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The atmosphere at USA Kettlebells is unlike any other gym; two years ago it was the home of Lucky’s Garage off Washington Avenue, which since has moved a few blocks down the road. Located in the Minneapolis warehouse district, this is the first kettlebells school in the United States.

Don’t expect to see much change since Harleys rocked the shack. Residual garage aspects remain (such as the original motorcycle slots painted on the floor), but an assortment of funky art on the walls have been added along with a few logo-painted windows. The ambience blends well with the nature of the school and its accompanying motto: “old School, new Rules.”

The history behind the gym can be traced back to Ron Morris. He was prompted to introduce kettlebells in a school atmosphere after over 20 years of lifting weights with no real results.

“I realized people weren’t being helped,” Morris said. “I saw how inefficient weight lifting was by itself. Kettlebells is the new self-help; it’s a concept.”

USA Kettlebells trains a diverse group of students, ages ranging from 17 to 70. The background of the student population is one of those stunning elements that make the school so unique.

“We train SWAT members to college students to 70-year-old-women,” Morris said.

The gender ratio is about equal, as the school treats males and females the same in terms of their physical abilities. Most of the women in the classes handle weights just as big, if not bigger, than the men.

There are several types of workouts that can be drilled on a given night; however, the “swing” is the foundation of training with kettlebells. A student stands in a half squat position and lifts the kettlebell with both hands on the handle just a few inches off the ground, giving it a tap back, and driving it through the legs and upwards, using the force of the hips, to come into a standing position. After this thrust, the kettlebell’s weight will guide the hands and body down to the starting position, and the move is repeated without setting the bell back down until finished.

USA Kettlebells has been providing a dynamic workout environment for upwards of two years for those who are “really ready to change,” as instructor, Barbara Fritz says.

The school combines an array of Qigong (ancient Chinese breathing and movement of energy), strength training, cardiovascular training, and sometimes, if you’re lucky, even dance is mixed in.

Instructors as well as students affirm that no one class repeats itself: there is always something different every time you come.

USA Kettlebells is more than a school for physical well being. According to several students, it offers an environment of camaraderie; and this is part of what keeps them coming back. Student and full time health professional, Mary White, claims to feel a sense of team-work at the school.

“I’ve been going to gyms my whole life and have had personal trainers.” U of M student, Valerie Ferris commented on her first impressions of the school: “It was like just hanging out with new friends; I normally don’t like working out with other people, but I felt surprisingly overwhelming comfort.”

Another student, nick-named “Elevator-Bob” said one of the reasons he’s trained at the school for so long is the camaraderie he feels every time he comes to class. “I get the feeling of being back on a high-school sports team.”

Fritz adds that she finds the community at USA Kettlebells brings out the best in each individual at the school. One can witness a warm experience of applause and encouragement from the sidelines when there is a group of students performing a drill out on the floor.

The USA Kettlebells philosophy is what Morris calls “strength for living”, which to him basically means going beyond society’s limitations and seeing each individual’s limitless capability to do what they originally thought impossible.

Students taking accountability for their own lives and creating change from there has been one of the fundamental principles that make the school what it is.

Recently, the school has been expanding with satellite schools across the Twin Cities. One of those schools is located in Hudson, Wisconsin, which has received much success in its short history. As of the New Year, the opening of a branch in Hopkins has attracted many new students as well.

Morris has been spending time opening up his new schools and finishing his new book called The Discipline of Chaos, which is due in stores this fall.

There are several instructors that teach at the school, all long-time students of Morris. Instructors have their own style, which compliments the versatility of the school philosophy. Morris and his instructors are constantly coming up with new workouts, both with and without kettlebells, using principles of deep-breathing and focus on the “core” or “hanzo” of the body, to make unthinkable feats possible.

An instructor nick-named “Sheree North” described Morris as “a teacher who blends abundant humor and intensity to challenge and teach both students and instructors on many levels beyond just the physical.” She continued, “Hanzo is a term Ron introduced that points us to a deep awareness of our limitless internal energy. Through his personal experience and insight, Ron has shown us how to tap into and feel our own strength/hanzo that’s available to us inside and outside the classroom. All of this is very practical.”

Perhaps in the midst of exam-crunching and after all the junk-munching, kettlebells would put a completely new spin on the crazed balancing act of college life this semester.

As Ferris said, “It was an intense workout, but I didn’t feel exhausted afterwards. I don’t want to sound generic, but I really did enjoy it.”

To check out class times and other details, go to: www.usakettlebells.com.