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Welcome to Strength Renewed, the podcast that celebrates new beginnings for women 40 and beyond. This is your go-to space for empowering conversations about building resilience, strength, and confidence—inside and out.
Discover how to fuel your body with good nutrition, train smart, and cultivate a strong mindset to thrive in midlife and beyond. Whether you're navigating hormonal changes, starting (or restarting) your fitness journey, or simply striving to feel your best, Strength Renewed offers expert advice, real-life stories, and actionable strategies to help you live a vibrant, powerful life.
It's never too late to redefine your strength.
00:17
We are, I think we're on, I think we're good. Hey, hi everybody. We are back to strength renewing and we're back to strength renewing, strength renewed, but I'd say strength renewing, with one of my favorite people on the planet, Earth, for so many reasons, besides the fact that they are an eight time, probably like a 50 time, well, get a world champion at this point, an amazing trainer, a mentor, an author, I mean, just like,
00:45
all the things extraordinaire, training partner, dearest friend, the list goes on and on and on. But I'm so excited to welcome everybody, Lorna Kleinman to Strength Renewed. It is so exciting for me to have you in this space because I value you so much. And there's so many things that you've done that are so gosh darn prolific that I'm excited to share them. Thank you. It's so great to be here. I'm really excited to be here with you, Jessica.
01:14
I love that. I love it. I always think about the uh very first time that we met, which I think the very first time that you and I met. So Lauren and I have obviously been kettlebell training, kettlebell sport training, which we'll get into. So those of you that don't know, really looks just like a big old bowling ball with a handle, but
01:37
A kettlebell, not a kettleball. How many times do you hear that? Do you have to laugh every time? I feel like everybody's like, oh yeah, I totally have a kettleball. I'm like, we can't work together unless you just get this thing. So I think that it's particularly exciting to think about the first time I met you. I think the first time, do you remember the first time we met? I think it was at the competition at the old Reebok. Was that it? The Ixpa competition?
02:06
in Columbus Avenue in Manhattan and you came all the way from the West Coast, you and the ice chamber. The crew, the squad. And I remember when he was talking about you and they're like, oh, she's going to be so tough. was like, oh, and you were and got on the freaking stage together. And what I love about you is you look like you just came out of like a glam squad. Like your makeup was amazing. Your hair is amazing. And you were just like take.
02:32
no fucking prisoners, you know what I mean? And you're like, bring up. And by the way, Lorna and I compete with a kettlebell that is 53 pounds, just so you all know, we do some crazy lifts with that. it just isn't easy. so seeing you next to me for the first time, but I knew, I knew that it was like gonna raise my, elevate my kettlebell game. And it has. And we've been now competing and training together for many, many years now. And it's been pretty exciting. Do you remember?
03:02
Um, so, so kind of just going back through your history and like, but I always like to take it to the point that do you remember the first time that you kind of discovered not kettlebells, but kettlebell sport, which is different than just, I was introduced to kettlebell fitness by a trainer that I met at a gym many years ago. And then he had found out about this, um, thing called kettlebell sport that had recently come to the States. And there were one or two.
03:31
coaches that had come from Russia and lived in the States. And he said, I think you would be good at this because you have good endurance. You love to work out. You love the focus of, you know, a technique of, of lifting and you have a good cardio base. So I said, okay, if you think I'd be good at it, I'll look into it. Right. It was just because he said, I think he didn't say, you know, look into this. It's interesting. He said, I think you'd be good at it. And that changed everything for me.
03:59
that just sparked this desire to find out what is this thing and can I be good at it? So I went to meet a coach in California in San Diego and I worked with him for a year and I did my first competition in 2007 and then I just, I loved it, I loved it. And then back then women were only doing snatch, the swing snatch and they were only allowed,
04:25
to lift 16 kg, no heavier. It's 30, 36 pounds, everybody. Right. Just in a short amount of time. That wasn't even like, it's crazy. Like talk about a sport that's, you is still you just think about how much we've like grown it, know, because now we're able to, right. Thank goodness to lift, you know, twice that. And then I met you, who's just a phenomenal lifter and you're so petite, but so strong and so strong of mind.
04:55
and passionate about the sport as well. And that's what it takes to do it year in, year out and not burn out and keep coming back to it. Yeah. I think people, I think it's still this kind of really elusive thing. I think people are like, that's cool. I'm not really sure that I want to touch it. Like I know that you love it and that's all great, but you know, sort of maybe tell me a little bit like.
05:21
why you actually love it. Because it can look real menacing, right? So sort of like, tell me what has kept you attracted to it. So we know that you just kind of randomly got tapped. You look in shape, you like cardio, you like strength training. Why not try this thing that sort of marries both? And so you're like, OK, cool. And then what has made you kind of continue to like it and feel attracted to it? uh
05:51
Just, you know, it requires the whole body and especially the legs and the hips, which I like to keep strong anyway, and the spinal extensors. I just like the whole body and then the flow of it, like the mental aspect, the meditation of it. And the technical aspect, just always trying to get a little bit better with the technique and push a little bit further, get a little more time or get a couple more reps. Just there's always more, there's always more potential.
06:21
That's so just everybody just to kind of to break down because I've spent I've spent a long time spent most of my career being obsessed with this sport, evangelizing it into the universe, finding amazing people like you to continue to like help grow and expand, which we have successfully done and continue to do. But I think for like people to kind of really understand it, because you're like, you know, how can one piece of like workout equipment have
06:50
all of these, I always kind of like look at like an octopus, you know I mean? It's got all these arms, all these weight, all these opportunities for growth, really, right? So when you say like reps in time, like really like explain that, like what does that even mean? Reps in time? Like what is it? What is this kind of bell thing? What to you? So the basic traditional sport is 10 minutes. It was crafted to be a 10 minutes event and you have for
07:18
with snatch, which is the lift that we mainly you and I mainly do. uh It's you have 10 minutes to put up as many reps as you can, compared to your competitor, and you can change hands one time. So if I change from right to left, that's it, I can't change back to the right. And once you put the kettlebell down on the floor, whatever reps you put up is your score.
07:44
The people you're competing against are lifting the same kettlebell weight, whether it's 12, 16, 20, 24 kg, and also the same body weight as you. So if you're lighter than me, we're not competing against each other. And then at the competitions or world championships, there's usually at least two or three, maybe more other competitors that you'll be up against. It depends on how many people come to the competition.
08:13
uh And and so you want to be able to get through the 10 minutes because then you'll probably be able to get more reps Not always you can stop short of the 10 minutes and still get a good score and still win Even if you don't complete the 10 minutes, but there are lot of constraints It's it's you know, it's the constraint of your your grip if your grip becomes fatigued. You're not going to be able to continue
08:37
If you're not pushing through your legs, you're not going to be able to continue. If your mind wanders or you start thinking ahead, like, oh my goodness, I have this many more minutes to fulfill. If you get in your head, it's going to be tougher to continue because then you're going to get stressed. Right? So like with anything, whether it's marathon running or, you know, any kind of sport, you need to stay grounded, stay in your body, stay out of the thinking mode and really just let your intuitive process.
09:08
as a result of your training, you know, take over and trust your training and let it happen. I think I've always kind of, I always felt like kettlebell sport is kind of like having a relationship with discomfort. you're not totally I never really feel like I'm fighting it, I kind of feel like I'm just communicating with it. So it's a real um in body out body experience. But what I do know is it's not it's not a sport that you can just
09:38
like you check out of, you know what mean? Like you have to be very checked into because there's like a thousand things that are operating, you know, at one time. So to say that it is like incredibly efficient for overall health would be an understatement. And I think it's important, especially for women, obviously there'll be plenty of men listening, but I think for women, I don't know what you get in your practice, but you know, all I really hear, which is so wonderful is,
10:05
I need something that will allow me to build strengths. You know what I mean? And I need it in a way that's efficient because I have a busy life of work and there's just so many things coming at me and I don't have all this time. And maybe just maybe also like I was an athlete at one point in time. Do you know what I mean? So maybe I might want something that I can compete again. Right. grow and do well in.
10:32
So and build muscle and build cardiovascular endurance. so, but yeah, I mean, there is this kind of like sort of yin and yang, you know, push and pull, like kind of have a little bit of uncomfortableness and that's okay with it. But I practice communicating kind of with the bell instead of fighting it. Exactly. For some reason, a lot of people see it they think it's very aggressive.
10:56
It's a very aggressive movement or it's a very uh harsh sport, but it's not at all. mean, if you're using proper technique, proper form, it's really a fluid. It's a very beautiful fluid kind of movement, even jerks, are more, which are ballistic compared to snatch. It's really a lovely meditative thing once you get into it. think people ask, well, they'll go, have a kettlebell. I bought one, I got one on Amazon, the whole thing. And I'll say,
11:26
That's awesome. Like, I'm so glad that you've added a kettlebell into your repertoire. But I'm kind of politely quick to say, but there is a difference, right? Like when you have those kettlebells, those black cast iron ones, as opposed to the kettlebell sport bells that we use, I always say it's sort of like, you
11:44
Gymnastics and ice skating, both were leotards, but the sports are completely different, right? Like I'm like, yes, we have leotards. So, but the workout and the training is different. So when you're trying to explain to people, so great, you know, whether it's your client or somebody off the street and they're like, I got a kettlebell, what do you say? You're like, awesome. And then if they're like, I can do what you do, how would you kind of marry those two things a little bit?
12:13
tool. It's like a baseball versus using a whistle ball. So um the kettlebells, the kettlebell fitness bells that you see in most gyms, the black ones that get larger as they get heavier, those are fine. The problem is that unless you have chalk, the handles are usually very slippery. So if you try to do swings or snatch for time or reps, it's going to be hard on the grip. You might lose the bell, which isn't a good thing to do in public.
12:39
So, you know, the kettlebell sport bells are usually better for the grip. They're more well balanced for the specific sport moves. So it's just a different tool to do the job of a different sport. That's right. Because kettlebell sport is designed to build, you know, cardiovascular endurance and muscular skeletal health. Like, so you're kind of, I always say, you're kind of your cake and eating it too.
13:07
Also the bells that we use, kettlebell sport bells, are hollow on the inside. And to Lorna's point, they don't get bigger as they get heavier. They're they're all the same size. They're just different colors. And it's designed, we keep the bell in motion. That's the whole point.
13:24
uh And so for you, so these names you probably have heard of like snatches or jerks or long cycle, we compete in these different events in kettlebell sport. And it's designed to do it for a certain amount of time and a certain amount of reps. so I will like, so although you might be like sweating and crying and feeling a bit just, you know, uncomfortable, what gets you like, going to train last weekend, we're going train again in a couple of days. What kind of
13:53
gets you a little bit excited before you train. Like what is the thing in your head that kind of keeps you coming back?
14:01
Just knowing that there's more in the tank. Yeah, if I told you that just knowing that there's more in the tank and you know, it's not just not wanting to disappoint that that outside entity that says come on, there's more there's more you can do. And I don't want to I don't want to fall short of that, you know, I want to I want to meet it and then feel really, really good about it. And that's what keeps me going each and every time.
14:31
And even after 18 years is a little bit of nervousness, right for you too, right? All the time. always feel until I'm not nervous before something that I then I'll stop, you know, when I'm not nervous before I do it, um then then I'll stop. But I think, you know, and I think that um it's, you know, it's been in the sport has also been an incredible testament to, you know, strength.
14:56
of mind as well as body, right? We hear this kind of thing a lot, but I think often we spend a lot of our life disconnected from our thoughts in our bodies. You know I mean? Like, and I think this sport kind of marries them together. You know what I mean? You can't leave your head. You really, they have, has to be, it's kind of like somebody once called it an intellectual lift, right? You have to kind of be present and methodical. So if you like to kind of be a thoughtful,
15:24
You know, if it matters to you, the steps matter, the processes matter, but longevity in a sport matters. This might be your best bet. Absolutely. There are women in their 70s and 80s that are still lifting. Yeah, that's what's amazing is there's women in their 70s and there's also like my daughter, who's nine, who's going to do her first competition this year. And she can do it. I had a client who competed last weekend who is 76 years old and she competed next to two nine year olds.
15:54
And the dad called them because what are also what are their support everybody do you can you compete in when you're 76 with two nine year olds next to you? I'm just asking you I mean like I don't know that many. love it. I don't know. I don't really know any I mean maybe swimming and not many. Not many. And so the two nine year olds are like we're super excited and they told her you know they kept telling their dad like
16:18
Is this and so my client was, and yes, he was so excited. She was like, it literally made my entire weekend to know that these two, um, you know, young ladies were like talking to their dad about me. it made me just, it made me feel so great. That's so beautiful. Right. So you're at the top of your game. And I think it should be said that you did just make a mention that you've been lifting for 18 years. It's crazy. I don't know how we've got that fast. Um, but, you've continued to get.
16:47
stronger in the sport. So if you had to think of like two or three things, like how is it even possible? So you're like, oh my God, I'm doing something. And how is it that you've gotten stronger, more powerful, still winning world championships by the way? So what do you attribute it to? And I know it's not just like, oh, it's these things. Like social media wants you to know, to feel like, but if you had to say like three things that have contributed to your success, what would they be? First is honing on the technique.
17:17
just making it more efficient, more comfortable, not fighting with the bell. Second is conditioning, which is always very challenging, right? Getting the heart rate up, being able to maintain it and stick with it and not quit, even if you want to quit. And then keeping injury free, which the sport is not a very high injury sport anyway, but working on the muscles that aren't necessarily utilized. So for example, for snatch, we're not using much of our hip flexors or our abs.
17:47
right, because we're basically coming up with the bell and then as the bell drops, we're not we're not really using our app. So it's just working on those other couple muscle groups that we don't use with the particular lift. So those three things are to me the most important aspects that have kept me being able to excel. Like to keep training like
18:11
like full body and I would say that kettlebell sport probably does just as good of job as most sports and training full body. It's not perfect. So there's going to be some things you can like, yes, you do use a lot of core when you do kettlebell sport, but you can probably hit that a little bit more. then you're so there's just other areas where you can just kind of, can, you can just enhance. yes, definitely full body, but we want to, right. Exactly. But enhancement. Yeah. And plus, you know, we do so much grip work, right? Grip work.
18:41
So what about, right, so we're always gripping. Well, what about, you know, using a band and doing some extension, just things like that, paying attention to the muscle groups that aren't necessarily worked every, at every training, especially with the kettlebell and just giving them some love and attention, you know, just, just as a few of them, a handful of them, but mostly kettlebell sport is full body, which is pretty amazing. And like you said, efficient. Yeah. I mean, I would say
19:09
it is the most efficient thing. So those are the things that's kind of kept you in the game. What is like your absolute one favorite piece about your life as a kettlebell athlete? The favorite piece is just the problem solving. I'm always trying to figure out em what can make this
19:34
part, why am I losing my grip at this moment compared to the other side? Or why is, why am I rotating more on one side than the other? What do the hips have to do with like, love dissecting it and trying to figure out where I can enhance the movement or get a couple of, you know, eke out a couple more reps. So that just, I like to be uh a detective and try to figure things out. And usually over time, I'm able to, to do that and then hone the technique, which is such a big part.
20:03
of this sport is people think it's all about strength and it's really it's so much technique. There a lot of people who don't do accessory drills, they don't do any barbell lifts, they don't do any dumbbells, they don't do anything but kettlebell sport and they do just fine. 100%. And that's why I think I mean, I just I think it's, it's, it's, it's just incredible to have a
20:24
particular piece of equipment. I always say this out to like everybody, if you don't want to like invest in a big home gym, you know what mean? Or you can't for many reasons and you just don't have the time, but you need something to keep you sane. You need something to keep you strong. You need something that's going to kind of like, you know, ward off like what happens to your body hormonal. I never found like the like actual magic bullet, but seriously you guys like.
20:52
if there was something that really kind of had so many, you know, elements that made it so great, like for every meal, it would be this. I think I remember I was talking like a while back and I think, you know, people just because you haven't heard of it, I always laugh doesn't still change the fact that it is the oldest form of strength work. think you told what was the story you told me really fast about the kettlebell like like I was not using the limousine games, but like
21:20
how was like the first real way to build strength. don't know. Do you remember that? So the carnivores were first used as rudimentary weights in the marketplace in like the, the, the, the, the farmers and the country bumpkins in Russia, right? Or all through Eastern Europe. So they would put them on the scales at the marketplace and then at a boredom or a competition, the, the farmers would press and toss them, juggle them, swing them and compete with one another. And then it became juggling in the circus act and feats of strength.
21:50
And then it became an official sport later on with this 10 minute endurance test that we've described. um And the name kettlebell actually comes from the derivation of dumb bell. So they're kind of synonymous. Yeah. So again, to recap, it's might be new to you, but it is the oldest, the oldest thing in the books. Like literally there is nothing.
22:18
that we've had longer in the world to build strength. I know there's something kind of like, here's, here's what I wanted. And here's the older story is that back in the ancient Greek, the games, the, the Olympic games, the decathlons, there were these stones with holes in them where the lifters would, would hold them. were called halteres. And that's where the first weights with handles came from back. How many, how many
22:46
centuries ago, don't know, thousands of years ago. And so they would swing these halteres and then for the broad jump, as they would jump leap in the air, they would release the stones and the stones, the halteres would help propel them forward. So that's actually the derivation, the origin of weights with handles goes way back to ancient Greece. think, I think that's a really powerful.
23:12
It's a really powerful thing. It's really cool. It is really cool. So I mean, you kind of get this you know, this need story that I'm, you know, I'm conscious of it because I think sometimes people need to understand that this isn't just something that Lauren and I brought to market. I think, we definitely, that's right. I wish. But I think that I'm happy that it is like growing mostly because I think it offers so much. It offers opportunity to obviously be.
23:39
stronger physically and mentally, but operative stuff to need to compete, you know what I mean? And something that you can compete in for a very, very, very long period of time. And you can keep kind of tapping into these things that will improve all the systems in your body to write cardiovascular, latent strength training and bone. there's a to combat there. As you age, you lose, right? You lose grip, you lose balance, you lose core strength, you lose muscle. So to me, I'm always looking for
24:08
you know, the easiest way to replenish what you lose. Right. And so to me, it's a wonderful way. It's like replenishing. And I cannot say enough about having you as my friend and my training partner and somebody to just constantly be inspired by because you have worked so hard at this craft. You continue to like hone in and study it. And I just feel really fortunate to be training.
24:35
with you to be your friend, but to constantly wish everybody in their life to have a learning and adjust relationship because when you have these kind of relationships, it really does elevate your strength in so many ways. And I know it's certainly me. There's no question. And I look forward to We never miss our sessions unless we're on vacation or something. always rely on each other a lot and we get a tremendous amount out of our sessions because
25:00
We are witnesses for each other and we help each other through because we know what we're going through in those last few reps and it's really invaluable. It really is you guys. invite you to try the sport. I invite you to you know, I hope that you can see a little bit of this but it has been immensely impactful to
25:21
You know, my life as a business person, as a mom, as a, you know, as a wife is like just a friend, a human. It's, it has been the actual foundation to so much of what I do. And I'm, I'm already getting a little nervous and excited about our training in a few days. So I, I'm happy to have this conversation, but even looking at you, okay, oh my God, I got this training tonight. So like, but it, but I do think, I think should we all have things in our life that, strengthen us, but inspire us and also make us a little nervous.
25:50
Do you know what mean? Like that is what I sincerely hope for. So I like to ask a question or so at the end of our conversation on this podcast, because this podcast is called Strength Renewed. I'd like you, I sort of would like to know what strength, physical or otherwise, uh you kind of hope our listeners would feel renewed by after listening to this today? Or what do you feel renewed by? Like what renews you from strength
26:20
physical or emotional place? Just a breath practice that I have that I do every morning, a breath practice, intention practice helps to renew me. um And then do a little bit of yoga a few times a week on top of all the other strength training and conditioning. It all works together to feed the body, to feed the mind, to renew, and of course, good nutrition.
26:48
feeding yourself healthful foods, protein, yeah. Yeah. Well, I love that. I'm so happy that you took time out of your busy schedule and I can't wait to come to New York soon. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. East Coast, New York, want to be here. I'm like, just me over here on the, even though it's hard today, it's hard to be 75 degree. Let's switch places for a month. I know it's so cold where you are, but.
27:16
I look forward to doing this again soon. can't wait to see you in a couple of days for our training and thank you for being such an inspiration in so many ways. All right, see you soon. Okay, bye.