Killer kettlebell workout

I haven’t written a fitness post in a while but I have been working out a lot! I’ve been running 3-4 times a week (training for my first 1/2 marathon) and doing 2-3 kettlebell and body weight workouts to keep my muscle strength up. I’m really loving a new blog I found called MyoMytv.com! Marianne is a certified kettlebell instructor who blogs from Ireland and she basically does what I’m hoping to do – blog and share her kettlebell and body weight inspired workouts!

To make it even better – she video tapes them all for others to follow and watch for proper form. I’ve decided to start making my way through them and hopefully get inspired to start recording some of my own for you (if you’d like to see me do this – feel free to comment in the section below)!

I’ve only used one workout of hers so far and it was so great I had to share and I highly suggest trying if you are up for a challenge.

She titled this workout the Feel It! Kettlebell workout … and she wasn’t kidding. I’ve done it twice so far and both times I couldn’t walk for two days after! The workout consisted of 6 exercises, 3 rounds – 45 seconds of all out work with 15 seconds rest periods in between.

• Goblet squat
• Alternating kettlebell swings
• Vertical pull/burpees
• Stand-knee-stand (right)
• Stand-knee-stand (left)
• Two squat jump/burpees

Take a look at her video to learn the proper technique for all the exercises:

 

Like I mentioned before – this workout was KILLER. If you are new to kettlebell workouts please start with a low weight and only do as many reps as you can. Take as long as you need to fully recover between sets before starting the next one and remember that the workout is only as good as your body allows – you will get better as you keep training.

Give it a try and let me know how you do! If you have any questions leave me a comment and I’ll try to answer to the very best of my ability!

Zoom, Zoom!

My amazing (<- yes that’s me sucking up) parents just recently visited me in Vancouver!

They drove the 6,400km from coast to coast to bring my car to me. I’m so thankful and very appreciative that they took the time to travel this far just to bring me my car. I made the decision last year when I have to Vancouver to leave it behind in Halifax, and now after 15 months of being car-less, I finally feel like I’m back to my old independent self again!

Can you say unstoppable?

Since we now have my car here – I took the time to drive them through the neighbourhoods of Vancouver, seeing the city from the South, West, East and eventually the North!  We made our way to Coal Harbour after the city tour (I’m an excellent tour guide) to have dinner at Mill Marine Bistro on the waterfront. This is one of my favourite restaurants, great service, food, drinks and incredible view! If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a must < -tell the managers the PR life sent you :)

The next day we visited Stanley Park and my old office at the Park Board before getting on the Sea to Sky and heading to Squamish! We had to stop at the Howe Sound Brewery for lunch and enjoy a lovely view of the chief while trying to pick up the climbers.

The next day was forecast to be sunny so we rushed to make the 8:30am ferry and headed from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

My parents enjoyed the ferry just as much as I did – it was a beautiful day for it. We even got to pet some horses down below before pulling into the dock!

We head North along the coast from Nanaimio to Port Alberni to visit Cathedral Grove – but on the way we had to stop at Goats on the Roof Old Country Market in Coombs! It was one of the cutest market I’ve ever been to (and I am a frequent market stopper). Great products, lots of homemade treasures and how could you not enjoy the baby goats on the roof? I didn’t get any photos of them because when I went back to the part of the roof I saw them on… they were gone :( I guess you’ll have to go see them yourself!

The next stop was Cathedral Grove – where some of the oldest and largest trees on the West Coast reside. It was breath taking and definitely one of those instances where photos don’t really do it justice.

After we took in the sights we drove all the way down to Victoria so my parents could see the city before we hopped back on the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen to catch the sunset back home.

It was a lovely day and I was so fortunate to have been able to share it with my parents. It was so great to have them here in Vancouver to see what I do, where I work and where I live. It was slightly weird being here as a family in my Vancouver home and not in our Upper Sackville home. None the less, it was so great to see them… even though I talk to them almost every day :)

The next morning I went for a run along the False Creek seawall... God I LOVE this city.

(False Creek near Olympic Village and Science World)

Where are you planning on visiting this summer?