Kettlebell Training
Kettlebells are a phenomenally effective training tool. They help cut training time, burning a huge amount of calories, building strength and helping posture. I have a full set of kettlebells which I bring to clients. If you’ve never held a kettlebell before, don’t worry: I will coach you in good kettlebell technique and supply you with the correct weight of bell. Don’t panic if you think they look intimidating, I promise they’re not. Kettlebells come in a range of sizes and weights and I’ll never suggest you use a weight that’s too advanced.
Functional fitness, injury-prevention, fat burning
Kettlebells are fantastic for getting a good cardio session into a small space, raising the heartrate through a series of simple but effective moves (which I’ll teach you). Unlike dumbbells, a kettlebell’s gravity is offset, meaning your entire body needs to work harder as you go through the moves. You can build up the tempo of a kettlebell session, making each movement flow into the other, bringing your workrate up. You’ll end up training at a rate which burns calories and body fat, too, toning your entire body and strengthening your core.
The after-effects of working with kettlebells are significant: this type of training is metabolically demanding, raising your body’s calorie-burning capabilities for hours afterwards. Using kettlebells, we can work on endurance, explosive strength, power or fat burning. They are a great tool which anyone can use safely and effectively. I’ll even show you how kettlebells can be used to train for specific events like running and triathlon.
History of kettlebells
Some people believe kettlebell training originated from ancient Greece, some from Scotland and others from Russia. What is certain is that kettlebell-type tools were used in ancient times as an important part of military training. The drills were passed down through the generations as a culturally-important skill, finally becoming a competitive sport.
In recent times, it’s Russia and the Eastern Bloc countries who have dominated the use of kettlebells for physical training and competition. We are now starting to appreciate what the Russians have known for many years, that kettlebells are a great training tool for anyone who wants a full-body training method which can be used to develop:
- Power
- Muscular endurance
- Muscular strength
- Injury prevention
- Aerobic endurance
- Functionality
- Flexibility
- Motor skills