So – you’ve heard about kettlebells, and are wondering what they are, and why you should add them to your workout. Simply put, a kettlebell is a cast iron or cast steel weight, and it looks like a cannonball with a handle. Kettlebells originated in Russia back in the 1700’s, and were used to weigh crops. The story is that farmers found that farmers using them gained strength, and used them to show off that strength in festivals. The Soviet army used them as part of their physical training and conditioning programs over the last century.
But – what makes kettlebells so great for your workouts? In your normal strength workouts, normally your pattern of movement is very stable. Once of the best ways to change up your workout is to add “instability” to your program. With kettlebells, the center of mass extends behind the hand, which allows for swinging and release movements – the unique shape of the kettlebell provides an unstable force, which is key to the effectiveness of a kettlebell workout.
Additionally, unlike a typical workout, a kettlebell works multiple muscle groups at one time. A big advantage to this is – you can either work more muscles in the same time as your normal workout – or shorten up the time your workout takes while working the same muscles as before! This can make your workout more like high-intensity interval training rather than traditional weight lifting.
High intensity interval training is a great way to burn tons of fat, increase your overall strength while improving how lean you look, and getting that physique you’ve been working so hard to achieve. Kettlebells are a great tool to not only help you accomplish this, but do it in less time as well!
And, if you’re wondering where you can find kettlebells, stop into any of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s three Valley stores. We can help you find the perfect kettlebells for your fitness goals!
