Why Are Kettlebells Such A Versatile Part Of Your Home Gym?

Such a pivotal and versatile part of home gyms that some low-quality, low-weight products can be found in supermarkets, kettlebells can be used both as dumbbells and as part of dynamic full-body workouts whilst taking up very little space.

The latter part is particularly important when starting a home gym; given that space is often at a premium, every single piece of equipment needs to prove itself to be great value for money, versatile and worthy of a place in your home.

Should kettlebells be the first purchase you make for your home gym, even ahead of dumbbells and other pieces of equipment that feel essential? Perhaps, but to understand why, it is important to know what they are, how they work and what makes them unique.

What Are Kettlebells?

Resembling a retro kettle you would boil on a hot stove, kettlebells are a rounded weight with a handle curled around the top and a flat base to allow them to stand upright.

Whilst they can be used like dumbbells in some exercises, the big difference between the two is that they are intentionally unbalanced, with the centre of mass typically away from the hand itself.

This means they can be used for a much wider variety of exercises, including ballistic training, isometric exercises, and functional training. 

They can also, somewhat unusually, be used to build up both cardiovascular and musculoskeletal strength at the same time.

Where Do Kettlebells Come From?

It can be remarkably difficult to ascertain the origins of the kettlebell, given that there are several quite similar weights used for different functions.

Possibly the earliest version of the kettlebell was the Greek halteres, a hewn-out rock also credited as the origin of the dumbbell.

Alongside its use during the Ancient Olympics, the halteres were also used for a range of strength and grip exercises, making it far more of a precursor to the kettlebell than the dumbbell.

As well as this, the Chinese stonelock also has several thousand years’ worth of history, with several exercises that can be done with both kettlebells and stonelocks.

The modern design for the kettlebell originates with the Russian girya, a metal weight typically used to measure produce but quickly adopted by strongmen in the region by the 19th century.

Why Are They Unique?

Kettlebells are unique because they are inherently unbalanced; most pieces of exercise equipment are designed to have an even centre of gravity to avoid unnecessary strain on the joints and muscles, but kettlebells are designed to be swung around.

This is seen not only with the kettlebell swing from between the legs to above the torso but also the windmill, probably the single exercise most associated with kettlebell and one that helps train multiple muscle groups at once.

This combination helps improve flexibility, muscle strength and cardiovascular capacity in the same workouts, something that is far more difficult to do with dumbbells and barbells.

Kettlebells vs Dumbbells: Which Should You Buy First?

It is ultimately a matter of personal preference whether you choose dumbbells or kettlebells as your first piece of exercise equipment, but kettlebells are arguably the better option, purely because they are more versatile and offer more options.

Dumbbells are the traditional place to start when it comes to a home gym; they are affordable, easy to use, provide a lot of options for targeting various muscle groups and are fairly intuitive.

Whilst kettlebells take a little bit more getting used to, especially when you are starting out on your fitness journey, they offer a more complete workout if you are only able to buy one piece of equipment, a common limitation for a lot of early home gyms.

Buying a suitable kettlebell and working through a range of exercises is one of the best ways to build up grip strength, mobility and overall health.

Top Tips For Making The Most Of Kettlebells

• Start Simple - Learning squats, lunges and deadlifts with kettlebells is a good start for building strength, but build from there.

• Do A Lot With A Little - If you only have one kettlebell, do longer sets, shorter rests, and mix up your workout.

• Learn More Complicated Motions - Alongside windmills and kettlebell swings, overhead squats and snatches with forward lunges target a wide range of muscle groups at once.

• Focus On Building Joint Mobility - The best kettlebell exercises work the hip flexors, shoulders, joints and wrists, so prioritise these in your training.

• Put Routines Together - Once you have mastered individual exercises, put them together into high-intensity workouts.