Guinness world record holder Yuri Strebkov of Bender turns 71

Powerlifter Yuri Strebkov of Bender, a Guinness world record holder and a constant record breaker, has turned 71. Participating in the Kettlebell Lifting World Championship, which took place in December 2007 in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya, Strebkov broke another world record by performing 225 snatches with a one pood (16 kg) kettlebell in 10 minutes, beating by 27 snatches the old record. Last year the strongman of Bender won three honorary titles, becoming in May Russia's kettlebell lifting champion, in June European champion, and in December world champion. Another record was broken by Strebkov this July in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, where he swung a one-pood bell from one hand to another for 1,293 times in the same amount of time. The kettlebell or girya is a traditional Russian cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. Kettlebell lifting has been played throughout the world for decades. Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strenght, endurance, and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements.