If you’ve ever been to a gym or watched late-night TV, you’ve probably seen some sort of advert for the latest piece of exercise equipment. However, almost as soon as you buy it, this miracle product ends up shoved in a cupboard, or buried in boxes in the loft, never to have an impact on your fitness or wellness again. When it comes to exercise products, then, you need something that has stood the test of time, and something that you’ll actually use. This is where the kettlebell comes in, as this piece of equipment has been around for hundreds of years and is still actively used in health clubs and in the homes of anyone who wants to enhance their wellbeing.
Not only is the kettlebell very functional, it also offers the combination of cardio and strength training. This cannonball-shaped weight seems intimidating, but you don’t need to be put off by it. According to Chris Marhefka, founder and president of Body By Boris Fitness and Training, ‘When we’re talking total body, the kettlebell is one of the best pieces of equipment in the gym.’ Certified kettlebell trainer Annie Galovich, the fitness manager at Equinox in Greenwich Village, New York, also asserts that the kettlebell has become so popular because it’s fun to work with and provides a total body workout. ‘It feels purposeful,’ says Galovich. ‘You pick something up and it feels applicable, using almost every muscle in your body.’
If you use it right, the kettlebell can stimulate every muscle fibre in your body and provide both strength and cardio training. Unlike a dumbbell, the kettlebell has a shape and functionality that mean you can lift it from the floor to the shoulder, staying along the body, then straight up from the shoulder to above the head. Galovich points out, ‘It’s like a purse. The kettlebell isn’t in the centre of mass like a dumbbell is in your hand, so it generates force from the ground and strengthens your core.’ Generally speaking, you follow a pattern of pick-up, deadlift, snatch and swing. This means you pick it up from the floor, fold your core and legs for the deadlift and unfold for lift-off, snatch by positioning your arm and hand in preparation for the final motion, the kettlebell swing.
If you want to start using a kettlebell in your fitness regime, Galovich recommends incorporating kettlebells into the beginning of workouts after an appropriate warm-up because it incorporates your entire body and increases your heart rate. However, beginners should be aware that using the kettlebell is no mean feat. Marhefka warns, ‘People can abuse the kettlebell because it moves smoothly with the body, but it adds instability, engaging your core and a lot of different muscle fibres, so users need to be cautious of form.’ Because everything is free moving, there is a greater chance of injury when using kettlebells than dumbbells or traditional weights. Moreover, as people tend to use heavier weights when using kettlebells, you increase your risk of injury.
That said, the kettlebell is more popular than ever, and it’s not hard to see why. Marhefka credits the rise in popularity of training with kettlebells to their simplicity and efficiency. He comments, ‘Kettlebells have been around for a long time, but we’ve seen a big spike in functional training with boot camps and crossfit training. Kettlebells really fit into this shift in functional training because of their multipurpose capabilities.’ However, kettlebells are most effective at targeting the muscles in your upper back and down to the hamstrings, so if you want to kick your posterior chain into gear, this may be the fitness product that doesn’t end up shoved in the cupboard.
Comments are closed.