HELL'S BELLS

Kettlebell sport is “the original CrossFit”, a form of training that can deliver strength, power and endurance. But to unlock the total-body benefits you have to submit to a world of pain

- Luke Benedictus

IN FULL SWING

Reignite your training and build a granite-hard physique by making an old-school, hard-core tool – the kettlebell – the centrepiece of your workouts

The Russians are coming! And upstairs at The Richmond Gym in Melbourne, their looming arrival is making James Ross excited.

Ross is a bearded trainer with the powerful build of a champion freestyle swimmer. Should he ever appear on Mastermind, you could safely bet that kettlebells would be his special subject. Frankly, the man is obsessed.

How much of an authority is Ross? Well, he’s already dedicated a Masters degree to the kettlebell snatch. And he’s now happily immersed in a PhD on the kettlebell swing. Oh, and the 34-year-old is the amateur world champion, too – the calluses on his palms testifying to countless hours spent wielding the bells.

The reason for Ross’s palpable excitement is that the final stage of the Kettlebell World Cup is being held at his gym. That means he’ll soon be hosting the best grouping of kettlebell athletes on the planet: the Russians. “These guys are incredible,” Ross says with awe. “They’re very elite.”

Scarily tough, too. To get some idea of the crazy condition these competitors are in, Ross suggests a challenge. Pick up two 16kg kettlebells and then see how many times you can press them over your head without stopping. “These guys would probably do close to 300 reps,” he says.