THE KETTLE BELLES
By Sarah Arnold Sarah.Arnold@sundaymirror.co.uk 24/06/2007
It's the latest fitness craze in celeb land embraced by Geri, Pen, J-Lo and Jen
SPICE Girl Geri Halliwell is in the best shape of her life... and it's all down to a fitness craze that's sweeping Hollywood.
She's lost two-and-a-half stone following her pregnancy to become a svelte but shapely Size 8 - and it's all been done with an 18lb ball called the Kettlebell.
It looks like a cannon ball with a handle - but Geri, 34, is just the latest "body beautiful" to use it to sculpt their figures. Other devotees include Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz.
Incredibly, the Kettlebell was invented 2,000 years ago. It originated in Russia and was used by Greek athletes and gladiators.
But what's made it so popular today is manufacturers claim using it can burn up to 1,500 calories an hour. Stars are keen on the device because it keeps their bodies in shape without adding bulk, so they can still fit into their designer dresses for premieres.
The man who's helping Geri prepare for a Spice Girls' reunion tour is former Royal Navy field gunner and personal trainer Tim Blakeley. He's one of the most experienced consultants from London company Outdoor Extreme, who specialises in exercise courses carried out in public parks.
The firm's managing director Tommy Matthews, 24, says: "Geri has got into the best shape of her life in preparation for a Spice Girls reunion. She is proof that any woman can do it - even if they have recently had a baby. She is using our Kettlebell technique, and we know that, with a bit of hard work, Kettlebells are a great way to get back your figure post-pregnancy."
Geri gave birth to daughter Bluebell Madonna last May, stuck to the regime, and was soon winning admiring comments for her figure, which is now a happy medium between her buxom Spice Girls days and the worryingly skinny appearance of her early solo career.
Jennifer Aniston, 38, also uses the Kettlebell to keep her body lean and taut without adding bulk. Jennifer Lopez, 37, swears by it to keep her arms red-carpet slender and her famous abs trim. And Penelope Cruz, 33, maintains her enviable bikini body by following the regime.
"The secret of our regime consists of three core exercises which work every single muscle of the body," says Tommy. He says you just have to look at pictures of Geri to see how toned and fit she now is.
So how has she done it? Well, it all boils down to three simple exercises using the Kettlebells, which weigh from 18lbs and cost £35 upwards. For men there are weights up to an incredible 88lbs.
Tommy explains how Geri uses the lightest ones so that she stretches muscles but doesn't bulk up.
Each workout, which lasts one hour, is recommended to take place outdoors to give a sense of well-being. A brisk "power walk" before and after - as well as warm-ups and stretches - are part of the regime. Tommy says: "The Kettlebells give you a higher energy burn - for instance you may burn 400 calories an hour on a treadmill but by using the Kettlebell you can burn up to 1,500. But it's not just what you burn in the hour, it's what you burn afterwards.
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"These exercises mean you carry on burning calories for many more hours after using the Kettlebells. What the body does when you lift weights tires the muscles out and they then need to recover - they recover over 36 hours and while they do this they use energy from body fat.
That's why weights burn body fat so effectively. It's an intense way of exercising but the benefits can be seen very quickly.
"Geri is doing this combined with her own healthy diet, which is not a part of our programme. The technique is great for women who have recently given birth.
"The majority of women have stubborn problems including shifting the extra body fat that may have accumulated during pregnancy.
"This commonly sits on the tummy for a while afterwards but the Kettlebells burn it off. A host of celebrities have found amazing benefits from using Kettlebells - but they're for everybody.
"Any woman can do this with a combination of a healthy, low-fat eating plan and working out for an hour three times a week."
Geri's beefy companion Tim - who has more than a passing resemblance to cartoon superhero Mr Incredible - is her bodyguard as well as her trainer. Tommy says: "He is a good friend of the company as well as a consultant and has been an associate for a long time. He has been educated using our Kettlebell techniques - and he is very well respected in the industry."
Outdoor Extreme is part of a bigger company called The Optimal Life Fitness Group, set up five years ago by Tommy and partner B.J. Rule, who have the Kettlebells made at a factory in China.
FOR more information see www.optimallifefitness.com
How to exercise
THE SWING: An all-over body exercise where you swing the Kettlebell like a pendulum back wards and forwards between your legs. Tommy says: "The swing will give you Geri's look of having no lumps around the hips and thighs."
THE DEADLIFT: Here the arms are kept straight, towards the floor and maintaining a neutral posture you bend your knees until the Kettlebell rests on the floor, before slowly standing up again. Tommy says: "This is particularly good for bums."
THE SQUAT: Here you hold the Kettlebell against your chest with arms tight to the body before squatting to the floor, taking two seconds down and two seconds up again. Tommy says: "Geri has a washboard stomach and it's down to this exercise."