FAQ

“What is a ‘kettlebell’?

A ‘kettlebell’ or girya is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. The ultimate tool for extreme all-round fitness.

The kettlebell goes way back, it first appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704 (Cherkikh, 1994). So popular were kettlebells in Tsarist Russia that any strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a girevik, or ‘a kettlebell man’.

“Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics,” reported Russian magazine Hercules in 1913.

 
Why train with kettlebells?

Because they deliver extreme all-round fitness. And no single other tool does it better. Here is a short list of hardware the Russian kettlebell replaces: barbells, dumbbells, belts for weighted pullups and dips, thick bars, lever bars, medicine balls, grip devices, and cardio equipment. Here is why the kettlebell dominates other exercise equipment

Kettlebells melt fat without the dishonor of dieting or aerobics. If you are overweight, you will lean out. If you are skinny, you will get built up. According to Voropayev (1997) who studied top Russian gireviks, 21.2% increased their bodyweight since taking up kettlebelling and 21.2% (the exact same percentage, not a typo), mostly heavyweights, decreased it. The Russian kettlebell is a powerful tool for fixing your body comp, whichever way it needs fixing.


Who trains with kettlebells?

Hard comrades of all persuasions.

Soviet weightlifting legends such as Vlasov, Zhabotinskiy, and Alexeyev started their Olympic careers with old-fashioned kettlebells. Yuri Vlasov once interrupted an interview he was giving to a Western journalist and proceeded to press a pair of kettlebells. “A wonderful exercise,” commented the world champion. “…It is hard to find an exercise better suited for developing strength and flexibility simultaneously.”

The Russian Special Forces personnel owe much of their wiry strength, explosive agility, and never-quitting stamina to kettlebells. Soldier, Be Strong!, the official Soviet armed forces strength training manual pronounced kettlebell drills to be “one of the most effective means of strength development” representing “a new era in the development of human strength-potential”.

The elite of the US military and law enforcement instantly recognized the power of the Russian kettlebell, ruggedly simple and deadly effective as an AK-47.

Once the Russian kettlebell became a hit among those whose life depends on their strength and conditioning, it took off among hard people from all walks of life: martial artists, athletes, regular hard comrades.
 

Am I kettlebell material?

Kettlebell training is extreme but not elitist. At the 1995 Russian Championship the youngest contestant was 16, the oldest 53! And we are talking elite competition here; the range is even wider if you are training for yourself rather than for the gold. Dr. Krayevskiy, the father of the kettlebell sport, took up training at the age of forty-one and twenty years later he was said to look fresher and healthier than at forty.

Only 8.8% of top Russian gireviks, members of the Russian National Team and regional teams, reported injuries in training or competition (Voropayev, 1997). A remarkably low number, especially if you consider that these are elite athletes who push their bodies over the edge. Many hard men with high mileage have overcome debilitating injuries with kettlebell training (get your doctor’s approval). Acrobat Valentin Dikul fell and broke his back at seventeen. Today, in his mid-sixties, he juggles 180-pound balls and breaks powerlifting records!
 

What is the right kettlebell size for me?

Kettlebells come in ‘poods’. A pood is an old Russian measure of weight, which equals 16kg, or roughly 35lbs. An average man should start with a 35-pounder. It does not sound like a lot but believe it; it feels a lot heavier than it should! Most men will eventually progress to a 53-pounder, the standard issue size in the Russian military. Although available in most units, 70-pounders are used only by a few advanced guys and in elite competitions. 88-pounders are for mutants.

An average woman should start with an 18-pounder. A strong woman can go for a 26-pounder. Some women will advance to a 35-pounder. A few hard women will go beyond.​​

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Getting pregnant, having Marianna and Esteban Andrés, the whole process was the best thing that ever happened to me. There are so many theories and myths regarding pregnancy. To calm my nerves and gain confidence I decided to follow my instincts and have constant communication with my doctor who told me that times have changed for pregnant women!!! She informed that the majority of healthy woman with a normal and uncomplicated pregnancy should exercise approximately 30 minutes a day 5 to 6 days a week.

When I heard all of the amazing benefits exercising brings during pregnancy, I didn’t have any doubt that I needed to keep training.

– Yoana Terán Casabianca

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Yoana Terán Casabianca’s Kettlebell Mommy™ book is the definitive guide to working out while pregnant. This book contains practical, safe instruction that leads you week by week through your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Trimester and after childbirth.

Written by one of the most experienced and influential female kettlebell instructors in the USA, Yoana is the author of numerous kettlebells DVD’s and books such as “The Revolution Solution Combining Kettlebells & Ropes“, and “Quick Results Kettlebell Workout“. 

~ Betsy Collie – RKC Team Leader, Owner of Rapid Results Fitness Durham, NC

A Simple Manual designed to guide, encourage and teach pregnant women how to stay Fit and Healthy while pregnant! (145 pages)

“Kettlebell Mommy™is an excellent guide for kettlebell use during pregnancy. As Yoana states in the book, it is best for someone who is already experienced with kettlebell use prior to pregnancy. I tell all of my patients to avoid NEW strenuous exercise regimens during pregnancy.

Kettlebell Mommy™ thoroughly explains the physical changes that most women experience during each trimester and how to modify the exercises to safely adapt to these changes. She encourages the pregnant woman to listen to her body and communicate regularly with her obst​etrician to ensure that she may safely be able to exercise throughout her pregnancy.

I took care of Yoana throughout both of her pregnancies and was very impressed by the way she maintained her fitness and strength and adjusted to the physical changes of pregnancy. She did very well through labor and delivery and bounced back in no time! I know this is a result of her excellent health and commitment to safely exercise throughout her pregnancy.”

Renee M. Nelson, MD
Fellow of American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Fellow of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology

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TESTIMONIALS

“Kettlebell Mommy is an excellent guide for kettlebell use during pregnancy. As Yoana states in the book, it is best for someone who is already experienced with kettlebell use prior to pregnancy. I tell all of my patients to avoid NEW strenuous exercise regimens during pregnancy.
Kettlebell Mommy thoroughly explains the physical changes that most women experience during each trimester and how to modify the exercises to safely adapt to these changes. She encourages the pregnant woman to listen to her body and communicate regularly with her obstetrician to ensure that she may safely be able to exercise throughout her pregnancy.
I took care of Yoana throughout both of her pregnancies and was very impressed by the way she maintained her fitness and strength and adjusted to the physical changes of pregnancy. She did very well through labor and delivery and bounced back in no time! I know this is a result of her excellent health and commitment to safely exercise throughout her pregnancy.”
Renee M. Nelson, MD
Fellow of American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Fellow of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology​

When I was pregnant 20 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long!), Kettlebells weren’t available. John and I hadn’t met Pavel and the whole Dragon Door journey had not yet begun.
I did my best to stay in shape while pregnant and get back in shape after delivery. How much easier it would have been if I had had this remarkable tool AND the resources to make training with them safe and effective. Ladies you are in luck!
This book is just the thing you need to wiz through pregnancy, healthy and fit, with an easy delivery, healthy baby, and returning to pre-pregnancy shape in record time.
Yoana is just the person to write a book for mothers-to-be using kettlebells as the main training tool to attain all your pregnancy goals. She had been training with kettlebells for many years before getting pregnant for the first time. She has since had child number 2 and bounced right back into her pre-pregnancy shape.
Yoana offers the reader sound information on not only what to expect during pregnancy, but how do those changes affect your workouts. She gives the reader guidelines, such as to what size Kettlebell to use, what exercises can you do safely at each stage in your pregnancy, when to stop or go down in weight. All the while enforcing the idea of listening to your own body and talking with your doctor if you have any concerns.
She gives you guidelines for exercising and journal space for you to design and keep track of your workouts. She sets just the right tone. Pregnancy is not the time for setting PR’s or starting a new exercise program, but it’s also not an excuse to get lazy, eating for two and stopping your workouts.
But what makes this book different from others is the Birth and Post Partum section. This is where many books miss the boat, they don’t give the mothers safe, effective exercises to get back into shape as quickly and safely as possible.
Of course every women is different, but every women needs to get her core and stability back as soon after birth as possible. This is really where Yoana goes above and beyond other books on this topic. She explains in detail what happens to a women’s body during pregnancy and birth and takes you step by step through a series of exercises to build you back up from the inside out!
This book reminds me of how far we’ve come in the last 10 years. Kettlebells have not only reached out to seniors and older populations, it has reached another group so deserving of it’s benefits – Mothers-To-Be!
Thank you Yoana for writing this book.
Andrea Du Cane
Master RKC​


I’ve never been pregnant, (cue laughter) but have worked with clients and friends through their pregnancy. Yoana has provided an excellent guide for the using Kettlebells during pregnancy and beyond. A focus on safety and strength – Kettlebell Mommy uses Yoana’s experience in her two pregnancies to show what is possible for the Kettlebell Mom.”
Brett Jones, Master RKC, CSCS, CK-FMS

Yoana was my inspirational team leader during my RKC1. My husband (Jim Talo, RKC2) and I were planning on starting a family, so I contacted Yoana for training guidance once I became pregnant myself. Many of the recommendations she gave me are found in this comprehensive book. Having done my own research and literature reviews, there was very little useful information on strength training during pregnancy. And all of the resources I came across seemed to recommend light activity such as walking and yoga, which are not my ideas of training! It is so refreshing to now have Kettlebell Mommy as a resource available to women. The training protocols are excellent and the nutrition advice is cutting edge. And most importantly, they come from real world experience with the gentle caution that this is not the time to set PR’s, but rather create the most optimal environment for your baby to thrive in. After following Yoana’s program, I did not have any of the typical pregnancy ailments: hemorrhoids, trouble sleeping, heartburn, peripheral edema, excessive weight gain. Instead, I had a healthy 8 lb,7oz baby boy who I adore with a resting heart rate 30 beats lower than average!
Thank-you Yoana for taking the time to share your knowledge, your passion and your wisedom with the world. 12 weeks post-pardum and after a c-section delivery of my little breech monkey, I was back to 100 snatches and playing flag football.
Carmen Bott MSc. CSCS, RKC CK-FMS, Owner www.humanmotion.com


“Wow, lots of information on training, pregnant or not! It wouldn’t hurt the Daddy’s to read it either! In the pages of Kettlebell Mommy Yoana shares not only incredible training information but gives encouragement and inspiration. Yoana serves as an example herself, guiding you to, and through, safe and effective fitness workouts and routines using kettlebells. No questions go unanswered, this book is a must have for any woman interested in becoming pregnant and staying fit.”
Tracy Reifkind RKC

“I did kettlebells during and after my pregnancies and achieved fantastic results. Unfortunately, when I was pregnant I didn’t have this 0utstanding resource to guide me through a careful and comprehensive exercise program. Yoana’s book offers trimester-appropriate routines, helpful encouragement, and diet/exercise logs to maintain consistency. I will enthusiastically recommend this book to guide my clients through their pregnancies.”
Keira Newton, RKC Team Leader

Yoana’s Kettlebell Mommy is a must for any woman who already trains with kettlebells and is thinking of becoming a Mom. This book contains practical,safe instruction that leads you week by week through your 1st,2nd,3rd, 4th Trimester and after childbirth. The guidelines she gives are from her own experiences through pregnancy and backed by her high expertise as an RKC Team Leader in the kettlebell training and fitness industry. Her passion and dedication is clearly evident not only in the book she writes but the life she leads as a fitness professional, devoted mother and wife.
Betsy Collie – RKC Team Leader, Owner of Rapid Results Fitness Durham, NC


Kettlebell Mommy is just the encouraging and friendly kick in the pants you need to keep you healthy during pregnancy and beyond!
I had been consistently training with kettlebells before and during most of my current pregnancy. This consistency has helped me maintain the strength to still do pull-ups at week 40! However, I had started getting a bit lazy and discouraged with my exercise program over the last few months because there wasn’t much besides pull-ups that I could do comfortably. Yoana’s book gave me some great ideas that I was able to modify in order to jump-start my exercise again this week. I only wish I had read this earlier! I had a great workout the last couple days and was surprised to see that my strength and fitness levels had not deteriorated even though my training has been sporadic of late. I believe this is due to my prior consistency of training before and during this pregnancy, but had I incorporated Yoana’s training ideas earlier, I would likely be even better off!
Yoana does a great job providing exercise ideas in a safe and modifiable manner to encourage training during each trimester. Not only that, but it is more than inspiring to see what is possible to do during pregnancy (rather than the ol’ “just walk or swim” exercise mentality).
Kettlebell Mommy is just what the doctor ordered for a healthy, fit, and happy pregnancy!
Courtney Neupert, PT, DPT, RKC, FMS, SFMA

Hi Yoana
Thanks for your awesome book, it arrived last week Friday and have since read through it twice, and plastered it with stickies. My client who is trying to fall pregnant is really excited to get her hands on it, and I plan to give it to her to read through this weekend.
I have never had children, so it is difficult to understand the true physical and emotional experience of pregnancy, however your book will enable me to have the confidence to work with my client through her pregnancy safely.
I know that kettlebells are fantastic for a fit pregnancy as my mentor here in South Africa, Marlise Cairns has successfully worked with many pregnant ladies. Even though I have spoken to my client about kettlebell training during pregnancy as being safe and effective, having your book will be a reassurance for her.
The book is honest and simple, exactly what it needs to be, besides pregnancy can already be intimidating (especially the first), the last thing you need is a complex fitness regimen. Thanks again for taking the time to put it down on paper, we all appreciate your effort and expert advice.
We wil stay in touch and let you know how the story unfolds to the birth of another successful kettlebell baby!
Regards
Tracy, South Africa​


Your book  is very informative. I really enjoyed reading through it. The workouts are easy to follow. I also really appreciate the exercises you have after birth. Looking forward to trying them out after my baby arrives :o.
Thanks for working on this. I know it’s been a project you’ve been working on for a while and I’m glad you finally got there with the book. Would love to see a DVD to follow :o.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Fabiola Curavic, Australia

Rated 10/10 Excellent Buy!!!!!
I highly recommend this to any mom (especially new ones) with kettlebell experience to use as a guide for a fitness routine throughout pregnancy. Most OB Doctors do not have any background or experience with kettlebells and therefore are on the extremely conservative side when telling you what to do exercise wise.
It is SO nice to have this book as tried and true evidence that just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you have to give up doing all the fun exercises there are to do with the KB’s.
By Kari Nacy / Vienna, VA, USA

Hi Yoana!! I read your book right almost immediately after I put my kids to bed that night I received it from you. I felt relieved and more encouraged to continue investing into my fitness goals during pregnancy. I felt reassured to have the liberty to be in tuned with my body and gage how far I can go and where I need limit myself. I felt inspired reading about your journey through pregnancy and how you still maintained your physical strength as well as continued on after pregnancy. I feel very encouraged knowing I have options through each trimester of workouts that are suited for each specific time of pregnancy. Having a book as resource that helps me understand the science behind pregnancy and the practicalities of still working out are very helpful.
Thank you so much again for helping and encouraging me. And for using your personal journey to inspire women like me.
Eleanor Mariano – San Diego, California​


“Kettlebell Mommy helps moms feel empowered to exercise throughout their pregnancy. This book was so refreshing to read since there are many books that perpetuate the myths and dangers of prenatal fitness. Kettlebell Mommy explains how important exercise is during the prenatal period and how to do it in easy, approachable steps. Yoana is a highly skilled trainer, which makes readers feel comfortable with her recommendations. I personally trained with kettlebells during my pregnancy and I am certain it helped me have a fast, safe home birth with no interventions or pain killers. I cannot recommend Kettlebell Mommy enough!” 
Stephanie Greunke – www.rockyourhormones.com

This is a fantastic book and inspiration to all mommies who are having a baby. There is a way to stay fit even if you are pregnant. Working your whole body keep everything tight and gaining muscle while you are going thru your pregnancy is awesome. It will teach you thru each trimester what to do and give ideas on what to eat to stay healthy and strong for the baby and yourself. Plus even after the baby is born you can continue to train your core back into shape and all tight again to have the body you want. Keeps you motivated with all the information you need from someone who knows and has experienced pregnancy. Take advantage of this great book of information for yourself and baby and get your husband involved also. It will be fun to push each other and support each other thru this special time of having a newborn come into your live. Best thing about kettlebells it doesn’t have o be a long workout. You can get enough in 30 minutes or less each day. Just stay focused and you will reap the benefits for sure!
Visa – Palm Spring, CA