I started CrossFitting almost 4 years ago
(WOW, time sure does fly when you are having fun). At the time I decided to get
one-on-one coaching to learn the discipline of swinging kettle bells. I would
not trade the money I spent on those sessions for anything.
It is BY
FAR the most exhausting, challenging, and demanding discipline that I have ever
done while standing still (save for a few movements). Now don’t get me wrong…I
LOVE CROSSFIT (like in an almost borderline unhealthy kind of way) but I DREAM
about swinging KB’s. I am not naturally inclined to doing anything fast (i.e. running,
jumping, sprinting, short distance running, long distance running…you get the
idea) but I am inclined to lift
heavier weights. I can take my time, set up my lift, and GO! That is what I
love about kettle bells. I use my natural ability to lift heavy while I work on
improving my cardiovascular strength by performing the movements at a high
intensity. Did you get all that? That is the biggest joke I play on myself with
KB’s…that I am merely working on my strength when I swing. Bollox!!! I sweat
more and breathe heavier in a KB class than I do in most CrossFit WOD’s. Why is
that? Generally we are doing at least 45 minutes (if not a full hour) of
straight swinging with very little rest in between each grouping of swings.
Each class always starts with a
warm-up to get our muscles stretched out and ready to begin the day’s kettle
bell workout. We warm up with a kettle bell, work out with a kettle bell (or
sometimes 2), and end with core work using a kettle bell. Usually the workout
combines CrossFit type elements or structure. For example, last Saturday the warm-up
was 3 rounds of 5 R/L windmills and 15 goblet squats. Then we went right into a
modified version of the CrossFit WOD Fran (21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups) and
I swung a 12 kg. bell on 21-15-9 R/L HEAVY KB snatches and ring rows. Can you
spell SPENT and DYING after anywhere from the 5-10 minutes it took each athlete
to finish? We had about 3 minutes to recover and then we went straight into 4
rounds (20 seconds on: 10 seconds hold in rack or transfer) of R/L push press
& front squat COMBO with a 12kg bell. The shit kicker: You NEVER put the
bell down. If you put the bell down at ANY time during the 4 rounds it’s 5
burpees on the spot. Now, if that doesn’t motivate you to hold on until you’re
finished, I don’t know what will…HAPPY SWINGING! We did some other stuff too,
but my brain blocked it out for my own good.
But it really is HAPPY
SWINGING!!! I LOVE the challenge of swinging heavier weights for shorter periods
of time and challenging myself to keep my form right (legs locked and butt
clenched for dear life) while keeping my feet properly spaced and aligned AND
keeping my mind sharp by actually paying attention to what I am doing (counting
reps or just knowing what comes next).
The thing that gets me the most
is there are very few guys in the class. It’s usually all women or at least I
can safely say that each class is a majority of women. What gives? What is
keeping you from this epiphany of epiphanies??!?!?!?!?!?
GUYS…YOU DON’T KNOW
WHAT YOU’RE MISSING!!!!!
This is NO JOKE, KICK YOUR ASS
kind of training. IF you do it RIGHT.
I know you think that you just need to lift heavier and run faster and lift
even heavier still, but you can be brought to the edge of complete and total
muscle failure and total body exhaustion with just ONE 16kg bell in 60 minutes
or less. I PROMISE or your money back.
When I finally decide to set up
my “home gym” it will be comprised of one thing, a 12 kg kettle bell (because I
already own a jump rope). When I decide to upgrade that home gym of mine, I
will invest in an 18lb, a 16kg, and a 20 kg bell. I just need one of each. I
love training with double bells, but I can get a very effective workout with
just ONE bell.
I want to encourage you to get
back to swinging your bells!!! If you haven’t taken the workshop, NOW is your
chance…We have one on 8/31 at 9am and you can sign up in the gym. Take a quick
peek at some more info HERE.
If you have already taken Juan’s
kettle bell workshop, then there is no reason why you can’t make it to 1 or 2 KB
classes each week. We swing EVERY Tuesday
and Thursday at 6am, 9am, and 6pm and EVERY Saturday at 10am. We need to keep the attendance up in ALL of these classes to
ensure they stay on the schedule. Remember what happened to weekday Oly
Lifting???
Seriously though, this has
changed the way I think about exercise and that was after CrossFit started
blowing my mind. I'll be there at 6pm sharp tonight.
I DARE YOU TO THE CHALLENGE!!!
