What the Kettlebell is that?

Ok, this blog is way overdue and I'm not quite sure why. Certainly over the last 10 years, kettlebells have become a lot more recognised and acknowledged as a great tool in the fitness industry. Anyone that knows us or has come into contact with us will probably know that we are huge advocates of those great metallic lumps of iron. Why is that? Why are we constantly raving about them and why are they so great anyway? Well, I'm gonna give you a bit of a history lesson, this is something that we go more into detail with on our Kettlebell Instructor Course but it helps appreciate them a little better.

It is difficult to identify the true origin of kettlebells, although many of those who try to claim ownership include Romans, Greeks, Scots, Russians and Siberians. Having stood the test of time and been used for hundreds of years if not more, they have time and time again illustrated that they are something a whole lot more than a typical health and fitness fad.

The first recorded mention of them was in 1704 within a Russian dictionary. The Russian word for Kettlebells is "girya," and the men who lifted these weights were called "gireviks." Kettlebells gained recognition as a superb weight loss tool when they were featured in the fitness magazine Hercules in 1913. In the recent history of the Kettlebell, they have become increasingly popular within the United States thanks to a man named Pavel Tsatsouline. Tsatsouline is a globally recognised fitness author who made his name as a trainer for not only the United States armed forces but the Soviet Union forces as well. With US Forces seniors observing that their soldiers could not endure as long as their Russian counterparts within competitions, they began incorporating the kettlebell into their training routines. In 1985 a committee for the sport of Kettlebell lifting was created, and the first National Championship for Kettlebells was help in Russia in 1985 with its own set of rules and standards. Today, the Kettlebell is being introduced into the fitness routines of the public, as their benefits have proven them to be one of the most useful tools for building strength as well as a huge number of other benefits:

• Rapid weight loss
• Toning and strengthing of almost every muscle
• Muscular and cardiovascular endurance
• Supporting and improving posture
• Injury rehabilitation
• Sports specific performance

The list just goes on as they are such a dynamic and versatile piece of equipment. The fact that they can offer so much yet are relatively small (although sometimes heavy) means that they are not only suitable to the gym but good for home use as well as used within bootcamps or classes. Just like the picture above from our group in Leeds.

WARNING

They should come with a caveat though. Using them properly is critical. Despite them becoming more popular, the abundance of kettlebells out there is not matched with the underpinning knowledge or competency in safely and effectively using them. Just this week, Jenny popped into a gym and had a play with some kettlebells that they have for members to freely use. Not only were the members asking her for guidance but the personal trainers were blatantly taking tips from her techniques.

The associated movements with kettlebells split into 2 distinct types - swings and grinds. Because the swing patterns use momentum, they can be just as harmful as they are beneficial if done badly.

Don't let this put you off, the benefits far outweigh the potential risk and once you have got the basics, it becomes a great journey progressing your ability with them.

We're very soon posting a video on youtube that goes through all of the basic movements - worth looking out for.