Though relatively new to American gyms and training programs, in Russia kettlebells have been a staple of training for over a century. First seen by American soldiers during World War II being used by Soviet troops, kettlebells were looked at with some curiosity. The unorthodox weight training program didn’t gain traction in the United States until after the fall of the Iron Curtain when former Soviet Special Forces soldier and personal trainer Pavel Tsatsouline reintroduced the kettlebell to America in early 2001. It started slowly, but as more and more people were exposed to the benefits of faster hypertrophy, improved balance, strength, body composition, and power, kettlebells can now be found almost everywhere.
The key to the kettlebell workout is the kettlebells themselves. Basically a cannon ball with a handle, all the weight hangs a few inches below the hand, making it much more difficult to control and manipulate, leading to a greater activation of muscles throughout all movements that traditional resistance exercises can’t match. Plus they are almost endlessly versatile. Everything from your hand strength to your core has to work harder than if you were using a dumbbell, so you get more out of even standard dumbbell moves. And because cadio is built in to all kettlebell workouts, you won’t have to dread running on the treadmill, or spend what seems like an eternity on the eliptical machine after you train.
With all new training regimes learning the proper form is the most important aspect for everyone whether a beginner, intermediate, or expert weightlifter. Taking an actual kettlebell class or a personal training session or even two is a smart way to properly learn all the movements, and once you do, you’ll have learned an new, fun and different program that most importantly works.
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