Why I Love Kettlebells

I have always been somebody who wanted to try out all the different kinds of training available, whether it was different programs or different tools. When I was younger there would be ads in magazines about the best new device to get your vertical up or to get your abs super strong and because I was young and didn't know any better, I went and bought them.
Time and effort let me know that these devices didn't work and all I did was get frustrated and look for the new miracle device.

But I soon started studying strength training books, russian manuals, speed training etc.... and started realizing that everything is built on principles of training. I also realized that there is no secret training tool that will do miracles without applying the sound principles.

Since then I have used many tools to improve my strength, mostly staying with barbells, dumbells, bodyweight, until my brother told me to try these things called kettlebells. When I first saw them I didn't know what to think since they looked like a cannonball with a handle but I said I would give them a try since I have nothing to lose. I had a great workout my first time and even though I had mixed feeling I said I would return. The next day I felt every muscle in my body and I could barely sit but to me that was a sign that it was a different type of training. From that day on the kettlebell was a new tool I would definitely use.

I actually barely went to the gym for the next three months and trained with kettlebells exclusively and after returning to the gym my numbers went up. I'm not gonna write how much but let's just say it was quite a bit. I knew that a lot of it had to do with them being a new training stimulus and breaking my previous plateau but in my eyes the kettlebell was staying for good. And the funny thing is the kettlebells are so much fun to train with you don't want to stop! Rarely has there ever been a tool that could challenge you so much and let you have as much fun at the same time (CAUTION: handle with care, can be addictive).

Its been four years since I started training with kettlebells and they are not my ''end all be all'' of training but I use them quite a lot, some periods more, some periods less. They made such an impact on me that I went to the Denmark and got my RKC certification, which was a great experience in itself and I also got to meet and talk to the legendary Pavel Tsatsouline (this guy knows strength training, and guess what-he's Russian).

My brother, my friend and I also opened up a gym (as far from mainstream as it gets) which specializes in kettlebell training and it has been going incredibly well, not too mention there is so much room to grow.

I haven't forgotten that principles of training are the foundation on which we build on and a majority of my training still gets done in the gym, but kettlebells will always be a mainstay in my training because as much as they are a tough, they relax me because I'm having fun training with them.

Don't get sucked into fads but do open your mind to other training tools because you might see how useful they are or maybe they were meant for somebody like you (who is missing a breath of fresh air).

Until the next time, keep swinging.......