Cross training
Kettlebell training is my latest obsession. They’ve been around forever, but recently kettle bells have become extremely popular in the fitness world. After hearing some experts talk about kettlebells and demonstrating proper moves, I’m even more excited.
What are kettlebells?
Kettlebells are Russian cast iron round weights with an attached handle. The unique shape offers a wider range of motion than traditional dumbbells, and the lopsided-ness of the kettlebell increases your functional strength and incorporates your core.
The great thing about kettlebells is that pretty much anyone can use them. You can modify most things to work around an injury, you can do it whether you’re young or old, and you can even do them pregnant, as Workout Mommy demonstrated at Fitbloggin.
Jenn, Karen, and Lisa gave a great kettlebell demo at the Fitbloggin conference. Since they stressed the importance of learning from a trained instructor, I’m not going to attempt any kind of demo, but I do want to pass on their tips!
Tips for Using Kettlebells
It’s best to be barefoot or in a minimalist shoe, like cheerleading shoes, etc., that have a thin sole.
Pick a kettle bell that is all one piece- don’t use one that had the handle welded on after production, as you never know when it might decide to fall off.
Start with a decent amount of weight. Women should start around 15-20, and men 20-25. Any lighter may actually throw you off balance and disturb your form.
For most moves, you only use one kettlebell at a time, not two like when traditionally using dumbbells.
Be sure to use proper form to prevent injuries. It’s a good idea to learn to use kettlebells from a certified trainer so you can be sure you’re doing it right. Learning off videos on the web may give you an idea, but you won’t be able to get feed back and some may even demonstrate the wrong form. {Apparently there’s a Jillian Michaels video online that shows how to do kettlebell swings incorrectly.}
Stay out of the way of the kettlebell! If you feel like you’re dropping it, get out of the way.
What do I do with a kettlebell?
Some of the basic kettlebell moves include swings, snatches, and cleans.
A swing is the basic foundation of training with kettlebells. It’s a great full body strength and cardio workout. You can get your heart rate up within just minutes.
Kettlebells are not only a good way to build strength, they’re great for functional fitness, meaning the moves you do directly translate to activities you may do in daily life, like carry groceries or picking up kids.
And hey, if nothing else interests you, mixing up your routine is a great way to bust through a plateau.
Do you kettlebell?!!
Cross training
Last month I successfully ran a 5K {which was rugged and awesome} after 10 months of being sidelined with a knee injury.
It got me all excited that I was “back”- I could finally run again. I contemplated whether to take the plunge for an Olympic triathlon I was signed up for, but ultimately decided to stick with a sprint until I was sure I was healed.
And then I never talked about it again. Why? Because I’m still having trouble running. Sometimes I run a mile to test my knee and it feels great- I decide I’m ready to start running again and come up with a back-to-running plan in my head. Then a few days later, I try to run another mile, and I can’t make it without significant pain, and then it hurts to walk for a few days. Extremely frustrating.
So instead of continuing the pattern of run well- don’t run well, I’ve stopped focusing so much on the running. Though I’ve been doing my physical therapy exercises religiously, I realized most of my other leg muscles have atrophied away from the almost-year-off I’ve taken from running {and other weight-bearing activities}.
The many muscles in your legs all work together to protect you and support your knees and other joints. Instead of jumping back into running and risk hurting something else or prolonging this injury anymore, I’m taking a break from thinking about when I’m going to be “a runner” again.
I’ve been focusing on strength training and building back up the strength in my legs, in hope that a stronger “support” system will make my knee happier.
My gym’s Body Pump copy cat class, called Power X, has been my new best friend. I’ve filled in the gaps between classes I can make it to {and instructors I like} with kettlebells, which I’m completely obsessed with these days.
There was a great kettlebell session at Fitbloggin {and I won a kettlebell!}, so I’ll work on putting that info together with what I’ve been doing and do a post on it soon. 
Strength training can be a little harder to keep up with than running since it takes a little bit more effort than running out the door, and you have to modify your plan when you travel, unless lugging weights with you is your idea of a workout…
What’s your favorite way to strength train? What about when traveling and when your busy?
Guest Posts
Today’s post is from the lovely Tina of Faith, Fitness, Fun. Tina’s incredible outlook on life always brings a smile to my face. She’s constantly reminding all of us that working out fits into your life, not the other way around. And if you need a little bit of motivation, go read her blog- she’s a new mom for the second time and has found ways to put exercise back into her routine from almost day 1- she’s even taken up running.
I love weight training. It was the first aspect of fitness I fell in love with almost a decade ago. Once I got the taste of strength, I never stopped turning to weight workouts. Very few things feel quite as satisfying as pushing my body to new limits and gaining new strength.
I truly believe strength training should be included in all workout plans. It does so much to benefit our bodies. And no – it will not make you bulky! Promise. On my blog I have some insights on how I set up strength plans, but I want to take this chance to let you in on ways I like to take it to the next level. Who doesn’t want more of a challenge, and more results, in a quicker and smarter way? I know I’m all for it! Which is why I include the following practices regularly in my strength training.
Take it slow. Doing movements in a slow and controlled fashion helps to decrease the amount of momentum used. Less momentum helping you along = more of your true effort doing the work. A good pace is two counts, small pause, two counts. For example, during a barbell bicep curl take two counts to curl the bar up, hold a moment, and then take two counts to release the bar back down. You can mix it up though and do a variety of eccentric and concentric contractions. You can take 4 counts up and 4 counts down. You can do 3 up and 1 down. Taking things slow also helps you to focus more on the move instead of just quickly going through the motions.
Use proper form. Proper form ensures that you are using the correct muscles to complete the exercise. You don’t want to be trying to work your glutes and hamstrings with a deadlift and end up working your shoulders from bad form.
You will likely feel the move more by not allowing other body parts to assist due to not doing the move correctly. Proper form also decreases any possible pain or the chance for injury, so you are able to continue improving your lifts.
Emphasize the use of free weights. Machines do have their place in weight training, namely in adding variety or helping to learn weight training moves, but the use of barbells and dumbbells are more effective.
When you don’t have a machine assisting you, your body has to work harder to stabilize itself and will naturally use more energy to do the same type of move. You also have a wider range of movement with free weights so it is common to feel more comfortable using them. Another benefit is you can challenge muscles one arm/leg at a time with dumbbells to help balance weaknesses.
Include variety. Try to do something new at least every few workouts. That doesn’t mean you have to do new moves every lifting session, but try to switch up how many reps or sets you complete, do a slight variation of a move (like on an incline or decline/with a barbell instead of dumbbell/etc), or even in a different order. Doing things differently will keep your body from becoming too accustomed to your workout. It helps to continue challenging yourself.
Play with bodyweight exercises. We may think we need some iron in our hands to get a quality weight training workout. That is not true. Things like pushups, pullups, walking lunges, squat holds, and tricep dips can challenge your body in new ways.
Consider the moves I mentioned, Pilates classes, or holding yoga poses. Tough, huh? Bodyweight moves help build up more practical endurance and incorporate new movement into your workout.
Compound movements. Things like squats, bench press, deadlifts, and rows use more than one muscle group to complete the move. These moves are more challenging and therefore more effective. In squats, you train your quads, glutes, calves, abs, and even your arms and shoulders with lifting and stabilizing the bar. During rows, you will train the various parts of your back (lats, traps, rhomboids) as well as your biceps from the pulling action. It makes sense that using 3 muscles will use more energy and strength than working one. Compound movements can do that for you.
Play around with new training methods. Include workout techniques that provide a new approach to push your limits.
- Supersets – completing two moves back to back without rest
- Circuits – doing all moves straight through with no rest
- Drop Sets – on the last set, drop your weight and then continue with more reps until you can’t do any more
- Pyramid Training – complete a set of 15, for the next set increase your weight and do a set of 10, then increase your weight and do a set of 6 on the last set
- Timed Training – instead of counting reps, do a move for a specific length of time
As you can see, there are many ways to train smarter and not harder with weights. I hope you give some a shot and have fun with it! Feel free to catch up with me on my blog, where I openly share about all topics related to living a healthy life to the fullest – body image, recipes, workouts, a positive attitude, my body after baby progress, motherhood, and more!
Do you enjoy weight training? What ways do you like to add a challenge to your workouts?
Running
I had my one little pity post, and now it’s time to move on to bigger & better things. Ok, maybe not bigger & better- but small & positive.
It’s been 2 & 1/2 months since I’ve been able to really work out- I keep wondering to myself, where in the world will I be when I can start again? It’s time to something to set myself up for the best return to running as possible.
Cross-training is always a great option to keep up cardiovascular endurance when you can’t run, but running is all about the cardiovascular system.
Some other areas you can work on to improve your running:
Flexibility
Not only does being flexible keep your hamstrings from screaming after a run, it helps your body recover faster by improve blood flow. Increasing your range of motion makes you a more efficient runner, and lets you focus on other things like getting up that hill! Runners are notorious for having extremely tight hamstrings- especially men.
Strength
A strong core helps keep your body aligned properly which helps prevent injury and allows you to have maximum power through your stride.
Strengthening your lower body may seem redundant, but running tends to use your biggest muscles, and lets the little ones get away with slacking off. Focusing on lower body strength exercises like lunges & squats can help you really focus in an those ever-important leg muscles.
You may not use your arms to run, but having upper body strength helps you run with good form. Plus, if your arms don’t get tired, that extra energy can go into your running, not holding your arms up.
Balance
Improving your balance can help you run smoother, and therefore moving forward with less energy. Balance is important since you’re constantly switching from one leg to another, but it’s also important in dealing with uneven terrain or obstacles you may come across.
Whether you’re running or not running now, focusing on these 3 areas can help improve your running efficiency, improve recovery, and prevent injury.
Looks like I’ll be doing some stretching, strength training, and balancing acts this week. 😉
