I'm 51, I've lost 40 lbs, and now in the best shape of my life. The group is fantastic and a mix of men and women from 20 - 60. Everyone works dramatically hard and Michael runs the group with a key eye on what makes everyone successful.

I'm grateful for this type of gym and recommend NE Kettlebells to everyone!

NEKB is home to me. I spend 4 days out of the week training at the studio with Michael. I have been a student of his since 2007 and I can't get enough of the hard style training that Mchael teaches. I have been addicted since the very begining when I saw Micheal's passion to teach kettlebell.

He knows our strengths and our weaknesses, that is how much he cares about each and every student. Michael is an extraordinary instructor of tremendous versatility, intelligence and discipline. His attitude is inspiring, his knowledge is exceptional. I am very lucky to have such an awesome comrad.

I love and look forward to attending Michael's classes and find it intriguing. I am confident and listen as Michael teaches me in this fun, "simple but not easy" workout; that has me feeling great and fit like never before.

Only a few hard women go above & beyond their ability, Thanks 2 Michael!








NEKB has the biggest set of speakers mounted that you wouldn't normally find anywhere else. That's right we crank the music and we dial in.

I started Kettlebells with Michael about 5 years ago. My mom had been going to classes for awhile and wanted me to give it a try. I was 18 years old and done with Highschool sports. I wasn't "in shape" or "out of shape", I was just young and flexible and not old like most of the others in the class :p lol. What im trying to say is that you don't need to have aches and pains to join kettlebells. I was hooked after the first class! I am stronger than any other girl I know my age and I have done tough hard style training workouts I didn't know existed. Michael has been able to show me what Im really made of! He has helped me become a kick ass strong woman and I had fun doing it! Every class is different and you never know what is in store for you but it is always a challenge and exciting!
Going to the classes with my mom has been a bonus as well, if you don't know anyone doing Kettlebells right now, come with a relative or a friend. You both could be hooked and it's nice to have someone to push you to go to class and then you feel awesome after it's over. We have become a family over at N.E. Kettlebells and I miss being there whenever I am gone.
Thank you Michael for helping me grow up into that woman in the poster on the wall at our studio: We Can Do It!

Not really knowing what to expect, I attend my first class in Jan 2010 and I was hooked. After a class focusing on swings, I was so sore the next couple of days I could barely walk up and down stairs. This showed me how out of shape I was which motivated me to keep going.

It is amazing how much core strength (or the lack of) impacts everyday life; simple things like squatting down, shoveling snow, raking leaves, carrying laundry upstairs or groceries in the house, putting luggage in an overheard bin and opening jars are affected. I saw an improvement after just one month of training and I have continued to gain strength, flexibility and balance.

The workouts are varied, as challenging as one wants to make them and never boring. Michael is funny, encouraging, supportive and challenging without being pushy, bossy or condenscending. The only person you are competing with is yourself. Everyone in the class is welcoming and accepting. We laughed together and celebrate each other's successes. All age ranges and abilities are represented and accepted.

I have pretty much tried every type of work-out from aerobics to yoga to weight machines, free weights, cycling, heat yoga, tai kwon do, etc., and have worked out in pretty much every gym in Minneapolis from The Gym to US Sport & Fitness to the YMCA, to LifeTime. At my first kettle bell class, I told Michael Rendle I wanted something that would hold my interest and keep me in shape and he promised I would never be bored. True to his promise, kettle bell training at NE Kettlebells has held my interest for almost 3 years now and not only because Michael keeps things interesting with an endless variety of workouts and helpful training talks but because Michael constantly challenges me and the entire class to do things that we didn't think we could do, or want to do :-) I'm over 50 and 120 lbs but the smallest kettle bell I work out with is 18 pounds--and it only goes up from there. It's a tough workout but the payoff is I feel good, I feel strong, I'm in great shape and I get the bragging rights to tell my friends and co-workers that, yes, I work out at NE Kettlebells, hard style for the masses--the BEST workout I've found in over 35 years of searching!

Every class is a little different, every one is challenging. Michael always gives you something to think about to go along with the really hard workout. He sets the stage and you push yourself as hard as you are willing to go. Plenty of support, but no whining allowed. Michael is just a really gifted teacher and it makes all the difference.

I have been training with Michael for four years. I started with the intent of adding some "weight resistance training" to my yoga practice. His challenging training has taken me way beyond my comfort zone. Last September I participated in a 10K "Mud Run" - who knew?

I'm starting my 6th month with Michael and the 5:00PM group. Let's just say I'm a "leading edge Boomer." :) My passion in life is my two horses and riding them as much as I can. Literally, the day after my first training session I had the best ride of my life. I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But I am convinced I had better balance after only one kettlebells session. My riding instructor even commented on it. Since then, things have only gotten better. I'm stronger overall; my core is much stronger. My right shoulder, which had clicks and catches in it, is essentially cured. Its mobility is much much better. I can do things I couldn't imagine when I first began --- such as 100 snatches in 5 minutes. There are still lots of challenges. My TGU sucks. My balance still needs lots of work. Michael's classes are tough and fun. Everyone is encouraging and supportive. We laugh a lot. We groan a lot. We work really hard. I would pay much more than I do to stay with Michael. That's how good he is. I drive all the way up from Bloomington three times a week after a hard day's work and I wouldn't miss it. It's that good. Thanks you to all my classmates and thank you to Michael. N.E. Kettlebells is amazing.

I recently looked back on the nearly two years I've been going to the studio and it struck me how much this has changed my life in more ways than I expected. The sessions are structured in a way that makes it almost like having a personal trainer. I am motivated to attend regularly, I feel better all around, and I am having fun.

Beyond the kettlebell training, Michael offers up challenges such as diet alterations and daily regimens. I was initially attracted to the studio as a way to build joint strength and prolong my soccer playing days into my 40s. The workouts utilize many of the same movements that physical therapists recommend for rehab exercises. Michael issued diet challenge that helped me discover that my knee pain had all but disappeared with the elimination of gluten from my diet. These things taken together have improved the quality of my life immensely. I feel physical and mental well being as a result, and I'm no longer sore after playing a game of soccer. I have Michael to thank for all of that.

First day my buddy asked if I wanted to check out this Kettlebell studio on Central Ave in N.E Minneapolis. He saw a sandwich board on the sidewalk. It was St. Patricks day of '10. I was 225 and ready to go out and drink some Guiness and Irish Car Bombs, but what the hell I'm always up for something new. N.E.K.B kicked my ass. I've always said, "If I'm every going to get back in shape again, I'm gonna need a drill instructor to stay motivated". Micheal was the man to do it. I've trained 3 time a week ever since (minus vacations and lectures).

"Functional movement, proper alignment and hard style is where its at. Cardio and flexibility are just a byproduct." Micheal said. He always says things like, "chest out, shoulders packed, squeeze those gluts, dial it in and HANG IN THERE!"

N.E.K.B. studio is nothing short of completely supportive and full of encouragement. It's a totally chill atmosphere with a hard chiseled edge that makes you want to come back for more.

I'm also more educated about what I'm putting into my body. The food challenge refined my eating habits and my joints feel better than they have in years.

I'm now 190lbs (loss of 35lbs) in nearly 2 years. I haven't weighted that much since 1997 (15 years ago).

For me, Hardstyle Kettlebell training is NOT a fad! It is a lifestyle change that I hope to maintain for the rest of my life!!!