Today's Workout - SKOGG System Ladders

For the past two years, I have been working out at our gym.  Sure, once in awhile, I would grab kettlebells at home and do a quick workout.  But since I am at the gym most days, I workout with our members, generally at a Warrior Class, Level IV.  I am embarrassed to say that I have never worked out to the SKOGG System DVD.  Although I have done all of the workouts on the DVDs at some time in the gym, I never did them at home.

Today was a rainy Saturday and I just didn't feel like going in to SKOGG Gym, so I pulled out the SKOGG System DVD and did the "Ladders" workout at Level IV (Warrior).  It kicked my butt!!  Actually, I was surprised by how winded and sweaty I got.  I'm used to doing that type of workout, so I thought this was going to be a piece of cake.  For anyone out there that thinks the SKOGG System is ONLY for beginners is very misinformed.

Michael introduced me to kettlebells over 5 years ago.  I started with a 9 lb. kettlebell, and when he tried to teach me a Turkish Get-Up, I revolted.  Turkish Get-Ups are my favorite exercise now, but at the time, I very loudly protested.  My body wasn't ready for that movement.  After years of traditional weight training, my body was inflexible and tight.  However, I loved doing the basic 6.  They are a group of exercises that work your entire body.  It was fun, and I sweat more than I ever did lifting traditional weights...with only a 9 lb. kettlebell.  It was invigorating and empowering!

Soon I moved to an 18 lb kettlebell, and became pretty comfortable at that weight.  But comfortable is not where  I wanted to be, I wanted results, so I was soon swinging a 26 lb bell.  Not only did I get stonger very quickly, my flexiility improved, especially in my shoulders and hips.  Fast forward to the present.  I use a 26 lb. kettlebell for fast paced workouts.  That gives me a great cardio workout, and is heavy enough for strength training as well.  For a slower paced workout, I will use a 35, 44, or 53 pound kettlebell for snatches, cleans, dead lifts and two handed swings.  If you really want to feel your glutes, pick up a 44 or 53 pound kettlebell and do some two handed swings.  If you do the swings the way Michael teaches, your glutes and hamstrings will get the workout of their life.  

The moral of this story is.....you can use a light kettlebell and get a great cardio workout.  But if you think the SKOGG System workout is too easy, it's not the fault of the workout.  All you have to do is pick up a heavier kettlebell, and the workout turns into a brand new experience.

Now, I am not suggesting a novice pick up a 53 lb kettlebell and start using it.  What I am saying is don't get too comfortable with a certain weight.  Work your way up.  Use a lighter weight and go fast one day, and use a heavier one and slow down the next.  Giving your body that variety will ensure your success.  Try having a couple different weights sitting in front of you, and change them up during your workout.  Maybe you can use a 33 lb. bell for your swings and switch to a 26 lb. bell for snatches,  but need to grab an 10-20 pound bell for your clean and press.  There is nothing that says you have to use the same size for the entire workout.  

The four workout DVDs are designed for beginners to warriors.  There are many, many possibilities on how to use them.  Change the weight, change the time, and change the tempo.  You will see results very quickly.  Your arms will get strong and lean, your tummy will flatten, and your glutes and legs will firm up.  Most people see results after only 5-6 workouts.  Follow a "clean" diet, and the pounds will melt off.

If you would like to see results from men and women of various age and abilities who have taken the SKOGG System 60 Day Challenge, check out our website.  

To order the SKOGG System, click here.  You will receive an instructional DVD and 4 workout DVDs, taught by Michael Skogg.  To view Michael's credentials, click here. 

Keep Swinging,

Sue

Primal Diet....What's that??

As a person who has spent my entire life dieting, I am familiar with most of the fad diets that have come along.  Yes, I have tried many of them.  The grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, the starvation diet, The Zone Diet, The Atkins Diet, food combining, liquid diets.....you name it, I have tried it.  In fact, I have a library of books dating back to the 1970's that can readily identify which decade it was written.  It seems that every decade has a new spin on diet and nutrition.


The current trend is the Primal Diet or Paleo Diet.  For the first time, I am researching a "diet" that makes sense.


Archeology and Anthropology have always been an interest to me since I was a child.  When Michael and I moved to Portland, I enrolled in Archeology and Anthropology classes at Portland State University.   I studied evolution as well as the life and habits of early man.  Approximately 200,000 years ago, the first modern Homo Sapiens evolved in Africa.  These early humans were "hunter/gatherers".  Farming did not occur for another 190,000 years.  


The premise for the Primal Diet is based on scientific fact.  Our human bodies adapted to a diet rich in fat, moderate protein, and minimal carbohydrates from 190,000 years of hunt and gather.   When farming was introduced 10,000 years ago, our diets began to change to the modern grain and carbohydrate heavy, low fat diets we see today.


But I am not an expert, so I would like to introduce you to one of our members at SKOGG Kettlebell Gym, Nora Gedgaudas,  who is an expert.  She has written a book on the subject, and I highly recommend her book as a resource to understanding why a Primal Diet makes sense.


This diet is a great compliment to kettlebell training.  Take a look at Nora, she is living proof!!


Order the SKOGG System Kettlebell Workout DVDs

 

Primal Body, Primal Mind

Combining your body’s Paleolithic needs with modern nutritional and medical research for complete mind-body wellness

• Provides sustainable diet strategies to curb sugar cravings, promote fat burning and weight loss, reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and moods, increase energy and immunity, and enhance memory and brain function

 • Shows how our modern diet leads to weight gain and “diseases of civilization”--such as cancer, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and ADD

• Explains how diet affects the brain, hormone balance, and the aging process and the crucial role of vitamin D in cancer and disease prevention

Examining the healthy lives of our pre-agricultural Paleolithic ancestors and the marked decline in stature, bone density, and dental health and the increase in birth defects, malnutrition, and disease following the implementation of the agricultural lifestyle, Nora Gedgaudas shows how our modern grain- and carbohydrate-heavy low-fat diets are a far cry from the high-fat, moderate-protein hunter-gatherer diets we are genetically programmed for, leading not only to lifelong weight gain but also to cravings, mood disorders, cognitive problems, and “diseases of civilization”--such as cancer, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance), heart disease, and mental illness.

Applying modern discoveries to the basic hunter-gatherer diet, she culls from vast research in evolutionary physiology, biochemistry, metabolism, nutrition, and chronic and degenerative disease to unveil a holistic lifestyle for true mind-body health and longevity. Revealing the primal origins and physiological basis for a high-fat, moderate-protein, starch-free diet and the importance of adequate omega-3 intake--critical to our brain and nervous system but sorely lacking in most people’s diets--she explains the nutritional problems of grains, gluten, soy, dairy, and starchy vegetables; which natural fats promote health and which (such as canola oil) harm it; the crucial role of vitamin D in cancer and disease prevention; the importance of saturated fat and cholesterol; and how diet affects mental health, memory, cognitive function, hormonal balance, and cellular aging. With step-by-step guidelines, recipes, and meal recommendations, this book offers sustainable strategies for a primally based, yet modern approach to diet and exercise to reduce stress and anxiety, lose weight, improve sleep and mood, increase energy and immunity, enhance brain function, save money on groceries, and live longer and happier.

About the Author of Primal Body, Primal Mind            

Nora T. Gedgaudas, CNS, CNT, is a certified nutritional therapist and neurofeedback specialist with a private practice. A member of the Nutritional Therapy Association, the National Association of Nutritional Professionals, the Nutrition and Metabolism Society, and the Weston A. Price Foundation, she lives in Portland, Oregon.

Primal Body Primal Mind Website

Pre-order Primal Body Primal Mind on Amazon    (available 6/30/2011)

Primal Body Primal Mind Blog

Northwest Neurofeedback Website

Nora's Facebook Fan Page