As a former physical training instructor in the British military, staying at the top of my physical condition was not only an occupational requirement -- it was also a personal obsession. Like many athletes and sportsmen, my interests were diverse, from white-water canoeing through marathons, boxing, rugby, weight training to rock climbing. So as you can imagine, I had many different training routines: speed training, plyometric routines, strength exercises ... I was a busy man. But, fortunately, my government paid me for this occupation (as a PTI) and with an abundance of equipment at my disposal I was doubly fortunate.
Naturally, I have seen a lot of fad training routines come and go. I well recall the first time I saw kettkebell training. I laughed my socks off. I distantly remember thinking to myself, "What a load of crap!"
But I was a younger man then and I thought I knew it all. However, my attitude was about to change. My good friend Sergeant Cross, also a PTI in the Royal Marines, threw me a 20lb kettle bell. "Here! -- grab hold of this and do as I do," he croaked, "and betcha ya can't keep up." Then, through panting breaths, he held out his hand and added "£10 says I can do it for longer than you." Well, Navy pay was not brilliant, so receiving an extra £10 merely for exercising Mr Cross into the ground was going to be good fun. I shook his hand and took up the challenge, wondering how I was going to spend my £10. Then off we went, "kettlebelling."
The outcome of that £10 bet ... Well, I lost. And two valuable lessons were learnt: 'Don't mess with Colour Sergeant Cross when he has a kettlebell in his hand' -- and 'just because I don't know about it doesn't mean it's no good.'
Kettlebell routines became a regular part of my training, but it didn't stop there. Within a week both Sergeant Cross and myself were joined by at least 60 other men and woman of the regiment, all enjoying the wonderful benefits of kettlebell exercises.
They were men and woman who ranged from those who just wanted to keep in trim or shed some extra pounds to the more serious sportsperson such as black belts in the martial arts, soccer players, wrestlers and boxers. You name the activity, Sergeant Cross and I had a representative of that activity "kettlebelling"
