Myths of Kettlebell Training: Where do You Fall?

Many of you have busy lives, that may make it hard to attend kettlebell classes more regularly.  After having a few days in a row of light attendance, I realized, maybe some of you are making certain assumptions that I can clear up.

Myth 1: If you train every day, you will definitely overtrain.

    This is completely false, IF you are smart about your training.  Every class, we leave time for a dynamic warmup, kettlebell skill work, a faster metcon, and some basic mobility work at the end....and in 1 hours time.  Drop the idea that if you lift weights, your body needs days of rest in between for recovery.  That would only matter if you trained like a bodybuilder, 2 hours a day in the gym, splitting up bodyparts.  Think about construction workers.  They lift weights all day, every day...and they are in GREAT shape!  So, if you want to achieve the best body ever, get to kettlebell class 5-6 days a week.  If you have specific performance goals across a few movements, get to class 5-6 days a week, because if you truly want to improve your overhead pressing strength....you gotta press often!

Myth 2:  I need "cardio" to lose bodyfat.

    First off, anyone whose been to a few kettlebell classes knows that you get plenty of cardio from throwing around kettlebells.  But that is off topic.  If you want to make changes to your body, you need to get strong...period.  If you can't squat half your bodyweight with kettlebells, deadlift or swing the same, and press half your bodyweight overhead...you are weak.  In fact, you should be able to perform a turkish getup with almost twice the weight you can strict press! So if you want muscle, and you need strength, get yourself into kettlebell classes 5-6 days a week.

Myth 3: Fitness means looking good.

    To some people that definition might work, but to me, you are fit when you can perform a wide variety of functional movements proficiently at a wide variety of speeds under various adverse conditions.  What does that mean? Well, if you can squat a lot of weight...great! That is a start.  But can you squat a lot of weight, for a lot of reps, for 10 minutes of work?  There is a reason we use a clock in our classes.  The time domain provides an added level of fitness that is not achievable with just a heavy or light kettlebell.  If you don't consider yourself proficient at a lot of exercises, at various lengths of routines, at various tempos....time to get yourself into kettlebell classes 5-6 days a week.

  If one or more of these myth has been consistently followed by you in your training, it's time to make a change! Lets get into class as often as possible.  If it is important to you, and your fitness truly matters, you will find a way to make more time.  We all need coaches, and we are here to help you get the most out of your training.  But if you only show up once a week, are your expectations that realistic?