The Truth Behind Kettlebells - new blog at wisconsinbjj.com
I actually wrote this article a couple weeks ago, but for some reason I forgot to publish it here. Enjoy.
Over the past ten years, the kettlebell has seen an enormous resurgence of popularity in the west. Much of this rise has been attributed to Pavel Tsatsouline, a Russian-born Fitness coach who has wrote extensively on the topic (in addition to his works on bodyweight movements). Several other coaches, notably Steve Maxwell, have done much traveling to Russia to learn their methods and bring these ideas back to the west. The truth is that the Russians did not invent the kettlebell, but rather co-opted a pre-existing version of a widely-used tool that had fallen out of fashion in the west and continued to use it as part of their Fitness arsenal until western eyes fell upon it once more. During the time of the Cold War, the athletic prowess and Olympic success of the Russians drew the attention of many American strength coaches, and it was only a matter of time before the kettlebell returned to the west.
The standard weight measurement of the kettlebell is a pood, which translates to approximately 35 pounds (or 16 kilos). In this kettlebell “renaissance” the most common weights are one pood, one and a half poods (52lbs or 24kg) and two poods (72lbs or 32kg), though kettlebells are now easily found in weights from four to over one hundred pounds.
There are many movements that are considered to be “kettlebell-specific.” The relative new-ness of these movements in the western Fitness lexicon, and the assertion that they can only be performed with kettlebells gives the tool a certain mystic, super-effective reputation that is not necessarily correct. The truth is that there are very few actual kettlebell-specific movements. A majority of exercises deemed kettlebell-only can easily be performed with dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, leverage clubs - even humans (by the skilled, of course)! Some are more difficult to perform with other tools - which likely is the cause of their kettlebell preference - but they are possible nonetheless.
In the end, a tool is merely a tool. No particular piece of equipment is better than another - it is how you use it that matters. Learn how to execute movements safely and correctly, use a variety of weights and movements, and challenge yourself. Success does not come via a tool, but from the effort you put forth.
