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| PUBLICATION: |
PRESS |
| DATE: |
06-14-2007 |
| HEADLINE: |
Soviet-style training |
Soviet-style training
Kettlebell exercise class makes its way to Margate beach
By VINCENT JACKSON
Staff Writer, (609) 272-7202
MARGATE — Anthony D'Agostino is bringing a little bit of Russian fitness and strength training to southern New Jersey.
D'Agostino, dressed in a black sleeveless Tshirt and olive cargo pants, acted like a nice drill sergeant to the 13 people standing in front of him on a deck at the end of Huntington Avenue near the beach here on a recent aftemoon. TWenty-two mostly black kettebells, a Russian cast-iron weight, sat hehind him.
For an hour, D'Agostino trained the people, who signed up for what was believed to be the first kettlebell class in southern New Jersey.
"This is easy to learn, not easy to do," said D'Agostino, 32, the owner of Revolution Fitness Studios in Ventnor, who lucked out with perfect weather for his first outdoor class — temperatures in the 70s and sunny skies with an ocean breeze.
The kettlebell originated in Russia as the muscle-building tool of choice for Red Army athletes and soldiers. Pavel Tsatsouline, a former special-forces trainer hack in the U.S.S.R., brought kettlehell training to this country. It is currently heing used hy some U.S. special forces, federal law-enforcement agencies and SWAT teams.
D'Agostino found out ahout kettlehells because he is always researching different
See Soviet, Page D6
types of fitness regimes.
"It sounded very intelligent. It made a lot of sense to me," said D'Agostino, who has a martial-arts background and has done weightlifting. "I was really impressed with my flexibility and strength (afterward). It's mn and interesting, not as monotonous and boring as other form of exercises that I have tried."
D'Agostino has been using kettlebells for the past four years and trained with
Tsatsouline earlier this spring in Minnesota.
"After working with friends and several clients, I really started believing in the kettlebell system," said D'Agostino about why he decided to start the class. "I needed to go all the way with it."
Fighting gravity
The kettlebell weight is constantly fighting gravity, so lifters must work their muscles to simply control the kettlebell as opposed to a barbell or dtunbbell that can be balanced during an exercise. When swinging the kettlebell, you need coordination, speed and strength. The training is said to offer all the benefits of strength training, as well as the benefits of aerobics, Pilates and yoga.
D'Agostino started the class by saying he wanted his students to use good judgment, focus on keeping their eyes forward and bending their knees.
After doing driUs to loosen muscles, D'Agostino taught how to "dead lift" the kettlebell and another exercise that involved swinging the kettlebell between their legs, past their backsides before ufting it up in front of them. The women and men mostly worked with 18- and 35-pound kettlebells, respectively.
"This is a foundation exercise. It never gets easy. ... You are doing what the secret service is doing right now," D'Agostino said.
Before the group broke up, D'Agostino talked them through a final, two-part move called "the clean." They picked up the kettlebell, and moved it
to shoulder-height in one move, followed by a lift over their head with their arms straight in the air in the second move.
D'Agostino's first class attracted both first-timers and people who had worked out with kettlebells previously.
"I feel spent. My leg muscles are like jelly. It is very cardio. Your heart rate does get up there," said Pam Sinderbrand, 51, who did kettlebells for the fiirst time and added that she also felt really good and euphoric. "I wanted to do some strength training and build muscles."
Deana Bonafiglia, 27, who lives here, used kettlebells once but never did a ftill workout.
"I loved it. It was a good class for me. I could have done another hotir," said Bonafiglia, who likes to cross-train with yoga, rollerblading and gym workouts. "It's a great pain, a joyfiil pain. You can tell you are getting stronger. It's a good hurt."
Kris Waldron, 27, a Ventnor resident, also showed up. D'Agostino introduced kettlebells to Waldron, his friend, about a year ago.
"I instantly fell in love with it. It's an instant strength gain. You have to concentrate 100 percent," said Waldron, a personal trainer. "The group energy is powerful. Anthony's
instruction i s powerful."
After the class, D'Agostino said his Hist group session went great.
"I was veq/ happy with it," said D'Agostino, a conectiveexercise specialist. "Outdoors, there is a greiait energy near the ocean.... It's very motivating to work out outside."
To e-mail Vincent Jackson at The Press:
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'Kettlebell Klass' 5:30 p.m. Thursdays at Huntington Avenue and the beach, Margate. Classes are $20 per one-hour session. Bring soft shoes, a towel and water. Call (609) 271 -3037 or visit the Web site www.revolution-flt.com
stall photos by Michael Em
Above, Rich and Cana Bobb of Ventnor left kettlebells during a strength-training class in Ventnor. Below, Brandon and Kris Waldron, also of Ventnor, dispiay proper technique. Kettlebells were used by elite miiitary personnel In the fornoer U.S.S.R.
staff photo by Michael EIn
Instructor Yulia Portman creates muscle tension in Pam Sinderbrand of iVIargate during a kettiebeii train ing session.
Printing imperfections present during scanning.