I live nearby a new strip center where they opened a gym. It doesn’t have weight machines or aerobic equipment but the trainers stand outside and monitor the clients performing running drills and slinging kettle weights on the sidewalks for all to see. For a fee of around $185 per month according to the website, one can attend unlimited classes. Watching in horror the men and women lifting heavy kettle weights and slinging them with a rotating motion while bent at the waist, it makes my physical therapy blood boil. Whoever invented this type of exercise must have had some type of financial gain from multiple injuries!
During the past week, I saw two 20 year old men and one 40 year old woman who sustained lumbar herniated discs while performing the twisting and bending motion while holding onto a kettle weight. As soon as they mentioned the words kettle weight and twisting, I knew how the injury occurred. Two of the individuals this week performed the exercises under supervision of a trainer.
Kettle weight slinging is a lumbar herniated disc waiting to happen. There are better ways to strengthen clients. I don’t want my patient population to increase because of inappropriate training. Body mechanics and basic principles are more important than creativity that has the potential for harm! Save the kettles for corn and fish!
