The Russian Kettlebell Challenge: Xtreme Fitness for Hard Living Comrades

by Pavel Tsatsouline

In 2001 Dragon Door launched the modern kettlebell movement with publication of the Russian Kettlebell Challenge book and video, the world's first ever kettlebell instruction certification program, the RKC, plus a line of American-manufactured kettlebells. Here is the book that created one of the greatest shifts ever in the modern fitness world, where individuals could achieve startling physical transformations without ever having to set foot in a gym or grind out extended cardio sessions. Whether you are looking for rapid strength and conditioning gains or wish to lose weight--and keep it off permanently--then kettlebells have proved the answer.What inspired hundreds of thousands of people to switch to the simple kettlebell as their ultimate fitness tool? What was the original program from which all other kettlebell programs have been developed? You will find the answers in the book that began it The Russian Kettlebell Challenge. Get really, really tough -- with a commando's wiry strength, the explosive agility of a tiger and the stamina of a world-class ironman Own the single best conditioning tool for killer sports like kickboxing, wrestling, and football Watch in amazement as high-rep kettlebells let you hack the fat off your meat -- without the dishonor of aerobics and dieting Kick your fighting system into warp speed with high-rep snatches and clean-and-jerks Develop steel tendons and ligaments -- with a whiplash power to match Effortlessly absorb ballistic shocks -- and laugh as you shrug off the hardest hits your opponent can muster

Genres: Fitness, Nonfiction, Health

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Svetlana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read both Pavel’s entry books on kettlebells and Steve Cotter’s around the same time. Rather than reviewing them separately I will compare them.
First off, Pavel’s books. I will start with positives. Enter the KB book is a very good starter for 10 for anyone looking to start KB-ing. It’s simple, straight to the point and its explanations are very easy to grasp. If Pavel says – push your butt back, it’s not difficult to imagine what to do. The structure of the book is quite good and suggestions for programmes are very useful. The Russian KB challenge has a lot more exercises than Enter the KB book and has some more general tips on making your own programme.
Now for the negatives. Fluff!! And a lot of it! The Russian KB challenge is especially bad in that regard. The useful stuff starts after about 40% of the book according to my Kindle. That’s like nearly half the book of totally irrelevant stuff and obscure Soviet nostalgia inspired jokes and quotes. To be fair, the book was ultra-cheap so it’s not like I’ve wasted money. It has some useful stuff after all. Enter the KB is a later book and it is visibly better edited and polished. It still has some fluffy passages but they do not distract from the main message of the book. Another problem Pavel’s books suffer from are a lot of machismo and Soviet supermen stuff. Again, the later book - Enter the KB – is not as bad as the Russian KB challenge but it is still there although it is easier to ignore it there, especially after reading the Russian KB challenge first :)
I would also have liked a bit more detail on some exercises, especially in the Russian KB challenge book.
Now to Steve Cotter’s book. If you have seen even one youtube clip with Cotter you will know one thing about him- he does love to talk and explain things in a tremendous amount of detail. His book is no exception. Its structure and content are far superior to Pavel’s stuff. Cotter goes over goal setting, warm-up and cool-down exercises, he covers a very wide range of KB exercises with a huge amount of detail, good photos and very very long explanations. So a clear winner then? Well, not really. I am not new to KB but even I struggled to understand his explanations even on exercises I know well. Cotter uses a lot of anatomical jargon and since I am not familiar with how most muscles or bones in human body are called I struggled at times to visualise his instructions. He does have a lot of stuff on youtube so that helps but then one may ask what the point of buying a book is.
Overall I struggle to recommend one author over the other. Going with Pavel’s Enter the KB and supplementing with Cotter’s book would probably be the best suggestion if I had to make one. Of course there may be even better books out there. One thing for sure, they do make one (more) enthusiastic about KB training. Here’s to rising to new KB heights in 2015 :)

[Angela Blount · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit up front, I have no idea about the effectiveness of the instructional aspect of this book. But I found it frequently entertaining, in a comedic sense that can only shine through pure, emasculating Russian ego and a questionable effort at translation. If nothing else, I was fascinated enough to read through it all in one sitting. (I'll get back to you on actual physical results, once the hubby starts the program.)

I think the title of the first chapter says it all: Vodka, pickle juice, Kettlebell lifting, and other Russian pastimes

Favorite quotes:

*Get really, really nasty--with a commando's wiry strength, the explosive agility of a tiger and the stamina of a world-class ironman.

*Watch in amazement as high-rep kettlebells let you hack the fat off your meat--without the dishonor of aerobics and dieting.

*Effortlessly absorb ballistic shocks--and laugh as you shrug off the hardest hits your opponent can muster.

*There is no gold inside the kettlebell. Only raw power, android work capacity, and an immortal's ability to tolerate physical punishment. Moscow trusts no tears.

--"Kettlebells--as brutish and unforgiving at Stonehenge rocks--are your escape from the sad world of soft hands and namby-pamby, lesser men."

[Gingerscot · Rating 2 out of 5]

As repetitive as 10 sets of 10 kettlebell swings

Very tedious description of why kettlebell training is good, insomnia inducing list of Russian lifters Bethlehem regimes and a few boring lists of kettlebell trading plans and competition rules.

[Mo'In · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t beat this book if you’re looking to man/woman up!

Much of American culture is now soft, weak, non-resilient, and lacking power (which one needs to do anything good and sustainable).

Get this book. Absorb its principles. Get to work.

[James Robert Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only book on Kettlebells you'll ever really need to read.

[Daniel James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad although Pavel spends half the book telling you how good KBs are and barely touches on programmes or techniques, not his best work but a decent read.

[Tyler Painter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buy all of Pavel’s books

Pavel always delivers fantastic resources. Read all of his books. Also read all of Dan John’s books. Your life will change for the better.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a comprehensive list of kettle bell exercises, but a good place to start building a k-bell program.

[Michael]

Training Guidelines
1-Train 2-7 times a week
2-Each session do as few or as many exercises as you wish but do not work
equally hard on every one of them.
3-Perform your exercises in a circuit.
4-The order of the drills in the rotation is up to you
5-Start your practice with the most technically demanding exercises
6-The total number of sets is up to you,
7-Never go to failure but vary the difficulty of your sets.
8-Generally perform no more than five reps per set
9-Snatches, cleans and jerks can be performed for any number of
repetitions, from one to hundreds.
10-Periodically speed up or slow down the movement from the comfortable
pace.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a beginner's book. It ends up being a kind of manual for program design and development. It does an excellent job giving you a variety of things to consider when approaching the construction of your own program as well as a fair number of exercises and variations on each to suit your particular goals.

It's not a first read for people new to kettlebells, but it's a great read for those who have been around for a bit and want to freestyle their own programming.

[Mark]

Has lots of kettlebell exercise ideas, many to really push yourself if you are quite advanced. As a beginner, I was hoping for something a bit more structured. The book does contain some structured programs near the end of the book, but they're not quite what I'd hope for in terms of leading a beginner up through the various exercises, how to build strength to complete the exercises safely, when to move up to a heavier bell, etc...

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have some friends who are really into K-bells. I thought I'd read up. This is not the book to begin with. Interesting stuff, but it's essentially just there to brag on how awesome k-bell training is, and how Russians can, with vodka, cigarettes, and k-bells, to anything at all. There are better books out there, by the same author and others. This one's mostly fluff.

[Jeremaine Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The RKC challenge

Life, body and mental changer right here. In so much of a healthier lifestyle and it's all do to following Pavel's kettlebells instructions. He was right he will turn boy's into men with his workouts and they are not time consuming or even boring. Sometimes I find myself counting down the time until my next workout.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good buy

I dont rate anything 5/5 ever. Despite his constantly plugging other.books and.products this book is good. If you only need one kettlebell book though I would go with the RKC training manual.

[Chianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this man!

Good info present in a fun manner. Not a lot of the extraneous either.

Definitely read POWER FOR THE PEOPLE first (title is something like that lol).

I can't wait to read more. I plan to read ALL of his book!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anecdotes are used to explain concepts. Great imagery.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several of Pavel's books. While there is valuable information in this one, I enjoyed Enter the Kettlebell!, Power to the People!, and Return of the Kettlebell much more.

[Fr. Thomas Sandberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girevoy sport and not hardstyle?