Kettlebells are somewhat old-school fitness devices, but they’ve been around for so long because they are some of the best kept strength training secrets. Kettlebells are cast iron weights that resemble blocks or balls with handles attached. They’re simple, but fitness experts are rediscovering just how much these simple devices can add to a workout.

Believe it or not, kettlebells can deliver a whole-body workout. Working out with kettlebells requires the engagement of the entire body and works the main muscle groups, including core muscles. It won’t take long to see results with kettlebell workouts. They don’t take up a lot of space, so you can work out in an apartment, and it only takes two kettlebells (Adjustable ones are available.) to start increasing endurance, building strength, and losing fat.

Kettlebell training became popular in Russia in the second half of the 20th century, though exercises with similar equipment goes back to ancient times – specifically to the ancient Greeks. Those kettlebells were made of iron, lead, or stone.

The largest kettlebell in history is stored in a Greek museum, and weighs 1,435 kg, measuring 68 x 39 x 33 cm. During the last half of the 19th century, kettlebells were strength training secrets with rowers, circus artists, and athletes. A number of kettlebell exercises, for example, were used as far back as 1861 in the training of rowers.

The resurgence in use of kettlebells has appealed to female athletes as well as male. Women from every corner of the world have discovered the great results from kettlebell workouts and are taking advantage. Though traditionally considered more of a “male” workout, kettlebells have been used by women for more than 100 years.

During the Soviet era, kettlebell sports faded from western view with the elimination of kettlebe ll programs such as the World Championships and Olympics. However, kettlebell training continued to be pursued in the USSR. They were commonly used by rural Soviet youths, members of the Soviet Army and Navy, and fishermen.

Informal competitions continued to take place throughout the 20th century in the USSR. Even doctors, scientists, and artists engaged in kettlebell fitness training and sometimes participated in contests.

The modern history of kettlebell training really began in 1962 in the Soviet Union. At this time, rules of competitions were ratified and included presses by the left and right arm, lifting of two kettlebells from the chest, and the grabbing of kettlebells by one hand. The sport was popular in Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, and Tataria.

As the popularity of kettlebell competitions increased it became necessary to standardize the sport across the entire USSR. By 1992, Baltic nations created the European Union of Weightball Lifting, which was attended by representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and Byelorussia. In 2007 the International Union of Kettlebell Lifting extended the sport to a wider range of participants and spectators.

Today 19 countries are represented: Australia, Byelorussia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. Applicants seeking entry into the International Union of Kettlebell Lifting include Croatia, Israel, and Slovenia.

That’s all well and good, but what about kettlebell workouts for ordinary people?

Kettlebells come in sizes from 8 lbs. to 105 lbs in a dozen or so increments in size, so a kettlebell can be found for every size of person in every level of fitness. With kettlebells, you can do many of “the usual” weight training exercises like bench presses, curls, and rows. But where kettlebells really reveal their strength training secrets is with the so-called ballistic (fast) exercises like swings, jerks, snatches, and cleans.

Done with high numbers of reps, with proper nutrition. kettlebell workouts give you amazing muscle endurance and get rid of excess fat very efficiently. But the ballistic exercises and the standard presses and curls aren’t all. You can learn exercises like the Windmill and the Turkish Get-up and get your core muscles rock hard while increasing the flexibility of your shoulders. Kettlebells are also used in therapeutic settings, such as for physical rehabilitation and chiropractic exercises.

Kettlebells are also great fitness aids for women who want to work on their abs, arms, glutes, and quadriceps. A combination of low rep strength training and high rep endurance training are the best combination for working on “problem areas.”

So why not just work out with dumbbells? The reason is because kettlebells are harder to handle. The fact that the weight is off-center forces you to use stabilizer muscles more to develop proper form and prevent injury. They also force you to work muscles through a longer motion range. Kettlebell workouts are great strength training secrets for contact sports like football, hockey, and wrestling, because ballistic exercises train participants to efficiently absorb shock.

So, is kettlebell training the ultimate training system?You know the saying that the best exercise is the one you’ll do. Some people are able to build full workouts around kettlebells, and others prefer to incorporate kettlebell exercises into other comprehensive workouts to change it up and keep it interesting. Since kettlebell exercises look different from what most people are used to, some people are concerned that kettlebell exercises are dangerous. But they are only dangerous when they are done with poor form (or when you drop a kettlebell onto your foot).

Learning proper kettlebell training techniques makes kettlebell workouts as safe as any mainstream workouts, including the old standbys of bench pressing and curls. Take the little bit of time to learn how to handle kettlebells properly, and you’ll see great benefits while keeping risks in line with those of your typical workout. Personal instruction is best, but there are good kettlebell DVDs available for those who don’t have access to personal instructors.

But they aren’t everything to everybody. If you want to build strength and burn fat, kettlebells are great. If you want to build muscle, then don’t give up weight training with barbells. While kettlebells are great for working on shoulders, arms, and hamstrings, they aren’t ideal for things like quad development or development of calf muscles.

If, however, you’re interested in getting stronger without getting larger, then kettlebell training is a great choice. Women love kettlebell training because it helps with toning muscles and burning fat without excess muscular development. Those who are most interested in functional strength, such as law enforcement, members of the armed services, or those with bodyguard or secret service jobs will find that kettlebells make a great addition to workouts.

Martial artists are also big fans of kettlebell training.Kettlebells aren’t all that common in gyms yet. Gyms make their bread and butter on getting people to sign on, and machines like elliptical trainers, bikes, and treadmills and weight machines are instrumental in attracting new members.

Kettlebell workouts require some initial training, while weight machines require very little in the way of instruction or supervision. That said, kettlebells and kettlebell classes are starting to be seen in gyms, and are becoming popular, particularly kettlebell classes geared toward women.

For those working out at home with kettlebells, most men are a good match for 53 lb. kettlebells, unless they are just starting or fairly out of shape, in which case a set of 35 lb kettlebells would be a good choice. Women usually start with 18 lb kettlebells, unless they are pretty fit, in which case they may want to start with 26 lb. kettlebells.The top manufacturers of kettlebells are Ironwoody, Ader, Dragondoor, and Lifeline USA.

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