Kettlebell burn based on Polar FT4

Alisonab

Hopefully this information will be helpful to some. I am so glad I finally came across some information that I can use. I use a Polar FT4 as well and I figured someone out there had done some sort of research with any HRM while doing any sort of kettlebell exercise.

Information pulled from http://www.impetus-fitness.com/kettlebells-calories-heart-rate-monitors-and-the-disgrace-of-aerobics

"One critical cardio benchmark, perhaps the critical benchmark is: how many calories per minute are oxidized during a particular exercise? As it turns out, protracted kettlebell hoisting is pretty much in a calorie-per-minute class of its own. The ‘burn rates’ generated during an extended kettlebell session are nothing short of fantastic. I have reprinted a few sample workouts undertaken by Jim Ski to illustrate the awesome calorie-burning attributes of kettlebell lifting…

Sat., 4/11/09 workout I
Cardio Extended Strength – low weight slung for long durations
Warm-up: 75 Bodyweight squats
Two Hand Swings: 20 swings with 24kg K-Bell: 35 seconds of work alternated with 35 seconds of rest for 40 work/rest cycles
Total Swings: 800, Total Volume: 42,400 lbs.
Duration: 52:45 – including squat warm-ups
Intensity: (High)
Blended session heart rate average: 150 beats per minute for 53 minutes equating to 88.7% of his 169 max HR
Max HR hit during the session: 171 beats per minute
Calories Oxidized per Minute: 15.1 calories per minute were burned for 53 consecutive minutes
Total Calories Oxidized: 805 calories in 52 minutes and 45 seconds (1 calorie for every swing)
Here is another representational kettlebell swing workout: this one was shorter and slightly less intense as expressed in cal/per/minute burn…over 33 minutes Jim averaged a 14.1 calorie-per-minute burn rate.

Fri., 4/24/2009
8am
Warm Up: 51 Bodyweight Squats
2 hand swings 20 swings with a 24kg K-bell – 35 seconds of work / 35 second rest for a total of 25 work/rest cycles
Total Swings: 500, Total Volume: 26,500 lbs.
Duration: 33:01 minutes
Intensity: (Light)
%ARHR: 85.2%
Blended session Heart Rate average: 144 beats per minute for 33 consecutive minutes
Max HR achieved during the session: 165 beats per minute
Calories Oxidized per Minute: 14.2 calories per minute for 33 straight minutes
Total number of Calories Oxidized during the session: 469
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Below are the results from a short, 13 minute and 30 second, one hand snatch workout…
Protocol: a single 44 pound kettlebell is snatched singlehandedly – 10 reps left hand, then ten reps right hand, followed by 40 seconds of rest for ten cycles
Snatches @ 20kg 10 left hand reps then 10 right hand reps then rest (40 sec. work / 40 sec. rest) for 10 complete cycles Total Snatches: 200, Total Volume: 8,800 lbs.
Duration: 13:27 minutes
Intensity: (High) Session average % of age-related heart rate maximum: 91.1%
Blended session average hear rate: 154 beats per minute
Max HR during session: 165 beat per minute
Calories Oxidized per Minute: 14.9 calories per minute for 13 and one half minutes
Total Calories Oxidized: 194
Note that almost 200 calories were burnt in less than 14 minutes…that is a fabulous burn rate – but it gets even better – keep in mind that on both the dual hand swing exercise and the single-hand snatch exercise half the exercise time was spent resting!
The swing protocol was 35 seconds of work followed by 35 seconds of rest for 49 consecutive minutes; the snatch protocol was 40 seconds of work followed by 40 seconds of rest for 13.5 consecutive minutes. This is astounding – in terms of work and work alone, the 800 calories were burnt in 24 minutes of actual work! Ditto the 44 pound one arm snatches – 200 calories were oxidized during 7 minutes of actual work!
The kettlebell seems to be the perfect tool for generating caloric oxidation: the swing is particularly effective and my theory is that the swing strikes a perfect balance between strength and momentum. There is a rhythm and momentum to properly performed swing technique that is conducive for extended performance. The goal of an effective cardio session is to establish an elevated heart rate and keep the heart rate
elevated for an extended period of time. The goal of a sensible cardio session strikes the elusive balance between duration and intensity. The kettlebell swing seems to be the ideal heart-rate spiking exercise in that it is a perfect combination of muscle activation and sustainable momentum. Users are able to ignite dramatically accelerated heart rates yet keep the exercise going for a long period of time.
I would challenge anyone to find any other mode of exercise that can generate a higher, sustainable calories-per-minute burn rate. While you might be able to generate a higher caloric burn rate for a few minutes, try keeping it up for 30 + minutes. Keep in mind that the sustained caloric burn rates I have highlighted were generated by a 50 + year old man weighing 205 pounds – there is zero doubt in my mind that even higher burn rates can be achieved by younger, fitter individuals."