Kettlebells: From Fitness to Fat Loss
Kettlebells are very
versatile and can be beneficial from those who are active to those who are in
search of greater freedom and mobility.
Kettlebells have a very deep history and have been used from something
as simple as counterweight to training elite Special Forces to the everyday
fitness person.
Kettlebells also called
“girya” was defined in the Russian dictionary in the early 1700, approximately
300 years ago and those who lifted a girya were called “gireviks. Though the original use was not for fitness
at the time, they were used as counterweights which bore the imperial seal
which weighed out dry goods on market scales.
It wasn’t until the 12th Century that kettlebells were used
for entertainment and weightlifting. The standards in which the weight of a
kettlebell is measured are in “poods” which converts to 16.38 kg or
approximately 36.11 lbs. In 1913, the
kettlebell was seen as a superior weight loss tool and was featured in Hercules
fitness magazine. In 1948, modern kettlebell lifting became the Soviet Union’s
national sport. 22 years later, circa 1970, kettlebell lifting became a part of
the United All State Sport Association of the USSR. National rules and regulations were
implemented in 1985. Prior to today's
popularity of kettlebells, bells were mostly used by strongmen such as Arthur
Saxton, Sig Klein, Clevio Massimo and The Mighty Apollo.
In 1998, Dragon Door’s
Pavel Tsatsouline a former Soviet Special Forces physical trainer introduced
kettlebells to the United States in an article in the MILO magazine, whose
audience bends steal and lift rocks published an article called: Vodka, Pickle
Juice, Kettlebell Lifting and other Russian Past time.
With the past use of kettlebells having mainly been for strongmen, what benefits can kettlebells provide the rest of us and what results can be expected?
Benefits:
According to Bromley, some of the benefits that kettlebell training provides are:
a. Building endurance
b. Toning and strengthening of almost every muscle of the body
c. Ability to shed fat.
In relation to building endurance, in a study done by the American Counsel of Exercise (ACE), with both men and women between the ages of 29-46 years of age, a 20 minute workout was conducted calculating the participants O2 consumption and blood lactate levels the results a total of 400 calories were burned which is equivalent to 20 calories/minute. In terms of a calorie burn the pace which the participants were equated to were the following two exercises:
1. Running at a 6 mile pace Cross-country skiing up hill at a fast pace.
2. Toning and strengthening almost every muscle of the body
The art of Muay Thai encompasses both toning and strengthening due to the need to be strong and resilient. Kettlebells assist in the toning and strengthening of the muscles of the body through various exercises such as the Swings and Turkish Getup. The swing is the foundation for all kettlebell exercises and through this exercise it allows for the balance of tension and relaxation relationship to work together. Through the Kettlebell workout, the body moves in various planes and therefore provides the necessary stability and durability a person needs in order to make the body stronger.
