What’s so special about these weighted, iron balls with handles? For one, they are favorite among fitness enthusiasts both at the gym and at home because they don’t take up any space and are incredibly versatile—providing those who use them with the opportunity to get a full-body workout with a single, simple piece of equipment. At the root of the current shortage, however, is a manufacturing and supply chain management problem.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. When you consider that 65 percent of the fitness equipment imported into the U.S. comes from China, it’s easy to see why coronavirus was the catalyst of the shortage. Gyms closed, demand increased, and the supply chain from the main manufacturing source was indefinitely stalled. As such, U.S. fitness companies have had to turn to a handful of smaller American foundries to manufacture kettlebells. According to reporting by GQ in April, that includes Rhode Island’s Cumberland Foundry, a small mom-and-pop operation that can only produce about 40 to 50 kettlebells per day. “These huge companies are turning to a little mom and pop-type shops like us to get this product made because there’s no one else left in the U.S. who can do it,” Cumberland president, Tom Lucchetti, told GQ. “At this time, it seems mutually beneficial to make the kettlebells, but it’s not something we’re looking to base our business on moving forward.” And until there is a long-term solution, consumers will either have to be patient or seek other ways of acquiring the equipment. In New York City that may mean enlisting the services of The Kettlebell Guy—a 40-year-old gym owner named Marc Miller, who has been using his connections, as well as his own supply of equipment, to keep things financially afloat during lockdown by delivering kettlebells to local residents willing to pay top dollar to stay in shape. And for more workout-related tips to consider now that reopening is under way, This Is the Worst Thing You Can Touch at the Gym, the CDC Says.
