The History of Kettlebells
Kettlebells are known as Girya in Russian, and the athletes that lift them are called Gireviks. Girevoy sport is a traditional Russian weight lifting sport, where maximal repetitions rather than maximal weight determines who is the champion.Analysis of literature and museum archival material shows that kettlebells have been known as far back as ancient Greece. At the museum Olympia in Greece, it is possible to see a stone kettlebell weighing 143 kg, with the following words carved in it “Bibon heaved up me above a head by one hand”. The kettlebell design has changed greatly over the years, but the goal for the cultures that used those weights with a handle was always strength and martial development in one form or another. Kettlebells have left their trace in the heritage of many countries across Europe, from Scotland to Turkey and Iran.
The development of trade and metallurgy lead to the slow evolution of the modern kettlebell. A handle made it easy to lift compact weights around the marketplace and flour mills. However, not all of these “kettlebells” were round like the ones we use today.For centuries, they were part of programs at folk festivals and became an integral part of the culture of the working class. Indeed, with weights being commonplace, some kind of (unorganized) competitions and displays of strength were to be expected.
In Russia, where Girevoy sports comes from, the standard weight for measuring grain was a pood, the equivalent of 16kg. This weight measure set the competition weight for Girevoy sport that we know today. Through 1870 to 1880, Doctor V. Kraevsky from St Petersburg gathered all sort of information about physical culture and the development of sports through his travels across Europe. His goal was to improve health and wellbeing for the masses through physical culture. He introduced exercises with kettlebells and barbells to the Russian athletic circles in 1885 by opening the first weight training facility in Russia.10 year later, following Kraevsky’s example, another doctor (E.F.Garnich-Garnitsky) opened an athletic club in Kiev, Ukraine. Members of the group engaged in wrestling, gymnastics, exercises with barbells and kettlebells.
By the early 1900’s, circus performer, physical culturists and strong men from around the world trained with kettlebells. While kettlebells slowly disappeared in the West in the second half of the century, they began to flourish in the former Soviet Union. Everyone from common people, to the military, to Olympic athletes trained with kettlebells. It didn’t take too long for the Russian military and government to realize the potential benefits of the humble kettlebell and spread their use across the nation. In 1981, an official Commission enforced mandatory kettlebell training for the masses, relying on kettlebells as an effective and yet simple tool to increase productivity and decrease health care costs.
During Soviet times, Girevoy sport spread rapidly in rural areas, in factories, among students, and in the army and navy. In 1948, the "first" kettlebell competition was attended by 200,000 people. From then on, kettlebells went from being used for general physical conditioning to a sport of its own. The needs for specific sport specialization lead to the modern competition kettlebell making its appearance in the 60’s. Those bells are hollow and made of steel, and have the advantage of coming in one standard size, regardless of the weight.
The modern history of GS begins in 1962 with the unification of rules.
Back then Gireviks competed in 3 disciplines with no time limits: the press, the jerk and the snatch. Although a one hand switch was already enforced for the snatch, the bell was allowed to be dropped into the rack position as in a half snatch, providing a better resting position than a lockout. By 1974, GS had been officially declared the ethnic sport of Russia. A new development appeared in 1985 to further popularize GS: the first championship of the USSR and the introduction of the title "Master of Sports". Master of sports in Russia is a prestigious title entitling athletes from all types of sports to some state funded sponsorship.
Under the new rules, only jerk and snatch were competed in. Like in weight lifting, the press was abandoned. Originally a slow movement, by the mid-70s the pressing technique used by gireviks resorted to a powerful thoracic extension and momentum. Judging disagreements and the fact that competitions were taking too much time marked the birth of the biathlon. The current competition time limit rule of 10 minutes was installed in 1989. Over the years some rules were eliminated. For example you are no longer allowed to rest in a hang position, or use small swings between reps in the snatch and long cyle.
In 1992, under the initiative of the Baltic countries, the European Union of Weightball Lifting (This organization would later on lead to a split and creation of the International Union of Kettlebell Lifting in the late 2007) was created, and with it the first European Championship took place that year. The first kettlebell world championship was held in 1993. In 1998, the first World Championships were held for the long cycle, separate from the biathlon calendar, a tradition still held by the IGSF, but not the IUKL.
Today still, countries of the old eastern bloc use kettlebells as part of the physical training and conditioning programs of many of their athletes and armed forces. In Ukraine, young people of age for military duties have a choice to either serve as soldiers or specialize as gireviks for the duration of their service, should they show talent for the sport.
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| Pro Grade Kettlebells |
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| Classic Kettlebels |
What is a Kettlebell and what is Kettlebell Training?
The kettlebell (or girya) is cast iron weight, ranging from 2kg to over 45kg, shaped like a ball with a handle for easy gripping. The kettlebell originated in Russia and is taking South Africa by storm. The reason, kettlebells offer a different kind of training using dynamic moves targeting almost every aspect of fitness: endurance, strength, balance, agility and cardio endurance. People love it because it's challenging, efficient and you only need one piece of equipment.
The idea is to hold the kettlebell in one or both hands and go through a variety of swings(e.g., the one-arm swing), presses (e.g., clean, push and press) or pulling motions (e.g., the high pull). Unlike traditional dumbbells, the kettlebell’s center of mass is extended beyond the hand, similar to Indian clubs
Some movements have you changing the weight from hand to hand as the weight swings up or as you move laterally, requiring you to stabilize the body and engage the core in a whole new way. Other moves require power from the legs and hips to move the weight, giving you integrated whole body movements that are often missing with other types of training.
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| Pavel Tsatsouline |
Kettlebells and Dumbbells
You may wonder, isn’t a kettlebell just like a dumbbell? In some respects they’re the same but, what makes the kettlebell different is how it’s shaped. It may look like an ordinary weight, but the handle actually changes how the weight works with your body.
With a dumbbell, the centre of gravity lies in the your hand but, with the kettlebell, the centre of gravity extends outside of your hand, which means it can change depending on how you’re holding it and moving it. The momentum of many kettlebell movements creates centrifugal force, focusing more attention on the muscles used for deceleration and stabilization. This type of multi-directional movement mimics real life movements such as loading a suitcase in the trunk of your car or putting a box on top of a shelve.
Dumbbells are great for building muscle and strength with slow, controlled movements while kettlebell training involves the entire body and focuses on endurance, power and dynamic movements.
The Benefits of Kettlebell Training
Almost any exerciser can benefit from kettlebell training. Some of the benefits are:
- Ø Improved coordination and agility
- Ø Better posture and alignment – Many exercises work the postural muscles in a functional way
- Ø It's time efficient – You train multiple fitness components in the same session including cardio, strength, balance, stability, power and endurance
- Ø The exercises are functional and weight bearing which helps increase bone density and keep the body strong for daily tasks
- Ø You become more efficient at other types of exercise
- Ø Increased power development and endurance
- Ø It can help protect athletes from injuries – Many injuries happen when you're moving fast and have to come to a stop, known as “ eccentric deceleration”, kettlebell exercises actually train the body in eccentric deceleration, which can translate to a healthier, stronger body on the court or field
- Ø Low risk of injury when you use good form and the right weights
- Ø Simplicity – the exercises are simple, the workouts are straightforward and you only need one piece of equipment
If you're interested in getting started with kettlebell training, come and speak to our instructor for more information.
The swing comes into play every single time you lift a bell off the floor, rack or un-rack the bell, or execute a snatch. Most of the moves done in juggling competitions are based on the swing.
The swing is a compound lift, meaning it is a lift that stresses two or more body parts at once. This type of training involves the whole body, developing functional qualities because one has to stabilize a weight in all 3 planes of direction at the same time. More muscles are being used simultaneously, having a great positive effect on the neuromuscular system.
Strength is related to how good your nervous system communicates with your muscles, not solely on your muscle mass. Functional training (opposed to training with machines or body building routines) develops overall athletic abilities and coordination.
Human beings' primary function is movement. We are not statues or androids made up of separated muscles groups. Our primary goal in life and sports is to move, to perform, to get the job done. Big muscles do not improve movement. Strong, resilient muscles do.
The swing provides an intense load to the hips and posterior chain. Strengthening the hips will add power and stability to your training and carry over into your daily life. Not to mention toning your rear side...
The swing shares similar elements to the vertical jump and sprinting. There is a synergy between muscle groups of the legs and back. This means knee, hip and back extension happens in the same exact sequence you would use in any jumping movement.
You are actually developing strength in a sequence that the brain can immediately apply to similar movements. What's more, the swing is worked at high reps, grooving a path in the neuromuscular system, reinforcing motor skill development, and challenging your muscular and cardio-vascular system at the same time!
Strength is useless if you lack the ability to apply it throughout the whole duration of the contest or task at hand!
But let's see how to properly perform this exercise.
Swings can be done 2 hands or 1 hand. When using 1 hand, you can also use 1 kettlebell in each hand. The height to which you lift the bell depends on how much power you generate from your hips. Remember that the arms are just holding on to the bell and are accompanying the movement.
Up to shoulder level is common for assistance work; overhead is commonly see in juggling choreographies, or to really push your pulse high. It is a fantastic exercise because the variations and benefits are numerous. In this article, I will be covering the 2 basic techniques and the proper way to breathe. Remember to pick a weight that is right for you!
In kettlebell sport, swings are done differently according to a few factors like weight, time of the set, body mechanics. The goal is to achieve more reps with less effort. This technique is more advanced, and requires more awareness and coordination.
Here, I'll describe the one hand technique.
The start position is as above, bell in front of the feet. The same safety issues apply here: keep your back straight, look ahead, fold at the hips, bend the knees.
The handle is rotated 45 degrees towards the centre line of the body, to be easily picked up with one hand, thumbs facing down. The space between the thumb and index finger fully comes against the corner of the handle. Finally, the thumb comes to wrap around the index finger but the grip is loose. Pull the bell off the floor, let it swing back and straighten up.
There is more to this swing than a simplistic linear up and down motion of the hips. This technique benefits from the pendulum effect on both side of the swing. This means there are 2 spots where the bell is weightless on every rep: one in front of the body and one behind, on the back swing phase. To effectively accomplish this, you have to use a double flexion/ extension on every rep.
As the bell is swinging back, the upper body follows it and the knees extend for a second time, allowing the bell to go further back than with a simple swing. The momentum takes the bell to a spot where it is weightless before it starts falling and swinging forward again.
As you are going down, think of going down to a quarter squat and flow into a good morning. Then, reverse the motion by going forward into a quarter squat and finally straighten up again. The benefits are that you can better load your hamstrings, generate more momentum from the hips, train for longer sets, and give you lower back a fraction of rest on every back swing.
By keeping the thumb facing down, you stop the bell from rotating in your hand, sparing your grip and blisters.
Normal tempo is about 35 reps per minute.
Start working 30s left hand and 30s right hand for a total of 2 minutes, gradually increasing to 6 minutes without stopping. Then switch hands every minute and increase by 30 seconds until you can last 3 minute with your left hand and 3 minutes with your right.
You should notice extra strength in the back of your body and your forearms.
It might be time to start swinging a heavier bell!
Some final words about breathing:
The proper breathing pattern for optimal efficiency is as follow:
Breathe in through the nose as the bell is swinging up, while the ribcage opens and expends.
Breathe out through the mouth as the bell is swinging down and the ribcage is being compressed.
This method takes advantage of the natural opening and closing of the rib-cage to assist the breathing, effectively using the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles to take fuller breaths.
The Valsalva manoeuvre (breath holding) is used to protect the spine when lifting very heavy weights, and as such has limited place in kettlebell training.
Deep breathing mobilizes the lower lungs, which contain the greatest surface area, enhancing respiratory efficiency by reducing the number of breaths required per minute.
For every extra millimetre the diaphragm stretches during inhalation, lung capacity increases by a volume of about 250 mils. If you breathe in at the bottom, you cannot take advantage of this phenomenon! Staying relaxed through long sets and breathing in and out fully also help keep your heart rate from going sky high. Something definitely worth considering!
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| Pavel splits |
The swing
As Kettlebells are becoming more and more popular, it is time to learn how to perform correctly the most basic exercise: the swing.The swing comes into play every single time you lift a bell off the floor, rack or un-rack the bell, or execute a snatch. Most of the moves done in juggling competitions are based on the swing.
The swing is a compound lift, meaning it is a lift that stresses two or more body parts at once. This type of training involves the whole body, developing functional qualities because one has to stabilize a weight in all 3 planes of direction at the same time. More muscles are being used simultaneously, having a great positive effect on the neuromuscular system.
Strength is related to how good your nervous system communicates with your muscles, not solely on your muscle mass. Functional training (opposed to training with machines or body building routines) develops overall athletic abilities and coordination.
Human beings' primary function is movement. We are not statues or androids made up of separated muscles groups. Our primary goal in life and sports is to move, to perform, to get the job done. Big muscles do not improve movement. Strong, resilient muscles do.
The swing provides an intense load to the hips and posterior chain. Strengthening the hips will add power and stability to your training and carry over into your daily life. Not to mention toning your rear side...
The swing shares similar elements to the vertical jump and sprinting. There is a synergy between muscle groups of the legs and back. This means knee, hip and back extension happens in the same exact sequence you would use in any jumping movement.
You are actually developing strength in a sequence that the brain can immediately apply to similar movements. What's more, the swing is worked at high reps, grooving a path in the neuromuscular system, reinforcing motor skill development, and challenging your muscular and cardio-vascular system at the same time!
Strength is useless if you lack the ability to apply it throughout the whole duration of the contest or task at hand!
But let's see how to properly perform this exercise.
Swings can be done 2 hands or 1 hand. When using 1 hand, you can also use 1 kettlebell in each hand. The height to which you lift the bell depends on how much power you generate from your hips. Remember that the arms are just holding on to the bell and are accompanying the movement.
Up to shoulder level is common for assistance work; overhead is commonly see in juggling choreographies, or to really push your pulse high. It is a fantastic exercise because the variations and benefits are numerous. In this article, I will be covering the 2 basic techniques and the proper way to breathe. Remember to pick a weight that is right for you!
The basic swing
This is the most commonly seen type of swing.
I'll describe here the 2 hand variation:
Place the kettlebell in front of your feet. Grab loosely with 2 hands, palms facing down. Pull your shoulder blades back. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position, which looks almost like a deadlift. Make sure that your back is flat and you are looking straight ahead. Pull the bell towards you, let it swing back and forcefully extend your legs, hips and back. The trajectory of the body is quite linear; you should explode up as if you were jumping for height.
In the top position, your body should be fully extended with the hips pushed forward, the kettlebell in line with your arms. When first starting, it is fine to only swing the bell to waist or shoulder level.
For a fraction of second, the bell becomes weightless, just before it is about to fall down.
On the way down, get ready to counteract the force of the bell which will want to pull you forward. Let your body follow the bell by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, going back to your starting position/ quarter squat.
Remember that the center of gravity of the bell is in front of your hands, and that a free falling bell can generate forces over 4 times its weight, depending on the height and speed at which it is falling!
As soon as your arms contact your body, it is time to reverse the movement and repeat the sequence, so that the swinging movement is not interrupted. Use as much explosive power as possible.
The competition swing
I'll describe here the 2 hand variation:
Place the kettlebell in front of your feet. Grab loosely with 2 hands, palms facing down. Pull your shoulder blades back. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position, which looks almost like a deadlift. Make sure that your back is flat and you are looking straight ahead. Pull the bell towards you, let it swing back and forcefully extend your legs, hips and back. The trajectory of the body is quite linear; you should explode up as if you were jumping for height.
In the top position, your body should be fully extended with the hips pushed forward, the kettlebell in line with your arms. When first starting, it is fine to only swing the bell to waist or shoulder level.
For a fraction of second, the bell becomes weightless, just before it is about to fall down.
On the way down, get ready to counteract the force of the bell which will want to pull you forward. Let your body follow the bell by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, going back to your starting position/ quarter squat.
Remember that the center of gravity of the bell is in front of your hands, and that a free falling bell can generate forces over 4 times its weight, depending on the height and speed at which it is falling!
As soon as your arms contact your body, it is time to reverse the movement and repeat the sequence, so that the swinging movement is not interrupted. Use as much explosive power as possible.
The competition swing
In kettlebell sport, swings are done differently according to a few factors like weight, time of the set, body mechanics. The goal is to achieve more reps with less effort. This technique is more advanced, and requires more awareness and coordination.
Here, I'll describe the one hand technique.
The start position is as above, bell in front of the feet. The same safety issues apply here: keep your back straight, look ahead, fold at the hips, bend the knees.
The handle is rotated 45 degrees towards the centre line of the body, to be easily picked up with one hand, thumbs facing down. The space between the thumb and index finger fully comes against the corner of the handle. Finally, the thumb comes to wrap around the index finger but the grip is loose. Pull the bell off the floor, let it swing back and straighten up.
There is more to this swing than a simplistic linear up and down motion of the hips. This technique benefits from the pendulum effect on both side of the swing. This means there are 2 spots where the bell is weightless on every rep: one in front of the body and one behind, on the back swing phase. To effectively accomplish this, you have to use a double flexion/ extension on every rep.
As the bell is swinging back, the upper body follows it and the knees extend for a second time, allowing the bell to go further back than with a simple swing. The momentum takes the bell to a spot where it is weightless before it starts falling and swinging forward again.
As you are going down, think of going down to a quarter squat and flow into a good morning. Then, reverse the motion by going forward into a quarter squat and finally straighten up again. The benefits are that you can better load your hamstrings, generate more momentum from the hips, train for longer sets, and give you lower back a fraction of rest on every back swing.
By keeping the thumb facing down, you stop the bell from rotating in your hand, sparing your grip and blisters.
Normal tempo is about 35 reps per minute.
Start working 30s left hand and 30s right hand for a total of 2 minutes, gradually increasing to 6 minutes without stopping. Then switch hands every minute and increase by 30 seconds until you can last 3 minute with your left hand and 3 minutes with your right.
You should notice extra strength in the back of your body and your forearms.
It might be time to start swinging a heavier bell!
Some final words about breathing:
The proper breathing pattern for optimal efficiency is as follow:
Breathe in through the nose as the bell is swinging up, while the ribcage opens and expends.
Breathe out through the mouth as the bell is swinging down and the ribcage is being compressed.
This method takes advantage of the natural opening and closing of the rib-cage to assist the breathing, effectively using the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles to take fuller breaths.
The Valsalva manoeuvre (breath holding) is used to protect the spine when lifting very heavy weights, and as such has limited place in kettlebell training.
Deep breathing mobilizes the lower lungs, which contain the greatest surface area, enhancing respiratory efficiency by reducing the number of breaths required per minute.
For every extra millimetre the diaphragm stretches during inhalation, lung capacity increases by a volume of about 250 mils. If you breathe in at the bottom, you cannot take advantage of this phenomenon! Staying relaxed through long sets and breathing in and out fully also help keep your heart rate from going sky high. Something definitely worth considering!
Who is Doing Kettlebells??
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| Jason Stratham |
AFL Teams: Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton
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Personal trainers and strength coaches
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World Champions including Lance Armstrong, Australian boxer Kostya Tzsyu and UFC legend Frank Shamrock.
MMA fighters Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko.
Celebrities including: Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stallone, Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez, Geri Halliwel, Claire Danes, Jessica Biel and Jennifer Aniston.
