Enter the Kettlebell!: Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen

by Pavel Tsatsouline

With Enter the Kettlebell! Pavel delivers a significant upgrade to his original landmark work, The Russian Kettlebell Challenge. Drawing on five years of developing and leading the world's first and premiere kettlebell instructor certification program, and after spending five years of additional research into what really works for dramatic results with the kettlebell-we have Enter the Kettlebell!Pavel lays out a foolproof master system that guarantees you success-if you simply follow the commands! . Develop all-purpose strength-to easily handle the toughest and most unexpected demand.. Maximize staying power-because the last round decides all. Forge a fighter's physique-because the form must follow the functionEnter the kettlebell!-and follow the plan:1. The New RKC Program MinimumWith just two kettlebell exercises, takes you from raw newbie to solid contender-well-conditioned, flexible, resilient and muscular in all the right places.2. The RKC Rite of Passage Jumps you to the next level of physical excellence with Pavel's proven RKC formula for exceptional strength and conditioning. 3. Become a Man Among MenPropels you to a Special Forces level of conditioning.

Genres: Fitness, Nonfiction, Health, Sports, Reference, Bodies, Self Help

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the essential fundamental work-out book for the Russian kettlebell. Pavel Tsatsouline has a great approach to learning how to exercise with this. He teaches the basics and then moves into the fundamental exercises. These are taught in a detailed and safe way:

1. The Clean

2. The Swing
3. The Turkish Get Up

4. The Press
5. The High Pull
6. The Snatch

There's a detailed workout plan for a newbie to follow, safety tips, and lots of other information pertaining to the kettlebell. This is the first book (and DVD) you should undertake to get a solid foundation.

**Crossfit like to do it differently. I've seen people get injured (shoulders, back, elbows) because their movements differ from what Pavel teaches here.**

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a drastically different workout routine. If you're not convinced, check it out on YouTube. Thanks!

[11 Crimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love kettlebells, and this is probably my favorite entry level kettlebell book. Make no mistake, Pavel used to come off like a bit of a marketing caricature in his earlier days with dragondoor, but he is absolutely the real deal. His stuff works, period. If he needs to play it up a little to get his stuff out to a bigger audience, so be it, as long as it works I'm fine with that.

Kettlebells really bridged the gap between maximum strength and strength-endurance/power for me. I was skeptical at first, and thought a dumbbell would be just as good. I was wrong. The kbs delivered as promised, helped me lose fat, improved my conditioning, and increased my strength endurance.

The book thoroughly explains the mechanics of the swing and snatch, which is crucial for an exercise program in my opinion. Lots of pictures which lay out the moves so that they're easy to understand and implement. I agree 100% with Pavel, in that you only need a few basic fundamental exercises to stay in great shape.

He lays out a simple progression in the book which takes you from entry level to more advanced, along with periodic self testing you can do to determine where you stand.

My current yearly training plan goes like this: I do 9-12 weeks of barbell training (Tactical Barbell), followed by about 4 weeks of kettlebell work from ETK. I simply switch between the two year round and find that this gives me the best of both worlds. Barbell training gives me that raw maximum strength base, and the kettlebells draw from that and convert it into ballistic power, strength-endurance, and conditioning.

If you can only buy one kettlebell book, get this one. Great for both entry level and advanced. Stick with Pavel for the kettlebell stuff. Some of the other kettlebell 'gurus' out there tend to overcomplicate things and add what isn't necessary.

[Max Misch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second reading, around seven years later. Like nearly all of the books by Tsatsouline, the scope is quite limited, focusing mainly on a) the clean and press and b) the snatch. People tend to believe that one needs a large variety of lifts to achieve fitness goals, but they are incorrect. The book contains very good information about those two lifts mentioned above, kettlebell training in general, and an excellent program. As Pavel would say, Сил вам! (Strength to you!)

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good. I made the earlier mistake of watching one of Pavel's Youtube videos and it turned me off. Then I read someone say how he used humor. That, too, turned me off. Needless to say, this book was the opposite of what I expected--and it was very useful.

Pavel corrected a lot of moves I was doing, and thus spared me from some serious injuries. If you pick up a kb and start swinging and cleaning, you will hurt your wrist. Painfully. Pavel shows you some basic pointers.

EDIT: It's fun to reread. I picked up a few pointers I had forgotten.

[Kendra Ware · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for starting kettlebell training. The step by step instruction on different exercises is very easy to follow. There is not an actual workout program outlined in the book but a companion pdf called 'Enter the kettlebell...the workout' by Anthony DiLuglio can be found for free online. DiLuglio's workout takes the concepts and exercises from the book and puts them into a 12-week kettlebell program.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as thorough as Simple and Sinister. Would prefer to see more on programming and progressions in weight/volume and less on lifting instruction. Better to get the "how to" stuff from the DVD or YouTube anyway.

[Justine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would be 3 stars because of the good coaching tips but the macho bravado is a little too much for me.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across kettlebells 12 years ago in college in a weight lifting class and was surprised to see those curious "cannon balls with handles" in the corner. I'd seen some people doing some weird movements with them as well. No one was using them, and I didn't know how to use them, so curiosity piqued, I convinced my weight coach to do some research and do a demonstration in class. I've loved kettlebells ever since, nothing can compare to the versatility, portability, cardio, strength, and power delivered by one single device. And while I still love and train with the barbell, dumbbells, jump rope, running shoes, and bike, the kettlebell is just so superior to time-strapped working individuals who don't want to spend hours at the gym loading and unloading plates or long ponderous (and sometimes bitter and joint-destroying) cardio. I take my kettlebells with me when I travel and they've put me on the road to recovery after serious injuries. Pavel's Russian wit and humor alone make this a must-read.

[Justin Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. The plan was slightly confusing to follow, but there’s a free online workbook to guide you through. Gonna try it!

[Ramón Nogueras Pérez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro te enseña lo necesario para usar las pesas rusas (kettlebells) y sus ejercicios básicos.

El autor, Pavel Tsatsouline, es el responsable de haber puesto de moda estas pesas, y tiene una aproximación muy de la vieja escuela al ejercicio que es interesante y útil. El estilo de escritura es a menudo autoparódico porque se mete en su personaje del Ruso Malvado a tope, te llama camarada cada dos por tres, y cosas así, pero la información es extremadamente útil, y la explicación de los ejercicios (y la preparación para aprender los movimientos correctamente) es impecable. No se puede pedir más en ese sentido.

Lo único negativo es que, como todos sus libros, la verborrea comercial y el estilo de vendedor de coches usados puede ser un tanto desmotivador. Así mismo, los libros de este tipo tienen una maquetación y un diseño que hinchan bastante el número de páginas y el precio.

Kettlebell for Dummies es un mejor manual desde el punto de vista didáctico, en mi opinión, pero este es un excelente libro porque las rutinas que propone son más simples, y duran más tiempo antes de tener que cambiar a otra cosa. Es definitivamente recomendable, si te gusta el ejercicio eficaz y sin tanta chorrada de gimnasio. Ciertamente, ahora que tengo unas kettlebell no me planteo volver a un gimnasio pudiendo entrenar en casa en sesiones cortas e intensas. Con esto y ejercicios de peso corporal tienes todo lo que te hace falta.

[Bremer]

For Russian strongmen, elite military forces, and hardened criminals in Chechnya, the kettlebell has been an essential tool for developing a balanced musculature, endurance during the most grueling physical trials, functionally explosive strength, and a whole host of other benefits.

A tiny iron cannonball doesn’t seem that impressive, but after gripping at its cold handle and ripping into the momentum of a swing, there is nothing more punishing or more addictive.

Kettlebells come in poods. For example, the average male beginner uses 1 pood (16 kgs. or 35 lbs.) while the advanced lifter uses 2 poods (32 kgs. or 70 lbs.). There are different weights for every level. One must master the lighter weights to progress onto the heavier ones, but even the most powerful athletes can accomplish their goals with 1 pood.

In “Enter the Kettlebell,” Pavel Tsatsouline describes the correct (and most thorough) techniques available for exercises like the sumo deadlift, face-to-wall squat, halo, swing, snatch, clean, and get-up.

Pavel encourages a daily practice, not a burnout. Kettlebell training requires a lot of skill and patience to do well. For instance, to do a proper two-handed swing, one needs to maintain a box squat alignment, keep a straight but not upright back, generate power from the hip but not in the arms, sit back rather than dip down, and so on.

This book uses a minimalist approach and recommends two kettlebell exercises for the most benefit: the swing and the get-up.

“The swing will take care of your back, legs, heart, and lungs. The get-up will temper flexible and resilient shoulders, ready for exercises and spots skills that traditionally trash them: punching a heavy bag, grappling, heavy pressing and jerking, and so on.”

Once one has practiced these exercises for a long time (weeks to months to even years), focusing on finesse over speed and technique over high repetitions, additional exercises can be incorporated.

Kettlebell cleans, snatches, and presses are demanding. One needs to use strength and flexibility to do them well. Pavel argues for slow strength training with lower reps. Rather than championing the popular fatiguing way of strength training, he believes that slow training minimizes injuries, while building resiliency and power.

When using kettlebells, one is always in the Yin Yang of relaxation and tension. Like any good martial artist knows, it’s all about timing.

“Tension and relaxation are the two sides of the performance coin. An always-tight powerlifter can hardly move. An always-loose yoga practitioner is weak. A karate master, who moves like lightning and then freezes for a split second to put all of his mass behind the punch and then recoil with relaxed quickness like a snake’s tongue, has both. In the words of the late Okinawan karate master Chozo Nakama, this is ‘relaxed tension.’”

Kettlebells bring the entire body into each movement. One exhales with control like a boxer throwing a cross, relaxing and then tensing, building up their combat conditioning. Kettlebells reduce injuries through a stabilization of numerous muscles, strengthening the back, arms, shoulders, abs, legs, glutes, and grips.

Pavel recommends training everyday. Stay consistent but always vary in the workouts each time, switching from heavy to light weights, focusing on proper technique in between sessions, never exercising until fatigue.

He suggests using ladders, starting low. Switching hands, resting. Then slowly building up to fifty repetitions, one hundred repetitions, in a short period of time. Eventually, as one progresses, one will build 1 ladder (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) to 2 ladders, 2 ladders to 3 ladders, and so on. This can take a few minutes, a few hours, or even a full day.

When it comes to rest in between sets, that depends on individual goals.

“Either extreme of rest between sets—less than a minute on one end, and 10 minutes and more on the other—will make you strong for different reasons. Extremely short breaks will make you stronger by building muscle in the tradition of Charles Staley’s EDT (edtsecrets.com). Extremely long breaks will make you stronger by improving your skill of strength in the tradition of my GTG program from The Naked Warrior. Medium breaks will give you a mix of muscular and neural adaptations. This is why I have not specified how long you should rest between your sets in this book. Why complicate?”

Kettlebell training can be timed as well. Alternating rep/rest periods at random, experimenting daily to build up to high reps in a short amount of time, can be challenging and rewarding. HIIT and Tabata are two beneficial methods for intense, short workouts.

Kettlebells are versatile, adaptive to both the person and program. They’re simple, effective punishers, training raw power and strength, conditioning and balance, flexibility and skill.

One can combine kettlebells with intervals of pull-ups and pushups, shadow boxing and sprints. Athletes can alternate with barbells and machines and dumbells and ropes. They can skip those tools all together and use kettlebells alone.

From stretching hip flexors to stabilizing joints, from building raw power to reducing the chances of arthritis, from lowering heart rate to increasing balance, kettlebells are underrated in the fitness world.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of macho bravado and not my book.

This is not to say that this probably isn't a good book for another person but for me it's not what I need to learn. This isn't a beginners book and is a book that would be useful after a few classes but it grated a bit with the attitude.

[Wojciech Pietrzak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book for beginners.

[Nhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the most popular book on exercising with kettlebell. If you're unfamiliar with kettlebell, it's these ancient apparatus shaped like a kettle designed to be used for explosive movements. Recently gaining popularity with the fitness/strength crowd, it's often regarded as a fad, but history showed that usage of the kettlebell, dated as far as Ancient Greek and 18th century Russia.
This book sometimes read like a sales pitch as obvious in the title. There are various suggestive statements appealing to the readers' masculinity. A couple of examples below:

"It's a cannonball with a handle. It's an extreme handheld gym. It's a statement: "I'm sick of your metrosexual gyms! I'm a man, and I'll train like a man!"

The author also likens the kettlebell to the AK-74, and calls one of its usage: "Fatloss without the dishonor of aerobics." Therefore it is obvious there's a specific crowd the author is targeting, the gym bros, the lifters who live for the numbers.

These statements are largely harmless, however, and assisted in keeping the book entertaining. There's not much to the complexity and construction of such a simple workout tool. The majority of the book is used to outline standard kettlebell exercises, ranging from an easy movements like the two-handed and one handed swings to more difficult ones like the get-ups and snatches to even risky movements like the snatch where the weight is released momentarily and then grabbed out of the air by the other hand. Even with the simple movements like the swings, risks of injury are there whether it came from bad form or by using too much weight. Most kettlebell exercises highlight explosive movement similar to the mechanics of plyometrics, but there are also slow-moving exercises that utilize stabilizer muscles and immense level of balance.

Despite the hyper-masculine metaphors and similes employed, Pavel used surprisingly little broscience in the book that contradicted with modern physical fitness science. He advocated using heavier kettlebells and lower reps for strength development, and suggests that athletes use kettlebells to assist their training rather than replacing it entirely, even though he had, in parts, claimed that kettlebells can fabricate impressive performance in feats the user had never attempted before e.g. lifting an impressive amount of weights, punching harder, sprinting faster without regular engagement in these activities, often citing the mythical strength of the Russians of old. I find these parts disingenuous, because the kettlebell usage in history came from the lack of modern understanding of exercise and the human body as we're seeing the rise of compound, olympic lifts in athletes instead of kettlebells, and it also doesn't help that the book ends with advertisement for the author's many other books and the kettlebells made by his own company and the phone number to purchase them from.

Even with the book's faults, however, one cannot disregard the benefits of kettlebell. It's portable, takes little space, functional for those who demand explosive strength, and all of its exercises build superior grip strength, which is undervalued in the world of sports. Also unlike strength/conditioning programs with barbell, kettlebell programs tend to not only engage the CNS and the large muscles, but also the heart and the lungs as well, making it a viable addition to the regimens of endurance athletes like fighters, boxers, rowers, etc...

Overall, not a bad book, but it could do with a little less macho and more goal-oriented focus rather than praising a useful tool that had been phased out by the barbell. Still, it is useful for those who lack the space and the access to a gym but still want to develop explosiveness and power.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Gives very detailed instructions on how to begin kettlebell training. Here are some scattered takeaways.

- Kettlebell training is akin to learning a martial art. It should be taken very seriously and practiced with patience. These movements demand perfect form and attention to detail. The book often gives remedial movements to master before going on to the main event. The movements are complex and not necessarily intuitive. Read and reread.
- “Fear is often a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Once when I was at a baseball camp at around 11 years old I was standing with an instructor and a group of kids in the outfield. Someone hit a high fly ball towards us. I felt an instinctive flash of fear. As if I was at the top of a roller coaster that was about to descend. So I ran away. And as I was running away the ball struck me in the back of the head. I ran right into its path.
So naturally I’ve had the thought Pavel expresses in the quote above for many years, but I’ve never heard it put so succinctly.
Do not fear injury. Once you understand the movement, you can visualize yourself doing it and have mimed it without weight, then bravery and confidence are called for. Staying too rigid and trying to control the weight are major causes of injury. This is particularly prominent in dropping the weigh between your legs and hiking it back from the rack position (collar bone height. For instance after a clean) or from the top of a snatch (arm extended overhead). Let your arm extend fully. Don't fight the weight or your asking for injury.
-Taming the arc is a great little move that's frightening to perform at first but easy once you get the hang of it. Very useful to teach the lesson of keeping the bell in close. Just make sure you perform it somewhere you feel comfortable dropping the bell. Don't dent your floor!
-I like the 5 day per week training program. It is based on 3 days of strength training with clean and press + conditioning with swings or snatches, and 2 days of variety in which you can experiment with various moves (Turkish Get ups, Windmills, High Pulls, etc)
-A few reviews here have commented on the machismo in the prose. To this millennial it does indeed feel like a dated schtick. It's not on every page, so I didn’t find it too distracting, but it’s there. Fortunately, he does acknowledge his female readers and provide guidelines for them more often than you might think based on this (for instance noting the differences for women in the rack position or assigning goals based on gender).

[Ryan Thorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was young, I really didn’t exercise. I liked playing sports, sure, but something about conditioning felt unapproachable.

In my twenties I picked up aerobic exercise and felt that was great, but never saw the need for strength training.

The culture is uninviting. Sure the folks that espouse it often seem aggressively masculine - to the point of comedy. But it’s not comedy. They are very serious and - as someone who sorta wanders through life finding humor in things - that was a club I didn’t want to join, nor did I particularly feel like I could hang with that crowd, even if I wanted to.

But as I had kids, I realized I wanted to be able to carry them more easily and also move stuff around more easily. Also as someone who had a major back surgery, it always seemed that having a stronger core would probably reduce pain. Finally, covid closed the gyms and so I was back to exercising at home, without having to approach those big muscle guys.

Enter Pavel.

The guy is clearly very good at what he does and very serious on issues of safety and form. He has developed a simple system that does in fact make you stronger quite quickly - in six months I’ve gone from not being able to lift 35 lbs above my head with my left arm to doing 10 reps x 5 sets with 45 lbs.

But the important thing is this: Pavel is a jokester - and I like that. You crack open the book and it’s filled with silly pictures, various gags, funny quotes, and of course lots of serious instruction. He name drops all his buddies who have helped him develop the system like it’s a big family. Here’s a guy who I enjoyed spending 200 pages with. It felt like Pavel was warmly inviting me to venture into a world I’ve studiously avoided for 35 years and I’m grateful to him for that.

Thanks Pavel!

Four stars!

[Stefan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been doing body weight training since 2012. Unfortunately, I have not always pursued my goals sustainably and only in about two thirds of the past few years have I followed a program.

My problem has never been the intensity of the training or a plateau, but that at some point my motivation has collapsed and that after a break I had to start again with what felt like zero.
I bought Tsatsouline's book to gain mental strength and motivation to stay with it and maybe expand my body weight program with kettlebell exercises.

However, the fact that Tsatsouline insists that you only do his program, the RKC, and that he doesn't trust any amateur to put together a program or even adapt an existing one for themselves, discouraged me from including kettlebells in my training, especially since he also claims that changing a training plan equates to giving up.

Unfortunately, I also found the design of the program somewhat confusing and difficult to implement. It seems seems tedious not to confuse the order or the number of the ladders he suggests.

In summary, I found the book to be captivatingly written and beautifully designed, but for me it is hardly applicable, since I do not want to do without my existing program.

[KrisAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, good info couched in just a ridiculous amount of fragile masculinity-informed marketing ("I'm sick of your metrosexual gyms! I'm a man, and I'll train like a man!" "Fat loss without the dishonor of aerobics!" "You will start your de-sissification process..." A chapter entitled "A Step-By-Step Guide to Becoming a Man Among Men." Just to name a few examples). Occasionally the existence of women athletes is acknowledged. The tone of the writing feels both like it's in on the joke of the BE A MANLY MAN'S MAN marketing (so sometimes it's legit funny) and like it actually believes the marketing (so you roll your eyes and barf a little). So your enjoyment of this may vary. I only read the book because it was a freebie and I'm always interested in more info/cueing for KB work--and for that this book is pretty useful. I can't imagine trying to learn actual kettlebell exercises, especially complex ones like the snatch, from just reading a book, though--especially in this age of instant access to tons of high quality video tutorials.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came at a good time for me in the middle of the pandemic. I had been interested in kettlebell and ballistic training but had little experience.

It has been a great foundation. Kettlebells are such a great exercise modality that can be done with very minimal equipment, time and space. I took away how to do foundational exercises like swings and get ups and a refreshed mentality/mindset towards strength. I feel more energetic for some of the day to day strength required for life (ie picking up children) and sports.

There is some cheesiness to the book, but I thought it gave it some personality to Pavel as a coach. I have already read and progressed to the Simple and Sinister book and enjoy that as well.

[Jake Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure what to make of it. I have experience lifting, just not with KB. I was hoping to work it in or adopt a simple KB program but it the author writes as if everyone is starting off from the couch. He never really seems to get to the part where he says, ok you know the basics, do this program. He just says, now go buy my other stuff or read my website. I will say though, if you don't work out, I think this book would give you something easy to start with. A simple tool and a simple protocol.

[Aban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banger.

Highlights:

- Let this be a lesson: err on the lighter side when ordering your kettlebells. There is no dishonor.

- For whatever cultural reasons, Americans have tight hip flexors and Russians don’t.

(Westernized people sit around too much, we must return to the third world squat)

- Everything in this program must be practiced barefoot or in flat shoes without cushy soles

- Kettlebell swings and snatches done for 10, 100, and even more reps are unbeatable for developing championship conditioning

[Mary Ann Merlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The man knows his stuff.

Young and old alike can benefit from Pavel's book. If you know nothing, this books is for you. If you think you know something, this book for you. Don't want sound too obvious, the man is single handedly made kettle bell a household word. In my book he is the Founder of the Feast. Absolutely, no way to go wrong. Go old school; go with Pavel, the Russian special forces trainer. Jt. Merlin.

[Carey Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

You got it, Pavel.

The fitness center in my office building just got some kettlebells. I wanted Pavel to teach me how to use them. He keeps insisting he's teaching me to be a man. He used the phrase "dishonor of aerobics" at least four times.

The ebook has some formatting issues and a typo here or there. Literature this is not, but it is chock full of helpful pictures and some humor too.

[Victor Huynh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads more as a textbook/reference point than a novel

Some interesting takes on why kettlebelling is one of the most efficient tools and provides reasons why it's suitable for all audiences (i.e. easy on knees, teaches you how to use your glutes to prevent lower back pain)

Biggest takeaway for me was how to use laddering as a metric (1,2,3..n -> restart at 1 for one ladder, can increase to n reps) and to not worry about taking breaks (as it'll always be beneficial in some way)

[Josh Skousen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a little hard to follow.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone who wants to get fit and strong - fast. If you are ever confused about what it is talking about, or what the regiment is is suggesting, keep reading: it almost always explains itself later. What it lacks can be easily found with a quick search on YouTube, which I would recommend anyways so you can see the moves in action!

[Joe Koennecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The starting point for anyone interested in kettlebells. A great overview, history, and text book all in one. The descriptions and step-by-step images make putting words on a page into practice pretty easy if you have even basic experience with KBS. If not a couple of videos and this book are all you need.

[Evan Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay primer for those wanting to get started with kettlebells but no idea where to start with them.
- Explains what size kettlebells you should aim to get.
- Gives a list of movements and how to perform them properly (you're better off just looking them up on youtube).
- Gives sample weekly programs for how to progress with them

That's about it, the rest is mostly fluff.

[Bud Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back on my onslaught mode right after I commissioned in May 2007. The movie "300" had just come out so Crossfit, kettlebells, and functional training was the rage. I ordered the DVD and bought the book and followed RKC / KB lifting very heavily from May 2007 to February 2008. I stopped once I got into triathlon in May 2008.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, foundational approach to KB training w/minimalist programming solutions to keep you fit. However, Pavel's constant name dropping & corny, hypermasculine persona is tedious to read, & frankly, outdated. Still a useful manual for learning the basics with good form, but skip Pavel's commentary & "citations" to save yourself the headache.

3/5

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an excellent book on the use of kettlebells for strength training and overall cardiovascular fitness as well. Detailed instruction is provided on performing the essential kettlebell movements- the swing, the shoulder get up, the clean, the press, and the snatch. Examples and the underlying principles of both beginning and more intensive training plans are provided. Comrades, I enjoyed the author’s lighthearted and humorous writing style.