Kettlebells aren't just a fitness fab. Kettlebells were popularized in the 1800s, when the Russian Army used them for strength training and a little later, they were used in competitive strength training. However, some people suggest they date back to ancient Greece. Wherever and whenever they were first introduced, the fact remains that kettlebells are still kicking around because they continue to deliver results.

5 Reasons to Love Kettlebell Training

1) Burn Fat

All resistance based training can torch fat, but incorporating kettlebell training into your fitness regime can stoke your fat burning fire by adding variety to your workout  — variety that can tear through the pesky fitness plateaus that stall out your results. Pick up a kettlebell, rip up your workout, build stronger, faster, leaner muscles and blast more fat. It’s really that simple.

2) Train for Life

The uneven nature of the kettlebell makes it ideal for functional training  — training for real life. After all, the things we pick up on the day to day do not often have evenly distributed weight, be it a grocery bag, a child or a piece of furniture. When you lift kettlebells, your muscles, joints and ligaments are forced to work with this wonky weight, and as a result, they are better able to accomodate and stabilize heavier, uneven loads. As a result, you are less likely to injure yourself performing everyday tasks.

3) Strengthen Ligaments

Because kettlebell exercises use fluid, multi-joint movements, they can build strength in your ligaments and joints. This will not only help you perform better when you do workout, breaking through limits and seeing enhanced results, but it will also help keep you free of injury.

4) Enhanced Balance

As we mentioned, kettlebells are uneven. Unlike dumbbells, the centre of gravity is not near your hand, and this gives your body a different kind of challenge -- notably, the challenge of balance. As you lift or swing your kettlebell, your body must use smaller stabilizing muscles to accommodate the movement, and as a result, you build an enhanced sense of balance overtime. This balance will not only help you perform everyday tasks better, but it will improve your performance when you train while also decreasing your risk of injury.

5) Serious Core Gains

If you've been having trouble sculpting your midsection, you need to pick up a kettlebell. Remember those stabilizing gains we just mentioned? Of course you do. Well, this perk is particularly useful when training your core, since you'll need to engage your midsection muscles as the centre of gravity shifts.

Ready to take your training to the next level? Grab some kettlebells and start sweating your way to your best body ever.