Kirsten Tulloch; The Belle of Shetlands

Can you just give us a brief history of your bodybuilding achievements

I started competing age 17 for NABBA Scotland in the Figure Class. At 19, I won my first comp and still age 19 I qualified for the NABBA Britain and also the NABBA Worlds. At the Worlds I competed in both Figure and Couples classes and took 5th in the couples.

left and right: Kirsten NABBA 07 NZ

You're originally from Scotland, you came to NZ. How long were you here for and why did you go back? And why Shetland Islands??? 

We moved to NZ in 2005 after deciding we wanted a complete change. We stayed until March 2009. Unfortunately I developed quite bad post natal depression after the birth of my daughter and started to pine for home. Also at this time, the work supply for my husband ran dry so we opted to come back to the UK. My hubby is from Shetland originally hence the reason we ended up there. The climate there is worlds apart from NZ!

Shetland is so far North that for about 5 months of the year, it never gets dark. In Summer, 15 degrees is considered warm! Occassionally the temp may go higher but not often. In Winter it's brutal! It gets light late and dark at about 3pm some days. Because Shetland is a group of about 100 small islands in the middle of the North Sea, there is very little in the way of shelter so it's a pretty wild place to live with being so exposed so the sea on all sides.

               

How big is Shetland Island? Do you feel isolated there in regards to training and exchange training knowledge.

Shetland is a group of about 100 islands between the top of the UK and Norway. The population is about 22,000. We live in Lerwick, the main town which has about 8,000 people. For such a small population, there are surprisingly good facilities for day to day life. Good health care and schools, etc.

There are quite a few guys here who compete in strongman events. Very few bodybuilders though. I must admit that I do feel pretty isolated with regards to training as I am used to living in places where there are others like me (hardcore nutters!). Having spent so many years training and competing with amazing people, I find having nobody to look up to here quite strange. Since arriving, I have helped several people so I am making my mark but it would be nice to be around like minded people again.

I qualified as an IKFF CKT in March this year and have my own website kettlebellsshetland. I have also been helping people with nutrition and training concerns. One of my ladies is actually a BNBF Figure competitor. I helped her get ready for her first comp last year and she took 2nd in the Scottish Finals and looked very polished and professional. This year, she is getting ready for a British Qualifier and is on target so fingers crossed. I also do one to one kettlebell tuition. Also, I teach workshops on the Scottish mainland in collaboration with Kettlebells Scotland and KB Aberdeen.

I train at a very spit and sawdust kinda gym in the town of Scalloway. It's a cracking gym. Very basic. Nothing fancy at all. It's a not for profit gym run by members for members so everyone has a code and just lets themselves in whenever they want.

I generally get whatever I need when I visit my family in Aberdeen and if i run out of supplies I shop online. My supplement list is not what it was but I do still use my protein blend, glutamine, DHEA, multis, fish oil, etc. Basically it's all about health now.

You were pretty big into bodybuilding training but now you're into kettlebells, do you still do traditional weight training like you did for bodybuilding?

I actually do very little conventional training now. I still train my arms once a week like I always did but that is really just to maintain their shape. My kettlebell training has really taken over. My years of bodybuilding gave me physical strength and mental toughness which I have taken to KB training and I seem to have mastered this style of training much more speedily than many others do.

We imagine you'd still be pretty strong. Can you tell us roughly how much you could squat, barbell bench, dumbell shoulder press when you were in your ‘prime'

I was strong but for me it was never about the weight but more about the feel and achieving a good pump. It was almost like the better the pump, the bigger I got. I was (and still am) into volume training. It was not uncommon for me to do 10 sets or more of a given exercise with very little rest between sets. If someone is brave enough to train with me, I usually leave them on the floor! The most I ever squatted for perfect form was 95kg I think...deadlift 130kg, DB shoulder press 26kg I think, DB curls 20kg....I never benched. I only used DB's and dips for my chest as I didn't get enough of a feel from a bar.

Have you noticed changes in how your muscle looks training with kettlebells than with weights. Ie leaner? Has your weight changed. At 5ft 2 I currently weigh about 65kg so about the same as when I was bodybuilding. I am definitely leaner now in what would be considered off season condition. My muscles are perhaps thicker and denser than they have ever been, but this may just be due to that fact that I have always trained and never stopped. Training with KB's has without doubt changed my look. I look leaner and more athletic and am in some ways stronger than I have ever been. My core strength is so good now and I feel there isn't anything I can't do.

What do you love about kettlebell training? How different is it to traditional weight training in terms of rep ranges and sets you do.

For me KB training has been a natural progression from bodybuilding. Many of us lose our way when we don't want to compete anymore and struggle to maintain good habits and consistency. Kettlebells are dynamic and explosive. The skills I learned from 16 years in bodybuilding I now apply to them. I honestly believe that there can be no better stress buster than doing a non stop 10 minute set with a KB or 2. It is a mind game as much as a physical one. In bodybuilding, we try and lift heavy for a short period of time. With KB's, we use a submaximal load and go for volume/time. This leads to incredible conditioning. This style of training engages the mind as well as the body and all of your stabilizing muscles that you don't normally think about are being used.

My style of training can vary from day to day now. The last 3 days, I have been doing timed work...tomorrow, I may just go for standard 6 sets of each move I choose and go heavier...I really go with the flow now.

What weight kettlebell do you use???

At home, I have pairs of competition KB's from 8kg up to 24kg. I have used a 32kg one though for overhead squatting which I was rather pleased about!

Why would you recommend gym goers incorporate kettlebell training into their regime.

In short, conditioning and core strength. So many people spend hours doing monotonous cardio which can be simply mind numbing. Using a KB non stop with perfect technique for 10 mins will leave you puffed and dripping way more than any machine. It's an awesome way to train...strength and cardio combined in a very pure form. No silly Body Pump, just pure strength and conditioning work. KB training also makes the trainer much more aware of their own body and their movements and posture.

Would you ever compete again? Or have you resided yourself to retirement for now. Never say never! For now I am a Kettlebell Queen but with my experience, I can come back anytime....so keep training hard ladies....I might pop up when you least expect it :)

Do you miss New Zealand and what do you miss most?? Will you come back again?

I miss NZ with a passion. Now that my depression has left me (thank God) I have often thought how great it would be to come back. My daughter is a Kiwi by birth and I would love for her to grow up in her birth country. She has an adventurous spirit which would be put to great use there. Like everyone, we need to be where the work is, so when this recession lifts and things look up, I am sure you will see us again.

I miss the sunshine, warmth and the good friends I made there. I miss the relaxed lifestyle and Christmas BBQ's! I really miss my gym in Tauranga (Fitco). It's a great place and I achieved a lot there. I miss my almost daily phone calls from Mark of Topmark Nutrition!!! He is a great guy and a good friend to me...he can also chat more than any woman I know.....:)

I would like to do something in NZ with my IKFF CKT (KB certification) if there is a need for it. I trained under Steve Cotter who is to KB training what Arnold is to bodybuilding. The man is a legend and simply incredible to watch. So inspiring. I feel that KB training can be so beneficial to bodybuilders....especially to figure women who need that longer, leaner more athletic look nowadays.

Kirsten and Steve - KB King

Incorporating certain moves into a conventional routine can just add to that person's physique and be the icing on the cake. Also, for guys who are injury prone, getting that all important core development up to speed will simply lead to more consistent training with far less time out injured. It's functional training which can be applied to any person whatever they do. It's about building a solid foundation and keeping it solid so that in 10, 20, 30 years time, you can still be doing what you love.

Messages to Kirsten's NZ friends
To all the good friends I made in NZ who I never said a proper goodbye to, I am so sorry. I wasn't myself for a long time and now that I am back to normal, I realise that some people might have thought I was snubbing them.  Trust me, I wasn't. I wasn't well and didn't know how to handle it. I hope you all understand and still want to see me again!

Hello to all at Fitco...I miss you all.

My good friends Maree and Allan Stubbington...I can't wait for our next Indian meal out.

To Mark and Nic and Topmark Nutrition...I miss you both.

To Rose and Conrad Lowry...I hope you are both training hard. I will have words with you if you are not :)

To my boy, Marc Thomas, Auckland's Strongest Man...I am so proud of you!