Tag Archives: kettlebells

Learning from Iron: Kettlebell and Barbell Training

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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 →

Are You Fit to Serve?: Enlisting into Parenthood

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Traditionally the question, “Are you fit to serve?” scrutinized young men’s grit to execute their country’s military agenda. During the birth of my second niece I considered fitness and service very different context: parenthood. Instead of battling into an idealized body or fighting an opponent, what about training the body and mind to nurture? As Clif Bar’s perinatal yoga teacher I’ve witness the unique path women take into motherhood. Although I’m not yet a mom, watching my friends and clients has revealed Continue reading →

Yogis: Let’s Get Loaded

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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 →

Dangerous Exercise

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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

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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 →