AUGUST 22, 2009 -- Today’s workout lesson begins with a list of similar words. Choose the one that’s most beneficial to your exercise regimen:
1. Kettle corn.
2. Kettle chips.
3. Ketel One.
4. Kettlebells.
Answer: Choosing the first three will lead to a much-needed workout with the last.
Kettlebell workouts have been around for decades, and originated in Russia (who we also thank for mail-order brides, vodka, fur hats and nesting dolls). The Russian word for kettlebells is "girya," and the Russian men who used them were called "gireviks," a term still used today.
The Russian military has long used kettlebells for conditioning troops. Instead of testing strength and endurance with push-ups, they use a high repetition kettlebell snatch test, (similar to a “clean-and-press,” which is not for the faint of heart).
Kettlebells became mainstream in this country thanks to Pavel Tsatsouline, a kettlebell trainer for the United States and Soviet Union armed forces. When the U.S. noticed Russian counterparts seemed to have more endurance in competitions, they began incorporating kettlebell training routines.
Imagine a flat bottomed bowling ball made of iron, with a handle. You don’t throw these bad boys, you lift them. Kettlebell workouts are designed to increase strength, endurance, agility and balance. They challenge both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements.
These workouts engage many muscle groups at once, so the workout forces you to control your entire body, especially your core. The lifting and controlling of a kettlebell builds strength and stability at the same time, so it’s a great way to get a whole body workout in a short time.
Kettlebells vary in weight and size and come in “poods,” an old Russian measure of weight, which equals 16 kilograms, or roughly 35 pounds. An average man can start with a 35-pounder and the average woman can begin with an 18 pounder. This may not seem like much, but after a high number of reps, it’ll feel much heavier.
Most men will progress to a 53-pounder, the standard issue size in the Russian military. Seventy-pounders are used only by a few advanced guys. There are 88-pounders, but that’s for mutants with freakish strength.
The best way to begin this type of training is with an experienced, certified professional. Choose an RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification) trainer and not some kettlebell-totin’ know-it-all who has taken a few classes in between clients.
Your first kettlebell session will be a killer (prepare for soreness), but your body will adapt quickly to the controlled, motion-based lifts and rotations. By the time you’ve mastered advanced reps (Turkish Getups, Renegade Rows and Pistols), you’ll feel worth your weight in gold.
Kettlebells develop strength, but a kettlebell-trained body is not bulky. It’s a leaner, more athletic look. Kettlebell workouts increase density, making your muscles stronger and harder, especially in your low back, hip, and glute areas. This is a bonus for women who like having a firm, rounded, derriere, or, “kettle butt.”
For more information, go to dragondoor.com.
(Connie Cook is a freelance writer and fitness director at FIT Athletic Club. When she's not working out she’s stomping grapes in her bath tub or laying the groundwork for an insanity defense.)
