New Toys

Just about the only thing that is going really well right now in my life is my workout progress. I do love my kettlebell time - no wonder, when you look at the scenery that my regular workout buddies provide (see hot torso to the left).

I have moved up to the 32kg kettlebell for both clean & press and swings. I realize that means very little to most of you, but trust me - slowly pressing 70 pounds over your head with one hand is pretty tough, and swinging it one-handed for more than a couple minutes is a cardio challenge that few people can even attempt. Recall that when I got the 32kg I was barely able to move it. Now, it feels warm and fuzzy when I grab it. Well... that's an exaggeration - not so much warm and fuzzy, but it no longer feels like it's trying to tear my arm off when I sling it about.

I've recently gotten a few new workout toys too. In the "family photo" to the right, you'll notice a sandbag and a sledgehammer.

The sledgehammer is used for wrist and grip strength, as well as cardio. When you hold it upright at arm's length by the very end of the handle and slowly lower it to touch your own forehead, then slowly lift it back up, you will feel a muscular fatigue that is fantastic in its painfulness. There are a number of similar slow leverage lifts that you can do with it, plus you can take it outside and actually hit something with it in a rapid fashion to get your heart rate up. A few minutes of this gives one a new appreciation for the men who built the railroads, one sledgehammer blow at a time.

The sandbag is a very versatile tool that builds grip, overall strength, and endurance, as well as balance. It has handles, but the best exercises are those in which you grip it by just grabbing a handful of fabric. The sand inside the bag makes each lift slightly different as your small stabilizer muscles have to react to the shifting load. I use it mostly for squats, clean & press, and Turkish get ups. It is especially good for cardio work, as you can pick it up and drop it quickly without hurting it (or the floor). One of my favorite exercises involves doing a ladder of renegade rows and sandbag squats. You do 9 rows, and 1 squat... then 8 rows and 2 squats, 7 rows and 3 squats, etc. When you get to 1 row and 9 squats, rinse and repeat. Continue until nausea sets in.

I am sure my regular readers are sick of these workout posts, but I hope that some of it rubs off on you all. In all seriousness, it is a matter of life and death for most Americans. In addition to the fat loss and strength benefits, it also helps stave off winter depression. You can't imagine how (much more) dark and mopey I'd be right now if not for kettlebells and my workout buddies. Speaking of them, here's another photo. No sweaty gymrats around here - only the finest BCPs bringing the pretty to join His Sinfulness for his daily workouts...