The Kettlebell
~ An all-purpose exercise tool of Russian origin ~
To anyone who’s not a fitness nerd, a kettlebell might seem like a cannonball with a handle. Interestingly enough, its original use was not for shooting at ships or exercise, but for weighing crops in 18th century Russia. Back then, the kettlebell was called girya, which simply meant “weight”. Strength and kettlebells were first associated together when circus “strongmen” began to use them during their performances; which in turn, popularized the iron weight into the kettlebell we all know today.
Unlike traditional two-pronged dumbbells, kettlebells possess a center of mass that extends beyond the hand. Therefore, kettlebells are far similar in origin to Indian clubs or the Japanese Ishi Sashi.
Kettlebells are mainly used in the form of exercise known as “ballistic exercise”, which consists of an activity where one jumps while holding weights or where the weights themselves are thrown in order to create explosive bursts of energy. This forces the athlete’s body and central nervous system to quickly adapt to releasing high bursts of energy in short time periods. In addition, the muscles affected by ballistic training are usually fast twitch muscle fibers, which have the greatest potential for growth and strength.
A few easy-to-learn kettlebell exercises are as follows,
- Kettlebell Chest Press (Chest)
- Single Arm Press (Chest)
- Kettlebell Front Raise (Shoulders)
- Goblet Curl (Biceps)
- Windmill (Abs/Abdominals)
- Kettlebell Wrist Curl (Forearms)
- Forward Lunge (Quads)
- Kettlebell Calf Raise (Calves)
For someone who’s just getting into exercising with kettlebells, I’d suggest making an investment in the TechShark Quickly Adjustable Weights over on the Techville store; as the kettlebells come with interchangeable cast-iron plates which would save you cash over buying three separate sets of kettlebells. I too started with adjustable dumbbells and kettlebells so I could gradually up my weights as I got stronger. In my opinion, go for it!
The kettlebell is a must-have in any personal or public gym, so what are you waiting for? Grab your own and get fit!