The New Weapon of Choice or What the Hell is Kettlebell?

This past week has been fraught with my dealing with my oh-so-shitty back, so instead of not working out and bitching about it I decided to put my intellect to work. I've been going back and forth about P90X, and while I know that I will get results with it, they're not necessarily the results that I want. That brings us to the question that stifles so many on their quest to the world of pecs and abs. What should I do for my workouts?

Back in the day I was considered a "fitness professional," but I definitely wasn't what most would consider a personal trainer. As a self-defense instructor I relied on tried and true athletic training principles from traditional strength training to pilates and yoga. While I became very familiar with principles from a lot of different disciplines, I never got good at putting together traditional workouts (i.e. a weight-lifting schedule). I can smoke myself in a cardio or interval workout, but I've always been behind the power curve on how to develop strength - especially explosive strength. Sure, you can get strong doing Krav Maga, but in order to move past a certain level you need to start incorporating different things - mostly additional weight.

The problem that I've always had is that I hate going to the gym (I know, go figure). Aside from the issues that most people have with traditional gyms (waiting for a bench, people not re-racking weights, those insanely jacked guys that lift more with their triceps than I can squat), I never liked the typical strength training routines. Yes, there are proven methods to building strength, and pounding out some iron is one of the best ways to do it. Unfortunately, the traditional programs just don't keep my interest. I'm sure if I had an awesome trainer or a good training partner that wouldn't be a problem, but that's not in the cards right now. Trainers are too expensive (when I get independently wealthy I'll have Mark Verstagen come to my house), and finding a training partner with my schedule is tough. To make matters worse I will only have access to a traditional gym about 50% of the time. If I build a workout routine that requires benches and squat racks I'll just be setting myself up for failure.

P90X is definitely an option, and it will without a doubt make you stronger. However, the one thing to understand about P90X is that while it is partially a strength program, one of the main purposes of it is to help you burn fat and lose weight. While I will never scoff at dropping a few lbs, my main concern right now isn't about how I look. What I need right now is strength... lots and lots of strength.

So the requirements for my new regimen are pretty straightforward, but a little difficult to satisfy:

1. The main program needs to be strength training. Cardio will be supplemented with runs (which I need to do) and Bas Rutten workouts (since my Krav Maga technique has gone to shit).
2. The program needs to be as portable as P90X. The Powerblocks made it easy to bring weight wherever I needed.
3. As little additional investment as possible. I spent over $500 on my P90X investment, so I don't want to be buying a ton of crap unless I know it's going to last me.
4. Enough potential variation in the program that I will keep my ADD side satisfied.
5. The program needs to have a significant core strength portion to get my lame back into shape so this pain will go away.

In order to help with this decision I made a phone call to a good friend of mine for some advice. Not only is he a walking bulldozer, he's a training freak that is always on the lookout for something new to make his workouts more intense. His advice came in one simple word - kettlebells.

For those of you that don't know, kettlebells are a Russian torture, er... workout device, that have been around for some time. Basically it's a cannonball with a handle, and you can use the kettlebell in an almost unlimited variation of movements including lifts, swings, throws, etc. Kettlebells have gotten extremely popular over the past few years, and several of my friends have been working out with them for some time.

I never really got into kettlebells mainly because I never had access to them. Back when I ran my schools I had thought about purchasing some, but they're not the cheapest things around, and I didn't have a certified kettlebell instructor around me to work with. While normally I would just purchase them willy-nilly and figure out how to use them, I didn't want to hurt any of my students trying to use them in training when I didn't know what I was doing. Yes, from time-to-time I do make sensible decisions.

Kettlebell enthusiasts will tout these portable munitions as the greatest thing to come to strength training since someone realized lifting a weight makes you stronger. However, just like CrossFit, P90X, John Basedow's abs, and Denise Austin's workout videos, there are people that swear by them and others that think claims are nothing more than marketing hype. Since I'm a little more rational than most, I understand that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and that the success of a program ultimately relies on the person that's actually doing it.

Just to go off on a tangent for a moment, lets look at CrossFit as an example. Yes, CrossFit is an amazing organization that has brought a lot of people to the pinnacle of human performance. Coach Glassman has pioneered new methods and principles in athletic training that are so significant that the Marine Corp modeled their new PT program after this teachings. However, CrossFit requires a lot of equipment (olympic weights, bumper plates, ropes, pull-up bars, etc.), and an experienced coach is an absolute necessity for beginners than have never attempted olympic-style lifts. For those that have access to the equipment and proper coaching, CrossFit is great. Unfortunately for me it's not really a possibility given my current constraints. And before any CrossFit zealots, ahem, enthusiasts, jump down my throat... yes, I know CrossFit posts new workouts everyday. Yes, I know they post very good how-to's for many of the lifts they do. I've gone through a lot of CrossFit workouts in my day. Unfortunately, I don't have much space for tractor tires in my 1100 square foot condo.

But I digress. Looking at my requirements/constraints, it appears that kettlebell workouts are the most conducive to what I'm looking for. Let's see how they fit my requirements:

1. Kettlebell workouts are inherently strength based (you're swinging around a giant piece of iron for godsake).
2. They are extremely portable, and starting out I will only need a few (technically just a couple - an 8kg bell and a 16kg bell).
3. The investment for the bells and a highly recommended workout video was only $200. While I would've rather spent $0, the money isn't a huge issue.
4. Kettlebell workouts are limited only by your imagination. There are plenty of great instructional videos out there with new workouts and advanced moves, so I won't be hurting for material.
5. Kettlebell workouts are heavily focused on core strength, which is exactly what I need.

So there you go - my new weapon of choice is the kettlebell. It'll take about a week to get the new equipment, but that's fine with me. I'm going to focus the next week on rehabing my back and getting with the chiropractor a few times. About the only downside to all of this is that yoga is the one thing that actually makes my back feel better... and we all know how I feel about yoga.
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