Introduction to Kettlebells for Fitness Instructors

The Kettlebell originated in Russia during the sixteenth century.  Used by Russian farmers for a myriad of reasons, this unique instrument became a favorite fitness tool.  The unique fitness tool gained popularity throughout Russia and by 1948 kettlebell lifting became a national sport.  Shortly thereafter, Olympic teams, military personnel, and special force teams began training with them as part of their own daily exercise regiments.  And over the last decade, many athletes and famous people throughout the world have started using them as part of their daily workout routines.

Using a kettlebell as part of an exercise routine has many benefits.  From improving posture and assisting with weight loss to conditioning the body, developing more muscle strength and increasing flexibility, the kettlebell virtually works every muscle group.  This piece of exercise equipment also helps prevent bone loss in both men and women as well as improve sports fitness levels and cardiovascular fitness levels.

A kettlebell is a piece of cast-iron exercise equipment (available in a variety of weights – ranging from 2 to 100 lbs).  It is a weight with a handle attached to the top (resembles a cannon).  This unique piece of exercise weight can be used in any type of exercise routine including cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training.  In fact, many sports’ teams and individual athletes including football, rugby, hockey, and distance runners use kettlebells to build muscle mass, improve strength, and increase flexibility to prevent injury.  The kettlebell can work the muscle groups in the upper and lower parts.

When your client has sustained a sports or exercise related injury, seeing a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or sports doctor is the right solution.  However, we have had a large number people approach us with back pain, inflexibility, or some other type of injury as we have been able to help correct these problems by using a variety of kettlebell workouts to strengthen those different muscle groups.

Interested in expanding your knowledge? Check out our level 3 kettlebell instructor course to become more as a personal trainer.