Kettlebells! Kettle what?
It always amazes me how many people have never heard of kettlebells! It probably amazes me simply because of how much I love training with them. In actual fact over 70% of my training inv
olves kettelbells.
What are Kettlebells?
Kettlebells are essentially a steel ball with a handle on them. They are believed to have originated in Russia as early as 1704. That’s right 1704! They’re not new!
Interesting: 1913 the Russian magazine Hercules reported “Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics.”
Click HERE to read more about the history and how kettelbells were originally used in farmers markets as measuring tools
Why train with Kettlebells? Unbeatable fitness gains!
Lose Fat
Strengthen core muscles
Improve cardiovascular fitness
Improve flexibility
Increase strength
Build lean muscle
Who trains with kettlelbells?
Everyone from professional kettlebell sport lifters (yes it is a sport), to mixed martial arts, the US military, various athletes and the average person looking to get strong, lean and flexible.
The best thing about kettlebells is the carry over effect they have with other sports. Famous athletes such as Lance Armstrong used kettlebells to come back from retirement
I’m definitely no elite athlete but I found them to be the perfect training tool when training for London Marathon. As kettelbells particularly work your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, lower back), they were the perfect tool to stay strong in areas commonly weak in runners. To top it off they kept my core strong and my cardiovascular system working hard.
Where to get started?
If you’ve never trained with kettlebells before it’s HIGHLY recommended that you do a few instructional session with a kettelbell certified trainer. Many personal trainers are now becoming certified Kettelbell Instructors, it shouldn’t be too difficult to google one in your local area. Learning proper technique will ensure that you stay injury free and get the most out of your work out.
Kettlebells and girls!
Kettelbells are a brilliant training tool for women. Celebrities such as Katherine Heigl, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Cattrall and Penelope Cruz are known to train with them.
Be tough! With proper training and technique you can train with heavy kettelbells. Don’t fall for the marketing trap of the pink 5kg and 8kg kettlbells aimed at women.
Don’t get me wrong you’ll likely need them at the very beginning and if you can get it in pink then why not ☺ Just don’t stay there forever. I have female clients who can do turkish get ups with a 20kg and swing 32kgs. They didn’t get there overnight, in fact it took a lot of hard work, but they did get there. I’m sure if you asked them about the empowerment that comes from lifting 20kgs (44lbs) from a lying down position to a standing up position and back down again with the weight in one arm lifted above your head, they’d tell you it’s truly awesome!
If you’ve never seen kettelbell used in training. Here are some great videos of the more popular exercises
Turkish Get Up – Swings - Snatch - Windmill
Aside from the fact that Kettelbells provide you with countless training benefits, one of the best things about them is they’re FUN! They’re a dynamic workout that leaves you feeling amazing.
Remember with all training proper technique is crucial! You can’ t have much fun if you’re injured.
Get strong!
PS. If you’re want to learn more about kettelbells here are a few sites to follow: Optimal Life Fitness - Trojans Lifting Club - Dragons Door - Full Kontact
