On the way back from Costco today we stopped in at FitnessSource to purchase some new Kettlebells. I needed a slightly lighter one to get my snatch ready, I needed a heavier one to progress to and I wanted to get Nicole one to get her started. We ended up getting a 15lb, a 25lb and a 70lb. The 15 is a cute blue, the 25 the same vinyl dipped black as the 45 I already have and the 70 is pure metal, no frills, just heavy as hell. Apparently 70lbs in the weight that the Russians use as the Rite Of Passage to becoming a man. Once you can snatch a 70lb KB, I guess you can graduate to drinking vodka and growing your own potatoes.
While Nicole went to the gym, I busied myself clearing almost 2 feet of snow off the upper deck. It was just out there, silently bothering me and since the sun was out and we were obviously done with the snow, I decided to clear it off. An hour later, I could BBQ if I wanted to! By the time Nicole got back she told me it was snowing and I should go out and shovel the driveway. WTH?? So as the evening closed in on my decision not to work out, I went out and shoveled the driveway which took about 15 minutes after which I thought since I was already warmed up I may as well do the RKC for the day. So using the 45 I did 3 sets of 40 swings followed by 5 cleans 5 clean and press and 5 snatches per arm. I did the snatches with the 25 since I am not really comfortable with how to get the thing back down once it is overhead. The 70 is still in the hallway where I dropped it once we got back home from the store, silently bothering me…
I want to encourage Nicole to get started with KB work. Her present routine has her doing some KB swings without any formal training or support and zero direction which I find reckless on behalf of her trainers. It’s just as bad as asking someone to go and do deadlifts or squats without training them on proper form first. I am happy it is in the regimen, just disappointed that it has been given no respect. So I will try to encourage her to do part of the RKC, starting with swings and moving up to the other complex moves. I am so taken with the RKC that I think it is the greatest training method I have discovered since I stumbled on P90X for the first time. I know I have knocked it in the past, but for what they are, P90X and Insanity are the greatest tools for anyone, athlete or not, to revitalize your workout, attitude and body! RKC is the same, it opens your eyes to the possibility that there are things out there that can really help to improve your physique and at my age, I am looking for every little bit of help I can get!
Speaking of help, I am inching towards 240 at a rate that is embarrassing. I need to do something about that.