Brett sent me a PM asking how things went with my introductory kettlebell session, so I thought I'd share here...
Charlie (Gatorade) was very kind to send me a couple of DVDs last week -- an intro to kettlebells and a surprisingly versatile "Power Tube" (bungee) workout DVD. Here's an excerpt from a PM I sent him...
~~~~
I drove an hour north to my instructor's house [Jeff O'Connor, RKC Senior Instructor, Talala, OK]. He did a brief assessment of range of motion and symmetry. It turns out I pronate my left foot a bit and have restricted ROM in both shoulders -- with my right side being worse.
We did some hamstring exercises first to loosen me up for squatting and swinging, proceeded to basic deadlifts on a 70 lb KB, and then went for deadlift reps with a 35 lb KB that eventually turned into double-arm swings. I gave him 3-4 sets of 10 swings, but unfortunately that's about all I could handle in the heat, so I have at least another session or two with him to dial in the swings and learn the Turkish get up. I'll do my hammy exercises before I leave next time so we can hit the ground running.
I was especially happy that I didn't experience any joint pain or pulls of any kind; everything felt pretty clean in that regard.
~~~~
By "the heat," I mean whatever it happened to be in the garage-type outbuilding where Jeff does his training. It was at least mid 90s that day. He had the bay door open, and we were shaded by the roof, but it was still pretty hot. I took frequent breathers.
I'm very happy with the instruction, though I still don't have a kettlebell. For now, I'm doing the hamstring exercises at home, along with a spinal alignment drill he gave me. I'm also doing some basic work with conventional freeweights just to tide me over until I can get a KB. Jeff says he can hook me up with one of the Dragon Door bells, but he's out of town this week.
I thought it was cool that Jeff gave me a protein shake for the ride home and called me Monday to check up on me. I'm sure he can pull out the hard-ass drill instructor when needed, but he's clearly pro enough to fit his approach to his clients.
Jeff is affiliated with the Pavel Tsatsouline Russian Kettlebell Challenge; you can check it out at www.dragondoor.com. In the instructor photo at the bottom of the page (click to enlarge), Jeff is the big guy in the front row center with the moustache, wearing sandals and a wristwatch. I'm almost sure the guy to his right is Pavel, who, according to Jeff, is the nicest guy you'll ever meet who knows eight ways to kill you in a second flat -- ex Russian special forces instructor and whatnot.
Kettlebells - How to get started?
Weight loss is not in the diet. It's not in the exercise either. It's perfectly possible to lose tons of weight through diet alteration, but that doesn't mean it's healthy weight loss. You need both in order to properly lose weight. And you need a variety of exercise.
That's why so many people struggle with all these fad diets, etc in an attempt to lose weight, they want an easy solution that's not much of an adjustment for them. Fact is that your health is a reflection of what you're adjusted to. If you're someone who eats light but doesn't exercise, you'll have the health of someone who doesn't eat enough. If you exercise but eat too much, you'll have the health of someone who puts their body under intense demands, and then stacks all that energy back into their system and puts extra strain on their body by adding weight. If you exercise well but don't eat enough, you'll have the health of someone whose body is expected to perform at high levels, but doesn't have the nutrition to build itself properly to meet demands.
Eat properly, work in lots of cardio, and stick to a steady strength training program, making sure to change it up and alter it regularly. Finally, get lots and lots of sleep. This is very important, especially when doing strength training as this is when most of your muscle is going to build up.
That's why so many people struggle with all these fad diets, etc in an attempt to lose weight, they want an easy solution that's not much of an adjustment for them. Fact is that your health is a reflection of what you're adjusted to. If you're someone who eats light but doesn't exercise, you'll have the health of someone who doesn't eat enough. If you exercise but eat too much, you'll have the health of someone who puts their body under intense demands, and then stacks all that energy back into their system and puts extra strain on their body by adding weight. If you exercise well but don't eat enough, you'll have the health of someone whose body is expected to perform at high levels, but doesn't have the nutrition to build itself properly to meet demands.
Eat properly, work in lots of cardio, and stick to a steady strength training program, making sure to change it up and alter it regularly. Finally, get lots and lots of sleep. This is very important, especially when doing strength training as this is when most of your muscle is going to build up.
Good thoughts, Jukkie. Right now I'm just moderating my food intake while slowly increasing my physical activity. Nothing too drastic or compulsive -- just making good changes. Lean protein, more veggies, smaller portions, skip dessert, etc. Weights last night, friendly tennis tonight with the Mrs. I've cut almost 5 lbs over the past week and a half without ever feeling like I was "on a diet." (The 100 degree heat helps.)
Doug
You don't think you could forward any of these exercise instructions to me could you? I have problems with my lower back (right where it joins my pelvice) and my upper back (right between the shoulders).
I've been trying to find some good exercises I can do that aren't too heavy impact (for now while I still have problems) but that'll help build and harden the muscle
I've been trying to find some good exercises I can do that aren't too heavy impact (for now while I still have problems) but that'll help build and harden the muscle
-
joe mcclaine
- Posts: 1217
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:08 am
- Location: Behind you!
Yo, Vinny (sorry; had to do that) --
The KB training is going well enough, although I'm in such poor condition after years of inactivity that it's a struggle. I've only been at it about a month.
Right now, I'm using the 16 kg KB and doing a circuit that consists of:
KB Two-handed swings 3 x 12
KB One-arm swings 2 x 12, right and left
KB Rows 3 x 12, right and left
15 lb Dumbbell curls, 3 x 15
15 lb Dumbbell military press 3 x 15
I have yet to do more than one circuit in a session, especially since the KB drives my heart rate from zero to holy crap in about 90 seconds. I think before I repeat the circuit I need to add some squats and ab work as well.
My trainer wanted to get me doing Turkish get ups, but first he's got me doing some remedial exercises to improve my core stability since all my abdominals and hip flexors have turned to jello.
The KB is changing my perception of weight; the 15 lb dumbbells seem a lot lighter than they did a month ago. I really ought to be doing overhead presses with the KB; the only reason I'm not, I suppose, is that my trainer hasn't officially shown me the form. But how hard can it be, right?
The big problem is finding the time to do all this. I'd have to say I have yet to really groove in my routine, but I'm chipping my way toward it.
I'm also really interested in clubbells, since I have limited ROM in my shoulders, and this looks like just the ticket. But the pricing I've seen is ridiculous, so I'm holding that off for now. There are some DIY approaches for making clubs that I may try in the meantime.
What's your routine? Are you from the RKC school, CrossFit, or other?
Regards,
Doug
The KB training is going well enough, although I'm in such poor condition after years of inactivity that it's a struggle. I've only been at it about a month.
Right now, I'm using the 16 kg KB and doing a circuit that consists of:
KB Two-handed swings 3 x 12
KB One-arm swings 2 x 12, right and left
KB Rows 3 x 12, right and left
15 lb Dumbbell curls, 3 x 15
15 lb Dumbbell military press 3 x 15
I have yet to do more than one circuit in a session, especially since the KB drives my heart rate from zero to holy crap in about 90 seconds. I think before I repeat the circuit I need to add some squats and ab work as well.
My trainer wanted to get me doing Turkish get ups, but first he's got me doing some remedial exercises to improve my core stability since all my abdominals and hip flexors have turned to jello.
The KB is changing my perception of weight; the 15 lb dumbbells seem a lot lighter than they did a month ago. I really ought to be doing overhead presses with the KB; the only reason I'm not, I suppose, is that my trainer hasn't officially shown me the form. But how hard can it be, right?
The big problem is finding the time to do all this. I'd have to say I have yet to really groove in my routine, but I'm chipping my way toward it.
I'm also really interested in clubbells, since I have limited ROM in my shoulders, and this looks like just the ticket. But the pricing I've seen is ridiculous, so I'm holding that off for now. There are some DIY approaches for making clubs that I may try in the meantime.
What's your routine? Are you from the RKC school, CrossFit, or other?
Regards,
Doug
-
joe mcclaine
- Posts: 1217
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:08 am
- Location: Behind you!
Hello Doug.
Looks like you're off to a flying start and with a senior RKC Instructor so close you'll be making fantastic progress in no time.
I understand what you mean about having time to train. Isn't it weird that we've spent years and ££££ developing things to save us time yet we seem to have even less of it?
Eventually priorities change and training will become something that you just do and other things will start to take a back seat.
At the moment I'm just 'playing' with KBs and fitting in the odd lift here and there along with my other training.
There's a RKC Certified Instructor close to me . . . but his fees
Looks like you're off to a flying start and with a senior RKC Instructor so close you'll be making fantastic progress in no time.
I understand what you mean about having time to train. Isn't it weird that we've spent years and ££££ developing things to save us time yet we seem to have even less of it?
Eventually priorities change and training will become something that you just do and other things will start to take a back seat.
At the moment I'm just 'playing' with KBs and fitting in the odd lift here and there along with my other training.
There's a RKC Certified Instructor close to me . . . but his fees
Vinny --
Believe me, I know about RKC fees. That organization slaps a steep price tag on everything. I have seen my instructor only twice and will probably not return for another 4-6 weeks, as I have plenty of basic and remedial work to do before picking up new drills.
The Rmax International clubbells are equally overpriced, if not moreso. Of course, value is a matter of personal opinion, and I'm sure the hardcore fitness folks are happy to pay the price for a quality tool. Personally I may go the route of sand filled pipe to begin with. It's just a center of mass on a lever, after all.
Regards,
Doug
Believe me, I know about RKC fees. That organization slaps a steep price tag on everything. I have seen my instructor only twice and will probably not return for another 4-6 weeks, as I have plenty of basic and remedial work to do before picking up new drills.
The Rmax International clubbells are equally overpriced, if not moreso. Of course, value is a matter of personal opinion, and I'm sure the hardcore fitness folks are happy to pay the price for a quality tool. Personally I may go the route of sand filled pipe to begin with. It's just a center of mass on a lever, after all.
Regards,
Doug
I just wanted to start with good for you Doug and good luck. I was in the same boat as you 10 months ago. I am 41 and weighed 200 lbs New Years eve and decided that was going to be the most I ever weighed. I joined a gym and started eating much better now I weigh 155 went from a 36+ inch waist to a 32-33 and look and feel so much better.
Kettle bells would be a good start, but if you are serious I think it is going to take a bit more. You are going to need to watch what you eat and probably get some aerobic exercise as well. The biggest 2 things I learned are:
You can't build muscle while you lose weight.
They are two different things: weight loss=calorie deficit, muscle building = calorie surplus.
You can't target fat burn.
I asume you have a beer belly/spare tyre you want to get rid of: all the sit-ups in the world will not get rid of it. You need to lose the fat then build the muscle under the fat.
Anyhow, Good luck and keep us posted,
Eric
Kettle bells would be a good start, but if you are serious I think it is going to take a bit more. You are going to need to watch what you eat and probably get some aerobic exercise as well. The biggest 2 things I learned are:
You can't build muscle while you lose weight.
They are two different things: weight loss=calorie deficit, muscle building = calorie surplus.
You can't target fat burn.
I asume you have a beer belly/spare tyre you want to get rid of: all the sit-ups in the world will not get rid of it. You need to lose the fat then build the muscle under the fat.
Anyhow, Good luck and keep us posted,
Eric
Thanks, Eric. And congratulations on your tremendous progress. I'm starting on the path well behind you, so it's great to have some motivation.
The key piece I neglected to mention is that I'm alternating my weight work with treadmill time. So far I'm just walking 1.5 - 2 miles at 3.5 mph three times a week, but it's at least got me moving. I'll build from there, increasing distances, speeds and incline. As for diet, I'm generally cutting back on portion sizes while watching fat and carbs. I'm not "dieting" in an overly structured sense, but eating more sensibly overall.
You're pretty clear about saying you can't build muscle and burn fat at the same time. This is something I'll look into more closely, but I've been assuming the body would metabolize excess fat before turning to lean tissue in a calorie-deficit situation that includes weight training. If we're looking only at a calorie balance sheet, then there should be no difference between a sedentary person who is fasting and an active person who is consuming calories but achieving a similar deficit through exercise. Intuition tells me there will be a difference, but I have nothing solid to base that on. I don't know much at all about metabolism. Even in a worst-case scenario, however, the weight training will help burn calories in the short term, so it's all pointing in the right direction.
In other news, I did run down to the hardware store yesterday to buy some PVC to make weighted clubs. I'll post some pics shortly, but the larger "clubhead" section is a 9 inch length of 3 in diameter pipe, which goes into a 3 in to 1.5 in reducer. The handle is a 17 in long section of 1.5 in pipe, with a cap on the end for a finished look. (The 1.5 in diameter handle is thick and burly, which will require good grip strength to manage the levered weight.) Back at the clubhead end, a 3 in cleanout fitting with a flush-mount threaded cap allows easy access to the inside, which can be packed with rice, gravel, sand, lead shot, etc. That's more than 60 cubic inches, so for now, I'll be padding out some of that space with a length of pine wall stud, then backfilling with sand to achieve a good beginning weight. To keep filler from flowing into the handle through the reducer, I popped a "knock-out cap" (think mailing tube) into the end of the handle before cementing it in place. All the pipe is thick-walled and rigid, so it's all going to depend on the strength of the joints. If I understand correctly, the cement actually fuses the plastic together, so I should be good to go.
The key piece I neglected to mention is that I'm alternating my weight work with treadmill time. So far I'm just walking 1.5 - 2 miles at 3.5 mph three times a week, but it's at least got me moving. I'll build from there, increasing distances, speeds and incline. As for diet, I'm generally cutting back on portion sizes while watching fat and carbs. I'm not "dieting" in an overly structured sense, but eating more sensibly overall.
You're pretty clear about saying you can't build muscle and burn fat at the same time. This is something I'll look into more closely, but I've been assuming the body would metabolize excess fat before turning to lean tissue in a calorie-deficit situation that includes weight training. If we're looking only at a calorie balance sheet, then there should be no difference between a sedentary person who is fasting and an active person who is consuming calories but achieving a similar deficit through exercise. Intuition tells me there will be a difference, but I have nothing solid to base that on. I don't know much at all about metabolism. Even in a worst-case scenario, however, the weight training will help burn calories in the short term, so it's all pointing in the right direction.
In other news, I did run down to the hardware store yesterday to buy some PVC to make weighted clubs. I'll post some pics shortly, but the larger "clubhead" section is a 9 inch length of 3 in diameter pipe, which goes into a 3 in to 1.5 in reducer. The handle is a 17 in long section of 1.5 in pipe, with a cap on the end for a finished look. (The 1.5 in diameter handle is thick and burly, which will require good grip strength to manage the levered weight.) Back at the clubhead end, a 3 in cleanout fitting with a flush-mount threaded cap allows easy access to the inside, which can be packed with rice, gravel, sand, lead shot, etc. That's more than 60 cubic inches, so for now, I'll be padding out some of that space with a length of pine wall stud, then backfilling with sand to achieve a good beginning weight. To keep filler from flowing into the handle through the reducer, I popped a "knock-out cap" (think mailing tube) into the end of the handle before cementing it in place. All the pipe is thick-walled and rigid, so it's all going to depend on the strength of the joints. If I understand correctly, the cement actually fuses the plastic together, so I should be good to go.
Doug
Doug,
That is a pretty cool solution to the clubbell/price problem. Another way is to use sledgehammers with short handles. Clubbells are nice but it is a lot of money to spend for what is an auxillary workout tool. You can buy sledgehammers of varying weights for pretty cheap at your local home center. Take a saw to the handle and viola, instant clubbell analog. The weighting isn't quite the same but that doesn't really matter. A 8lb or under hammer needs a handle about 18 inches, something over 10lb works best when the handle is about a foot. Kettlebells can and should make up the bulk of your workout; however, swinging a 12 pounder for a few minutes will give you a wonderful arm, upper back, and shoulder workout that you can't quite get any other way. Never had the balls to try a 15lb sledge. Another benefit is that your "clubbell" can still function as a hammer. Just pounded some tent stakes with one of mine not that long ago.
That is a pretty cool solution to the clubbell/price problem. Another way is to use sledgehammers with short handles. Clubbells are nice but it is a lot of money to spend for what is an auxillary workout tool. You can buy sledgehammers of varying weights for pretty cheap at your local home center. Take a saw to the handle and viola, instant clubbell analog. The weighting isn't quite the same but that doesn't really matter. A 8lb or under hammer needs a handle about 18 inches, something over 10lb works best when the handle is about a foot. Kettlebells can and should make up the bulk of your workout; however, swinging a 12 pounder for a few minutes will give you a wonderful arm, upper back, and shoulder workout that you can't quite get any other way. Never had the balls to try a 15lb sledge. Another benefit is that your "clubbell" can still function as a hammer. Just pounded some tent stakes with one of mine not that long ago.
Brett
Not to threadjack, but there are many good workout solutions at the hardware store. I bought a 10' length of PVC pipe and filled it about 1/2 full of water. Capped on both ends. Try carrying this thing, say, 25 yards cradled in the crooks of your arms in front of your chest; it doesn't weight that much but the water sloshes around and you wind up using every muscle in your upper body to balance it. Dan Johns, a strength coach at (I forget the university) calls it the "Pillar of Pain." You can advance to overhead carries eventually, get creative (overhead squats are murder), etc., but it's a pretty cheap workout tool. Sandbags, as mentioned, are great. A wheelbarrow with the wheel base removed makes a great sled for dragging. Anyway, a slight digression.
Doug, I'm following your progress with great interest. I weighed 280 lbs. when I got engaged, dropped to 230 with diet and running (I was young then), went back up to 265, dropped to 180 with marathon training and careful nutrition management...and then, nursing a hip injury that has gone unsolved for over three years, I have crept back up to (weight redacted). I still can't figure out the hip, but I'm tired of using it to excuse not working out: it hurts whether I do or don't, so I need to start working off this excess weight: I have a large frame, but the current status is unacceptable. Your thread has been helpful and inspirational. I can't bring myself to return to the workout forums I once frequented - too embarrassed - and I really need to read positive accounts of the road to recovery. So thank you.
Regards,
Doug, I'm following your progress with great interest. I weighed 280 lbs. when I got engaged, dropped to 230 with diet and running (I was young then), went back up to 265, dropped to 180 with marathon training and careful nutrition management...and then, nursing a hip injury that has gone unsolved for over three years, I have crept back up to (weight redacted). I still can't figure out the hip, but I'm tired of using it to excuse not working out: it hurts whether I do or don't, so I need to start working off this excess weight: I have a large frame, but the current status is unacceptable. Your thread has been helpful and inspirational. I can't bring myself to return to the workout forums I once frequented - too embarrassed - and I really need to read positive accounts of the road to recovery. So thank you.
Regards,
Regards,
Tim
Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
Tim
Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
Tim,
There are tons of low cost, hard core ways to workout. Think of Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky IV". While Drago was going hi-tech Rocky was keeping it real by chopping wood, doing one-armed push-ups, and running up mountains through waist deep snow.
I went to college in a very hilly town. One of my favorite workouts was to walk around the outskirts of campus with a 50lb sack of rice on my back. I don't feel the need for those kind of ecentricities nowadays but there a plenty of guys who lift old tires, buckets full of concrete, and bend nails with their bare hands. PVC pipes full of water and/or sand, sledgehammers and the like are just extensions of that resourceful spirit. I guess it makes sense that guys on this board (who are mostly the practical sort) are willing to try esoteric methods like that. Pretty cool really.
You also bring up a very good point regarding injuries. I know a lot of people who don't exercise because this hurts or that aches. Unfotunately it is a vicious cycle: you don't exercise because of pain but the pain becomes worse because you don't exercise. Unfortunately there is some level of pain that an aging person is going to have to tolerate. Not a day goes by where some part of my body doesn't remind me that it is there. That is outweighed by my overall health and sense of well-being. I have been an athlete for my entire adult life so I have a pretty good idea what is a minor injury, and thus can be worked through, and what needs to be treated immediately. Many people don't have that frame of reference. It is difficult to tell someone what to do in such a situation because we all experience pain and discomfort differently. My usual advice is this: If an injury does not prevent you from doing what you are doing then treat the injury, be mindful of it, but keep going. If you simply can't exercise then seek professional help from a doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc. I tell people all the time: I constantly ache but if I stop that's when I'll start getting old.
There are tons of low cost, hard core ways to workout. Think of Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky IV". While Drago was going hi-tech Rocky was keeping it real by chopping wood, doing one-armed push-ups, and running up mountains through waist deep snow.
I went to college in a very hilly town. One of my favorite workouts was to walk around the outskirts of campus with a 50lb sack of rice on my back. I don't feel the need for those kind of ecentricities nowadays but there a plenty of guys who lift old tires, buckets full of concrete, and bend nails with their bare hands. PVC pipes full of water and/or sand, sledgehammers and the like are just extensions of that resourceful spirit. I guess it makes sense that guys on this board (who are mostly the practical sort) are willing to try esoteric methods like that. Pretty cool really.
You also bring up a very good point regarding injuries. I know a lot of people who don't exercise because this hurts or that aches. Unfotunately it is a vicious cycle: you don't exercise because of pain but the pain becomes worse because you don't exercise. Unfortunately there is some level of pain that an aging person is going to have to tolerate. Not a day goes by where some part of my body doesn't remind me that it is there. That is outweighed by my overall health and sense of well-being. I have been an athlete for my entire adult life so I have a pretty good idea what is a minor injury, and thus can be worked through, and what needs to be treated immediately. Many people don't have that frame of reference. It is difficult to tell someone what to do in such a situation because we all experience pain and discomfort differently. My usual advice is this: If an injury does not prevent you from doing what you are doing then treat the injury, be mindful of it, but keep going. If you simply can't exercise then seek professional help from a doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc. I tell people all the time: I constantly ache but if I stop that's when I'll start getting old.
Brett
Brett,
Thanks for the post. My injury definitely has a bigger impact than an ache: Femoro-acetabular impingement. Mine is a cam-type impingement caused by an oversized femoral head that rubs against the hip socket. It wore away a goodly portion of the tendon in that area before I had it surgically removed, which did not solve the pain.
Apparently, this injury mostly went undiagnosed until the last decade or so, and it's not easy to treat and/or cure. The pain is generally just an awareness but can be excruciating if I so much as cross my legs at the wrong time. Nevertheless, based on the MRI, X-rays, and arthroscopy that have been done, I know that I'm not doing any damage by using the hip: it's just going to hurt unless I have major surgery, and it's a surgery that might not be worth it right now. Anyway, I need to just get out there and do the work.
I have done some tire-flipping in my time, and I enjoy the eccentric workout in the great outdoors more than I do the gym workout, but I am willing to do both and I know I get different things from each. All these things in mind, I have been walking regularly and will begin a workout program in earnest tomorrow (one I've planned carefully and had projected to start last Monday). It includes both traditional and esoteric elements.
Anyway, not trying to threadjack Doug's turf here. Good stuff all around, guys. Carry on.
Regards,
Thanks for the post. My injury definitely has a bigger impact than an ache: Femoro-acetabular impingement. Mine is a cam-type impingement caused by an oversized femoral head that rubs against the hip socket. It wore away a goodly portion of the tendon in that area before I had it surgically removed, which did not solve the pain.
Apparently, this injury mostly went undiagnosed until the last decade or so, and it's not easy to treat and/or cure. The pain is generally just an awareness but can be excruciating if I so much as cross my legs at the wrong time. Nevertheless, based on the MRI, X-rays, and arthroscopy that have been done, I know that I'm not doing any damage by using the hip: it's just going to hurt unless I have major surgery, and it's a surgery that might not be worth it right now. Anyway, I need to just get out there and do the work.
I have done some tire-flipping in my time, and I enjoy the eccentric workout in the great outdoors more than I do the gym workout, but I am willing to do both and I know I get different things from each. All these things in mind, I have been walking regularly and will begin a workout program in earnest tomorrow (one I've planned carefully and had projected to start last Monday). It includes both traditional and esoteric elements.
Anyway, not trying to threadjack Doug's turf here. Good stuff all around, guys. Carry on.
Regards,
Regards,
Tim
Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
Tim
Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
Homemade clubbells, loaded w/ pine block & sand. Probably only 10 lbs. 60 more lbs. of sand in the bucket -- plenty of room to grow.
Lifeline Kettlebell, 16 kg, from www.monkeybargym.com.
For kettlebell demos, I like this guy on YouTube. He's concise and precise.
Best,
Doug
Doug
-
Leisureguy
I wonder how this came out? I just recently discovered the kettlebell, and it sounds great. I do note the heavy emphasis (all DVDs, all books, and almost all posts of instruction) on technique. Apparently swinging a big cast-iron ball about can be seriously damaging if done wrong. I believe it.
I am taking care of the diet side through an outfit here in Monterey and Santa Cruz that does good diet monitoring and seem quite sensible in terms of their recommendations. And I'm just beginning stretching and some light exercising. (I have a long way to go and I'm trying to pace myself.)
I did find a good reference site along the way---lots of articles and links:
http://www.liftkettlebells.com/
So, Doug, how did the kettlebells work out? (My 1-pood kettlebell is still on order, but I'm enjoying reading Enter the Kettlebell! as I wait.)
UPDATE: And, BTW, how are you with respect to all the flooding in Oklahoma? It sounds bad.
I am taking care of the diet side through an outfit here in Monterey and Santa Cruz that does good diet monitoring and seem quite sensible in terms of their recommendations. And I'm just beginning stretching and some light exercising. (I have a long way to go and I'm trying to pace myself.)
I did find a good reference site along the way---lots of articles and links:
http://www.liftkettlebells.com/
So, Doug, how did the kettlebells work out? (My 1-pood kettlebell is still on order, but I'm enjoying reading Enter the Kettlebell! as I wait.)
UPDATE: And, BTW, how are you with respect to all the flooding in Oklahoma? It sounds bad.
Last edited by Leisureguy on Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Doug!
Once again, from the blog "Art of Manliness"...an essay on the kettlebell:
http://artofmanliness.com/2009/05/07/be ... l-workout/
I salute you! Looks tough. Good luck!
Once again, from the blog "Art of Manliness"...an essay on the kettlebell:
http://artofmanliness.com/2009/05/07/be ... l-workout/
I salute you! Looks tough. Good luck!
Gene
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore