Tyler Hass of Bellevue has noticed improvements in his tennis game since he began training with kettlebells.

Maybe it's their Old World charm: black, cast iron, a little rough looking. Maybe it's the handle on top of each sphere, like a suitcase with the promise of exploring new frontiers. Maybe it's simply the novelty. I must give it a try.

I approach the smaller of two sizes, 36 pounds. Bending at hips and knees to grasp the handle with both hands, palms facing me, I try to maintain safe form: head up, breath synchronized with the movement, wrists firm, back straight, abdominal muscles contracted, feet a bit past shoulder width, shins perpendicular to the ground, weight in my heels without leaning back.

I swing the weight between my legs for a little momentum, then forward, and as I uncoil and thrust hips forward, arms straight, I use my lower body to propel the kettlebell in an arc that tops out around my shoulders, then drops earthward. I squat down and swing it up again without pause. The kettlebell is heavier than it looks, heavier than I'm used to swinging around, but feels good. After a few swings, I stop to catch my breath, adjust my grip, and try another mini-set. Just a couple swings later, I can feel the fatigue in one hamstring, and need to stop before it cramps up.

Thus ends my first kettlebell workout.

One of several groups springing up around the country, the Seattle Russian Kettlebell Club got going last summer after a visit and seminar by Pavel Tsatsouline. A former conditioning coach for the Soviet Union Special Forces now based in Santa Monica, Calif., he's author of a series of books and videos on Russian-inspired training, including "The Russian Kettlebell Challenge" and its new counterpart just for women, "From Russia With Tough Love."
 

Fitness news you can use Kettlebell contacts · The Seattle Kettlebell Club's Web site, www.seattlerkc.com, includes events, links and a magazine about kettlebell training. · Publisher of Pavel Tsatsouline's books and videos, Dragon Door Publications (800-899-5111; www.dragondoor.com) sells kettlebells ($90 to $180, plus shipping of $10 to $52) and has links to frequently asked kettlebell questions and answers. · Other styles of kettlebells are available at www.fractionalplates.com and www.atomicathletic.com. · Sites with kettlebell information: www.kettlehell.com is an online training community; www.cbass.com offers one man's experience with getting to know kettlebells. Fitness conference Seminars, workshops, certifications and keynote presentations focusing on training while monitoring heartrate are planned for the Heart Zones International Fitness Training Conference, Oct. 4-6 in Seattle. The five-hour basic seminar and workshop fee is $59. For information: 206-728-2272 or www.heartzones.com.

Used by Russian strongmen around the turn of the 20th century, the kettlebell or girya has been taken up by Soviet Olympians and soldiers alike. Traditionally it comes in "poods," an old Russian measurement of weight. One pood is 16 kilograms, or 36 pounds. Other sizes include 53, 72 and 88 pounds, as well as a new rubbery-coated steel half-pood (18 pounds) and quarter- pood (9 pounds).

"This workout is not for everybody," says Tsatsouline, who begins each set of instructions in the video with, "Comrade!" and ends with "Enjoy!" The movements demand attention not only to form but also to a heavy weight often held above one's head. (Tsatsouline recommends an outdoor setting, on grass, so the kettlebell can be dropped if a lift goes awry.) "There's something so primal about it," he says. "It's like a wild animal; you have to really tame it." If ever there was equipment warranting safety warnings, liability disclaimers and a recommendation to get a doctor's OK before proceeding, this is it.

Taming a kettlebell takes one's entire body, which is, in a nutshell, its apparent benefits: strengthening and stretching several muscle groups at once in coordinated movements. Legs, hips, the midsection, shoulders and grip are especially worked. Because of the kettlebell's shape, its center of gravity shifts during lifts, requiring constant stabilizing of core and deep muscles. Tsatsouline teaches breathing and muscle-contraction techniques to increase strength and protect the back.

Although some movements might be familiar, including the snatch and clean-and-jerk of Olympic weight lifting, "No one that I know has synthesized them into a program like Pavel has," says Nick Nibler, a detective and former instructor at the Washington State Police Academy. He has brought Tsatsouline to Seattle for workshops for law-enforcement officers and for the general public.

Tyler Hass, a Whitman College sophomore and founder of the Seattle club, ordered his first kettlebell last fall. Within six weeks, says Hass, who plays on Whitman's tennis team, "I noticed I got a lot faster when I was moving around the tennis court." He also saw improved endurance and strength, shorter recovery time between points, a stronger grip, smoother power — and his shoulder problems went away.

Surprisingly, my wimpy hamstring didn't bother me the day after my inaugural kettlebell session. My back felt nicely fatigued between the shoulder blades, a known weak spot for me. With dumbbells, I've been doing kettlebell-like swings, and I've started in on some of the other lifts.