What is it? Those things in the corner of your gym shaped like metal handbags, that you see people picking up and swinging around like they’re trying to waft away a fart.
How much does it cost? Free to use at your gym. Do that, because a full set can cost anything up to £500.
What does it promise? All the usual stuff – cardio, endurance, general wellbeing – plus an almost unbeatably great workout for your back (specifically your lower back) and your core.
What’s it actually like? Until this week, I’d never really attacked the kettlebells that seriously, instead preferring to wander over midway through a workout and half-heartedly swing them around until I’d got my breath back. However, I’d heard that you could get a full-body workout purely by using a kettlebell, so I found a programme online and set to work. It was still centred around the swing – where you hold a kettlebell two-handed and draw it up until it’s at arm’s length and at chest height – but also included moves such as clean and jerks, deadlifts and rows. There is also an exercise called the “Turkish get-up”, where you repeatedly lie on the floor and stand up, keeping the kettlebell above your head at all times, which stopped being fun incredibly quickly. The good news is that it’s an intense, compact workout. The bad news is that today my arms don’t work and I’m typing this with my nose.
Best and worst bit You can get a fairly comprehensive full-body workout from a kettlebell. However, if you’re anything like me, about halfway through you’ll start sweating and your grip will go and you’ll wish you’d brought some gloves.
Is it worth it? Yes.
