Kettlebells: the New "Old-School" Workout

Kettlebells, popularized in Eastern Europe, have been around for decades but have only recently become a mainstay in U.S. gyms. They look like cannonballs with thick handles attached, and weigh anywhere between 2 and 100 pounds. Kettlebells may look and feel different than your typical dumbbells, but when it comes to getting fit, they are the real deal. Here's Why.

Versatility

Just one or two kettlebells can give you a grueling workout. The design of the kettlebell allows for a large amount of variation in terms of grip, exercise selection, and range of motion. Plus, you are forcing your muscles to work harder with each movement you perform, since your grip will never be on the kettlebell's center of mass. And because you can isolate any muscle with kettlebells , you can focus your training as needed to correct and prevent strength imbalances.

Power, Strength, Endurance

Kettlebells are unique in the fact that they offer a variety of benefits using the same piece of equipment. With such a diverse library of exercises, workouts can be tailored for high repetition endurance training, low rep power training, or a combination of both. And because the center of mass on a kettlebell differs from the standard dumbbell, you are forced to constantly engage your core muscles, strengthening your abs and lower back, as well as improving your balance.

Functionality

One of my personal favorite things about kettlebells is how functional they are. Training with kettlebells mimics so many aspects of real life, like picking up grocery bags and lugging around a duffel bag. Like hefting around bales of hay on a farm, it is the "awkwardness" of the kettlebell design that makes movements more challenging. While dumbbell training tends to be repetitive in nature, kettlebell workouts are designed to force your body to adapt to new movements, and stretch it's range of motion to the limits. And to top it all off, just 15 minutes of intense kettlebell training provides an unrivaled cardio workout.

In addition to the versatility, effectiveness, and funtionality of kettlebells, they are just plain fun. They may look and feel funny, but athletes and trainers everywhere use them to diversify and enhance their training. When trying them for the first time, focus on strict form since it's going to feel a little different than anything you're used to. Here is a vast library of kettlebell exercises to get you started and help construct your workout. Conveniently, you can sort the exercises by name or bodypart. Vary your rest time, repetitions, grip, and speed for endless training options. You can even complete a circuit training routine with a single kettlebell by performing just a few exercises with little rest time in between. No matter what your fitness goals, kettlebells can help get you there!

Sources: Kettlebells for Strength and Fitness, real-strenght-training.com
Personal experience