Gym Source Blog: Fitness Spotlight

Trainer Talk: Kettlebells vs. Weight Training

Written by Michelle Willette | Oct 15, 2012 10:09:54 PM

We’re huge fans of kettlebell training—but this week, traditional weights take top honors. According to a recent study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, weight training produces significantly greater gains in strength than does kettlebell training.

The study compared changes in strength and body composition over 6 weeks among 30 healthy, college-aged men, who were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups—weightlifting or kettlebell training—for the duration of the study.

The results indicated that both short-term weightlifting and kettlebell training were effective in increasing strength and power in healthy males—but the weight trainers had better gains overall. Surprisingly, neither method of training led to significant changes in any of the study’s anthropometric measures. For even more details, click here.