The days of old have slowly crept upon us! I can feel the sky falling down around me. The days when people would gather in large groups to feast upon the bounty of the crop while drinking mead in their wooden goblets have finally returned upon this land with a fiery vengeance. The long lost days of the Kettlebell have returned!
While there has been some debate on whether the Kettlebell was originated by the Russians or the Shaolin fighting monks, there seems to be a unanimous agreement that the Kettlebell is a superior piece of equipment, even in it’s simplicity. The Kettlebell is very simple in it’s design. It’s simply a ball made from a heavy material with a handle attaching in two places on the ball. See, simple.
The reason for the separation from the Kettlebell within the more recent decades has been from the advancements in workout equipment. The Kettlebell used to be the standard when it came to a weight lifting routine that needed something aside from the barbell. They were the dumbbells of yesteryear.
A glaring problem with the Kettlebell was the way it was weighted. With all of the primary weight from the Kettlebell being in opposition of the handle it wasn’t conducive to lifts that needed the weighted portion of the Kettlebell to rotate away from the gravitational pull (bicep curls, tricep extensions, etc.). But the biggest reason for the disappearance of the Kettlebell was the fact that it promoted bad form for most lifts. With the weight essentially hanging from the grip it caused a lot of momentum during each rep which can cause injuries, most notably, back problems. The development of the dumbbell fixed this problem with an even distribution of the weights on either side of the grip.
Now, thanks to the wide growth in the fundamental understandings of the weight room and, consequently, weight lifting, and to Mark Twight’s “300″ workout (yes, this is the workout the giant guys in the movie “300″ did to get ripped), the Kettlebell is back in canon. Perhaps, the Kettlebell wasn’t as bad for us as previously labeled?
The Kettlebell causes you to cross train your body by using the smaller muscles for stabilizing the oddly weighted object. By focusing on every little movement you make while lifting you reach a new level of fitness. With your understanding of momentum and how it can be detrimental you use it to your advantage. An unstable environment often yields the most desirable results. Much like the use of a Physio ball, the Kettlebell forces you to focus on your core and desired muscle group simultaneously. Many tests have shown that using a Kettlebell increases muscle activity throughout the body, not just the targeted area. This we know benefits in two ways: Build more lean muscle mass than you thought you were, and burn more fat. How could we ever get rid of such a simple yet advanced piece of equipment? Next time you are looking to shake up your workout routine, look into Kettlebell training. Who knows, you may fall in love with the gym all over again. I know I did.
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