Rave ‘n’ Crave Wednesday: Kettlebell Kickboxing (Kettlebell post follow-up)

Hello my name is Dawn K and I am a kettlebell addict. Who knew a weighted ball with a handle could be so much fun?

I stumbled upon a The Kettlebell Scorcher Series while doing my regular internet window shopping on Amazon.com. A kettlebell kickboxing DVD? Ha! It sounded like torture and fun at the same time. I am such a masochist with my workouts sometimes. My 30 lb kettlebell arrived on the same day that my 4 DVD kettlebell kickboxing DVD showed up at my doorstep. I was pumped and ready to go! After watching the first disc, I got up and picked up my shiny new 30 lb kettlebell to workout. I wondered why the women in the DVD used puny kettlebells . . . Wimps! Five minutes into Disc 1: Power, I was fully fatigued. What was I thinking trying to use a 30 lb kettlebell for a kettlebell kickboxing workout?! Argh! I traded out my 30 lb kettlebell for my 25 lb kettlebell. The next time I did Disc 2: Strength, I used a 20 lb kettlebell. I discovered in Disc 3: Longevity, that the women in the DVDs use a 12 lb kettlebell. I have now settled on my 8 kg (16 lb) kettlebell. You cannot successfully kickbox and hold a kettlebell larger than 15-16 lbs unless you are insane. I tried to be insane . . . my body refused to allow it!

After doing the 3 month Skogg System with former Special Forces Michael Skogg, it was a breath of fresh air to do a kettlebell workout geared toward women. When you are in the middle of doing vertical jumps, kickboxing, swings, and burpees, Dasha doesn’t tell you can do it and to keep going. She tells you to think about how good your glutes, arms and abs will look! At one point, she says something like “This move will tone your inner thighs so you can wear a short skort like this one.” She encourages you with results and cute clothes! I get a chuckle every time and it keeps me moving.

The first time I saw them do a burpee, I thought, “You have to be kidding me! I can’t do that!” I had no idea I was capable of doing a burpee. I did one . . . and then another . . . and then another. I have become hooked on burpees, thrusters and burpee sprawls. It is a good addictive kind of pain. Remember, I did say I was a bit of a masochist when it comes to working out . . .

Like all of my kettlebell DVDs so far, The Kettlebell Scorcher Series DVD workouts are about 30 to 40 min each. At 1200 calories an hour, it is about a 600 calorie workout. Dasha recommends you do the DVDs three times a week. Thirty minutes, three times a week is all of you have to do for an amazing workout. Of course, with everything, you need to change it up to keep it interesting.

To date, I have lost 33 lbs. since I started swinging my kettlebell. I use kettlebells two to three times a week. I also now run 3 miles, once or twice a week, and go on 2 hour+ hikes on the weekends. I am working out about 4 to 5 times a week. I am becoming a lean, mean kettlebelling machine! I love it!

Now I wonder if there is a kettlebell equivalent to this:

Heh.

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