American Kettlebell Club Blog

By Eric Liford

I wasn’t surprised to see Dumbbells in Russia, or Kyrgyzstan for that matter, but I was surprised to see the same type of markings caste into the metal as are in most Kettlebells from Europe and Asia. See, during Soviet times, prices were fixed, so there was no way to cheat the System; the price was imprinted right into the tools themselves. It’s hard for us Americans to understand this thinking, I know, but this five week trip was not to learn about the differences in our Systems, but to find out as much as possible about Kettlebells. Besides, Russians understand Capitalism very well already, trust me!

So why was I surprised about the markings then? Well, I was led to believe (before Valery) that the Kettlebell was the Russian alternative to the Dumbbell. You know, Russian simplicity or rather scarcity… The idea that the Russians couldn’t afford a full set of Dumbbells ranging from 5lb-100lb or more like we have always had in our gyms in the USA. The idea that they only had access to a few weights (usually a 16kg and a 24kg) and just “made do” with what they had. It’s not true! I’ve been in many gyms while in Europe and Asia; all had Dumbbells and Kettlebells. The price markings prove Dumbbells were not recent additions to the Russian Gym, and in fact the pair of Dumbbells you see pictured here, I was assured, are quite old. Older than 40 years, since the owner said they were around before he was born. They might even be older than the Kettlebells in these Gyms, and they look it.

Keep in mind we are talking about “Modern” Kettlebells versus Dumbbells, not the Kettlebells used by farmers and merchants that start about the size of a golf ball and have dozens of increasingly bigger diameter balls. These classic Kettlebells like the 1870 version (pictured left) we brought back from Russia are suited for picking up and placing on a scale but not necessarily for athletics. We’re interested in the ones used for Fitness… It’s anyone’s guess how old the Kettlebell actually is, but there is no doubt it was adapted for Fitness from its original use as a standardized weight of measure hundreds of years ago. This is real Russian ingenuity! Later came the technology… Later came the Science…

The Modern Kettlebell is likely over 50 years old though! These are the ones used for Fitness that are all the same size ball, but vary in weight. These are the ones that have been scrutinized by Olympic-caliber Athletes in Competition over many years in regards to things like handle size and shape. The Athletes decided what was best for a human to exercise with likely before any of us were even born! Dumbbells don’t use this technology, and for good reason. They don’t need it because they are different tools for different purposes!

The point is Valery told me two years ago that he always had access to Kettlebells, Barbells AND Dumbbells, and he didn’t understand why people here tried to use a Kettlebell like a Dumbbell. I tried to rationalize that it was just Marketing and people here were trying to make the Kettlebell appealing both athletically and economically. He had some choice words for that explanation, and now we promote the superior value of the Kettlebell both athletically and economically by it’s own merits. In other words, we feel so strongly about the value of the Kettlebell and what it can do for Athletes, or those looking for Elite Fitness, but we can’t act like it’s here to replace the Dumbbell any more than the Screwdriver can replace a Hammer.

If you have a Kettlebell already we urge you to explore the real value of training properly with it. Sure rows and such can be done with it… Yes, sets of 10 are possible… The question is “why?” There are tools and experts available that can help you accomplish these types of things to the highest levels already. We even have some within our Club! If you are looking for Strength-Endurance, GPP, Explosive Power, Ability to cope with stress…, Work Capacity, Grip, Coordination, Staying Power, Mental Toughness, Athleticism, Fat-Loss/Altered Body Composition, Stress Reduction, Focus, Patience, Health, Vitality, Determination, Flexibility, Joint/Tendon/Ligament/Muscle Prehab and more, I think Valery’s right when he says “Kettlebells, it’s enough”!

We ended our 5 week European adventure with a Certification in New York, hosted by our Fire/Rescue Advisor, Mike Stefano. It was a very emotional trip… Valery had not seen his family in 8 years, and his Coach in over 10. He saw people and places that brought back lots of memories for him. I’m glad I was there to witness it all. I have lots of footage that I’m looking through already, so stay tuned for some interesting bits of information.

When we arrived in New York we were met by Mike. He was on time of course… When you leave home for 5 weeks, travel to multiple countries where they speak very little English, and have just flown across the Atlantic successfully, seeing a familiar face is instantly soothing. For that moment New York was home and Mike was family! Many thanks to Mike, and we apologize for not being able to function that first night. We had to catch up on some much needed sleep so we could be ready for a full house at Certification.

The next evening taught us something about our friend Mike. We trusted he was the right man in terms of Fire/Rescue experience and how it could relate to Kettlebells. He’s a retired Captain from the FDNY, and now helps others prepare for the physical exams for Fire service using Kettlebells and other methods. He wrote a very successful book for Firefighters and is in the process of writing another. Mike is also very energetic and enthusiastic about Kettlebell training and has been one of our biggest assets in the spread of proper Kettlebell Lifting. All this we knew, but we learned first hand something else…

Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado – Menander (342 B.C. – 292 B.C.)

The above quote is an old one, but I can’t think of anything more appropriate for how we feel about Mike Stefano. After our full day of rest Mike invited us to dinner with his wife, Kim, and his best student, Ashley. On our way to the restaurant we all spotted a destroyed motorcycle in the opposite lane, and a guy laying on his back in the large grass median that separated the 4 lane roadway. Quicker than I could process what was going on, Mike jerked into the grass and instructed Kim to call 911. Before I could figure out how to get out of Mikes SUV, he was on his knees over the poor guy that was obviously still in shock. He didn’t even know what had happened to him…

We weren’t the first on the scene. There was a Volunteer Fireman that I suppose just happened to see it all happen, but this guy was in panic mode. He was running around screaming, call 911! CALL 911! We already had, of course. Mike took over… The Volunteer looked at me and Valery and said, “YOU… and YOU! Help me get this motorcycle out of the road!” Maybe it was a stupid thing to do looking back, but we ran over to what was left of a motorcycle and dragged it out of the road while spilling fuel. When we came back to Mike he had this guy under control, not letting him view his mangled ankle. I mean, the skin was completely removed, bone exposed, so who really knows what we were looking at to be honest. One fellow motorcycle rider came on the scene later, took a 1-second look and began vomiting, so it was not a light injury.

Needless to say, it was not a good start to a fun evening, but I commented later how calmly and smoothly Mike handled everything. I’ve seen some trauma before, but there is a definite skill to how one reacts to it, and for sure how one takes charge of the situation. Anyway, the guy stabilized, there seemed to be no major, life threatening injuries and the Police/Rescue personnel came on the scene. Lesson 1, it’s not Brave to ride a motorcycle, it’s Bravado.

When I complimented Mike on being so calm and effective at the scene, he didn’t say what I expected. Stuff like, “yeah, I’ve seen it all. This was no big deal.” Or ” We Fireman are trained to handle this type of thing. We are professionals…”. All this is true, but not Mike’s words… He never once showed any kind of Bravado. He just explained what would happen if he showed panic or overreacted etc. His concern was with the victim. In other words, he was still in instructor mode even with me. I’m not going to call Mike a hero for this situation because I’m sure he’s done many more things that would qualify him as such, but no doubt he is the right man for our Fire/Rescue Advisor and we are proud to associate our name with his. We made a good decision in Mike Stefano.

Lesson 2, Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado – Menander (342 B.C. – 292 B.C.)

One last thing… Mike did an excellent job at the Certification. We have had so many positive remarks both in email and on our Forum about him following this Certification. I was also watching him instruct during the working phase of the Course and he literally had 8-10 or more people listening to him on several occasions. He’s a good teacher and no doubt will prove to be a great Coach. Thanks for all your help Mike!

Eric Liford, Editor

American Kettlebell Club

” Mike Stefano is an experienced Trainer and has helped Firefighters, Law Enforcement and civilians get in shape with his well planned programs. We have no problems endorsing him fully. Visit his site Kettlebell Training, or if you are a Firefighter or Department, check out his Workshops