This is what my life is like (not including my actual full-time job):
- Sunday - teach two yoga classes, take a yoga class and assist a class
- Monday – teach yoga, then run 3.5 miles
- Tuesday – every other week switch between volunteering at a homeless shelter and taking a yoga class
- Wednesday – Boxing
- Thursday – either take yoga, assist yoga class or run at the gym
- Friday – yoga (if I’m not at happy hour)
- Saturday – run 3.5 miles, then yoga or barre class
And people wonder why I’m still single?
With a nutty schedule like this, who has time to do things like have a social life or, more importantly, get in a good mix of cardio and strength training?
Well, Glenn Seth has the answer! Seth is a certified kettlebell instructor at Studio F-3 in Dupont Circle. He says spending an hour swinging those kettlebells gives you that key combo of cardiovascular work and weight training at the same time.
Seth says his studio is the only one dedicated strictly to kettlebells in the D.C. area. It’s tucked in the basement of a big high-rise apartment building on Mass Ave. In fact, if you didn’t hear about it by mouth or came across his website, you’d have no idea it was even there.
The studio is bright and clean with a zen-like quality (Seth apparently does massage here, as well). As students start to arrive, it’s clear they’re dedicated followers, which makes me a little nervous.
Health
Let’s start by explaining what the heck a kettlebell is. Imagine a weighted iron ball with a handle on it. They’re all different colors, signifying how heavy each one is. Apparently it came from Russia, and I imagine a bunch of big, strong hairy men swinging them around between sips of vodka to keep warm. But I digress...
After a brief stretching warmup (my forte), we learn the basic kettlebell swing, a simple movement where you move the bell back and forth between your legs and then out in front of your body. OK, if I was a man, this would make me nervous … yes, I digress once again.
We do the kettlebell swing for a minute, then take a quick rest. Next is the kettlebell row, where, you guessed it, we swing the kettlebell between our legs and then lift it up in front of our chest to work our triceps. Ladies, please be careful if you are umm, let’s say ... bigger on top? (I give you that advice out of experience. SMH).
The rest of the class focuses on different variations of the swing -- sometimes using one hand, sometimes switching hands, etc.
So here’s my take on this. It’s pretty fun and Seth is a great instructor. He makes jokes and gives everyone personal attention. I was highly entertained for the entire class. During each exercise, my heart rate was definitely elevated and I could tell my hips and legs were working.
I have to say, though, the next day the only part of my body that felt sore was my lower back. Maybe I should have used a heavier kettlebell. I mean, you’ve seen my workout schedule. I could pretty much kick anyone’s butt (once I’ve instructed them to focus on their breath and meditate, of course).
Lauren Dunn is the medical producer at News4.
