from today's Star:
Pavel Tsatsouline, the former Soviet Special Forces training instructor and now North America's kettlebell guru, has declared that old school strongmen used them in the U.S. a century ago, but "then the West got prosperous and soft and the hardcore kettlebell faded into history along with many other manly pursuits of our grandfathers. Everywhere but in Russia, a rugged land that never knew easy living."
" ... Tsatsouline has been fiercely promoting the sport as well as the related merchandise, including books and tapes which he sells on his website.
"And he guarantees, "maximal strength gains, huge strides in your conditioning, and stunning fat loss without the dishonour of aerobics."