I have contributed to numerous publications, such as the Scotland on Sunday - Spectrum Magazine, i-on Edinburgh Magazine and The City Boys Club to name a few.
Give your exercise regime a lift - Scotsman Saturday magazine
EDITED BY JESSICA KIDDLE
If I tell you that Russian weightlifters have used kettlebells to hone their physiques for years, would that put you off using them? I hope not because, as the figures of fans such as Kim Cattrall, Penélope Cruz and J-Lo show, working out with these weights (which look like small bowling balls with handles attached) does not promote a masculine shape. In fact, those who master the technique of swinging and lifting them are guaranteed a leaner, more toned physique.
That's certainly what my month-long training programme with Edinburgh-based personal trainer Brendon Hartt proved. As well as running weekly classes at Craiglockhart Tennis and Sports Centre (0131-650 1001, www.edinburghleisure.co.uk) on Tuesdays and Thursdays Brendon - one of the few qualified kettlebell trainers in Scotland - visits clients at home.
His sessions involve a lot of squats, lunges and lifts which are made all the more difficult by the fact that you're holding weights in both hands (I lifted around 8kg but the bells range from 5kg to an impressive 90kg). Then there are the swinging moves (back and forth between your legs, straight up in front of you towards the ceiling, or, with a flick of the wrist, over your head towards your shoulder) which are key elements of the kettlebell workout and take a few attempts to get the hang of.
Once you do master the technique, however, you will find that it takes every last bit of muscle power to defy gravity and swing these weighted balls skyward meaning that all your major muscles - including the core ones - are working together for the duration of the session. Because the movements are so dynamic your heart rate is also elevated which means that kettlebells offer the calorie-burning benefits that most weights machines do not offer.
I only had four sessions but, when combined with my other workouts, I noticed a definite difference in my abs, legs and arms, and nobody made any reference to me looking like Geoff Capes.
• A one-hour kettlebell session with Brendon Hartt costs £40 or £30 as part of a block booking of ten sessions. For more information, tel: 07764 950493 or visit www.xplosivefitness.co.uk
This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/magazine.cfm?id=1581412007
Weight and see
RUTH WALKER
THE fact that Russian weightlifters have for centuries been using them to hone their physiques should surely be endorsement enough. But the latest fitness trend to arrive on these shores has come the long way round from Red Square - via Hollywood.
Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Sylvester Stallone, Claire Danes and Matthew McConaughey are all said to be devotees of the kettlebell - which basically looks like a canonball with a handle. Some say its origins do not lie in Mother Russia at all, but closer to home, with Highlanders having long used such weights to help them train for curling matches.
The balls range in weight from 5kg to 90kg, cost around £50 and are said to deliver an intense workout that takes half the length of time of a traditional regime but produces twice the results. Apparently 15 minutes with a kettlebell will burn more fat than 40 minutes on the treadmill.
Having trained elite Latvian soldiers for warfare, Pavel Tsatsouline moved to the US to work with troops there. He now lives in Santa Monica and is considered to be the world's kettlebell guru. "Twenty years ago the Russians would have shot me for revealing these techniques," he says. "They are designed to produce instant results. In traditional martial arts, people spend ten to 20 years to achieve mastery. This is not an option for any special-forces units, and because the exercises give such a fast total body workout there's none of the boredom of repetitive physical training."
Most exercises begin in a squatting position, moving to standing, and swinging the kettlebell between your legs, up in front of you or over your shoulder - all of which means it is great for toning up those pesky bingo wings and for improving core stability.
Brendan Hartt is one of the few qualified kettlebell trainers in Scotland. He says that, despite its unglamorous origins, the sport is ideally suited for women. "Because of the way you work, it creates long, lean muscle."
The difference between using a kettlebell and any other kind of weight is the variety of movement available to you, he says. "You're building up strength through your entire muscle range. The power is generated through the hips - that's where most of the work comes from - and then your glutes and your hamstrings and your lower back come into play as well."
Hartt says the beauty of kettlebells is that they link everything up, so you're not just working your core - like you do when you're doing sit-ups on a ball. It's teaching everything to work correctly.
He advises women to start with an 8kg kettlebell, and men a 16kg. "Get yourself a set of bells - or just one bell to begin with - and that's all you need. You can do just about anything, and you don't have to change weights. You're basically melting fat off your body."
Most importantly, though, you won't end up looking like a Russian shot put champion. Unless you want to.
Brendan Hartt (0776 495 0493)
This article: http://living.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=450172007
Join the Swing Kettle SARAH HOWDEN Evening News
They have been used by burly weightlifters to hone their physiques since the 1700s and were the secret fitness weapon of the Red Army.
Now from Russia via Hollywood, Kettlebell is set to become the biggest fitness craze in Edinburgh since spinning.
Looking a bit like a large cannonball with a handle on the top, the kettlebell weight used for the workout is certainly distinctive and is being promoted as a way of shedding excess pounds quickly and toning fast.
"It is a Whole-body workout and you get results fast," says Edinburgh-based personal trainer Brendan Hartt.
"It uses a basic swing movement, a lot of compound movements and your whole body is working with the weights.As you get stronger the weight is increased. The result is a massive cardio burn and a rise in heart rate as it's a high-intensity workout and you get an after-burn which is when the body's metabolism rises."
Kettlebell as anew fitness vogue was the brainchild of Pavel Tsatsouline.Having trained elite Latvian soldiers of warfare, Pavel moved to the US to work with troops before becoming what is considered to be the world's kettlebell guru.
"Twenty years ago the Russians would have shot me for revealing these techniques," he says."They are designed to produce instant results." "In Traditional martial arts, people spend ten to 20 years to achieve mastery.This is not a option for any special-forces unit and, because the exercises give such a fast total body workout, there's none of the boredom of repetitive physical training."
The US military and law enforcement soon jumped on the kettlebell-wagon, and even our Highland neighbours reportedly used the cast-iron weight to train for curling matches.
Jennifer Lopez uses it to keep her arms red-carpet slender and her famous abs taut and trim and Penelope Cruz swears by it to stay in shape. Even Sylvester Stallone has been swinging, snatching and pressing with them.
"I came across Kettlebell about two years ago while I was dong some research on the internet," explains Brendan. "I was really interested in it as a really dynamic way to work out and perform -vit works the whole body and works it hard."
Brendan then went on to study the technique and obtained his Extreme Kettlebell Instructor qualification earlier this year.He is now one of the very few Kettlebell instructors in Scotland and he believes he is the only one in Edinburgh.
The Kettlebell hype stems from the results - lean, taut,toned bodies without bulk. Apparently, 15 minutes with one of these weights will burn more fat than 40 minutes on the treadmill.
According to Brendon, most exercises begin in a squatting position, moving to standing, as well as swinging the kettlebell between the legs, up in front of the torso and over the shoulder. The result is quick toning and improvements to core stabilty which leads to lean muscle building and strength.
And, despite its far from ladylike origins, the sport is said to be ideally suited to women. "Because of the way you work, it creates long, lean muscle," adds Brendon.
The difference between using a kettlebell and any other kind of weight is the variety of movement available. "You're building up strength through your entire muscle range," explains Brendon. "The power is generated throught the hips - that's where most of the work comes from - and then your glutes and your hamstrings and your lower back come into play."
And so within a very few sessions, the body strengthens, the muscles tone, the metabolism rises and excess fat is shed. "You're basically metling fat off your body," adds Brendon.
But don't think you have to be super strong to even attempt Kettlebell - women start with a relatively light 8kg weight and men, 16kg.Student Iain Rowe, from Craiglockart, has definitely felt the benefits of kettlebell.
"I've been doing it for about six months now around twice a week and Ive seen a big change," explains the 25-year-old."I first decided to give it a go as I fancied a change. I was always just going to the gym, doing the same old things, and I wanted a bit of variety.
"Intially, it was a lot a harder than I thought it would be and I was sweating buckets during my first session. I was sore the next day - but in a good way. I knew I'd been working hard."
Within a couple of weeks, Iain was seeing chages in his strength, his performance at other sports such as running, endurance and his muscle definition. "I gained a lot more power, my arms became more defined, I lost weight and lost my gut," he says. It also helped with my posture."
So would he recommend it? " Defintely," he says. "Kettlebell is for everyone.The people Ive told about it who've tried it have stuck at it and seen results. No-one looks back."
- For more information about Brendon Hartt's Kettlebell sessions go to www.xplosivefitness.co.uk
WHO’S KEEPING THE KETTLE BOILING?
Who does it? Kim Cattrall, Penelope Cruz, J-Lo
Where can you do it? Edinburgh-based Brendon Hartt does one-on-one sessions for £40 each or £30 in block bookings. Brendon also runs Kettlebell classes at CraiglockartSports Centre for £6 per class. Telephone him on 07764950493 to find out more.
What’s it like? Holding what looks like a bowling ball with a handle, you swing, squat, lift and stretch. A session delivers cardio, strength training and toning, and rather than producing bulk, it gives lean, dense muscles.
This article: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=974072007