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Kettlebells & Dumbbells: Both Are Valuable Exercise Accessories
Both Kettlebells & Dumbbells are must-have exercise/workout accessories. Their applicability & ubiquitous relevance for practically all forms of resistance-based sessions, support this claim. This stands whether your program focus is: rehabilitation, fitness, aesthetics/physique, and performance. Both of these accessories can generally be found in all of your big gyms (franchises, resorts, sports clubs…) globally. Likewise, the home exerciser (new or seasoned), is likely to have at least one of these two accessories on their list of must-have exercise equipment, if they don’t currently exist in their home.
At this point, I assume you’re questioning:
Why not just buy them both?
Well, to answer: we should.
However, for those of you home exercisers who may be most inclined to select only one, based on financial resources to say the least, we will help you make that decision.
History of the Kettlebell & Dumbbell
According to Human Kinetics “Kettlebells have their origin in ancient Russia, where importance was placed on physical strength. The first recorded mention of the word girya, meaning a traditional Russian weight made of cast iron, was in a 1704 Russian dictionary. At that time kettlebells were used as counterweights to measure goods in the local markets of farming villages. Russian farm workers discovered that the girya could be used to swing and press in order to demonstrate strength.” The earliest known piece of training equipment resembling a dumbbell with a prescribed use was utilized by the Greeks. They were called the alteres or halteres and were used to help with various exercise movements. In early America, dumbbells were used by strongmen performers and sometimes prescribed by doctors as a healthy activity for men and women ” Source: Waterford Museum
Kettlebell & Dumbbell: Their Similar Anatomy Shape Them For Similar Use
Both the kettlebell & dumbbell anatomy encompass a handle to grip, and the body (bulk weight). On this basis, through their carry in our hands, both the kettlebell and dumbbell can be: pressed, pulled, raised & swung. And this can be done simultaneously with both limbs, or single limb. Having said this, the difference in shape between the two accessories, can challenge your body differently. Hence, you can experience gains (fitness adaptation) differently through their use.
Watch our workout video below to see dumbbell use in action
The Better Buy (Kettlebell/Dumbbell) Depend on Your Exercise/Fitness Capacity Aspirations & budget
With both accessories benefitting you in a similar way through your exercise/workout, in our opinion, the better buy depend on your fitness capacity, aspirations and budget. Generally, if you’re to Shop for Kettlebells and Dumbbells on Amazon, at the same weight, they both fetch similar price. The significant determinant if you’re a value-based shopper, is the fact that if you search well, you can get a pair of dumbbells, in comparison to only 1 kettlebell (same weight), at the same price.
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