Kettlebell Sport or Girevoy Sport (GS), is a highly challenging endurance feat of cyclical nature. Lifters’ success depends on technique, flexibility, stability, proper breathing patterns, aerobic capacity and mental focus.
As opposed to Olympic or Power Lifting, traditional GS events require an athlete to lift a sub-maximal load, completing as many repetitions as possible in ten minutes.
The Russians can take credit for developing this unique form of competition, yet weights with handles have been used as early as 8th century BC, when the Greeks began creating their own versions of gymnasiums and were the first to develop organized approaches to weight training and sports.
Halteres, from the Greek allomai, means ‘leap’ or ‘spring’. These metal or stone weights with holes were used for lifting as well as for assisting athletes in the long jump. By holding one in each hand, halteres, weighing between 12 and 35kg, allowed an athlete greater jumping distance.
Let’s start with the basics of the swings: