Culture

It's not enough that I participate in physical activities or events. Now that kettlebells are such a big part of my life, I'm always up for carrying them with me for an additional challenge. In September, I took my 25 lb. kettlebell on a hike up a mountain. It took every ounce of energy I had but I successfully ascended and descended the mountain clocking in around 3 hours total time and nearly 4 miles of distance. I figured walking a 5K with a kettlebell would be a breeze. Therefore, it made sense to up the stakes by bringing a heavier kettlebell for this flat terrain walk. However, after some consideration, I stuck with my 25 lb. kettlebell.

This isn't an idea that I came up with all on my own. Rather, I owe thanks to Taco Fleur who has taken his kettlebells on all sorts of adventures. Seeing photos of him with his kettlebells atop mountains with breathtaking views made me think, "I could give this a shot!". Obviously, I'm not the first person to hike with a kettlebell. However, hiking up Mt. Major with a kettlebell? Maybe. The first documented kettlebell hike up Mt. Major. Most likely yes!

Despite the many benefits and muscles worked when exercising with kettlebells, very few NFL athletes are taking advantage of this fitness tool. Of course, the training necessary to compete at such a high level most likely demands a variety of equipment. Still, it is a little surprising that the kettlebell hasn't become more integrated into NFL players' workouts.

Organizer and coach Ste Gordon helped create the North-East Open, a competition that saw dozens of lifters participate in various kettlebell events this past Saturday. Held at Darlington College, such events included Jerks, Snatches, Longcycle, and even a relay. While there was a decent turnout of men and women competitors, it was the more than 10 juniors participating that really made an impression.

In my short time with kettlebells, I've discovered many inspirational people that have helped me stay motivated towards my goal of losing weight. Some of them directly while others through their enthusiasm and dedication to kettlebells via their Instagram feed. Of course, weight loss is just one benefit but there are many more that can be gained from working out with kettlebells. Strength building, flexibility & mobility, and feats of sheer awesomeness to name a few.

Cavemantraining is offering 3 individuals the opportunity for a chance to win $50. All you need to do is simply record a video of yourself doing something with a kettlebell. Experience doesn't matter. Technically, you could just do one move and submit it. However, the winners will be selected by the most votes awarded from other kettlebell enthusiasts. So bring your A-game and create something special!

In a detailed post, several points are made as to how they came to this decision. Interestingly enough, every one of the 8 points starts off with the word "Facebook". If it wasn't clear before, CrossFit is pointing the blame squarely on the social media giant. I'm not going to cover every point, but there are a couple that really stuck out to me.

For as long as we saw it coming and wondered about how it would change the world of technology, virtual reality has been somewhat unpredictable since reaching the consumer market. We’re a few years in now, and things have moved at a slower pace than expected. But now, affordable headsets are coming out, the number of games and applications available is growing larger, and VR is becoming more familiar and more useful. It’s now fair to ask how it may ultimately affect our exercise habits.

First off I'm a huge admirer of Eric Leija. I'm not sure if he is the originator of kettlebell flows, but it was this workout that introduced me to them. It's a workout that I still do regularly to this day and has me feeling satisfied but exhausted at the end. Accumulating nearly 500K followers on Instagram, he's established himself as one of the premier trainers among the kettlebell community. So when I was browsing my newsfeed and came across the video below, I thought it deserved more notice than the one-sentence article on the FOX 7 website.