Part of the reason kettlebell training seems to be making such a resurgence in the United States and beyond has to do with the realization of just how beneficial kettlebells can be in sport specific training. There is practically no sport out there that would not benefit from a finely tuned dose of kettlebell training, and more and more athletes are fast coming to that conclusion also. With the current emphasis on core strength and all around physical conditioning being so much a part of competitive sports these days, kettlebell training ranks right up there with the best of the best in training and conditioning methods. Let’s look at some specific sports and get a feel for what kettlebells can deliver for each of them.

MARTIAL ARTS & BOXING
There are obvious crossovers here, and in fact kettlebells have this kind of activity rooted deep in their history, having been (and still are) a major training method in the Russian Secret Service, the FBI, Marine Force Recon, and many other organizations that employ fighting techniques as part of the job. So it was a natural that martial arts and boxing would pick up on this. In fact, kettlebell training probably relates more to these two sports than others. The core exercises found in kettlebell training complement the physical endurance aspect of these sports famously.

FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL & BASEBALL
The part played by explosive strength in these sports cannot be underestimated, and kettlebell training can make the difference in these sports. The point has been made that while athlete A may well be able to bench press 400 pounds a few times when fresh, what will his strength level look like in the fourth quarter? Many times you see these large linemen sucking wind, lacking explosiveness and strength just when they need it most. Many NFL and other athletes are just beginning to realize just how much of an edge they can acquire with this type of training. One athlete sold on kettlebell training (and you can tell by looking at his physique!) is Tight End Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers. One can only wonder what the difference would be for those athletes who used performance enhancing drugs had they instead employed training regimens such as the ones we’re talking about here. I believe that the same benefits without all the side effects as well as all the associated legality issues could be achieved using these training methods. But then it’s all about shortcuts, isn’t it? The sport specific benefits for basketball would include not only an enhanced endurance capability, but strength capabilities inside the paint. For baseball, the ability to turn faster and more powerfully on a swing may make the difference between a foul pop and a home run.

Now let’s look at a few sports you might not have associated with kettlebell training.

SURFING
The ability to take huge hits by the water in late drops and hard turns, as well as overall body toughness for wipeouts and enduring paddling out through heavy surf. The balance aspect would also benefit from kettlebells training.

GOLF
The amount of power in a golf swing generated by a lean and powerful core has never been more evident than today. One has only to take one look at Tiger Woods and see what a superb core can do for you. We may never know Tiger’s specific workout routine, as this appears to be a closely guarded secret, but we do know that he employs not only weights, but a host of closely associated regimes as well. It would not surprise me to learn that kettlebells have a role here. Nevertheless, the elements of core conditioning as well as golf swing specific exercises can have nothing but a tremendous effect on conditioning for golf, as long as they are done with a good stretching program along with them.

TRIATHLETES
Triathletes, along with almost any other endurance sport athletes, can find kettlebell training hugely beneficial to their sports. The endurance factor along with the Joint Mobility (JM) factor together make kettlebell training very attractive for triathletes.

CLIMBERS
The ability to maintain strength in your arms and hands, particularly fingers, is what makes kettlebell workouts attractive to climbers. Needing a lot of hand and finger strength over an extended period of time makes this a ideal regimen for them.

Whatever your sport, kettlebell training brings a lot to the table, and is something you would be well advised to look into!