What Are Kettlebells?

By Greg Diener


Kettlebells, Kettlebells, Kettlebells I keep overhearing the question being asked; "What are Kettlebells"? This question has been asked a lot lately. To answer the question, Kettlebells are all the rage in the fitness world. They have recently become popular in the fitness tool arena. Those that have been heavily involved in the fitness world have probably heard of kettlebells before, but it is just recently that the average consumer has heard of them. Most people don't realize that they are weights, but they just appear different.

Kettle bells are cast-iron weights used for fitness functions. They somewhat look like a strong iron tea kettle, just without the spout. Another way to discuss them is a cannonball with a handle that had been added. They were initially used in Russia where they were used as weights for scales in markets. Since they were mostly used to weigh agricultural equipment and products, kettlebells were mostly used by farmers. Eventually these farmers would turn swinging and carrying these weights into a tournament. Festivals were held to show each farmer's abilities. This would continue on for decades until it became more of a fitness apparatus.

Kettlebells originally were used by farmers in some of the ways we see them being used in exercise today. Farmers did different motions with the weights by lifting, swinging, jerking and cleaning the weights. The Russians saw that you could perform many different moves with the kettlebell. Because the weights gave people excellent coordination, it would not be long until it became a national sport in the country.

It wasn't long before the use of Russian kettlebells extended to other European nations. It slowly started acquiring success in different nations and finally reached the shores of America in the early 2000's. Since it has reached the United States, it has persisted to grow in appeal. More individuals are flipping to kettlebells from the more traditional bar bell weights employed in the United States. Not only are individuals following the kettlebells, but fitness communities, such as CrossFit, have begun to adopt them into their programs.

Kettlebells are so sought after because of their ultra productive routines. While they do bring numerous positive results, they do have a high risk of injury. This is because of the motions are very detailed and need to be undertaken with precision. Professional assistance should be needed before starting a workout program that uses kettlebells so that the risk of injury is avoided as much as possible.




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