Kettlebells for Dummies - A Book Review

If you follow my blog you know that I've recently discovered kettlebells - those innocuous looking hunks of iron that supposedly can whip you into shape faster than Julia Child can whip up a chocolate mousse.

If you know me, you also know that I've always been somewhat active. I was into martial arts when I was a teenager up until I got married and started having babies. Then, even though I let the martial arts slide due to a lack of time, I kept up with daily exercises for several years. Once the kids got more numerous and sleep was the number one priority, I let exercise slide almost completely for several years. But my interest in being fit was sparked again when I saw a segment on TV about kettlebells. I was intrigued. They looked like fun and sounded like a great way to get into shape. I did some research; printed off some routines I found on the internet and picked up a kettlebell. It was a great start, but I needed one more thing - some better instruction.

My wish was granted. I was recently given a copy of the book Kettlebells for Dummies by Sarah Lurie. This is a really great book for anyone getting started with kettlebells. 

Chapter 1 - Gearing Up is all about what a kettlebell is, how they are used and how they differ from traditional weights. There is information on how to pick the right size kettlebell including some simple ways to test your strength and flexibility and how to choose the right size kettlebell based on those simple test results. This process was spot-on! I was able to choose the right weight kettlebell and after working with it a bit I know that it's the right size - it's challenging, but not overly so. 

This chapter also goes into the essentials of spine and hip positioning and alignment - how to get into the right positions and maintain them and how to do the hip snap movements. It also covers some warming up, cooling down and stretching topics.

Chapter 2 - Basics covers some of the basic kettlebell moves: The Swing and its variations, the Turkish Get Up and variations of it with and without the kettlebell and other basic moves such as squats, cleans and the military press. There are detailed, step by step instructions on how to get the movements down and tips and exercises to do if you are having trouble. Can't quite get the squats just right? There are some exercises to do to get your body used to the correct movements.

It then moves into some beginner workouts which include suggested routines with chapter references so you can refer back for more details on specific exercises. There are three workouts - 'Flab to Fab', 'Cardio Burn' and 'Power and Strength', each incorporating exercises that work toward a particular goal - losing fat/burning calories, cardio or strength.

Chapter 3 - Advanced Kettlebell Moves progresses into some more advanced moves and covers ways to master those moves. There are some quick 5-minute workouts that are great to use as warm-ups for a full workout, or just to squeeze in on those days when you don't have time for a full workout.

Then, as in the previous beginner workouts, there are three workouts - 'Flab to Fab', 'Cardio Burn' and 'Power and Strength' that incorporate some of the more advanced moves into the workouts.

This chapter also gets into some kettlebell combos that pull together various kettlebell movements into a single exercise to take full advantage of the kettlebell's ability to engage your entire body and core muscles with some simple movements and combinations of movements.

Chapter 4 - Special Situations covers kettlebell use for young adults, boomers and seniors. There are guidelines to follow and suggestions on how to adjust the workouts to suit your own special situation.

Everything you can think of from a section on pregnancy and post-natal workouts to sections on rehabbing and supporting substantial weight loss are covered as well as tips to achieve goals and guidelines to help you find a certified trainer.

Overall, this is an excellent book. Throughout the book are photos showing the correct form for each exercise each step of the way as well as detailed written instructions for each step. There are plenty of tips and pointers for identifying bad form and correcting it and the suggested workouts are extremely helpful in creating a full workout plan.

The book is geared toward a kettlebell novice and has a lot of detail to get you started and to keep you going for a long time with intermediate and advanced moves and topics. I will be referring to this book for a long time as I progress with my kettlebell training. With my kettlebell and this book I'm good to go. I have what I need to get the basics down and then some.

Quack!

I Don't Know What The Heck He's Reading! (What We're Reading - Part 5 of 5)

  I'm ending this series of posts on a disappointing note. What is the hubster reading? I have no idea. How's that for a let down? Sure, I could ask him. Or just glance over at the bedside table and read the title. But most of what he reads I don't find interesting. (You might, but we'll never know, will we?)

We have a lot of interests in common, but reading material isn't really one of them. He seems to be a fan of high fantasy - dragons, dungeons, mages, etc which I sometimes like and have been known to read, but lately it holds little interest for me. He also often enjoys science fiction. I've never been a fan of science fiction. Not sure why. And then there's the zombie, vampire type stuff. Again, not usually my cup of tea although I did enjoy "The Forest of Hands of Teeth" which has a lot of zombies. I'm not too sure that Hubby would appreciate it though - it's definately aimed at the teenage girl market ala Twilight. (and no, I haven't read Twilight, or seen the movies.)

While he reads David Eddings, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, Harry Turtledove and George Hebert I steer toward juvenile and young adult fiction, Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Patricia McKillop, David Almond, Kate DiCamillo and Kathy Appelt.

And that's the end of this series on what we're reading. At least for now. Hope you weren't too bored.


Quack!

Novellas, Series, the Classics, Oh My! (What We're Reading - Part 4 of 5)

  I got two new books for Christmas and I just recently finished the first - Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars. I generally enjoy Stephen King's books quite a bit. I own just about all of them and wouldn't think of not reading something he's written. This particular book is comprised of four novellas much like his Different Seasons from 20-odd years back. For some reason, I don't usually enjoy novellas. It's like a short story that needs some editing, or a novel that's not quite long enough. After finishing the first story in this book I confirmed my suspicions about how I feel about novellas. It was a good story, but I kept flipping through the pages to see how much was left to read. It seemed to ramble on too long in parts and I kept looking for the cohesive thread that tied it all together. Judging from the reviews I've seen I'm in the minority on this one.

But things picked up with the other 3 stories. The second one was enjoyable, the third was as well, but the main character wasn't likeable at all and that made it not quite as fun to read. And the last one was good. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it certainly isn't a favorite.

And up next is the final installment in the 'Keys to the Kingdom' series by Garth Nix. I really enjoyed this series and am anxious to read the last book in the series. However, I stopped at the library and ended up with a stack of books, including a kettlebell book, that I now need to hurry up and read before they are due back, so Garth Nix will have to wait a month or two.

And, thanks to Snickers and Doodlebug, I'm now planning on reading Jane Yolen's Devil's Arithmetic and Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist (I haven't decided yet if I'll read a full, original version, or if I'll stick to Doodlebug's edited, kid-friendly, cliff-notes version. :)


Quack!

Scary Stories Give me Goosebumps! (What We're Reading - Part 3 of 5)

  Sweet Pea enjoys a scary story. (Not too scary, but a well-placed ghost or witch, monster or evil step-mother is a plus). She's always enjoyed the Goosebumps books and TV series and has read quite a few of them. The Secrets of Dripping Fang series by Martin Greenburg was also a big hit. The books are silly, fun and gross with just the right mix of 'ick' and 'ew' and 'what if' to keep her entertained. She is currently hooked on Cynthia DeFelice's The Ghost of Cutler Creek.

Sweet Pea is a good reader, but doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as the boys. She reads each night before bed, but sometimes I think it's more for the purpose of staying up late rather than because she really wants to read. But hey, to each their own.


Quack!

Beasts, Quests, Book Reports, the Holocaust (What We're Reading - Part 2 of 5)

  Snickers, 9 years old now, has been whizzing his way through the 'Beast Quest' series. They are relatively short books written by many different authors under the name 'Adam Blade'. There are 54 of them in the series and from what I can see without having read them, they involve the main character going on a quest and battling some fantastic beast. Over the last couple of months Snickers has managed to get through the first 15. Awesome! He is really enjoying them - in part because he likes the stories and in part because he can finish them quickly. At this age, struggling with a huge book for weeks on end is daunting. So, while he could certainly pick something more challenging to read, this at least gets him reading.

He also took a short break from Beast Quest. He had a book report to do for school on a historical fiction book. He chose Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Jane Yolen is a prolific author with some truly great books under her belt for children, young adults and adults. (How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, for one). This particular book is an award winner and is about a young girl who travels back in time to the Holocaust. Sweet Pea read it a year or so ago and really enjoyed it. As soon as Snickers is done with it I think I will read it as well.


Quack!

My Six Year Old is Reading Dickens! (What We're Reading - Part 1 of 5)

  Doodlebug, almost 7, enjoys Junie B Jones. (Who doesn't? Those books are a hoot!) She's silly and she's also a first-grader. He can relate. He started reading one of the Junie B. Jones books himself but for whatever reason it fizzled out and he hasn't picked it back up after the first chapter or two. Maybe it was too challenging? Not interesting enough? Maybe because the main character is a girl? Maybe she's too silly. Who knows, but a couple of weeks ago when Doodlebug saw a collection of 5 or 6 small books that we own, he was intrigued. They are just the right size for his hands (about 3 inches by 4 inches) and are classics that have been re-written in a more kid-accessible way.

These things are also old - the hubster must have had these for almost 30 years. They were originally 99 cents, but were marked down to 50 cents each at Kay Bee toys back in the late 70's or early 80's. There's Jack London's Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Dicken's Oliver Twist. For whatever reason, Oliver Twist caught his eye - must be the illustration of young boys on the cover. It has 25 chapters and he feels very grown up to be reading a chapter book that has even more chapters than what Snickers is reading. He very much likes to be 'smarter' than other kids his age and with his natural abilities and the fact that he has an older brother who loves to teach him about math, science, mythology, dinosaurs, etc, etc, etc, he knows a lot of things that many first graders don't.

But seeing him sitting there with Oliver Twist !! in his hands, finger gliding along each line of the story, mouth sounding out the more difficult words, oblivious to the world around him, is wonderful to see. I mean, even I've never read Oliver Twist, or any Dicken's for that matter. I'm familiar with some of the stories, but haven't actually read them. Maybe it's time that I did.


Quack!

Holy Huge-a-riffic-ness Batman!

  Monday I posted about the book 'Food Rules' by Michael Pollan. The family was amused by the fact that I was reading a book about food and nutrition and spouting off bits of nutritional wisdom for the next several days. Then they got a look at the next book I was planning to read and they stopped laughing. Their mouths dropped open. They knew then that I had definately gone off the deep end.

The book was (Holy Huge-a-riffic-ness Batman! ) What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating. It's written by Marion Nestle, a Professor at New York University who has degrees in molecular biology and public health nutrition. Her web site, http://www.foodpolitics.com/ has topics ranging from the latest nutritional studies and whether or not she feels they have merit, to the advertising of health claims on foods, sustainability, etc Anything involving food policies and politics.

So I picked up this monster of a book at the library. This book is a many-paged, 3 inch thick monster. I really didn't plan on reading it through cover to cover - it was just too huge to try to read the whole thing and I didn't have 3 years to spend at it, so I picked out the chapters I found of interest and skimmed through them. Overall this was an interesting book. It contains a lot, like tons and tons, of information and research on just about every food imaginable. It's organized like a supermarket with chapters on produce, dairy, frozen foods, butter/margarine, cereals, breads etc.

One nice thing about it is that she doesn't tell you what to do and not do. She doesn't say "Don't eat this!" or "Eat that" or "Always choose this." She lays out the facts and lets you decide for yourself. Is organic the way to go? She lays out the facts on organic labeling, what organic is, how food companies comply with organic labeling, the results of nutritional studies and research, the costs of organic and lets you make your own decision. Each of the chapters/topics in the book is presented in the same way.

Another thing mentioned in the book that I found interesting, that most people probably don't think much about, is the fact that the main goal of a supermarket is not to encourage you to eat healthy. It's about the supermarket making money. It's about the companies that make the foods making money. And often making money at the expense of those eating it. Margins in the grocery business are small - so food companies, supermarkets, etc do everything they can to get you to buy their food and to buy large quantities of it. One (of many) ways they do this is by putting various health claims on the packaging. Marion Nestle discusses many of these health claims and tries to put them in perspective. Putting a health claim on a box of cereal that is comprised mostly of sugar, refined wheat flour and artifical colors and flavors doesn't make it healthy. And while the health claims in many cases may be based in truth, it's still deceptive in that you are mislead into thinking you are eating healthy.

If you are really interested in how to choose the right foods at the supermarket - where there is an overwhelming array of foods, pseudo-foods and advertising; if you really want to know how to eat healthy and what factors are important to take into account while doing your weekly shopping, then pick up this book (carefully though - it's heavy. You don't want to pull any muscles.) It's filled to the brim with any and all information that you would need to know to choose what's best for you.

Quack!

Food Rules! It Does. But This is About the Book.

  I recently read the book Food Rules by Michael Pollan.  It was very interesting. It's a small book - I read it in about an hour (to the amazement of the kids) and found the prologue to be especially interesting. I spent half a day spouting nutritional advice to the hubster and the kids. They found it very amusing.

Really, if you read no other book about nutrition in your life - give this a try. Most of what it contained wasn't news to me. For the most part it's common sense, but it's nice to see if all in one place, in such a concise and understandable way.

The book consists of 64 simple rules to follow to eat healthy, many of which overlap.

Here are a few of the rules I really liked:

• Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. He specifically mentioned those wonderfully sweet, colorful tubes of yogurt. Are those food? The kids sure enjoy it. But with all the added sugars and colors it's not really much more than a dessert. Granted one with some healthy ingredients but those may well be overshadowed by the sheer mountains of added sugars and artificial colors. What else would great-grandma not recognize? Twinkies? Fruit Loops? Plenty of other stuff I'm sure.
• Avoid foods that have some form of sugar or sweetener listed among the top three ingredients. This makes sense. If it has that much sugar added it's either very unhealthy or inherintly disgusting in that it requires such huge amounts of sugar to make it palatable.
• Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients. This one is interesting. If it contains more than 5 or so ingredients it is most-likely heavily processed and contains a lot of salt, sugars, additives or any number of other chemicals. Take a look at the ingredient list for Hamburger Helper, or a frozen pizza. You're better off making something from scratch or sticking to something less heavily processed.
• Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not. Things like margarine (basically oils and chemicals dressed up to look and sometimes taste, like butter), artificial sweeteners, fake fats, etc. These things are generally very heavily processed to get to the state they are in. I don't follow this one necessarily. I use margarine and butter and (at least until now) haven't leaned too much one way or the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. But I do tend to want to avoid artificial sweeteners. I put them in my coffee and I drink diet soda, but I'm not entirely comfortable with them. I plan to cut out the soda altogether as soon as my home stash is exhausted. Should be interesting.
• Stay to the edges of the supermarket - avoid the middle. The middle is where you find all the processed, overly-salted, overly-sweetened stuff. It's best to stick to the periphery of the store as much as possible where the 'whole foods' are. Things like fruits and veggies, meat, dairy products.
• Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk. This one will be difficult for us. We eat a lot of cereal and most of the cereal we eat is highly processed with lots of refined carbs and artificial colors. Things like Fruit Loops, Trix, Cap'n Crunch. You know - all those sweet sweet tasty cereals. The good news is we also like Cheerios and Rice Krispies and Kix which may not be uber-healthy, but they beat the heck out of some of the rainbow-colored stuff. And actually, for the past year or two I've been eating mostly oatmeal and granola. An occasional bowl of Cap'n Crunch may find it's way into my stomach, but for the most part I try to stick to higher fiber cereals in the morning to fill me up. Even Sweet Pea eats the (homemade) granola and amazingly enough, I even got the hubby to eat a bowl of oatmeal. [gasp] I know I know! Amazing.
• And this one I especially like: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. This rule was written under the assumption that most people won't bother very often to make their own junk food - cookies, cakes, etc, so it will be an occasional thing. Well, he doesn't know me. I would bake several times a week if I could. I love baking. So, I guess this is one rule I shouldn't follow.
• Buy smaller plates and glasses. This one too is interesting - there was a study done that showed that by switching from a 12" plate to a 10" plate people reduced the amount of food they eat by 22%. That's significant! And worth a try.

Overall, this was a great little book. Chock full of great advice. Pick and choose what you want to follow, but any small changes could make a big difference. If you want to make improvements, you have to start somewhere and this book will give you some great ideas on where to start. Check it out.


Quack!