When we hear the word ‘kettlebell’, many of us might not think of an exercise tool right away.  We might think we’re talking about drums, kitchen tools, or Christmas decorations…but the kettlebell is actually a global exercise tool that is growing in popularity with a wide variety of trainers and athletes.

The kettlebell comes to us from across the seas, from Russia and the Ukraine, where these tools are called “girya” and measured in “poods” (one pood is equal to roughly 36 lb).  That’s no small potatoes when you’re dealing with what is essentially a barbell – the kettlebell is a weight with a handle, used for bodybuilding and weight training and preparation for many different kinds of athletic performance. 

The most popular kinds of lifting for kettlebells are the “snatch” (lifting from the floor to overhead) and the “jerk” (incremental lifting).  Traditionally, these two activities are repeated for several minutes or until someone cries “uncle”…it won’t take long for the uninitiated to “max out” with one of these lead balls, which is why it pays to be careful with your kettlebells.  Start out with a low weight and start slow, handling the weight in several positions before trying the kinds of workouts that professionals do.

Who uses kettlebells? 

They’re popular with boxers, where adding pounds to your punch can mean the difference between a sparring hit and a TKO.  Martial artists also use these kinds of weights to perfect their skills, working heavier routines into their repertoire.  And a variety of Olympic or professional sport trainers get tough using kettlebells.  But it’s not just athletes who profit from the kind of muscle endurance kettlebell activities provide.  Sometimes those who want to get strong for other reasons work out with these simple items.  Think of firefighters (the guys you may have seen hustling up sixteen flights of stairs with several dozen pounds of hose and equipment) or National Guard members…or other rogue trainers like jugglers and carnival acts (just to name a few).  The point is this: all kinds of different training capacities can be served by the specific way that kettlebells improve a suite of muscles when you lift these “handle weights” in traditional ways, working “kettlebell sets” into an existing fitness program. 

Yes, you’ll need to pace yourself, and at first glance, the kettlebell might look a little daunting, but as you begin to get competent at the kind of lifting that comes along with your new fitness tools, you will notice that kettlebell training gets you a very precise benefit, that can help ward off a variety of ailments later in life, including muscle and joint fatigue from under-used muscle sets.  Consider kettlebells as part of a strategy for staying stronger and maintaining good muscle tone into the far-off future, as you discover how generations of Russians, as well as trainers everywhere, get tough and ready to handle the heavy-duty jobs with tools that are not complicated or hard to use.  Make kettlebells work for you!