Wow, it's been a minute since I've pulled out my kettlebells and the AoS Newport workout. It was tough, but I loved every minute of it! Considering I haven't used my bells in months and Newport in even longer, I was happy that I made it through the whole workout! I took breaks along the way and did not complete the entire duration of each round, but I did it! I was sweating like crazy, and it brought me back to my intense love of kettlebell training. I was really proud of myself for squeezing the snatch test in at the end. It is 5-mins, and I finished 3-mins. I achieved a personal best record for myself, not only for continuous time, but for amazing form as well. Even though I was dog tired, I felt a rhythm doing the snatches that I've never felt before! It was so invigorating, and doing the snatches 5L/5R was really a good way to keep my momentum and flow going. I did an awesome job! I wish that I could've video taped myself while I was doing the snatch test (maybe not some other parts of the workout, though :-) ). I'm really looking forward to doing Newport again; I'll either do it on Saturday or Sunday. To me, this DVD is AoS at its finest.
As a reminder for those reading my blog, for Newport, Anthony suggests "When choosing the right kettlebell for the job, women, regardless of fitness level should start with an 8-kilo bell; men should start with a 16-kilo bell." I couldn't support this statement more! The focus of Newport is on conditioning and muscular endurance, which is counter productive when using the same sized bell used for strength gains. I remember when I first got this DVD I didn't have an 8kg bell, so I used my 12kg bell; I remember vividly how difficult that was. Maybe one day I'll progress to a 12kg bell for Newport, but for now I'll stick with my 8kg bell for this specific workout.
Earlier today, I went back to revisit my training logs from the summer of 2006, when I felt that my conditioning level was at its best. I did a mix of Newport, Providence, various HOC combinations, and just alot of conditioning activity. I've decided that I'm going to bring that back. It was a good example of how I trained (getting ready for a show) and still managed to get my conditioning drills in.
Overall, I'm feeling really good, liking my appearance, and excited about the challenge of continuing the journey. To me, the best reward in life is the feeling of hard work and accomplishing a goal. I love working out, especially in the summer!! It's a great time to reflect and revisit.
Tomorrow, I'll take a long bike ride or spinning class, and do Mike Davies' Cardio Survivor 2 as my metabolic finisher. I might through in Firepower or one of the Clinic DVD workouts.
Have a GREAT July 4th weekend!!!
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