Strength is great...but so is flexibility, right?

Image from Flickr, by mikebaird

I've talked a lot about strength training with kettlebells and how they're also great for cardiovascular health.  However, at this point I find them lacking in one area of overall fitness, and that's flexibility.

This isn't a knock on kettlebells either.  In truth, few strength training programs do a good job of working on flexibility.  It's really a case of them being opposites in a lot of ways.

That's why, starting today, I'll be implementing Tai Chi as part of my overall fitness plan.

Why Tai Chi and not yoga?

Just a single set today

Image from Flickr, by Lars Plougmann

Today, I managed just a single set.  Unsurprising, to say the least, but I just couldn't do any more.  I felt pain, and I mean the bad kind.  Right in the pelvis during my swings.  I've felt a twinge there a time or two, but nothing like this time.  Ouch.

If anyone has any feedback on this, whether it may be technique or something else, please let me know.

Other than that though, it wasn't bad.  I dragged tail on my military presses, particularly my right arm (I'm right handed), and I have no freaking clue why, unless I just blasted things to much on Monday.

Tomorrow's workout

Image from Flickr, by FtCarsonPAO

After the fiasco of yesterday's workout, and the previously mentioned screw up, it's time to review what I was trying to do.  So, I've simplified it a good bit.

Simplicity is easier to remember, and that means I'll be able to keep track of what's supposed to be done.

Here it is:

• Kettlebell swing
• Kettlebell military press
• Kettlebell row
• Kettlebell goblet squat
• Around the worlds

Each exercise will be done for one minute each with a two minute rest between each circuit.

Ouch!!

Image from Flickr, by Instant Vantage

Alright, I hurt.

It's the good kind of hurt though.  The soreness that accompanies a tough workout is a welcome friend to an extent, but like a Christmas guest that's still hanging out at your at Valentine's Day, I'm ready for it to go.

It was a killer workout yesterday, with the results just being here today.  However, it's worth it.

No matter how much you want it otherwise, great things don't come easily.  If they did, they wouldn't be worth a thing.  The soreness I feel?  That's just the price I pay for getting where I want to be.

3 tips to help you eat right in the modern world

Image from Flicker, by Skistar Trysil

Eating right should be simple.  You know what's allowed and what isn't.  You know how much you can eat.  You know all of these things backwards and forwards.

Unfortunately, the real world likes to intervene from time to time.

So, what's a health conscious soul supposed to do?  You want to be social, but you don't want to go off the rails.

Luckily, here are a few tips that will help you out on that count.

Today's workout and how I screwed up

So, yesterday I outlined my workout.  Unfortunately, the version that actually got published wasn't what I meant to be published.  No, that version was really to much.  Um...oops?

Yeah, I'm sorry about that one guys.

You see, that was a first draft, but after a bit more research, I found that I had too many exercises.  This is a potential problem when you're creating on your own.  Luckily, I continued to research and realized that I might be overdoing it with that.

Here's what was published yesterday:

Monday's workout

Image from Flickr, by kl.fitness

So, last week I killed my old workout routine.  It's dead.  Gone.  Adios.  Do svidan’ya.  Au revoir. 

Now, it's on to something more.  So, I spent some of my time today - the time I wasn't writing to you good folks - researching what my new workout routine would be.

This is a three times a week workout, and total body at that.  So far, that seems to be sufficient, with a day of rest between workouts also being sufficient.  This might change all of that, but if that's the case, I'll learn to adapt.

Here's the new routine: