What started off as something to weigh out dry goods at the market was popularised for use in weight training by a Russian physician in the 19th century. And it’s now a go-to piece of kit for many personal trainers, including the KBPT team.
Five reasons we love kettlebells
1. Full body workout – With just a single kettlebell, you can train your core, glutes, legs and arms.
2. Low impact exercise – Because you keep your feet on the ground while using a kettlebell, it doesn’t put any pressure on your joints.
3. Good for heart health – Many kettlebell exercises are dynamic, which means doing fast lifts that raise your heart rate and get you sweating.
4. Variety of exercises – Kettlebells are a versatile weight that can be used to do a diverse range of exercises.
5. Use it anywhere – It’s really easy to transport a kettlebell, which means you can use it at the gym or in the park. If you’re going on a road trip, you can even pop one in the car!
Of course, like any type of exercise, form is important when you’re using a kettlebell. If you haven’t done kettlebell training before, we recommend getting some advice from a professional trainer first.
Popular exercises include the kettlebell snatch, halo, swing and Turkish get-up, all of which can be adapted to your own strength and fitness levels. Look for #kettlebell and #kettlebellworkout posts on insta and follow @kettlebellathletes for inspiration.
If you decide to train with KBPT and you don’t own a kettlebell, we can recommend the right one for you (they range in size from 4kg to 32kg). Alternatively, our trainers can provide a kettlebell for use in your PT sessions and can provide a home exercise plan to help you build up to a heavier kettlebell. And please don’t worry that using weights will bulk you out… if you do it properly, it won’t!
Interested in training with KBPT? Email kate@kbpersonaltraining.co.uk for a free consultation.
