IRONMAN Magazine's Bodybuilding Success Blueprint Red Zone

RedThe ZoneRussian Pavel Tsatsouline’s Unique Perspective on Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell 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- sports 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 134 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 135 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE Red Zone 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 kettlebells 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 bodybuilding 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 136 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE Red Zone “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 strength training? Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training want, and the total of both arms is 138 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE Red Zone “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. powerlifting 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.

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