I first heard about kettlebells about a year ago, around the same time as they started getting press as a celebrity workout tool.

Shortly thereafter, one of the trainers at my gym started using them and was quickly addicted, saying that she’d never achieved similar definition using traditional fixed or free weights.

So, what are they? A kettlebell looks like a solid cast iron kettle without a spout. It started life in rural Russia as a counterbalance for weighing grain.

Over time, the Russian military understood its potential and started to use it, then Russian strongmen, weightlifters and wrestlers. American athletes eventually discovered it. Today it is regarded by fitness experts as a fantastic training tool for all-round fitness and physical development.

Unlike a conventional dumbbell or barbell, the Kettlebell’s centre of mass is displaced from the handle. This means the weight constantly pulls against your hand and requires not only strength and co-ordination when exercising with it, but also the recruitment of other muscles through your arms, shoulders and trunk.

I’ve done quite a bit of weights work over the years, with Pump classes being my preferred method (I get bored easily and it’s harder to slack off when you’re in a class!) But I can see kettlebells fast becoming my fave.

Heidi Johnston from Learn2Move Fitness and Training took me through my first ever kettlebell session. Initial impression? I really liked that it is a far more ‘active’ form of weight training.

By that, I mean the exercises tend to work your whole body – including your core – rather than just one isolated muscle at a time.

If I compare, for example, the kettlebell shoulder exercises with a barbell shoulder press, both methods require you to bend your knees to a degree, lock in your core and work with your arms.

But the kettlebell move is far more dynamic, requiring you to really drive up with your knees, and utilise your arms far more than is demanded by the shoulder press’s simple up-and-down motion.

Kettlebells also really challenge your balance and coordination. The Round-The World swing and Figure 8 both require you to pass the kettlebell from one hand to the other as you swing it either around your torso or around your legs in a figure 8.

Primarily a kettlebell workout will develop your all-important body core – back, hips and trunk. You’ll also burn fat at an amazing rate and exercise your cardio-vascular system. Because you use your whole body to control the kettlebell you will also strengthen arms and legs.

The overall result will be increased strength, flexibility, timing, muscle tone and general body conditioning.

If you’re looking to freshen up your toning regime, or are bored with your current strength-training workout, I urge you to give kettlebells a go…but make sure you don’t DIY.

Heidi told me the quickest way to do yourself an injury is to start working with kettlebells without the guidance of a personal trainer. It’s important to at least get advice on correct technique and the weight that’s right for you before you start getting into it. Once you’ve got the moves, you’re fine to fly solo!