How come I’d never heard of kettlebells before last week, and now that’s all I hear about? They’re getting so much action, Balenciaga’s like, “Iron balls? Why didn’t I think of that?!”

I first stumbled across these via Tyra Banks. Despite her “kiss-my-fat-ass” rant after tabs noted her weight gain earlier this year, she obviously felt the pressure to drop a few. Her trainer, Martin Snow, has been putting her through the ringer with a workout fit for a Strongman contender—think tractor tires, bags of sand, and sledgehammers. And, of course, kettlebells.

Now I’m hearing that Jennifer Aniston and Geri Halliwell are also devotees. So what are these things? Well, they basically look like an iron bowling ball with a handle. They’re measured in “poods”; a one-pood kettlebell weighs 35 pounds. RussianKettlebells.com recommends women start with half that weight. That’s not sexist; they’re just damn heavy. Lighter kettlebells are available for cardio workouts. Lifting them requires loads of core strength and burns twice as many calories per minute as walking on the treadmill. And let’s face it, it’s way more interesting than the weight machines. Wonder who’ll jump on board next? (I’d love to see Gwyneth Paltrow swinging one of these around.)

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written by Angie, August 07, 2007

They're safe if they're used with the help of a trainer. I met with a trainer one day a week for six weeks who swore by kettlebells, but he warned me not to do the exercises on my own until after the third or fourth session so he could ensure I was using the proper form. I think just swinging one around without direction or coaching could be dangerous.

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written by Jolene Puffer, August 07, 2007

Yeah but are they safe?