A bit of Kettlebell Training

I've been pritty - well mega - busy over the weekend, partly trying to squeeze a few more fitness classes back into my weekend routine.

I'll admit, I used to be majorly obsessed with the gym, and spent at least an hour there every evening.  I've managed to curb this obsession a tad - I mean how could I fit all of those sweaty evenings in working out now that I have my new found love of blogging!

Something had to give a little - and that something was the gym.

I do still like nothing more than "feeling the burn" though, and try to get myself to the gym a few times a week.

And it was the day after one of these squeezed in gym sessions, with my body still in absolute pieces, that I thought I should tell you about the new class my gym has introduced.

I mean you never know, there may be lots of bloggers out there who are just looking for a way to inflict pure muscle pain on themselves, making walking, moving, and even just sitting still a bit of a nightmare for days....

And the way to do this I hear you ask - 

Kettlebell Training

Kettlebell Training, for those who don't know, is a really high intensity cardio workout that is carried out using various sized weights that are shaped a little bit like a cannon ball with a handle!

When you hold the weight by the handle, the heavy part hangs lower than the handle itself.  This means  the weights are quite difficult to control.

And "difficult to control" means that a lot more effort is needed to control them - even when the most basic moves are being carried out.

The core muscles have to work a lot harder to keep the body sturdy than if a dumb-bell was being used for example.

But the benefit of this extra effort means that a lot more calories are burned in the same amount of time.

Brilliant!

Trust me, it certainly felt as though my body was put through it's paces - the pain after was like nothing else.

During this particular class, which was a fairly basic "learn to use the kettlebell properly" kind of class to be honest, we were shown some very basic moves, including a lot of squats and a lot of swinging the weight between the legs and then up and above the head.

I was terrified of letting the weight go mid swing...  I was stood in front of a full length mirror... Which doesn't bare thinking about... All I do know is that it certainly made me cling hold of the kettlebell as hard as I could!

Which I suppose worked my arms harder.

Like I said, I'm not a stranger of the gym, and have tried all sorts of classes in the past, my favourites being Jump FX, Body Pump and HIIT, but I must admit I really did start to feel tired a lot sooner than I usually would during this class.

And this was just a basic, day one, learn the ropes kind of class.
I can only imagine how I'll feel after half an hour of the more advanced one...!

Today I used a 4kg weight - I didn't fancy pushing myself too much - especially knowing that I would have to lift the weight up and over my head a lot - my poor shoulders.

I did find the class quite easy to follow and it was really popular - a lot of new faces in the gym that evening...which usually happens when there is something fresh to try out.

Beginners - don't feel put off - it's suitable for everyone.

I found a little bit of the body postures hard to grasp at first - a lot of "locking the legs" and "thrusting the hips", all whilst remembering to keep hold of the weight that was swinging above the head took a bit of getting used to.  But once I had the hang of it, the class was easy and I really enjoyed it.

But there's nothing enjoyable with how much you ache the day...well the week...after - but all that shows in my book is that the class must really work and do what it should do

I'm definitely making Kettlebell Training a part of my weekly exercise regime...45 minutes of hard work to burn a lot of calories and tone up - what's not to love!

Give it a try and see if you "feel the burn" as much as I did.

Good Luck