What is a kettlebell?
A Russian kettlebell or gyra is a weight made of cast iron. Its appearance resembles a cannonball attached to the end of a handle. The kettlebell has withstood the test of time. It was first documented over 300 years ago.
Are there different size kettlebells?
Yes. Russian kettlebells range from 4 kg to a whopping 48 kg. An average woman typically can start with 8 kg (18 lbs). An average man typically starts with 16 kg (36 lbs). The beauty of it is that kettlebells help you achieve an exceptional workout with just a few varying weights.
Why train with kettlebells?
Why not? The benefits are extraordinary! The kettlebell is definitely the most versatile tool available. It offers total fitness - head to toe. It develops purposeful strength, creates resilience, conditions to the utmost, enforces the importance of flexibility and melts away fat. If you want to lose weight, use kettlebells. If you want to gain and strengthen muscles, use kettlebells. If you want your body to feel better and move more functionally with greater coordination and agility, use kettlebells. If you are an athlete and you want to improve your game, use kettlebells. A Russian kettlebell is a gym in an of itself! You and your kettlebell can take the place of any equipment found in the gym. You can use them anywhere. You can take them anywhere. They will become one of your best friends!
What makes the kettlebell different from other weights, like dumbbells?
A kettlebell's weight is centrally concentrated into a dense ball with a handle. A dumbbell's weight is primarily on the sides with a bar in between. The unique kettlebell shape allows the user to perform both resistance and high cardio exercises more effectively. Swings are one example of this. The kettlebell becomes an extension of your arm while performing the swing. This means that the force to move the bell ballistically, even floating at the top of the swing, comes from your hips. True functional power originates from the hips. This isn't the case with a dumbbell. Swings are more awkward and the arms are used more to raise the bell as opposed to the hips. The kettlebell's handle strengthens your grip and also allows the user to pass the bell easily from hand to hand. This is fun and the cardiac conditioning is intense! The kettlebell's center of gravity is offset. Due to this, the shoulder is loaded differently than it would be with a dumbbell when performing lifts overhead. And because of that a solid foundation of stability and mobility are created to maximize your body's resilience and strength.
Who uses kettlebells? Does age matter?
The range of kettlebell users is broad: Soviet legends in weight lifting, Russian Special Forces, US military and law enforcement, Secret Service Counter Assault Team, US Navy SEALS, Force Recon Marines, martial artists, athletes, and regular people just like you and me.
Age isn't a factor - young or old, however, an open mind, willingness to learn, patience, attention to detail and a strong spirit are a must.
Is there any science to back up the kettlebell claim?
"Voropayev (1983) observed two groups of subjects
over a period of a few years and tested them with a standard battery of armed
forces PT tests: pullups, a standing broad jump, a 100m sprint, and a 1k run.
The control group followed a typical university physical education program that
emphasized the above. The experimental group just lifted kettlebells. In spite of the lack of practice on the tested exercises, the kettlebell group showed better scores in every one of them!"
"Researchers at the Lesgaft Physical Culture
Institute in Leningrad (Vinogradov & Lukyanov, 1986) found a very high
correlation between the results posted in a kettlebell lifting competition and
a great range of dissimilar tests: strength, measured with the three powerlifts
and grip strength; strength endurance, measured with pullups and parallel bar
dips; general endurance, determined by a 1000 meter run; and work capacity and
balance, measured with special tests."
"Shevtsova (1993) discovered that kettlebell
training lowers the heart rate and the blood pressure and increase the heart's functional capacity."
"Gomonov (1998) concluded that "Exercises with
kettlebells enable one to quickly build strength, endurance, achieve a balanced
development of all muscle groups, fix particular deficiencies of build, and
they also promote health"."
In 2010, the American Council on Exercise concluded that "an off the charts of at least 20.2 calories per minute were burned" while performing the kettlebell snatch exercise for 20 minutes with 15 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. That is the same as running a mile in 6 minutes! And unless you are someone like Louis Zamperini, then odds are you can't keep a 6 minute mile pace. The only other thing found to compare to that high of a caloric burn was "cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace".
Recently a study on the use of kettlebells to improve musculoskeletal health was done in Scandanavia. The results were that training with kettlebells properly decreases pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back while strengthening them.
Science and research have proven that kettlebell exercises offer extreme overall fitness with little to no competition.
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