My New Obsession: Kettlebells

Ok, so I have officially caught the kettlebell bug. I used to think they were just a novelty piece of equipment. I believed they were likely to be another fitness gimmick and nothing more than a glorified dumbbell. Boy was I wrong. Once I started using them, I became addicted! Now I've started incorporating kettlebell complexes into my workouts at least once a week, while integrating individual kettlebell exercises more frequently. The truth is, kettlebells are awesome. They are very comfortable to grip and handle. They are sort of awkward at times, which makes it very difficult to stabilize the kettlebells from time to time. All in all, you can perform a variety of excellent total body exercises, explosive lifts and an array of compound movements that just get you winded. This increase in difficulty can be attributed to the fact that kettlebells are often used as a single piece, which makes a lot of your work unilateral and causes your body to perform a tremendous amount of stabilization with the movements. Because of all the stabilizing, the abs and your core are getting tons of work without performing a single crunch! If you're on the bubble when it comes to using or buying into kettlebells, take a look at the scientific proof behind kettle-mania in a study done by the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse:

The study involved 10 men and women between the ages of 29-46 who performed a typical kettlebell workout by doing kettlebell swinging and lift exercises to a certain rhythm during a 20-minute period. All were experienced with the use of kettlebells.

The participants' fitness levels were measured before and during the workout by measuring heart rate, oxygen consumption, and blood lactate.

The results showed that the average participant burned about 20 calories per minute during the kettlebell workout, which equates to 400 calories during a typical 20-minute kettlebell workout. - WebMD

20 calories a minute! I absolutely believe it. Once you try a kettlebell complex or circuit, you will know exactly what I am talking about! EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) for days!