Sunday's Class......

Sunday morning was chilly and windy on the basketball court in the park. But it still didn't stop the few kettlebell enthusiast's from showing up for class. It wound up being more of a workshop format and that was okay by me. Started with the swing & TGU. Once they got those down, we went on to cleans. One of the guys showed me his snatch and with a little tweaking, by the time he left he had it. It's amazing how a little queuing can make all the difference. By the end of class, after working on TGU's, cleans & a few snatches, everyone's swings improved as well. It's all about the hip drive and tension at the top! Once everyone learns the basic kb exercises and tension techniques, we'll get going with more of a work-out format. Yesterday was a great start!

The rest of the day I walked around on a high because it was such a good morning for me. I was doing what I love to do....kettlbells! And "spreading the sickness that is kettlebells."

Before signing up for the RKC, I thought I would be happy just practicing kettlebells and challenging myself. Time went by, I was hooked, so the next challenge for myself was the RKC. After I had signed up for the RKC I wondered what I would do if I did pass the certification. After all I was not a personal trainer, I was a nurse. What would that lead me to do? As the summer rolled by I began to wonder why kb's weren't more popular. So many people had gym memberships, did aerobics classes or were avid runners....yet still they didn't seem that fit. And hours upon hours were spent in the gym. Why not condense that time down to 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week and get fit! Then by surfing kb blog sites....I was sucked in! I knew I had to help spread the word about kb's. By the end of that grueling weekend in Sept, I was in! It was time to teach.......

It is a really good feeling when you can teach someone something good. Something that will help them in the long run to be healthy and fit. It is awesome to see the light bulb go off in someones head..."ah-ha, I get it." Then to see them take the tip or knowledge and put it into practice. and improve ... just amazing!

*Note to self: find an indoor place to hold class b/c winter is coming....SOON!

TEMPTATION all around.....

So I have been MIA on my blog for a few days......not like me. I don't know where the week went and how life got so out-of-control! I work my "day job" Mon thru Thurs. So come Thursday evening I am always lovin' life for my 3-day weekend! Now it's Friday night & I don't have a clue where Fri went.

This week I have done terrific with food choices/nutrition, as well as training! I started drinking Advocare meal replacement shakes for breakfast a couple days this week. REALLY good! Kudos to Amy J. for the tip!

Tonight I was so proud of myself! I was tempted by so many goodies, walking through my local grocery store! I snubbed my nose at everything! Can you believe it???

Here'e how it went down......
My husband works late on Friday's, so I took my youngest daughter & her friend to a Halloween scavenger hunt held at the local grocery store. They dress up in their costumes, we get the list & make our way around the store (essentially trick or treating at different dept's or posts). First stop, they get one of my favorite Halloween treats........CANDY CORN! The woman looked at me & said, "Would Mom like one?" I quickly said, "No thank you," as I ran to catch up with the girls. So unlike me! Hmm....Then on our way to the dairy section (they got cheese sticks) we pass the coolers with beer and as I gaze in, I see another favorite...Pumpkin Ale. The little voice in my head told me to keep on walking...and I did. Not too bad until we get to the bakery. The iced pumpkin cookies, pumpkin roll, Halloween sugar cookies, cupcakes, not to mention Aunt Martha's apple pie! Oh Heaven! I was so tempted! I even had a conversation with myself in my head....
"Just get it."
"I don't need it."
"You've been good all week, you deserve it."
"I HAVE been good all week! Keep walking."
Even when we finished the hunt in the produce section with the girls getting apples, I was thinking, "Maybe I SHOULD go back?"

I came to my senses and took the girls home for dinner. Which was so-o good...so worth waiting for. Roasted chicken, purple cauliflower, green beans and quinoa (cooked in chicken stock)!!!

Let's see if I can remember my workout's for the week:

Thursday:

My friend, Dar came over and we trained together. Just a fun array of different combination drills. The weather was beautiful, sunny, a bit cooler...typical fall evening. It was the perfect temperature to train in - you warm up quick and minimal sweat. By the time we were finishing up (around 7:30pm) it was dark......moonlight kb's!

This was alot of fun training with a friend b/c we did so many "I go/ You go" drills! Swings, snatches, cleans!!! I was able to finally do 2 handed swings again (with a light grip) w/o any pain in my wrist. Ah, it IS healing! While we were swinging and snatching, I decided I was jealous that Dar was able to use both arms for exercises. I am so impatient! I can't wait to get my left side back!
I think Dar impressed herself with what she could do. She is new to kb's, but avidly works out with weights at the gym. So I would explain the next exercise that we were going to do and she would point to the 12kg I just had her use and she would say, "That's going to be to heavy for this one, right?" I would just reply, "No, and you could probably use the 16kg, but once you get your form down, we'll move you up." She was even hesitant with the overhead walk on the left. We finished the right and she felt she wasn't going to be able to do the same on the left b/c it was her weaker side. I helped her get it into position & reminded her to suck her shoulder down & keep her elbow locked out and go! Of course, she did it! And 2 sets of bear crawls too!

It's so great to be able to get other people into enjoying KB's. What a terrific feeling! Now if only I could get my husband to come to the dark side................(he was at racquetball at the time...sigh!)

Wednesday

High volume pressing the 8kg on the right

12 sets of 10........felt good!

Tuesday

Combo of C&P and squats and lunges. I trained at a local park near the falls. So of course when I was done, I had to take some pictures of my friend in the park............


That should do it.........out!

Back to Ballistics!!!...Z blasted my shoulder pain away! WOW!

Back from Amish Country & the Saturday fandango at Breitenbach Winery! All I can say is, it was alot of fun....but I am so glad to be back home to give my body a "vacation" from eating and drinking crap. Eating clean again and working out. It felt so good to drink water and green tea all day, protein shake for breakfast & salad w/ chicken for lunch. It might sound boring, but it all tasted so GOOD! Funny that I have to come home to give my body a "vacation."

Fun work-out tonight:

-I started w/some Z for shoulders & ankles. I had gotten away from starting my work-out with Z & my R-shoulder has been letting me know it since Thursday. Giving me a bit of discomfort when I reach across my body to the left. It's crazy, but once I did the Z shoulder warm-up, there was NO PAIN when I reach to the left! Wow! Gotta keep up/ with it!

12kg
25 R-arm swings / rest 15 sec
25 R-arm snatches / rest 20 sec

20 R-arm swings / no rest
20 R-arm snatches / rest 30 sec
x4

16kg
15 R-arm swings / no rest
15 R-arm snatches / rest 30 sec
x3

FRIDAY TRAINING

Friday turned out to be a crazy day. My husband & I were going away for the weekend with friend's to celebrate their anniversary. So needless to say we had to get the kids packed and off to Nana & Pompa's, make sure we were packed and had our supplies (food & beverage) for the weekend, do a last minute check of e-mails and close the house up.

Fortunately I made time for a short work-out before we left:

Swings on the minute:

30 - R arm swings (12kg)
25 - R arm swings (16kg)
15 - R arm swings (20kg)
x 5

(It went fast, but by the end of the 3rd set my arm was getting smoked. So after the 3rd set I rested an additional 30 sec...then finished it up....I had to hit the road)!

Good & Bad nutrition choices.........

I have to say training is definitely my strongest GOOD choice these days.

When I eat meals I make great choices! I really do. My portions are controlled, I eat healthy, lean protein along with "good" wholesome carbs and always veggies!

When talking about BAD choices (REALLY BAD choices).......for me, that would be snacks & sweets!
Why is it that some days I can very adamantly say, "No thanks" and walk away or ignore sweets and other times I say, "2 please (or shamefully 9 please)?!" You'll know what I mean later in this post. Now granted this isn't an everyday occurrence, but when it does occur, I try to analyze why I do it. What made me make that choice at that time? I have considered what my mood was at the time of the binge. Most of the time I am not thirsty, not dehydrated, not really hungry, not in a bad mood, not lonely, not bored, etc, etc, etc. You know how the list goes on. The only way I can explain it is that maybe at times I zone out and have a break from reality! LOL! No, it's simpler than that. The goodies look good and I pick them up and pop them in the old pie hole. It's not rocket science. I do this without thinking. Period. That's it! Then a few minutes later I think, "What the hell did I just do?!?!"

Often it spirals from there. Take last night for instance, a classic spiral. I had finished my kb training for the day, ate a great dinner. 8pm rolls around and my 6 year old daughter comes home from her PSR class (parish school of religion) and is eating a Reese's PNB cup (everyone knows this is my ABSOLUTE favorite)! She comes into the family room and says "Here Mom, I can't finish this." Again, without thinking, I popped it in my mouth, without a second thought. Then I thought, "Well I'm ALREADY fell off the wagon eating that, so why not munch down a couple (2) candy corn pumpkins. Yes the ones loaded with high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrose, honey & artificial colors. This is where things get REALLY UGLY....

2 candy pumpkins turned into 5, then 9 (9 = 150 calories, never mind the sugar) & then 1 more for good measure to top out at 10. Then I had a few handfuls of candy corn and peanuts (this mix is amazing if you haven't tried it...salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy). Then I followed that up with a Rice Krispy treat, a glass of 1% milk and finally a Trader Joe's sweet and salty trail mix bar (hey, it was organic)! Now I know so many experts say you can eat "bad meals" 10% of the time and still be ok. But I can't help but feel guilty because I know I can make better choices for my body. It's a
good thing my training was already complete:

In thinking about my training plan in relationship to my injury, I have decided to stay with light bells for grinds. That way once I get back to using my left side, my right won't be too far ahead of it. My right side is dominant, though my form seems to consistently be better on my left.

Wednesday

C & P ladders 1-4 (R- side) - 12kg
1 Arm rows 1-4 (R- side) - 12kg
x3

Squat ladder 1-5 (16kg racked R)
Reverse lunges 1-5 (1-R/1-L....16kg racked R)
x3

Swings with 16kg
25 reps on/ rest 10 sec
Total of 8 minutes (approx 10 sets = 250 swings)

Detox Days for me......

So I am always looking for new recipes and new ways to incorporate more veggies into my diet. And I am forever trying to make healthy food choices as well. Needless to say I surf the blogs to research and get new ideas in this quest. At this point in my life, the Warrior diet is just not my thing. I am about eating numerous healthy meal/snack throughout the day. Breakfast has caused me to struggle. I do like eggs, fruit and steel but oats, but there are only so many days I can take this lack of variety.

So this weekend, on the recommendation of a couple fellow comrades, I decided to try the Ultimate Meal. UM comes in a powder form that recommends you mix it w/ water, ice, an organic banana & half an organic apple. Jordan V recommends mixing it with cucumber juice. For anyone not familiar with the UM, it is more than a protein shake, more than a meal replacement. It is a complete meal. So I blend this all together the past 2 mornings for breakfast. It certainly has a unique taste. I think Jordan likened it to peas and dirt (it is definitely green). It is not really that bad, more of an acquired taste, but the fruit helps alot. I felt full for a good 3 1/2 to 4 hours after drinking this. However, with trying new things, there is always the chance of side effects. Here's what the Ultimate Life website describes the detox effect as.......

THE ULTIMATE MEAL^® does wonders in helping detoxify the body due to its exceptionally pure and cleansing ingredients. Some symptoms of detox may be: gas, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, migraine, even feeling sick (sounds like fun, doesn't it ?). These occur occasionally and usually last for about 7 to 15 days only.

Well they got the gas, bloating and diarrhea (not really, more like really soft) part right. All day and night for the past 2 days. I have never gone to the bathroom so much in my life. I am so bloated and full of air that you could throw me in a pool and I would float without any effort. I am really getting a good detox, despite this small side effects, right??? So now, I have been popping gas-x all day. Mind you, my office moved a few weeks ago and I now share an office with 9 other nurses. Needless to say did ALOT of walking around today! I will try UM tomorrow for breakfast again, but will first take some Beano tablets and decrease the amount of powder I use for the shake. I have felt good in the way of energy though.

So I am behind in posting my last few work-outs. No excuses, here they are......short & sweet:

Tuesday - Ballistic Day (12kg)

20 R handed swings on the minute x 16

I was feeling pretty good on energy so I decided to try 2 handed swings with a light grip from my left hand.

20 2-handed swings on the minute x 2.......returned to R handed swings after 2 rounds because I was feeling some slight twinge of stress in my left wrist

Finished with:
20 R handed swings on the minute x 2

Monday - 12kg (all on the R)

C&P - uphill ladder (1-3)
1 Armed row - uphill ladder (1-3)
x 4

Snatches
20 - Right, rest 45 sec
x8

Sunday

-practiced GTG bodywt pistols (2 R/ 2L) throughout the day Sat& Sun

16kg (Racked right)
Squats (uphill ladder 1-6)
Alt backward lunges (ladder 1-6.....i.e...1R/1L)
x2

I began with 1 sqaut, then on to 1 back lunge R, then 1 back lunge L. Then on to 2 sqauts, then 2 back lunge R/L, etc. I rested 45 sec between rounds (2 rounds total). Finished with swings.

R-handed Swings (12kg)
20 swings on the minute
x8

Back to Training & Sweat!

Yes, I am smiling despite having the cast. It's because I am finally back to training with my kb today! Truthfully, these past couple of days I had been feeling a bit sorry for myself and depressed. A little worn down as well. Three days rest was more than enough. So today was time to kick it into gear and see what I could do. I had no "real" plan, again I just wanted to get outside and see what I could really do with one hand!
I began with some Z....then:

30 - R arm swings (12kg)
25 - R arm swings (16kg)
15 - R arm swings (20kg)

C & P 5 (R) x 3 sets (12kg) - 12kg was going up really easy so increased to 16kg
C & push press 5 (R) x 2 sets (16kg)
C & push press 3 (R) x 2 sets (20kg)

(20kg racked R):
Alternating reverse lunges x 12 total
Squats x 6
x 3 sets

1 Legged dead-lift downhill ladder 5-1 R/L (20kg in R hand for R & L leg)

30 - R arm swings (12kg)
25 - R arm swings (16kg)
15 - R arm swings (20kg)
x 2 sets

I felt great, although really sweaty despite being outside with a nice breeze. I did rest in between sets to cool down so I didn't sweat too much in the cast. There is just no way I want to stink up this cast. It would mortify me!
Especially since it now has some character and has been decorated so beautifully today by my Aunt! She heard me mention that we have a wedding to go to on Saturday and how I dreaded having to dress up with this clunky cast. So being the artist that she is, her first thought was to glam it up a bit. Thank you Barbara, it's beautiful! It sure does make it more tolerable and less of a nuisance! :)

Birthday Wishes & Champagne Dreams!

So big day today in my life! Why? Because today is the birthday of one of my nearest and dearest friends. Happy Birthday to you Dar! This blog is for you today....

This woman, to say the very least, is a wonderful human being! She is beautiful, outgoing, kind, smart, trustworthy, honest, a wonderful mother, wife and friend! She would do anything for you after giving you the shirt off of her back. She has a heart of gold and is the epitome of what you would want a friend to be. She will laugh with you, cry with you and listen to you if you just need to bitch about something for a bit. She can get fired up if the situation warrants, she can be loud and is a true "kook" at heart. Yet she's sappy and sentimental and cries everytime she reads my blog (so sweet)! She knows people everywhere we go & is very entertaining. When we have party's at my house, my Grandma will never remember Dar's name. But it never fails Gram will always ask me, "Is your girlfriend coming over, the one that tells all of the funny stories about her twins?" LOL! She's the first one at a neighbors house with pans of food if someone is sick, had a death in the family or delivered a new baby! She loves anything pink and every year has workout clothes and pajamas on her wish list. She was probably one of my biggest supporters and cheerleaders as I trained for the RKC. Many times when nerves would get the best of me and I would say, "What the heck am I doing? Can I really do this?" She always had an answer like, "The RKC may be tough, but you are tougher" or "Renee, you are stronger than you think you are, of course you can do this" or "You can do anything you put your mind to."

She took her own words to heart last year (May 2007) when she ran the Cleveland Marathon (kudos to you marathoners...26.2 is just way too long for me). We were all so proud of her for such an accomplishment. When she woke up the morning of the race, before the crack of dawn. She had some nerves going on & the weather was cold, crappy, semi-raining....well her husband asked her, "Why are you doing this honey?" She replied, "Because I can...I need to do this." She told me later she got downtown and saw all of the people in front in wheelchairs that were going to race & she got all teary eyed (Yes, she's a big sap like me) and thought to herself again, "Yep, I'm doing this because I can because so many out there cannot!" Geez! (I tear up everytime she talks about it)

So Dar, this day is for you. Please celebrate it in whatever way makes you the happiest...you deserve it! Thank you for being on my side, or in my corner & for being such a good friend to me and my family always! I wish for you another 50 more (at least)! Oh, and your own kettlebell! :)

Stupid Halloween Decorations....No, just me being impatient...ONCE AGAIN !!!

So why must I be so impatient? Some say it's characteristic of women. Yet, I do know many men who are guilty of it! Well, it is what it is, whoever possesses this wonderful trait!

Last evening after completing my work-out (posted at the end), I was bothered by the 7 empty/half-empty boxes of Halloween decorations in the middle of my living room. They were stacked up near the storage area, waiting to be put away. I do the decorating for all holidays and my husband gets the job of getting the decorations out of the attic and putting them away when we are done. These boxes had been sitting in my living room for 5 days.......so my impatience took over and mixed with the adrenaline and endorphins from my work-out. I decided I couldn't wait any longer for my husband to move the boxes, I could just get it done right now! I pulled down the ladder to the attic, grabbed one of the large rubbermaid boxes (pretty light I might add) and began to make my way up the ladder...a little to quickly. I found myself teetering off balance and the next thing I know the box is flying up in the air and I am tumbling backwards down the stinkin' ladder! And what happened next was inevitable from the lead in of my story........yes, I fractured my left wrist. In a cast for 3 weeks and then a fitted brace for another 3. As the guy was putting my cast on, I was running through my mind what I could and could not do with my KB. "I CAN'T hold it with my left hand. I CAN do alot of things from the right rack position. I CAN do right single-arm swings, snatches, pulls, c & p, squats." I can keep on training, just make some adjustments. I worked too hard to get where I'm at! In thinking back to it all happening, of course my first thought is...."Why did I have to be so impatient to get those stupid Halloween boxes into the attic? What was the rush!?!?" But for now, because it makes me feel better & makes my wrist hurt a whole lot less & because I'm going to milk it for all it's worth........I will blame it on my husband Ted, because he should have put the boxes away the first time I asked him!!! (wink!) Right? LOL! :)

The workout I got done before busting my bone:

16kg
Clean/squat/press (R/L) 5x5

Loaded presses (R/L) 5x5 (switched to the 12kg after 2nd set)

TGU (1 x R/L - 16kg) between sets of loaded presses (total 5 each side).

Basic Black or a Kick of Color?.......

Since posting the pictures of my 12kg bell, I have been asked how I painted them. It was simple and fun......here are the specifics:

1) First decide if you want to paint the handle of the bell or not. If you are NOT painting the handle, tape off the handle where it meets the bell. (It was my personal preference not to paint mine. My next attempt may be to paint the entire bell and see how it wears )

2) Begin by spraying the bell with primer (Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer). Spray on a good coat to cover the entire bell & let dry overnight.

3) You are now ready to apply color to your bell. Use a good quality spray paint. (I use Krylon Satin Finish spray paint…again personal preference.)

4) When applying the paint, be sure to use quick short strokes. Spray from about 10 inches away. If you apply it too close or too heavy, it WILL drip. If it does start to drip, quickly blot it with a paper towel.

5) When applying more than one color, allow 5 minutes in between colors for drying. Get crazy! Experiment with colors. Remember: there are no mistakes…only masterpieces!

6) Once you are happy with your design, let the colors dry for about 2 hours. Then spray with a clear coat (Rustoleum Gloss protective enamel). Rustoleum also sells a flat protective enamel if you decide you do not want your KB to have a glossy finish. Whichever you choose, apply at least 2-3 coats.

7) Let dry for 12 -24 hours before using.

Please let me know how yours turn out. I would love to see pictures!

Saturday Mischief!

So yesterday was one AWESOME day!

Started out with a brutal beating from Bob at BBOM. He must have had way to much coffee before coming into teach the a.m. classes. Joint mobility drills, then right into Swingapalooza. Then on to doubles.....you name it we did it. Double rack backward alt lunges x12, into double swings into 6 double snatches (3 ROUNDS) First time i did double snatches, can't lose your tension on those, or the bells will pull you right off balance (I know, I got sloppy & tired at the end)! Somewhere in there we did a push-up, jump to a squat, clean and press. Then all sort of other evil drills. Thanks Bob...great work-out! I love leaving that place feeling beat! That's what we pay for right? :)

People have said, you are certified now, why do you still drive all the way out there (35 min) to take classes? Simply because it's nice to have someone else push you to the limit. It's nice to go and let someone else direct the workout, and just follow along sometimes. And lastly, because everyone at BBOM is family and it's great to see them. Everyone supports and encourages each other. It's great to see newbies come in and sweat their asses off and smile when they leave saying, "That was excellent, I can't wait to come back!" Kind of like, if you had the chance to go visit your mom at her house and you had to pay to valet park. Would you stop going to visit your mom? Hell no!....You get the picture!

So I came home and put up the outdoor Halloween decorations. This happens to be my favorite holiday, so we have loads of decorations. This year a graveyard will be going up in our front yard. Actually, it's done. Here are some of the fun pictures from yesterday. I brought the twins (12 kg's) and Red (16kg) out. Another beautiful sunny day!

As I was taking these pictures my 16 year old daughter came home from work and looked at me, rolled her eyes and said, "OMG Mom, what is wrong with you!" LOL!

SO TODAY IS SUNDAY!.........BIG Day!

Inaugural beating (I mean meeting) of the Cleveland Kettlebell Club (CKC)! It is sunny outside, supposed to be a high of 64 degrees and were meeting at a park at a sand volleyball court. My bells are all in their crates in the back of my truck, I've had my coffee and I'm ready too go. This should be an awesome experience........more on that later. Gotta go.............

T.G.I.F.

My plan was to do my VO2 Max snatch workout last night....but that was not to be. When I had gotten home from work and picked up my daughter, my friend reminded me of a candle party we had that evening. There just wasn't enough time for me to get my workout done and then shower before the party. So I just bumped it to Friday & Thursday became my day off.

So today was time to hit it!

One of the 12kg twins. Hardcore, but beautiful isn't she?

VO2 Max

15:15

7 rep cadence

12 kg kettlebell

50 sets

I felt great when it was done (that is, once I caught my breath and my heart rate came down!

Tomorrow........... 9am class at BBOM! The news tonight said frost overnight! How can that be? It seems way too soon! Wait, it is Ohio. I guess we've just been spoiled by the really warm weather so late in the season! It will be time to turn the heat on. Tomorrow will be sweats, jackets and maybe gloves. Can you believe gloves? I was just in a tank top last week! I even needed gloves tonight while watching the local HS football game. My daughter and the rest of her cheerleading squad were wearing gloves, jackets over & sweats under their uniforms. Oh, and we lost........35 - 14!

Great things are coming ! ! !

It really is amazing how the web, not to mention blog-sites can bring people together. Since getting back from the RKC, I have been in contact with 2 fantastic people who practice KB's and have the same thoughts as myself. Mainly there is no real venue in the Cleveland area that promotes KB's or brings people together to practice & share their love for this "all in one" fitness tool. Sure there are classes here and there at a couple local fitness centers. But the closest dedicated KB gyms are in Medina and Chagrin Falls. We need something closer........

So we have collaboratively created CKC.......CLEVELAND KETTLEBELL CLUB! Actually this was the brainchild of Todd and Matt (please check out the links to their blog's on the left side of my webpage) ........they just asked me if I was intersted in being a part of the start. How could I say no to such a wonderful opportunity!! The purpose of the Club is to get local KB enthusiasts together for training, knowledge transfer, and just to hang out with people that have the same interests. Everyone is welcome from beginner to advanced practitioner. This will be a fun club.......free of charge. We will meet to exchange ideas and share a workout at least once a month. East-sider or West-sider we will be varying the locations as we go. Everyone is welcome!

Please view the blog for updates and our first potential meeting........this Sunday!

http://clevelandkb.blogspot.com/


Tomorrow evening.......Snatch Vo2 Max ! ;0


Tonight' s Workout:

TGU 3 R /3L (16kg)

DARC swings :30 work/ :30 rest
x6 rounds

Double clean & press x6 (12kg's)
Double squat x6 (12kg's)
Double clean & push press x 4 (16kg's)
x 3

2 handed swing :30 work / :30 rest
x6 rounds

Tactical lunges x10 (16kg)
Alt Renegade Rows x10 (16 kg's)
Walking lunges x10 (16kg)
x3

1 handed swing :30 work R/ :30 work L /:30 rest
x 6 rounds

That's all!