Russian Kettlebells - What Are They?
Kettlebells are uniquely shaped weights popularized in the U.S.A. by Pavel Tsatsouline, a former Russian Spetsnaz trainer. These weights do not look like the dumbbells that everyone is used to seeing in gyms. Instead of being a bar with weight focused on each end, they resemble an iron cannon ball with a handle protruding from the top. This unique shape gives them a different center of gravity and feel compared to traditional Western style weights. Leverage is created against the lifter which makes the same given weight compared to a dumbbell harder to lift.
When lifting kettlebells there is usually an emphasis on whole-body workout. This means a person does not stand there and try to do bicep curls. Instead, a person will start with two Russian kettlebells hanging in neutral position near his or her hips, “clean” them to chest level (similar to a curl, but kept closer to the body), and finish by raising the weight overhead. The weights are then lowered to the chest, and finally to the neutral position near the hips again. This process is repeated in a steady pace in order to help the user build strength and endurance at the same time. Additionally, the handle on the kettlebell is quite wide which makes it harder to hold onto. This results in a grip workout at the same time.
Martial artists who train for shock resistance receive an added benefit from this kind of training. Due to its unique shape, a kettlebell must be rotated around the wrist and “caught” on the forearm when “cleaning” the kettlebell. This rotation can be performed in such a way that when the weight impacts the arm it does so in very abrupt manner - which provides a harder shock. Trainees who wish to save their arms can dip down with their legs as the weight comes down to minimize the shock.
Common kettlebell weights can range from as small as 9 pounds to as large as 106 pounds. Many companies recommend that a person who can lift 80 - 100 pounds with traditional weights not begin with the equivalent size kettlebell since form is very critical and makes lifting more difficult.
The main goal with this kind of lifting program is building functional strength instead of going for the ‘roid boy look. These unique tools are known for sculpting strong shoulders and arms with a defined set of pecs and strong abdominal muscles.
Learn more about the benefits of Russian Kettlebells and how they can help you build lean muscle and burn fat by visiting http://kettlebells.swifo.com The site also includes a free newsletter in which you can subscribe for fitness tips.
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