Rep Fitness Gravity Cast Kettlebells

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Training Seasons

Just like you go through different seasons in life you go through different seasons in training as well. Goals will typically dictate how you are currently training but sometimes circumstances outside of your control will shape your training too.

Take age for an example; young man would and should train differently than an old man. Other factors outside of your control could be time constraints, work and family commitments, injury, or any number of other situations life could throw at your way. Let us be real, there are worse things than adjusting your training or missing a workout. The key is not to abandon your training altogether but to make the appropriate adjustments accordingly.

In my current situation, which is, new studio, new baby on the way, buying a new house, moving my wife and two kids, things are little bit hectic (to say the least). It's not that I don't have the time to train (a favorite excuse used by people who don't like to exercise) but it's not always at the top of my priority list these days. Don't get me wrong, training is a top priority of mine but making enough money to support my family and being there for them trumps a workout. Sometimes I find it hard to dedicate the solid hour that I'd like to on training. So here's what I've been doing...

As I sit here on the computer (work) I have already once gotten up to stretch and move around a bit (exercise). I plan to take another 5 minutes or so after I finish this paragraph. I think this time I'll do a few squats. What I've found is that although I might not have an unbroken 60 minutes to spend on some hard training, I can easily take 5-10 minutes a half dozen times a day to do *something*. "I don't have enough time" is never a valid excuse for someone who wants it bad enough. You see I know that exercise makes me a more productive person, a happier person, so I will not, I can not, ever, abandon it fully. It's something that I cannot do without.

[I actually did not make it through that paragraph without getting up and stretching again.]

Anyway, that's just the season I am in right now; an exercise or two sprinkled in throughout my work day. I get a full workout in when I have the time for it, and I miss the regular training schedule I once had, but I'm not going anywhere and neither is my desire to workout.

Another thing I've been dealing with which I have been hesitant to accept is injury. I've been going to physical therapy twice a week at www.evolutionsportspt.com. What started with some minor shoulder pain was exacerbated when I got rear-ended by a teenager on his cell phone. Now my entire right arm hurts! This has put a huge damper on my training and I am not happy about it. Very discouraging. There are many exercises I cannot do without pain. So, I do what I can. And most of the time when I do finally get an hour block to workout, I do my physical therapy exercises. It's not very exciting but I feel better when I do them and worse when I don't do them, yet I feel even worse when I try to work through the pain and do pull ups or bend steel when I am not supposed to. Oh well, just another season I am in.

I imagine once the baby is born and we're settled into our new house and I am out of pain, hard training will resume. I'll probably have some different goals by then and unless there are any other unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, I am sure those goals will once again dictate my training. For now, I will continue to do what I can, when I can do it.

Training Seasons

Just like you go through different seasons in life you go through different seasons in training as well. Goals will typically dictate how you are currently training but sometimes circumstances outside of your control will shape your training too.

Take age for an example; young man would and should train differently than an old man. Other factors outside of your control could be time constraints, work and family commitments, injury, or any number of other situations life could throw at your way. Let us be real, there are worse things than adjusting your training or missing a workout. The key is not to abandon your training altogether but to make the appropriate adjustments accordingly.

In my current situation, which is, new studio, new baby on the way, buying a new house, moving my wife and two kids, things are little bit hectic (to say the least). It's not that I don't have the time to train (a favorite excuse used by people who don't like to exercise) but it's not always at the top of my priority list these days. Don't get me wrong, training is a top priority of mine but making enough money to support my family and being there for them trumps a workout. Sometimes I find it hard to dedicate the solid hour that I'd like to on training. So here's what I've been doing...

As I sit here on the computer (work) I have already once gotten up to stretch and move around a bit (exercise). I plan to take another 5 minutes or so after I finish this paragraph. I think this time I'll do a few squats. What I've found is that although I might not have an unbroken 60 minutes to spend on some hard training, I can easily take 5-10 minutes a half dozen times a day to do *something*. "I don't have enough time" is never a valid excuse for someone who wants it bad enough. You see I know that exercise makes me a more productive person, a happier person, so I will not, I can not, ever, abandon it fully. It's something that I cannot do without.

[I actually did not make it through that paragraph without getting up and stretching again.]

Anyway, that's just the season I am in right now; an exercise or two sprinkled in throughout my work day. I get a full workout in when I have the time for it, and I miss the regular training schedule I once had, but I'm not going anywhere and neither is my desire to workout.

Another thing I've been dealing with which I have been hesitant to accept is injury. I've been going to physical therapy twice a week at www.evolutionsportspt.com. What started with some minor shoulder pain was exacerbated when I got rear-ended by a teenager on his cell phone. Now my entire right arm hurts! This has put a huge damper on my training and I am not happy about it. Very discouraging. There are many exercises I cannot do without pain. So, I do what I can. And most of the time when I do finally get an hour block to workout, I do my physical therapy exercises. It's not very exciting but I feel better when I do them and worse when I don't do them, yet I feel even worse when I try to work through the pain and do pull ups or bend steel when I am not supposed to. Oh well, just another season I am in.

I imagine once the baby is born and we're settled into our new house and I am out of pain, hard training will resume. I'll probably have some different goals by then and unless there are any other unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, I am sure those goals will once again dictate my training. For now, I will continue to do what I can, when I can do it.

Why Lift Kettlebells?

Seriously, that's a good enough reason for me, but for those people who are looking for practical reasons to lift kettlebells, here's a few off of the top of my head:

Kettlebells develop all around fitness. Whether you are looking to build muscle or burn fat, get stronger or better conditioned, the answer is YES. I could go into all of the nitty-gritty details but its easier to say kettlebell training is both strength and cardiovascular work.

Kettlebells are fun. If you've lifted kettlebells before you know this, but then if you have lifted them you wouldn't be reading an article on "why lift kettlebells"? You already know that kettlebells provide an array of exercises for the full body in a dynamic, fast paced, fashion.

Kettlebells are convenient. A single piece of equipment that takes up virtually no space and you can do endless exercises with them. You should have a kettlebell sitting by every television in your house so you can do swings during commercial breaks.

Kettlebells are efficient. This goes back to the all around fitness thing, but you don't need daily hour long sessions to get a good workout in. 20 minutes is more than enough if you're training properly.

Kettlebells are portable. No more missed workouts because you're traveling. Need a change of scenery, no problem! Feel like training outside today, pick your place (I like the beach).

I could go on but I just remembered I already wrote this article like 5 years ago. I thought all this sounded familiar... Why Lift Kettlebells?

Art & Strength Grand Opening

Announcing the Grand Opening of Art & Strength - Where Strength is an Art Form

Where: 4115 Wholesale Club dr, Baltimore, MD, 21236.
When: Saturday, October 15 from 12-4pm
What: Amazing performances, food, drink, raffle & free stuff

Coming Soon...

Got Motivation?

Kyle Maynard, author of the book, “No Excuses” competes in the 2010 Crossfit Games. Kyle was born with a congenital amputation that affected both his arms and legs. To read more about Kyle’s incredible story, visit his website at www.kyle-maynard.com

I realized long ago that you HAVE to workout. The alternative is not acceptable. You can make effort to get stronger or you WILL get fat, weak and sick. Once I understood this obvious truth, motivation has never been something I struggled with.

Of course there are times when energy levels lag, stress peaks and life in general just takes priority but for every reason to take time away from your exercise routine there are at least two reasons to do something. That is not to say that you should never take time off, you should – and a week off every few months will do you more good than harm – but you should never get out of the habit of exercising.

Have you ever noticed how you feel better on the days you workout? Find that you are more energetic? Creative? The immediate benefits of exercise are unmistakable! Everything is better when you are primed physically – you’re a more productive employee, a more patient parent, you get more restful sleep - and these are just the things that happen the day of! Once you start to string a few of these days into weeks, months and years; you’re a totally different person before long. The thought of not feeling this way is something you don’t want. Motivation is no longer an issue. You might as well consider training as part of your job (a job that pays well and you really like!).

Though if you start to experience the opposite – less energy, lower libido, impatience, and/or problems sleeping – you could be overtraining. Sometimes your motivation and your best intentions can turn against you. There are times when rolling over and going back to bed is the best thing you can do for your training. That’s why it’s important to learn to listen to your body and take scheduled times off. More often than not that extra recovery time will replenish your energy stores and renew your motivation. Expect a good workout and few personal records when you come back.