Browse through the fitness section of your local book store or pop into a personal training studio and you'll find that kettlebells---those cast iron spheres with handles---have earned a reputation as an efficient full-body weight workout. Body weight workouts recruit many muscles at once, thereby administering a dose of cardiovascular exercise by elevating the heart rate while simultaneously building muscle.
History
Introduced in the United States in the year 2000, kettlebells are a relatively new trend on the American workout scene, but they originated in Eastern European villages centuries ago as a source of local entertainment. Contestants hoisted kettlebells to prove their endurance, strength, coordination and balance.
How Kettlebells Use Body Weight
Kettlebell momentum is produced by your core---basically all of the musculature of your body that does not directly involve a limb. The core is responsible for stabilization and concentrates effort at the center of gravity of the human body. Working from the core, basic kettlebell movements recruit nearly every major muscle in the human body, including the glutes, back, chest, hips, shoulders and hamstrings.
Benefits
A 2010 study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) reports that kettlebell training can dynamically increase flexibility, creates a more intense workout than traditional strength training and greatly improves aerobic capacity. Plus, implementing a new exercise modality can help invigorate a stale fitness routine.
Considerations and Risks
Swinging around a heavy, cast-iron instrument with improper technique can lead to serious injury. Those who already suffer from unknown muscular imbalances, injuries and a low cardiovascular threshold shouldn't initiate a kettlebell workout without the supervision of a certified instructor.
If you feel up to trying a kettlebell workout at home on your own, plan on spending around $40 for a pair of light, 16 lb kettlebells, at 2010 prices, and approximately $20 for an instructional DVD for guidance through the basics.
Getting Started
ACE states that the traditional weight for kettlebell exercises is 18 lb. for women and 35 lb. for men. That said, beginners may wish to explore a lighter weight of perhaps 15 to 18 lb. for women and 15 to 25 lb. for men, depending on the fitness level.
Enlisting the guidance of a certified kettlebell professional will ensure that the workout is maximized though proper form and that risk of injury is minimized. The International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation can help refer you to a trained professional.
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