Pavel Tsatsouline once said that a Russian day well spent is to have Vodka at night, pickle juice in the morning (the best thing for a hangover); and in between this hangover and the next, throw some kettlebells around.
Kettlebells have been around for over 300 years, a staple for Russian strongmen. On the 1986 publication of the Soviet Weightlifting Yearbook, it is stated that it is hard to find any sport that have deeper roots than the girevoy (kettlebell) sport.
Throughout history, Russia has been consistently producing among the strongest people in the world. Some say kettlebells is the one of the main reason for it, they might be right. Kettlebell is immensely popular in Russia that in Tsarist, a weightlifter or strongman is referred to as a giverik (kettlebell man).
Kettlebells look primitive to most of us, deceptively simple. Yet it is extremely effective and versatile. The Soviet scientist now have confirmed what many Russians had already know – lifting kettlebells is one of the best method for all around physical development and fitness.
Now a new wave of kettlebell movement is hitting the United States hard, and the person responsible for this is none other than Pavel Tsatsouline.
Once voted Rolling Stones Hot Trainer of the Year, Pavel Tsatsouline is a former Soviet Special Forces instructor and nationally ranked in the Russian ethnic sport of kettlebell lifting.
Many of his followers shares identical stories. A lot of them was into bodybuilding or power lifting for years, but they all lacked the result that they craved for. It is through Pavel’s teaching that changes all that – same effort but different method, it makes all the difference in the world. Once you are hooked, there’s no turning back.
So what is so special about the kettlebells? What makes it so effective at building strength and burning fat? A simple answer would be the kettlebell’s handle. The handle on a kettlebell allows you to perform lifts from many angels. These variation target different muscles group, making it a complete workout. Some of the lifts are virtually impossible to do without using the kettlebell.
Try lifting a kettlebell and you will quickly learn that in order for you to perform the lifts, you need to manipulate your body as a single unit. Human body is suppose to function as a unit, that is how nature intended it to be. A lot of the workout requires you to start the motion by moving from the toes up to the leg and torso. This synchronized movement of muscles working in tandem with each other is highly effective. A 30 minutes workout with kettlebells can be as effective a 2 hours of a normal workout.
If you are serious about strength and conditioning, incorporating kettlebell workout routines into your physical training will do wonders. To learn more about kettlebell training and workouts, check out the books & DVDs from Pavel himself.