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Kettlebell Fitness at The Harbor

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Britt’s Training Systems

While at the Harbor on a sunny Saturday morning, cast your gaze northward toward the grassy field behind the Eclipse health club. You are likely to spy people doing some strange-looking things in the name of fitness - yoga, tai chi, various aerobic routines - but none stranger than aficionados of the kettlebell. Lifting, swinging, and squatting with heavy cast iron balls, they could easily be mistaken for an advancing army of crazed warriors.

Basically a cannonball with a handle attached, the kettlebell was virtually unheard of in North America until a few years ago. Used in Russia for over 200 years by elite army units, kettlebells gained popularity here largely through the work of Pavel Tsatsouline (Don't bother trying to pronounce it. It's Russian. Enthusiasts just call him Pavel.), a former physical trainer for the Soviet Special Forces. In 1998, an article Pavel published about the kettlebell was picked up by Dragon Door, an American publisher of fitness and martial arts books. Popularity quickly grew and in 2001, Dragon Door forged the first American made Russian-style kettlebell.

Since then, kettlebells have found their way into schools, gyms and firehouses all over the country. Pavel has consulted with military and law enforcement agencies worldwide to incorporate the kettlebell into their training programs. Instructors in every style of martial arts are including them in their routines. So why are so many flocking to this new sport? Is it just the latest in a long string of health-club fads?

Not so, says Paul Britt, local fitness coach. "The kettlebell is all about proper movement as well as working large muscle groups all at once. The point is not to work yourself to exhaustion, but to train your body to move properly while gaining strength. Bottom line is, once you learn to move better, you begin to feel better."

The basic movement, and the one Paul starts his students with, is the swing. Using a loose grip, the kettlebell is held between the legs, then propelled forward using the hips and back and allowed to return to starting position. Done properly, this exercise safely works nearly every muscle group in the body, and with an economy of motion that even the most time-crunched urban professional can appreciate. A complete kettlebell workout can be a short 20-minute a day routine.

Paul is certified by Pavel's organization, the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, an accomplishment one does not obtain easily. A rigorous program and high failure rate insures that only the best become RKC certified. Students come from all over the Metroplex to train with Paul. One drives to Rockwall from Flower Mound. "We have trainers closer to home, but it's worth the drive to work with somebody of Paul's caliber."

Anyone interested in learning more about the kettlebell can see it in action at his center at 207 County Line Road, Rockwall. Call 972-836-9265. Also visit Paul Britt's blog.

Paul Britt checks form during a recent kettlebell workout.

Bob Lewis
Writer, Photographer & Crazed Kettlebell Warrior
Planet Rockwall