Why Lift Kettlebells Like a Kettlebell Sport Athlete?

When I teach swing, clean, jerk or snatch technique to people who only want to lift kettlebells for fitness (as opposed to competitively), I often get asked: why bother with all of the technical aspects of the "sport style" versions?

First of all, the term "style" when applied to kettlebell lifting is redundant: ask the best lifters in the world what they think of different kettlebell lifting "styles" and they will tell you there are no styles, just good lifting and not so good lifting.  Let's abandon the term "sport style" and just say "like a kettlebell sport athlete" instead.  Listen to what Fedorenko says at the start about technique (bear with the strong accent, given his achievements he's a man worth listening to):

So back to the question of "why bother"?  Why go through all the hassle of learning the intricacies of how kettlebell sport athletes lift, which takes a long time to learn and even longer to implement, if you're just lifting for general fitness?

I am often tempted to end that conversation with "if you're not going to do it properly, why bother at all?"  There is more to it than that, though, and while my patience is severely tested by people who are only after short cuts and easy fixes, explaining my reasoning has on occasion convinced people that taking the time to lift like an athlete really will pay off in the long run.

Reasons to lift like a kettlebell sport athlete:

Athletes lift to MINIMISE THE RISK OF INJURY.  Safe lifting should be everyone's first priority regardless of whether they're lifting for fitness or more, and those who lift for competition, particularly those who rely on their sport for a living, cannot afford to get injured.  Ask yourself this: if you're doing some boxing for fitness are you better off throwing a punch like someone who boxes professionally or like the instructor in the boxing circuit class who has never been in the ring in their life and learnt from someone who themselves has never been in the ring?  I know damn well who I'd rather punch like, and I know which one would be less likely to bugger up my wrists.  If you need further convincing, injuries in kettlebell sport lifting amongst professional athletes are very, very low -  Fedorenko says he has never once been injured when training with kettlebells.

Athletes lift for LONGEVITY OF LIFTING.  This is tied into the point above but deserves a mention on its own.  In the kettlebell sport world athletes can have very long careers.  If you are genuinely after fitness and better health, athletes like Fedor Fuglev are the most wonderful examples of how lifting with excellent technique will enable you to keep lifting for a long time and keep you healthy in the LONG TERM.  If I am lucky enough to be moving like this guy when I'm 50 I'll be frigging ecstatic (not to mention he looks amazing for his age, skip to 1:30 in the video below for some really cool stuff).  Fuglev trains in a shed without heating or electrical lighting (candles only) and in the extreme cold of the Ukraine Winter he does flips and tumbling to warm up for his kettlebell sport training -  it's worth reminding yourself when you watch him that he's 50 because it's difficult to believe when you think about most 50 year olds you know.  If you want to know more about Fuglev click here.

Athletes lift to MAXIMISE EFFICIENCY.  Efficiency will get you better training results, even if you are just lifting for fitness.  For example, more efficient jerk technique will allow you either get more reps out or lift heavier.  I was lucky enough to watch Pavlos Georgiadis do this set with a 90kg kettlebell and I can tell you that it is his mastery of the jerk as a kettlebell sport athlete that allowed him to perform this incredible feat.  Also, the volume of training he was able to do with lighter bells (32kg usually) without injury allowed him to do this without specific training.

Athletes regard lifting as AN ART FORM.  If you change your mindset and treat lifting as a craft rather than just a means to a bit of bodyfat reduction or a toned butt it actually becomes far more rewarding and you can track progress not just in terms of how much weight you lift or how many reps you do, but also in technical proficiency.  For me, a technically excellent rep is far more exciting than banging out something ugly with a heavy weight.  Give your mind a workout as well as your body and you will be developing holistic health.  Not only that, but treating lifting as an art form will enable you to get fitter in the long run anyway.  At  53kg bodyweight (that's right, a tiny 53kg, it's not a typo), Olga Yaramenko can do mind boggling things with a 24kg kettlebell - without supreme technical proficiency this would not be possible - and through the volume she can train because of her technical excellence she has fitness levels that are off the charts.

Of course, all of the above can be applied to any number of activities people do just for fitness with no intention of ever being competitive: running, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, martial arts of any variety, swimming etc.  So, the next time you're wondering if it's worth worrying about getting your technique to the standard of a professional athlete, simply ask yourself if you want to be injury-free and get better results.  They're simple questions to answer.