The Kettlebell Craze: The Ultimate Fitness Tool

What is that oddly shaped fitness tool called a kettlebell?

 

 

A kettlebell is a cast iron, sphere-shaped weight that resembles a cannonball with a handle. This piece of equipment is used as a strength and conditioning instrument that fuses multi-joint full body movements.

Although this piece of equipment is somewhat new to the fitness world in America, the kettlebell has been around for many centuries. Research indicates that the Ancient Greeks were the first to use a kettlebell, however Russia is widely recognized for popularizing the use of kettlebells as a strength training staple as early as the 18^th century. The Russian culture views a kettlebell as a symbol of strength and national pride; for centuries they have used this tool for athletic development and health.

American fitness professionals have embraced the use of kettlebells due to the undeniable research which supports the benefits of training with this type of equipment.  According to researchers (KettlebellScience.com), Western scientific studies have shown that Kettlebell Training:

 

• Improves Explosive and Maximal Strength (Lake & Lauder, 2012)
• Improves strength, power and endurance (Manocchia, 2010)
• Taxes both aerobic and anaerobic systems (Fung & Shore, 2010)
• Maintains health and improves overall fitness (Castellano, 2009)
• Positively impacts cardiorespiratory endurance and promotes changes in body composition(Porcari, 2010)
• Can burn up to 20.2 calories per minute (Porcari, 2010)
• Increases musculoskeletal health by reducing neck, shoulder and low back pain, and increases trunk extensor strength (Jay et al, 2010)
• Is transferable to traditional weight training and bodyweight exercises and is an excellent alternative to traditional weight lifting (Manocchia, 2010) 

Kettlebell workouts can be fun, but also a challenge. This piece of equipment should be utilized in more training environments due to the countless benefits, ease of use, and functionality. Kettlebells have a few basic and fundamentals moves that most of the workouts are based. These basic moves can be modified to advanced movement with time. In my next post, these exercises will be discussed into greater detail.