If you get into serious strength training, it won't be long before you find your hands wrapping around the grip of a kettlebell. Even if you've yet to use those large, bell-shaped weights with thick handles on top, it's likely you've seen them in the corner of your local gym or the centerpiece of a live-streamed workout. They're popular for good reason.
First, the odd shape of a kettlebell allows for a more dynamic range of movement than you get with a traditional dumbbell. Thus, kettlebells are used not only for strength training but also for cardio work, flexibility and balance training, and to target multiple muscle groups at once.
Kettlebells 101Though I've wrapped my hands around many a kettlebell, I figured it was a good idea to get some professional perspective. For that expert insight, I spoke with R.J. Cincotta, director of fitness with Orange Theory Fitness Long Island and 15-year veteran of the professional training and fitness world. Though most Orange Theory gyms don't use kettlebells, Cincotta spoke to Business Insider based on his own extensive fitness experience.
"Kettlebells are best used for power movements," Cincotta said. "You're going to use them for squats and for swings, and you'll use them for a lot of single-sided exercises often referred to as asymmetrical movements. You can even use kettlebells for stability work, as well."
What makes a kettlebell harder to use than a dumbbell lies with its shape which puts its weight several inches away from your hand. This means you'll need to activate more of your muscles as you stabilize the weight. With a kettlebell, every single-handed exercise like curls, shoulder presses, snatches, and so on is that much more productive. And for two-handed exercises like goblet squats, the grip shape means added stability so you can focus on your form, as well as your core, glutes, quads, and other muscles.
Before you start swinging your new kettlebells around wildly, make sure you take some time to learn how to properly execute the exercises for which they are so helpful when used correctly.
"When you're using kettlebells, safety is the first thing," Cincotta said. "Many people just start swinging them around and don't focus on form. There's such a dynamic difference using them [compared to other weights] that you really need to learn form first. And you don't want to go too heavy too quickly; that's a very easy way to get injured."
With that advice in mind, we tested a variety of kettlebells from brands like Everlast, TRX, and Bowflex to find the best currently available. So, no matter if you're just looking for a set to round out your home gym or want to kick your weekly fitness routine up a few notches, there's a set of kettlebells perfect for you.
Here are the best kettlebells: