Galway fitness guru Sarah Smith is leading a new sports craze in the west - the ancient art of kettlebells.
The Gort native will be Galway’s only competitor when she takes part in her first competition this weekend at the Irish Kettlebell Sports Championships in Kilkenny.
Kettlebells are bowling ball-sized cast iron weights with a handle, and the sport, also known as Girevoy, has been practised for centuries by Russians. More recently, however, it has gained in popularity and a host of celebrities, such as Jennifer Aniston, Katherine Heigl, Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong, have taken up the sport which helps burn fat and sculpt bodies.
Here in Galway, Smith, who runs a small personal training business, started training with kettlebells two years ago before qualifying as an Agatsu kettlebell instructor.
“This is my first time competing in kettlebells. Last year was the first competition of its kind in Ireland,” although she has “ fought in the ring” for the white collar boxing, she says.
“I have been bought up around health and fitness as my parents own Open Sesame Healthfood stores in Gort and Ennis and I qualified as a fitness instructor eight years ago.”
In this weekend’s competition the 34-years-old must do a “clean and jerk " and a " snatch" over the head with an 8kg kettlebell for 10 minutes with only one arm switch allowed.
“The kettlebell’s weight is centered below the handle so, when you swing it, nearly every muscle in your body has to work hard to counteract the momentum.”
According to the American Council on Exercise research 20 minutes of kettlebell training is the equivalent of 20 minutes of weight training and 20 minutes of cardio training on a treadmill.
