kettlebells

From Russia with love

Kettlebells originated in Ancient Greece, but in more modern times they have been used by the Russian military for their “basic” training. The difference between kettlebells and more conventional weights is that the centre of mass now hangs below your hand, completely changing the dynamics of the exercises

Celebrity endorsement

Ranging in weight from around 4 to 32kg, kettlebells can provide a whole body workout working all your muscles and your heart and lungs at the same time. They are being heralded as the quickest way to a slim, toned physique by trainers and clients alike, especially in America where several A-list celebrities swear by them. There is an article on the KH&F website with a Daily Mail article from last year discussing the popularity of kettlebells in the USA.

Core is king

As well as working all the major muscles of the body, kettlebells also provide a challenge to the core. The core is essential for transmitting forces during any movement, whether it be picking up a heavy box from the floor or swinging a kettlebell up over your head. With functional exercises the core is king, and it is often a weakness here that restricts how much weight can be lifted. There is a whole section on functional training on the website if you want to read more on this powerful subject.

Bearing that in mind, kettlebells allow us to train an area of the body as it designed to move. All too often the core is seen as an independent group of muscles and are trained in isolation with crunches, twists, sit ups, and planks etc. Whilst these are all good exercises for strengthening the core, if that strength cannot then be used to produce movement it doesn’t really contribute much to our every day life!

Gym in your hand

If you sometimes struggle to get to the gym, kettlebells offer a compact alternative to sweating it out on the treadmill. It is estimated that 20 to 30 minutes of kettlebell training can burn as many calories as up to 40 minutes of running. Now for this to happen the kettlebell workout clearly needs to be more intense, but the fact remains that kettlebells can save you time and lead to faster results.

Due to their versatility, kettlebells really are a “gym in your hand”. There is no muscle you cannot train using kettlebells, and the variety of exercises you can perform with them is endless. There are a few examples on the website, but before trying any of them out it is recommended that you book in for a couple of training sessions first with a qualified instructor. If you are struggling to find a qualified kettlebell instructor in your area, contact Kinetic Health and Fitness and we will search for one on your behalf.

Melt fat and sculpt your ideal physique

If you would rather go to a gym and sit on the bike with your favourite newspaper whilst admiring yourself in the mirror, then kettlebells probably aren’t for you. Yes they can and will develop the kind of physique you may have only dreamt about, and yes they will strip your body fat down, but kettlebells are far from the easy option!

With most things in life if you want results you have to work for them and kettlebell training is no different. The speed of the results you can achieve from regular kettlebell training is down to the intensity of the exercises, and once you have mastered the basics you can push yourself to well beyond where you thought your limits were!

Kettlebell training won’t build huge great big muscles, but by melting your body fat and developing strength in your shoulders, chest, arms, legs, back and core, you will tone and firm your entire body.

Handle with care

Kettlebells are suitable for nearly everyone, but it is essential that you understand the fundamentals about core stabilisation before commencing training with them. Poor technique can lead to injury, and as such it is recommended that you master the basics before moving onto the more complex movements.