SPRING ARBOR, MI - There's a lot more to competitive kettlebell lifting than picking things up and putting them down.

Yes, lifting kettlebells competitively is a thing and the sport that began in Russia is rapidly growing in the United States. It is even being considered as a potential Olympic event.

At the forefront of the movement in Michigan is Spring Arbor's Kettlebell Hot Spot.

Four athletes who work out at the gym at 7851 Spring Arbor Road competed at the World Kettlebell Championships in Seoul, South Korea in November.

Jackson-area residents Barbara Hutchinson, Joann Worden, Richard Morton and Marlena Klimkiewicz earned spots on the 30-member U.S. kettlebell team that represented the United States at the annual international competition.

Worden placed first in her respective event while Hutchinson took third in hers. Morton and Klimkiewicz just missed out on earning medals.

Jackson resident Rhonda Glick, who opened Kettlebell Hot Spot in 2010, is head coach of the U.S. kettlebell team.

A kettlebell is a cast-iron weight the size of a cannonball with a handle attached. It comes in different weights, but 16 kilograms, 24 kilograms and 32 kilograms are the weights used for competitive lifts.

Competition-style lifts include the single-armed long cycle, the two-hand long cycle, the snatch, a team relay and biathlon that includes a jerk and snatch.

Competitors attempt to get as many repetitions completed within 10 minutes.

Strength isn't as important as technique when it comes to lifting kettlebells, said Hutchinson, a Western School District special education teacher.

"There's a lot of elements to the lifts," she said. "This is a sport where you have to have patience and look at the long term. There's so much growth that takes place."

Kettlebell lifting is a meritocracy.

It's not about what you have done, Hutchinson said. It's about what you are going to do next.

"Every time you finish a 10-minute set, you get off the platform and say, 'OK, now what? What am I going after next?'" Hutchinson said. "You can really grow in the sport. You can really push yourself."

For these four competitors, pushing themselves means getting to the gym at 5 a.m. twice a week and coming back in the evenings three days a week.

The struggle of a workout and competition builds camaraderie, Hutchinson said. There's an entire kettlebell community, she said.

"Even at worlds, the camaraderie that you have with people from other countries is amazing," she said. "Nobody is talking smack. Everyone is encouraging you to do your best set. Even when you don't do your best set, you get encouragement. That's what I love about it."

A testament to that community camaraderie is the bottle of sake Worden received from a member of the Japanese team, she said. The engineer from Horton said it's moments like that which bring her gratification after spending months in the gym.

It also brings personal gratification and self-confidence, they said.

"It's always the first two minutes of each set," Hutchinson said. "I think to myself, 'What are you doing. You can't do this. This is hard and crazy.' But if you can push past that, it's pure adrenaline and you're in it. When I'm done, I'll be shaking from adrenaline, but I feel great."

That internal battle to persevere carries over into life outside the gym, Morton, and information technology profession from Spring Arbor, said.

He began lifting kettlebells at age 59, he said. He calls it the "perfect American sport," he said.

"You get cardio and weight lifting at the same time," Morton said. "People think it's just a weightlifting competition, but it's not. It's all about endurance and toughness."

Anyone can do the sport, Glick said. She has seen both 90 year olds and 9 year olds lift kettlebells, she said.

"If you can walk and you can sling that bell, you're good to go," Glick said.

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