The only wrist wrap designed for Kettlebell Lifting
Master of Sport, Dr. Scott Helsley, wrote a great review of the Kettle Guard, an ICKB Girls innovation.
“The Kettle Guards are a big improvement over both the simple wrist bands and wraps… I did my long cycle set and then I used them for a strongman set of jerks and cleans with the 40kg bell at the AKC booth. I also used them at home in similar sets with 48 and 53kg bells…”
Mom + child = typical scene at the IC
Children are more likely to be physically active when their parents provide the example. Lydia is no exception; these days her mama, Sally M., is the one trying to keep up!
Foreste Peterson
Check out IC athlete Foreste Peterson’s incredible stats this year:
Top 3 in the U.S.
"Let your pregnancy and your child be a part of your unique, fit lifestyle!" -Dr. Amanda
Age: 35
Profession: Physician, Researcher, Administrator
Children: age 3 and 5 1/2
Favorite workout song of the week: -still love Paper Planes by MIA
Athletic gear you can’t live without: -black Lululemon headband
Maya: Many people at the IC know you as an incredibly dedicated and hard working bootcamper, but can you tell us more about your athletic background?
Dr. Amanda: I love our 6am bootcamp. I started 11 months ago and can’t turn back… I also run 2 days per week and occasionally sneak onto the elliptical in the garage. In terms of the past, I have been involved in sports forever. I played organized soccer from ages 4-20 and started running at age 12. I ran Varsity track in high school and college and was an Academic All American. Now I’m just a weekend warrior, but the IC gives me a chance to conjure up some of the old intensity.
Maya: What is your professional area of expertise?
Dr. Amanda: Obstetrics and Gynecology (clinical), Peripartum depression, minimally invasive surgery, family planning and fibroids (research)
Maya: Is it okay for an active woman interested in becoming pregnant to continue exercising? If so, are there any precautions to keep in mind?
Dr. Amanda: Absolutely- however, if one is losing body mass such that she is anovulatory (doesn’t have periods) she may need to slow down so that her eggs can be released.
Maya: What are 5 reasons women should prioritize prenatal exercise?
Dr. Amanda:
1. Women who exercise during pregnancy manage pain better in labor
2. Women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to influence their partners and children to exercise thus creating a healthier society
3. There is life after pregnancy and women who exercise will regain their physical fitness more rapidly
4. Women who exercise during pregnancy will be at decreased risk for peripartum depression
5. Exercise is a great way to handle some of the hormonal changes of pregnancy
"There is life after pregnancy and women who exercise will regain their physical fitness more rapidly." -Dr. Amanda
Maya: In terms of exercise prescription, is it safe for pregnant women to do body weight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges?
Dr. Amanda: Listen to your body (and your doctor!) For a LOW RISK pregnancy, as long as there is no abdominal trauma, most exercises are fine. However, joints are more loose during pregnancy so be careful with technique esp regarding hips and knees.
Maya: Set the record straight on prenatal crunches and sit-ups…
Dr. Amanda: If you can do it reasonably comfortably go for it until about 24-28 weeks. Thereafter, the weight of the uterus on the blood vessels in the back of the abdomen are too heavy and can compress them.
Maya: Is it safe for pregnant women to use external weights like dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells?
Dr. Amanda: Yes, but use lighter weights. The joints and back are more fragile during pregnancy and can be easily injured. If you aren’t straining your back or pelvis, it is fine. If it starts to hurt those areas, it’s too much.
Maya: Are there any prenatal exercise no-nos women and their trainers should be aware of?
Dr. Amanda: Avoid any flat on the back floor exercises after 28 weeks. Avoid exercises that puts the abdomen at risk for trauma. Stop if it hurts (burn is ok:) If you are having more than 4 Braxton Hicks contractions in an hour slow down and hydrate. Heart rate should max at 15% below normal rate (American College of OBGyn says 140 bpm max, but that doesn’t take into account fit women)– just don’t get to the point of huffing and puffing.
Maya: What are three things you wish every pregnant woman knew about health and fitness?
"Women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to influence their partners and children to exercise thus creating a healthier society." -Dr. Amanda
Dr. Amanda:
1. Exercise does not cause miscarriage or preterm labor
2. Exercise will improve your birth experience– labor and recovery
3. If exercise is important to you, don’t stop– you are bringing a child into the world in part because you think you (and your partner) have something good going on to share with the world. Let your pregnancy and your child be a part of your unique, fit lifestyle!
Maya: You recently teamed-up with Aubrey Wade RN, MSN to create “My Pregnancy – Pocket Guide” in order to provide convenient prenatal health, labor/delivery, and fitness advice. Can you tell us more about this special project?
Dr. Amanda: In the lay pregnancy literature there really was a gap. There was nothing on the market that was concise, wellness focused, family inclusive, and medically accurate. We are very pleased with our end product. We hope that women will slip this into their purse, make notes on it on their BART commute, and bring it to their appointments. My favorite section is the medical-ese dictionary– it is so important that women know what the heck we are talking about!
For the first time in his Kettlebell Sport career, Valery opens up about his childhood, his most significant achievements, the WKC rank system, and the five greatest kettlebell lifters of all time. Maya shares the most extensive and in-depth interview of Valery Fedorenko to date…
Valery's Master of Sport Badge/ID from the Ministry of Sport Dept. USSR/Moscow
“I clearly understood that I had to decide whether to go party, have fun OR go train. I decided that first I had to become somebody. I needed to get some titles and keep working hard. After that, maybe, I figured I could have more fun, but I never worried about that really. To get somewhere in life, to be Champion for example, I knew I had to pay the price…” -VF
3 months into IC Boot Camp / One year later
To kick off our next Fat Loss Challenge of 2010, we are featuring the incredible transformation of Karen King to get you motivated. In a candid interview with Maya, she opens up about what it took to lose 40 pounds without going on a strict diet or beating herself up over numbers on the scale. How did she do it and make front page news on Athleta?
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Back by popular demand, here are the NEW IC Challenges for 2010:
-60 Day Fat Loss Challenge: member with greatest percentage lost receives six months of Bootcamp!
-Performance Challenge: member with greatest number of repetitions of squats, push-ups, and sit-ups receives one month of Flex Access!
Registration details will be announced in class this week. IC Challenges start on February 1st!
This morning marked the first group workouts of 2010. What a way to celebrate!
When not cheffing or belling, she can be found heaving heavy weights off the ground.
Miriam continues to WOW us all by consistently training right into her third trimester. While some of us grew allergic to physical exercise by this point in our pregnancies (understandably so, of course!), Miriam is finding that movement is key to her prenatal health and sense of vitality as a working mom to her five year old son, Sam. …and check her out, just like Emily and Lori, Miriam is more proof that prenatal fitness is the way to go!
Melissa sent us this crazy video. This guy has some moves we can all learn from.