Gather round, fitness fanatics. Today’s workout lesson includes a list of similar items. Please choose the one that is most beneficial to your exercise regimen: Kettle Korn, Kettle Chips, Kettle One or kettle bell (ding ding ding — you are correct by selecting the last one!). Choosing any of the first three options can lead you to a much needed workout with the last! Kettlebell workouts have been around for decades and originated in Russia (those Russians think of everything — vodka, fur hats, nesting dolls, mail order brides, etc.). The Russian word for kettlebells is “girya,” and the Russian men who used them were called “gireviks,” a term still used today by those who participate in the training, including women. The Russian military has long used kettlebells for conditioning their troops. Instead of testing strength and endurance with push-ups, they use a high repetition kettlebell snatch test, (similar to a “clean and press”) which is not for the faint of heart. Kettlebells have recently become main stream in the U.S. thanks to a man named Pavel Tsatsouline, who was a kettlebell trainer for not only the United States armed forces but the Soviet Union forces as well. When Russian and U.S. Special Forces started competing against each other after the Soviet Union broke up, the Americans made a disturbing discovery. They were totally exhausted and the Russians wouldn’t even be catching their breath. The Americans found out the Russians were all working out with kettlebells, so they began incorporating the kettlebell into their training routines. Now, half the Secret Service is snatching kettlebells. Visualize a flat-bottomed bowling ball with a handle. Essentially, this is a kettlebell, a pretty cool chunk of bad boy iron that can increase your strength, endurance, agility and balance. Kettlebells challenge both the muscular and cardiovascular systems with dynamic, total-body movements and recruit many muscle groups at once, which forces you to control your entire body, especially your core. The lifting and controlling of a kettlebell builds both strength and stability at the same time, so it’s a great way to get a whole body workout in a short time. Although kettlebells develop strength, a kettlebell-trained body is not bulky; it’s a leaner, more athletic look. Kettlebell workouts increase density, making your muscles stronger and harder, especially in your low back, hip and glute areas. This is a huge bonus for women who like having a firm, rounded, derriere; or “kettle butt.” Kettlebells vary in weight and size and come in poods, an old Russian measure of weight, which equals 16 kg., or roughly 35 pounds. An average man can start with a 35-pounder and the average woman can begin with an 18-pounder. This may not seem like much weight, but after a high number of reps are performed, it will feel much heavier than that! Most men will eventually progress to a 53-pounder, the standard issue size in the Russian military. Seventy-pounders are used only by a few advanced guys and in elite competitions. And although there are 88-pounders, they are for absolute mutants with freakish strength. Kettlebell training will definitely uncover the athlete in you, and the best way to begin this type of training is with a certified professional with a lot of experience. Choose an RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification) trainer and not just some kettlebell-totin’ know-it-all who has taken a few classes and considers himself a pro.?Your first kettlebell session will be a killer (prepare for soreness), but your body will adapt quickly to the controlled, motion-based lifts and rotations. By the time you’ve mastered advanced reps (Turkish getups, renegade rows and pistols), you’ll have the heightened endurance and leaner, stronger muscles of regular kettlebellers, and you’ll feel worth your weight in gold.