The Russian Method: Kettlebells

Fitness is fickle. Analyzing the market trends of any given year would be monumental task, as each year a new product or practice seems to pack people into gyms, ashrams, and training centers. When once the mere act of bodybuilding was revolutionary, now it is as old hat as Barney the Dinosaur. From Pilates to yoga to kickboxing to Brazilian wrestling, the innovations of building better bodies never seem to end. Stronger abs, bulging biceps, stable cores, total body flexibility — the range of goals are as divergent as the individuals involved.

For nearly ten years, the new fitness trend in the United States seems to have come from Russia with love. The kettlebell is now king in these parts, and there is no going back. Espoused by fitness gurus, Olympic wrestlers, and martial arts aficionados, the kettlebell is now perched as the pinnacle of strength, and flexibility, training.

Resembling a cannon ball with a handle, the kettlebell boasts a new kind of effectiveness as it opens an entirely new range of motion. With traditional dumbbells and free weights, exercises are typically executed in linear fashion. You lift and relax. The kettlebell, on the other hand, utilizes the entire retinue of major and minor muscles. You are no longer just building bulging biceps; you are strengthening the entire suite of rotator cuff muscles, shoulders, abdominals and even leg muscles. This interplay of musculature is due to the broad and engrossing kettlebell maneuvers.

A kettlebell is lifted, rotated, turned, twisted, snatched, and carried. These complex series of movements incorporated more and more muscle groups, forcing the stabilizing muscles around the joints to throw their lot in and get stronger. A kettlebell enthusiast seldom boasts about one powerful body part; instead he or she enjoys a comprehensive, total body strength building and cardiovascular routine. This interplay of strength and stamina is the core of a kettlebell workout.

The radical nature of this fitness trend is evident in competitive kettlebell demonstrations. Whereas traditional bodybuilding favors the display of the physique, kettlebell enthusiasts prefer demonstrations of stamina and strength. Competitive exercises are typically preoccupied with the Two Kettlebell Jerk and the One Kettlebell Snatch. Both exercises are performed for ten minutes each, the winner being whomever can perform the most repetitions in that time. As a result, kettlebell enthusiasts have cultivated a reputation for no-nonsense training and incredible endurance.