Wow, I can’t believe that my fist post on kettlebells was almost 3 months ago. I have been doing a lot of kettlebelling(is that a word?) since then and I have really enjoyed it. I have really enjoyed the strength and endurance I have gained from kettlebells and also the way I feel after an exhausting KB workout. I thought I might share a few of the things I have learned in the last few months about KBs.

I have really enjoyed a couple of websites about KBs I found:
One of them is WorkoutIQ. It is written by Denis Kanygin who is a personal trainer in California. His blog has some good information about kettlebells, fitness, diet, posture, and a great workout of the week. Check it out.
I also have been enjoying The Rifs Blog. It is more of a personal blog about using kettlebells and doing other forms of exercise. I find it really motivational to read about some of the workouts Mark and his wife do.

I have been doing this 3 day a week Kettlebell program and really enjoying it. It is amazing how fast I have adapted to the challenges of kettlebelling. There was no way I could do a complete Wednesday workout from the program 2 months ago, but now I am buying a heavier kettlebell so that I can make parts of it more challenging. I also have started to enjoy and sometimes crave doing KB snatches. The snatch is an amazing full body exercise that is unlike anything I have ever done. I have started keeping track of the snatches I do on a Personal Training Manager site. I don’t have all of them logged there, but I have done well over a thousand snatches since I started kettlebells 3 months ago. That’s pretty cool. I even did 80 snatches on each arm at 10,000 feet while camping 2 weeks ago. That was a great challenge and a lot of fun.

I recently bought a 54lb kettleblell and I am looking forward to the challenge of the new higher weight. I am also learning some basic Kettlebell juggling form my friend Gareth, so I will post again in a couple of months with an update.

Fitness has been a focus of mine this year. Other than the obvious reasons for staying fit such as staying healthy, having more energy, and to look good, I have a couple of goals that are motivating me in my quest to be fit. I hope to test for a First Degree Black Belt In ATA TaeKwonDo before March of next year and I need to be in great shape to pass that test, and to keep up when we spar and grapple. I also plan on doing my first sprint Triathlon this summer which will require endurance. There are a couple of things I have been doing lately to stay in shape: cycling, swimming, running, and going to TaeKwonDo class really have helped, but I have found a new form of exercise I am really excited about: Kettlebells.

Kettlebells are cast iron balls with handles. They have been used by the Russians for hundreds of years to stay in shape and they have been gaining popularity here in the US in the last couple of years. Kettlebell workouts are total-body workouts that increase strength, endurance, while challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system. Here is a video that shows some of the many exercises that can be done with kettlebells. Kettlebells come in many diferent sizes. The sizes are measured in an old russian unit of measure called a pood. One pood is equal to 36 pounds or 16kg. That is the kettlebell weight that most people start with. As they increase their skill and depending on the exercise, you can use other weights anywhere from 8 pounds to 97 pounds.

Due to their ability to increase endurance and strength, Kettlebells have become very popular with MMA athaletes. I am told that they made an appearnce in the latest Rocky film too.  Pavel Tsatsouline is credited with being a big part of bringing Kettlebells to the states. His website has lots of great information about them and some great books you can order. I bought a 44 pound Kettlebell today, and I am looking forward to learning more about kettlebells and starting to use them on a regular basis. If you are interested in buying one, you can find them at local stores, but you may have to call around to find a store that caries them. Thanks to Mr. Baker for turning me onto Kettlebells and for the lessons.