Side Press & Bent Press: The Old-Time Art of Heavy Overhead Lifting [VIDEO]
The side press and the bent press belong to the same old-time strongman family. Both are one-arm overhead lifts, both use the whole body, and both demand much more than brute shoulder strength. But they are not the same lift. Side Press vs. Bent Press The simplest...
Pyotr Krylov, “The King of Kettlebells” – Training of the Kettlebell Athlete [1914]
In recent years, among the enthusiasts I meet, there is a prevailing desire to train exclusively for records. This is the wrong system and, moreover, a harmful one. Such records are forced. They not only fail to prove real strength but wear a man out. First, develop...
Alan Calvert: Kettlebell Hand-to-Hand Swing – “General Exercise for the Back and Legs” [1911]
This is a splendid exercise, as it develops speed and great flexibility of muscles and teaches you the importance of “timing” a weight, besides developing a wonderful grip.
Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev: Kettlebell Exercises and Their Place in Modern Weightlifting Sports [1928]
Historically, kettlebells once held a very prominent place in weightlifting sports. When the “First Athletes’ Club,” under the guidance of Dr. Kraevsky, appeared in Russia in 1885—thus giving birth to weightlifting as a sport—there were fewer than ten training barbells in the entire country. There were quite a few globe barbells, but these were mostly used by circus professionals. Most of the first amateur strongmen in the provinces trained with kettlebells.



