A Short Introduction to Kettlebells
Posted on 19 January 2009
How it began?
Kettlebells began as a form of showmanship and entertainment rather than the fitness tool they have become today. Their use started in during city festivals and Russian men would use them to display their strength, balance, coordination and stamina.
After the first world war they slowly evolved into a fitness tool as weightlifting and fitness took off in the baltic states. They are currently used by a wide variety of fitness professionals and are seen as an affordable way to add to your home gym or you can even keep one in the boot of your car for a workout anywhere your life takes you. The beauty of kettlebells are that in order to get a good workout all you need is some free space, imagination and one appropriately sized Kettlebell.
What You need?
For most people all that is needed is one Kettlebell. For a Man who is good shape go for a 53LBS kettlebell, but if your beggining training and want something more manageable you’ll need something a bit lighter 35LBS will do fine. Most women should start with a KB of around 18LBS but if you have been training for a while and are pretty strong you can shoot as high as 32LBS. Dragondoor is a great place to get Kettlebells or even eBay is worth checking but ideally see if your local store has them as to avoid shipping costs…..
Check out this video below to see how easy it is to do an outdoor workout with simply a Kettlebell and some creativity:
What You can do with them?
This is the awesome part with Kettlebells, they are so versatile in their use that anyone can pick one up and start using them for the basics.
- Presses
- Overhead Squats and Lunges
- Floor Pressing
- Rows
These are all very basic movements and allow you to use the kettlebell much like a dumbell, this will get you great results but in order to move to the next level you will need to start learning some more advanced technique’s
- Kettlebell Swing
- KB Clean and Press
- Turkish Get-ups
- Windmills
To learn these its definitely worth booking a short session with someone who knows how to use Kettlebell who will be able to teach you some of the basics and make sure you have your form down. Allowing you to train safely with a kettlebell.
Once you have figured things out and become comfotable with KB training you can start to get creative with workouts, here are some of my favorites….
- 400m Run and 30 Kettlebell Swings Repeat 3 times.
- Tabata Kettlebell Swings
- 10x10 Kettlebell Matrix -- Basically 10 exercises some KB in a row with little rest.
The beauty of these workouts is that they all take 15 minutes or less and can be done in your back garden. If you need more space just stick the Kettlebell in the boot of your car and head to your local park where you could combine some sprinting and Kettlebell work for a short intense workout.
Recommended Reading:
5 Pillars of Kettlebell Training
Basic Kettlebell Circuit Training
Advantages of using a Kettlebell
To me one of the key advantages of using a kettlebell is their simplicity, they have no moving bits and are robust meaning you can store them anywhere and know that they are a solid investment that will last you a long while. Plus they don’t look ugly like Dumbell’s. As for the training advantages of Kettlebell’s lets have a look;
- Kettlebells’ offset center of gravity maximizes shoulder strength, flexibility, and health. Most Russians have never heard of ‘rotator cuffs.’ shoulder injuries are virtually unheard of in people who train with Kettlebells.
- Kettlebells’ are outstanding at developing grip and lower back strength. They will also make your lower back more resilient as things like Swings work your muscles from every angle strengthening your posterior chain.
- They make it so easy to get in high intensity workouts.
- Kettlebells’ are so versatile they give you instant workout freedom and simplicity, its easy t go outside with a kettlebell and create your own 15 minute workout
- They are relatively cheap and along with a few other bits and bobs can completely replace a gym membership.
After having a kettlebell for a few months now it has become an essential part of my workout repertoire. I love the simplicity of it and the way it allows me to get some good resistance training in at anytime I like (especially first thing in the morning before work) or even after a long day an outdoor Kettlebell circuit is surprisingly refreshing and a good stress reliever due to the natural feeling of the workout. The things are just so fun and versatile I think everyone should try one out……
22 comments so far
People who linked here
- Health and Fitness in 2009 - What's Big? | Zen to Fitness
- Fitness and Lifestyle for the Busy Person | Zen to Fitness
- Building Killer Quads for Dummies | Zen to Fitness
- A Simple Guide to Posterior Chain Strength | Zen to Fitness
- Laughing Your Way To Fitness | Zen to Fitness
- Laughing Your Way To Fitness | Power Health Tips
- The Best Supersets For The Gym | Zen to Fitness
- The Best Supersets For The Gym | Zen to Fitness
- The Best Supersets For The Gym | Power Health Tips
- Essentials For Minimal Home Workouts | Zen to Fitness
- Essentials For Minimal Home Workouts | fast abs review About Fitness
- Feel Good Without Breaking The Bank | Zen to Fitness
- Using A Swiss Ball Effectively.... | Zen to Fitness
- Using A Swiss Ball Effectively…. | fast abs review About Fitness
- Heavy Weights - Improved Muscle Tone? | Zen to Fitness
- A Simple Guide to Rockstar Abs Pt.2 | Zen to Fitness
Comment by Claus
19 January 2009
You’re right on! I also bought a kettlebell a month ago, and now I’ve quit my gym:-) I’m a martial artist and skill work is my primary goal. But I use kettlebells combined with bodyweight exercises, sprinting and jump rope as my “conditioning” or secondary training. Kettlebells are just suited for such a thing. They let you work your body as a unit, and one can both go for low rep heavy presses or cardio-like high rep challenges. That’s what I like about them. As you write I highly recommend that a beginner should seek to learn the “real” kettlebell exercises such as the get up and the swing. Thanks for a great site! I like what I read around here:-)
Comment by David at Animal-Kingdom-Workouts.com
19 January 2009
I’ve never tried Kettle Balls before, but the fact that they train your whole body as a unit is something I like. I’ve seen people use them in parks sometimes, and they look fun. Thanks for the post.
- Dave
Comment by Sam
20 January 2009
Does no one else think it is hilarious that the dog is just hanging out and getting in the way? Why is the dog there at all in this video? Interesting idea, and good for a chuckle.
Comment by Chris
22 January 2009
@ Claus: You have really nailed it! Kettlebells are perfect for those who want to improve where it matters; things like speed, strength, agility, range of movement all improve so much with the regular use of Kettlebells. They have really become a staple of my training and I am sure they will remain that way…
@ Sam: Craig Ballantyne’s stuff is great, the dog in the video is pretty funny! for more of that stuff check out his blog on Men’s Health.
@ David: Pick one up there cheap and a great investment, pretty much a staple home training tool in my opinion!
Comment by Ken Whidden
9 November 2009
After using conventional weights most of my life, kettlebells are becoming the dominant tool of my physical training.
Ken Whidden, DC
Emerald Coast Chiropractic
Comment by Home Fitness Revolution
12 February 2010
This is a great intro piece to kettlebells. I recently got into using kettlebells to strengthen up my body after a two year layoff due to a car wreck messing up my spine. Being able to develop core strength with kettlebells is speeding up the progress of me getting back to primal fitness. Doing basics moves. Building muscle endurance has got me excited.
Timothy Carter