What is a kettlebell?
August 14, 2009 by Alex Taylor
Filed under Articles
Traditional cast iron kettlebells
They can weigh as little as 5 lbs. and as much as 200 lbs.
They date back to the 1700’s when Russian strongmen used them and have been used by the Soviet Special Forces as a fitness tool for decades.
Kettlebells are alleged to help athletes break through ruts and plateaus, and get their ‘core’ in top shape.
The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool in the United States due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach Pavel Tsatsouline and also by Girevoy Sport world champion and world record holder Valery Fedorenko.
Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strength, endurance, agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements. Typically, kettlebells are used to perform fluid swinging exercises using your body’s full range of motion.
General Key Benefits
The general key benefits of kettlebell training over regular workouts are:
- Increases muscle tone
- Burns a greater amount of energy
- Combines CV and resistance work to improve overall fitness
- Proven to significantly improves self esteem
- Develops inter-muscular teamwork and functional core stability
- Offers the benefits of strength training combined with those of Yoga, Pilates and Aerobics
- Increases stamina and strength-endurance like no other form of exercise
- Dramatically improves flexibility and speed
- Delivers an intense workout that can be done in half the time of a traditional workout
- Doesn’t need much room making it a popular choice for home fitness
Popularity
Many celebrity trainers are using them to sculpt the bodies of A-list celebrities. Movie stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Biel, Matthew McConaughey, Katherine Heigl, Geri Halliwell, Heidi Montag and Ellen Pompeo, are known to train with kettlebells.
Trainers and gym regulars alike are choosing the kettlebell for strength training, because it accelerates fat loss and makes you use the entire body.
I bought this DVD when I first started using kettlebells. The "Enter the Kettlebell" book provided details, but this DVD shows the proper application. Pavel personally shows how to do fundamental kettlebell exercises: swing, clean, press, and snatch.
