One in the oven...

Goodbye

2009-08-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

Wow...

A lot has happened since that last post, and because of the changes in my life, I have changed the blog again. Here's the new one. No more buns in the oven - that baby's done. Check it out.

37 Weeks (!!!)

2009-05-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaaa-ck! Yay! Under orders from my chiropractor, I took a few weeks off. They were hard weeks, with no kettlebells and only a limited amount of walking to curb my appetite for exercise. But thankfully the babe has turned downward and so for the last two and a half weeks, I've been back on the bells. And it feels so good. I can not believe that I am only weeks away from giving birth! I remember when it was still six months away. Now, it is hard. I know I said that way back during week 27 or whatever, but that was nothing. This being pregnant stuff is no walk in the park and if I ever do this again.... well, I don't know what I was going to say, but if I had a million dollars, I would totally hire a surrogate to do this part for me and just hand the baby over at the end. No kidding.

Anyway, I've been mixing it up lately -- keeping the workouts to 45 minutes counting joint mobility stuff and cooling down/stretching at the end. About 25-30 minutes of actual bell swinging. Generally 30 seconds on/30 off with a mixture of 1-and-2-handed swings, transfers, some snatches (but it feels weird to snatch so I'm going to not be doing than anymore), squats and presses. It all feels really good and I'm glad that I can still do this stuff. We'll see how the next couple of weeks go. I have to put the bell down on a thick book because bending over to get it off the floor is really hard. I also have to swing around my belly and I wonder how that's going to impact my form once I'm baby-free. I can't really do the same stretches that I did before, either.

Anyway, I'm just happy that I can be exercising again.

Week 34

2009-04-16T15:02:00.001-07:00

I found this image when I googled "sad". Because I am like that sad Storm Trooper, since my chiro suggested that I no longer work out with kettlebells, at least until my baby gets into head-down position. And since that's what I want to happen, I'm abiding. I guess her idea is that I'm keeping the muscles in my core too tight, and I need to be "relaxed and open" so Jr. can move out of this sideways position he seems to favor. And it's working so I am going to continue this new regimen of sitting on my big ball and otherwise trying to stay relaxed. It's a chore.

But it sucks! I don't know how long you're supposed to go after you have a baby until you can start exercising, but let's just say that it's at least four weeks. That's like almost 3 months that I'll have to be off the bells. Boo!

So, I guess it'll be a while before I see the blog, but once I start up again I'll post my progress - getting back to where I was at, training wise, before pregnancy. And maybe training for the TSC in September!

week 31

2009-03-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

I'm training for birth.... I do have to admit that it's getting a little old, not really being able to train, not being able to push myself to higher weights, and in fact for the last seven months having to use lower weights that I did for the past two years. It's frustrating that I can't compete in the TSC next week, that I can't deadlift with Russ on Fridays or keep working on pull ups. But I am still training for something really important, and I know that keeping myself strong is going to help a lot with labor and delivery as well and help to prepare my baby for his entrance into the world. So that's something. Actually, it's a really big deal and I'm so thankful that I'm able to keep up my routine because I know it's probably one of the biggest factors in my healthy pregnancy. But it's still getting old, pregnancy is starting to lose its luster, I would love to just sit outside on a nice day and have a few beers or a glass of wine, and I'm tired of having to pee every 1/2 hour.

Anyway, today:

Z drills

30 seconds on/30 off, 16kg:
2 Handed swings
swing/switch
1 handed swing L
1 handed swing R
transfers
X4

12kg OHP 8/8 superset 12kg front squats X10 X3

renegade rows 16kg 5/5 superset 16kg one legged deadlift 5/5 X3

45 second planks X2

29 weeks

2009-03-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I will admit it: pregnancy is hard. Lots harder than it was two months ago, even one month ago. Finally I'm big, noticeably big, and I feel like all my joints are coming apart all the time. I'm really easily fatigued. I kind of can't wait for it to be all over, but that's mainly because I know it's just going to get harder before it gets easier. Does it even get easier?

Anyway, with that said, I'm still cranking out four kb workouts a week. Been doing some Vo2 max, for lack of anything else inspiring. My home workouts are getting repetitive. Not boring yet, but they're kind of always the same.

z-drills

12kg 2HS 15 X 3 warmup

15 on/15 off snatches 12kg X40

OHP's 12kg 8/8 superset 10 16kg front squats X3

renegade rows 5/5 X3 16kg

french twists 15 X3 12kg

2 40 second planks

And voila!

Week 28

2009-03-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

Today:

Misc. 2 handed and 1 handed swings with the 16kg for five minutes

VO2 Max 12kg 30 rounds

OHP 12kg 8/8 X3
Front squats 16kg X8
windmills 12kg 5/5 X3

renegade rows 5/5 X3
one-legged dead lift 5/5 X3

45 second plank

I have to try to get most of my workouts in during the morning because I am starting to have no energy! Everything is starting to take a back seat to this pregnancy - I have no motivation to do homework and working is also starting to get tough. Only 12 weeks to go!!

27 weeks

2009-02-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

Russ has been home lately in the afternoons with me so we get to hang out and swing kb's together!

Today:

z-drills

10 16kg 2HS X3 for warm-up

VO2 Max 12kg 30 sets (15 sets at 7/7, 15 sets at 8/8)

OHP's 12kg 8/8 X3
superset w/ 16kg front squats 10X3

Renegade rows 16kg 5/5 X3
superset w/ 16kg one-legged deadlifts 5/5X3

50 second plank, 15 seconds rest X2

Otherwise, everything's progressing as it should be. I'm not quite at the "get this kid out of me" phase, but I am a little weary of everyone wanting to talk about the pregnancy. There are other things to talk about! I'm still attributing my good health to my four times a week KB's sessions (and fish oils!). Due to the relaxin hormone that makes me limber for childbearing, I can't do lunges anymore. It hurts my pelvis!

Cheers!

26 weeks

2009-02-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

Technically I guess I'm still in my 25th week, and I only know that for sure because I just went to the doctor and that's what my midwife told me. I was so good at remembering what week of pregnancy I was in, since I figured it was kind of important. But as time goes on, and life keeps happening, I find that sometimes I (gasp!) don't think about being pregnant at all. I'm sure that once I have the baby, I will never forget about him, but for now every once in a while it's nice to just sit around and pretend that everything is like how it used to be. Except no beer, which sucks.

Today no class, but I got a short workout at home.

Z-drills

10 2HS 16kg X3 for warmup

30 sets VO2 max 12kg - I almost went for 40 sets and then decided not to. I had a good workout yesterday and don't want to push it.

Then I tried playing around with some overhead squats, because Russ was doing them and I keep hearing about how they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. Turns out they're super hard!! And now that my center of gravity is changed, I don't think that it's the time for these. But I do look forward to trying them out again in a few months.

OHP's 12kg 8/8 superset w/10 16kg front squats X3

1 legged deadlifts 16kg 5/5 superset w/ 16kg renegade rows 4/4 X3

12kg windmills 5/5 X2 (my new fave!! I feel like I'm starting to get limited in what I can do... no anything laying on my back - feels too weird - and now I'm having pain when I do anything that scissors out my legs, like lunges. So finding windmills again is nice.)

2 45-second planks w/ 15 seconds rest in between.

And that's it!

25 weeks

2009-02-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Been busy... school & all that. Still working in 4 kb workouts a week, plus a pre-natal yoga class that I don't really consider much of a work out.

Today:

z-drills

5 minutes random 1hs 12kg.

30 sets 12kg vo2 max. We were going to just do 20, but felt good so we kept going!

12kg OHP's 8/8 X3

16kg front squats 8 X3

16kg one legged deadlifts 5/5 X3

16kg renegade rows 4/4 X3

2 45 second planks.

It's getting later into the pregnancy and I'm starting to feel like I'm pregnant. So far not a lot of weird issues or anything, I'm just tired more often and feel like I could sleep at any time. I'm also starting to wonder what it's going to be like to actually have a baby around! Yikes!

Sunday

2009-01-25T16:14:00.000-08:00

Z-drills

Vo2 max 12kg 20 sets. For the first ten I did 6/6 and then for the second ten I did 7/7. Once I have this kid, I'm going to dedicate one day a week to vo2 max with my old friend, the 16kg.

Squat/push press pyramid 12kg 1-3-1 X3

Renegade rows 16kg 5/5 X3
super set 16kg 1-leg dead lifts 5/5 X3

Pregnancy is going well. Just getting bigger. Now it's at that point where 1) I have to pee all the time, and 2) I can't eat too much at once or I feel like crap. Even though I'm always hungry. I have to eat just about hourly now. It's kind of great, but forcing myself to eat small portions so I don't feel like a balloon is hard.

Pregnancy snatches

2009-01-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of me snatching the 12kg bell

It's pretty good. I look like I lean forward a lot at the top, but I can see that when my hips go forward, it propels the bell up (and that's kind of the point, right?) All in all they seem like pretty good snatches. Better than most I see on youtube, anyway. The video was taken at the end of about 15 minutes of on the minute snatches, so maybe I was just tired. I do look pregnant, though!

Russ got some PR's last night at the gym too. 13 pulls ups, a 28kg overhead press, and a 285 lb dead lift. Cool! I'm sad that I can't be dead lifting and pull-upping. I want to do the TSC but clearly it's not to be. Next time, for sure.

22 weeks

2009-01-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

z-drills

30 seconds on/30 off:
16kg 2 HS, Swing/switch, 1HS L, 1HS R, transfers X3 (15 minutes)

20 sets 15 seconds on/15 off
12kg snatches

12kg OHP's 8/8, 10 16 kg front squats X3

16kg renegade rows 5/5 X3

2 45 second planks

Stretching and done. Then a little walk with the dogs, because doesn't it feel good to walk after a workout?

Pregnancy is going really well. My energy level is all over the place, sometimes up, sometimes down. I think the kettelbells have been really beneficial for my mood. I haven't really had any of the crazy pregnancy mood swings that you hear about. I mostly attribute that to KB's, but also to the fish oils I'm taking, since they also help with mood issues. I've never been prone to depression, but I'm trying to stave off any post-partum mood issues I might have by keeping my DHA levels high. That and it helps with the development of little guy's brain. Also haven't been sick, even though I work with people who INSIST on coming in to work with their gross hacking coughs. I'm also attributing that to the KB's and the fact that I'm needing upwards of nine hours of sleep a night. And a nap. Never been a napper, but now I am, and it's great. Little guy must have a kettelbell or some karate DVD's in there because he's really moving around a lot. Kind of distracting sometimes, but at least I know where he is all the time.

Ciao!

It's a boy!

2009-01-12T16:31:00.000-08:00

At least, as far as the ultrasound technician was concerned.... We were thinking girl, for no reason, so it's a surprise! And now I have a little belly, so I thought I would post a photo.
Today was the first day someone came up to me and said they noticed that I was pregnant. So I guess it's a milestone.

Couldn't make it to class tonight due to some crappy weather and rush hour. Had a little workout at home, but was feeling kind of weak and tired so it was only about 45 minutes. A general workout of 30 on/30 off, swings, snatches, thrusters, etc. Did some over head presses and lunges, and then that was it. My hamstrings are sore, and have been for a few days so I thought a light day was in order.

Probably not going to be posting too much about individual workouts -- school has started and I just don't have the time. But I will keep updating on general kettlebell & pregnancy stuff, so don't despair.

Cheers!

19 weeks...

2008-12-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

We get to see the baby this week - Friday is my one and only ultrasound! I just hope the kid is facing the right way because I REALLY REALLY want to know if it's a boy or a girl. Other than that, not much is new on the pregnancy tip. Gained about 19lbs so far. People are telling me that I'm showing, but also people are telling me that they can't tell so I don't know who are the big liars.

Been keeping up with the 3-4 workouts a week, alternating between kb's and cross country skiing, since there's been so much snow. Talk about a cardio workout. I love kb's because they make me strong, but skiing is so awesome, and even more so because you can only do it in the winter. Living in Minnesota, winter happens to be six months long, too, which is great. I love exercising outdoors, and since I gave up running, it's one of the only things I do outside. Besides walking, but that's not really my kind of exercising.

So today:

Z drills

10 12kg 2HS X3 warmup

16kg 1HS swing pyramid 5/5 to 10/10 and back down

12kg thrusters 1/1 to 3/3 X3

15 seconds on/15 off 12kg snatches for 20 rounds.

Only a 30 minute workout since I did a hour long one last night in class.

Stay tuned!

Week 17

2008-12-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

Got to hear the heartbeat again today. It's such a cool thing. It makes everything seem more real, and in two weeks I'm getting an ultrasound so that should make it feel even realer! Also, today is my last class of the semester, I just turned in my last paper, and on Saturday I'm getting married. Everything's great. Except for the fact that I'm about 9 lbs over what I should be at this point. It's those first nine pounds that I put on in the beginning.... I have to keep myself in check!

So today:

Z drills

20 16kg 2HS X3 warmup

12kg snatches on the minute:
7/7 X5
8/8 X5
7/7 X5 for fifteen minutes total

16kg rows 5/5 superset w/16kg one-legged deadlifts 5/5 X3

12kg OHP's 8/8 superset w/ 10 16kg front squats X3

1 45 second plank

There's been other workouts on other days that I haven't posted. I've been too busy with end of the semester stuff, barely getting in my three/four kettlebell workouts per week. Also, now that there's real snow on the ground, I've been out cross country skiing once. Tried to go yesterday but the snow sucked. And it was a million degrees below zero.

Monday

2008-12-08T12:12:00.000-08:00

Couldn't make it to class tonight, so I knew I had to bust it at home.

Z-drills

20 16kg 2HS X3 warmup

16kg 1HS ladder 5/5 to 10/10 X2

snatch pyramid 12kg 1/1 to 5/5 to 1/1 X2

12kg OHP's 8/8 super set 16kg FRSQ's 10 X3

16kg rows 5/5 super set 16kg 1-legged deadlifts 5/5 X3

Stretching... and it's time for a night's worth of writing papers!!

Workout day

2008-12-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Z drills
30 on/30 off
misc. 16kg 2KS, 1HS, transfers - 10 minutes

12kg snatches on the minute 5/5, 6/6, 7/7, 8/8. 9/9 X2

12kg OHP's 8/8
10 16kg squats
16kg one legged deadlifts
X3

45 second plank X2 - gotta keep those abs strong before they balloon!

Week fifteen!

2008-12-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

Today's a day off. Yesterday I did the usual workout, 20 or so minutes of swings/snatches, some OHP's/Squats/one-legged deadlifts that I'm working into my usual repertoire. Rows, pushups, and planks.

Today I am feeling low-energy and THE HUNGER has set in. No matter what I eat or when, two hours later I'm famished. And I was already on a pretty good "eat every two hours" kind of routine, but that was back when I was counting all calories and keeping it at about 2000 or less. Now I'm supposed to add another 200-300 or so for the baby, and then another 200 on top of that when I workout. So I guess I'm doing about 2500 a day, which is fine, but I'm not really counting anymore. But I'm always hungry now. And at night, when I don't like to eat, I have to. Or I wake up every morning famished and crabby. I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to eat, like some of my friends have told me they had to when they were pregnant, so I'm making sure to get a decent pre-bedtime snack. Which goes against everything I think I know about healthy eating. Just a side effect of pregnancy, I guess, and I'm not fighting it because I think that would be stupid.

Pregnancy cravings are a hard thing to resist. When I want a grilled cheese sandwich, I NEED a grilled cheese sandwich. There isn't no two ways about it. Then I feel bad and want to have a workout, but then sometimes, like today, I'm just too pooped. And kind of sore from yesterday. But then I feel bad about not having a work out and it starts this vicious cycle. How is this going to get any easier when I have a baby around?

Almost to week 15!

2008-11-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

I'm officially wearing maternity pants!! Yay? I don't know... I guess so. More comfortable than jury-rigging my regular pants to fit my expanding belly.

Weigh in this morning still what I weighed a month ago. That ten pound weight gain is holding steady. Good thing too. I said it before, but I only want to gain about 35lbs MAX, and I'm kind of on track so far. We'll see how it goes as I get bigger.

Workout last week Monday class, Wednesday, and Friday. Today:

Z drills

10 16kg 2HS X3 warm-up
30 seconds on/30 off:
16kg 2HS
16kg transfers
16kg 1HS R
16kg 1HS L
12kg snatch R
12kg snatch L
12kg thrusters R
12kg thrusters L
X3 for a total of about 23 minutes

16kg rows
superset 10 both sides 12kg step back lunges
X3

45 second plank X2

Feeling really good, second trimester off to a good start. I can't imagine going through this without workouts. How do people do it?

2008-11-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

Z drills
30 seconds on/30 off:
16kg 2HS X5 warmup 5 mins
16kg transfers, 1HS L/1HS r, swing/switch, 2HS X2 10 minutes

12kg snatch ladder 5/5 to 9/9 & back down- on the minute 10 mins

12kg OHP's 8/8 X3
16kg front squats 10 X3 (My hamstrings are so sore and have been for weeks! Ever since Fawn made me do Bugarian split squats a few weeks ago!)

16kg rows 5/5 X3

... and that's it!

Week 14

2008-11-24T17:14:00.000-08:00

I knew I didn't have time for this! I haven't posted since the 8th, but I've done lots of workouts since then. I'm trying to get about 3 good workouts and 1 short one in per week. Last week, it was just three. I took Saturday and Sunday off to do homework and be lazy. Today I went to class as usual and had a good time. I think that the lack of actually training for something or working to get to heavier bells is making me feel less motivated. Not so motivated that I don't want to work out, but it does kind of suck to have to use a 12kg bell all the time now when I was using the 16kg for everything before. Snatches and overhead presses for sure I'm using the 12kg, rows and front squats I'm sticking with my 16's.

But better safe than sorry, right? Still not a lot to report on the pregnancy front. Just a little bit of a belly - I think the strong abdominal muscles are keeping it in for now, there's nothing worth noticing anyway (no one has... yet!), and slight weight gain. In fact more weight gain that I am comfortable with, but it's a normal amount. I gained about 10 lbs the first six weeks, and then I leveled out. I'm at where I should be now, but since I'm in my second trimester I will soon start to gain weight at the pace of one pound per week. Yippie. But otherwise, you'd never know I was pregnant. No morning sickness ever, no more crabbiness than usual, some fatigue, but not too bad. All in all it's going really smoothly. I think KB's really have something to do with that. Soon I won't be able to do some things, like push ups (no love lost there). I don't know about planks. I know there's nothing wrong with being on my stomach as long as I'm not laying on my stomach. No TGU's, no pull overs. Not that I do a lot of them anyway, but since I'm not supposed to I really want to. No training for the TSC - which does make me sad.

A procrastination workout

2008-11-08T11:24:00.001-08:00

I hate school right now.

Anyway, had a little workout, because I thought it would get me in a better mood. It did! But I still don't want to do my homework.

So:

z-drills

30 seconds on/30 off 16kg 2-handed swings warmup X5

12kg snatches on the minute 5/5, 6/6, 7/7 X15

(I'm trying a trick I saw on someone's blog, where you switch hands at the bottom of the snatch, instead of a DARC. I can't compete in the next TSC in April, I'll be huge and ready to pop, but for the one after that, I'm aiming for snatch numbers in the 130's and that should help)

The rest of the workout is just the same as every other one. I'm so unoriginal!

12kg OHP's 8/8 x3
superset w/ step back lunges 10/10
X3

renegade rows 16kg 5/5
superset w/ 16kg pull-overs X8 (soon, in about 3-4 weeks, I'm forbidden from doing exercises where I have to lay on my back, so I'm getting them out of the way now. No more pull-overs, no more TGU's. Sigh.)
X3

2 30 seconds planks w/ 15 seconds rest in between.

Stretches. Chocolate milk. Lunch. Procrastination.

Week Eleven...

2008-11-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

Tuesday: Got to hear the heartbeat!! So amazing. I was a little worried that I wouldn't think it's as great as I seem to hear everyone say it is, but it was better. I almost cried. Very strong and easy to find. My chance of miscarriage has just gone waaaay down.

Plus: A hunky new president! What more could I ask for in one day?

Also Tuesday: A flu shot, my first ever. My arm is still sore and I can't sleep on my left side because of it. And blood samples, so I was feeling a little bit weak that day. I did have a little kettelbell session because 1. I like to exercise, and b. because I've already gained ten pounds and that's more than I should. I really don't want to gain more than thirty at the most during this whole pregnancy, so I have to be much better about telling myself no. But it's hard because I'm pregnant. The good news is that I've just been eating too much, but not bad stuff. So it's kind of okay.

Today:
Feeling better than Tuesday, especially since Wednesday was my rest day and the only exercise I had was a forty five minute walk with the dogs.

Z-drills (I need to find out if there's anything in the Z-world related to pregnancy. I feel like some of the drills could help once I get bigger, and especially when I'm in labor. Pelvic tilts, maybe...)
30 seconds on/30 off --
16kg 2 handed swings
16kg one handed R/one handed L
12kg snatch R/snatch left
X25 for a total of 25 minutes

12kg overhead presses 8/8 X 3
super set 16kg front squats (good for pregnancy!) 10 X3

16kg renegade rows 5/5 X 3
super set 5 push ups. Ten pounds heavier and push ups are harder. For some reason, push ups have always been my weak spot.

30 second plank, 10 second rest X 2

stretching, and done. Now I feel great! Time for some homework.

Running!

2008-10-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today I ran into Lisa, yoga instructor extraordinaire, and I told her, in hushed tones because I was at work, that I was going to be going to a prenatal yoga class. For myself (like I needed to qualify that, but I did). "Oh my fucking god," she said. "I could tell right away that you are pregnant."

Really? REALLY?! Despite the fact that my once almost-flattish tummy is now rounder but not that round, and despite the fact that I've already gained about 7 lbs, she could tell. But she's one of those intuitive types, all into feelings and shit, so I'm not really surprised. But damn. Soon everyone's going to know whether I tell them that I'm preggers or not.

Anyway, KB's yesterday was pretty much the same as the day before, but I quit early because I was having some wierd pangs in my belly. Not pains, but pangs, such as we pregnant women have, what with uteruses expanding and ligaments stretching. So I thought that enough was enough. Today I ran just about 2.5 miles just to get some kind of exercise.

Today is Halloween and I have a big bowl of candy staring at me from the front door. Funny thing, though, no desire to eat any of it. Yay!

The last first time

2008-10-29T13:10:00.001-07:00

I seriously don't have time to blog. I had a blog before and once school started it went poof. But this time I want to start over because I have a new focus and I want to share. There's been a little bit of controversy (?) about kettlebell training while pregnant - I want to share the next nine months (six and a half, actually) of pregnancy and kettlebells with you. Aren't you special!

I'm ten weeks now - feeling bloated, like my pants are starting to fit poorly in the waist, I get serious candy cravings (which I have only given in to twice! Really!). BUT - I'm still training with KB's and I can't imagine how I would feel if I didn't.

So,

Z drills

30 seconds on/30 off
Warm up 16kg 2 HS X5
12kg snatch L
12kg snatch R
16kg transfers
20 minutes

12kg squat/PP 1-5 X2

stepback lunges 5 X2 X2

12kg TGU 3X3

16kg rows 5/5 X3 superset with 8 16kg pullovers

1 minute plank X2

So how is this different than my usual workout? Usually I don't use the 12kg much at all. Now, it's my new best friend. I'm not really snatching the 16kg anymore, just occasionally when I'm feeling strong. No more OHP's with the 16kg either, which sucks because I was starting to get good and strong.

Hoping for more insight from the KB world regarding training and pregnancy. Most of the doctor's I've seen don't know what a kettlebell is and when I ask about training and tell them that I use a 24-35 lb weight they stare at me like I'm crazy. They all think I should be using 5 pound pink dumbbells or something.