Tag Archives: strength

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 →

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 →

Is the Fitness Industry Tearing You Apart?

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As we begin personal training sessions many clients request, “I want to tone my arms, abs, or lower body.” Female clients often refer to their “muffin top,” “flabby belly,” or “thunder thighs.” Where did we learn to fragment and insult ourselves like this? Fitness magazines characterize the body with “trouble zones” and sell workouts to “sculpt” your booty or belly.  Spot reduction, or fat loss to individual areas of the body, has been repeatedly debunked. Yet ThighMaster and Ab-lounger infomercials constantly Continue reading →

My Beach Vacation at Caveman Bootcamp

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I’m back from three weeks in Southeast Asia. Between the chaotic streets of Bangkok and sobering reality of Cambodia, I took a MovNat course on primitive movement. So, how was it? Gritty. On an island in Thailand, we studied how to lift large logs, climb trees, balance across high branches, swim in the ocean, run barefoot, defend ourselves, and much more. Our tropical, outdoor “gym” didn’t present flat terrains, measured weights or handles designed to fit our hands.  Instead we traversed Continue reading →