<div>One look at it and I know it is unlikely to win any beauty contest. It looks like a cannonball with a handle. Just the thing to drop on somebody’s toes — somebody you dislike. And if I am to believe my extremely knowledgeable and fit gym instructor, this will give me the butt and abs I have always dreamt of if I work out with it regularly. Apparently, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Biel and Geri Halliwell have all incorporated this rather medieval implement into their workouts. <br /> </div><div>According to people who know about such things, the kettlebell originated in Russia, possibly as early as the 1700s. It became a favourite training tool of the strongmen in that country. By the 1980s and 1990s though, it had started falling out of favour with many gyms — which were now focusing on hi-tech machines featuring weight stacks, pulleys and rods. Of late though, the kettlebell is making a comeback.<br /> </div><div>I look at it sceptically and wonder just how it is supposed to make me leaner and fitter. What can it do that the good ol’ dumb-bell, a device I had used on my sporadic visits to the gym previously, cannot? I quiz the instructor. The kettlebell offers all the benefits of the dumb-bell and then some more. Its thick handles challenge your grip and since the weight of a kettlebell hangs a few inches below the handle, it makes it more difficult to control, forcing everything from your grip to your core (hips, thighs, waist and abs) to work harder, resulting in, you guessed it — higher calorie burn.<br /> </div><div>What’s more, a kettlebell workout provides twice the results in half the time by combining strength and cardio training in one quick exercise. So, instead of spending half an hour on the treadmill and another half-hour doing weights, I could achieve the same results by doing a high intensity 30-minute kettlebell workout. Now, that definitely sounded tempting — half an hour saved in the gym means I had a whole half hour extra to spend in the mall! <br /> </div><div>I was beginning to think that it might not be a bad deal after all. And what was that about a higher calorie burn? The kettlebell workout involves compound movements where several different muscle groups work together. This translates into not just a higher calorie burn (I later Googled it and, according to some studies, it’s as a high as 20 calories per minute) but also functional fitness.<br /> <br />The exercises concentrate on basic movements encouraging the body to work as a unit, hence, promoting muscular balance and coordination. Moreover, said my muscled instructor as he lifted a kettlebell in each hand, regular exercise would speed up my metabolism.<br /> </div><div>Oh, and did I mention that this odd-shaped magic ball was going to tone all my trouble spots — hips, thighs, waist and abs? I could picture myself fitting into that dress I had been eyeing for long.<br /> <br />And if I still had some doubts regarding its benefits, they evaporated when I was told that the workout would make me more flexible. <br /> </div><div>Bring it on, I told myself. Select a weight, ordered the instructor. Uh, 2 kg, please. We start with 6kg, he sniggered. Now, why didn’t he tell me that before? I used to work with five pound dumb-bells and thought they were a bit much. Women can go up to 12 kg while men generally work out with kettlebells weighing between 10 and 16 kg, he informed me.<br /> <br />You are advised to select a weight that is suited to your fitness level and progress to higher weights as your strength improves. One of the most popular exercises using the kettlebell is the ‘swing’. It targets the shoulders, back, hips, glutes and legs. It’s also a killer, as I was about to find out. I stood with my feet shoulder-width apart and held the kettlebell with both hands. Then I slowly bend my hips back slightly and swung the bell between the legs. So far so good. The kettlebell was heavy and I could feel the pull in my arms. But it was the next move that made me let off an involuntary gasp. In one smooth movement I had to stand up straight, with my arms stretched out and the kettlebell swinging at eye level. The power of the workout lies in its ability to displace the centre of gravity, creating more core involvement. I thought of all the calories I was burning and trudged on. <br /> </div><div>With a kettlebell even simple squats and curls are enhanced (read more painful). Try doing the squat holding the kettlebell. It is great for your legs, glutes and back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the kettlebell up at eye level so that you can see through the handle. Keep your back straight and squat down towards the floor as low as you can.<br /> </div><div>There are several other movements — presses, pushes, side-to-side twists — that can be done. The kettlebell, I strongly believe, is a great exercise tool — provided you are fitter and more motivated than I am. <br /><br /><div>smitatripathi(at)<span style="line-height: 1.4;">bworldmail(dot)com</span></div><div>Twitter: (at)smitabw</div><br /><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 08-04-2013)</span></div>