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ZoneRussian Pavel Tsatsouline’s Unique Perspective on Muscle Building, Strength and Training by Ori Hofmekler • Photography by Michael Neveux avel Tsatsouline is a former Power to the People! and The Russian Soviet Special Forces physical- Kettlebell Challenge (Dragon Door training instructor, currently an Publications, dragondoor.com). Pavel’s PSME (subject matter expert) for approach, in particular his kettlebell the United States Marine Corps, the training, has been considered by many National Nuclear Security Adminis- and strength experts to be bru- tration/U.S. Department of Energy tal and effective. and the U.S. Secret Service. Pavel The following discussion presents brought to the U.S. a traditional Rus- ideas that may be controversial or sian training method that historically even revolutionary. Nevertheless, body­ produced some of the toughest and builders who are looking for alterna- strongest men on earth. He makes his tive training methods to help break “low-tech/high-concept” fitness pro- plateaus or gain strength will most grams available to civilians through likely find this information quite in- his best-selling books that include triguing and useful. Illustration by Larry Eklund

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OH: What is a kettlebell? from 766 to 832 in less than a year. The what-the-hell effect notwith- PT: A kettlebell is a cannonball One of my students, Steve Knap- standing, as a rule you’ll do your with a handle. It’s an extreme hand- stein, ran a marathon without prac- best by mixing kettlebell training held gym. Kettlebell training is like ticing running. with specific practice of the exercise saying: “I’m sick of your metrosex- OH: How can you explain you want to excel in. To use a martial ual gyms! I’m a man, and I’ll train those benefits? arts analogy, you will never be able like a man!” Lifting a to express all your kettlebell is liberating, strength in a punch and it’s as aggressive if you do not work as broadsword play. with a heavy bag. It’s a manifestation of your warrior instinct. OH: Is it possible Traditionally, guys to gain substantial name their muscle mass with the way warriors used kettlebells? to name their weap- PT: Yes, you ons. They paint them can get outstand- with their unit’s coat ing muscle mass of arms. They get tat- gains, provided your toos of kettlebells. The training protocol is Russian kettlebell is designed accord- the Harley-Davidson ingly and you throw of weights. enough protein and calories down the OH: With such a hatch. As a rule of passionate defini- thumb, to build beef, tion of kettlebells, one should do slow can you tell me the kettlebell exercises benefits of kettle- (grinds), fives (five bell training? reps) or quick lifts of PT: Kettlebell 10s (10 reps). Keep training can deliver your rest periods extreme all-around minimal either way. fitness, all-purpose strength, staying OH: Define power, flexibility and “minimal rest fat loss without the “A kettlebell is a periods.” dishonor of aerobics. cannonball with PT: As short as All these benefits a handle. It’s an you can handle. could be accom- extreme hand- Russian researchers plished in no more held gym.” in this area con- than one to two hours cluded that training of weekly training—all against the clock is done with one com- significantly more pact and virtually effective than self- indestructible tool paced training with that can be used any- near complete re- where. covery between sets. On top of that, Note that the study there’s an expres- involved strength- sion among gireviks, endurance and or kettlebell lifters, conditioning, not called the what-the- one-rep-maximum hell effect. WTH is strength. Charles about getting better Staley has the best at things you have not practiced. PT: I can’t explain how such technique for compressing the My students powerlift heavier, hit seemingly nonspecific training rest periods just right. harder, run faster, bend nails and so made this happen. But in our broth- His site is EDTSecrets.com. on just from lifting kettlebells. erhood we don’t wait for explana- OH: Do you know of people Powerlifter Donnie Thompson tion. If it works, we do it. If the WTH who gained substantial muscle stopped deadlifting and started effect is the best explanation there mass with kettlebells? kettlebelling. He took his deadlift is, so be it. Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training

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“Save for your pecs and tri’s, the swing is a total-body workout and a conditioner second to none.” Model: Mike Mahler

PT: Thompson gained 26 pounds recorded. The team’s record exceeds without a base of strength they be- in three months on a routine of 250 reps, and if you can’t put up 180 come very injury prone. It’s no secret approximately 10x10 of kettlebell to 190, you’re nobody. that by the time a special operator swings and snatches. His training hits 40, his body is wrecked. A friend partner Haney, a 51-year-old for- OH: In a related matter, ket- of mine got a medical discharge from mer college champion shot-putter, tlebell training has shown how the U.S. Navy Seals after a severe added 15 pounds of muscle on the a relatively light weight can be back injury. Today he’s as good as same routine. Retired powerlifter great for flexibility and overall new, thanks to a mix of kettlebell Phil Workman, who already carried conditioning, but what about lifts, deadlifts and Olympic lifts. more muscle mass than a human brute strength? Note that unlike other strength body has the right to, started doing PT: Inventive gireviks don’t need tools, the kettlebell develops strength multiple sets of clean and jerks with a heavy barbell to provide progres- along many planes and angles and in a pair of kettlebells. His shoulders sive resistance. One of my senior the extremes of the range of motion. swelled up to the point where he instructors, full-contact champ This “in-between strength,” as Marty was accused of taking steroids. Note Steve Cotter, built a pair of legs as Gallagher has called it, makes kettle- that I’m talking about elite athletes strong as any with a grand total of bell practitioners unusually resilient. who are not spring chickens here. 140 pounds of weight. How can And if you’ve had injuries, you’ll If it works for them, it should work it be? Cotter does rock-bottom snap back a lot faster once you start just as well for a beginner. one-legged squats, or pistols, with kettlebelling. My senior instructor, two 70-pound kettlebells. And yes, Jeff Martone, teaches physical train- OH: What is “sustained kettlebell strength has a great trans- ing, close-quarter combat and a few strength”? fer to other applications. The man other things at a federal agency. To PT: Sustained strength is a con- flipped an 850-pound tire the first say the man has lived hard is an un- ditioning concept that describes time he tried it. derstatement. Jeff has had at least 20 the strength to hit hard in the 10th nose fractures, his knees and shoul- round, not just in the first. Repeti- OH: Given your special-ops ders have more zippers than a biker tion kettlebell swings and snatches background, it seems odd that jacket—you get the idea. Four years crank up an elite wrestler’s heart you are biased toward strength ago Martone was contemplating a rate to 200 in seconds. There is no rather than endurance. Please different line of work as his mile- better conditioning method, period. explain yourself. age was catching up to him. Today Just to get an idea of how tough PT: A warrior needs both, but he can do things he could never do it can get, the U.S. Secret Service he can’t afford to ignore strength. many years and injuries ago—thanks Counter Assault Team developed Because the demands of military to the Russian kettlebell and our spe- a special gut-check test for its op- service are so endurance oriented, cial techniques. Jeff’s story is typical. erators: 10 minutes of one-arm it’s easy to focus on conditioning OH: Can kettlebells be inte- snatches with a 53-pound kettlebell. 100 percent. The point that most grated with dumbbells or bar- You may switch hands anytime you soldier-of-fortune types miss is that bells for ?

Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training want, and the total of both arms is

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“The one-arm kettlebell military press is the Russian ego lift, akin to the bench in the U.S.” Model: Mike Mahler

PT: There are two ways to train kettlebell on your foot, Russian you want to build up your bench with the Russian kettlebell. One is to spec-ops style, and you don’t need and your biceps, the maximum do it in the context of a sophisticat- a belt for weighted dips or pull-ups. legal width bench press ed program that implements other As the Philadelphia Kettlebell Club’s would address both of your goals. strength tools. That’s appropriate for credo goes, “We train with kettle- athletes and coaches who have the bells in case civilization is tempo- OH: What are the top kettle- education, the experience and the rary—don’t rely on anything you bell exercises? hardware. Ethan Reeve’s strength can’t carry.” PT: The swing is the foundation program at Wakeforest University of Russian kettlebell training. It’s is a powerful example of that ap- OH: How do you define a min- exactly what its name implies: a proach. imalist? Does it mean one who swing of a kettlebell from between Special operators, martial artists wishes to get maximum impact your legs up to your chest level. The and other minimalists prefer to use from minimum exercise? arm stays straight and loose, and the kettlebell as a stand-alone tool. PT: You have only so much time the power is generated by the hips. The kettlebell can do anything a and energy for training. If you’re The motion is akin to the standing dumbbell can do at least as well and pursuing multiple goals at once, vertical jump, except the energy is with some technical advantages. find exercises that enable you to kill projected into the kettlebell rather For example, the kettlebell provides two or more birds with one stone. than being used to lift the body. an unsurpassed range of motion on For instance, if your goals are im- Save for your pecs and tri’s, the the military press: It doesn’t restrict proving your deadlift and your grip, swing is a total-body workout and your shoulder on the bottom, and the one-arm deadlift is an exercise a conditioner second to none. You it stretches it on the top. Hang a that serves both of your needs. If must experience the swing to ap-

Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training preciate its power.

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25. Rest as little as you can be- tween sets. Start with a lot lower The Kettlebell Solution for Solid Gains in Size and Strength numbers and build up slowly. by Mike Mahler Train three times a week. Stretch. Pavel’s Eat a cow. Every fourth week take According During the past few years an old-school form of Here are some ideas that work. books are it easy—this means do half the to Pavel, called kettlebell lifting has made a available at reps on all your sets. “The ket- comeback in a big way. That’s largely due to the efforts Add Kettlebells to Your Gym Workout www. tlebell will of top strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline, author of The OH: What about variety? Russian Kettlebell Challenge, who imported this exotic One very simple way is to replace all dumbbell work dragon give you PT: If you want variety, no form of strength training from his homeland, where it’s with kettlebells. For example, instead of doing military door.com. an infinite problem. The kettlebell’s design, freedom actually practiced as a . presses with two dumbbells, use two kettlebells. In- namely a thick, smooth handle of lifting.” I know what you’re thinking: “What the hell is a stead of doing curls with a dumbbell, use a kettlebell. removed from a compact center of kettlebell anyway?” Imagine a cannonball with a suit- What have kettlebells got that dumbbells don’t have? mass, enables you to do a great va- case handle on the top, and you get the idea. Kettle- Good question. Kettlebells have thick handles, which riety of powerful exercises. You can bells come as light as eight pounds and as heavy as 88 turns just about every exercise into a grip exercise. As swing it between your legs without pounds. They have thick handles, and due to the way a result, you get bigger forearms. The thicker handles worrying about taking your knees they’re built, the weight is always off center, which also force you to contract all of your muscles harder to out. You can hold it like a regular helps activate loads of stabilizer muscles. stabilize the kettlebell and hold on to it. Expect more dumbbell or bottom-up for a grip Thousands of people have experienced the cardio- of a mind/muscle connection with kettlebell training challenge, or you can palm it like a vascular and muscular-endurance benefits of ballistic than you get with dumbbell training. The one-arm kettlebell military medicine ball. The position of the “simple and sinister.” kettlebell exercises, such as the and the What’s more, because the weight of a kettlebell is off press is the Russian ego lift, akin handle allows dynamic passing of Today RKC is a school of . Those are exercises that teach your body to center, your body is forced to recruit more stabilizer to the bench in the U.S. The rules the kettlebell from hand to hand strength. I have a top-notch team work as one unit; they take muscular-endurance train- muscles to get the job done. The displaced weight is are simple: the fist must be lower for a great variety of powerful jug- of eight senior instructors who ing to the next level. Imagine doing several sprints at constantly trying to pull you out, and you have to fight than the chin at the start of the gling-type exercises. Those drills have developed their own branch- full power, and you get an idea of what a high-rep set of back on every exercise to control it. press, and the knees must remain develop dynamic strength and es of the RKC system and helped kettlebell snatches feels like. While kettlebell curls and other isolation exercises locked. That’s a lot harder than it make the body injuryproof along me refine the foundation. These In addition to the cardio benefits, many people have can be beneficial, that’s not where the real benefit of sounds. An overwhelming majority many planes, unlike conventional Americans are advancing Russian benefited from the tremendous fat-burning effects kettlebell training lies. The real benefit comes with of the bodybuilders who took our linear exercise. kettlebell training as the Brazilians of hard kettlebell workouts. I’ve had clients lose 30 ballistic exercises such as snatches, swings and clean 88-pound kettlebell military press The kettlebell will give you have done for Japanese jujitsu. pounds of fat in two months of hard kettlebell training. and presses. In addition to working the hamstrings challenge at Arnold’s expo could an infinite freedom of lifting. It While anyone who’s done a high-rep set of snatches tremendously, those work the lower back, traps and, in not do it. has been said that kettlebells are OH: How can one get started can attest to the cardio component of kettlebells, few the case of the , they work the shoulders to traditional free weights what in kettlebell training? trainees realize that kettlebell training is an excellent as well. Such ballistic exercises also teach body syn- OH: What kind of physique barbells and dumbbells are to PT: Our site, RussianKettlebell. way to increase strength and size. ergy—in other words, they teach you how to use several

should one get from kettlebell machines. com is your one-stop shop. Books, muscle groups at once—which has obvious benefits for Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training training? DVDs, a directory of certified in- athletics. For bodybuilders it will ramp up your growth PT: The kettlebell swing plus OH: What’s the difference structors, free training articles, hormone levels the way that heavy squats do. the Russian-style military press between your RKC system and a forum, it’s all there. See what In addition to kettlebell ballistic drills, kettlebell make up a great program for an other modern styles of kettle- you’re made of. core exercises such as the Turkish get-up and windmill aggressive minimalist who wants bell training? build a rock-solid midsection in addition to develop- to be ready for whatever life throws PT: As in martial arts, there are Editor’s note: Next month ing major shoulder stability and flexibility. Bodybuild- at him and who chooses a doer’s hard and soft styles of kettlebell Pavel discusses fat burning, ers always complain about shoulder problems, and physique along the lines of antique training. The traditional Rus- strength vs. muscle, breaking now you have a method of building stronger and more statues—broad shoulders with just sian soft style is characterized by training plateaus and his favorite stable shoulders that will carry over to improve your a hint of pecs, back muscles stand- maximum efficiency; keeping the training program. gym workouts tremendously. ing out in bold relief, wiry arms, unused muscles relaxed; circular, Ori Hofmekler is the author of I suggest you add one kettlebell ballistic exercise to rugged forearms, a cut-up midsec- wavy movements. It evolved into the books The Warrior Diet and each of your gym workouts as well as one kettlebell tion and strong legs without a hint girevoy sport, the sport of repeti- Maximum Muscle & Minimum core exercise. Here’s an example of a sample routine of squatter’s chafing. tion kettlebell lifting. I was nation- Fat, published by Dragon Door with a few kettlebell drills: ally ranked in G.S. in the 1980s. Publications (www.dragondoor. Monday and Thursday (upper body) OH: Can you give an example My RKC is a hard style of kettle- com). For more information or for A-1: Barbell bench presses 5 x 5 of a basic training routine? bell training born in the spec ops a consultation, contact him at A-2: Kettlebell bent-over rows 5 x 5 PT: Here’s the routine: 5x5 press- of the Soviet Union. Hard style [email protected], B-1: Kettlebell military presses 5 x 5 es per arm, 5x10 swings per arm, refers to high muscular tension, www.warriordiet.com or by phone B-2: Weighted pullups 5 x 5 wrap up with another 5x5 presses. forceful breathing and crisp, linear at (866) WAR-DIET. IM Kettlebell It’s up to you whether you want to movements. RKC was designed as bent-over Do each pair in antagonistic fashion. In other words, clean the kettlebell once for each a strength and conditioning sys- rows. do one set of A-1, wait 90 seconds, and then do a set of set of presses or once before each tem for combative applications. A-2. Wait another 90 seconds and then do another set rep. Don’t fail. If you can’t make the If traditional kettlebell training is of A-1. Go back and forth until you’ve done five sets of prescribed reps, do more sets of akin to aikido, RKC relates to ka- five on both exercises. Then take a two-minute break fewer reps to make up the total; for rate. A U.S. Secret Service instruc- and do B-1 and B-2 in the same fashion. Take a one- example 3x5, 1x4, 2x3 for a total of tor described the RKC system as minute break, and wrap up with: Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training Model: Mike Mahler 142 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 143

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Turkish get-ups (per side) 2 x 5 more reps. For example, if you did 25 total reps on each Alternate kettlebell curls (per side) 2 x 5 exercise at workout one, strive to do 26 reps at the next One-arm kettlebell snatches (per side) 1 x 15 session. Take a five-minute break after doing PR Zone 1 and then proceed to PR Zone 2: Wednesday and Saturday (lower body) A-1: Barbell squats 5 x 5 PR Zone 2: 15 minutes A-2: Double kettlebell swings 5 x 5 B-1: Alternate kettlebell military presses B-2: Kettlebell biceps curls Follow the directions discussed for the upper-body workout. Take a two-minute break after you’ve com- Follow the same instructions as described for PR pleted all sets of A-1 and A-2 and then wrap up with: Zone 1. Take a two-minute break after PR Zone 2 and then do: Kettlebell windmills (per side) 2 x 5 Double-kettlebell clean and push presses 1 x 10 One-arm windmills (per side) 2 x 5 There you have it: a functional size and strength Day 2: Lower-body focus program that will address your weak links, build your PR Zone 1: 20 Minutes shoulder stability as well as your lower back and add A-1: Double-kettlebell front squats some functional strength to your program. A-2: Double-kettlebell swings Kettlebell-Only Workout Follow the directions for the previous workout. Once you’ve completed the PR Zone, wrap up with; Another option that works very well is to do a kettle- Turkish get-ups (per side) 3 x 5 bell-only workout for a month. It’s a great way to switch up your workouts and shock your body. Plus you can do Try the above program for one month, and give it them anywhere. You can do them at home or do what I everything you have. Expect to have bigger and more like to do: Take two kettlebells to a park for a great out- developed shoulders, a strong lower back, thicker ham- door workout. It’s a terrific alternative for times when strings and forearms that look like Popeye’s. you’re too busy to make it to the gym. Are kettlebells necessary for getting bigger and stron- A kettlebell-only program that has worked very ger? Of course not! Kettlebells are not magical tools well for my clients is the EDT/kettlebell combo. EDT that will transform you from a skinny runt to a mighty (Escalating Density Training) is the brain child of top man. Variety is the spice of life, however, and in order strength coach Charles Staley. The goal is to do more to maintain training longevity, you have to keep things volume in less time, increasing intensity and volume, fun and interesting. I have yet to meet someone who two critical components of getting stronger and bigger. doesn’t think that kettlebell training is a blast. Many of Here’s a sample EDT/kettlebell regimen: the exercises are dramatically different from anything you’ve done before. As a result, you’ll be working mus- Day 1: Upper-body focus cles that you never knew you had and addressing areas PR Zone 1: 15 minutes of your physique that have been neglected. A-1: Double-kettlebell floor presses Whether you’re a professional bodybuilder or just in- A-2: Double-kettlebell bent-over rows terested in staying in shape, there’s no doubt that you’ll Start off doing five to six reps per set and go back and benefit from kettlebell training. forth between the exercises, taking as little rest as pos- sible. As fatigue kicks in, lower the reps and take longer Editor’s note: Mike Mahler is a strength coach and breaks. Your goal is to do as many total reps of each senior kettlebell instructor based in Los Angeles. He’s exercise in the designated personal record, or P.R., zone working on the upcoming book The Kettlebell Solution as you can. Record the total number of reps at the end to Massive Gains in Size and Strength. For more info of each workout. Your goal at the next workout is to do visit Mike’s Web site, www.mikemahler.com. IM

Double-kettlebell floor presses. Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training Model: Mike Mahler

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