Kettlebells ~
Kettle
Bells
~ Kettleballs
~ Kettle
Balls ~
What is a Kettlebell?
What Is A Kettlebell? 
I'm glad you asked! First, the correct term is "kettlebell,"
a combination of "kettle" and "bell" in one
word. It is often mistakenly referred to as a "Russian
kettlebell," "kettle" "bell,"
"kettle" "ball," or
"kettleballs."
The kettlebell is an old time strength training tool a
lot like a dumbbell, only shaped differently. Kettlebells are a
lot like a cannonball with a handle, usually made out of cast
iron. Kettlebells go back hundreds of years and were originally a
lot smaller and used as weights for checking scales. One day
somebody got the idea to use larger ones for exercise and the rest is
history.
Kettlebells used to be popular in Russia, Europe and in
the US in the 1800's up until just after the turn of the century.
Soon after the 20th century, kettlebells largely disappeared in the US
and stayed popular in Russia. Kettlebells were used for fitness, in the
Soviet military, and a kettlebell competition developed.
Around 1998, Pavel Tsatsouline, a former Soviet Spetsnaz
trainer and fitness expert, re-introduced kettlebells to the US in
the form of his first kettlebell product "The Russian Kettlebell
Challenge." Since then, kettlebells have really caught on for
general fitness and fat loss due to their simplicity and
effectiveness. They are offered by a number of companies and it
seems like every week there is a new kettlebell book or video.
So, now that you know what a kettlebell is, I would
suggest grabbing one pronto along with an instructional kettlebell
DVD of your choosing and see what the fuss is about for yourself!
