They communicate through a network of Internet message boards and chat rooms.

Tsatsouline introduced kettlebells to the American fitness community in workshops and videos and has become something of a guru, authoring such books as The Russian Kettlebell Challenge: Xtreme Fitness for Hard-Living Comrades and From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel’s Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale.

His publishers have coined the slogan, “When we say strength, we mean kettlebells, when we say kettlebells, we mean strength.”

Clower began lifting kettlebells because he felt that his weightlifting regimen did not develop fitness sufficiently.

“I was a power-lifter getting fat,” he said. “You could buy these from a supplier over the Internet. I did and I totally fell in love.”

Mondragon started training with kettlebells after receiving one of Tsatsouline’s instructional videos as a Christmas gift.

Both they and Gomez have studied Tsatsouline’s books, which feature pictures of bare-chested Tsatsouline as “Master of Sports” demonstrating proper kettlebell lifting positions and technique.

During a required 30-to-60 minute break between the “snatch” and the “jerk,” Clower slumped against a wall and closed his eyes to rest. He breathed through a straw—a trick for slowing respiration that he learned from Tsatsouline. His hands were smeared with chalk.

“I can’t believe you never use chalk,” he said to Mondragon, rubbing his palms against a cube of the white powder. “They say it’s good for your grip, but I’ve never wanted to find out.”

As they rested, Gomez swung a kettlebell toward the street for practice.

He owns no kettlebell, but practices at home with an ordinary weight, he said. He and his roommate perform their exercise regimes on different ends of an old New England building.

“It we’re both working out at the same time,” he said, “sometimes the house shakes.”

As the “jerk” round began, Mondragon prepared to pick up the two kettlebells in tandem. He had been practicing at home with kettlebells of two different weights, he said, so he had no notion of how he would perform.

“I feel my knees shaking,” he said.

“Yeah,” said Clower. “I’m kind of scared.”