RKC - Week 1

I did the first week of the 'Enter the Kettlebell' workbook. I certainly learned a few things, though maybe not what I was meant to.

Normally I do all my exercises after work or mid-day during the weekend, but this time I made a point of getting up to go to the gym just after it opens before going to work. I was surprised how a self-avowed 'night' person such as myself could easily change the getting up portion of my waking pattern when needs be. I see now how working flexi-time and not having regular morning meetings has meant that my sleeping pattern has been determined more by when I go to sleep rather than when I have to get up.

The actual physical effort involved to go through the motions of the exercises as set out in the plan was easily sourced, indeed I was mildly annoyed that the early stages of the plan involved exercising in only 4 out of a whole 7 day week. This is however a reminded that I've always held back my physical training by not getting enough rest; it's great and all that I can workout 7 days a week but without sufficient R&R all I'll be doing is burning time & calories.

Actually, on that subject, while I was getting myself up at an early hour I was still going to bed just as late as normal, meaning I was getting even less sleep than normal that week, It actually felt quite good as over the short term the more fatigued I get the more wired and energised I get, but know from experience that going too many days like that means crashing at a later date.

The actual KB parts of the workouts left me with questions about the correct way to do them as my form always felt a bit wrong and I wasn't 100% sure I was doing the moves the way I was as shown,'gettups' in particular. The trainers at the gym weren't any help as KBs are still quite new to them but iPhone to the rescue I looked up the moves on youtube and saw I'd remembered the essentials right, I just needed more confidence and practice. Perhaps more pies as well! Like most weight training because I'm naturally slim I've got to fight to stay in form rather than just fight the weight, as the KB goes went up one way physics tries to make my legs see-saw up the other way. Harrumph.

I'm always wary of injury so rather than just carrying on and banging the moves out in the hope that my form will magically improve I've taken the KB home and will be going over the finer points with the 'Enter the Kettlebell' film in front of me before starting the programme again. Rather than continuing with week 2 I'll probably do week 1 again as I don't want to progress without first being confident of my form.

Journey with a Kettlebell

Started today a supposedly 12 week Kettlebell programme.

I wanted to start it sooner in my flat but 24 minutes of jumping around and and swinging a kettlebell around makes my floorboards creak like a whale in a whalebone corset two sizes two small. Doesn't annoy me but I'm cursed with being to considerate to put the neighbours below me through that nearly every day for 3 months.

I've solved the problem by rehousing the KB by renting a locker at my gym so can go swing it around there with impunity in the mornings. This is a blessing in a way as I'd be pretty annoyed if I was swinging it at home, it escapes my grasp and accidently turns my flatscreen TV into a concavescreen TV.