Kettlebell Crazy: Girevoy Sport–Don’t Let This Revolution Start Without You!

5/6/09 Posted in Kettlebell Crazy  |  0 Comments

I like to keep things simple-including my workouts. So when I discovered that it was possible to get strong and fit with only three lifts, it further revolutionized my way of looking at what I’d been doing with the kettlebell.

Exit Pavel and the RKC. Enter Valery Fedorenko and the WKC-the World Kettlebell Club, that is; with national chapters around the world-including the American Kettlebell Club, here in the U.S.

According to Valery and his constituents, what has passed for kettlebell training over the past decade, in this country and the world over, would be barely recognizable in Russia, where it is regarded as a sport; namely kettlebell-or “girevoy”-sport. Everything about the way the bell is used is different, as well as the bell itself.  Instead of iron bells of varying sizes from four pounds on up, the official bell is made of steel in a uniform size from 8kg on up to 32kg-plus, and identified by color: pink for 8kg, or 18 pounds, on up to the Russian Red 32kg or 70 pounds; with all the colors of the rainbow in between. Sets are not done for a fixed number of reps, but for time: from one minute, on up to ten minutes in competition. Reps are noted in that time period; but the important thing is learning how to pace yourself, and how to rest in the rack or the lockout positions.

Further deconstruction kettlebell training as we’ve known it-which is pretty much stripping away all the bodybuilding and power lifting stuff-and we’re left with three basic lifts: the jerk, the snatch, and the clean and jerk. What does that do for you? Everything!  Consider: the jerk-works the shoulders, triceps, quads, glutes and chest; the snatch-works the legs, glutes, back, arms, chest, and abs; then add the clean to the jerk, and you additionally work your hamstrings, hips, lower back, and biceps (no more stinkin’ curls!). It gives strength and endurance to boot.

I for one have found this narrowing of choices to be a boon to my training. Whereas I had once had upwards of 60 exercises to play around with-and never get very good at any of them-I can now focus my attention on three lifts, and concentrate on perfecting my form and gaining proficiency at them.

Or, as Dan John would say, “You have no choice but to get strong!”

Check out the American Kettlebell at their website:

www.americankettlebellclub.com

You can also watch videos of Kettlebell Sport Events on Youtube. Enter “American Kettlebell Club”