Monday, Dec 17, 2007 - Workout & Diet

Well, I started my new diet today. It was alot of eating, but relatively good food :-) I also started a new cycle of circuits today. It was a great workout (albeit long). Here is a summary:

Exercise	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5
Warm-up	5:20 mins-10 rollover V-sits; 5 fwd/bkwd fire hydrant leg circles; 10 slow mountain climbers, 5 groiners, stretching
Dbl Hang KB Clean & Alt Mil Press 1x5/side (26s)	5:43	16:30	26:16	37:23	50:51
Barbell Bent-Over Row 1x6 (Rounds 1-3: Bar + 30/side = 105 lbs; Rounds 4-5: Bar + 25/side = 95 lbs	6:55	17:39	27:28	38:43	52:11
Dbl KB Clean & Front Squat 1x6 (26’s) (1 sec pause @ btm)	8:29	19:09	29:17	41:15	55:00
DB KB Swing 1x5 (26) (swing to above head lvl)	9:34	20:22	30:53	43:10	57:18
Slow & Controlled Situp 1x10 (2 sec up, 8 sec down)	12:20	22:04	32:59	45:43	59:39
Sandbag Shoulder Clean 1x10 (20lbs)	14:20	24:10	34:51	47:31	1:01:41
Round Rest (90 secs)	15:50	25:42	36:25	49:24	1:03:12
Stretching - As prescribed by Mike	End Time: 1:12:04

A little insiration

When I'm feeling sluggish or tired and don't feel like training, I like to watch something inspirational to get my mind right and change my attitude. Here are 3 insipirational nuggets for you today. In the meantime, find and define what inspires YOU...and use it when you need it!

After watching this how can you NOT want to train and push yourself to achieve YOUR personal best today???

BTW - this song is sampled in the "Victory (Remix)" ft. Diddy, Biggy, 50 Cent....gets me pumped up every time!


This movie insipired me to take up boxing training. It got me in some of the best conditioning shape of my life. "What does it take to be great?"



It's not just football, Al. This is the mentality that every athlete -- beit a professional athlete, weekend warrior, or person just starting out -- should adopt. Rock on, brother...rock on.


I have a BIG training day planned, and I need ALOT of inspiration today. I will post the actuals at the EOD, but I am going to push, push, push and be my best today.

Summary of Workouts Dec 11-13, 2007

Thursday, Dec 13, 2007
Did my Friday kettlebell circuit, the last in this round of workouts. I didn't track my time, just did the workout. The exercises were as follows (3 rounds, 45 sec rest between exercises, 60sec rest between rounds):

• One-arm KB Clean and Push Press 1x7 each side (35lb bell)
• One-arm KB Bent-over Row 1x8 each side (44lb bell)
• Turkish Get-up 5 reps each side (26)
• Barbell Deadlift 6 reps 95lbs
• One-arm KB Swing 1x10 each side (44)

Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
Today I worked out at CATZ. I had alot of fun, and this substituted for one of my interval cardio days. It was great to go back to CATZ!!

Tuesday, Dec 11, 2007 - Worked out with an AoS Friend
Today I met a friend from the AoS Forums, Anthony Calleo. We discussed some business and even managed to get a workout in. He did the Magic 50, and I did one of my circuits. We had a great time, and I'm looking forward to working with his friends in Houston. Anthony coached me as I snatched the 20kg for the very first time, 1 rep per side.

Found a Prowler!
In other news, I found a welder in Dallas (Scott Prosek) who will construct both a Prowler and a sled for me! He also sells products on eBay under the name sprcar74. They are very reasonably priced and of high quality. I will post his website information once it's ready. Here are a couple of pictures of past prowler's that Scott has built & sold:

Scott's Prowler (red):

Scott's Prowler (yellow):

Below are pictures of Elite Fitness Systems Econo Prowler (on-sale for $249 + shipping) and the Prowler ($349 + shipping). Aside from going with someone to make these products for you, EFS is the only company that I know of who sells Prowlers. Their website is: http://www.elitefts.com/

EFS Econo Prowler:

EFS Prowler:

Some Encouraging Words & My Next MUST HAVE Purchase

Yesterday was a beautiful day on many fronts. Not only was the weather gorgeous, but I spent the morning searching for locations to open my gym, had a phenomenal workout, ran into some nice people at the track who were inquiring about kettlebell training, had friends over for the Mayweather/Hatton fight, and managed to squeeze in a little Christmas shopping.

Anyway, I was on could 9 after receiving the following comments on my progress from my trainer: "Your progress is great so far and I am impressed with how well you have handled the circuits which are far from easy. I will keep your competition goals in mind moving forward and think you will find you lean out super fast with the training and diet. As you know diet is at least 60% of fat loss if not more so the combo will be very effective." (I start my pre-competition diet in a few weeks, and am currently cleansing).

In my spare time, I like to research underground training methods and tools. I hope that my boyfriend gets me some ropes for Christmas, because technically they were the next tool on the list :-). That being said, I was pumped up after reviewing the Prowler on Youtube and by trainers Joe DeFranco & Zach Even-Esh. I am definitely going to invest in one of these puppies for my gym (and my personal enjoyment). It's actually at the top of the list now; this little piece of equipment rocks!!! I don't know if any of you have done sled dragging before, but the prowler is apparently like a sled on steroids :-) I enjoy sled dragging/pulling, and I was considering getting a traditional dragging sled next year. However, now that I've seen the prowler in action, my decision is clear. Here are 2 videos: the first is Joe Defranco (my new crush, BTW) discussing the benefits of the prowler and why he uses it. the second is a group of football players executing prowler sprints supersetted with kettlebell swings as part of their conditioning training....gotta love it! These boys look soooo tired; I don't think I've ever seen such lack luster swings in my life - LOL. Bless their hearts, though...they tried!

Saturday Workout - PROVIDENCE...Just AWESOME!

The weather in Austin yesterday was fabulous (almost 80 degrees!), so I decided to bring a little bit of summer back by taking my workout to the track in the early afternoon. Of course, I had a workout all planned and totally changed my direction once I got there :-) I'd planned on doing a (wo)man maker workout that consisted of 7 cycles of push-ups/swings/1 lap/0:30 second rest, and then following that up with Cardio Survivor 2. Well, my actual workout was as follows:

AoS Providence - did the full workout, including the 3 min snatch test at the end. I also interspersed push ups with (chest press) round 3. I used a 12kg, which was WAY TOO LIGHT for the swings & 1-arm rows, but was perfect for all other exercises. I only had my 12kg with me at the track though, so that's what I did. All I kept thinking was wow, my circuits over the past few weeks have made me much stronger! The snatch test was even remarkably a breeze! I messed up the execution though and alternated 5 snatches R/L for the entire 3 mins instead of doing 1.5 mins R and 1.5 mins left. I also to this day have not gotten comfortable with the flip & squat; I just do a high pull and squat. This substituted one of my circuit workouts for the week.

For those of you who don't know about the Art of Strength series, here's the trailer for Providence...now that's what's up...


For the finisher for my workout I did one Cardio Survivor 2 circuit:
CIRCUIT 1, 3 Rounds. Used a step with 4 risers/side for the plyo movements; used a high step with 1 riser for the agility movements.
Round 1
* Plyo Power Jump Up
* Side to side (agility)
* Squat & Shoulder Press
* Crunch
* Bear Crawl back to beginning
* Rest 0:20

Round 2
* Plyo Pop Squat
* Ins & Outs (agility)
* Squat & Hammer Curl
* Crunch
* Crab walk back to beginning
* Rest 0:20

Round 3
* Running Pop Offs (plyometric)
* Run Up (agility)
* Squat & upright row
* Crunch
* Lateral Shuffle back to beginning
* Rest

END OF WORKOUT: 1 hour 8 mins - AWESOME

Who are you training with?

Some friends are wondering who I'm working with regarding my off-season training. Alot of people ask, well if you are a trainer, why can't you just train yourself? Well, the truth of the matter is that I absolutely could train myself. However, I strongly feel that every athlete needs a coach to push and motivate them. For kettlebells, I rely on coaches like Anthony DiLugio, Mike Mahler, and Lisa Shaffer to keep me progressing. For competitive body building or figure, I work with Jerry Malina in Austin, TX. When I'm focusing on conditioning and want to switch up the routine, I work with CATZ Sports or Bruce Acuna of Bruce's KO Boxing in Austin, TX. When I'm dieting, I work with Mike Davies of The Fitness Factory (who is just AWESOME). I coach other people so often, that I need someone to help me tweak and perfect my own training routines and challenge me in different ways. Think about it this way - every professional athlete (bodybuilder, figure competitor, football player, baseball player) - they all have the knowlege and experience to train hard and get results...however, they utilize coaches to reach their own ultimate potential. Coaches/trainers are great resources, and I rely on coaches to reach my personal fitness goals, just as others rely on me. There are ways that a coach can push you that you can't achieve alone; in addition, my trainers can spot me instead of me working out by myself. I'm only going to go so far alone :-)

I am actually working with Mike Mahler for the next 3 months to focus on conditioning and fat loss and with Mike Davies on my diet. I discovered Mike in early 2006, at about the same time I discovered Anthony DiLugio and Lisa Shaffer. I met him this past September at a workshop he hosted with Lisa Shaffer in Dallas, TX. I really like Mike's energy, routines, and his focus on true strength & conditioning. So, I decided to become one of his on-line clients as a change of pace. For the first 4 weeks, I rotate between 3 different circuit routines that combine kettlebell and traditional strength drills. I am finishing up the first cycle now and will begin cycle 2 next week.

He designs all of my circuits, and I'm trying to stick with the program exclusively, while adding in some of my own fun training occassionally (like AoS videos). Winter time is the toughest time of year for me to keep up with my kettlebell training since the garage is so cold, but I thought Mike could help keep me motivated and on track. Not to mention, he can help me pull together some loose ends with my own program design.

I plan to return to CATZ Sports in January for spring training. Mike's programs and CATZ will overlap for about a 5 weeks, but it will be fun; I'll likely substitute CATZ for my 2x/week interval cardio sessions that Mike prescribes. Thus far, I've not been as strict with my interval cardio as I am with my training. I tend to do my own thing for cardio. I still get it in, but I change it up alot. So far I'm getting great results and see improvements in my conditioning and overall strength. My goals are to be able to do 1 unassisted pull-up and get back to my normal body weight (160lbs) by March 2008. I plan to return to the competition stage next year, so I need to focus on getting my body conditioned and prepared in the off-season. Training season will begin March 2008. I want to compete in the summer, and I may return to figure just to put on the heels :-)

Wed, Dec 5, 2007 - AM Cardio

11:45AM-12:15PM Interval cardio using bike: 5 min wu/cd, 30 sec sprint/60sec recovery 15X. Entire workout lasted 32:50. This is an awesome little cardio cycle!!!

Tuesday, Dec 4, 2007 Workout

8:45-9:35PM Today's workout was remarkably pretty good, even after taking the weekend off (and AF visiting)! I felt strong throughout most of the circuit, although the TGUs still kicked my a**. I did the workout exactly as prescribed using the weights indicated.

I mostly took 45-second breaks in between each exercise and one-minute breaks at the end of each circuit. The body of the workout took me 40:23, excluding warmup, cool down, and stretching. The last time I did this circuit, I completed it in 45:07, so I am improving. The table below shows the workout, and the times indicate the end time for each exercise. Keep in mind the 45-second rest in-between exercises, and 1 minute rest at the end of each round.

Exercise	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3
Warm-up	4:51 mins joint mobility drills
One-arm KB Clean and Push Press 1x7 each side (35lb bell)	0:41	12:19	27:23
One-arm KB Bent-over Row 1x8 each side (44lb bell)	2:05	13:44	28:54
Turkish Get-up 5 reps each side (26)	7:01	21:19	37:50
Barbell Deadlift 6 reps 95lbs	8:10	22:32	39:00
One-arm KB Swing 1x10 each side (44)	9:43	24:04	40:23
Round Rest	90 secs	90 secs	1 min
Stretching - As prescribed by Mike	End Time: 49:05

Thursday, Nov 29 Morning Workout

10:30-11:05AM I was really pressed for time today, so I abbreivated my rest periods during this workout. I rested 30 secs between exercises and 45 secs between rounds (as opposed to 45 secs and 1 min, respectively). It was definitely tough, but I made it through! I did struggle with the one-arm clean & presses, especially on the left hand side. I had to assist myself quite a bit, particularly on the last two rounds. I performed 4 rounds of this circuit. The body of the workout took me 30:46 mins, excluding warmup and stretching.

Here are the details:

Exercise	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4
Warm-up	2 mins joint mobility drills & stretching
1-Arm KB Clean & Mil Press 1x5 (clean before each press) (35lbs)	0:52	7:33	15:08	24:16
Assited Pull-up (6 reps)	1:55	8:46	16:23	25:52
1-Arm KB Windmill, 5 reps/side (26)	3:27	10:23	18:22	27:16
Barbell Squat 1x10 (115lbs)	4:29	11:38	20:02	28:41
One-arm KB Snatch 1x8/side (35)	5:58	12:59	22:26	30:46
Round Rest	45 secs	45 secs	1 min	1 min
End Time: 30:46

Tuesday, Nov 27 Lunchtime Workout

11:30AM-12:30PM Still getting caught up from taking last week off....

Today's lunch time workout is listed below. The body of the workout took me 43:48, excluding warmup & cool down stretching. This was another great workout. I held each front squat in the bottom position for 3 seconds. I felt very strong, and this circuit was easier this time around. The time displayed is the time I completed each exercise. I took 0:45 second breaks between exercises and 1 minute breaks between rounds. Completed 5 rounds of the workout.

Exercise	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5
Warm-up	4 mins joint mobility drills & stretching
Double Clean & Mil Press 1x8 (clean before each press) (26lbs)	0:40	9:49	17:44	26:11	35:40
Barbell Bent Over Row 1x8 (65lbs)	2:35	10:56	18:53	27:23	36:50
Dbl KB Front Squat 1x10 (26)	4:12	12:39	20:53	29:32 (1 min break)	39:54
Dbl KB Swing 1x12 (26)	5:16	13:47	22:06	30:59	41:17
Ab Pavelizer Situp 1x15 (4 secs up, 4 secs down)	8:05	15:56	24:30	33:40	43:48
Round Rest	1 min	1 min	1 min	1 min	1 min
Stretching - As prescribed by Mike	End Time: 52:09

Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 Workout

4:45-5:45PM Today's workout was incredible! I felt very strong and this circuit was much easier this time around. I even made it through the getups :-)I did the workout exactly as prescribed using the weights indicated. I felt great today!!! On top of the world!!

I mostly took 45-second breaks in between each exercise and one-minute breaks at the end of each circuit. The body of the workout took me 45:07, excluding warmup, cool down, and stretching. The table below shows the workout, and the times indicate the end time for each exercise. Keep in mind the 45-second rest in-between exercises, and 1 minute rest at the end of each round.

Exercise	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3
Warm-up	5 mins joint mobility drills
One-arm KB Clean and Push Press 1x7 each side (35lb bell)	1:14	13:20	29:50
One-arm KB Bent-over Row 1x8 each side (44lb bell)	2:34	14:50	31:58
Turkish Get-up 5 reps each side (26)	7:40	20:38	Start: 34:40, End: 41:37
Barbell Deadlift 6 reps 105lbs	9:09	23:17	43:17
One-arm KB Swing 1x10 each side (44)	10:37	25:30	45:07
Round Rest	1 min	3 mins	1 min
Stretching - As prescribed by Mike	End Time: 54:12

Saturday, Nov 24

Continuing to focus on cardio....

This evening I did Cardio Coach Vol 2 on the Spinner bike. Got a great sweat going, and I felt my heart getting stronger and more efficient. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

Monday, Nov 19 - Good Ol' Cardio...a little bit of rowing

Well, today I had a really nice cardio session. I spent 10 mins on the rower. Once I really got my rowing form fixed up, I discovered just how taxing rowing workouts can be :-) I spent 20 mins sweating it out on my spinner bike. All around a great workout!

The following video really helped me nail down my rowing form. Once I followed Josh's advice, boy did I feel the workout! I was rowing all wrong by relying mainly on upper body. Now I'm able to engage my full body, and boy is it tough! I know what all of the hype is about now!

A Little Relaxation

Well, we met a huge deadline at work (one day early), so I decided to treat myself to a sports massage this afternoon. I had a bit of lower back tension, so the massage was well worth it. Back to workouts tomorrow :-)

Saturday, Nov 17 Workout

I missed my Friday workout due to aggressive work schedules, so I had to move some things around.

1:30-2:30PM Workout
WU: 10 min joint mobility drills (AOS Firepower WU)

4 Rounds

One-arm KB Clean and Mil Press 1x5 each side (35lb bell)

Assisted Pull-up 6 reps

One-arm KB Windmill 5 reps each side (26)

Barbell Squat 10 reps 115lbs

One-arm KB Snatch 1x8 each side (35)

Finsher: Stretching

Wednesday, Nov 14

AM: 20 minute rowing workout (tough stuff!)

PM: Following circuit of 5 rounds
Warm-up: 5 min elliptical, 2 rounds 10 OH squats, around the body pass, 10 snatches with 26 lbs

Double KB Clean and Mil Press 1x8 (clean before each press) (26)

Barbell Bent-over Row 1x8 (60lbs) -- was pretty easy

Double KB Front Squat 1x10 (26) - KILLER!!

Double KB Swing 1x12 (26)

Slow And Controlled Sit-up 1x15 (4 seconds up and 4 seconds down)

It took me an hour and 10 mins to get through this workout today (excluding cool down and stretching). The Front Squats were killer!

Scored a Concept 2 Rower!!

Gosh how I love and adore Craigslist! I scored a Concept 2 rower for my home gym on Sunday for $300. The previous owner barely used it! I've been wanting to add a Concept 2 to my home gym, but was not willing to spend $900+. I am so psyched!! I have an entire "cardio section" in my home gym now - Life Fitness elliptical, Johnny G Spinner bike, rower. Our home gym is working out great, and we are even picking up clients to train. Alot of fun stuff!! I've been looking for a good deal on a rower for all of this year, and Sunday was my lucky day!

Monday, Nov 12

Just did some interval cardio on the elliptical.
5 min warmup at moderate pace
15 rounds of 30-sec sprint, 60 sec recovery
3 min cool down

felt amazing afterwards!!!

Another great circuit

3 rounds
One-arm KB Clean and Push Press 1x7 each side (35lb bell)
One-arm KB Bent-over Row 1x8 each side (44lb bell)
Turkish Get-up 5 reps each side (26)
Barbell Deadlift 6 reps 100lbs
One-arm KB Swing 1x10 each side (44)

Took me a while to get through this circuit (about 75 mins!). The get-ups were really challenging for me. LOVED the deadlifts. Push Presses really got my heart rate up; dropped down to 12kg for the last round. Skipped getups on the last round.

Is that what we have been reduced to?

Ladies,
I came across the following video on youtube today, and it made me wonder if this is what we have been reduced to when it comes to fitness training??? Must we train in bikinis on the beach doing foo-foo exercises to be deemed marketable? Quite frankly, I was offended and ashamed of the women who agreed to do this. IMO, it really takes a stab at serious kettlebell athletes.



Despite this foolishness, try to continue to rock on ladies and gentlemen!

Super Energy Crash

Man oh man...I woke up with a sore throat and stuffy nose. My eating today was horrible in the sense that I did very little of it. That being the case, I have no earthly idea what possessed me to try to fit in a lunch time KB circuit workout on an empty stomach! I did one round of a 4-round circuit and was wiped out! I decided to put it on hold, fuel up, and try again later tonight.

5:30PM
The weather was lovely, so I just took a 45-minute walk outside, enjoying the scenery. I am definitely feeling better with food in my system. I'm going to try to tackle my program again.

7:00PM
4 rounds for time....
* 1-arm kb clean & military press @ 5 reps/side, 16kg
* Assisted pull-ups @ 6 reps
* 1-arm kb windmill @ 5 reps/side, 12kg
* BB Squat @ 115lbs
* 1-arm KB Snatch @ 5 reps/side, 16kg

Training with Mike Mahler

I've decided to start training with Mike Mahler during my off-season. We are working on conditioning, fat loss, and muscular endurance. We have alot of great things planned, and I start the 3-month journey this week! Cheers!

This evening, instead of working out, I spent some QT with my DSO. We have been really enjoying each other's company lately, spending alot of time talking and just appreciating one another. Being in love is good stuff, especially when you know you're with the right person!

Tuesday, Nov 6

PM: 30 mins cardio (10 mins elliptical wearing 10lb weight vest; 20 mins step, 5 mins with weight vest).

Monday, Nov 5 Workout

AM: 22 mins elliptical - got a really good sweat going. I've missed using my elliptical trainer regularly.

Sunday's WOD

Well, I was inspired to create my own workout of the day - a little bit of Crossfit, AoS, and lots o' fitness forums this week :-). Here goes....bring on the pain....

Warm-Up: Joint mobility drills, 15 mins elliptical), light stretching

Workout
For time.......
20 Pushups
20 DB Thrusters (use 20lb dumbells)
10 Band-assisted pull-ups
20 Double Swings @ 12kg
20 Snatches @ 12kg (10R, 10L)
20 alt "dip & switch" cleans (use 15lb dumbells)
20 Dbl Static Rows @ 12kg
10 burpees
10 deck squats @ 12kg
10 Band-assited pull-ups

The entire workout took me 14:24.

Cool Down: Stretch

This was a challenging workout. Thrusters always wind me! I actually only did 10 DB thrusters, 4x20lbs and 6x15lbs. I also modified the deck squats.

Tonight's Workout - the 300

8 min warmup - jogging, heavy bag, light stretches

Workout
25 jumping jacks
25 pushups
25 KB front squats (switch hands after 13 reps, and do 12 reps w/other hand)
25 one hand swings (LEFT HAND)
25 bent over rows (switch hands after 13 reps, and do 12 w/ other hand)
25 snatches (Switch hands after 13 reps, and do 12 reps w/other hand)
25 figure 8's into hold.
25 presses (switch hands every 3 reps)
25 one hand swings (RIGHT HAND)
25 cleans (switch hands after 13 reps, and do 12 w/other hand)
25 snatches (switch hands after 13 reps, and do 12 w/other hand)
10 windmills (5 each side)
15 burpees

Used a 9kg for windmills, 1/2 of the cleans, and 1/2 of the presses. Used 12kg on all other kettlebell exercises. Entire thing took me 27:50, including 45-60 seconds rest in between each exercise and water breaks. The burpees at the end were killer. GREAT workout! I closed with russian twists, bridge, sit-ups, and stretching.

A Little Morning Cardio

Admittedly the most difficult thing for me to do is workout first thing in the morning, mostly because I'd rather be sleeping. So, any time that I actually get a morning, pre-breakfast workout in is a day that I feel good about. I'm usually not able to get enough energy in the early morning to push to any high level of intensity, but I do the best I can. This morning I hit the bike for 25 minutes, doing some interval training. It was a nice workout, and I got a good sweat going. I'd contemplated doing Providence, but I definitely don't train well with the bells in the morning. Tonight I will either do Providence or P90X Shoulders & Arms. My shoulders and arms need a little bulking up. Over the next 7 weeks, my focus will be on fat loss and conditioning. I may train shoulders & arms a little heavier, but it's usually counter productive (and unrealistic) to strive for fat loss, conditioning, and mass building at the same time. I'm also considering giving Performance Nutrition a run...still thinking on that....

Have a great day ahead, and I'll check in tonight.

My 2007 Santa Wish List

Well, I thought I'd post my "Santa please bring me the following for my gym" list:

1) ROPES - I'm itching to try rope training, thanks to Anthony's latest MOS and Kettlebell Athletics' youtube posts of rope training....looks like so much fun! I really want to try those jumping pullups and jumping armbars shown on KBA.

2) Agility Rings

3) Agility Ladder

4) Concept 2 Rower

5) Kettlebell storage rack

6) New rubber flooring

7) Mirrors

8) Heavier Kettlebells 24kg, a better quality 9kg (like Perform Better, Lifeline, or Ader), and maybe a second 16kg



Gosh, I feel greedy writing it all out..... :-) Maybe I'll ask my parents for some of this for my birthday as well (am I too old to be doing that??? - LOL)

Decided not to pursue the RKC

Well, folks, I ultimately decided not to go for my RKC last weekend. I trained really hard, but I felt like I was focusing on the wrong things. I kept focusing on the snatch test and getting my numbers up, but I kept questioning what this was really teaching me? Does it make me a better instructor because I can snatch a 16kg kettlebell 19 times on each side? I personally don't think so. That is more a statement of my physical endurance. However, it does not teach me or reinforce skills to help me become a great instructor. The snatch is a wonderful exercise, and throughout this process, I certainly learned how to snatch (finally!). However, other aspects of my training suffered because I was focusing so much on a single exercise. I feel that my kettlebell training was at its best last summer. I was training 5-6 times per week, specifically with kettlebells using an arsenal of different exercises, and my conditioning, endurance, and physique all changed as a result. So, I want to take some time to get back to basics...not stress so much...focus on my true love of kettlebell lifting and rediscover the joy of teaching others.

My philosophy and training dynamic have certainly changed over the course of this year. While I think the RKC would be useful, it is not the route that I have elected to take to pursue my true passion. I don't even find the DD forums as useful as I once did. I am growing, learning, and contributing much more at the AoS forums. My passion is teaching others healthy lifestyles through physical fitness, specifically through activities such as spinning, boxing, kettlebell training, and sports-specific conditioning drills. I am an awesome spinning coach. I've taught other forms of group exercise, but for me, spinning definitely brought out my passion for coaching. I feel the same way with kettlebells. I believe firmly in the power of kettlebell training, and I want to spread that message to as many people as I can. Although I am still going through my own personal journey with kettlebells, my goal is to train to no only become an outstanding kettlebell athlete, but also to become an outstanding kettlebell coach and instructor like Anthony DiLugio, Mike Mahler, and Lisa Shaffer. Instead of the RKC, I'm planning to take Anthony's well rounded series of AoS courses to help me in this venture. I'd also like to do some work with Jason C. Brown/Kettlebell Athletics and Zach Evan-Esh. I love those underground, non-traditional, kick-your-arse-every-time training techniques!! No disrespect to the RKC method at all. It served a purpose for me and really introduced me to the sport. However, it is not the right avenue for me to achieve my personal goals of instructing at this time.

Thanks to all of the wonderful friends & trainers who have supported me through this experience - Anthony DiLugio, Rob O'Brien, Lisa Shaffer, Jen B, & Mike Mahler.

With Anthony's help, I'm working on something even bigger & better for 2008......Get Ready Austin, TX!

OWWWEEEEE -- AoS FIYAHPower

Goodness gracious. Tonight I tried AoS Firepower for the 2nd or 3rd time after having owned it for a year, and I still can't make it through. To me, Firepower ranks up there with Newport in terms of the conditioning that it requires (though Newport is IMO the hands down winner of taxing). Gosh, I tried the 2-alarm workout today...why?? who knows :-) What I do know is that I GOT SMOKED!! I'll have to keep working my way up to this baby.

Great workout to end the day, though!

Peace.....& good night....now I'm really craving some P.F. Chang's shrimp fried rice LOL

Top O' the morning

Man, I had a great workout this morning! I got my new Cathe 4-Day Split DVDs this week, so I decided to give it a try. I did 30 mins of kickbox + 30 mins of heavy shoulders, calves and core. It was a great way to jump start my day.

Cathe rocks!!

I must admit, I've been ignoring an injury, which is very bad (was in denial). I somehow overextended my elbow during some of my pullups, which is the real reason that I took a break from my beloved kettlebells. I noticed a slight pain when I was doing my snatches last night, so I know that it isn't completely healed. I also notice some pain in the back of my right knee, which has been occuring for a few months. I've been trying to do more stretching. I think I will try some of Anthony's methods for kettlebell rehabilitation of an injury. I'm slowly working my way back. I pulled a ligament and had a slight hairline fracture in my right elbow about 2 years ago; the pain that I'm feeling now is in my left elbow, but of similar intensity. Must be the cracks and aches as we age...I will be 30 years old in 2 months and 1 day :-) Anyway, I won't let it set me back..gotta keep rockin'....just in a smart way.

As Anthony says, "Be extraordinary" today!!!

Inspired to HOC

Thursday, 10/25/2007 7:10-7:30PM Workout
It's been about 4 weeks since I even picked up my beloved kettlebells. I've actually been training with P90X for the past 4 weeks. To my surprise, it is a great strength training program, and it's helping me focus on improving my pull-ups. Anyway, I was inspired by my friend Rob over at the Art of Strength forums, so I did a short HOC workout this evening before it got too dark. The days are getting shorter and the weather a tad bit chillier (I had to wear long pants, gloves, and a jacket for my workout). Due to my procrastination, I only got a solid 15 mins in and 3 rounds of work.

Here's what it looked like:
1/4 mile walk/jog
10 snatches per arm @ 12kg
Repeated 3x (goal was 5x in 25 mins, but darkness fell upon me....safety first....)

The beauty of kettlebells is that even when time is short, you can still get a quality workout in. Thanks for the inspiration, Rob!!!

The making of a pull-up bar

Well, I've been getting some requests to see our homemade pull-up bar. We basically designed it after looking at a variety of different designs on the crossfit.com forums. Our final design was a really simple. It was easy to put it together. The most challenging part was the installation, but only because our stud finder was crap. It took us Saturday evening & Sunday morning to finish it up; had our stud finder been better, we could've finished this puppy in 2 hours. We've since purchased a Zircon 60371 i65 OneStep Wood, Metal, and Live Wire Stud Sensor from amazon.com, which is great! We've had our bar installed for a little over a month, and I use it frequently (am currently going through a P90X rotation, which is very pull-up intensive). The best part about the bar is that we designed it to meet our exact specifications. We can also add to it later on if we want to make it versatile for use with more clients. We also installed a 100lb heavy bag that day that I purchased from Craiglist (gotta love it!).

Here's our Home Depot shopping list for the bar:

Qty Descr Total Price
---- --------------------------------------- ------------
1 2x6 Piece of wood $3.98
1 8-pc drill bit set $4.97
2 3/4" galvanized 90-degree elbows $2.00
2 3/4" galvanized flages $6.54
1 3/8" drill bit adaptor $2.48
4 Wood Lag Screws $3.92
2 3/4 x 18 Black Pipe $6.86
1 3/4 x 48 Black Pipe $5.98
8 3/8 x 31 Lag Screws $2.70
----------
$39.43 + tax




My make-shift block diagram:






Pictures of the work in progress:

The final product!

Beautiful Day, Beautiful Workout

This morning was absolutely gorgeous in Austin! I decided to take advantage and workout at the track (one of my favorite things!). I did 2.25 miles along with the first 4 rounds of AoS Providence, with some swings in between. I structured my workout as follows:

2 laps (walk/jog)
35 swings @ 16kg: 10 2H, 5 R, 5 L, 5 H2H, 10 2H
2 laps (walk/jog)
Good Stretch Sequence
AoS Providence Rounds 1-4 @ 16kg
6 laps (walk/jog)

I came home, took a much needed shower, then went to have a nice leisurely lunch at Whole Foods Market downtown. I read a magazine, enjoyed the view of the lovely dowtown skyline, and felt pretty darn good! I think I'll take a nap and then plan for another workout later this evening; I'm feeling a little Cathe coming on and snatch practice!

Make it a great one, people!!!

A burst of energy

I worked out pretty late tonight, but got a huge energy burst and was working hard for about an hour and a half. I did 1:05 of Cathe's Low Impact Circuit (~10 min step cardio w/ 4 min strength endurance sections). I followed that up with some heavy swing work on the 20kg (just 3 short rounds of 8-10) and snatch work with the 16kg (no gloves or wrist guards!). I did low rep snatches: round 1: 3 R/L, round 2: 5 R/L, round 3: 8R/4L; round 4: 11R/4L.

Will try to get solid cardio in the morning (30-40 mins elliptical)...less than 8 hours away :-)

My Progress Meeting with Lisa

I was in Dallas for the past 5 days in a commercial real estate investment seminar. I decided to get a 1x1 session in with Lisa Shaffer while I was there (Friday night). She evaluated my form on the swing, clean, clean & press, TGU, snatch (of course), windmill, OHS, and seated presses. She has a larger assortment of kettlebells than I do, so I used the opportunity to see how much I could swing. She did tweak my swing form a bit. I tried the 24kg (53lber) and the 70lber. They were surprisingly not that difficult! I got a good 8 reps in with the 70lber. I could've easily done more but I didn't want to wear myself out before the almighty snatch.

Well, Lisa said that my snatch form and technique were great!! I did snatches with the 12kg to warm up and then went for it with the 16kg. I did 10 on the right and 9 on the left with the 16kg. I am pretty sure that I could've done at least 1 more rep each side, but my hands were starting to hurt by that point. Boy was I pumped up, though!! TO date, I'd never snatched the 16kg on my left side, and I ripped out 9 reps! Lisa thinks that I will do well at the RKC; she eased alot of my fears and worries. She only had to clean up my swing form; the rest was confidence building. I will be going to the Lisa Shaffer/Mike Mahler workshop in Dallas on Sept 15, so I hope to have my snatch numbers up to the minimum requirement for RKC by then. To pass, I need to get 38 combined reps with the 16kg. I feel pretty good, just need to keep practicing and get my conditioning up.

Feeling better

Ah, feeling in better spirits today.

My afternoon KB workout consisted of the following:
4:30-5:15PM - The heat took ALOT out of me today. I only made it through 1 round of the circuit, took lots of breaks, added some get-up situps, and called it a day. My planned goal was to make it through 3 rounds of the circuit and do 10 rounds of snatches at the end. It was over 100 degrees when I was working out; it just wasn't going to happen today :-) The workout was great, though!!
Warmup (Swings @ 12kg)
Took 1 minute rest in between each exercise

• 1 min 2H swing
• 1-arm swings, 30 sec R, 30 sec L
• 1 min high pull (30 sec R/L)

Rested for 2 mins before starting the circuit

KB Circuit

• 10 R/L swings @ 16kg
• 3 R/L windmills @ 16kg
• 10 R/L cleans @ 16kg
• 5 R/L military press @ 16kg
• 20 H2H swings @ 16kg
• 10 R/L Rows @ 16kg

Snatch Practice
3 rounds high pulls @ 16kg, 5 R/L

I think I will focus on snatches with the 12kg and high pulls with the 16kg this week.
My hands were bothering me again during the workout :-(

Tired, tired, tired

Gosh, this week has been a bust as far as workouts are concerned. I have been so fatigued, bloated, and hungry for most of the week. I haven't done any workouts since Tuesday, and my hamstrings were feeling sore most of the week from my Tuesday workout. I must admit, I've been in an abnormal sleep pattern, and I've been spending alot of time researching real estate investing and network marketing with most of my free time. I attended 2 workshops this week, and will have a 4-day workshop next week. I'm really serious about embarking on the practice, so that has been really exciting. Unfortunately, in my excitement and onset of "female time", my diet & training have suffered. Friday & Saturday are really the only day that I didn't eat as clean (2 days of eating whatever the heck I wanted - bread, steak, hamburgers, french fries, fruit, pasta). My eating this week has been pretty good in general. I'm just having a bad couple of days; I need to get it together. I definitely won't weigh in for a week or so to let my body get back to normal. All this water weight in my system - I'm sure I'm back at my pre-diet starting weight.

I must admit that I'm stressing myself out about being prepared for the RKC this October, and I've even considered dropping out. But, I'm not a quitter, and I'm going to go and give it my best shot regardless. I've spent alot of time training, and I also have some interim checkpoints via 1x1 sessions with Lisa Shaffer, and am attending a 5-hour workshop (Mike Mahler/Lisa Shaffer) in Sept. So, i should be okay, as long as I get back on the ball.

My boyfriend and I redesigned our home gym this afternoon, which was a workout all by itself. I plan to get a session in before bed, and 2 workouts tomorrow.

I just need to restore my positive attitude and stop being so nervous and negative. Results will come with hard work....

On a more positive note, I've been training 2 clients with kettlebells for the past 2 weeks. Things are going well, and I'm learning how to teach different moves to people who just want to get in shape. Good stuff!!

Candid Picture of me putting on my shoes to go work on the gym redesign:

Couple shots of the finished product! (we added the smith machine & bench today)

Good morning workout

I slept late today, but still wanted to get in a short workout, so I borrowed one from Tracy Rif.
It was a nice little swing workout that lasted less than 30 mins. I think that I can do things like this every day. I trained bare hands today, and used my handy little gymboss to keep things moving nicely.

Warmup
1 min swings @ 12kg, 1 min rest x2 sets
Set 1: 38, Set 2: 41

Workout
1 min swings @ 16kg, 30 sec rest @ 10 sets
Set 1: 39
Set 2: 41
Set 3: 42
Set 4: 40
Set 5: 40
Set 6: 34
Set 7: 31
Set 8: 32
Set 9: 32
Rest 1.5 mins
Set 10: 40
Set 11: 40

Total (incl WU) = 490 swings, volume = 16,552.8 pounds
Entire workout was about 25 mins

Followed with breakfast: 3 egg whites + vitamins and lots of water

Getting there....

AM Weight = 174.6
Total weight lost in 11 days = 5.9 pounds

I've established the following interim targets via the Radical Diet. The diet is designed to be used up to 2 months (60 days).
165 pounds - 8/16/2007
160 pounds - 8/26/2007
155 pounds - 9/5/2007
153 pounds - 9/13/2007
150 pounds -9/19/2007

My calves are pretty sore from the Cathe workout I did on Monday. It's been a long time since I've done step; it was a fun workout! My hands are still sore from yesterday's short kettlebell workout. I will try again this evening. Goals will be 30-40 mins of cardio + 30 mins kettlebell work.

A New Journey

AM Weight = 175.2
7:15-7:30AM: 30 mins cardio (Cardio Coach #5 - 20 mins elliptical, 10 mins bike)
9:45-10:15PM:
30 mins kettlebell drills (used various combos from Kettlebell Goddess DVD)
*Note: my hands were killing me. These calluses are no joke :-(

A Little Relapse

Well, the 2nd half of last week and this weekend did not bring alot in the way of focus on my diet or my training. Work was really busy, and we were striving to meet an aggressive deadline. So, I was not as focused on either my training or my diet. I ate way too many carbs to preserve energy; things were so stressful that I even had some drinks on Saturday, which I haven't done in years. So, my weight today was 176.4, which is 0.9 lbs higher than my lowest weight last week. All-in-all not bad considering my splurges :-)

This week I will refocus; my goal is to reach 165 by Sunday. I also need to increase my cardio; I will strive for 40 mins of cardio each day, in addition to 4 kettlebell training days. Today I decided to break out one of my favorite Cathe DVDs. I did high step challenge (1 hr, 10 mins). I discovered pleasantly that my endurance had greatly improved. I used to struggle through this workout and only make it to 3:5 rounds. Today, I did all 5 rounds and used pretty challenging weight during the muscular endurance portions of the workout. I'm starting to see alot of definition in my shoulders, arms, quads, and hams. I need to burn some fat in my abdomen and hips though. I figure that I will start to lean out after I hit the 165 mark; I'm confident that I will get there by Sunday following the Radical Diet.

Back in action

Well, as promised, my replacement kettlebell arrived yesterday. Unfortunately, my calluses are still tender, so I probably won't train with the bells again until Thursday/Friday. I am feeling great, even after the deck 0' cards. My diet is going well and this morning I weighed in at 175.2 pounds - great progress!

This weekend I will probably try Kenneth Jay's Max VO2 Snatch training. I can't find Kenneth's exact protocol, but this is what I've been able to scrounge up so far:

Max VO2 is basically a 15 second on/15 second off snatch test. You should be able to perform a single snatch in 2 seconds, which means if you're pacing 7-8 snatches in 15 seconds then your weight is good.
Men use 16Kb, Women 12Kb
R-8 reps 15srest 15sL- 8 reps 15srest 15s

From Rif:
heres the protocol for finding your snatch pace accoriding to kj( if you are brave enough)
It's a 6 min snatch test; alternating arms each min
min one 10 reps per min right arm
min two 12 reps per min left arm
min three 14 reps per min right arm
min four 16 reps per min left arm
min five 18 reps per min right arm
min six max reps per minute left arm- this is your max heartrate pace and your max hr.
kj had them do 60 % of that number for 60 % of the minute so:if you did 30 reps that last minute your 60% pace is 18 reps per 36 seconds( 60% of the minute.
he had them do their max pace for 36 sec on 36 sec off for 20 sets!the 15 on 15 off is another version. THe point of all this is is that you have to get a pace where your HR is close to 95% max.

New Diet & Deck O' Cards

Well, today I hunkered down on my anabolic diet, and it's producing amazing results. This morning, my weight was 180.5, and I weighed myself in the early evening, just after my workout, and my weight was 177.8. Goes to show that I'm losing quite a bit of water. I consumed approx 1138 calories today. I'm following Dr. Di Pasquale's Radical Diet until I get to around 155 pounds, then I'll maintain with his Anabolic Diet for Bodybuilders. It will be a challenging diet, but should produce fast results with strict adherance. Today was pretty good, but I had to take enough supplements to counter the inital effects of low-carb dieting.

My workout consisted of the deck o' cards workout. I was really tired going into it given the low amount of carbohydrates I'm consuming, but I made it through. Workout was as follows:

Assignments:
Diamonds = L swing; Hearts = L snatch; Clubs = R swing; Spades = R snatch
Ace/King = 12 Reps; Jack/Queen = 11 Reps; Joker = 1 min rest

Warmup: Walked 2 easy laps around track + JM drills + light stretching (15 mins)
Workout Time: 39 mins, stopped b/c of blisters/calluses on hands, 14 cards left
I used the 12kg for majority of the workout. Used the 9kg for 1 round of snatches (R/L) and 1 round of swings (R/L). Original goal was to go through the first half of the deck using the 12kg and the second half of the deck using the 9kg. However, when it came time to switch, the 9kg was just too light.

Results: 89 L swings, 60 L snatch, 66 R swing, 73 R snatch
The remaining 14 cards would have resulted in an additional 11 L swings, 40 L snatches, 46 R swings, 15 R snatches.

It was a great workout, but boy are my hands killing me! I've been trying to ween myself off of my wrist gards and gloves. However, I used both today as my hands were still sore from yesterday's workout. At any rate, the gloves started rubbing a blister on the calluses that were already there, and it eventually became too painful to continue on. I really wanted to finish the deck! I came home, soaked my hands in warm water, filed gently, and moisturized well.

ROCK ON!

Replacement bell on the way!

I contacted the vendor of my demolished kettlebell, and a replacement is on the way! I bought the bell from Lisa Shaffer & Kettlebell, Inc. They stand behind their products, and customer service is outstanding. As promised by Lisa, I'll be snatching the 16kg again within the week. I really like the Ader kettlebells, and I have a mix of Ader, Dragon Door, and Power Systems at home. When I first got started training with kettlebells, I bought 12kg and 9kg Power Systems bells. Six months later, I went to a face-to-face instructional workshop with Lisa Shaffer in Dallas and was exposed to the Ader bells (and took a 16kg and 20kg bell home with me!). They were much easier to handle than Power Systems. I definitley will not buy a Power Systems bell again; the handles are rather thick and the finish is not very smooth. I gave my 12kg PS bell to a friend who was interested in training; it was a good starter bell, but all future bells for me will be either Ader or Dragon Door. I haven't tried the AoS/Perform Better or Lifeline brand of kettlebells yet. I got a really good deal on my two 12kg DD bells on eBay. So far, I like DD bells the best, with Ader a very close second. I do want to get a second 16kg bell for double work, but for now, I'll stick to using my pair of 12kg bells for doubles work. I have enough to keep me busy to prep for the RKC in October. Maybe I'll get a second 16kg when I pass my certification exam!

Today has been spent cleaning the house and researching the Anabolic Diet & Radical Diet by Dr. Di Pasquale. A close friend suggested that I try the anabolic diet in conjunction with kettlebell circuit training to help shed the excess body weight quickly. I've been on low carb diets before, and they definitely work. However, I've never done a true anabolic cycle, so I'm looking forward to it.

I'll post today's workout a little later when I actually get to it! I still have more cleaning to do, some work to do, and meet with my first two kettlebell clients later this evening.

Have a great Sunday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful MOMMY!!

Fitgirl-ATX

The day I broke my kettlebell

I actually decided to rest on Thursday & Friday. Working every day for the past 7 weeks finally caught up with me. I slept literally from Wednesday night until Friday night, with a few hours awake to take a couple of conference calls and eat. The rest did me well because today I woke up felt energized. I also decided to try the anabolic diet to try to drop some of my excess weight quickly. I'm also working on a new kettlebell conditioning plan to help me improve my snatch numbers. Finally, I've taken on two clients to start teaching kettlebells, and I have my first session with them tomorrow. I'm pumped up about it! Now, on to a summary of today's workout....

Today's plan was to tackle the AoS Smokin' Ladders workout, followed by a deck of cards workout a few hours after that. Well, today was a milestone for me. I did 3 rounds of Smokin' Ladders (which was a TOUGH workout!). On the 3rd round, I attempted to snatch the 16kg bell, my arch nemesis. I was actually able to do it and without banging up my wrists! I got 3 good reps on my right. When I came up for the 4th, it was very sloppy, and I felt myself losing control of the bell, so I just dropped it. Unfortunately, when it came down, the horns completely broke off into three pieces! Now, I have to get a new 35lber. So, I am taking a break to write in my blog to chronicle the event. I have a conference call at 4, but will go back to finish Smokin Ladders when it's over with just my 12kg bell. I still plan to do a deck of cards workout around 8-9PM as well.

Here's a picture of my demolished bell:

Next on the list...

Well, it's been an eventful 2007 to say the least. I finally graduated from UT-Austin on May 18, 2007 (WHOOHOOOO)!! After that, I had to do quite a bit of traveling for family reasons, and the pace at work has picked up at an incredible rate. Anyway, I've decided to go to RKC in October and hope to do a show immediately thereafter in November. I've put on alot of muscle in the off-season. I decided to try power lifting for 1 month. I had less than 5 sessions, didn't use much weight, but wow did I put on muscle FAST!! I've had to cool it on lifting weights to give my muscles a chance to atrophy a bit, but it's slow coming. I put on about 3" in my hips, 3.5" in my waist, 4" in my chest (but that's mainly due to my new found love of eating). I definitely don't need to train legs at all, but I still need to focus on my chest, shoulders, back, and arms. I am very proud of myself because I was able to find my 2-rep max on bench press through the help of my boyfriend! I was able to bench 185 for 2 unassisted reps a few weeks ago!! I felt GREAT! That's always a goal that I had (find my 1 rep max, and press at least my body weight). I've also been working on my pullups with the help of Woody Bands. In the off-season I also did some crossfit training, and trained at CATZ fitness center 3-4 times per week. CATZ was great for overall sports conditioning and improved agility. If you have one in your area, you should definitely check them out (http://www.catzsports.com/)!

I'm currently weighing in at 179, and I'd like to get down to 154 or less by the time RKC gets here in October (so that I can test my snatch with the 12kg instead of the 16kg). I'm on a physical regimen to improve my conditioning since RKC will be super long, grueling days. I've dropped this much weight before, so I know it can be done. It's just a given that energy and muscle mass will go along with it. Though, I didn't have kettlebells back then, so I'm not sure what will happen. During the last 3 months of grad school, kettlebell training went out the door. I'm just getting back into regular workouts, and oh how I've missed my bells!

Here's a snapshot of how I've been training this month:
Sun, July 1: ETK Program Minimum + Cardio
Tues, July 2: ETK Program Minimum (TGU day) + Cardio
Mon, July 9: Sarah Lurie's Iron Core Vol 2 + snatch practice + P90X Shoulders & Arms
Wed, July 11: Track work HOC style. Did 6 laps, 4:6 with weighted vest (10 lbs). Added swings & snatches after each lap. Finished with walking swings & 3 minutes snatch test.
Sat, July 14: AOS Newport + 5 min snatch test + 1 mile w/ weighted vest
Sun, July 15: Just cardio (early AM)
Tues, July 17: AoS Providence (mostly with 16kg; still needed 12kg for overhead & pressing drills)

Exhaustion is setting in today, so I'm not sure what workout I will do. I wanted to do Smokin' Ladders or one of Andrea DuCane's KB Goddess workouts, but I'm not sure I have the energy. I actually used my better judgement and got alot of rest instead of working out. I caught up on sleep & vitamins instead of pushing myself further for a grueling workout.

2007 - New Year's Resolutions

Well, in the spirit of launching a new year, I thought I should set my resolutions. However, the resolutions contained herein are mostly going to focus on my health and athletic goals. All others are logged personally.

Anyway, since I had such a great new year's and took some time off after my show, I thought it would be fun to start the year off with a 30-day challenge. As we enter into 2007, I want to experiment with a couple of techniques before entering competition prep mode. Over the next 30 days, I am challenging myself to do Bikram yoga every day because I really need to work on my flexibility, and I want to use the heat to help detox my body. I'm going to couple that with light cardio and kettlebell work each day. Make 2007 the year you make your personal goals reality!

2006 - The Year Dreams Came True!!

Wow! 2006 was a phenomenal year in all aspects of my life. My career is still going well, and I am in my last semester of graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. From an athletic perspective, I used to compete in figure competitions (2003/2004, took 2005 off), but decided to venture into a new realm and wound up finding my true athletic niche (aside from fitness instruction, which is my passion)! At the end of 2006, I stepped on stage for the first time as a novice bodybuilder and took first place! My gluteal and leg development can largely be attributed to kettlebell training. I weighed in at 148.5 during the weigh-in portion of the show; that's amazing considering my weight was 171.0 when I started my competition diet. There were only 2 of us in my weight class (novice, heavy weight). The woman I was competing against was an ex-power lifter, and she weighed in at 175. I owe my success to my trainer, Jerry Malina, my nutritionist - Mike Davies - and all of my kettlebell friends (Lisa Shaffer, Anthony DiLugio, Rif, and all those on the forums who gave words of advice and encouragement).

In 2006, I took my kettlebell training to an entirely new level. I had the opportunity to work with two of the best RKCs in person (Anthony DiLugio and Lisa Shaffer). I also met alot of wonderful, experienced people on the forums and built up quite an impressive kettlebell DVD library. I no longer need my gym membership because I have everything that I need in my garage and the outdoor track during warmer weather. Thanks to all of the inspirational, encouraging people I've met over the past year. I definitely have my trainer, friends, coaches, family, and loved ones to thank for helping me achieve my fitness goals in 2006. 2007 is going to be very interesting! I'm going to try to blog more frequently.

For pictures from my show, check out: http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=02HK001V150013&start=0&album=0&adjust=-1