Why You Must Use A Heart Rate Monitor When You Kettlebell

A lot of people who read my blog or follow me on Twitter have asked why I wear my FT-80 Heart Rate Monitor while I do my kettlebell sessions. Let me preface this post with this: Until I heard Pavel Tsatsouline recommend its use I didn't dream of using one. Marty Gallagher had mentioned to Pavel that they are a required tool for his clientele and when Marty speaks, even Pavel pays attention.

Here's why I wear one and why you must as well. How else would you be able to compare your cardio results without the information provided. When you are really fit you can't just "feel" if a workout is more intense, you need to be able to look at the hard numbers to tell for sure. You want to plot and graph average heart rate, high heart rate, Kcals oxidized, intensity, duration and be able to see how you are progressing. How will you know if you don't have the data?

If you aren't as fit as you will be in the future then you need it too. Here's why: physical renovation requires patience, iniative, and safety. You really need to monitor your intensity and duration and keep adding to both incrementally in a cardio cycle. I'm here to help you in anyway I can in this regard so please don't hesitate to just ask!

Finally, if your business is physical and mental renovation, i.e. you're a fitness pro, and yoru clients are not required to wear one, then you are plain boneheaded. Most trainers have no clue as to what sort of heart rate is being generated during a session. Not only can this prove dangerous if the completely unfit are subjected to high impact jogging, boot camp or other forms of cardio but the information is a real coaching opportunity. Here you can use hard info to show how poor eating habits can completely undo a solid work session. As David Whitley, SRKC, so eloquesntly puts it, "You can't outwork a donut." Well stated.

I highly recommend using this tool for you and your clients if you have them. You can't go wrong and it is a chance to really differentiate yourself from the Fitness Nazis of the world.

Please leave your commentary here and if you have any ideas for future article please leave a comment. I will be covering "Reverse Engineering Your Way to Success" in the near futture!

Sandy Sommer, RKC

How To Become A Viking Warrior

I'm starting a new journey. I have finished the Viking Warrior Conditioning Manual and I'm about to embark on a journey that may have no final destination. Based on what I've come up with, I may be able to work Kenneth Jay's strength and conditioning program from now on.

Allow me to share my how I got to where I am. I was first introduced to the kettlebell in November, 2006. I somehow ended up at the Dragon Door website and saw a kettlebell for the the first time. Looked pretty cool. At that point there were no RKC instructors nearby but in February of the following year one moved back to Baltimore from LA and I invested in a bunch of training sessions with her.

I thought I was in great shape but she quickly helped dispel of those notions. I may have looked like I was in shape but I couldn't move well at all. My hips were locked up. My glutes maybe could "spark" but certainly weren't capable of "Firing" effectively and I was all bound up.

Our focus was on creating effective movement and once we got that ball rolling she introduced me to the swing. I was hooked. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was going to become a kettlebell devotee.

We worked together for sometime but she moved again and I lost my instructor. Mike Mahler was 2 hours away and I went to his all day seminar and learned even more. At that point I knew I wanted to become an RKC and share this amazing tool with a client base. Why?

Well, first of all, as a former very competitive athlete, it took me all of about a minute to realize that the explosive nature of kettlebell practice had application beyond any tools I had ever used. Second, workouts were short, intense and effective. In our society, where we value time so dearly, I knew that it wouldn't be hard to share my passion with others.

I kept training, using what I had learned from my local trainer as well as from Mike, but again found that I wasn't technically as sound as I thought I was. I worked with two other regionally based RKC instructors and was finally ready for my RKC weekend.

I was in the best condition of my adult life and perhaps of my whole life.

Now, I'm about to take that up a notch. I will be sharing each workout session here. It will be a combination of Viking Warrior Strengh Practice and Viking WArrior conditioning workouts.

Follow my progress as I become a Viking Warrior!

Sandy Sommer, RKC