The history of the Kettlebell is 2,700 years old, originating in ancient Greece with the Olympic athletes, and were called ‘halters’, made out of sand, stone or iron. The feats that these athletes could perform with these instruments would even rival some of the Olympic athletes’ performances of today as it has been recorded that from a standing jump for example, a distance of over 7m was achieved and javelin throwers of the time were throwing distances of over 95m.

The question then is, what did the ancient Greeks really know about halter/kettlebell training? One principal the ancient Greeks discovered was that working from the body’s centre of gravity had an altogether greater effect on all-round performance. The Greeks understood that by using the whole body at once, a greater benefit was achieved on the body in comparison to today’s mainstream approach of isolating muscles and working them individually. This is why kettlebells are fundamentally different to other forms of exercise, making them unique tools for today’s more health-conscious, awakened individuals.

The reason we at the Kettlebell Studio are so passionate about Kettlebelling is that it works the whole body at once; it’s a short half an hour session which our clients find easy to fit into their busy family and professional lives. We have over 220 exercises, enabling us never to repeat a programme thus making the sessions engaging and not boring. So why should you start training with a Kettlebell?

According to the American Council of Exercise (ACE) Kettlebell training is the most effective in burning calories, comparative only to uphill cross country skiing at a fast pace. Kettlebell training burns 20.2 calories a minute – which is “off the charts” according to John Porcari Ph.D of the University of Wisconsin who led the study into the efficacy of Kettlebell training. Therefore, in one short Kettlebell training session you burn over 600 calories, achieved through a combination of anaerobic and aerobic burn.

Still not convinced?

What’s so good about them?

When using a bell the weight is off-centre, which forces the body to use its core, decelerating and stabilising muscles more efficiently. This leads to more muscles being activated making your body fitter and stronger for every minute you have a bell in your hands. The centrifugal force that kettlebells create works muscles more completely than with traditional weights.

As a beginner one of the main kettlebell exercises used is called the Swing. It’s a squat with the bell being pulled like a pendulum from between your legs to an upright position at eye-line and down again. This simple exercise uses nearly all the bodies’ muscles. The idea is never to lift the bells as you would a barbell or dumbbell, but rather to let momentum do the work where the force comes from the hips and legs and not the arms. Momentum plays a very important role in kettlebell training.

Intro to the advanced class at The Kettlebell Studio

A Uniquely Effective way to Train

Functional science has identified that the body’s joints move in three directions: forward and back, side to side, and turning left and right. These are called ‘planes of movement’. It is now known that joint movement is responsible for muscle movement and not the other way around which was the old way of thinking. Therefore the muscles are reactive to what a joint is doing to make the muscles work. Dumbbells and weight machines only work in a single direction/plane, whereas kettlebells work in all three plains of movement and they work aerobically (cardio heart/lungs) and anaerobically (muscle system) at the same time.

To be fit in all three planes of movement is most important for lifestyle activity, because you’re dealing with motion in all directions—lifting and placing a heavy suitcase, gardening, playing with children, keeping a good posture at your desk at work. In day-to-day life you need an all-round fitness to lead a healthy life so that at the end of your day, no matter what it brings, you are not left fatigued.

Kettlebell training will leave you with a lean, athletic, powerful, and highly functional body. Plain and simple, it is the fastest way to change the shape of your body and enhance an active lifestyle.

Because kettlebells work the whole body at once, and burn over 600 calories in just half an hour, you only need short sessions to get great results. Our sessions last up to 30 minutes, so they are easily integrated into your day. We run classes, courses, small groups and personal one-to-one sessions morning to evening, from 6am until 9pm.

To know more and to experience a smidgen of what kettlebelling could do for you, book a free taster session at the Kettlebell Studio in Summertown, Oxford on 0844 332 0125 or complete this form:

Find out more about how the PowerBell Pump™ system works and our courses.