscle without making the muscles work hard. Train relatively close to failure. This doesn't mean you have to train all the way TO failure. But you should notice your rep speed slowing down before ending your sets.
You also can't expect to build muscle without training basic movement patterns (mentioned above) or targeting each of the major muscle groups directly.
Compound exercises are king, but isolation exercises play an important supplemental role. Myth 2 covered using other pieces of equipment to supplement the kettlebell in order to create an effective, all around training plan. Don't shy away from dumbbells and bodyweight exercises – at a minimum – to supplement your kettlebell training.
Kettlebells can definitely be effective in building muscle and maximizing your body composition if you don't fall into the trap of the 3 above myths.
If you want to see how I use kettlebells while training primarily for hypertrophy, follow along and check out my daily workout log that I share across all my social media platforms.
I also have several books on my Gumroad site, ranging from $0-$5, where I cover this style of training in detail. Each book includes at least 1 program for you to follow.
If you're interested in 1-on-1 coaching, I've got a huge deal going on right now for my online coaching services along with my in-person training. Feel free to reach out to me directly for more info. https://www.trainerize.me/profile/benen/?planGUID=441fa3a8dc6a4963a6d1113e61ab2f83
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