my newest nemesis

The Kettlebell

Prologue:
I've been trying to work out at least ten hours a week. (Working out is the best thing I can do for morale these days.) And, my sister has hired a personal trainer. Those who don't know me may fail to make the automatic connection. Here are two clues: I'm thrifty and competitive. My sister has mentioned a lot of exercises some more interesting than others, but the kettlebell remarks got my attention because I did them one time before with a friend and liked them.

Story:
I showed up at a Total Strength class as a novice last Tuesday. The teacher announced, "We're doing kettlebells tonight." And, boy, did we. I was sore through Saturday, especially my legs. Needless to say, I went to another class today because I got so sore last week, which means I need MORE. They combine the weight work with cardio and abs. It's really fun because a) all exercises are timed with a max of 90 seconds (I can do anything for 90 seconds), b) there's a lot of jumping, c) you get to use momentum with the weights-- so they swing. My legs were trembling as I left. Not to mention the teacher came over three times to help me with my form. The teacher would have embarrassed me when I was in my twenties, but all I was thinking, "This is a lot cheaper than a personal trainer!"

Conclusion:
I will be back for more of the sore! I figure I'll go to at least ten classes to figure out what I'm doing, then I can start doing it on my own. Right now I can feel my shoulders-- that's nice. I like this better than straight up weight-lifting, and I want to be svelte come May. Plus, I feel like I'm accomplishing something, which is a good (and necessary?) feeling. I'm thinking about training for a half marathon in April, but maybe I should just do the 6k and do a fantastic job.