Bristol Kettlebell club member – Sam Murray

Sam Murray - Winner of Bristol Kettlebell clubs strongest woman contest

When did you get into kettlebell training?

I took part in one of Pete’s 4 week boot camps just over two years ago.

What attracted you to kettlebell  training?
I heard about kettlebell’s and the positive effects of working with them from a friend in the US about a year before I took part in the boot camp.

For the year before I took part in the bootcamp I worked in a job which entailed very long hours travelling and working and my lifestyle completely changed. I had little or no time for exercise, I was always on the road, entertaining, no routine and gradually I gained unwanted weight and was at the heaviest I had ever been.

I had an opportunity for a career change and at the same time I heard about Pete’s boot camp and was really keen to take part and see what results I could achieve – new start, new me!

Bristol Kettlebell club
Some say it’s really tough, is it?

The main thing about kettlebells and achieving the best results is technique, and once you have mastered this, your training can be as tough as you want to be.

I have met some great people in the classes over the years, in addition to the great support from Pete we tend to push and work with each other to achieve our goals.

I personally like to push myself as hard as I can, as the satisfaction after a tough workout is extremely rewarding, especially when you can feel the good effects the following day :).

What other types of fitness have/do you enjoy?

I used to dance, horse ride and run a little, but over the years due to motor sports I was involved in these activities slowly faded out.

 
Sam Murray Bristol Kettlebell club
 
There is a lot of hype surrounding kettlebell training, what kind of results have you seen?

I certainly believe that if you are willing to put in the hard work, commitment and are consistent with your training and diet you can achieve the unimaginable!

I have lost inches and pounds while increasing my strength and stamina… my body has never been in better shape!!

So far this year I have won the Kettlebell Club Strong Man/Woman competition, beaten my personal best every time in the fitness testing and taken part in the Tough Mudder event (outside of the club but with Pete and other club members) which I would never have thought imaginable two years ago!

The theory of using heavy weights bulks you up is rubbish, I have been pushing my strength this year and have become leaner by doing so.


What size kettlebells do you work with?
I work with a variety of weights depending on the exercise – snatch 14kg / 16kg, double swing 24kg / 28kg, press 14kg / 16kg, double squat 2 x 20kg.

It really depends on the exercise and amount of reps involved – whether it is a strengthening or conditioning workout as to what weight you work with.

Bristol Kettlebell club classes
 
 
What are your future goals within kettlebell training?
I am continually working towards improving my strength – its always good to keep the boys on their toes 🙂
Sam Murray Bristol Kettlebell club

 

Words from Pete – Sam  has come along way over the 2+ years that she has been training with the club, I remember when she struggled one arm pressing 10kgs over head now she can press 16kg for multiple sets of 5. After some one to one training with me I realised just how strong she is, within a few sessions she had almost pulled a 2 x body weight deadlift which is very impressive and would take some folk over a year to get close too. Her upper body strength is equally impressive as she can perform dead hang pull ups and push ups are not much of a problem for her either. Having such a good strength base makes the conditioning workouts all that much easier and she continues to put up impressive numbers in the fitness test. Having clients like Sam makes me wonder how many other women out there have not even come close to tapping into there strength and conditioning potential as this type of training is not in the main stream. Had Sam not joined the club I wonder if she would have ever got into the incredible shape she has through more typical conventional methods i.e gyms, treadmills and weight watchers. I think I know the answer to that but it is definitely something to ponder. Sam you are an inspiration to others, well done on all your achievements to date and lets keep it going and smash through a few more personal best’s!!