Kettlebells are shaped like a cannonball with a looped handle. Weightlifting with a kettlebell can offer advantages over a dumbbell as the center of mass is offset increasing leverage. Leverage increases the difficulty of the exercise by increasing the perceived weight and involving more muscles to stabilize the weight. The shape of the kettlebell also allows you to perform exercises such as swinging the kettlebell that would otherwise be awkward with a dumbbell.
Leverage
Few things you will lift in the world will be as perfectly shaped and balanced as a dumbbell. A weight offset from your grip causes leverage, an increase in force proportional to the distance of the weight from your grip. You experience the effects of leverage when lifting a bucket, an oddly shaped rock or a large piece of furniture. The ball of the kettlebell is offset from the grip causing leverage. For an equal weight, a kettlebell will require more effort to lift than a dumbbell due to this leverage.
Stabilization
Because of the leverage of the kettlebell, you need to exert force in multiple directions to control the weight. Consider a dumbbell pressed overhead. At the top position of the press, maintaining the position of the dumbbell doesn't require a great deal of effort. Holding a kettlebell in the same position requires continuous tension in your arm, shoulder, back, chest and core.
Variety
Every movement with a kettlebell can also be performed with a dumbbell, although they will work your muscles differently. Kettlebells are commonly used to develop normal slow strength and ballistic strength. Kettlebell presses, squats and deadlifts can be added to your arsenal of strength tools. Many people find ballistic strength exercises such as the swing, clean and snatch entirely new exercises.
Rotation
Dumbbells, barbells and machines almost exclusively work your muscle in a planar, or straight-line, motion. Most actions in sports and daily life are not in straight lines and require rotational strength. The kicking of a soccer ball derives its strength from the rotation of the hips not the extension of the leg. Kettlebell lifting requires more complex rotations in your joints, increasing general physical preparedness.
Safety
Exercises with a kettlebell can place very different stresses on your body than a dumbbell, barbell or machine. Learn the correct movements from a certified kettlebell trainer to gain the most benefits and avoid injury. Like all weights, kettlebell exercises can be dangerous if not performed properly. Check with your doctor prior to beginning kettlebell training to determine if you are healthy enough to use kettlebells.
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