What Motivates You?

Why do we do the things we do each day? Or why do we not do certain things? What motivates you?

Why I train with kettlebells is fairly personal for me. I'm an older dad of a young son. I was 42 when my son Alex was born and he is almost 5 now. His birthday is in just a few months.

I wanted to make sure that I had the wind, flexibility and strength to play actively with him as he gets older. I don't want to be the old guy wearing at suit at Little League who isn't playing catch after the game is over.

When he was first born, I was in decent looking shape but wasn't able to move the way that I was used to. I was inflexible and also had lost lots of strength. I wish I could remember exactly how I found Dragon Door. I can't but I did end up at the website in November, 2006. I had never heard of kettlebells but was intrigued enough to begin working with an RKC instructor. I attended a few workshops after that and quickly got addicted to the changes I was making. Yes, I was getting tons stronger but what intrigued me most was how much better I was moving and how much more flexible I was getting. And how my aerobic capacity was really improving without "The dishonor of aerobics," as Pavel so brilliantly puts it. It was the classic "WTH" effect that so many seem to get from "Hard Style" kettlebell training.

My next step was a few workshops. Mike Mahler, Anthony Diluglio and I kept getting better and fitter. Enter David Whitley, Sr. RKC. He and I had an email correspondence going and he wondered why I wouldn't want to learn from the gentleman who really has been the driving force for the popularity of kettlebells in the United States. So I signed up for the October, 2008 RKC in April of last year. Once I knew I was going, then I developed a training map. Each destination in the journey was planned. There was no meandering. I was not going to fail. Simple as that. I was now motivated not only by the desire to be in shape for my son and me but there was no way I was going to the RKC certification and not leaving with my cert. No way no how.

Honestly, when I first learned what the requirements were I thought...."oh I don't know....sounds hard...can I do it? etc etc." Once I committed I just figured it out. Knew what I needed to do. Not everyone does. I mean there was a guy on Team Jones who had NEVER trained with a 24 kg kettlebell. How he was going to pass was a mystery to me and certainly to him as well.

Is there hope for you? It depends what motivates you and how bad you want to achieve your goal(s). For example, the RKC just published new requirements for our certification. Is it harder? Certainly more is being asked of us, especially for women. Most RKC women felt the old standard was too easy so change was implemented.I hate this phrase but it is useful here. "It is what it is." I passed with a different, not sure easier, standard. Will I pass it when I recert? I can guarantee I will no matter what the requirement. I'll plan for it and crush it. I wanted badly to be able to roughhouse and not get my butt kicked by a 5 year old. Pretty motivating. I also found that I really wanted to share with others. Motivating again! When I re-test I will be incredilby motivated.

If there is a better and faster why to reach general fitness goals, I'm not aware of it. You get strong, flexible and really aerobically fit with kettlebell training.

I can't get a wonderful workout done in less time than a drive to the local gym. Nice huh?


Sandy Sommer, RKC