A kettlebell is a cast iron or steel ball with a handle attached that’s used for many different types of exercises. It has been around for a very long time, it’s said that the Ancient Greeks used to use something very similar to a kettlebell during the Olympic Games. The first evidence of a kettlebell as we know it, dates back to 1704 in Russia, where it was used as a counterweight to measure goods in markets.
Kettlebells are now very popular in strength and endurance workouts and their shape makes them practical and safe to grip and swing. What makes them so special is that their centre of gravity is further away from the grip than in dumbbells, making it a bit more of a challenge for the body to control it. Find out why kettlebells make the perfect workout accompaniment in Kettlebells: 5 Reasons Why You Should Get (at Least) One!
1. Versatility
Kettlebells can be used in many different ways, making it a lot easier to create workout routines. There are tons of core, strength and cardio exercises that can be done with a kettlebell, from swings, to snatches and presses, and all of them can be adjusted to anyone’s fitness level.
2. Improves Balance & Posture
When training with a kettlebell, especially doing swings, the body will not only focus on the movement required to lift the kettlebell, it will also be compelled to work your stabilising muscles. This way your balance and core are constantly challenged. Training with a kettlebell strengthens all the major muscle groups of the body resulting in an improvement in your posture in everyday life.
3. Great Alternative to Running
Raise your hand if running isn’t your thing! Well, the great news is that you don’t have to run to add a sweaty cardio session to your training program if you have a decently weighted kettlebell. If you need to burn calories, a HIIT workout even with a relatively light kettlebell is exactly what you need!
4. Simplicity
Kettlebells are easy to use and can really come in handy for home workouts; they’re compact, don’t take much space and you won’t need any other equipment. With a kettlebell you can target every muscle group and do pretty much any kind of workout, from cardio to strength and core.
5. Functional Fitness
Every kettlebell workout is a full body workout. This is already a good starting point, but what makes kettlebells so great is that during a kettlebell workout the muscles work the same way they do in everyday life. This means that while training, your body learns the correct posture for movements that you functionality repeat daily anyway. This translates into making your life a lot easier as your body is already preconditioned.
