Simple Kettlebell Workout

My friend, Kurt, and I had a great workout tonight! I've been teaching him some fundamental kettlebell movements, and tonight we just focused on solidifying those movements through repetition. So....we did a deck of cards workout to reinforce everything.

It's been a while since I've actually done one, and it felt GREAT! We were tired, but we really picked up the pace at the halfway point. It took us about 50 minutes to get through the deck, inclusive of a few points during the workout where I reviewed form & safety.

Here's what we did, and we did each exercise for reps; single handed exercises were done on each side (which was great)! I used the heaviest KB that I could muster with good form for each exercise.

Face cards = 10 reps
Jokers were approx. 1 minute of rest.

Hearts: 2H Swings
Spades: 1H Swings
Clubs: Cleans
Diamonds: Presses
Aces: Set of Walking Lunges (down and back in my hallway)

Enjoy!

Awesome Interval Rowing Workout

I decided to spend a few days this week focusing on rowing. I took a class yesterday and today. I wanted to spend time focusing on my form & overall technique. Today's class was particularly outstanding. I'm writing down what I can remember here, so that I cna recreate it on my own.

Warm-up: about 6-8 mintes at 20-22 strokes/minute

We used the PM3 to create our own interval-based workout. 1:15 rest in between each interval

Intervals 1 & 2: 4:00 @ 20 strokes/minute
Intervals 3 & 4 : 3:00 @ 22 strokes/minute
Intervals 5 & 6: 2:00 @ 24 strokes/minute
Intervals 7 & 8: 1:00 @ 26 strokes/minute
Interval 9: 0:30 @ 28+ strokes/minute

Grab a rower and give it a shot!

Some Updates...

So, I've fallen by the wayside on my challenge. The past 2 weeks have been emotionally draining for me. I received some bad news regarding my own progress. My adrenals are crashing yet again, which explains why I've been so tired lately, along with some other discouraging news. I've had a ton of doctors appointments over the past 2 weeks. I'm trying to keep my spirits high and not feel like giving up. I hate this because I feel like I am not in control. I work hard, I eat properly most of the time, and I feel sad that I'm back to square one.

Anyway, I obviously haven't had my heart into finishing my kettlebell challenge (nor the energy). I've been confronted with life's challenges instead. Anyway, I'm currently doing a 30-day detox/cleanse per the advice of my doctor. I approached her about doing a detox because I've been on so many supplements/meds over the past 10 months, that I felt like my system needed a break; she agreed.

So..my message today is to remind you to be encouraged. Life will beat you up and bring you down sometimes. You have to be strong enough to resist being negative, depressed, or bitter. Through it all, I try to remember that this is all a journey, one that has been pre-determined for me. My job is to handle things as gracefully as I can, and to have faith that I am never being given more than I can handle. Faith will get me through and today's test is an opportunity to become a testimony. I might be a little sad, but I have to focus on healing on the inside. There are many others in this world who are worse off, so I am grateful for where I am today. I am thankful that my adrenal exhaustion and other ailments are not terminal and that there will be a tomorrow (God willing).

Bringing it back to the kettlebell challenge: if you are feeling strong & determined, please do keep pressing on. Mippachan, Suzie-Q, and Corinney are all doing so well, and I couldn't be more proud of them!!

Live strong!