All of my adult life, I have been looking for the magic pill that will keep me lean and strong with the least amount of time and effort. Well folks, I have not found it...there is no such thing. I would certainly like to report that I have found it. Wouldn't it be great to be able to go shopping, help the kids with homework, sit in your cubicle at work, or leisurely pamper yourself and not have to worry about finding the time to exercise?
I personally was not given the exercise gene. Gosh, I wish I was, but for me it's a chore. To go to a gym and workout was never appealing, but I like to play!! I spent my high school days on the gymnastics team, and pretty much lived in the gym "playing". After high school, I was short stop for my softball team, quarter back for my touch football team, guard for my basketball team, and played volleyball in city leagues. I was able to "play" and stay healthy...that is until I had two children, a full time job, college courses in the evening, a dog, two goldfish, a canary and hermit crabs....and oh yeah, a part-time job to make ends meet.
Life happens! In my early 30's I found myself overweight, unmotivated and tired, and let's add low self-esteem to make it complete. I took action, went through a hospital sponsored program, lost 42 pounds, and started walking for exercise. Every morning I got up at 6:00 am and walked for an hour. My route was 4 miles long. So every morning I spent an entire hour walking to burn 400 calories. I was able to keep the weight off for awhile, but eventually life interfered again. I started traveling for my job, and my routine was interrupted. I needed to find something else that would burn calories faster.
My next try was stair-stepping. Then jogging. Then eliptical machine to reduce impact. Then back to stair-stepping. All of these methods helped burn calories. I thought I was in pretty good shape. I wasn't!!
The eye-opener for me was watching a movie about a 40ish woman who was in an accident that left her a paraplegic. She was paralyzed from the waist down. One day she fell out of her wheel chair when she was alone, and was not strong enough to drag herself into the next room to call for help. I immediately dropped to the floor and tried it myself. Yup, you guessed it, I was unable to drag myself across the floor. Visions of getting older and frail filled my brain. Every time I saw an older woman hunched over barely able to move, or using a walker or wheel chair, I saw my future self.
Years of using only my legs for exercise left the rest of my body weak and soft. I had little muscle in my arms, back and core. At 39 years old, I was weak, overweight, and my body fat was 32%. My new trainer informed me that 32% body fat was in the obese range. Wow, I HATE that word!
Next came a few years of weight training. I became stronger, but it didn't burn enough calories to keep my body fat down. So...add back the stair-stepper, tread-mill, eliptical and walking. Exercise was consuming my life, which of course led to failure.
Then I met Michael Skogg who introduced me to kettlebell training. It is the most awesome workout ever! It is fun and effective. I felt like I was playing again! And here is the kicker, kettlebell training burns a whopping 1200 calories an hour according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE). That equates to 20 calories per minute. I can do an hour workout, and burn more than double the calories of a 4 mile walk. If I don't have the time, a 20 minute workout in my living room burns up to 400 calories.
Suddenly, I have a strong upper body. My core is solid, and yes I can see my abs. My arms are toned and have definition, but not bulky. The jiggly fat under my arm has been replaced with triceps. My back looks awesome in a backless dress. And let's not forget the fabulous effect on thighs and butt.
Kettlebell training has changed my life. I am in the best shape ever, I look great and feel great, and my self confidence is back.
Michael and I would like to share kettlebell training with the world. You can now do this amazing workout at home. Michael has just completed his first set of 5 kettlebell workout DVDs. Check out the preview video. Orders begin shipping on Friday, so get your pre-order in now and get a free set of wristbands with your order. Order Now.
Get in the best shape of your life and have fun doing it!
You, only stronger!
Sue Skogg
Just received my dvds. for some reason I figured you would get more for the price, since I am used to beachbody.com videos which come with an eating guide.
ReplyDeleteBut the information that Micheal gives you is well worth it. He gives you all the proper info. on how to handle a kettlebell. You only do six moves for the whole workout I was expecting a little more variety but I guess these moves are essential for beginning kettlebell training. Just started the first week so I will see how it compares to P90x and Insanity workouts. I was doing the jIllian Michaels Shred it with weights video but I found out how I was doing so many moves wrong! Maybe my back will not hurt as much after doing Skogg's workout.