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Introduction

Over the last decade, the idea of emotional intelligence, or EQ, has become more popular throughout the world. Unfortunately, not many people understand what EQ the term is really about or why it has become so popular over the last several years. Many scientific studies have been conducted over the years and have discovered that emotional intelligence is more important in life than the average intelligence that is measured by the IQ scale. These studies, which have been conducted by both American and European universities, have proven that the common intelligence responses account for less than 20 percent of our achievements and successes in life, while the other 80 percent depends solely on our emotional intelligence.

Everyone, from students to CEOs, is confronted by not only their own emotions but the emotions of everyone around them. How you manage these emotions has a significant impact on how other people perceive us, as well as our effectiveness to get things done. When you can increase your emotional intelligence, you can become better equipped to respond to stressful situations around you with a high degree of maturity. John Mayer, Peter Salovey, and Konstantin Vasily Peterides are renowned researchers that discovered people who have high emotional intelligence tend to become better leaders and are excellent in everything they set out to accomplish.

The first person to use the term emotional intelligence was Wayne Payne in his doctoral thesis, A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence. In his thesis, he compared the IQ and emotional intelligence and determined that EQ was superior because it covers a wide range of faculties and aspects of a person’s behavior. Studying your emotional intelligence will help you to understand the source and impact of your emotions better. This is important because it helps to enhance one’s self-awareness. Studying your EQ will also provide you with the opportunity to understand better the behavior of others and the underlying reasons why they act the way they do.

Emotionally intelligent people can harmoniously reconcile what their mind and reason tell them with the voice of their feelings and emotions. Thanks to this skill, emotionally smart people are self-confident, self-aware, creative, and energetic. They are also much more capable of handling stress and knowing how to get along with others. They are more optimistically approaching their life and don’t fear change. They are the people of success.

Chapter 1 - What is Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, refers to one’s ability to identify, understand, use, and manage emotions in a positive manner in order to enhance communication, overcome challenges, relieve stress, empathize with others and defuse conflict. The scope of emotional intelligence is extensive and covers a variety of aspects in our daily lives, like how we behave and interact with others.

When you are emotionally intelligent, you are better able to recognize your own emotional state as well as the emotional state of others. Having a clear understanding of the emotional states of those around you can help you to better relate with them, achieve greater success, form healthier relationships, and lead a more satisfying life overall.

Compared to what we know as intelligence quotient or IQ, emotional intelligence is considered more important in attaining success and happiness in both your career and your life. Your ability to read and interpret other people’s signals and respond to those signals appropriately will ultimately determine how far you will go in both your personal and professional pursuits of success. This is why it is essential that you develop a high emotional intelligence that will help you understand, negotiate, and empathize with others.

Categories of Emotional Intelligence

Researchers in the area of emotional intelligence has determined that there are five major classes of skills that are associated with emotional intelligence.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is your ability to recognize your emotions and the impact that they have on not only your thoughts but your behavior as well. Through self-awareness, you will start to understand your strengths and weaknesses and is a critical part of your emotional intelligence. Having self-awareness will also help you to build your self-confidence.

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is your ability to put impulsive behaviors and feelings under control and is another critical part of emotional intelligence. While self-management doesn’t prevent you from feeling emotions, it enables you to have a say in how long a feeling lasts. Learning how to manage emotions in a healthy manner, adapting to changing circumstances, and following through on commitments are just some of the critical aspects of self-regulation.

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Introduction

Kettlebell is one of the exercises that most people regard as cool and interesting. If you have not seen a kettlebell before, you may be curious how it looks like. Well, it's pretty straightforward. It is a black cannonball with a handle that is cast of iron. While there are so many other workout tools that you can employ to achieve your health goals, kettlebell training has many unique health benefits if you choose to incorporate it into your workout routine.
Part of what makes kettlebells exercises mystical lies in its origin. They were popularized in Russia in the 18th century. During this time, the kettlebell was used as counterweights when measuring things like cereals and other dry products.

Soon enough, the farmers started challenging each other to lift the heaviest kettlebells and eventually, they found their way into the hands of strong circus men. After the Second World War, the Soviet Red Army took up the kettlebells in training their soldiers and later in the 1970s, lifting kettlebells was declared an official sport.

While kettlebells have been around in the US for over a century, they have enjoyed its fair share of resurgence and eventually found their way into the gym and fitness stores. It comprises a bell, a handle, and horns. The bell, in this case, refers to the round cannonball shaped weight, and the handle is what connects the kettlebell by simply sloping downwards on each end, hence referred to as the horns.

It is this design that makes the kettlebell quite a unique tool. You may be thinking “what is the difference between kettlebells and dumbbells?” Well, one thing that you have to take note of is that unlike the dumbbells in which the handle connects two weights that are evenly distributed and lies at the center of them, the kettlebell’s center of gravity is usually offset from its handle. This is mainly because it rests several inches away from the center.

It is also important to note that with a kettlebell, it is quite easy to grasp it by the handle, bell end or horns. It is the mainstay to grip the kettlebell by its handle. However, when it comes to certain exercises like squats, it is much easier to grasp them by the horns. To achieve a greater grip on certain poses like rowing, it may be better if you hold the kettlebell by the bell itself. This is because it will help force the hand to squeeze harder to prevent slipping.

Chapter 1: How To Choose A Kettlebell

According to a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, there are so many ways in which you can choose a kettlebell. Mostly, the kettlebells vary in designs. There are those that are coated with rubber to protect the floors from the resulting impact. Other designs are designed specifically for competitions. Such kettlebells have a straight handle and are uniform in shape and size irrespective of the weight.

Over the years, some manufacturers have designed kettlebells with a concave face for ergonomic factors. Others like the newfangled kettlebells work the same way as dumbbells, which means that they can be loaded with plates for weight adjustments with just a single implement. For instance, kettlebell swings and getups are said to get the heart rate up and burn more fats in the same manner a cardio machine does but can do more in re-enforcing good mechanics.

Therefore, if you plan on buying your first kettlebell, it is important that you do the test before making the purchase. Start by holding up your hand and touch your thumb to the tip of your pinkie. Take note of the channel that forms on your palm. This is the point at which the kettlebell handle is supposed to rest most of the time. That is from the outside knuckle of your index finger down to the opposite side of your wrist in a diagonal orientation.

Follow this by picking up the weight and then holding the handle in the middle so that it fills the channel. Ensure that the bell rests on the back of your forearm and that the wrist at this point is straight. It is important that it does not impinge on the boney profile of your wrist. If at some point you pick up the kettlebell
and it rubs against the bone protruding on the lateral side of your wrist, then this means that the weight displacement from the handle is not ideal. In other words, there is a high risk of you getting injured.

The best safety tip at this point is for you to avoid choosing a kettlebell that has a thick handle. You will realize that Onnit's handles have a diameter that is a little over an inch. This is enough when it comes to working your grip strength, while not causing unnecessary fatigue.

When performing an exercise like a swing, there is a possibility that you will be making so many reps in a single workout. The key here is to ensure that your grip does not burn out. This is mainly because it is counterproductive from a technical standpoint. When the grip is overworked, there is a chance that you will see a whole slew of mechanical problems that will occur. As for how much weight you should begin with, men can typically lift 16 kilos while women can lift 8 kilos.

Chapter 2: The Benefits of Kettlebell Training

There are so many benefits that you get to enjoy by performing kettlebell workouts. One thing that is important to note is that kettlebell training offers a unique combination of benefits from strength exercises and cardio. As mentioned earlier, kettlebell workout is more unconventional and quite resembles a cannonball with a handle attached to it. You can use it to build your strength, agility, boost balance and endurance while at the same time burn fat.

Kettlebell exercises often feature a wide range of lifts and swings. The good thing is that the training tool is quite flexible and can be used for a broad range of intense training exercises. Therefore, if you need a hybrid system for both strength and cardio, the kettlebells are your best option at creating workouts that are not only effective but also time efficient.