| A 'kettlebell' or girya (Russian) is a traditional | | | | Unlike a conventional dumbbell or barbell, the |
| Russian cast iron weight that looks like a | | | | Kettlebell's centre of mass is displaced from the |
| cannonball with a handle. It is said to be the | | | | handle. This means the weight constantly pulls |
| ultimate tool for extreme all-round fitness. | | | | against your hand and requires not only strength |
| It started life in rural Russia as a counter balance | | | | and co-ordination when exercising with it, but also |
| for weighing grain. Russian peasants picked it up | | | | the recruitment of other muscles through your |
| and swung it around for a bit of convenient | | | | arms, shoulders and trunk. |
| weight training. | | | | Here is a short list of hardware the Russian |
| Over time, the Russian military understood its | | | | kettlebell replaces:barbells, dumbbells, belts for |
| potential and started to use it, then Russian | | | | weighted pullups and dips, thick bars, lever bars, |
| strongmen and wrestlers. American athletes | | | | medicine balls, grip devices, and cardio equipment. |
| eventually discovered it. Today it is regarded by | | | | Kettle Bell training develops strength, power, |
| fitness experts as the ultimate training tool for | | | | endurance and balance. Kettle Bell workouts have |
| all-round fitness and physical development. | | | | long been a favorite of throwers, jumpers, |
| The kettlebell goes way back, it first appeared in | | | | sprinters and hurdlers. You can perform squats, |
| a Russian dictionary in 1704 (Cherkikh, 1994). | | | | pulls, overhead throws and rotational training plus |
| They were so popular in Tsarist Russia that any | | | | much more. it improves your balance and your |
| strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a | | | | posture, and after working out with kettle bells |
| girevik, or 'a kettlebell man'. | | | | just walking around the next day you can feel |
| "Not a single sport develops our muscular strength | | | | more centered. |
| and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics," reported | | | | Talk to your doctor or personal trainer to see if |
| Russian magazine Hercules in 1913. | | | | kettle bells is the right fit for you! |