FeralGoth’s BodyBlog

Hello there, Tendinous Inscriptions, its so nice to see you again, and just in time for my 32nd birthday next week - so good of you to show up for that. :)

Yesterday a friend tipped me off to a local metal scrapyard selling some kettlebells (in need of a little rustoleum) at bargain prices… so I picked up a pair of 24k bells (boyfriend seemed enthused about them, and they were $35 for the PAIR, Perform Better Brand) and a spare 16k… I now have at my disposal a whole lot of these crazy things… so instead of the kettlebell circuit I had been working on, I decided to modify it to use all of them for one thing or another here’s what happened (I know these are in a strange order, but I’m working on a few things in terms of endurance etc… and keep in mind when you see the weights of these things that I’m a girl…)

Approx Metric Conversion Cheat Sheet:
8k = 17.6lbs, 12k=26lbs, 16k=36lbs, 20k=44lbs, 24k=52lbs
Start with 40 1-hand swings with a 12k (I switch hands every 10 swings) as a warm up, take a minute rest

Set a timer for 5 minutes (I’m starting to train for the RKC Snatch test for women that weigh more than 123lbs) and do at LEAST 50 total snatches with the 16k kettlebell, resting as necessary.  I need to improve my form and consistency, but I knocked out 54 of them.  Considering how long it will take me to save up for the RKC class, I’m not too worried - its all about starting early!  2 Minute rest

Pistols - 4/side with 12k kettlebell held in front

Overhead lockout squats with 2 12k kettlebells held overhead

10 sumo deadlifts with the 2 24k kettlebells

30 Twist crunches with the 12k kettlebell

Low figure 8 with 12k bell, 30 passes

NEXT iteration…

30 1 hand swings with the 16k kettlebell, 10-10-5-5 would have done more but hands got sweaty

Reciprocating snatches for 30 seconds straight with the pair of 8k kettlebells to get the groove down - this exercise looks funny, like a monkey freaking out!
2 pistols each side with a 16k kettlebell held out front

Overhead lockout squats with 2 12k kettlebells held overhead

12 sumo deadlifts with the 2 24k kettlebells

50 traditional situps
Low figure 8 with 12k bell, 30 passes

Third and Final iteration:

20 2 handed swings with the 20k kettlebell

Reciprocating snatches for 30 seconds straight with the pair of 8k kettlebells

2 pistols each side with the pair of 8k bells in the racked position (balancing act!)

10 Squats with the pair of 20k bells in the racked position

12 sumo deadlifts with the pair of 24k bells

Weird Systema inspired "leg lift" lower ab exercise that also includes the plow stretch (its a precursor to doing rolls) 5 iterations

Low figure 8 with 12k bell, 30 passes

WHEW.  That used all of them.  Is it nap time yet?????

I was thinking the other night, while re-watching Pitch Black for the 1,000th time of something VERY VERY silly: the fact that the Riddick Trilogy motivated me to do something (a few years ago and continuing to the present day)… and that is to train my upper traps.

I know… its not the most feminine thing in the world, but I think a defined neckline looks nice - on me at least, its probably not for everyone, and I’ve had to cut the neck binding off of a few band t-shirts so that they don’t get all tight and annoying, but these are small sacrifices…

What is something silly like that which has motivated you to train a particular muscle group, or adopt a new method of training/eating/etc. etc.???

Just got in a small pair of kettlebells from Muscle Driver…  nick named them the "baby bells" though I won’t call them that in front of clients - they’re 8k each and great for teaching a beginning woman, or to try a complicated exercise for the first time - I figured out the groove for reciprocating snatches the other day… neat stuff!   Anyway, when I’ve mentioned them to a couple of female friends (non-lifters) they still baulk at the idea of just under 18lbs that you use both hands with (I would start them on 2 handed swings/box squats) though I know from past shopping trips they regularly haul around with heavy purses and multiple bags of multiple pairs of shoes…  Don’t make me paint those little kbells to look like your new Kate Spade bag, sweetie…. I’ll do it!  HAHAHA!   But I digress, I think once they get the idea of the movements then it shouldn’t be a big deal.

Also planning a "play in the park day" for adults - agility/footwork stuff, obstacles, kbells, basic calisthenic exercises, just a fun workout.  Hopefully this will happen soon and I’ll have pictures of us all going nuts jumping running etc.  It will be a good test of my "explaining how to do stuff" skills… thats for sure!!