Pavel Tsatsouline - Russian Kettlebell Challenge (2001) PDF_KAT_CybEx

Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman of StrongFirst, Inc. (born August 23, 1969 in Minsk, USSR) is a fitness instructor from the former Soviet Union. He holds a degree in Sports Science from the Physical Culture Institute in Minsk. He is involved with the evolving field of martial arts fitness and is a proponent of the kettlebell as an exercise and strengthening tool. In 1998, Tsatsouline became the kettlebell instructor in the United States.

In the 1980s, Tsatsouline was a physical-training instructor for Spetsnaz, the elite Soviet special-forces units. In 2001, Tsatsouline was voted a "Hot Trainer" by Rolling Stone. He has published articles in Milo magazine and Performance Press, as well as being the author of several books on stretching and strength training. In 2012, Pavel left the RKC and formed a new company, StrongFirst, dedicated to the pursuit, development, and acquisition of strength.

"...In the old days, any Russian strongman or lifter was called a girevik, or ‘a kettlebell man’. Many famous Soviet weightlifters, such as Vorobyev, Vlasov, Alexeyev, and Stogov, started their Olympic careers with old-fashioned kettlebells. Recalls two times Olympic champion and world record holder Leonid Zhabotinskiy: “We kids got into the habit of visiting the local blacksmith. Among the metal scrap in his shop we found a one-pood [16kg] kettlebell. So we tried real hard lifting it with one arm, then with the other, so we would hurt all over the day after! …It was my first competition in lifting weights.” No wonder one prestigious kettlebell tournament was named after Leonid Zhabotinskiy...Indeed, the number one reason Olympic weightlifters should add kettlebells to their regimen, is the promise of spectacular gains in shoulder and hip flexibility. The drill of choice is the kettlebell overhead squat. The overhead squat is a staple exercise for a weightlifter, but not an easy one to master. It takes unusual shoulder and upper back range of motion to perform a rock bottom squat, while holding a barbell or a pair of dumbbells overhead—even with a very light poundage. Athletes usually fail to bring the weight far enough behind their head—and either lose it in front or fall on their butt..." (sourced from wikipedia and excerpt quoted)