Hey, you guys!
I hit a wall, slid down, and picked myself back up. (No, I didn’t hit the wall that hard… I’m sure that’s coming later.) But you know what I noticed?
Things seem to work better after I plateau. I’m not saying that all of a sudden, I’m this super woman competitive kettlebell lifter or anything, but I do sense that my workout is not as arduous, and after exercising I feel much more satisfied.
With my cold in remission, I started my Saturday morning bright and early with Lia, my Power Partner. This time, we decided to do something different and head to the East side of ‘Oahu for a walk up Makapu’u.
(For those who don’t know, the English translation of Hawaiian includes the ‘ mark — a guttural stop between vowels or at the beginning of a vowel sound. So, Hawaii is really Hawai’i… Ask me later.)
Lia informed me that new experiences activate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. It sounded good to me, so I did my best to notice new things along my usual route. We found a black and yellow striped spider in the middle of an intricately spun web between two lava rocks. I counted at least 12 dogs.
Since I wasn’t pushing a baby stroller, I strayed onto the road less traveled to check out a bunker and a different view of the whale watching spot. I stopped to stretch and appreciate the different climates on each side of the mountain.
I know that my weekly workouts are making a significant impact on my cardiovascular health, for sure! I think I chatted the whole way up the mountain. (Poor Lia.)
A few hours later, I headed to see Bill, my trainer, and Liz, my workout buddy, for a kettlebell training session. Thankfully, we didn’t do any drills. I mean- this time, we focused on foundations so that we can really get into swings and then I can learn the snatch.
After some painfully slow deadlifts with the 12kg kettlebell (aaaaaah!) we did thrusters with two 8kg kettlebells. Then, I did something new- half swings with one 8kg kettlebell in each hand. I have a hard time with the math still, but google tells me that’s 35.2739619 pounds.
We creeped our way up to larger swings, and that’s when I noticed it. Although only incremental, when I’m on the downswing, my right hip wants to move into place a millisecond before my left hip. Not only that, I seem to be placing more weight on the left side of my body.
How do I know that? I can tap my right foot when in position to swing, but can barely lift my left foot. More of this weak right hip adductor issue, I bet.
So, rather than torture Liz (who was having pain in her heels from working) and I, Bill had us slow our roll… or swing, as it were. We learned how to assess our balance with two poses that challenge your strength on your opposing sides.
Column Assessment
The first was pretty cool– it’s called a “column.” In essence, you’re making yourself into a column supporting the weight of the kettlebell.
Taking the kettlebell in your right hand, press it overhead. Next, take your right leg, and push it out away from center. Balance your right arm above your left leg so that it appears to be in a straight line, or column. Slowly lower your leg and rack your kettlebell, then repeat with the opposing arm and leg.
That’s it! It was pretty easy for me, since I like movements that remind me of my high school dance class. What I did learn, however, is that my left leg seems stronger than my right, and my right arm seems to get fatigued more quickly than my left.
The final assessment we did was my least favorite. Of course, I don’t prefer to do things that are difficult for me! I’m calling it a diagonal plank, although that may be a misnomer.
To do this, get into the plank position, with your shoulders stacked above your palms and your body in a straight, plank-like line (think– push up position). Begin by lifting your right leg using your hamstrings (not pushing it off the floor). Now you have your right leg comfortably in the air.
Take your left hand off the floor and wrap it around your waist. Yup, that’s right. You are balancing, using your right hand and the sole of your left foot. I have no pictures of this, because I can’t do it for longer than 2 seconds!
That’s okay, though, that’s definitely enough time to see which side and groups of muscles are weaker than the other. I promise, when I’m able to do this skillfully, I will post pictures HERE!
The rest of my Saturday was equally amazing. I got to check out the really heavy kettlebells at Warrior Hardware, and pretended I could lift them. I can’t. Later that night, my son slept in my arms while I played Stratego with my oldest nephew. He won.
I can’t wait for the next action packed day!
Firstly how come no stroller (and thus no baby)? Secondly, didn’t you feel *free*?? Hey, you could climb that rock and look over the edge w/o having to mind the stroller. Kinda good! You need to see the different views! Glad u r doing great!