What Is A Kettlebell?

This archived article was originally published in 2009 and is kept online for archival purposes. Facts, advice, prices, offers and links may be out of date. For current, sourced advice, see our newer guides. The content below may also be incomplete, as some of the original site was lost.

What is a kettlebell?  Perhaps you’ve recently heard of the Russian kettlebell for the first time.  But before we answer that, let’s get this straight… it is NOT called a “cattle ball”, or a “kettle ball”, or a “cattle bell”.  It is not something that you cook with, nor has it anything to do with cows!

The iron kettlebell looks like a bowling ball or cannon ball with a handle on it.  The unique, age-old design allows a person to effectively perform both grinding and ballistic exercises.

The kettlebell is the secret weapon of choice for many world-class athletes and weekend warriors alike.  If your goal is to lose weight, burn fat, build muscle, improve your cardio abilities, or simply to look good at the beach this summer in a bikini, then congratulations!  You have found one of the simplest, yet most powerful, forms of weight lifting available today!