Kettlebells are cannon-shaped weights with handles on them. For those interested in their history, here is an interesting article.

I first came across the term “kettlebell” in fitness magazines. Not that I read fitness magazines; I merely, occasionally, browse through them and I had encountered the word enough times to know that it was a highly recommended workout.

Then a friend of mine, Abe Tolentino, enthused about it on Facebook and I was glad to know that we had kettlebells in the Philippines. I inquired after them but only seriously made an attempt to try it out after I returned from Thailand in late January of this year.

First, I contacted the Philippine Kettlebell Club. They didn’t actually have a center but, if I bought a kettlebell from them, I could train with them somewhere in ULTRA. Hmmm…

I got in touch with Abe, who had since become a kettlebell and Krav Maga instructor. He gave me the contact details of the Philippine Kettlebell Training Center (PKTC) and told me that I didn’t need to buy a kettlebell. I just had to show up. With a towel and a water bottle. Shoes were optional. I liked it already.

The PKTC is located on the second floor of a dodgy, old, blue and green building off of P. Guevara in San Juan. On the first floor are some badminton courts, and sharing space with the PKTC on the second floor is Krav Maga Philippines (KMP) and a creepy changing room that looks like the perfect hideout for a serial killer. (I half expect someone to grab my ankles and drag me, kicking and screaming, underneath the aluminum stalls.)

Dindo De Jesus is both a kettlebell (he trained with Steve Cotter in Australia) and Krav Maga instructor (he trained with Eyal Yanilov). He and his wife, Jessica, run both the PKTC and KMP.

Training was in session when I arrived. They were mostly men in the class and, as I watched them sweat and grunt from outside the glass-enclosed room, I must admit I felt intimidated. Too much testosterone in there. But Jessica finally coaxed me inside and introduced me to Dindo.

Dindo started me off doing basic exercises such as kettlebell deadlifts, haloes, squats and swings. Seemed simple enough but, by the end of it, I was out of breath and was sure I was going to die. The next day, I felt pain in muscles I never knew I had. I was hooked.

And I’m not sure if it was the kettlebell training every other day, or its combination with TRX, but I soon noticed that my arms were becoming more and more cut.

I was also ravenous! My friends and I eat shocking amounts of food, but I started shocking even them – AND myself! I’d have three helpings of food, rest, then go back for more. Then I’d finish the chocolates in the refrigerator. I was insatiable. This went on for about two months and am now kicking myself for indulging. With my metabolism that sped up, if I hadn’t eaten my weight in food, I probably would have reached the ever-elusive target weight of 115 or, even better, the Holy Grail of 110! Alas, I was never any good at ignoring my hunger…

Kettlebell training is similar to Kinesis training in that it uses complex yet familiar movements to create functional strength. For instance, the suitcase deadlift will have you pick up and set down a kettlebell that is at your side like you would a suitcase.

And instead of working on just one body part, the movements made with kettlebells work out different body parts. For instance, the kettlebell swing alone increases grip strength, works on the front deltoids, lower back, glutes and hamstrings, engages the core and increases hip strength. It also ups the heart rate so that one gets a good cardio workout from it. That’s a lot going on for one exercise. Trust me, you’ll feel it in the morning.

Abe was at the PKTC when I had my first kettlebell session. When I confided in him about feeling self-conscious in the middle of a room full of guys, he told me, “Don’t worry. They won’t mind you. They’re all trying to get through their own hell.” Five months later, I am one of those guys, groaning and yelling in pain as I go through one of Dindo’s hellish exercises.

When I did Bikram in May, I decided to do it everyday and give kettlebell training a rest. After a week of doing only Bikram, I noticed the distinct lack of pain in my body. I freaked out. I felt like I was missing out. I resumed kettlebell training and did both that and Bikram everyday, as much as my schedule would allow.

Last week, I did kettlebell training on Tuesday and Wednesday, CrossFit on Thursday, then, because of Storm Falcon, went to a boxing gym close to my home on Friday and Saturday. Even when I was boxing, I could already feel that I was pain-free. By Sunday, I was sorely missing the familiar aches in my muscles. And, since I didn’t train on Sunday and was hungover all of Monday, I felt like a total degenerate by Tuesday. But after yesterday’s session, my chest, shoulders and triceps are burning as I write this and everything is right in this world again.

For as long as I am kettlebell training, I’ve accepted that I am going to have some sort of pain going on somewhere in my body. I’d feel cheated if it weren’t so.

A word of advice for first-timers: Always err on the side of caution and go light at first. If you’re having difficulty or are too out of breath with the weight the trainer recommends, try a lighter weight. It’s better to get your form right before trying to kill yourself with something heavy. Especially since you might be asked to do more than a few reps AND a few sets. So be conservative with your weights. Later on, after a few classes, as you get used to the movements and the kettlebells, feel free to increase your weights.

Kettlebell Checklist

• Comfortable workout clothing
• Comfortable shoes and socks, optional
• Snug workout gloves, highly recommended – The snugger, the better, although they may not last very long. Kettlebell training is tough and gloves don’t last very long. Some guys tape up their hands. I haven’t found the perfect gloves and my hands are horribly calloused.
• Wrist bands, optional – The kettlebells can bang up your wrists, especially when doing a lot of cleans.
• Knee bands, optional – If, like me, you like wearing shorts, then your knees may get scuffed when you do exercises that require you to kneel. I’ve since started wearing knee bands to prevent further scuffing.
• Water bottle
• Small towel
• Toilet paper, optional – If you intend to use the scary toilets.