Episode Details

Our guest for this week is Steve Cotter, a renowned personal trainer, and founder of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation.

Steve has been a part of the fitness industry for over 30 years. He perfected his knowledge and skills about strengthening and physical conditioning of the human body through the practice of many different disciplines including martial arts, qigong, mobility, flexibility, and Kettlebell training. He founded the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation with a goal of promoting Kettlebell training on a global scale, but also to provide the support for people interested in developing the skills necessary for accelerating a fitness-oriented business. Steve is determined to teach and share his unique story with a goal of promoting health, happiness, and longevity through fitness.

Aside from being a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Steve has made his mark as an athlete in several fields. One of his impressive recognitions is a bronze medal at 1996 World Kuoshu Games in Taiwan and he has held the title of the US Full Contact Champion twice. He also captained the first ever USA Team to compete in World Championships of Girevoy Sport. As a personal trainer, he is well-known for working with elite athletes, professional football teams, Navy SEALs, and members of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Steve is one of the most renowned Kettlebell promoters in the world. He wrote a book called “Kettlebell Training”, a guide for using the Kettlebell for improving your strength, stamina, coordination, and overall fitness. It offers 95 exercises accompanied by step-by-step instructions on how to perform them correctly and getting the most out of each exercise. In 2011, he released a DVD-series titled Extreme Kettlebell Workout which demonstrates over 100 techniques and 10 workouts, covering topics such as muscle building, core development, and cardio.

Connect with Steve:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevecotter.ikff.1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevecotterikff/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveCotterIKFF?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
• Website: http://ikff.net

Steve’s Story of Inspired Evolution

“I’m an artist, I’m a movement artist. By trade, my foundation is in the martial arts and essentially, the study of the martial, which is the warfare is so that we don’t have to fight.” - Steve Cotter

Steve was brought up in the physical culture and got involved with martial arts at the young age of 12. He then taught martial art professionally in his youth, but in his late twenties realized that it was time to look for a different career path and a new challenge. Through everyday training, he has built up a strong foundation for a shift towards the fitness side of things. He went on to get a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the San Diego State University and moved in the direction of personal training.

Around the early 2000s, Steve became one of the early adopters of Kettlebell training, which opened up an entirely new world for him. The practice of using Kettlebells was several hundred years old at the time but Steve saw an opportunity to promote it all over the world, not just in the US.

“What I’ve evolved to understand is that everything is mental.” - Steve C