Kettlebells – The very versatile piece of equipment.
These little (Or big depending on which ones you have!) ball of iron can be used for everything; strength training, cardio workouts, a HiiT workout an my personal favorite: the Tabata protocol.
From the cheaper neoprene or colourful plastic covered “Fitness” kettlebells that you can usually find at the likes of Walmart and SportChek.
Up to the expensive “Competition” kettlebells that are all made from the same size mold for size and shape consistency but have differing weights to them.
There is a kettlebell for every person and every budget, there are even adjustable kettlebells now which enable the owner to effectively have 10 kettlebells.
The effectiveness of kettlebell workouts is unlimited, from building strength (5×5) to a heart pumping HiiT workout, these lumps of iron or plastic can swung, pressed, and lifted in all directions for an excellent all over body workout.
They can be used in a complex of movements in which the user moves from one exercise to the next with no rest until the complex is complete.
They can be incorporated into many bodyweight exercises to create a tougher workout, overhead reverse lunges, goblet squats or the dreaded burpee for example.
Using kettlebells to increase the depth of a particular move is a great way to increase the range of motion in an exercise, think push ups and tricep dips.
A great way to get the heart rate pumping and the body fat blasting is to use the kettlebells in a Tabata protocol, 8 rounds or 20 seconds full throttle of an exercise followed by a 10 second rest is a sure fire way to get sweating.
The kettlebell started in the late 19th century for recreational sports in Russian and Europe, the origin of the competitive lifting or giveroy sport is dated at 1885. While Russia measures them in ‘Poods’ we measure them in pounds or kilograms.
Nowadays they are used for workouts ranging from full body to specific muscle groups. There are a multitude of benefits from using kettlebells but beforehand it needs to be stated that form is VERY important (as it is with all exercise), these benefits are:
Kettlebells are a great cardio workout. Think swings, halos and figure 8’s.
Kettlebells are portable and can provide a workout anywhere and don’t take up a lot of space. A lot of exercises can be performed in a 3x3ft square.
Kettlebells improve your forearm grip and strength, there are a multitude of grips to play with.
Kettlebells can provide shortened workout times, you can pack quite a lot into a 20 minute workout.
Kettlebells can help to improve body composition (With correct nutrition)
Kettlebells can help to improve posture, core strength and balance.
The explosiveness of the workouts can create a High Intensity Training (HiT) program helps to burn more calories.
Depending on the intensity of the workouts they can be used everyday ensuring a full week of workouts and full body coverage.
There you have it, kettlebells are a very versatile piece of fitness equipment and are a great addition to any home gym, for standalone workouts or incorporated into any dumbbell or bodyweight routine. they are reasonably priced, come in a big variety of weights from 5lb to 100lbs, are super beneficial for health and wellness, can be used in very minimal space. If buying kettlebells is on your radar then I highly recommend going for it and adding one (or a pair) to your arsenal you won’t regret it!
