Last July, we had the honor of having Coach Andyn Kadir from Strength Avenue in Singapore conduct a special kettle bell workshop at Fortitude that empowered us with greater knowledge of a useful but often overlooked equipment. It was a productive and insightful session, so much so that we wanted to share a recap of what you’ve missed out on!

FIRSTLY, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY.

I grew up playing different team sports such as soccer, hockey, floor ball and sepak takraw. I was called up for the national age group at different parts. However, I had to stop pursuing them further due to personal reasons. At age 20, I started going to the gym and lift weights. That was where my passion for sports reignited. I competed in kettle bell sport and strongman for most part from then on. I also did various individual sports like triathlon, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and so on. For a good three years I played semi-professional soccer again. For the year 2018, I decided that I would like to take a break and focus on developing my business and my coaching team. However, seeing as to how I am the type of person who can’t bring myself to be sedentary – I recently took up hiking/mountaineering as a form of leisure activity for myself. 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START A BUSINESS & CREATE ‘STRENGTH AVENUE’?

Strength Avenue was born out of the inspiration I got from coaching an all-female power lifting athlete. Together with Daphne Maia Loo, we started the team in the hopes of helping women overcome the fear of lifting weights. We saw lifting as an avenue for women to come together to get stronger physically and mentally in an environment where they feel safe to express themselves and break away from conventional thoughts about fitness. After seeing the athletes succeed at various power lifting meets and a number of medal hauls – I decided that it was time for us to have our own home, where I can also form a team of coaches that provide high quality strength conditioning coaching, education and a holistic approach in sports performance for athletes as well as fitness enthusiasts. 

all about kettle bells

THAT IS VERY INSPIRING! LET’S DO A LITTLE RECAP OF YOUR LATEST WORKSHOP. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF USING KETTLE BELLS AND WHY ARE THEY BENEFICIAL?

Kettle bells are useful in terms of the versatility it provides when it comes to training. At every phase during a periodisation, the kettle bell has its place and purpose. It can be used as a strength building accessory, rehabilitation after coming out from an injury, pre-hab or injury prevention (such as mobility, flexibility etc.) or cardiovascular and muscular endurance. The use for kettle bell is endless if you learn to understand it, you will be able to appreciate the application of it.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT KETTLE BELL TRAINING? HELP US DEBUNK THEM!

That the kettle bells are only used for swinging. In fact, I personally do not use the swing as a stand-alone exercise anymore. The swing is just an extension of a movement like the clean or the snatch. There are many better alternatives to building the posterior chain than just a kettle bell swing. 

PLEASE SUMMARIZE – WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 DO’S AND DON’TS FOR KETTLE BELLS?

DON’T –
  1. Sacrifice technique over load!
  2. Rush the learning process of properly mastering the lifts
  3. Close your mind towards understanding the reasoning between the different style of lifting the kettle bells. 
DO –
  1. Find a good coach that can guide you through the process of learning the basics of the kettle bell
  2. Try to enjoy the process of mastering the art of kettle bell lifting, it teaches you a lot about your body and yourself
  3. Try attempting a set of kettle bell sport once in a while i.e biathlon, long cycle, pentathlon

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FAVOURITE KETTLE BELL EXERCISES AND WHY?

1) Sots Press and Windmill 
They challenge and improve not only the ability to press overhead but it also promotes mobility, flexibility and durability of various joints and muscle group in the body.
2) Snatch
Coming from a kettle bell sport background, the snatch to me is one of the hardest to master especially when performing it for a duration of 10 minutes with only one-hand switch allowed. It requires technical proficiency to execute the snatch consistently without fatiguing your forearms or tearing your palms

andyn kadir

ABOUT ANDYN KADIR

With over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry, including overseas coaching stints in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia, Coach Andyn brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to any team, having trained under and alongside international as well as local coaches and athletes. A professional kettlebell lifter with experience in many international competitions, Andyn is one of the pioneer and most sought-after kettlebell coaches in Singapore. His students have progressed from enthusiasts to becoming recognised trainers and lifters themselves. His philosophy as a trainer/coach is to be able to help clients achieve a better quality of life by educating them and guiding them to break away from conventional thoughts about fitness. Read more.

If you would like to learn more about the Kettle bell or have further questions you’d like us to debunk, drop us a message below and we’ll get you answers! On behalf of the Fortitude family, we would like to thank Coach Andyn for making a visit to Bali and we look forward for the next workshop.