Lauren Brooks Fitness FAQs

Which Video is Right for Me?

Click here for more information on choosing the right kettlebell workout DVD.

What are Kettlbells?

A ‘kettlebell’ or girya (Russ.) is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. As the 1986 Soviet Weightlifting Yearbook put it, “It is hard to find a sport that has deeper roots in the history of our people than kettlebell lifting.” So popular were kettlebells in Tsarist Russia that any strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a girevik, or ‘a kettlebell man.’ “Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics,” wrote Ludvig Chaplinskiy in the Russian magazine Hercules in 1913. The Russian Special Forces personnel owe much of their wiry strength, lethal agility, and never-quitting stamina to kettlebells.

“Soldier, Be Strong!” the official Soviet armed forces strength training manual pronounced kettlebell drills to be “one of the most effective means of strength development” representing “a new era in the development of human strength-potential.”

Who uses kettlebells in the United States?

The extreme kettlebell workout would have remained the exclusive domain of Russian spec ops, had former Spetsnaz instructor Pavel not immigrated to the U.S. The elite of the U.S. military and law enforcement instantly recognized the power of the Russian kettlebell, ruggedly simple and deadly effective as an AK-47. Once the Russian kettlebell became a hit among those whose life depends on their strength and conditioning, it took off among hard people from all walks of life: martial artists, athletes, and regular tough guys. There is no stopping the Russian kettlebell invasion. Men’s Journal called it ‘a workout with balls.’

Do kettlebells deliver extreme all around fitness?

Voropayev (1983) observed two groups of subjects over a period of a few years and tested them with a standard battery of armed forces PT tests: pullups, a standing broad jump, a 100m sprint, and a 1k run. The control group followed a typical university physical education program that emphasized the above. The experimental group just lifted kettlebells. In spite of the lack of practice on the tested exercises, the kettlebell group showed better scores in every one of them! Researchers at the Lesgaft Physical Culture Institute in Leningrad (Vinogradov & Lukyanov, 1986) found a very high correlation between the results posted in a kettlebell lifting competition and a great range of dissimilar tests: strength, measured with the three powerlifts and grip strength; strength endurance, measured with pullups and parallel bar dips; general endurance, determined by a 1000 meter run; and work capacity and balance, measured with special tests! Shevtsova (1993) discovered that kettlebell training lowers the heart rate and the blood pressure. Gomonov (1998) concluded that, “Exercises with kettlebells enable one to quickly build strength, endurance, achieve a balanced development of all muscle groups, fix particular deficiencies of build, and they also promote health.” Most methods that claim ‘all around fitness’ deliver no more than compromises. Accept no compromises – choose the Russian kettlebell!

How will using kettlebells effect my body?

Russian kettlebells are not for Kens and Barbies who want to look like ‘a collection of body parts.’ Kettlebells forge doers’ physiques along the lines of antique statues: broad shoulders with just a hint of pecs, back muscles standing out in bold relief, wiry arms, rugged forearms, a cut midsection, and strong legs without a hint of squat-induced chafing. Kettlebells have shown to help melt fat without having to do aerobics; losing 1% of bodyfat a week for weeks is not uncommon. If you are overweight, you will lean out. If you are too skinny, you will get built up. According to Voropayev (1997), who studied top Russian gireviks, 21.2% increased their bodyweight since taking up kettlebelling and 21.2% (the exact same percentage, not a typo), mostly heavyweights, decreased it. The Russian kettlebell is a powerful tool for fixing your body comp, whichever way it needs fixing.

Are kettlebells dangerous? Am I too young or too old?

Only 8.8% of top Russian gireviks, members of the Russian National Team and regional teams, reported injuries in training or competition (Voropayev, 1997). A remarkably low number, isn’t it? Note that these were not regular guys, but elite athletes who push their bodies to the edge. This should not be seen as an excuse to lift kettlebells flippantly; any type of strength training can be dangerous if you use bad judgment. As for the age, at the 1995 Russian Championship the youngest contestant was 16 and the oldest was 53! And we are talking elite competition here; the range is even wider if you are training for yourself rather than for the gold.

What size kettlebell is right for me?

–Most women can start with a 15-18 pound kettlebell. Stronger women can begin with a 25 pound. Many women will develop strength and use a 35-44 pound.
–Most men can start with a 26 – 35 pound kettlebell. Stronger men can begin with a 44 pound kettlebell. Many men will develop great strength and use a 53 pound all the way up to 106 pound.

For more detailed info on choosing the right kettlebell size click here.

Can you tell me more about suspension training and which product would be the best fit for me?

Suspension training is using your body weight and it is one of the best ways to compliment your kettlebell training. Using rings or cables will develop amazing full body strength, core stability, and can aide in a stretching program for flexibility. The beauty of suspension workouts is that you do not need a gym and you can take it with you almost anywhere. Here are the 3 suspension training products that I use interchangeably:

Rings

This is the first method I used. Rings have been around the longest. This is a solid piece of equipment that will get you doing chin ups in no time. You can hang these on a pull up bar, beam, tree branch, etc. You can do many exercises with these. If your main purpose is to progress to pull ups then rings would probably be your best option.

Jungle Gym

This is probably the most cost efficient. They now have 3 apparatuses you can choose from. It’s an easy set up as you can put it over any sturdy door, beam, bar, tree branch, etc. This tool is very versatile and allows you to do many exercises. You can also do chin ups with the Jungle Gym. The only draw back is you have to shorten them one at a time. It can take a little getting use to as you change lengths with this system to make sure they are identical lengths. It’s good quality, very light and durable, and does the trick without breaking the bank.

TRX Suspension Trainer

This is a very high quality product. It’s easily used with group classes or in the comfort of your own home. It’s a bit more pricey than the original Jungle Gym, however, it’s much more user friendly for adjusting the length. There are hundreds of exercises you can do with the TRX and it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular tools along with kettlebells. I feel that it’s the perfect compliment to all kettlebell training.

I am new to kettlebells so which DVD do you recommend that I start with?

The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells Volume 1 will be all you need to begin your kettlebell journey, other than a kettlebell. This DVD gives you a complete tutorial section on the foundation kettlebell exercises that will keep you busy for months along with a couple of follow along workouts.

Would the “Baby Bells” DVD be too easy if I am not pregnant?

The workout provided on Baby Bells can be challenging even for those who are not pregnant. This is a good workout to try and use a heavier weight since the pace is a little slower. Many who are not pregnant have actually found this to be a good workout to add to their rotation. The design of the workout uses full precaution for every stage of pregnancy. Read more about Baby Bells, user reviews and information here.

How much weight can I expect to lose working with Kettlebells?

Many people have lost 10-15 pounds in the first few months when implementing kettlebell workouts into their regimen. Don’t expect to lose tons of weight if you are eating lots of junk and processed foods. As with any weight loss program, it’s imperative that you incorporate a clean and balanced nutrition. You will feel and look better overall.

Will I be able to use the Ultimate Body Sculpt Volume 2 if I don’t own Volume 1?

If you are familiar with the basic kettlebell drills then you should be able to safely use Volume 2. Volume 1 does, however, include challenging workouts for even the most advanced of lifters.