I have often thought that trends in fitness, like in fashion, are inherently cyclical. So just as those drain-pipe jeans from your youth are now seen on every break-out band around, kettlebells are now the training tool of choice for all those body conscious celebrities.

However, unlike those drain-pipe jeans, you’ll have to go a little further back in time to find the origins of the kettlebell. Known as ‘Girya’, the kettlebell is most commonly described as a flat-bottomed cannonball, with a thick handle molded on to it. Its origins are thought to date back to early Greek and Spartan training methods, but it was widely popularized by early Russian and athletes and strongmen, with the term ‘Girevik’ (meaning strongman) directly translating as ‘Kettlebell Lifter’.

They have more recently been used by the Russian Military as the basis of their conditioning programs, as well as sneaking themselves into the US Secret Service fitness tests. But probably the reason you have heard about them is that just about every celeb, from Gerry Halliwell to Gerard Butler (think the movie 300), is using them to buff up and look great!

So what is all the fuss about, and why is there not the same amount of hype for other pieces of gym kit, like the dumbbell or barbell? Well, here are a few rapid fire reasons to get you to ditch the dumbbells and get swinging with the KBs.

• Displaced Centre of Gravity- One of the best things about KB training is that the centre of gravity is outside the central axis of your grip. This 6-8 inch ‘offset’ allows the weight to accelerate and create momentum, increasing the difficulty and benefit of most drills. Having to deal with accelerating and decelerating forces returns us to fundamental body movements, making your agonists and antagonists (muscle pairs) co-contract, to ‘produce force reduction’ and control the weight. This ability to accelerate and decelerate the weight is a key skill and is useful in all aspects of your life, from changing direction on a busy Oxford Street, to side-stepping in a rugby match.
• Training Hip Extension & Grip Strength- The beauty of KB drills are that they provide an intense load to the hips and posterior chain, fully activating the key muscles of the lower back, glutes and hamstrings. Basic swings will allow you to connect to the ground and access these muscles to a much higher level, getting more from the muscles and increasing results. The thicker handles of the KBs have also been proven to increase grip strength, giving them yet another edge over their sleepy cousin the dumbbell.
• Awakening the Imagination- The number of exercises you can do with kettlebells is only limited by your program. Whether it is single arm, double arm, or a combination of the two, there are almost unlimited bounds to what you can achieve. This variety will keep you motivated and really boost the fun factor of your workouts, allowing you to learn a new exercise every time you step into the gym.
• Back to Basics- Kettlebell training is an ‘old school’ method of pushing the limits of your strength and fitness. All of the ground based moves get you up and on your feet, learning to use your body in the way it was designed to be used. Not only this, but by going back to basics, you really are doing just that! Not only are you hitting the key muscles of your posterior chain, but bracing and spinal stability go hand in hand with the controlled breathing patterns fundamental to KB training. You will get air forced out at the top of the swings, and as the KB travels back through your legs, air is sucked back in against tight abdominals, producing the intra-abdominal pressure that braces your spine.
  

The Kettlebell is an ‘old-school’ tool that provides a great way to increase force production and reduction, whilst giving a phenomenal cardio-vascular and strength increasing workout. Talk to your trainer about how KBs can work for you, or book onto the Kettlebell Crash Courseat www.shaunstaffordtraining.com to get the best out of your training and achieve unbelievable results.