Q: What are Kettlebells ?

A: Kettlebells are bowling ball-sized cast iron weights with a single looped handle on top. Kettlebells range in weight from 4kg for women or absolute beginners with no experience of resistance training and move up to 8, 12 or 16kg for beginners, 20, 24 or 28kg for more experienced or advanced men or women and up to 32, 40, 48 and even 60kg for the real elite.
Kettlebell training gets back to basic training that requires functional, whole body fitness. Kettlebells require an athlete to focus on whole-body conditioning because lifting and controlling a Kettlebell forces the entire body, and specifically the core, to contract as a group, building both strength and stability at the same time. Kettlebell workouts engage multiple muscle groups at once. In this way, they are a great option for getting a whole body workout in a short time.

Q: Are Kettlebells suitable for women ?

A: Top Kettlebell instructors such as Lisa Shaffer of www.nofearfitness.com and Lauren Brooks of www.ontheedgefitness.com are perfect examples of the benefits of Kettlebell training for women. Check out their sites and then stop worrying that you will bulk up when you start weight training. For women that want to lose weight and tone up their bums, thighs, hips, stomach and lose their `bingo wings` - a combination of Kettlebell training ballistic work with some low rep Kettlebell strength training will give you the kind of results you dreamed of.

Check out this fantastic article from Sarona Taylor giving the benefits of Kettlebell training for females. She also dispels the myth that resistance training will lead to muscle gain and a "manly" appearance - www.optimallifefitness.com

Q: Is Kettlebell training effective for fat loss?

A: 100%, but only when combined with a good diet. Fat loss is 70% diet and 30% training. Kettlebell training is extremely effective in jacking up your metabolism and burning those extra calories but don't think for a moment that it can make up for a poor diet. However, alongside a clean balanced diet there is nothing that will help burn fat like Kettlebell training.

The ballistic style of Kettlebell Training makes the body work as one whole unit. The more of your muscles that are working at one time the more energy your body needs to supply to the muscles. This extra energy supply means that more calories are burned. The result is an elevated heart rate higher than conventional weight training and steady state aerobic exercise (jogging on the treadmill for example). You will work the cardiovascualr system so dramatically in 15 minutes that you will feel like you have been training for hours. Research has proven that training at this level increases metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn calories) during and after the session and also utilizes more fat as energy than conventional steady state aerobic training. Kettlebell training can burn between 800 - 1500 calories an hour !

Q: What are the benefits of using Kettlebells?

A: This is the great thing about training with Kettlebells, there are loads ! - Here is a great link giving the top 10 benefits of Kettlebell training and 40 extra reasons why you should be using them - www.riversidekettlebells.com   As they quote on their website "Kettlebell training is accessible and practical for all. From the elite athlete looking for an edge, to the sedentary person looking to discover fitness for the first time. And everyone in between. All can benefit"