If you follow my blog you know that I've recently discovered kettlebells - those innocuous looking hunks of iron that supposedly can whip you into shape faster than Julia Child can whip up a chocolate mousse.
If you know me, you also know that I've always been somewhat active. I was into martial arts when I was a teenager up until I got married and started having babies. Then, even though I let the martial arts slide due to a lack of time, I kept up with daily exercises for several years. Once the kids got more numerous and sleep was the number one priority, I let exercise slide almost completely for several years. But my interest in being fit was sparked again when I saw a segment on TV about kettlebells. I was intrigued. They looked like fun and sounded like a great way to get into shape. I did some research; printed off some routines I found on the internet and picked up a kettlebell. It was a great start, but I needed one more thing - some better instruction.
My wish was granted. I was recently given a copy of the book Kettlebells for Dummies by Sarah Lurie. This is a really great book for anyone getting started with kettlebells.
Chapter 1 - Gearing Up is all about what a kettlebell is, how they are used and how they differ from traditional weights. There is information on how to pick the right size kettlebell including some simple ways to test your strength and flexibility and how to choose the right size kettlebell based on those simple test results. This process was spot-on! I was able to choose the right weight kettlebell and after working with it a bit I know that it's the right size - it's challenging, but not overly so.
This chapter also goes into the essentials of spine and hip positioning and alignment - how to get into the right positions and maintain them and how to do the hip snap movements. It also covers some warming up, cooling down and stretching topics.
Chapter 2 - Basics covers some of the basic kettlebell moves: The Swing and its variations, the Turkish Get Up and variations of it with and without the kettlebell and other basic moves such as squats, cleans and the military press. There are detailed, step by step instructions on how to get the movements down and tips and exercises to do if you are having trouble. Can't quite get the squats just right? There are some exercises to do to get your body used to the correct movements.
It then moves into some beginner workouts which include suggested routines with chapter references so you can refer back for more details on specific exercises. There are three workouts - 'Flab to Fab', 'Cardio Burn' and 'Power and Strength', each incorporating exercises that work toward a particular goal - losing fat/burning calories, cardio or strength.
Chapter 3 - Advanced Kettlebell Moves progresses into some more advanced moves and covers ways to master those moves. There are some quick 5-minute workouts that are great to use as warm-ups for a full workout, or just to squeeze in on those days when you don't have time for a full workout.
Then, as in the previous beginner workouts, there are three workouts - 'Flab to Fab', 'Cardio Burn' and 'Power and Strength' that incorporate some of the more advanced moves into the workouts.
This chapter also gets into some kettlebell combos that pull together various kettlebell movements into a single exercise to take full advantage of the kettlebell's ability to engage your entire body and core muscles with some simple movements and combinations of movements.
Chapter 4 - Special Situations covers kettlebell use for young adults, boomers and seniors. There are guidelines to follow and suggestions on how to adjust the workouts to suit your own special situation.
Everything you can think of from a section on pregnancy and post-natal workouts to sections on rehabbing and supporting substantial weight loss are covered as well as tips to achieve goals and guidelines to help you find a certified trainer.
Overall, this is an excellent book. Throughout the book are photos showing the correct form for each exercise each step of the way as well as detailed written instructions for each step. There are plenty of tips and pointers for identifying bad form and correcting it and the suggested workouts are extremely helpful in creating a full workout plan.
The book is geared toward a kettlebell novice and has a lot of detail to get you started and to keep you going for a long time with intermediate and advanced moves and topics. I will be referring to this book for a long time as I progress with my kettlebell training. With my kettlebell and this book I'm good to go. I have what I need to get the basics down and then some.
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