KETTLEBELL SPORT TRAINING STYLES
Training for KB Sport can be classified by three core styles: competition, repeats, and intervals.
We have also included the pentathlon and marathon training in this post as middle/long distance alternatives within the sport of kettlebell lifting.
Competition
This style of training uses time (duration) as the primary goal of the training set or sets, and it is primarily aerobic in nature. Kettlebell sport competition sets are 10 minutes long and require the lifter to perform as many repetitions as possible. Therefore, the training sets focus on 10 minutes, though they may be in the range of 7 to 12 minutes in most cases. The starting point for competition-style training is the weight of the kettlebell used and the duration of the set or sets; the speed of the set (repetitions per minute, or RPM) is adjusted accordingly to allow the lifter to be able to complete the time goal.
Repeats
This style of training will typically consist of 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 minutes each; it is a blend of aerobic and anaerobic training. The RPM will be slightly faster than the competition goal pace. The rest periods between each repeat set is the length of the set plus 1 to 2 minutes (e.g., 3-minute sets will have 4 to 5 minutes rest between each set).
Intervals
This style of training is anaerobic in nature and consists of multiple sets of short duration at a pace much faster than the competition pace, for example, 30 seconds to 1 minute for 5 to 20 sets, with approximately a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. The total time of the work sets will be close to a 10-minute set (e.g., 30 seconds for 20 sets or 1 minute for 10 sets).
Pentathlon
The kettlebell pentathlon is a very strategic event in comparison to traditional Girevoy Sport. 5 lifts, performed for 6 minutes each over a 50-minute time frame with a choice of up to 5 different weights to keep you company on the platform. All events are single kettlebell. This is a fitness form of kettlebell competition that was created by Valery Fedorenko.
Marathon Training
The Half Marathon is a 30 minutes competition and Full Marathon is a 60 minute competition. These tests were developed and popularized during the 2010´s and accepted by many athletes as a way to achieve a different concept of performance, as a middle distance running performance, using one (1) Kettlebell with multi switch permission. At Girya Garage, we participate as a satellite location for the annual “One Hour Long Cycle Charity Event,” which is put together by Jason Dolby of Orange Kettlebell Club.