Monday, October 15, 2012

The Inspiration for Kettlebell Exercises

By Rob Sutter


By now, everyone has heard of kettlebells and kettlebells exercises. We all realize how quickly that they can help us achieve our weight loss and physical goals. But what numerous people don't comprehend is that the ancient Chinese Shaolin monks made use of a similar kind of stone weight about 1500 years ago. These were what are now known as stone locks or padlocks. The Chinese knew then what we realize now - this workout is made to help people get in shape.

The stone padlocks look different from the kettlebells of today, which are made from companies such as Lorna. The padlocks resemble extra traditional weights than those used for kettlebell exercises. The handle does not protrude from the weights, but rather is in line with the remnants of the weight. Stone lock training has been a crucial element in martial arts training in China for centuries. Members of the Imperial Army are obliged to be trained in the methods needed to use the stone blocks.

The utilization of stone locks truly started when China was subject to the Ming and Ching dynasties. Currently, these locks are in the possession of Shaolin monks as far as martial arts is concerned; they must constantly hone their craft. It was in ancient Wushu that the stone moving was made. What's even more interesting, though, is that during this time, the first ever barbells were ever made.

These blocks of stone may appear bulky but masters of the locks in China can make the blocks move however they want them to. The kettlebell snatch, one of the parts of international competition, is practiced in China, along with swings and other maneuvers. Smaller and lighter Chinese locks are even flung into the air to be caught in a range of ways.

Today, we can refer to these modified stone locks by the name of kettlebells. It's surprising to see that these have been used for over fifteen hundred years at this point, dating back to Ming and Ching dynasties. They were used to build muscle as well as speed for competitors so that workouts, as well as competitions, became that much more effective. The popularity of kettlebells continues to grow at an alarming rate and we may soon become as learned as the Chinese were when this trend truly originated.




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