Kettlebells
Weight Loss
Fitness
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!