Fourth Form of Madness

My husband is a bit of a fitness freak! Love him dearly but sometimes even I shake my head and wonder what planet he came from. Like the times when he decides to cycle 20kms to bjj training, do not one but two sessions, and then cycle 20kms home, all on days that would be best spent in the pool with with a cocktail in hand. However, this week I have been very grateful for his fitness expertise as I have commenced, under his very mindful and slightly amused eye, a morning kettle bell routine.

Now it doesn’t look hard and only involves a smallish looking 8 kg kettle bell but oh my what a workout! A day before the official start hubby and I assembled in the makeshift gym in our house otherwise known as the lounge room. He proceeds to give me a demonstration of the 4 exercises I will be doing in my 4 minute (yes you read right 4 minutes but trust me people it feels like 30 mins). I proceed to break out into girly laughter as I realise how hot my husband is when he is in his earnest instructor mood whilst at the same time making a mental note to check out how many girls attend his fitness classes he sometimes gives at bjj. After establishing that I am “such a child”, hubby advises me it is my turn. I pick up the kettle bell, apparently totally incorrectly, and after ripping half my lower back, proceed to rip the remaining half as I kettle swing away.

Surviving that experience, it was on to exercise number two – one handed kettle swings. From the onset I didn’t feel confident about this one but not wanting to disappoint, I bent properly this time and picked the little bugger up (my affectionate name for the kettle bell) with my left hand. I gave it the best swing I could give but things did not feel well in my elbow and I was a little bit afraid I might let go of the thing mid swing and end up with a nice new window into our garage. We decided that this exercise clearly was not in my reach at this moment. As it turned out neither was the third. What hubby had made look so easier actually turned out to be incredibly hard.

This left me with deep squats, yay cause I really can’t get enough of those things particularly when I am holding an 8kg kettle bell and having to put my elbows inside my knees. Who thinks up these exercises, I would like to meet them and give them a big dose of Prozac because clearly they are suffering from severe depression to want the body to go through so much pain. Anyway dramatics aside, I am proud to say that 3 times this week (hubby thought it was best to start at 3 sessions a week until I am conditioned, but secretly I think it is until he is conditioned to my moaning and protesting) I have ploughed through my routine. Come the 3rd one I felt like Rocky Balboa and was looking for stairs to run up and down whilst humming the Rocky theme, until I caught sight of myself in my shortie pjs and dishevelled hair and thought it best for the world if I just hit the showers.

So onwards and upwards with week two looming…….who knows I might even built a few muscles and actually be able to do the other two exercises….anything is possible I guess with such a hot instructor to impress!