The kettlebell – why isn’t more popular today?

   By now you should have red quite a few articles explaining why training with kettlebells is so good. Significant improvements in functional strength, core strength, grip strength, explosive strength, explosive endurance, plus a warrior physique all are normal outcomes of structured kettlebell training.

   If the kettlebell delivers so well, why it can’t be found in every fitness club, gym, training center or home? Why isn’t a staple device for fitness and conditioning?

   I will try to find an explanation for the fact that the kettlebells are not very popular today:

   First I think it is about the marketability of the product. You can not dress too sexy this black hunk of iron with a handle. Because of this you can not earn too much money selling kettlebells. You earn much more selling high tech chromed machines, with electronic monitors and anatomy charts attached to them than you might earn selling kettlebells. So the top brands who sell fitness equipment have no interest in promoting kettlebells.

You will not get rich selling apples (even if everybody knows that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”), but you might get rich selling a magic potion extracted from a secret plant in an underground laboratory, plant which grows only above 8000 m altitude on the top of the Himalayas, even if no real scientist doesn’t really have a clue about this plant.

   The second thing, also related to marketing, is that fitness clubs prefer to use rows of treadmills with cable TV and IPod connection to lure customers into fitness, than promoting the black and heavy cannon balls. Some club owners might even be scared that this inexpensive training device might deter paying members away from clubs.

So the fitness clubs have no interest either in promoting kettlebells to the potential customers.

   Third I think is the straight approach to fitness you get by training with a kettlebell. When you see the kettlebell you know instantly that there is no way around; just heavy, exhausting lifting and guts. You can not fool around with a kettlebell, you can not pretend to exercise the way you can do with machines. The only way to fool yourself with a kettlebell is to use a kindergarten kettlebell, but you would be ashamed to use such a small iron ball if there is chance that someone else might see you. The vast majority of people would choose the easy way anytime, especially when is about physical effort. They are hoping for results while training with the lightest possible effort. Or even better with no effort whatsoever: “I have tried, but fitness is not working; at least not for me”.

   The forth reason I think of might be the fact that you need to master certain skills in order to train with a kettlebell. It is not so easy as 1,2,3; you need to spend at least a few hours mastering the lifting techniques before training with a kettlebell. Again most of the people would flock to easier ways for physical training.

   The fifth reason should be that training with a kettlebell you have no “special exercises” for the “problem” areas of your body: abdomen, buttocks and the back of your arm. By “special exercises” I mean stupid and ineffective abdominals, butt blasters and triceps kickbacks. If you know the basics you know that you can achieve visible results just with basic training and a sound nutrition.

   These are the reasons I can think of to explain why the kettlebell is not very popular today.

   I am sure that in the future the kettlebell will regain its status and be again crowned as the king of training devices, because it deserves this place.

   Train hard !