Do more with less
I recently read an article in Military Spouse’s magazine entitled “How Does She Do it? She Doesn’t.” It got me to thinking about how hectic our lives can be, especially those of us “married to the military,” with husbands in the service. I grew up as one of three Army brats (with two brothers). Now that I am an Air Force wife, I can’t count the number of times I have asked my mom how she did it all when we were growing up...and I don't even have any kids yet!
We know the military family stories all too well: Dad is always gone to some kind training for another training before he goes TDY or overseas for a few weeks… a few months… or even a few years. In the mean time, mom keeps everyone (including the family pets) fed and clean, makes sure homework is finished, and sees that everyone gets to and from their many special activities on time, in addition to endless housework, dishes, and laundry. Special activities range from baseball, softball, gymnastics, cheer, band, Girl and/or Boy Scouts, school plays, football, dance... Then of course mom has her own special activities, (because being the wife of a busy military man and being a mom aren’t quite enough). She has Spouse’s Club meetings and functions, PTA meetings, Thrift Shop volunteering, Team Mom duties, homework toward her own college degree, and of course keeping herself together during it all. She is truly amazing and an extra-ordinary, under-appreciated, over-worked, phenomenal woman.
With everyone else’s activities and needs, mom hardly has the time or means to keep herself together. Her own health and appearance often fall at the bottom of the to-do list. We all know that working out and staying in great shape helps us to keep up with all the family and life demands, but finding time, (and sometimes money), to go to the gym doesn’t take center stage. Other than the time spent at the gym itself, you have to factor in the drive time to and from, and if you have anything scheduled soon after that showing up to sweaty and exhausted would be “unsat.”
So how can you squeeze in a little me time that actually benefits everyone? Get your workout in but skip the gym! You don’t have to sacrifice the gym-like workout either. You can get in a real weight-lifting, mood changing, body morphing workout without all the hassle or other people around with a little “strongman” tool called the kettlebell.
With proper kettlebell training, you get more done with less and even have the body to show for it- in under a month. With a life spread out all over the base and everything else over-complicated, “hard-style” kettlebell training is the solution to simplifying your workouts and getting your body back.
I have been training military wives and active duty members for years using kettlebells. After the first session alone they are hooked and most buy their own ‘bell on the spot so they can workout when I’m not there to lead them. They want to workout and know that this is something that can stay a part of their lives without disrupting the rest of it. It is insanely empowering to squeeze in a heart-pounding, high-powered, strength and endurance workout in fifteen minutes. (Fifteen minutes- and you don’t have to get ready or drive to and from the gym.) You can train in your own home while the baby naps or between running around!
The number one reason people don’t workout out is because they claim not to have the time. Hard-style kettlebell training eliminates this issue by getting a lot done in a short period of time. Another top reason for not working out in a gym is ladies don’t like moving their bodies among a room full of sweaty men. If you go to the on-base gym this can be one of the main reasons you don’t like to go. But if you can train in your own home you don’t have to agonize over this barrier either.
The third top reason people claim to not workout is that it is intimidating to go to a gym full of others that seem to know what to do. I start everyone with core kettlebell drills that re-introduce them to their bodies without shock or pain. These core drills mobilize joints and areas that haven’t moved in sometimes years, and are a base for more advanced drills down the road. They are simple and safe enough to be practiced on your own as well. Simplicity of the exercises and the ability to workout in your home eliminates the top reasons not to work out.
So what is a “kettlebell” and what do you do with it? It is a cast iron weight that looks like a bowling ball with a suitcase handle. Exercises derived from Olympic weightlifting and strongmen of old are most effective when using a kettlebell. These include snatches, swings, and get-ups that deliver both the “cardio” and muscular benefits of sprinting, but without the wear and tear or damage of running. Traditional American weightlifting exercises can be done using the kettlebell as well.
Who uses Kettlebells? Kettlebells were once reserved for only hard-living Soviet Special Forces. But have made their way into homes of housewives, American Special Forces, and emergency service members. I have found women love to train with the ‘bell because the kettlebell swing alone targets their problem areas of hips, butt, thighs, and lower & upper belly. They also like that they don’t have to swing for hours on end like they would have to run on a treadmill or elliptical trainer. Three to five sets of 30 seconds of swings will get you far better results than mindlessly plodding away at the gym.
How long do I have to train with Kettlebells to notice their effects? With proper expertise and experience, a coach will have you feeling and seeing the difference after only one session.
Where can I find kettlebells and how many do I need? Kettlebells are starting to crawl out of underground gyms and make their way into mainstream stores like Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The kettlebell is a mobile hand-held gym and you only need one for a smoker workout. Most ladies I train work through training with the smaller 8kg bell within a month and end up purchasing a 12kg bell for themselves. One kettlebell is all you will ever need for an entire lifetime. You won’t “grow out” of your bell regardless of how long the train.
I once was a slave to the gym and thought I had to spend at least an hour there to get a decent workout. Since starting to train with kettlebells it is almost painful for me to go into a gym. Why train in a musty crowed room with exercise machines that get you slow results or no other result than going through the motions? I love taking my bell out to the park or just in my backyard for a great, quick workout. I enjoy the fresh air and sunshine AND get a killer workout. I know more about how my body moves and how strong I really am because of kettlebell training. I have never been injured or so sore from kettlebell training that I wasn’t able to enjoy the rest of my life.
Hard-style kettlebell training is the obvious answer for busy military moms that serve as both parents much of the time. Cross-country moves and adjustments are no excuse to get out of shape as long as you throw your bell in the car with you. (It even helps add more weight to your DITY move without taking up hardly any space!) I had a client move from Nellis AFB in Las Vegas up to Alaska. She was so committed to not missing a workout that she made sure she had a special spot in her vehicle for her bell. I myself recently moved from Nellis to Pope AFB/Fort Bragg, NC. Taking the bell out every few hundred miles not only gave me the chance to squeeze in training and shake out cobwebs, but allowed me to take in the beautiful cross-country scenery.
Kettlebells are no-excuse fun training that get you fast and permanent results. Be sure to train with a prestigously certified instructor. There are many trainers that have started implementing kettlebells into their business that have not been certified by the father of modern day kettlebells, Pavel Tsatouline. With the help of Dragon Door he has changed the face of American training by brining his kettlebell from Russia in the late 90’s.
Who is Sara Cheatham? Sara has a Master of Sciences Degree: Health Sciences emphasis in Community Health Promotion from the University of Arkansas. She is the only female Senior Russian Kettlebell Certified instructor (of 980+ RKC instructors and 8 Senior instructors world-wide), and is the highest level Z-Health Movement Coach (Level IV and Master Trainer Intern; one of only 28 world-wide) under Doctor W. Eric Cobb. She has worked with activity duty military and their dependants for over five years.
I recently read an article in Military Spouse’s magazine entitled “How Does She Do it? She Doesn’t.” It got me to thinking about how hectic our lives can be, especially those of us “married to the military,” with husbands in the service. I grew up as one of three Army brats (with two brothers). Now that I am an Air Force wife, I can’t count the number of times I have asked my mom how she did it all when we were growing up...and I don't even have any kids yet!
We know the military family stories all too well: Dad is always gone to some kind training for another training before he goes TDY or overseas for a few weeks… a few months… or even a few years. In the mean time, mom keeps everyone (including the family pets) fed and clean, makes sure homework is finished, and sees that everyone gets to and from their many special activities on time, in addition to endless housework, dishes, and laundry. Special activities range from baseball, softball, gymnastics, cheer, band, Girl and/or Boy Scouts, school plays, football, dance... Then of course mom has her own special activities, (because being the wife of a busy military man and being a mom aren’t quite enough). She has Spouse’s Club meetings and functions, PTA meetings, Thrift Shop volunteering, Team Mom duties, homework toward her own college degree, and of course keeping herself together during it all. She is truly amazing and an extra-ordinary, under-appreciated, over-worked, phenomenal woman.
With everyone else’s activities and needs, mom hardly has the time or means to keep herself together. Her own health and appearance often fall at the bottom of the to-do list. We all know that working out and staying in great shape helps us to keep up with all the family and life demands, but finding time, (and sometimes money), to go to the gym doesn’t take center stage. Other than the time spent at the gym itself, you have to factor in the drive time to and from, and if you have anything scheduled soon after that showing up to sweaty and exhausted would be “unsat.”
So how can you squeeze in a little me time that actually benefits everyone? Get your workout in but skip the gym! You don’t have to sacrifice the gym-like workout either. You can get in a real weight-lifting, mood changing, body morphing workout without all the hassle or other people around with a little “strongman” tool called the kettlebell.
With proper kettlebell training, you get more done with less and even have the body to show for it- in under a month. With a life spread out all over the base and everything else over-complicated, “hard-style” kettlebell training is the solution to simplifying your workouts and getting your body back.
I have been training military wives and active duty members for years using kettlebells. After the first session alone they are hooked and most buy their own ‘bell on the spot so they can workout when I’m not there to lead them. They want to workout and know that this is something that can stay a part of their lives without disrupting the rest of it. It is insanely empowering to squeeze in a heart-pounding, high-powered, strength and endurance workout in fifteen minutes. (Fifteen minutes- and you don’t have to get ready or drive to and from the gym.) You can train in your own home while the baby naps or between running around!
The number one reason people don’t workout out is because they claim not to have the time. Hard-style kettlebell training eliminates this issue by getting a lot done in a short period of time. Another top reason for not working out in a gym is ladies don’t like moving their bodies among a room full of sweaty men. If you go to the on-base gym this can be one of the main reasons you don’t like to go. But if you can train in your own home you don’t have to agonize over this barrier either.
The third top reason people claim to not workout is that it is intimidating to go to a gym full of others that seem to know what to do. I start everyone with core kettlebell drills that re-introduce them to their bodies without shock or pain. These core drills mobilize joints and areas that haven’t moved in sometimes years, and are a base for more advanced drills down the road. They are simple and safe enough to be practiced on your own as well. Simplicity of the exercises and the ability to workout in your home eliminates the top reasons not to work out.
So what is a “kettlebell” and what do you do with it? It is a cast iron weight that looks like a bowling ball with a suitcase handle. Exercises derived from Olympic weightlifting and strongmen of old are most effective when using a kettlebell. These include snatches, swings, and get-ups that deliver both the “cardio” and muscular benefits of sprinting, but without the wear and tear or damage of running. Traditional American weightlifting exercises can be done using the kettlebell as well.
Who uses Kettlebells? Kettlebells were once reserved for only hard-living Soviet Special Forces. But have made their way into homes of housewives, American Special Forces, and emergency service members. I have found women love to train with the ‘bell because the kettlebell swing alone targets their problem areas of hips, butt, thighs, and lower & upper belly. They also like that they don’t have to swing for hours on end like they would have to run on a treadmill or elliptical trainer. Three to five sets of 30 seconds of swings will get you far better results than mindlessly plodding away at the gym.
How long do I have to train with Kettlebells to notice their effects? With proper expertise and experience, a coach will have you feeling and seeing the difference after only one session.
Where can I find kettlebells and how many do I need? Kettlebells are starting to crawl out of underground gyms and make their way into mainstream stores like Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The kettlebell is a mobile hand-held gym and you only need one for a smoker workout. Most ladies I train work through training with the smaller 8kg bell within a month and end up purchasing a 12kg bell for themselves. One kettlebell is all you will ever need for an entire lifetime. You won’t “grow out” of your bell regardless of how long the train.
I once was a slave to the gym and thought I had to spend at least an hour there to get a decent workout. Since starting to train with kettlebells it is almost painful for me to go into a gym. Why train in a musty crowed room with exercise machines that get you slow results or no other result than going through the motions? I love taking my bell out to the park or just in my backyard for a great, quick workout. I enjoy the fresh air and sunshine AND get a killer workout. I know more about how my body moves and how strong I really am because of kettlebell training. I have never been injured or so sore from kettlebell training that I wasn’t able to enjoy the rest of my life.
Hard-style kettlebell training is the obvious answer for busy military moms that serve as both parents much of the time. Cross-country moves and adjustments are no excuse to get out of shape as long as you throw your bell in the car with you. (It even helps add more weight to your DITY move without taking up hardly any space!) I had a client move from Nellis AFB in Las Vegas up to Alaska. She was so committed to not missing a workout that she made sure she had a special spot in her vehicle for her bell. I myself recently moved from Nellis to Pope AFB/Fort Bragg, NC. Taking the bell out every few hundred miles not only gave me the chance to squeeze in training and shake out cobwebs, but allowed me to take in the beautiful cross-country scenery.
Kettlebells are no-excuse fun training that get you fast and permanent results. Be sure to train with a prestigously certified instructor. There are many trainers that have started implementing kettlebells into their business that have not been certified by the father of modern day kettlebells, Pavel Tsatouline. With the help of Dragon Door he has changed the face of American training by brining his kettlebell from Russia in the late 90’s.
Who is Sara Cheatham? Sara has a Master of Sciences Degree: Health Sciences emphasis in Community Health Promotion from the University of Arkansas. She is the only female Senior Russian Kettlebell Certified instructor (of 980+ RKC instructors and 8 Senior instructors world-wide), and is the highest level Z-Health Movement Coach (Level IV and Master Trainer Intern; one of only 28 world-wide) under Doctor W. Eric Cobb. She has worked with activity duty military and their dependants for over five years.
2 comments:
Great blog. My mom was a Military wife (dad has been retired a long time now). Not only did she take care of 6 kids, but she worked full time. My dad was in Vietnam twice and spent lots of time in the field. Military wives are incredible!
Yup! Agreed on all accounts!
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