At the start of this blog I said that come winter I would write some blog posts on how to get ski fit (or snowboard fit…!) so here they are. Even if you are not a skier though there are some great ides for you to keep fit and toned through the winter months.
Kettlebells: I discovered these heavy blighters quite recently and they really are a great way to workout. The raise your heart rate and tone at the same time, a really effective workout! Kettlebells are weights (a bit like a rouned anvil in appearance) with a handle (aka their horns). The basic kettlebell move is to start with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart and the kettlebell (kb) between your feet on the floor. You grasp the handle and using the strength in your legs and core, thrust your hips forward to haul the kb into the air. Although you are using your arms to control the kb the idea is not to use your arm stranght to move it. The kb should end up at about shoulder height with your arms extended. Repeat this 10-12 times. This is guaranteed sweat enducing, thigh burning workout!
The above is the basic kettlebell move but I think the best way to get your technique right and get more moves is to have a personal training session. Your trainer will ensure you are positioning yourself correctly and therefore not hurting your back. Also kettlebells are very strenuous so you should be of pretty good fitness before you attempt this (health warning!). If you don’t fancy a training session you could try and source a class at your local gym or through a community workshop.
You can also adapt the basic move to use the kettlebell with just one arm or walking with the bell and doing the above move between steps (hard!) or punching with the bell (great for chest muscles but sore the next day!)
Kettlebell workouts are great for all gym regulars looking to improve fitness/mix up their workouts with something new and are particularly good for targeting key ski muscle groups especially quads and core.
So there you have it something new and very challenging to try!
Happy kettlebelling!
The Gym Bunny Blog
The Gym Bunny Blog 