It was used more than three hundred years ago, before the dumbbell, in Russia. It looks like a cannonball with a handle and is made out of cast iron. It ranges in weight and is being used more and more by exercise enthusiasts all over America. It's the kettlebell.
Aron Kohler, who owns Results Personal Training with his wife Erika Vogel, just received a certification to teach classes utilizing the Russian-born piece of exercise equipment and knows a lot about how it can be used to enhance someone's workout.
"It's different because it's dynamic," Kohler said. "You're moving weight through space in an explosive manner."
Exercises are meant to utilize natural human movements that anyone can do and target many of the major muscle groups. According to Kohler, the main muscles most of the exercises hit include the quads, upper back and abs. Adding to the versatility of the kettlebell's many workouts is that it comes in a variety or shapes and sizes.
"The 16, 24 and 32 [kilogram weights] are the main sizes but we have all the different sizes," he said. The kettlebells at Kohler's gym range from five to 85 pounds and are labeled in kilogram and pound increments.
Using the kettlebell in a workout is most effective when used during a series. This is when an exercise is performed in the beginning of the workout, but is returned to later. This is to ensure that people learn to do the proper movements and techniques. According to Kohler, learning the exercise properly helps people develop muscle memory faster and get results faster as a result.
All this repetition can help burn calories as well as work on someone's cardiovascular system. Kohler said since the muscle groups it works are so large more calories get burned during the duration of the workout, and doing the exercises with little rest or a lot of repetition will bring in the cardio aspect.
Though the kettlebell is receiving some more attention in America now, it is not a new phenomenon in the entire workout world.
According to the Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification Instructor Manual, it first appeared in Russian dictionaries in 1704 and became so popular that strongmen and weight lifters of the time were called girevik, or kettlebell men.
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