Bristol Kettlebell club Member profile – Sarah Stribling
When did you get into kettlebell training?
I started Kettlebell training just coming up to 2 years ago.
What attracted you to kettlebell training?
Some say it’s really tough, is it?
Kettlebell is like any exercise. If you don’t put the effort in then you can make it easy. To get results you need to push yourself, although I would stress that once you have been trained in the basic techniques/moves of kettlebell it’s not a complicated class to join in with (unlike some classes I’ve attended in the past), no matter what level of fitness you’re at. What I like about Kettlebell is the classes are always different so I never get bored. You can vary the level you train at by using different weight kettlebells for different exercises therefore getting a great workout all the time depending on how you feel.
What other types of fitness have/do you enjoy?
There is a lot of hype surrounding kettlebell training, what kind of results have you seen?
The thing I was most concerned about at the start was muscle bulk. Don’t know why I ever worried about this. I’ve gradually worked my way up to using quite heavy weights with some of the exercises and although I don’t train to lose weight, I manage to maintain my weight easily and my figure is noticeably more toned and lean all over. Nothing I’ve done before has worked the whole body effectively as this.
What size kettlebells do you work with?
This varies depending on what kettlebell exercise we are doing. When I first started I mainly used 8 and 10kg bells. I’ve progressed to using 14kg bells for double work, 16kg for single presses and snatching, 24kg for two handed swings and 20kg for single handed swings.
What are your future goals within kettlebell training?
My main aim is to keep training with kettlebells as I get older as it’s been proven to me how it keeps you flexible, strong, lean and feeling great.
My personal aims are to eventually manage a turkish get up with a 24kg bell and to improve my score on the secret service snatch test each time I do it!
