I’ve been training with kettlebells for over 20 years just to compliment my martial arts but got into kettlebell sport about a year ago with Denis Vasilev as my coach. I find it’s the most difficult thing a person can do physically and mentally with the exception of full contact fighting, and maybe some other things I’m not aware of. I can put up decent numbers in snatch and long cycle with 12 and 14kg. 16 and 18kg im ok but 20kg snatched were brutal. I couldn’t make the full 10 minutes. I think I had 87 reps. My grip and cardio were fried. I’m skinny, weak and 51 but when I see anyone snatching or jerking 24’s for high reps I’m amazed, especially women. 32’s are beyond my comprehension. I definitely don’t know all the tricks of the trade but from my experience with kettlebells and 30 years of martial arts I believe lots of people who don’t “look” particularly fit can be incredibly strong and strong willed.
This is true and similarly to martial arts, you can reach a point where your technique is so dialed, that it requires much less effort. This is good, but can also be a trap for some who confuse their excellent technique with excellent fitness level. Denis has both excellent technique and fitness and that's why he is a champion 🏆
I came to KB sport very obese. It helped me a lot to get into better shape (I lost 9 kg without changing my diet). Even though I'm still obese, I would do it all again in the same way! The technique helps you move your body more efficiently, and even now, after two years, I am still improving my technique. I feel that KB sport transformed me from the inside out, and I recommend everyone, no matter their shape, to check it out. When you can do 150 snatches with 16 kg like I can at the age of 46, even though you are obese, it gives you an amazing feeling of "I can" and helps you to improve.
This is what I have been realizing for about the past 2 months… dipping my toe into the sport side because I have become fascinated with the mechanics and technique.. tweaking and getting a lil and a lil better each session! My poor technique has caused me severe exertion headaches due to that tenseness and inability to relax you mentioned but for me anyway with no formal sport training it’s a baptism by fire lol and it’s been a hot fire flaming my stubborn refuse to quit ass lol
I think the right people that understand it’s not how you look but how well you can perform are the ones that will Be attracted to the sport. I’m 5’11 and 328 lbs. I enjoy it because it’s insanely hard and I don’t use it to be ripped. I wish that was the case though haha😂.
This is so true. Any form of exercise is not enough to make you look fit if you're just going to continue shoveling pizza and pie down your neck hole. But as always, training is the easy part. Controlling what goes in your mouth is way harder.
I otherwords it pays to have great technique. I think kettlebell sport gives you a different “in shape” kinda like powerlifters. I haven’t done kettlebells in awhile because of getting chronic knots in my upper back but I’m starting to get back into it and thinking about maybe doing the snatch in kettlebell sport. And I’m 52
There are several even olympic sports where the athletes don’t look “good” by todays beauty standards - olympic lifting, bicycle racing, marathon - think you got it. But these people are experts in what they are doing. They are extremely efficient in what they are doing because otherwise they won’t win anything. Short track runners (like 100 and 200 meters), Decathletes, Gymnasts - they look mostly muscular and ripped. And even this was different in the 1980’s when some of the greatest runners just looked lean. I think there is no “dirty little secret”. It’s just that you either train for the looks, or for being successful in a certain sport. And a third point is a highly individual one - what is good for your body and brings you fun while training. Personally I enjoy the Kettlebell Sports techniques much more than the so called hardstyle techniques. It just feels better. And learning the right technique is indeed kind of fun to me - although it’s sometimes hard (and hurts😅).
I agree that the best KB lifters are competing in terms of fitness, because they have all learned the technique. There are many sports where at a low level, skill/technique is the only factor in doing well (Olympic lifting, football etc.) but at the intermediate/advanced level, fitness is everything, because everyone has spent time perfecting their techniques. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but the reason unfit people are winning some competitions is because it’s a very niche sport. It’s just a sport that you have to learn how to do and not just rely on fitness, and I think that makes it a lot more interesting and adds another level to the sport.
I'm totally new to this sport, and not clear. The sport is to do the movements, as rules direct, for a specific amount of time, for as many as you can. Not sure where "looking ripped" or having a "low heart rate" come into it. A parallel I would draw is someone posting a big powerlifting total as a lightweight and not "looking strong". So what? They won.
At a certain skill level obtained in kettlebell sport and other sports, it is possible to perform well at those sports , but not achieve many of the health benefits of the sport because of the efficiency that has been obtained. The best in the sport know that this is when additional effort must be undertaken to increase their overall fitness level in order to progress and stay in optimum physical condition.
@ProKettlebellWorkouts I understand and agree to some extent. I still think a sport is a sport and the goal is winning. What I think wasn't considered here, rather than how the competitors physiques look to the general public, was how this sounds to someone who maybe started out being horribly out of shape, worked hard to improve, puts up decent numbers, and now is getting shade thrown on them (and maybe won't compete) because they don't have "the look" (and maybe they never will).
Have you ever thought about creating a better version of the sport? I wish there were different games in kb. Something you could use at home. I think gamifying workouts makes sticking to things easier because its fun.
@@ProKettlebellWorkouts From what it sounds like. KB sport is made for Olympic athletes basically. Having different games to get strong, at a scalable level would be amazing. And fun. Kind of like, club chess. It would be cool if you made a starter kit, timer, weight, chalk, sweat bands, and instructions. Something you could do with friends at home, or at a club. Maybe the future. Maybe.
