There are no limits in staying in shape!

[Lana Torkildsen]



I am in my fifth month of kettlebell lifting and still enjoying it! I will never forget what a friend told me when I mentioned to her awhile ago that I would get sore from some of the kettlebell sessions. Her assumption was that because I cross trained with running, cycling, yoga and swimming, I should be in good shape and should not experience any soreness. I can tell you first hand that the sport of kettlebell lifting will humble you as soon as you lift a bell for the first time. Cyrus does a great job in keeping the workouts fresh and challenging! This has encouraged me to continue the program after my initial three months of "I will try this and see how I like it"                         attitude.

It has been so inspiring to see the other ATC members working out hard with focus and determination. Most people go to the gym for various reasons whether it is weight loss, socializing or maintaining an exercise program. What has been refreshing at ATC, a private advanced training facility, is that the owner and coach, Cyrus, knows everyone by name which provides a personal feel to the facility. The members are very down to earth, friendly people. Most of the members are more advanced in kettlebell lifting than I am which can be intimidating. I see it as a challenge to go out of my comfort level and see what I can do with a bell as big as I am. I am not sure the maximum of kilograms I can handle as I progress but time and effort will tell!

Now why would a triathlete/ marathoner consider kettlebell lifting and able to juggle it all? The key ingredient in this deciding factor is to do the research on the sport of kettlebell and its benefits. This is not your ordinary "dust collector" that you see advertised on QVC. There seems to be no limit on the shape you can be in with this sport. It's also a matter of priorities on what is important to the individual who wants to be and stay in shape. The subtle changes and improvements I've noticed in running, cycling, and swimming speaks for itself! I say subtle now since I am in the early stages of training for triathlon season again. I have run in two marathons since I joined ATC and have plans to do two more by late April. I have slacked off on speed work last year due to the hiatus on racing but have slowly reminded myself what "death" feels like the last couple of weeks :). I started the masters swim class at the Y this year where we meet two times a week. I have noticed that it is not as hard for me to push the water back like in the past. I am still working on improving my stroke technique which is the key to swim efficiently. Cycling in a higher gear is not as hard now as in the past. I hope to see the final results when the time trials start later this spring.

[Cyrus Peterson]

Great Post Lana.  There truly is no limit other than that which we self impose.  I foresee the 16kg in your future ;-)