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Starting anew in 2010

Angela C. — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:00:29 +0000

Well, kettleviewers… so far, I’m starting 2010 off with a clean slate. Like many, the new year brings a sense of “I can do it!” to everything I’m taking on.

I think 2010 is going to teach me discipline. My health and overall fitness goals are just part of the whole picture. In every aspect, I’m learning to tackle a little bit each and every day, consistently.

I could focus on nutrition, exercise, saving money, connecting with friends, or even my business goals, and keep myself motivated by doing something — even just a little — every single day.

It’s like the adage of saving for a rainy day. If I put aside a dollar for every day this year, I’d have $365 on December 31st that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I know, some of you would like to put aside TEN dollars a day — and if you have it, by all means, do it — however, for me, taking bite-sized pieces really works.

I find that setting my sights on a realistic goal, like “get some physical activity in,” or “no sugary sweets today,” allows me to focus on a small choice or activity that will pay off over time. Check it out:

I think that my scale(s) are a little off, so let’s not get excited about losing 5.5 pounds in one week, people. I didn’t starve myself, and I haven’t started my cleanse yet.

What I am really tracking here are the inches on my body. Last week, I dragged myself into training, pretty upset. My clothes weren’t fitting the way they were, even a month ago.

My trainer challenged me and my partner again — lose a pound a week, or pay up! Jerk!

I mean, here’s a picture of him teaching us how to do “the jerk.”

So my workout partner, Ty, and I decided to keep eachother accountable over e-mail/text/harrassing phone calls:

“Eat healthy today?”
“What did you do to workout?” ”
“Put that mini Reeses’ Peanut Butter cup down! Two pounds a week!”

Jerk!

Just kidding! Every little bit helps, really.

I’m keeping my eye on my one year goal– to have lost 80 pounds, and over 12 inches in my waistline — through discipline, consistency, and a sense of humor.

Not to mention, I have an even bigger goal; that is, to be a healthy mom.

Happy New Year, everybody! Leave me a comment!

P.S. I’ll be tracking my progress starting from January 2010. Feel free to look at past blogs under the category “Measurements” to see how I’ve fared since May 2009.

My First Workout of 2010

Angela C. — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:48:46 +0000

Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

(Happy New Year!)

Today I decided to work off some of the good luck noodles and not-so-good-for-me desserts from 2009. I put my kid on my back and took a brisk warm up walk through the hills of Hawaii Kai. Then I came home to complete a ladder consisting of clean & press and swings:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaygUps4QRc

And that’s how I did a 15-10-5 on 1-1-10!

I hope the turn of the calendar year reinvigorates you towards your life goals. Let 2010 be the most productive, healthy, prosperous and happy year for you yet! I believe that it will be for me!

Leave a reply here, on youtube, or on facebook. See you tomorrow!

What NOT to Wear (when working out)

Angela C. — Sat, 16 May 2009 07:00:29 +0000

Guys, I have a question for you. Do you worry about what not to wear?

I can have a half-hour conversation with my girl friend about choosing the right blouse for her interview. It’s no surprise that here I am driving through Honolulu, thinking about what to wear during these kettlebell training sessions:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c5or0dJVvw

Aloha to everyone on Twitter! Thank you for tweeting me!

Kettlelove?

Angela C. — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:00:19 +0000

You know, I might be falling in love. Oh, I always get this way. I am totally infatuated with kettlebells after our first date… I mean, training session.

I went to BodyVox in Kapahulu to train with Bill Maeda. My friend Liz had trained with him in the past, so she and I decided to workout together.

Today was really just a getting to know you meeting. We discussed my goals (overall more healthy and 55 pounds lighter), my current fitness routine (none), and my weaknesses (chocolate. daily.) We even took my weight and measurements, which I am proud to display right here:

Age 35
Height 5′ 4″
Weight 210.2
Bust 44
Waist 42 1/2
Hips 49

I’m pretty excited that these last 6 days of stressing out about working out have caused me to lose 2 pounds and 1 1/2 inches! Woo hoo!

Back to my newfound infatuation. As you know, I met the kettlebell through a friend and I wasn’t interested… at first. But today, I got to actually put my hands on a 8kg kettlebell and learn how to properly hold it.

Isn't it cuuuuute?

We assessed what I’ll need to work on. Now, those of you who have tons of experience holding a kettlebell may have forgotten just how unwieldy it is. Even the word unwieldy sounds unwieldy; that’s how strange it was to carry a 17 pound round weight with my small hand wrapped around the solid metal handle, and try to avoid breaking my wrist. I think I held the kettlebell pretty well in the “racked” position.

We practiced some squats, holding the kettlebell upside down, also known as “bottom up,” and then holding it in the right-side-up position, also known as… you guessed it… “bottom down.”

Next, I did a few squats with the kettlebell in the racked position. Hello!? Anyone ever try to sit their butt down on a chair while balancing 17 pounds on their left side? And then stand up and repeat until fatigued? Well, that’s exactly what I did. Four times is a challenge — five times is where I had to draw the line.

Oh, I forgot to mention the “press!” How can I forget? This consists of you pushing your “racked” kettlebell up, such that your elbow is locked and the kettlebell is almost perpendicular to the ceiling. I’m making it sound a lot more complicated than it was. As difficult as it was for me, I enjoyed it!

As for stamina? I will definitely need to build my stamina up, but I was able to complete each exercise without hurting myself.

So, that’s the quick and dirty synopsis of my very first workout with an 8kg kettlebell. I felt great!

When I got home to start writing this blog, I was still in the clouds, feeling quite accomplished. I had to pause to run some errands, which is when I started to feel the effects of today’s session. My lower back, my sides, my calves, and muscles in my arm I didn’t even know existed started to ache.

The real test happened when I tried to pick up my little guy, and almost fell over. I couldn’t carry my 30 pound child!

I got out my salonpas patches for my back and legs, and rubbed my now-aching neck. And that’s when I realized…

SOMETIMES LOVE HURTS!

Thanks for tuning in! Join my e-mail list- we’re planning some interesting things here on kettletell!

Excited and Nervous

Angela C. — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:30:17 +0000

It makes sense- on the day before my first kettlebell training session, I don’t really know what I’m getting myself into, so I’m excited and nervous. Here I am, live and in living color, with my babybell and my sister’s real life kettlebell!

Enjoy the video blog:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5irIJlM399A

Changing the Way I Think

Angela C. — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:00:41 +0000

Just standing on the scale puts it into error mode!

Transformation isn’t just external. In order for me to succeed in this challenge, I’m going to also change the way that I think.

It’s so easy for me to think negatively about my body, which leads to my overall self concept. If I think my outside is ugly, why should I treat myself any differently? In the past, this meant allowing myself to be influenced by other people, because I didn’t have an inner sense of self-worth.

In more recent days, this meant shutting the world out. I’m sure some of you can relate– you don’t think you look good, so you don’t feel good, and you certainly don’t want to make an appearance anywhere.

I developed a sense of anxiety about being seen in new social arenas and worried uncontrollably. I remember not sleeping at all the night before a television appearance for my former job, and feeling so relieved when the host complimented me.

Imagine walking around hoping not to be noticed. How do you expect to meet new people, be open to new opportunities, and simply, experience the life you’re living?

Sometimes what we see on the outside is completely distorted!

I can’t imagine being any more public than posting my fears, desires, goals, failures and successes on the internet; especially in an arena that is taboo. I mean, it seems like people are more likely to tell you how much they earn than how much they weigh.

So, I’m challenging myself– and I’ll challenge you, while I’m at it– to take a moment to really see ourselves as perfect now, regardless of height, weight, measurements, income, career, marital status, and what you ate for breakfast this morning. We’re perfect just as we are! Now let’s get out into the world!

Taken in Chicago's Millenium Park, June 2006.

What the kettlebell?

Angela C. — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:00:49 +0000

I know you’re saying to yourself, “Kettlebell– wth?” because I did, not that long ago. In fact, the first time I misheard its name, I kept referring to it as a kettleBALL!

I live in a pretty sizeable city, so it was only a matter of time before I would be introduced to the kettlebell. A friend of mine has been sharing the benefits of using kettlebells for overall fitness, and showed me some of his.

Closeup of a 12kg kettlebell

Once I actually saw a kettlebell, I kept bumping into them. It was kind of like when you get a new car, and all of a sudden, you see that exact same car everywhere. My friend started training with kettlebells and has been twittering about it after his sessions. A girlfriend of mine had been training with kettlebells over the past few years. And apparently, firefighters are using them all around the nation.

Sometimes kettlebells are referred to as Russian Kettlebells, due to their popularity in the former Soviet Union for strength training and in competitions. Although there are some typical weight-bearing movements that can be done with kettlebells, such as squats and military-style bench presses (they aren’t called these names in kettleworld, by the way), the main difference with a kettlebell is that it is used in a fluid, swinging motion.

Unlike machines or free weights, kettlebell training integrates both aerobic and anaerobic activity, or cardio and weight training. This aspect appealed to me most, since I don’t have a lot of time and in a sense, would be killing two birds with one… kettlebell.

Kettlebells typically are described in kilograms. My American mind has a hard time wrapping around this concept, so I’ll break it down for you: For every 1 kilogram, there are 2.20462262 pounds. Just to be clear- when talking about kettlebells, low numbers of kilograms equal much higher numbers of pounds. (I’m not an idiot, but for some reason, this troubles me.)

So, a woman may start out with an 8kg kettlebell, but she’s actually swinging and lifting almost 18 pounds of solid metal. A man may begin his program with a 16kg, which is really about 35 pounds.

I finally decided to take the leap and find myself a trainer. On this day, I am nervously awaiting our first meeting. In the meantime, I received what I’m calling a “babybell,” a 4kg kettlebell that looks like an orange bocce ball with a black handle.

My babybell: Cute, isn't it?

Just to give you an idea of how much work this program is going to be for me– I was quickly demonstrating a few kettlebell swings at home, and I broke into a sweat. The next day, my triceps hurt. (Although, I was also lifting my real 16kg babybell over my head for fun that day as well.)

My real 16kg babybell

So, if you’d never heard of a kettlebell before KettleTell– I know from experience– you’re going to see a lot more about them from here on out! (And stay tuned for upcoming video and pics of me trying kettlebells for the first time with my trainer!)

What you waitin' for?

Angela C. — Sun, 03 May 2009 22:00:02 +0000

Getting started is the hardest part. Since the day I decided to change my lifestyle, use kettlebells, transform my body, and write about it in this blog, it seems that all I’ve done is think about it.

Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” He’s saying that all it takes is one small move to get in action-- and he’s right-- however, it’s going to take more than this knowledge to get me going.

I have some great excuses about why I haven’t been taking care of myself. The most popular one is that I’ve been taking care of other people. I do spend considerable amounts of time caring for my child, my sister’s children, and even my parents.

My two-year old child is developmentally delayed, has regular therapy and doctor’s appointments, and a slew of paperwork to go along with it. Although not as demanding, my work as an educational consultant comes with its own set of obligations. And of course, I spend considerable time “giving back” to my favorite causes and pet projects.

Unfortunately, I know better than to use the excuse of not having enough time to manage my diet and weight. If the President of the United States finds the time and energy to work out and eat arugula, then I should have no problem.

No. The reality is that I’m kind of freaked out about it. I mean, who in their right mind puts themselves on display for the whole cyberworld to view? And what if I… gasp… fail? (Again?)

So, instead of relying upon the wisdom of an ancient Chinese philosopher, I’m going to use a more modern influence-- popstar and fashionista Gwen Stefani. Her advice? “Take a chance ’cause you might grow!” So here I go!