Kettlebell proponents, including Pavel Tsatsouline, tout them as a way to increase muscular strength, endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness and to reduce body fat in one training session. In an American Council on Exercise publication on kettlebells Chad Schnettler, Dr. John Porcari and others report a widely held belief that the actor Gerard Butler used them to prepare for his role in the film "300." Dumbbells and kettlebells have much in common--they are both handheld weights after all--but some important differences between the two exist.
Kettlebells History
The years 2005 to 2010 have seen a surge in the popularity of weight training using kettlebell workouts. However, they have their roots firmly in the past. Kettlebells originated in Russia; Russian name "girya" first appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704. Their shape today resembles a cannonball with a handle, or that of an old-fashioned kettle.
Similarities
All types of resistance training will increase muscle size, strength and power and increase strength in connective tissue, tendons and ligaments. Gym users manipulate weight-training workouts to target one specific response over another. For example, using a lighter weight for sets of more than 12 repetitions improves muscular endurance. Dumbbells and kettlebells both provide resistance, but they way you use them generally differentiates one from the other.
Differences
The shape of the kettlebell lends itself to a range of dynamic and explosive movements. In a typical kettlebell workout you will perform these for a certain number of repetitions or for a specified amount of time--12 to 20 reps, for example, or 20 seconds.
While you could perform exercises such as the kettlebell swing and kettlebell snatch using dumbbells, you'll find them much more comfortable with kettlebells. Most gym users do not include dynamic or explosive movements in a dumbbell workout: Traditional dumbbell exercises typically have the trainee working at a strictly controlled tempo.
Space / Storage
Using adjustable dumbbells, to which you add weight with additional plates, accommodates a variety of strength levels while minimizing storage space. As you progress with kettlebell routines, you can simply perform more repetitions or rest less. But you may also want to increase the weight you are lifting. Because of kettlebells' one-piece design, you can accomplish this only by having more than one kettlebell available, which means you'll need more storage room.
Insight
The authors of the American Council on Exercise report assert that kettlebells can "provide one heck of a workout." The large amount of muscle mass recruited due to the total body nature of the movements, combined with the dynamic nature of the workouts, means resistance-training enthusiasts experience calorie burning that Dr. Porcari calls "off the charts." However, any resistance training workout that follows this pattern has similar benefits. Your muscles, heart and lungs can't tell the shape of the weight you are lifting. A properly designed weight training circuit using dumbbells works just as effectively.
References
- American Council on Exercise: "Kettlebells: Twice the Results in Half the Time?": Chad Schnetler, M.S., John Porcari, Ph.D. et al.; Jan. 2010
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research": Oxygen Cost of Kettlebell Swings; Ryan E. Farrar et al.; April 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle, ed; 2008
Member Comments