News From Nanaimonewsnow.com
“The Grip Strength kettlebell competition is back for a second year.
It takes place at the Coast Bastion on Saturday with about 30 competitors signed up.
The majority of the lifters are from Nanaimo, Victoria, or Vancouver but there are athletes coming from the Okanagan and as far away as Moose Jaw.
Organizer Rachel Robertson with Ballistic Strength Nanaimo says there is a thriving kettlebell community in BC.
Saturday’s competition will feature three kinds of lifts – jerk, long cycle (clean and jerk), and snatch.”
Kettlebell Krusher’s Take:
This will be the 2nd year of the Kettlebell Grip Strength Competition in Nanaimo, British Columbia. It’s being held at the Coast Bastion Hotel across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver. While competitors won’t qualify for advancing to larger competitions, it is expected that next year will offer prizes and rewards.
If you visit the event’s Facebook page, the message is clear. The Nanaimo Kettlebell Club, which is hosting the event, is seeking to build awareness of kettlebell sport in Canada. We wrote about how a Canadian cabinet member, uses kettlebells in the office for a quick workout. It definitely seems like over the past year or two the kettlebell craze has been gaining momentum in the Great White North.
It’s also nice to see grip strength getting some recognition too. It doesn’t get as much attention with kettlebells as weight loss and regular strength training does. However, it is a fundamental part of many kettlebell exercises. Consider someone with a weaker grip strength than another performing kettlebell swings. That person with the stronger grip will be able to perform more swings with LESS effort.
In fact, we consider it such an important aspect of kettlebell training that we have listed it in our top 4 benefits from using kettlebells guide. Personally, it’s probably the most difficult type of strength I’ve been trying to develop. Losing weight is a challenge on its own, but I still find pull-ups extremely difficult. Partly because of my larger body mass and also my grip strength. breakingmuscle.com lists 3 great exercises for increasing grip strength if that is something you’re also trying to accomplish.
