Kettlebells: The amazing total-body workout.
As an educator, Angie is always seeking new forms of training, unique fitness opportunities to share with her clients. When she discovered kettlebell training, she realized it was one of the most effective ways to help people develop their strength and endurance. This “bowling ball with a handle” provides the perfect combination of cardiovascular conditioning, strength training and flexibility. Since it requires proper training in technique and safety, Angie acquired her kettlebell instructor training through Kettlebell Concepts and is now “paying it forward” by teaching classes throughout the country. She also recently released her second fitness video, “Kettlebell Bootcamp.”
How are Kettlebells used?
The principal is simple: Our muscles don’t work in isolation—in our everyday lives, we bend, twist, reach and stretch—so it only makes sense to train as we normally move in life. Kettlebells can be used in swinging movements or used in press and pull exercises similar to those one would use with a weight. But unlike using a dumbbell or a weight machine, which often work the body in a single plane, kettlebells require full body integration and train the body in multiple planes. The displacement of the weight from the hand requires the stabilizing muscles to engage more with each movement than they normally would with a dumbbell. The result? Kettlebell training offers a more dynamic, whole-body workout, improving core stabilization while helping you redistribute your weight and lose inches!
Angie Miller's Kettlebell Bootcamp
Kettlebells:
The Latest in Overall Fitness
Learn about Angie’s approach to this amazing new training method, tips on how to use kettlebells and their origins in fitness training.
The origins of Kettlebells
The kettlebell has only recently caught on in the U.S. as a training tool, though it dates back centuries. Its exact origin is unclear, but it is most often attributed to early 18th century Tsarist Russia. First tossed around for sport by people in the villages, the kettlebell eventually became a popular training tool for strongmen, weightlifters and wrestlers. Much later, in the 1940’s, it became a competitive sport in Russia, and the military began using it to condition its troops. It was from them that U.S. Special Forces learned of the kettlebell’s extraordinary fitness benefits, and it has been growing in popularity here ever since.