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Why Kettlebells?

First off, what is a kettlebell?

A kettlebell as you can see from the pictures is an archaic looking hunk of iron, kind of like a canon ball with a thick handle. While it seems primitive, and it is on purpose, it will get you the best results of your life.

Training with Kettlebells will:

• Develop Total Body Strength to easily handle the toughest demand
• Unleash Explosive Power to crush opponents in competitive clashes
• Build Lasting Endurance to stay fresh where others wilt
• Condition You for Peak Fitness to gain the edge in your chosen sport
• Generate Fast Weight Loss to forever remove unwanted fat
• Pack on Lean Muscle build a body like a Greek statue
• Promote a Spring-like Resilience to repel the hardest, meanest hits
• Restore Youthful Flexibility to reduce injury and improve mobility
• Redesign Body Shape to enhance your physical appeal

In our modern days we have become softies. ‘IF’ we exercise it is as comfortable and cozy as possible. We use fancy machines and gizmos at health clubs or fork out thousands of dollars on useless equipment that promises results with little to no effort. Kettlebells are not a fancy gizmo and they are not the flavor of the day. They have been around for a long time and thanks to internationally sought after strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline, they have made their way back to the land of milk and honey.

Kettlebells are not cozy, they are cast iron and you will work hard. I’m going to share a secret with you… There is no free lunch. If you want great results you have to put forth the effort and there is no magic pill or thousand-dollar gizmo that will nullify that truth. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either ignorant and not qualified to get you results or they are lying.

No kettlebells will not hurt you; ladies you will not turn into men but men you will turn into tough men and ladies you will get toned, lean and strong.

Try kettlebells for 3 months and I guarantee you that you will never want to go back to curls, leg extensions, spinning classes, body sculpting, long boring aerobics or hours on an elliptical machine or stationary bike.

Train like an athlete not a hamster!

So Why Kettlebells?

First let me say that kettlebells are not my only method of training and if you prefer to train with other equipment or if you sport demands it then I will train you with that. Having said that I am a HUGE believer in kettlebell’s effectiveness and efficiency in helping men and women of all ages and fitness levels reach their goals.

#1 Because they deliver extreme all-round fitness. And no single other piece of exercise equipment does it better.
Here is a short list of exercise equipment that kettlebells replace:

Barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, grip devices, cardio equipment and classes, cardio machines, strength training machines, stretching machines.

For athletes, strong men or guys/gals who want to be tough
Amazingly enough, the kettlebell will make you good at many things you have not practiced. Kettlebell users report that they run faster, jump higher, perform at their sports better, bench or deadlift heavier, etc. -just from lifting kettlebells. The only time they see the barbell or running shoes is during the test!

Many in the military blow past their previous PT tests just from training with kettlebells without even doing their PT activities. For serious athletes you obviously must practice your sport to be successful, but be aware that kettlebell training will have a huge positive carry-over to your sport.

For guys/gals who want to get into the best shape of their lives
There are 2 schools of thought out there. Either spend hours in the gym wasting your life away or spend 5 minutes a day doing the latest ab gimmick on TV and get the best body of your life. The truth lies somewhere in between. Kettlebell training simultaneously builds strength (which tones muscles) and provides an amazing cardio workout. 20 minutes of kettlebell training 2-6 days per week will absolutely change your life and your body!

Kettlebell training melts body fat and tones muscles. For folks who want to build big muscles you can do that too. For those who don’t want to gain an ounce of muscle that can be achieved as well. The program that we use (sets, reps, nutrition, etc.) will decide what happens to your body.

Convenience and simplicity
For some people training in a gym is either inconvenient time-wise or you plain don’t like the meat market, strutting crowd. On the home gym side of things, lots of expensive exercise equipment exists that you can buy on late night television; they usually end up becoming expensive coat racks. Kettlebells will never become expensive coat racks for 4 very important reasons:

#1 They work, you will see and feel amazing results

#2 They are fun, you won’t want to put them down

#3 They are not expensive

#4 They wouldn’t make a very good coat rack either

Kettlebells are fairly priced, they will last forever since they are cast iron (some with a rubber coating), and will store in the same amount of space it takes to store a pair of shoes. Best of all, you can exercise in the convenience of your home, or you can easily transport them to the park, your friend’s house, the local gym or wherever you want to train. You could take it in the family room and do repetitions of your favorite kettlebell drill during commercial breaks; the sky is the limit with this portable wonder.

Spine and joint health
One of the often-overlooked aspects of a ‘fit’ body is longevity. When we are young we workout to look good; when we are older we work out to feel good and prevent our bodies from deteriorating. Kettlebells and the unique exercises you can do with them are all centered on real functional strength. You will learn to pick things up off of the floor with an injury-proof back. Improve the health of your shoulders and knees. Safely increase your body’s range of motion so you can live pain free. Proper use even can help to prevent osteoporosis and arthritis in joints.

Here is what the worlds premiere spine biomechanist Prof. Stuart McGill has to say about kettlebell training:

1. Kettlebell training develops "Steering strength" from drills like the bottom up get-up.
2. Balanced development of strength. Kettlebell exercises reveal your weaknesses —grip, hips, etc. —and fix them.
3. The lateral component offers a unique challenge for the obliques and the QL —very healthy for your back.
4. The ability to train "kime" or karate style focus of explosive effort with exercises like the hard style swing.

If you were wondering if kettlebells were safe for your back, look no further than a recommendation from Professor Stuart McGill, author of "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance" and "Low Back Disorders."

#2 Kettlebells alone are just another piece of training equipment. The other important piece that makes kettlebell training so incredibly effective is the RKC System (Russian Kettlebell Challenge).

Expertise, Certification and Credibility
RKC Certified Instructors are some of the absolute best around. RKC Certified Instructors are in demand to train such diverse groups as the Navy Seals, Department of Energy, Secret Service, Army Rangers, Marines, SWAT teams, firefighters and more. RKCs also train professional sports teams such as the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers. Professional fighters such as Frank Shamrock, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion John Ruiz and even many professional actors and actresses use kettlebells under the guidance of RKC Certified Instructors.