What the heck is a kettlebell?A kettlebell resembles a cannonball with a U-shaped handle attached to it. In Russia, they are called "girya" or handlebell. Do they all weigh the same?No. The first kettlebells were measured in "poods" (prounounced pretty much the way it looks). 1 pood=16.3kg=36lbs basically. However we have kettlebells as light as 4kg (8.8lbs) and as heavy as 36kg (79lbs). Most of the kettlebells we use (all but the 4kg size) are from the American Kettlebell Club. This means that they don't weigh the same, but they are all the same size. So when you go up or down in weight, the size of the handle is always the same, the bell rests on the same spot on your arm and the movement is changed only by the weight of the bell. This is probably just for people who are already really strong, right?NOT AT ALL. Kettlebell lifting develops flexibility and strength in all three planes of movement (front to back or sagittal plane, side to side or frontal plane, and twisting or transverse plane). Most "strong people" are strong when they are moving in a sagittal plane, but challenge them in another plane, the story changes. Very few people even the ones who fancy themselves as "strong" have the endurance, strength and flexibility in all three planes of movement the kettlebell develops. But if you do catagorize yourself as "not strong", "not fit", "not flexible", kettlebell lifting offers you the opportunity to get strong in a balanced way. The bell will develop your strength and flexibility in all three planes of movement protecting you from injury. What if I am a real clutz?Then you will probably end up on YouTube. Just Kidding. Safety First is always the rule. Successful lifts are always the goal. Confidence is always the outcome of success. Much of the benefit on any type of exercise is the increased coordination within and between the muscular and nervous systems. The kettlebell is an exceptional tool for increasing coordination and balance because of the variety of movements that can be executed with the bell. Give it a try. You will be amazed. Can I work with Kettlebells if I have back pain? Knee pain? Shoulder pain?We will want to know about any and all medical conditions and injuries you have. We always recommend you have your doctor's approval to begin an exercise program. There is no straight forward answer to this question. The best we can say is call us and tell us about your individual situation. There is no silver bullet answer to musculoskeletal pain. Anyone who claims the contrary is probably more interested in selling you something than in helping you. Am I going to hold that thing over my head for a whole hour?No. Unless you want to. The club focuses on teaching the competitive kettlebell lifts but uses a variety of other exercises to increase conditioning, strength and flexibility. There will be times when you will be warming up with old fashioned Indian Clubs or a jump rope. Other times you may be incorporating the exercise ball or band work with your kettlebell training. Some sessions will focus more on cardiovascular training with faster lifts while others will concentrate on strength with slower lifts. At regular intervals we will test ourselves with the competitive kettlebell lifts. There is no shortage of things to do. The best part is you will learn what you are doing and why. The club is NOT a mindless, follow-along, no-pain-no-gain festival of flailing bodies. Trust me after your first introduction to the ten minute kettlebell snatch test, you might be wishing it were. But you will have the knowledge, the form and the efficiency to execute such a task before going into it.
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