subject: History of the Russian Kettlebell [print this page] History of the Russian Kettlebell History of the Russian Kettlebell
Kettlebells are a fantastic way to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, a fact which is proven by their current popularity in the world of fitness and training. Used by strongmen, the Russian military and underground strength athletes for years, Kettlebells are now available in many fitness clubs and gyms.If you haven't about Kettlebells, let me give you some background info.
A Kettlebell is a free weight made from cast iron and, sometimes, coated with vinyl. It looks like a cannonball with a handle on top and comes in weights ranging from les than 10 lbs all the way up to over 100 lb's. It has applications in all kinds of functional strength training, muscle building and fat loss. Before we look at the benefits of training with Kettlebells, I'm going to tell you about the history behind it.
Kettlebells were first used in Russia in the early 1700's and were known as "girya" while the men who lifted Kettlebells were called "gireviks". They were regularly used in Russian strongman contests because of their strength enhancing qualities, something that was not lost on the Russian military. Spetznaz and regular Russian forces all trained (and still do train) with Kettlebells to bring their military fitness to a peak. Former Soviet Spetznaz Instructor Pavel Tsatsouline has been largely credited with bringing the theories of Kettlebell training to the masses. This has eventually led to the foundation of organised Kettlebell competitions with many being run year round and world wide. The benfits of the Kettlebell have been proven throughout history and they are here to stay.
Now that you know about Kettlebells enduring popularity it's time to learn about the benefits of training with Kettlebells. Once you are familiar with these you'll know why everyone is trying to get in on the Kettlebell action.
Kettlebells help you to:
- Build muscle.
- Increase endurance.
- Tone muscles.
- Burn fat.
- Raise your metabolism for hours after your workout.
- Improve your functional strength.
- Allow you to work out almost anywhere due to their small size and versatility.
A Kettlebell will set you back about $50 for a decent weight to get started. With that initial expense you will get a lifelong training tool. You can save a fortune in gym fee's, exercise equipment and training DVD's with this 1 piece of kit. After 1 workout with a Kettlebell you'll be hooked!
