Activity Focus: Kettlebells

Julie MacLeod started using kettlebells in January 2009, when the trainer that she was seeing introduced her to them. Both her and her fiancé were seeing the trainer together, and MacLeod lost about 60 pounds and her fiancé lost about 120 pounds over the course of a year – they credit their fantastic weight-loss to using kettlebells.

"To lose the amount of weight that we were both looking to lose, we really needed to build muscle as well as do cardio, and kettlebells enabled us to do both those things at once." She liked working out with kettlebells so much that she got certified to teach the classes herself, gave up her job and started teaching - which she does in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can get more details about Julie Mac Fitness classes here.

We asked MacLeod for lowdown on starting kettlebell classes...

Do you need a basic level of fitness to do this activity?

No, I was 230 something pounds and not fit at all when I started the classes. My fiancé had never worked out before either, neither one of us was very much into physical activity. Anyone can come to a class, whatever their fitness level.

How easy is it to start this activity?

It was tough for me at the beginning but it has to be tough if it is going to work and you want to see results! You start off with a lighter kettlebells and then move on to heavier ones as your fitness level progresses. Every exercise has different progressions so everybody in the class gets to call their own pace. Becase of this, you can have somebody that is not very fit and somebody that is very fit in the same class doing the same exercises.

What equipment do you need to do this activity?

Whoever teaches the class will provide the kettlebells. You'll need to wear comfortable clothes. We don't suggest using running shoes, because with kettle bells you need to keep your weight in your heels, and with any running shoe your heel is off the ground a bit. So we really recommend flat shoes such as Converse, or you can even do it barefoot depending on where you are.

What kind of a workout does it give the body?

Pretty much every exercise is a full body workout. There are some things you can target more in the workout, such as your core, but your whole body gets an intense workout.

How much does it cost to do this activity?

When you come to my classes, you sign up for 3 days a week for a month and the cost is $150, it is a package of classes that you buy.

You can either take private classes with a trainer like me, but there also classes offered at different places such as gyms across Canada. The cost for these classes will vary, or may be included in your gym membership.