Our friend Marty Farrell paid a visit to the IC last weekend. For those who don’t know, Marty is one the most unassuming elite athletes in the world. He is the only male American born Master of Sport in Kettlebell Lifting and also, pound-for-pound, the strongest kettlebell lifter in the country. At 70kg, Marty regularly lifts high-rep sets at over 90% of his body weight (as demonstrated in this video). He competes against guys twice his size. The technical precision of his movements as well as his work capacity make his sets exciting to watch.
We were fortunate enough to witness his 3 minute Long Cycle test just 6 weeks after his second major surgery. To put everything into perspective, Marty could barely pick up the 12kg bells three months ago after his first surgery. He had plenty to say about Kettlebell lifting in regard to his rehab. He feels that people with knee issues can benefit a great deal because of the low impact aerobic nature of the sport. The complex movement patterns involved also provide stimuli for fine motor recruitment. Finally, the connective tissues of the major joints are progressively strengthened due to high-rep submaximal axial loading. Last week, Marty set his new personal record with two 32kg kettlebells.
We want to thank Marty for his awesome visit and look forward to his full recovery!
