Kettlebells South Africa
You may have heard of Kettlebells, or Russian Kettlebells, and wondered what they are!
A Brief History of Kettlebells. 1
For what Sports is Kettlebell Training Appropriate?. 3
(click on any of the above links)
A Brief History of Kettlebells
Kettlebells are special weights used to build strength and endurance. Unlike barbells and dumbbells, they look more like a canon ball with a thick handle attached at the top. Traditional designs are made out of a solid ball of cast iron. Kettlebells come in a variety of sizes with moderate gaps in weights. Some of the lightest kettlebells measure in at 10 lbs. while the heaviest are 100+ pounds.
People have been using kettlebells for hundreds of years. According to Cherkikh (1994), the first mentioning of kettlebells appears in a 1704 edition Russian dictionary. Men who lifted these weights were called girevik, based on the Russian word for kettlebell, “girya”. By 1913, Russian magazine Hercules declared, “Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics.”
How do Kettlebells Feel?
One of the funniest things you can do with a kettlebell is giving it to a friend who thinks you should curl it like a dumbbell. The same given weight they use easily with a dumbbell will have them struggling. The reason for this difficulty is caused by the kettlebell’s unique shape. The other reason is the improper form your friend uses to lift the weight.
When lifting a kettlebell in the proper manner it can feel as smooth as butter while doing swings. Using your legs to generate the force will cause the kettlebell to rise and fall in a natural arc without the assistance of your upper body. Other exercises will make the same weight feel like you are weak and never trained before in you life. One of these exercises is windmill where you lean sides ways and press the weight upward from a bent over position.
A big difference between kettlebells and normal weights is that you have to catch the weight on your arm during cleans. In this exercise the weight pivots around your hand and lands on the back of your forearm. If you do it improperly the kettlebell will slam into your arm (not exactly the most pleasurable experience). Luckily, learning to properly to capture the kettlebell on your forearm is not very difficult. Quickly accelerating your arm underneath the weight and bending your knees to lower your body at the same time is usually all that’s needed to cushion yourself against the weight.
Kettlebell Training
Most kettlebell exercises also focus on compound movements rather than isolation movements. In laymen’s terms, compound exercises recruit different muscle groups to complete a lift instead of focusing on just one muscle group by bending you at multiple points. Examples of compound exercises are kettlebell cleans, snatches, and squats. An isolation exercise on the other hand would be curling a dumbbell to hit your biceps. In the previous exercises, core muscles, leg muscles, and arm muscles all work together to complete the exercise.
Technique and form is CRITICAL, so it is important to attend Kettlebell classes in order to learn the correct form and technique. Refer to Local Training (below) for training available in Fourways, Johannesburg.
Kettlebell Physique
“So, what will a Kettlebell physique look like?” is a question often asked.
Typically Kettlebells will not build huge muscle, as you often see with body builders. If you want to look like a “jock” stick to the gym and pump those free weights!
Kettlebells will build your strength and muscle tone without bulking you unnecessarily.
Here are a few examples of “kettlebell” physiques:
(the first picture is Lance Armstrong, the cycling legend)
Are Kettlebells for Women?
A question often asked is the appropriateness of kettlebell training for women. The short answer is “absolutely”!
There is a great article on Dragondoor.com. Click here to read it: Are Kettlebells for Women?
Not convinced? You be the judge . . . . check out some of these female physiques developed through kettlebell training:
For what Sports is Kettlebell Training Appropriate?
Kettlebell training can be used for a variety of sports.
If you are in any doubt as to the versatility of Kettlebell training, how about this: In planning his comeback attempt in the Tour de France in 2009 Lance Armstrong incorporates Kettlebells as a key part of his strength training. In this article Lance can be seen doing swings with a 24kg Kettlebell.
Kettlebell Success Stories
Although the prevalence of kettlebell trainers is increasing dramatically, it remains a fact that Russian Kettlebells are not widely known as a means of exercising.
With that said, there many remarkable success stories resulting from training with kettlebells.
The Dragondoor.com website has a compilation of success stories, which can be found here Kettlebell Success Stories (click on the link).
Some Interesting Reads
How Are Kettlebells Different From Barbells and Dumbbells?
Kettlebell training, a Russian training method, catches on in Northland – Duluth News
Lance Armstrong reveals his killer workouts in comeback attempt
Youtube Videos
Here are a few links to Kettlebell videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzQTjj-rP_E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx7KOxcbqpc&NR=1
Local Kettlebell Training
Trent Murgatroyd
Russian Kettlebell Instructor
Phone: +27-71-898-7802
Fax: +27-86-609-9795
Email:trent@kettlebells.za.net
Web Site:http://www.kettlebells.za.net
Review Trent’s ratings as a Kettlebell instructor by clicking here:
Training Times:
Mon – Fri:05h30 – 07h00
Mon – Thu: 17h30-18h45 & 18h45 – 20h00
Tue & Thu: 08h00 – 09h00
Sat:07h00 – 09h00
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT attempt kettlebell training without at least a few months training. You should use a QUALIFIED kettlebell instructor to get the correct training.