The Russian Kettlebell Challenge (Paperback)

by Pavel Tsatsouline (Author) "Vodka at night..." (more)
Key Phrases: kettlebell lifting, kettlebell training, kettlebell snatches, Pavel Tsatsouline, Steve Maxwell, Weightlifting Yearbook (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
If you are looking for a supreme edge in your chosen sport—seek no more!

Both the Soviet Special Forces and numerous world-champion Soviet Olympic athletes used the ancient Russian Kettlebell as their secret weapon for xtreme fitness. Thanks to the kettlebells’s astonishing ability to turbocharge physical performance, these Soviet supermen creamed their opponents time-and-time-again, with inhuman displays of raw power and explosive strength.

Now, former Spetznaz trainer, international fitness author and nationally ranked kettlebell lifter, Pavel Tsatsouline, delivers this secret Soviet weapon into your own hands.

You NEVER have to be second best again! Here is the first-ever complete kettlebell training program—for Western shock-attack athletes who refuse to be denied—and who’d rather be dead than number two.

-Get really, really nasty—with a commando’s wiry strength, the explosive agility of a tiger and the stamina of a world-class ironman

-Own the single best conditioning tool for killer sports like kickboxing, wrestling, and football

-Watch in amazement as high-rep kettlebells let you hack the fat off your meat—without the dishonor of aerobics and dieting

-Kick your fighting system into warp speed—with high-rep snatches and clean-and-jerks

-Develop steel tendons and ligaments—and a whiplash power to match

-Effortlessly absorb ballistic shocks—and laugh as you shrug off the hardest hits your opponent can muster

-Go ape on your enemies—with gorilla shoulders and tree-swinging traps

About the Author
Pavel Tsatsouline was nationally ranked in the ethnic Russian strength sport of kettlebell lifting. A former physical training instructor for Spetsnaz, the Soviet Special Forces, today Pavel trains SWAT teams and the US Marines. He is the author of Power to the People!, Relax into Stretch and Bullet-Proof Abs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: Dragon Door Publications (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938045326
• ISBN-13: 978-0938045328
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,316 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Convert to Kettlebells, August 28, 2001

By	Gary Karl (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews

The "Russian Kettlebell Challenge" companion book and video are well-crafted and user-friendly re-introductions to the lost (in America) art of kettle-bell lifting. I took a flyer on the video, which I found sufficiently intriguing that I bought the book and a KB, then another, larger KB, and am poised to buy a third implement. Pavel and his publisher promote KBs as a tool of "extreme fitness," but the average fitness enthusiast ought not be scared off by the advertising hyperbole. KBs are unique in my experience in combining functional strength and endurance training in a single workout which you really can do at home. My 4-month experiment with kettlebells has been very rewarding and an awful lot of fun. RKC (as this book is known among Pavel's "Party" faithful) is the best of his books to date. It describes in words and pictures the how-to's of basic KB moves and variants and gives you the parameters for designing your own workout. Many of the exercises can be done with dumbbells in lieu of kettlebells for those who are reluctant to pop for the implements until they've given the program a try. While the book and the video can each stand alone, they are designed to work best together. The video augments the book by visually presenting the unusual movements. In RKC, as in all of his books and videos, Pavel teaches his lessons with an appealing sense of humor and a heavy emphasis on safe performance. I started with the smallest KB (about 36 pounds) and found it a little daunting at first. After a few weeks, however, I eagerly moved up to the "medium" bell (about 54 pounds) and now, a few months later, plan to complete my set with the big boy (72 pounds). I am in my late 40's and have been physically active all my adult life in a range of activities, including running and cardio kickboxing when they were trendy, as well as biking, swimming, running, weightlifting, various ball sports, etc. None of those activities has been as much fun, or as productive, as RKC. I highly recommend Pavel's RKC book and video, and kettlebell lifting in general.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it, Get the 'Bells, Get Started, You'll Love It, August 29, 2004

By	louienapoli "louieb" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

A kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a thick handle, and that's pretty much what it is. Because there's a mass of iron below the handle, the weight is unbalanced, and it's up to you to wield it right, which isn't easy. So what's the big deal? The big deal is, learning to handle and exercise with kettlebells works virtually every muscle in the body. It gives you a terrific cardio workout. And it gives you what they call "functional strength," which is the kind of strength a wrestler needs to gut-wrench an opponent, or a mother needs to lift and carry her kid. I've trained with weights for over 20 years, and I was skeptical when I first read about kbells. I took a chance and bought the book, then a (roughly 32 lb.) kbell. The first workout had me gasping, dripping with sweat, and feeling like I'd been wrestling five bears. After a shower, though, I felt great. Like I COULD wrestle five bears. And I gained size and definition--fast. Now, 32 pounds is no big deal for me. A 32 lb dumbbell is like a toy. But the kbell felt like it weighed 60 lbs. because of the weird displacement. Anyway, the book took me through the basic exercises, and gave me a fitness tool and technique that's time-tested and wonderfully effective. It's a good idea to get the DVD that goes with the book so you can see the exercises and get a real idea of the cadence and form, but the book in itself is excellent. Pavel is a masterful trainer and an engrossing, amusing writer. This book, and the kbells it talks about, are fitness tools worth their weight in gold. If I could give it 7 stars I would. The only caution is this: kbells are not easy. They can be dangerous if you don't follow the book's directions. And they're not for anyone who's looking for a relatively easy and pleasant workout, like cycling to CNN. But if you want a kick-butt workout that will give you real results for your effort--and I mean effort--this is the best deal in town.

41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The direct route to strength and athleticism, August 24, 2001

By	Robert Lawrence (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

The kettlebell, or "girya", is an iron ball with a thick handle. A century ago, kettlebells were used worldwide for strength training. But as the Western world got softer, wimpier, and more lawsuit-prone, the kettlebell went out of use and remained popular only in Eastern Europe. They are now being revived in the US thanks to the work and evangelism of Pavel Tsatsouline, a former trainer of Soviet special forces. Kettlebell training is hard-core. I have two kettlebells at home, and as exercise devices they could never be confused with a stairmaster. They require focus and concentration and are used for demanding lifts such the snatch, the clean and jerk, the bent press, and a whole arsenal of other lifts you aren't going to see in your gym this week. You can't curl a kettlebell absentmindedly while staring off in the direction of the aerobics class. (In fact, if you manage that feat send me an e-mail.) However, if you've got the focus and can put in the work, kettlebells will yield enormous benefits. Handling their awkward weight while in motion is one of the single best things you can do to make yourself faster, stronger, and, as Pavel would say, more "eeeevil." As a karateka, I have found that kettlebell training has improved my hand speed, foot speed, and striking power, and has made me tougher to hit and tougher to hurt. To my knowledge no other type of training will do that all at once. RKC contains clear instructions and a lot of interesting kettlebell history as well. If you're interested in kettlebell training it's a must-have, as is the companion video.