An ode to the Kettlebell
My go-to piece of strength training equipment used to be the one that intimidated me the most.
Raise your hand if kettlebells intimidate you? 🙋🏻♀️
This was 100% me! Before I became a trainer and, if I'm honest, for a long time after too.
I used to see kettlebells at the gym and think…
…“Those are for the people that grunt heavily when they lift.”
…“Can I even pick that up? I'm for sure going to embarrass myself if I try.”
…“I don’t even know where to start with that.”
Most often though, and maybe even subconsciously, I thought “I never see women using kettlebells. They must be for the men.”
Oh how wrong I was on all of those points, but especially the last one.
Kettlebells have become my go-to piece of strength training gear. In fact, I used them a ton in the lead up to and during both of my pregnancies (though I would only recommend them during pregnancy if you are familiar with the modality and have trained with them in the past).
Not only do kettlebells make me feel badass (how could swinging a big ball of iron around not?), they're also:
A full body workout:
Most kettlebell movements are compound, meaning they challenge multiple areas of your body at a time. A swing, for example, is hitting your core, shoulders, glutes, hamstrings and more all at once.
Versatile:
Sure, you'll get a great strength workout with kettlebells, but you'll also challenge your mobility and be able to get some cardio in too if that's your goal. Many of my clients have told me how surprised they are at their heart and breathing rates post-kettlebell lift.
Form Focused:
If you're ever worked out or taken a class with me, you know I'm a stickler about form (yeah, probably to the point of annoying). While form is important in all strength training, it's something that's really hard to cheat with kettlebells.
Since becoming certified in kettlebell training in 2017, I have found I looooove helping people, women especially, feel more comfortable integrating them into their routines and more confident using them in the gym. Because…
Kettlebells are for the people that grunt heavily (you do you!), AND those that don't! (to be honest, it's more about the breathing than the grunting, but that's for another day…).
Yes, you can pick that up! And, no you won't embarrass yourself!
The first step is getting started!
