If, like me, you walk over to the kettlebells in your gym, stroke them a little and then walk sheepishly away because you have no idea on what on earth to do with them, then a session with Roy Krishnan from Bangkok Kettlebells is just what you need to master the basics.
Kettlebells might seem like a fairly new fitness fad but, in fact, the Russian-invented cast iron cannonballs-with-a-handle have been around since the 1700s.
Roy, who is primarily a distributor of kettlebells but also teaches to those interested, is a big believer in compound exercises, such as squats, snatches, swings and jerks which work multiple muscle groups and gets everything working together rather than, say, a bicep curl, which isolates muscles and causes imbalances and overcomplicates training.
I liked the sound of getting strong with just a few moves and minimal equipment, and so went along to FIT (Fitness Innovations Thailand) where we’d hired the studio for an hour.
The session started with a lesson in the kettlebell swing. Roy handed me an 8kg kettlebell as he taught me to repeatedly rock back and forth from my heels to toes as I swung the kettlebell from between my legs to straight out ahead – without taking my elbows too far away from my body. The manoeuvre looks a whole lot easier than it is when you first start out but, aside from a few balance issues, I soon had it down, and was progressed from an 8kg bell to a 12kg and then I dabbled a little with the 15kg one too.
Most of the other moves I learnt had their roots in the basic swing, such as the one-armed swing, which then led to learning a low pull and a high pull, which then progressed to the more spectacular looking (and frankly much more fun) moves I’d been waiting for; the snatch and the jerk. These moves are mildly technical but, because Roy only focuses on a few basic moves, there is time to repeat, repeat and repeat until you’ve got it down. The jerk was a particular favourite of mine because I really enjoy throwing heavy weights over my head (because, let’s face it, it looks badass- especially when accompanied by a loud exhale). The snatch was fun too, but it involves a more explosive kind of power that my dumpy body finds it hard to muster.
As you might except from swinging around a big lump of metal, there are a couple of side effects. You WILL get bruised forearms the first few times you play with them because, without good technique, the weight does tend to hit rather hard against your arm when performing snatches and if you don’t wear gloves when you use them, don’t be surprised if your hands get a little callused (gloves will prevent this, though).
I’m definitely a convert to kettlebells; not only has my strength improved very quickly since that class, but these moves work on my speed and balance, too – because if you’re not completely focused on what you’re doing, it’s very easy to lose your balance and totter around.
Suitable for: Anyone with a basic fitness level could reap the benefits of kettlebells.
