Advantages of having a kettlebell. More and more gyms and fitness centres have them – kettlebells. Big or small, pitch black or colourful, they are all recognizable as “canonballs with a handle”. And the thing is, they are surely not a temporary workout hype. It is actually also a great tool to have at home.
Origins
Kettlebells originate from Russia and are called Gyria in Russian. In the 18th century, these weights were mainly used to weigh crops. Circus strongmen have been using them since the 19th century and late in the 19th century, kettlebells have been used for strength athletics in Russia and other parts of Europe. Since then, kettlebells have been the tool of choice in strength training with various military, law enforcement and other special units in Russia and more recently, in other countries since many people have discovered them and their specific use. They have discovered the advantages of kettlebells.
Characteristics of Kettlebells
So, what is so special about these canonballs with handles? Well, actually this fact that it is a canonball with a handle makes it unique. Because of these physical characteristics of the kettlebell, there are a few things that you can do with a kettlebell that you cannot do with dumbbells or a barbell. And most of the exercises you can do with a barbell or dumbbells you can do with a kettlebell.
Advantages of Kettlebells
This is one of the advantages of getting a kettlebell to use at home. A kettlebell gives you more ‘bang for your buck’. The only thing you cannot do with a kettlebell is to change the load, a kettlebell of 20kg is a kettlebell of 20kg. That is also a reason why one kettlebell might not be enough…
The other advantage of kettlebells is that they can be used for different sorts of exercises. This being either strength training, working on your endurance or even very specific fat-burning exercises. So, no matter what your goals are, they can be of good use to you. And the other benefit is that you can do a workout that does not take very long and still has a massive effect. Talking about effective and efficient! When you are short of time and have “no time to go to a gym”, these are an excellent alternative.
Some people even say that an advantage of kettlebells is that they are very portable and you can take them along when you are going on a trip. That might be the case if you go on a trip by car, but any other mode of transport gives some challenges. I would have loved to take a kettlebell along during my motorcycle trip, but they are not that practical to take on the motorcycle, not to mention if you have to fly… But for sure, if you go on a trip by car, chances are that you are able to take along a kettlebell or two.
What to Do Now
So these are quite the advantages of kettlebells. You have or want a kettlebell at home and you do not have ideas on how to incorporate them in workouts? Get in touch and we will see how we can arrange a personalized and customized programme suiting your goals, experience and available equipment. Leave a comment or get in touch through the Contact Page.
Start now, not tomorrow!
Recommended reading
Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen
by Pavel Tsatsouline
The basics of Kettlebell training and background of the Russian tool for strength. An absolute must to read and refer to when you want to start working with Kettlebells. Available as Kindle or paperback version on Amazon.
Kettlebell Simple & Sinister
by Pavel Tsatsouline
This is a book that takes the basis of kettlebell training into a simple (not easy) training program that you can perform for a long time and prepares you for what life or sport will throw at you. It is a basic program, but requires a basic understanding of the Kettlebell Swing and Turkish Get Up. Highly recommended when you have the skills for these exercises. Available as Kindle or paperback version on Amazon.
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