Did you know that kettlebells originated in 17th century Russia and were used on huge scales to measure grain feed and meat?
They are extremely effective training tools for providing total body strength and conditioning. The most widely used sizes of kettlebells for general fitness are 4kg up to 24kg.
Most people should start with a kettlebell weight of between 4kg and 16kg. They are simple to use, very versatile and affordable and don’t take up much space.
1. It’s a fun workout! Exercise should be based on enjoyment because if you don’t like it you won’t keep doing it. Kettlebells are a joy to use and that’s a good enough reason to add them to your workout regime.
2. Ideal for busy people! Any busy person wants the best out of anything he or she spends time on. Kettlebells are portable and small, which means training can take place in the office, living room or bedroom.
3. Combat lower back pain. Kettlebell training teaches you to extend and fire through your hips thus strengthening your glutes and taking the stress off your lower back.
4. Improves cardio fitness. The thought of jogging on a treadmill or swaying back and forth on an elliptical for a prolonged period of time is quite boring. Thankfully, kettlebell training is quite the opposite and it gives you the added bonus of training multiple energy systems to burn body fat.
5. Quick kettlebell workout. There are endless combinations of short quick workouts that can be performed within 4 to 10 minutes e.g. 10 Kettlebell swings – 10 Burpees – 10x obliques (2 counts) going from 10 reps on each all the way down to 1 rep as quickly as possible.
Kieran Keenan is an advanced personal trainer and the owner of Fitsquad.
