The Benefits of Exercising with Kettlebells

They look like bowling balls with handles attached and seem to be popping up in gyms or homes everywhere. Kettlebells were mentioned in the 2009 American Council on Exercise (ACE) top ten fitness trends in a press release stating that working out with kettlebells is “…a great way to get a whole body workout, in a relatively short period of time.” The benefits of exercising with kettlebells revolve around a way to not only strengthen the muscles but to also break up some of the monotony often associated with working out. It is the incorporation of eight pounds to one hundred pounds of swinging and lifting that not only works the arm and pec muscles but also strengthens the heart, lungs and overall body core.

Laura Alton a certified kettlebell instructor at the Cooper Fitness Center in Dallas explains, “The reason the kettlebell is so great is that there’s offset center of gravity.” It originated in Russia as a farming weight used by the bodybuilder Paul Tsatsouline. After Tsatsouline’s great success which he attributed to the kettlebell, it was introduced in the U.S. and other countries.

Whole Body Muscle Strength

The superior balancing associated with kettlebell workouts creates an entire body workout which surpasses the isolated exercises of machines. Working with a kettlebell increases tone, tendon and ligament strength.

Cardio-Muscle Combo

The great thing about a kettlebell workout is that it incorporates cardio along with muscle movements. Therefore it offers a dual edged approach that isolated exercises cannot compete with.

Benefits for Men

The often sought after ‘V’ shape that can take hours trying to attain along with a long list of exercises can be achieved by simply following a kettlebell program. The male physique responds to this workout resulting in a toned ‘V’ of wide, strong shoulder muscle groups, toned abdominals, a tighter waistline and sculpted arms.

Benefits for Women

The biggest fear most women have when weight training is that they will bulk up so much they will end up looking fat. Along with a good fat burning diet, kettlebell training will mold and carve a woman’s body in a fast, even process.

It is Actually Fun

Tsatsouline was quoted in a December 2008 New York Times article as saying, “…It feels very liberating. I think people are tired of sitting around like gerbils on machines.” Kettlebell training can be combined with other exercises and does not have to be confined to a gym. It can be done at home, on the beach or in a local park. It frees up the user to be imaginative and create variety so as not to be tied down to the rote gym schedule so many others seem to dread.

Exercising with kettlebells may not be the mainstream workout as of yet but when more people realize these and other benefits, there will be more opportunities to use kettlebells in all facets of exercise.

About the Author: Darius Monachino is a part-time personal trainer who enjoys teachings his clients how to make the most out of kettlebell workouts. He is also studying sites like ultrasoundtechnician.info in preparation for his enrollment in an Ultrasound Tech program this coming winter.