The Sport of Kettle Bell and How I became Vegan by Sara Lee

     My vegan story actually began when I learned the child I was carrying was no longer alive. I was crushed. I didn't know if I could ever be happy again or even if it would be ok to be. I had never struggled with a problem I couldn't fix by trying harder, and I had never lost something that couldn't be replaced. Time passed, and I had a new baby girl. I wish I could say that I healed, but I didn't. When I had the opportunity, I donated milk to the NICU babies at the hospital because I wanted to protect other moms from that feeling. One day I was listening to a podcast, and someone mentioned that dairy cows lose a baby every year. I literally gasped allowed and clapped my hand over my mouth as the tears swelled. I knew what that felt like, and I was still reeling from my own loss. I had never heard the word "vegan," but I knew immediately what had to happen if I wanted to ever be normal and happy again. In that moment, it all clicked together,  and I had an entire new world of moms to protect.

     I began using a kettlebell during my last pregnancy so that I could continue to lift weights while standing up. I enjoyed this new type of lifting and used it postpartum. I lost 70 pounds in 6 months. While exploring new kettlebell moves online, I discovered the sport side and was instantly fascinated by the idea of "winning" at kettlebells. A few days later, I saw the PlantBuilt team for the first time. They didn't have a kettlebell team yet, but I decided to train with that as my goal should the worlds ever collide, which they eventually did.

     There are two types of kettlebell lifting: hard style and kettlebell sport. (The proper name is girevoy sport (GS) from the Russian.)The difference is similar to sprinting vs marathoning.  Hard style lifting uses black cast iron bells that vary in size according to their weight. The purpose of hard style lifting is to work hard and get a good workout. Kettlebell Sport uses competition bells which are color coded and always the exact same size and shape regardless of weight. The purpose of kettlebell sport lifting is to win by doing the most reps. It  uses technique to minimize the amount of effort expended, therefore allowing the lifter to do more reps. Kettlebell Sport is the endurance version of Olympic lifting, and there are three lifts: jerk, snatch and long cycle (clean and jerk). Athletes have 10 minutes to perform their chosen lift as many times as possible without putting the bells down. If it is a one arm lift, they may change hands one time. Athletes compete against each other, but they can also earn rank. A chart is used to determine how many reps a lifter must perform according to their weight class in order to be awarded a rank.

     Selling points of kettlebell sport training are that it can be done quietly at home with very little equipment, making it a great choice if space, finances or travel are limitations; it is very satisfying to work toward PRs and rank; attending meets and meeting other lifters can be an exciting reward for all your hard work; and building a kettlebell body means having great strength and stamina. If these are a good fit for you, look online for a coach or gym in your area if possible. If that's not a possibility, or you prefer to train exclusively at home, buy one or two kettlebells that are lighter than you think you need and then begin to grow your collection as you become stronger. For women, buy  8 or 12 kg. Men could start with 12 or 16 kg. Adjustable kettlebell are also a great choice for home use. It is important to use this time to work on technique, not weight. Again, if at all possible, have at least a few sessions with a kettlebell sport coach/trainer. If you absolutely have no access to this, YouTube has some wonderful resources. Just make sure you only watch videos of top level athletes. Seeing something done correctly thousands of times has its benefits. Some of my favorite sport lifters to watch are (in no particular order): Denis Vasilev, Ivan Denisov, Ksenia Dedukhina, Sergey Rudnev,  Sergey Rachinskiy, Bill Esch, Jennifer Hintenberger (ONLY international class vegan), Donica Storino, Kim Fox, Brittany van Schravendijk, Christian Goldberg, Lorna Kleidman, and Katarina Helcmanovska. Steve Cotter (vegan) also has some fantastic online instructional materials.

     Vegans have an established reputation for excelling in endurance sports, which this is. A whole foods plant based diet is wonderful for building a strong, lean body which can be beneficial in weight class sports. We also enjoy enhanced stamina and recovery. Because this is a technique driven type of lifting, faster recovery can mean more practice under the bells with the potential for more dramatic progress. There is currently only one vegan to have reached the rank of MSIC (Master of Sport International Class), Jennifer Hintenberger. It is my hope that in the coming years more lifters will become vegan and more vegans will become lifters in whatever type of lifting suits them, and kettlebell sport is a fantastic place to be.

By Sara Lee, PlantBuilt Vegan Muscle Team, @solarpoweredsara