plum swings! a diary

[Plumfoodie]

I wanted to start a kettlebells diary to keep track of my progress and also encourage anybody else who, like me, may not be super-fit already and needs to slow down or modify their program somewhat. It can be done! I have ME and can't really do cardio exercise but realised recently that I can do strength exercises if I'm careful to pace myself.

I started swinging with Amy Bento's absolute beginner's workout. Once I got the hang of what I was doing I progressed to Kettleworx. Prior to starting this diary I had completed weeks 1 and 2 resistance and core - my ME means that cardio doesn't agree with me so I skip that one. My husband has started doing KW also and does it three times a week.

Some of the modifications that make KW do-able for me:

• Pause, pause, pause. There's absolutely no shame in pausing during the programme to catch your breath and sip some water. Better to do this and carry on than to give up completely.

• Modify. Many of the exercises work the whole body and this can result in early tiredness when you are less fit. The legs are the biggest muscles in the body, using the most energy. So, if I'm struggling, I might cut out the leg component on alternate reps. For example: in the squat - arm press move, instead of squat - press - squat - press I'll do squat - press - no squat - press.

• Use good form. If you do an exercise incorrectly, you could be stressing your body in ways that were not intended and this can result in early fatigue or injury. When a new exercise comes up, do it slowly and focus on your form until you've got it right.

• Reduce weight. If you're really struggling, better to drop down to a lighter bell (or no bell at all, I do this for turkish getups sometimes) than to quit early.

 

[Plumfoodie]

Finished KW week 3 core today. Or should I say week 3, cor blimey! I wasn't expecting it to be so much harder than weeks 1 & 2 (or maybe I'm just tired today, dunno). I had to alternate hip pumps and crunches for sets 2 and 3 as I couldn't manage doing both each time, and the seated figure 8s just about killed me! I did the last set of turkish getups with no bell, but at least today managed not to wrench my shoulder blade as I've done previously.

Mr plum did week 2 cardio on Saturday and (dare I say it) it looked kind of fun. Maybe this Saturday I'll do it with him and just tone it down - missing out the running around the bell for a start, heh.

We're still getting a chuckle out of Ryan (fast feet! fast feet!) and I find it strangely endearing and encouraging that he too struggles with his balance when standing on 1 leg.

 

[Trash]

I'm loving the diarys on the kettlebells section

You've done brill and I'm very much a newbie but am inspired by all of you veterans on here ...........keep it up x

 

[Plumfoodie]

Aw thanks Tracey. Your wk 1 loss is brilliant, I find that inspirational! I'm just as much of a newbie actually, I just blather on a bit too much.

p.s. is that you in your pic? what a fab hourglass figure - as an apple shape I can only dream!

 

[Cat Lover Sue]

Hi Plum - loving this. I agree totally with what you say about having a quick pause, getting your breath back and moving on. I still do it now and it hasn't done me any harm with my results.

I also agree with what you say about Ryan. I find him encouraging, has a good sense of fun and it is funny when he loses his balance. He also can't spell Kettleworx either which always makes me snigger. I would much rather have him and his cheesiness any day over a sergeant major type barking at you. I hope you do the "pat on the back"? Don't forget to do a completely OTT one when you finish the end of the round!

 

[Plumfoodie]

Hehe Sue, yes, when he stumbles over spelling Kettleworx it always makes me smirk too! "... E!" Heh.

 

[Plumfoodie]

Phew. Did week 3 resistance today and found it really quite difficult. Instead of the running around the bell I did the one where you pass the kettlebell around your waist in a circle. The skier squats just about killed me and in the second set I had to remove the leg component from a lot of the exercises.

I do like the pass-and-dunk exercise, and the skier squats I found very beneficial even if I was cursing them at the time!

I think I might progress a little more slowly through the KW weeks, I wasn't expecting to find week 3 so much more difficult and I don't want to aggravate my ME. Fortunately nobody is standing over me with a calendar looking stern so I can take my time.

 

[Plumfoodie]

Oh! Forgot to say, today was my weigh-in. I put on 0.6 lb... but my fancy scales say that I put on 1.5 lb of muscle and lost 0.9 lb of fat! So I'm actually pretty pleased with that. My stomach has been very sticky-out (for want of a better term) this week and I hope it's not because I am not always great at keeping my belly button pulled in whilst doing KW. After all, your muscles shape how you work them. (I think it's more likely that it's just bloated for some reason, but you never know).

 

[Trash]

Thats great new re the muscle x

 

[Cat Lover Sue]

Well done Plum. You're doing brilliantly.

 

[Plumfoodie]

Thank you ladies.

Why don't they just be truthful and call resistance the side-of-your-bum workout? Ow.

 

[Splodgergill]

Know what you mean, Plum, I did week 3 resistance on weds and yesterday my glutes were really feeling it!

Well done on the muscle gain. I'm always a sucker for a new gadget, what fancy scales do you have?

 

[Plumfoodie]

Know what you mean, Plum, I did week 3 resistance on weds and yesterday my glutes were really feeling it!

Well done on the muscle gain. I'm always a sucker for a new gadget, what fancy scales do you have?

Thank you! I've got a set of Tanita BC543 scales; expensive to purchase but mine have lasted well and I wouldn't be without them now. I really like these because in addition to showing weight and bodyfat %, they also show body water % (helpful if you're wondering why your fat reading is different one day, your hydration level can make it fluctuate), muscle mass, bone weight, and the two reasons I picked this scale over others: a visceral fat rating (because this has always been a problem for me) and BMR based on how much lean muscle mass you have (important for me as due to health problems my fat % is so high that the standard BMR calculations over-estimate for me).

 

[Plumfoodie]

Finally not sore today after Thursday's resistance effort! If pain is anything to go by I should be into those skinny jeans in no time.

Yesterday mr plum did week 3 cardio. He didn't hear the bit at the start of the pushups where Ryan says 'a bit longer this time' and was practically howling in disillusionment and exhaustion at the end of that segment. (I was practically howling with laughter at Ryan's fit of enthusiasm towards the end of these pushups. ) Mr plum also seemed not to much approve of doing a series of punches and then a series of gunslingers; he had to drop down to the next lightest bell. Also, we didn't rewind to check but are suspicious that a rogue set of one-armed rows crept into set 2 that wasn't in set 1. I guess there's probably something else in set 1 in its place?

I'm definitely going to *not* do week 4 tomorrow - I've changed my food a little bit this week and want to be careful not to burn out, so I might even go back to week 1. Finding that because I don't do Cardio (only doing core on Mondays and resistance on Thursdays) that on most Saturdays I feel like I'd like to do 'something' but not anything too strenuous. I might put together a short freestyle routine or go back to Amy Bento for those days.

 

[Cat Lover Sue]

Hi Plum - you are right. I can't remember what's in set one that's replaced in set two but you were not dreaming it. It's the only time it happens in the whole programme. Glad Mr P is getting into it as well. I could never do it at the same time as Mr S. He'd be criticising my form and I would turn it into a competiton! It just wouldn't work.

 

[Plumfoodie]

I have to admit, Sue, I don't do KW with mr plum. I do it on my days off work during the day and he does it in the evening when he gets home on those days (plus Cardio whenever he has time on Saturday). We did do week 1 core together but struggled to both find room in our sitting room for the floor exercises! And I found it made me more determined to power through exercises that I really should have modified, too. The spirit of competition lived on in our house that day.

But I do like watching the cardio DVD while he does it so I can see what I'm missing! I have to admit I am bad at pointing out form issues to mr plum but it's only because I don't want him to hurt himself.

 

[Splodgergill]

thanks plum. The scales are on offer on Amazon, a third off, will keep looking for a good deal!

 

[Plumfoodie]

I think I got them on Amazon in an after Christmas sale or something, they were cheaper than they are just now. Wouldn't recommend paying full price unless they also have a 'cook you dinner and give you a foot rub' function that I've somehow overlooked.

 

[Plumfoodie]

Went back to week 1 core today - how he loves the side bends. I still can't really do the hip pump/crunch combo properly, I need to work on the hip pump part. I did manage to stay in a full plank in sets 1 & 2 until he tells us to go to the happy place; usually I do the whole lot on my knees.

 

[Cat Lover Sue]

Well done, Plum. Definately some progress there with the planks.

My secret "happy place" weapon? Mr Sue is a sign-maker and he's made me a giant pic of David Beckham wearing just his pants, all his tattoos out and everything (I love tattoos). So think of me next time you go to your happy place. My eyes are level with Mr Beckham's crotch! Happy Place, oh yes indeedy!