What is Girevoy Sport? I have being meaning to write this for a while to explain Girevoy Kettlebell Sport in more detail …
Girevoy Kettlebell sport, is a highly challenging power-lifting sport. It’s judged on the amount of time an athlete can lift a particular weight over a pre-determined time of endurance (5,10,30 or 60 minutes). Unlike traditional power lifting where an athlete will lift maximum kilogram in one lift (One-rep max), Kettlebell sport is of a cyclical nature, like long distance swimming (with weights).
The three main lifts that are used are the Snatch, Jerk, and Long Cycle. The picture to your right is an example of Roger Saheli lifting a 24kg kettlebell 133 times in ten minutes, in the Snatch discipline.
Here is an an article by the gentleman who kick-started it in Australia and was the guiding light for people in the west to learn more about this unique sport. Attending this man’s seminar years ago is what lead me to start training for and falling in love with this sport. Read all about it here.
Why not join us? Our training has a sport focus, but anyone can do it. Kettlebell sport is a growing sport in Australia, which has multiple categories and disciplines. Great for both females and males of all ages. It’s safe, and can help you get super fit!
The Australian Girevoy Sport team competing in the 2015 World Championships in Ireland.
Having competed in numerous Kettlebell sport competitions, we’ve learnt the way the Russian’s do it. Their ways are more efficient and builds more strength and endurance, than other methodologies of Kettlebell training, such as that taught by Crossfit trainers.
Success in this sport requires lifters to work on technique, flexibility, strength and power, proper breathing patterns, aerobic capacity, stability, and most importantly mental focus. As mentioned Girevoy sport is a classified as a cyclical sport (Cyclic sports are those in which a single movement is repeated over and over again, such as rowing, running or riding a bicycle).
Outside of the sport, here are the skills and benefits that arise from training for Kettlebell sport.
Endurance in its many forms are the major priority (Special endurance, i.e. anaerobic and aerobic working in sync). Without it, you won’t last long in the competition.
Flexibility, for example, the ability to sit in the rack or overhead position, to have a small break during your set is important and this can be a very limiting factor for a lot of competitors, myself included. Without being able to relax, your elbows on your hips for instance, you are constantly wearing out your muscles.
You will gain co-ordination and the ability to perform the complex lifts with maximum efficiency.
Even though you will gain strenght it’s not the priority. Strength isn’t a major component, as the bells are a sub-maximal load lifted for a long period of time. You still need to be able to lift them, but we are not performing a one-rep max like in Powerlifting or Olympic lifting
You will develop speed by how fast you can perform the lift.
If you’re interested in trying something new, then come try out Girevoy sport for yourself and become part of our Tough Love Kettlebells team.