Thanks Mel... I'll remember that if I ever decide to start doing jerks... I'm still pretty much a beginner, started KBing last fall, so I haven't worked up to those yet, but I WILL!!!.. meanwhile, I'll take a look at the kb guards...

hugs

Today's training:

50 pushups X 2 sets an hour apart for a total of 100 pushups (I couldn't do even 10 last month).

Halos 10 X each direction (clockwise/counterclockwise) with 4 kg/9 lb
Bent rows 16 (8 each side) with 12 kg/26 lb

Training interrupt - child (sick), going to Seattle Children's Hospital, please pray.

RW

Daughter OK, nasty tummy bug. Seattle Children's Hospital was very helpful.

After being up all night at the ER, though, not sure about lifting today. Grateful to be home and underslept rather than at the hospital. At least I got my 100 pushups in, 2X50 and everyone of them killed me but I couldn't do any before Kettlebells.

Great news that your daughter is okay, but a tummy bug is no fun... I hope she's feeling LOTS better today...

I live in west Texas where the climate is normally dry, dry, dry, but lately our humidity has been way higher than I'm used to... I just haven't had any energy & am wondering if there's a connection... I've neglected my KBs the last 2 days, didn't even want to do yoga (yikes, that IS bad).. I'm gonna just make myself do them today & see if I can get back on track... I have a deadline approaching fast, & those size 12s aren't any looser than they were 2 weeks ago...

RW, do you do any extra cardio (running, walking, swimming, whatever) along with your KB workouts?..

hugs

You'll get there.

DD is doing well. No vomiting since stellar med that night at the hospital.
In high humidity, I don't lift, lung issue. Then I swim or work on my respiratory drills.

Will post tonight the Awesome KB workout I did in 12 minutes that is whittling my waist down 2 inches in 3 weeks.

Hugs,
RW

GREAT!.. my waist & tummy are my only real problem areas, for now anyway... everything else is responding amazingly to diet & exercise... they are too, but just more slowly & frustratingly!!!..

I just finished my cardio & KB, & I'm getting ready to spend my 20 minutes of yoga with Rodney Yee... I feel so good being this sweaty, not sure why the last couple of days were so blah!..

Thanks for the encouraging words, RW... glad your DD is doing better...

hugs

Sunday was beautifully busy, I got lots of hiking uphill wearing a backpack in the heat, but no KBs.

Today, I started my morning with a healthy breakfast of Better Oats - Raw, Pure and Simple, Multigrain hot cereal, Jay Robb Chocolate Protein Powder, a cup of coffee with SF Vanilla Bean syrup and Vanilla Almond Breeze unsweetened Almond Milk. Just right to get my energy up for a good KB session.

Here's my current favorite 8-12 minute training session for whittling my waist and lifting my butt. It also does a great job at all the muscles/stabilizers around the ribs which improves my ability to breathe (asthmatic after surviving damage to my lungs from air pollution). Getting dressed for church yesterday, I noticed that I'm getting definition on the sides of my ribs which just blew me away because I still weigh 287 lbs.

*4 kg/9 lbs* - Halos, 20 each direction (if you haven't done these before 8-10 may be sufficient)
12 kg/26 lbs - Deadlifts (two handed), 20 focusing on good form and driving from the hips
12 kg/26 lbs - Suitcase Deadlifts (one handed), 20 each side focusing on staying squared and the muscles on the opposite side from the KB
12 kg/26 lbs - Bent Rows (one handed), 8 each side (focusing on the lats)
12 kg/26 lbs - Military Presses (one handed), 8 each side

*Some mornings I can do Halos with the 12 kg but not on Mondays. If I use the 12 kg, I may only due 10 each direction, or maybe even only 8.

On a good day I can do this session with minimal pauses to catch my breath between forms and then it takes about 8-9 minutes. On a Monday, I'm happy to get it done in 12 grueling minutes of sweaty, deep breathing, endorphin pumping focus! Some days it doesn't make me sweat, too much, hah hah ha. On Mondays, I need a shower when I'm done. Your mileage may vary. LOL

Looks like a good workout, thanks for sharing it... you're using heavier KBs than I am, I'm still stuck on a 15 pounder... I tried the halos with my 10 lb., feels good, loosens up my shoulders...

hugs

Aunt Sheshie,

Whatever size KB you use just, as Pavel says, "Pick it up and don't put it down" and you will reach your goals.

Yesterday I was nervous because it was my first measure-in day since I resolved some medical issues and was able to train all out again. I've only been back in the swing (no pun intended) of things since July 3 after being forced to quit my lifting for over 3 1/2 months. I was frightened that I'd lost no inches in my waist or that I'd inadvertently made a food sensitivity mistake (eating out) that would bloat me and throw off my numbers.

I started out the month on July 3 at a waist measurement of 50.5" and instead of losing 0.5-1.5" this months (my goal), when my RKC measured my waist with the same tape she's been using for 14 months...

drum roll maestra xxxxxxxxxxx

I had shed 3.5 inches from my waist for a brand new waist size of only 47 inches.

HW: above 60"
SW: (July 3, 2010) 50.5"
CW: 47"
GW: 28"

My reward was to have one beer with my Mexican dinner with family and a one hour hike around a beautiful part of our city reminiscing with my family about dreaming my daughter, conceiving her after 10 years of infertility and then manifesting my dreams.

Now even the damage from almost dying when she was born has been erased from my waist. I am now thinner than before she was conceived.

I will not quit until I obtain my healthy waist but I know Dr. Oz and my mom would be so proud.

Happy waist and hip whittling,
RW

Congratulations! Fantastic progress

Hurrah for you, RW!.. you're getting some great results... I love your enthusiasm...

I think I'm about ready to move to a 25 lb. (or 26, whatever they've got) for swings, but feel like I'd better stay with the 15 for most everything else, for now...

I've been doing something silly, well, some people might think it's silly... I've been doing my KB routine as though I'm teaching a class... makes me think more about keeping abs & glutes engaged, not arching my back too much, you know, all those little details it's so easy to forget & get sloppy... I probably won't always do it that way, but for now it seems to be helping... I do all my workouts in the privacy of my own home, by myself, so nobody sees me or hears me!.. call me crazy!!..

hugs

I call you SMART. Four reps of a KB maneuver done correctly are better than dozens done with poor form. For me its about progress, not perfection. I wish I was as correct in my forms as my teacher. Teaching a subject to others is helpful for me in learning it myself. I think you are a very wise woman.

Keep up the good work. Use whatever size KB works for you in the moment. I go back to my 'doorstop' (the 4 kg/9 lb). If the doorstop is too heavy, I do the training bodyweight only. Never apologize for having the good sense to listen to your body's needs.

Have a great weekend.
RW

I just had to share -- Today I did swings, cleans & presses with the 26lb bell! I was just looking at my previous post where I thought the 26 was "soooo heavy" but today, it didn't really seem heavy. I think I finally outgrew the 26 for swings (and boy do I feel it now sitting here at the desk!).

Also, I wanted to add that KB is a great way to keep up your heart rate between doing sets of say dumbell curls or something like that. Today I threw in sets of 20 or 25 swings between my upright rows & barbell curls and still got a pretty good lower body KB workout without being totally dedicated.

So....what are these halos? are you going around up top, or around your waist? I've done the figure 8's before & like them, but if halos are better, i'm all for a bit of change!

Congratulations on the 26 seeming lighter

The halos that I've done are like a figue8 that goes around your head, then down to your hip. Do 10-ish, then switch direction and the hip.

OK, perusing youtube, it looks like what I've done is a halo-chop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Q51...eature=related

Here is the basic halo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaobmOmQsnU

I like the chop version!

Mel

Thanks Mel for the links.

I'm doing a standard halo but I'll check out this halo chop, oohh! a new fun thing to do with my KB.

Vonvonnie, I'm so excited for you. I think I'm finally getting enough of my omentum melted off to safely do swings at all (for 14 months of training so far, I've not been able to do them so I've just done everything else). Of my two bells, the 4 kg/9 lb and the 12 kg/26 lb, I find the larger is the easier one for swings. I can only do swings for a few seconds (15-20) but it's a start.

I love how we get stronger and find ourselves lifting heavier bells or accomplishing new maneuvers. Those sneaky Kettlebells will transform us and remove limitations when we're not even noticing it and then "Viola!"

Stay Strong,
RW