For those who don't have any idea what they are, they are best described as a cannonball with a handle, available commonly from 8kg to 48kg. We won't look into the history of them too much here, there are plenty of articles on the web that deal with that, and a quick google should throw up all the history you need.

As with dumbells and barbells, kettlebells can be used to develop both strength (slower heavier movements) and conditioning (the more explosive or ballistic movements such as swings, cleans and snatches). It is these latter explosive movements that the kettlebell seems more versatile for.

One thing you won't hear on irishfitness though is talk of magic bullets regarding fat loss/fitness. There is no substitute for hard work and consistency to make noticeable changes, and this remains true of kettlebells. They do have several advantages over their other weight training counterparts such as dumbells and barbells, but magic they're not, let's look at a few...

Their size: Usually one or maybe two kettlebells are all you need for a full body workout and you don't need a huge amount of storage space to keep them.

They're virtually indestructable: Drop one from a height and you're more likely to damage the surface it's hit than the bell itself.

You can use them anywhere: Indoors or outdoors and are easily transportable.

Price: They are relatively cheap when compared with their counterparts, dumbells usually require investment in a set, and barbells obviously need weighted plates.

Learning and teaching: Certain movements that ought to form a part of most balanced programmes, namely squat and deadlift patterns are easier both to teach and to learn in my experience.

Female strength training: Yes, we've discussed women and weight training before, but women really needn't be afraid of strength training, see our women and weight training article. This is one of the reasons kettlebell training gets such a good reputation, in a lot of cases this might be a persons first time strength training and therefore a completely different stimulus to what's gone before. Stepping into a male dominated weight room in the gym isn't the most inviting introduction to weight training. A kettlebell isn't as visually daunting as a barbell either.

Introduction to intensity: If you're gym routine consists of leafing through the latest glossy mag while cycling or watching corrie on the treadmill, chances are you're missing intensity. If you've ever been to a 'commercial' gym you'll know who I'm referring to. Kettlebells (classes in particular) are a great introduction to improving this. They are also group sessions, and any fitness protocol that involves being part of a group will help push you through your barriers, meaning results come quicker.

Corrective exercise: Ok, it's a horrible term, but the truth is most people have imbalances that need to be ironed out, most of us sit for 8hours per day, then sit in the car to drive home, then sit in front of the tv/computer for another few hours. You should be seeing a pattern here, if not it's sitting. It shouldn't take a genius to work out that being stuck in any particular position for long periods of time isn't great for the body and sitting causes issues for most people, whether they know it or not.

Back, hip, and shoulders are pretty common problem areas here. Kettlebell training, particularly the ballistic movements, tend to focus on improving hip mobility by utilising the musculature on the rear of the body, bigger muscles that we've essentially 'forgotten' how to use.

The Turkish Getup is also an excellent exercise to use both as a screen to identify areas you may have issues and to develop mobility/stability through the shoulders, hips and core by working in different planes of motion. Here's a pretty impressive video of a girl called Neghar Fonooni showing a Turkish Get Up with 28kg, a weight most guys would be proud of.

All good so far, but I mentioned some disadvantages right? On the flipside to some of the above and in the interests of balance, here are some disadvantages, it's important to mention though that they are small and can be worked around:

Steep learning curve: Movements such as the clean and the snatch are both hard to teach and to learn. These movements take (as anything worth learning) time to perfect, but the road to that can lead to bruised and tender forearms. This ultimately means this type of training is not for everyone. Once perfected though they are excellent movements. Incidentally, a point to note, competition bells seem to sit a lot better for cleans rather than the more traditional bells.

Tough on hands: As above, those same movements can be tough on the hands, especially when you start adding volume into the equation. Not usually an issue for men, but women aren't generally big fans of callouses.

Danger to yourself and others and pets (and things): Kettlebell training involves ballistic movements, generally with swinging or snatching, you're essentially throwing a solid weight between your legs and overhead. Your hands slip, that bell is going somewhere! Equally, and this applies across the board, I've seen some attrocious form with people who are clearly self taught. If you're thinking of giving it a shot, please find a decent instructor in your area who can take you through the basics. Once you've established that it's up to you whether you join a class or train from home.

So there we go, hopefully a pretty balanced view on the pros and cons of kettlebell training. It's an excellent form of training and coupled with some decent nutrition advice, people generally see pretty good results in terms of weight loss and postural improvements.

As always, send us any questions you might have on the above, or start a post on the forum. In the meantime...get swinging!