Learning from Iron: Kettlebell and Barbell Training

Iron teaches me so much. I pull, press, squat, and swing to interfere with iron’s strict loyalty to gravity. Under the load of kettlebells and barbells I organize my bones and gather my breathing. My grip begins with my bare feet grabbing the floor. I marshal each joint along the kinetic chain to either lever power or brace against force. If my internal pressure conquers the external load, the weight moves. But it’s only a momentary victory. I monitor the � Continue reading →

Finding the Reset Button

Ah, the holidaze. Torqued schedules, buffets of indulgence, and hunting for the ideal sparkly accessories. As a Leo lady, I relish the full social calendar but need my reset workout more than ever. Beyond the din of festivities, the superego insists on punishing cardiovascular atonement. Yet as I settle into practice, a calm emerges. I submerge into down dog and crawl through standing poses. Squat. Vinyasa. Lunge. Handstand for an upside down. Backbend for an inside out. Lay down. Breathe. � Continue reading →

Yogis: Let’s Get Loaded

After over a decade of yoga and traditional fitness training, the kettlebell rocked me. It literally threw me off balance. I immediately realized how this training could improve my core and endurance. If you have never heard of kettlebells, they look like a cannonball with a handle and range from 4 to over 100lbs. The rigorous Russian Kettlebell Challenge offered an experience as profound as my yoga trainings. The advanced techniques of the RKC have reshaped my practice, my teaching, and � Continue reading →

(Re)Defining Functional Fitness

What does the nebulous buzzword “functional fitness” mean? It’s volleyed around in debates about what exercises have real-life application and what is completely frivolous. Many fitness professionals assert that fitness functions to achieve “results.” Sometime in the future, you could achieve weight loss, lower your blood pressure, or build strong muscles. I propose reverse engineering instead. Start by asking, what do those results represent? If you lost weight, would you feel hot? If your blood pressure decreased would you feel � Continue reading →

Dangerous Exercise

Repeatedly, people have tried to convince me that swinging kettlebells is dangerous. I argue that sitting in a chair for over eight hours a day is more damaging to your health. When did we decide it’s so perilous to move? Pop in an exercise video and hear ominous warnings. The voiceover warns, “You should consult a doctor before starting an exercise program.” Years of inactivity will certainly warrant a doctor. We are brilliantly designed for movement. In the confines of � Continue reading →

Kettlebell: An Ancient Tool for Modern Dis-ease

The personal computer offers a profound evolution in how we work, communicate and entertain ourselves. As technology advances our minds, our bodies appear to devolve back into the hunched-over shape of neanderthals. The modern office worker often suffers from tight hamstrings, restricted hips, weak low backs, rounded shoulders and achey necks. Furthermore, the lack of large motor movement contributes to de-conditioned cardiovascular systems and a loss of conscious connection to our physicality. Given our sedentary, mentally-taxing lives we desperately need � Continue reading →

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