A kettlebell is a weight, often made from cast iron, with a single looped handle on top. Basically, a kettlebell looks like a cannonball or a bowling ball that has a suitcase type handle on top. They come in different sizes and weights, ranging from 8 lbs. to 105 lbs. The use of kettlebells provides strength training, flexibility training and cardiovascular fitness training all combined to give you an explosive workout.

Today, kettlebells are made from a wide variety of materials. But by far, the most durable and the most commonly used are the ones that made from pure cast iron. For added convenience, kettlebells nowadays usually come with rubber grips. Now that you know what is a kettlebell is; it’s time to learn about its history.

History of Kettlebells

Throughout history, many cultures around the world have used some form of weight with an attached handle on it for enhancing strength. During Highland Games, weighted objects with handles were hurled by Scottish tribes. Thousands of years ago, the legendary Shaolin Monks from China used stone padlocks for training to enhance their kung fu fighting skills. The training with the use of stone padlocks was called Shi-SuoGong (The Art of Stone Padlock). There are also speculations that ancient Greek athletes and Roman gladiators used kettlebell-like weights, which predate the use of kettlebells thousands of years ago.

But these are only kettlebell-like weights. The first documented mention of kettlebells appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704. “Girya” was the Russian word for kettlebells and during this time, kettlebells were used by merchants in the marketplace. They used them as handled counterweights to measure out the quantities of dry goods on balance scales. People began to swing and toss kettlebells for fun and exercise and later, the Russians used kettlebells in small sporting events. Soon enough, these events became part of organized community events and festivals. People started joining competitions to show their strength and endurance.

In 1913, the use of kettlebells as a great weight loss tool was featured in the fitness magazine Hercules. The weightlifting became popular in Russia and other countries after World War II. Kettlebells became a popular choice for the Russian strongmen and its popularity spread all over Europe. Kettlebell lifting then became Russia’s national sport in 1948.And in 1985, a formal organization for kettlebells was established, wherein rules and regulations for the sport were finalized. The first National Championship was held in Lipetsk, Russia in November of 1985.

Strongmen including Arthur Saxon, Sig Klein, Clevio Massimo, Louis Cyr and Eugen Sandow, to a name a few, all trained with kettlebells. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee was also known to use kettlebell-like weights. He has barbells which have handles included. Today, kettlebell training is common for MMA fighters and top American athletes. Kettlebells were branded as “Hot Weight of the Year” by Rolling Stone in 2002. Several reality TV shows are now using kettlebells as part of their exercise programs. There are also several celebrities who keep their Hollywood figures by using kettlebells. Indeed, more and more people are being impressed with the results they get from these kettlebells.