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KETTLEBELL TRAINING

Kettlebell Rehab | Kettlebells For Runners | Kettlebell Store

What is a Kettlebell?

The kettlebell or girya is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a shot put or cannonball with a handle. Kettlebells were used by legendary old-time strongmen in Russia, Europe and in the US in the 1800's up until just after the turn of the century. Soon after the 20th century, kettlebells largely disappeared in the US, but stayed popular in Russia.

So popular were kettlebells in Tsarist Russia that any strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a girevik, or ‘a kettlebell man.’ “Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics,” wrote Ludvig Chaplinskiy in Russian magazine Hercules in 1913.

KETTLEBELL CLASSES ARE ONGOING AT OUR SILVER SPRING CENTER.
PLEASE CALL 301-622-9000 TO REGISTER!

THIS IS THE VIDEO YOU MUST HAVE WHEN YOU START TO TRAIN WITH KETTLEBELLS!

How are Kettlebells used for fitness?

Kettlebell workouts are intended to burn body fat, increase strength, build endurance, and teach agility and balance by challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular systems with dynamic, total-body movements. Kettlebell training requires the involvement of all major muscle groups at once which provides a fantastic full body workout.

Are Kettlebells dangerous? Am I too old to use kettlebells?

Kettlebell training is very safe when you are supervised by a trained instructor. We strongly recommend you learn kettlebell training in one of our kettlebell classes. Even in top level kettlebell competition, the injury rate is miniscule compared to injuries in sports. In our practice we use kettlebells for injury rehabilitation and injury prevention. We have high school athletes training with kettlebells as well as senior Olympians. Our oldest kettlebell man is 74 and he swings the 53 lb. kettlebell!

Are Kettlebells really effective for weight loss AND weight gain?

According to Voropayev (1997) who studied top Russian gireviks, 21.2% increased their bodyweight since taking up kettlebell training and 21.2% (the exact same percentage, not a typo), mostly heavyweights, decreased it. The Russian kettlebell is a powerful tool for fixing your body composition, whichever way it needs fixing.

What size Kettlebell is appropriate for me?

Maryland Sports Injury Center offers 18, 26, 35, 44, 53, 62, 70, and 88-pound kettlebells, designed in Russia and made with pride in the USA. An average man should start with a 35-pounder. It does not sound like a lot but believe it; it feels a lot heavier than it should! Some men will eventually progress to a 53-pounder, the standard issue size in the Russian military. 70-pounders are used only by few advanced lifters and in elite competitions. 88-pounders are for mutants. Most woman should start with an 18-pounder. A strong woman can go for a 26-pounder. See our KETTLEBELL STORE to purchase kettlebells.

Is Kettlebell training really that effective?

YES!

Voropayev (1983) observed two groups of subjects over a period of a few years and tested them with a standard battery of armed forces PT tests: pullups, a standing broad jump, a 100m sprint, and a 1k run. The control group followed a typical university physical education program that emphasized the above. The experimental group just lifted kettlebells. In spite of the lack of practice on the tested exercises, the kettlebell group showed better scores in every one of them!

Researchers at the Lesgaft Physical Culture Institute in Leningrad (Vinogradov & Lukyanov, 1986) found a very high correlation between the results posted in a kettlebell lifting competition and a great range of dissimilar tests: strength, measured with the three powerlifts and grip strength; strength endurance, measured with pullups and parallel bar dips; general endurance, determined by a 1000 meter run; and work capacity and balance, measured with special tests!

Shevtsova (1993) discovered that kettlebell training lowers the heart rate and the blood pressure. Gomonov (1998) concluded that “Exercises with kettlebells enable one to quickly build strength, endurance, achieve a balanced development of all muscle groups, fix particular deficiencies of build, and they also promote health.” Most methods that claim ‘all around fitness’ deliver no more than compromises. Accept no compromises – choose the Russian kettlebell!