There are a few super fit ladies that come to a yoga class I was subbing. After weeks of being with them they told me that yoga is the perfect balance to their love of kettlebells and I should give it a go.
At the time, I really couldn’t add anything more to my plate, I was running a little ragged and even though I’d have no responsibilities other than killing a work out I just couldn’t commit. Then I got injured.
Originally I thought the injury was yoga related, but after some thought I figured it must have been than time I twisted to set some weights down. Here I am, trying to get back into my lifting routine and I injure myself the first day…
It took some time (6 weeks) but I healed. Now I didn’t have an excuse for not attending.
Group fitness classes haven’t ever been something I’ve been interested in. I prefer to workout at home than become some viral fitness fluke. Our home gym has everything we need lacking only in motivation. It still amazes me how easy it is to talk yourself out of a workout when it’s five feet away. Sometimes it takes longer to convince yourself NOT to do it than it would to just get it done.
Thursday before Memorial Day weekend Pam after yoga class told me, “I’m teaching tomorrow, you’re coming right?!”
Damn.
I started thinking about the weekend we had planned, camping, probably some bad foods and beer…I could use one hell of a workout to counter all of that.
On Friday morning I showed up early, like she suggested. She wanted to give me a mini tour and go over the workouts. In my defense I had done a kettlebell DVD workout 5 or so years ago. Sure that workout was hard but I kind of knew the basics.
Pam told me that I would be her partner and I thought that was really sweet…what a way to make me feel welcome by pairing up with me instead of a stranger!
Then we walked into the room. It’s straight out of a 60’s horror film and I’m a self identified chicken shit. Mostly it was movie posters, but they have a straight jacket mummy and Frankenstein movie props. There was a giant white board with the workout plan on it. I really liked that, it made sense in my planner brain…did that workout, CHECK! There is something about checking things off a list that is very satisfying. Just when I thought I could get used to this style of working out, I saw it.
Right at the top of the workout list – “Facing Partners, SOMEONE HAS TO BE WITH PAM!”
Wait, what???
All of a sudden, I’m a little scared, maybe this sweet gesture wasn’t so sweet…at the same time I also felt like the hero of the class; I just saved everyone from being with Pam.
What did I get myself into?
I’ll tell you what; the greatest, hardest workout I think I’ve ever had.
While the sweat was pouring out of pores I didn’t even know I had, I realized why I choose to workout in the comfort of my own home, it’s so I can quit without anyone watching. Each one of us are our own worst enemies. And admittedly I tell people in yoga to not listen to that ego voice of I can’t because everyone is much stronger than they think. I’m not sure if it was rep 300 or 500 the ah-ha light bulb went off but it did.
I finished that workout without giving up. Every solidified muscle became jelly toward the end. I almost barfed it was so hard. When the list was complete I felt so proud of myself! I almost cried tears of relief.
But those bastards weren’t done with me yet…
AFTER each class you do a pushups for the date of the month. Mind you, we had already done 50 pushups during the class, now I have to do 24 MORE!!! I did them, stretched and left. My muscles were hardly able to walk down the 8 stairs in the back or the 8 at our house.
I proteined up and tried to do all the things to ease into a nice painless recovery but man was I mistaken. First, we were camping, the up and down from camping chair, air mattress and toilets was almost unbearable. Our campsite was down a hill and my legs would just give out straining to hold me up. My triceps hurt so bad I couldn’t touch my finger tips to my shoulder caps.
But I recovered, stronger than I was in my body and in my mind. I didn’t listen to that voice that told me I couldn’t. Even though I couldn’t put my hair in a pony tail or a clip for the whole weekend, I survived stronger.
The only other time I had felt like this was when I went to the gym with my super fit cousin. He has the ability to turn muscles to the jelly state in limited time.
In all honesty, I haven’t been back to the kettlebell class. Chaperoning field trips and end of the year concerts have kept me pretty busy, but I intend to return. I’m going to commit to 10 classes hopefully that’s enough time to be committed or try something else.
I’ll keep you posted on the progress, but if you should see someone coming out of a kettlebell class dragging their body help them up and congratulate them on a job well done.
Jes xoxo