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Though many who sample GS are unable to stomach the type of training required, for those who persist the mental & physical rewards are high. The athlete will develop truly exceptional conditioning, flexibility, strength and power. Indeed, one’s overall work capacity may greatly exceed that of even highly trained athletes in other disciplines. Whilst the training is largely based on repetitive lifting, a variety of assistance exercises and modalities used to complement the competition lifts are help prevent staleness or boredom. The challenge is to maintain progress on several fronts.  Activities such as running, swimming, cycling, rowing, rollerblading, skiing and ball sports are encouraged to develop and maintain all round sports skills . The solid base of GS training will ensure that at any age the athlete will have qualities enabling him to excel at these activities. It is obvious to all that use them that kettlebells used to their full capability build tremendous injury resistance whilst maintaining joint flexibility and stability. What kind of person might be suited to Girevoy Sport? Given the wide range of body types exhibited at GS events, clearly no specific physical attribute is required. Clearly, tall athletes have to move the bell farther, whilst a stocky athlete with short arms and powerful lower body might be well suited to the jerk event. Fundamentally though,  all athletes have weak points which when addressed through mindful training , enable all to compete on a relatively even keel. 

It is unlikely that complete athletic novices will be attracted to this type of training. Otherwise anyone who enjoys a physical challenge, the thrill of practise & learning as well as the will to persist under duress may be attracted to this sport. Obviously, weightlifters and those from power sports such as throwers (shotput, javelin, discus, ball sports) are at an advantage in that they will be possess the knowledge of applying controlled power in a tightly honed groove. Endurance athletes understand well the skill of energy efficiency. However, any sportsman with a strong will to succeed may find the sport irresistible. Over time, many older athletes find the rigours of  certain sports excessive (impact sports, throwers have a use-by date, competitive weightlifting requires ongoing coaching and often close to maximal loads…with attendant injury risk). GS offers the challenge of a constant load performed in a safe fashion with the ultimate result dependent upon mental fortitude (“guts”), efficient technique and cardiorespiratory conditioning. Though to the uninitiated the weights used seem rather heavy, and the movements rather “dangerous”, in fact the weight is primarily moved by the large muscles of the body whilst the smaller muscles merely  provide control. Safety, longevity issues. The injury rate even amongst elite gireviks is low compared to most sports.As long as the athlete is aware of  signs of overtraining (e.g. persistent tightness/soreness, lack of energy, poor sleep, performance plateau etc) he/she can recover quickly between training sessions. On competition day when maximal performance is called for, the volume of preceding training will ensure the tendons, ligaments and muscles are well accustomed to an heavy workload. It is well accepted that weight training is highly beneficial in maintaining muscle mass, promoting stability and control of joints and reducing the risk of osteoporosis in men and women. Furthermore, the nature of kettlebell exercises emphasize power endurance and flexibility of the back muscles as well as delivering superb conditioning of the often troublesome shoulder rotator cuff muscles. The cardiorespiratory  benefits are immense, and unlike heavy lifting sports the risk of a “lift gone wrong” is negligible.