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Kettlebells ~
Kettle
Bells
~ Kettleballs
~ Kettle
Balls ~
Why Buy a Kettlebell
~ Enter The Kettlebell
Why You Should Buy a
Kettlebell
My kettlebells are named Magda, Oksana, and
Katrina, and my husband's kettlebells are Antonin and… uh, I forget
the other’s na me.
Who cares? What is important is that we have got to talk to you about Kettlebells,
a pretty new workout growing in our country, as well as others. Sales
pitch? You bet. Let me lay it out for ya.
I have never been an athlete. In fact I hated all sports, and I
dreaded kickball days in elementary school. I never considered myself
strong or particularly fit. The good thing was that I didn’t have to
worry much about it because I was skinny! In junior high a friend
referred to me as “Twiggy.” So maybe I wasn’t that skinny but I
sure didn’t have to worry about what I ate.
Fast forward ten years. While hibernating in Alaska, I gained fifteen
pounds. Not too bad. I lost it for the most part when we got home
before getting
pregnant. While pregnant I didn’t workout a lick. I did Pilates a
few times and walked…. a few times… and that was it.
After having my daughter, about six months later, I found myself
sitting on the couch saying over and over again, “I really should
workout.” I felt like I was in bad shape. It hurt to get off of the
couch. I was taking care of an infant by myself and was hungry all the
time. I had no energy. No sleep. No motivation. I credit my
mother-in-law for saying one day that she felt the same way a time ago
and finally had just had it. She started exercising and didn’t look
back or make excuses. That’s what I decided to do.
My husband was in Iraq at the time, so I emailed him, and I wish I
could have seen his face when I asked him if he minded if I purchased
a Kettlebell…
and what weight should I get, by the way? I had watched him use
kettlebells for um… maybe two years? That was from the couch. I
couldn’t wait to get started and I didn't have a kettlebell, so I
worked out first with a 20 lb. handweight and practiced the movements
I knew something about. When my Kettlebell finally arrived, I went to
it, hard.
May 18, 2005 was my first Kettlebell workout (with the handweight). I
took my measurements, weighed myself, and measured my body fat
percentage (which was sad). My first workout looked like this:
TWO sets:
10 swings
5 deck squats
5 pushups
I am actually laughing as I type this because that workout would be a
walk in the p ark right now. It is no longer considered a workout to
me, but you know what? It got me started. Soon my kettlebell arrived
along with the book, From
Russia With Tough Love. I was still around five pounds over my
pregnancy weight. Not bad, no, and I was thrilled about that, but I
also had a different body than I had before.
My husband was overseas, and I had nothing to lose. I wanted to look
so good when he got home! I also got my cholesterol taken around this
time. When I discovered it was high, I realized I had another reason -
besides vanity and disgust at my laziness - for exercise. I wanted to
get fit for my daughter - to set a good example and to be around for a
very long time.
So, that is how it all started for me. I weigh approximately seventeen
pounds less than I weighed back then… I weigh less than I did when I
got pregnant with Grace. But that’s not what’s important. I have
not given up! This is the longest I have EVER lasted in an exercise
program, and I’ve tried the Total Gym, running, Pilates, going to
the gym, walking, Tai Bo, Ballet, Jazzercise, miscellaneous video
tapes, you name it. I won’t lie - It is not always fun. Kettlebells
are HARD work. Very hard. But they eliminate all of my excuses. Maybe
some of my excuses sound like yours?
Excuse #1: I don’t
have time.
Well you know what? That first workout I did way back then… it must
have taken me about ten minutes (looking at it, I bet it was less!).
Kettlebells are effective even if you start out working out for ten
minutes a day. As you grow to love what you are doing and the results
you are achieving, you will want to workout for longer. A year
later my average kettlebell workout was 45 minutes.
Excuse # 2: I hate to
exercise.
Yup. I sure do. But I have found something I can definitely tolerate.
I don’t always love it, but I do like it. It is hard, but I would
rather workout with my kettlebell any day of the week than put on
running shoes.
Excuse # 3: I can’t
afford it.
Mmmm-hmmm. This is a good one too. Kettlebells can be expensive at
first glance. But let me put it in perspective. How much money have
you spent on the elliptical that is sitting in your garage or the
treadmill that is buried under clothing in your bedroom? How much
money do you spend on your gym membership? Buy a kettlebell and a
video and you will be set. You can design your own kettlebell
workouts, and you never have to set foot in a gym if you don’t want
to… ever again.
Excuse # 4: It’s so
much work. I can’t weight-lift *and* do aerobics.
Well you don’t need to. My workouts are only with my kettlebell.
Sometimes I do some Pilates to give my abs an extra workout here and
there. And sometimes I take a walk so I can be by myself. Generally though, I use my kettlebell only. You are heaving a
weight around but you are using all of the muscles in your body, your
core, your stabilizing muscles. My heart rate routinely gets up over
160 during my workouts. So guess what? No aerobics for me! Woo hoo!!!!
Have I covered all of your excuses yet? If not, let me know what they
are, and I bet I can solve them for ya. Seriously… the best thing
about working with kettlebells is how much healthier I am, how much
stronger, and how great I feel about myself. When I first tried to do
a deck squat, I could barely get off the floor. Now they are not a big
deal. This exercise routine has helped me in every area of my life,
and I needed help. Now I can hold a toddler in one arm and hold three
other things in my hand while simultaneously picking up another item
from the floor. Can your legs handle that? Mine couldn’t before!
This is by far the best change I have made in myself in the last few
years. It is not easy. But it is SO worth it. Now let me have my
husband tell you about his experience:
When I got out of the Army in May 2002, I spent the next nine months
as a couch potato as far as my conditioning was concerned. By
mid-January I had had enough of being a slug, so I started working out
using products and techniques taught by Pavel
Tsatsouline. Since then I have lost 16 lbs of fat and gained 4 lbs
of muscle. More importantly, I am stronger than I have ever been and
my workouts are only 20-45 minutes a day 3-4 days per week.
(Rachel’s note: He took one of his kettlebells to
Afghanistan with him!)
 Pavel
is a former Spetsnaz (Russian Special Forces) trainer and currently
lives in California teaching SWAT teams, military personnel and
ordinary folks how to get leaner and stronger “without the dishonor
of dieting and aerobics.”
For raw strength without adding useless bulk (like bodybuilders), I
use the methods outlined in the book “Power
to the People” (PTP). For fat loss, strength endurance and
cardiovascular conditioning I have been using Kettlebells. A
Kettlebell is a cannonball with a handle (otherwise known as a
“Wile-E-Coyote weight” by my friend Joe) that builds phenomenal
grip strength while conditioning your aerobic and anaerobic systems.
Bottom line: If you want to be lean, strong and have the endurance of
an athlete I highly recommend all of Pavel’s products, especially
kettlebells.
P.S. Since I find myself recommending these products to others anyway,
I have become an affiliate of the Dragondoor
website. If you buy any products using these links,
I will get a small commission and you will get to be the envy of all
your friends after a few months of using them!
Back to Rachel again. If you ever have questions, please
ask. We have provided a lot of links here for you to get started.
Please check out our personal recommendations for both men and
women
to the left and our ongoing product reviews and specials.
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