The Ice Cubes invaded the IC last night! Video to come…
Special thanks to our volunteer family for making this event extra special: Samin, Tracy C., Nani, Lulit, Catherine J.
Archive for January, 2009
Kids Night
Saturday, January 31st, 2009Lina’s Progress Report
Friday, January 30th, 2009
“I’ve lost about 3 pounds in the past three weeks and 2.7% body fat. My strategy has been to adopt and maintain a realistic combination of habits. Full disclosure: pre-challenge, from Thanksgiving through New Years Day, we were eating pretty poorly and IC attendance was sporadic. But since the challenge started, we decided to take a middle of the road approach that is both healthy and enjoyable. Food and drink are very important to us, and we couldn’t be to extreme or we’d break after a week. Also, we have frequent visitors from the east coast, and everyone who comes here wants to partake of the great food and wine the region has to offer. To offset that, we began to see our daily meals as fuel: something that should be tasty, but primarily service our needs for nutrition and convenience.
Foodwise, we haven’t done anything radical. We turned to fresh herbs and spices, veggies, fish, and chicken. We use a good non-stick pan and pump spray with olive oil. I ate legumes and lentils pretty regularly, but recently I’ve started eating more chicken, fish, and the occasional steak. I reduced the amount of carbs from bread and pasta. (Mind you, reduced, not eliminated!) We try to get more of our carbs from whole grains and things like basmati rice, wild rice, and potatoes. When we make a grocery run, we get fresh everything, but we also have lots of frozen stuff (primarily vegetables, chicken, and fish) on hand so when we run out, we don’t use that as an excuse to order out. Portion control is a big challenge, and sometimes my husband thinks of Maya’s post and why we eat which helps bring back perspective. We are more aware of calorie content, and we might try and cancel out a “bad” meal with a “good” one. For example, if we know if we are going out to dinner, we might have a light breakfast and lunch of mostly fruits and veggies.
For snacks, we keep fresh fruit that doesn’t require much work: Grapes, clementines, bananas, and blueberries. For breakfast, blueberries work great with low fat yogurt and flax-granola flakes. If I want more protein, I might have an egg.
Of course, IC attendance is also key. I’ve been trying for 4 days a week. It’s not just burning calories and increasing muscle mass, it’s also the sense of well being. The support and motivation that we have found here is playing a major role. After a great workout, binging on burgers is the last thing on my mind.”
-Lina
That Song
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
The teachers at the IC get really emotional sometimes. When you ponder the levels of human energy we give and receive in a given day, you can easily see why. Oftentimes, we’re overwhelmed by positive emotion as we get a sense of the excitement and joy you bring with you. Other times we feel a heaviness that arrives with some people as they enter the door.
One of the first ways we try to channel the gamut of emotions swirling around the gym is through music. I was inspired to write about this after witnessing a really sweet Jess moment a couple of weeks ago. That day she spelled out the workout as Danielle demo’d, and then she got back on the microphone and asked, “Now, are you ready for THE song?” After everyone began smiling at each other in awkward anticipation, she added, “It’s Nani’s favorite.” No one looked more surprised than Nani because Jessica’s song choice was hilarious! Laughter erupted from all corners.
…and then it hit me that Jessica does this all the time, except she doesn’t typically announce the moment it happens. The “it” I’m referring to is that one song choice she makes that always has some sort of message she wants to express to you all. Yesterday it was the James Taylor song she played during the stretch phase of class. After that tough workout, it felt like a great big Jess hug. Several months ago, it happened when I jumped into her Core class, except this time her song choice moved me to tears. We play it all the time now (you’re probably sick of it in fact) because the lyrics resonate so strongly for us as teachers. Here’s a line which should explain why:
“…there’s only one question I want to ask: Is it healing when you hear everyone say you’re amazing? Does anyone ask you? …because I know that you’re R E A L – A M A Z I N G.”
- Maya
Bells, blah, blah
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Sometimes you gotta have a little fun before and after class. Here’s a peek at what we did tonight. Enjoy!
Mel D. on Potential
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
… as written to Jess a day before the AKC Southeast Championship:
“In July of this year (2008) I walked into the Ice Chamber for the first time and met with Steven to discuss my goals. I’d given him my background– I’d played Division I soccer in college, but that was 15 years, 1 badly broken foot, 2 kids, and what seemed like a lifetime ago. My goals were pretty simple. First and foremost I wanted to lose the baby weight. Not only did I miss my old clothes and my old body, but we were redoing our life insurance and at my current weigh our premium was going to be a killer. Beyond that, my wetsuit didn’t fit. And I really missed my wetsuit… though not that I had enough upper body strength to go surfing again any time soon.
That first day I worked out with you I remember thinking, “I can’t believe I’m paying someone to make me feel this way.” The second day, “This is harder than childbirth.” (And no, I’m not kidding.) My quads were so sore for the first two weeks that I had to crawl down the stairs in my house. There are a lot of stairs in my house.
Other IC members started to ask me what I was training for. I’d recite the goals I’d shared with Steven. But after a while it didn’t seem like enough. My arms didn’t hurt when I went surfing. I lost enough weight in the first 6 weeks that my life insurance premium dropped by $100 a month. Those first goals were starting to feel as though they were short term. Once I reached them what then?
Around that time my old soccer coach sent around an email about an alumni trip to Sweden that he was putting together for July 2009. For the first time I realized that doing something like that was not beyond the realm of the possible. I talked to him about the trip and he said he’d had a lot of interest from younger alums, people who were just a few years out. Not people like me. But how could I let an opportunity like that go by? If I really wanted to, could I do it? Could I play at that level again? What was I training for?
I added another goal to the list. Baby weight, surfing, and the alumni games in Sweden. A few weeks ago we measured my vertical jump at 16.” The last time it was measured was in college. It was 18.” You and I talked a lot about this, why this measurement was so significant to me, why it meant more to me than the weight loss, looking good in the mirror, being able to do exercises now that I couldn’t do when we first started. I couldn’t really articulate it at the time but I think I understand it now. This number to me is all about my potential. I had no idea I was still capable of a 16″ vertical jump so I assumed I wasn’t. How could I at 36 be even close to doing the same things I was doing at 20?
Potential has been on my mind a lot since that jump, potential and how it fits in with my goals. Speaking of goals, I hit that original one today when Steven weighed me. The baby weight is gone. I suppose I could have taken a moment to relish in it, but my immediate thought was if needed a new goal what should it be? Another five pounds? Another two inches? How about three? What was my bench press max in college anyway? What am I capable of? What is my potential? What am I training for?
I couldn’t name any goals. Not any numbers anyway. I don’t really know how to define my goals because a goal signifies an end point. And right now, I honestly can’t see the end. I don’t know how high I can jump. I don’t know how strong I can be. I may be 36 years old, but I think I am finally starting to grasp that my best days physically may not be behind me. Furthermore, whatever life throws at me, I know that I not only have the potential to excel, I also have the potential to do better than I ever have before.
So the next time someone asks what I’m training for I think I’ll have a better answer. I’m just training to be the best that I can be in life. The way I see it, if I can do what you want me to do in the gym I know I’ll be able to handle whatever happens outside of it.
Now go kick some ass this weekend.”
Momentum
Monday, January 26th, 2009
Saturday Core group demonstrates progress by increaseing barbell weight while decreasing body weight. Looking good ladies and gents 
Carolyn’s Progress Report
Monday, January 26th, 2009
Carolyn has been losing about 1 pound per week since the inception of the challenge. Though the numbers themselves might not seem that significant, Carolyn feels and looks great. Her strategy is to use patience and experimentation, along with online tools to help her manage the logistics. Here’s an excerpt from her progress report:
“My strategy is to plan my meals really carefully and keep an online food log. I’m using Fitday, which is OK but slow — I would be interested to know who has had luck with any others. It doesn’t just track calories, but breaks things down by carbs, fats, proteins which is really helpful … I do eat meat, all kinds, but mostly now chicken because of the calories. I’m trying not to drink during the week, but not all the way off the wagon. I find that if I really pay attention, plan my meals ahead and don’t get too starving I can control my hunger and my eating pretty well.
I’m on the three day a week plan at the Ice Chamber and try to get 45 minute runs in on at least one weekend day.”
Jerks and a Whole Lot More
Saturday, January 24th, 2009I recently had an opportunity to interview my dear friend and U.S. Master of Sport, Bonnie Mullaney. In this video, she performs 153 jerks with the purple (20kg) in ten minutes. She is not only one of the most amazing female competitors to grace the bell, but also a dedicated full-time mom! Below, Bonnie shares her personal experience and insights on integrating Kettlebell lifting into her life. Enjoy.
Maya
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Why do you think moms in particular would benefit from kettlebell lifting?
Kettlebell is a good sport for anyone to do, but I think it is ideal for any mom. Moms usually have a little extra, unwanted weight to get rid of, and a whole lot (of self) to gain back. I think the mental benefit from kettlebell lifting is almost more important than the physical benefit. You get a humble dose of self confidence and a mental strength that carries over into your every day life.
Most moms need all of the benefits that kettlebells have to offer: weight loss, mental strength, physical strength, social exposure, and more. It’s common for moms to feel guilty about doing anything for themselves too. It’s a strange feeling to all of a sudden one day have your whole existence be based on the wellbeing of your tiny baby. I felt extremely guilty leaving my baby one to two hours a day to do kettlebells. Colby was only 6 weeks old when I started. It was a weird feeling leaving him that young even for just a couple hours. He was always with his grandma or father and always had a pumped bottle. I knew he was safe and healthy, but I still felt like I should be home taking care of my baby, not “playing” at the gym. I didn’t realize how much kettlebells would influence my life as a mother. It made me a happier, a more confident person, which made me a happy, better mother. My main goal in life is to be a good mom. Every other goal I have is secondary to that. I believe anything that makes you a better mother, you should try.
What has been your solution to balancing mommy time with training time?
Preparation… As long as I have all my daily responsibilities taken care of, then I don’t stress or feel guilty about doing things for myself such as kettlebell lifting. I’m not extremely organized or neurotic about my house being clean, but as long as there is food on the table and in the fridge, there are clothes to wear, and the bills are paid, then I can justify taking some time out of the day for myself. Guilt has been a huge, unexpected factor of being a mom. Since day one I felt guilty about doing or buying anything for myself because suddenly you have somebody else to think about 24-7. One of the most important things I have learned is that you must make some time for yourself to do something you love because if you are not happy, it will directly impact your family. A happy family starts with happy parents!
Does your son watch you train/compete? What does he know about kettlebells?
He doesn’t watch me train because I wouldn’t get anything done, but he has gone to all my events. Everything we do is as a family. We go to Jason’s [her husband] softball and motocross races and my kettlebell events together. Jason has supported me like I have supported him. I would never want to leave either one of them at home. They both give me so much motivation. It is so important to me to have them there. At the national event in Vegas last May, Jason took care of Colby all day and made sure to have Colby in the room with me when I did all my events. He also had flowers delivered to our hotel room. Colby had fun and got to play with the kettlebells on the stage. I have a couple pictures where his tongue is hanging out because he’s concentrating so hard on picking up the giant bell. Having them there brings a whole other element to the trip; another level of emotions. I still would have been happy even if I didn’t win because I had my family there. The best part of having them there was right after each event they would give me a giant hug that made me feel so special and loved.
Bear @ 18 rpm
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
For those of us interested in improving the KB Jerk, here is great example of how to do it properly. This is a snippet of Bear’s set from last night. She is working diligently on improving her numbers for some stiff competition in the coming months.
TT’s Path to Weight Loss
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
“I’ve been getting a lot of comments/compliments from people at the Ice Chamber about how my body is changing lately. Thanks for that. I have been turbo-charge motivated by the carrot of 6 months flex time! I’ve lost around 8 pounds and over 2% body fat so far. After a conversation this morning, Maya asked if I would share what I have been doing to reduce… Here’s a partial list of what I am doing and eating, and what I am not doing and eating.
I am:
- Exercising daily, pretty much. On “non-IC days” I am doing a combination of walking and running, sometimes throwing in a bunch of sit-ups, crunches, and maybe some hula-hooping. Whatever I can muster and fit in. Hopefully I sweat.
- Eating carbs in the form of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. (I have done the low carb diet thing before and felt like crap and gained all the weight back and have since learned how horrible and dangerous it is for you…All I can say is whole grains, whole grains, whole grains. Oh, and legumes.)
- Eating less by about 500 calories less a day, which, as I understand it is the rule of thumb for losing weight. I read labels to help “guesstimate” my intake. You can also find caloric values online. My guidline: Middle aged (47) women who are 5ft. 7 inches should be eating around 1700 calories a day for maintaining weight. (So, around 1200 for weight loss).
- Drinking a lot of water.
- Avoiding standing in front of the dessert table at parties. And the cheese plate.
- Eating lots of salads with things like raw pumpkin seeds and vegetables on it (with homemade vinegrette made with olive oil). And lots of soups. And lots of beans.
I am not:
- Starving myself. If I really get hungry (this is the tricky one to evaluate for me: am I really hungry, or am I trying to feed something else??), I have a piece of fruit, or a carrot, celery, or some jicama, or a whole grain cracker (Rye-Vita Sesame are yummy) with some hummus on it, or a small handful of nuts. Or all of the above, in small amounts. I don’t want to feel starved and deprived.
- Drinking anything but water, and occasional herbal tea. This is pretty much normal for me, and I know some people think it’s weird. Oh well.
- Eating anything with white flour in it. As far as I can tell, there is no good reason to eat white flour products other than convenience. Yes, that eliminates most breads, most pastas, cakes, and so on. I’m training myself and my family to move beyond it. For example: We all love pesto around my house, so I put it on brown rice with veggies. It’s GOOD. Really. (And you can take the cheese out of the pesto, and add it on top for those who want to eat cheese…if you make it yourself).
- Eating very much in the way of meat, chicken or fish. I’d say on average, once a week, and more likely fish than meat…
- Eating any sugar, other than what is naturally found in fruits, vegetables and grains.
Well, I hope this is helpful to some of you. (Though not TOO helpful, ’cause I really do want to win!!) I certainly appreciate the kudos… Like most of the women I know and hear of, I have very deep rooted issues about my body, my eating, my image. It feels really good to have some positive feelings about my body, and to be able to recieve postive comments from those beyond my skin. Good luck! (We all win with this, don’t we?)”
-Tracy Tingle