Not Giving Up, Despite 8 surgeries and 3 miscarriages

A compelling inspirational personal story about not giving up from Paige Reagan. 


"...and I have not had to take even one antacid because my digestive issues have disappeared. I am 44 years old now and healthier and in better shape than I have been for a very, very long time."

Before I tell you my story it is important that you know something about me first. I am quiet, extremely private, and fiercely independent. I do not willingly ask for help. I shy away from getting my picture taken and am uncomfortable being the center of attention. In fact, most of my closest friends and family do not know the details of the story that I am about to tell you now. But on this rare occasion I have decided to go outside of my usual comfort zone because of the impact that kettlebells and Lauren have had on me. They have helped me in such a positive way and I hope that my story will help others with struggles of their own.

I was always active as a child. I started figure skating at the age of 8. I competed at the national level, which demanded a lot of time and dedication. For the next 8 years I practiced between 30 and 35 hours a week. Although skating was a huge part of my life I decided to stop at the age of 16 in order to focus on school and college. I remained active afterwards by replacing skating with other physical activities. I went to the gym on a regular basis, became an avid skier, and was known to go biking for miles on the weekends.

I got married in my mid 20's and my husband and I decided to start a family in our early 30's. Unfortunately, our road to starting a family was bumpy and long. I spent the next 3 years undergoing numerous infertility treatments. We were frustrated but refused to give up. And then one day, we finally got the good news! I had an uneventful pregnancy and continued to exercise until I was 37 weeks. I felt great, stayed fit, and only gained 17 pounds.

My daughter was born in the winter of 2002. I was lucky in that I had a very easy and fast delivery. There were no complications except that I never delivered my placenta so my doctor had to remove it. It was the happiest day of my life. But in the weeks that followed I began to feel very sad and confused. I was bleeding terribly but when I called the doctor's office to tell them they just treated me like a nervous new mother and told me not to worry because the bleeding was a result of me nursing. I continued to call every few weeks and was told the same thing each time. The bleeding finally stopped when my daughter was 10 months old.

When my daughter was a year old we decided to go back to the infertility specialist. We wanted her to have a brother or sister and were advised to start sooner rather than later because of the problems the first time. We quickly discovered that once again, things were not going to be easy. Apparently in the year since I had delivered my daughter I had developed a number of new problems, one of which was a large mass in my uterus. The doctor immediately scheduled a surgery to remove the mass but it was inoperable. A biopsy confirmed that it was benign so we were told that it was okay to leave it and that it would not affect future pregnancies. We were relieved by the "good" news.

Following the surgery I became pregnant on 3 occasions but miscarried all 3 times. Two of the 3 miscarriages were after 16 weeks so I had to have D&Cs. When I miscarried the third time, my doctor was concerned because my hormone levels were so high that he suspected that I had a molar pregnancy. They did an emergency D&C the next day and the testing confirmed that the pregnancy was normal. We were given the okay to start another procedure as soon as my cycle resumed and my hormone levels went back to zero.

Four months went by and my levels remained elevated, meaning that I was technically still pregnant. When my levels got to 10, the infertility specialist decided to start me on hormones to trigger my cycle. In my case though, my levels started to go back up and the doctors thought that it was an undiagnosed molar cancer. They administered 2 shots of a cancer drug to terminate the pregnancy and luckily my levels returned to zero within a few weeks.

BEFORE

Three more months went by and my cycle still had not resumed. I was very uncomfortable and could not get up from a sitting position or out of bed without a lot of pain or discomfort. I once again went back to the doctor for an ultrasound. He was completely shocked because my entire uterus was filled with tissue. He feared that the molar pregnancy had started to grow again so I had to head back to the hospital the following morning for another emergency surgery. Fortunately, it was not a molar cancer. However, the surgery revealed that my uterus was severely scarred and had sealed itself shut from front to back. This was the day that I was diagnosed with Asherman's Syndrome, which is a condition defined by severe scarring of the uterus and can lead to permanent infertility. In my case, the large mass that they had found in my uterus was actually a piece of placenta that the doctor had missed when I delivered my daughter 3 years before. It was the cause of the prolonged bleeding. It became scarred over from the D&Cs and led to the repeated miscarriages.

Over the next 5 years I underwent an additional 5 surgeries to try to keep my uterus open. The condition was so severe that the scar tissue would start to reform within a week of the surgery. I was on extremely high doses of estrogen to try to improve healing. Finally, my uterus was open and we were allowed to start infertility treatments again. But despite the high-dose medications and repeated attempts, we were unsuccessful. We had even traveled to Los Angeles from the East Coast to have one last surgery with the world's leading expert in Asherman's Syndrome but the damage to the lining of my uterus was too extensive and nothing could grow.

I am not one to give up easily but infertility treatments have a way of making time disappear. I was always looking ahead. By this time my daughter was 8 years old. The repeated surgeries and long-term medications were starting to take their toll. I was tired, weak, and my body was hurting. I was suffering terribly from acne because of all of the hormones. During this 6-year period I had not been able to exercise regularly, if at all because I was either preparing for, undergoing, or recovering from surgery or gearing up for another infertility treatment. I had lost all of my physical strength and was no longer fit. I had developed terrible digestive issues in the form of severe bloating and indigestion. There were times when I ate just a mouthful and felt like I had eaten a watermelon. Sometimes the feeling would last for days, other times it would last for weeks. I had uncontrollable burping all day long. I knew in my heart it was time to stop but the day that we made that decision was still the hardest day of my life. I have never worked so hard at something to come out with nothing to show for it in the end. I felt like I had failed, not myself, but my daughter. My heart was broken for my daughter and I could not sleep. I was completely destroyed, both inside and out.

Time also has a way of healing, and about a year later I started walking with a friend in the mornings. It was not much in the way of exercise but it was good to get out. However, in the fall of 2010 my job became very demanding, requiring that I work 80+ hours a week so I had to stop walking. Any extra time that I had after working and taking care of my family had to be spent on sleeping. My digestive issues got worse despite my attempts to eat well. I was taking antacids on a daily basis and before meals. I managed to stay thin at 120 lbs but was completely unfit and flabby.

In January 2012, I made the "dreaded" New Year's resolution. I promised myself that I was going to get up at 5:15 a.m. and walk on my treadmill every day. And I did. And I felt good. I was proud of myself and happy that I was doing something physical. But I had also convinced myself that the walking was making me more fit than I really was. In February, my daughter's soccer team participated in strength and conditioning classes at a local studio and the parents were invited to attend. I went there thinking that it would be easy because of all of the walking that I was doing but I was seriously wrong. I was totally exhausted within the first 3 minutes. And it's not because it was ridiculously hard - the girls were keeping up just fine - it was because I was so unfit and out of shape. I was beet red, could not breathe, was sweating profusely, and had severe indigestion. It was so bad that my daughter kept asking if I was okay. I was sore within an hour of leaving the studio and could not walk, sit, or get up without severe pain for at least 10 days. I was so mad at myself but not sure what to do because the gym schedule no longer fit in with my life. I felt stuck.

A few weeks later I caught an infomercial on kettlebells. I was mesmerized and watched it 2 times through. I saw the same infomercial 2 weeks later but this time I stopped halfway through to do a search on my computer. I found a link to the "On the Edge Fitness" website and spent hours reading about Lauren and her exercise and nutrition programs. It was then that I finally made a decision. I was going to try kettlebells and Lauren's nutrition program. I ordered a 10-lb kettlebell and the UBSC Volume 1 DVD. I didn't know it then but it was my first step in the right direction.

When I received the kettlebell package I could barely lift it. I was intimidated by the DVD and when I finally decided to try the 12-minute workout I could not make it past the first set of exercises. I could not do even one push up. I could not breathe. And it hurt to walk up the stairs when I was done. But I loved it! And I could not wait to get up the next morning at 5:15 to try again. And I did!

Within a matter of weeks I could feel myself getting stronger. The 10-lb kettlebell seemed lighter. I was able to do 2 to 3 "real" pushups. For the first time in 10 years my shoulder no longer hurt. And I was able to get through most of the 40-minute workout. I ordered a 15-lb kettlebell and the UBSC Volume 2 DVD. I also contacted Lauren about her nutrition program. I wanted to get stronger and healthier and hopefully eliminate my persisting digestive issues.

Lauren was very responsive despite the thousands of miles between us and put together an easy to follow nutrition program and sent me some suggestions for working out with her 2 DVDs. The second DVD was much harder and the 15-lb kettlebell was much heavier. But I did not give up. I interchanged my workouts between both DVDs and switched between the kettlebells instead of stopping in the middle. I learned how to eat clean and fuel my body with the right foods. I got stronger very quickly. After 6 short weeks I had lost 10 lbs and discovered that I actually do have muscles! I can now do 9 to 10 "real" and diamond kettlebell push-ups. I can easily swing a 15-lb kettlebell and have just started using a 20-lb kettlebell with little difficulty. My acne is gone and my skin is clear.  And I have not had to take even one antacid because my digestive issues have disappeared. I am 44 years old now and healthier and in better shape than I have been for a very, very long time.

AFTER (Age 44 - lean, strong, healthy, and fit.  Digestion issues GONE)

My story is only one in a million of others. With Lauren's gentle encouragement I chose to tell it here with the hope that it may inspire others who are dealing with their own struggles to never give up. I have a long way to go but have come so far. My discovery of kettlebells and clean, healthy eating were the key for me. They have changed my life significantly. I am no longer focused on what I could not do but rather what I can do now. My daughter may never have a sibling but she does have me. And I will do everything possible to be strong, healthy, and fit so that I will be here for a very long time with her. I am motivated once again and will continue to use kettlebells and clean eating to help me reach this goal. I have learned that I may have lost the fight but I did not fail. I am strong now and will continue to get stronger, both on the outside and the inside. Once again, I believe in myself.

Todays Workout - The Ladder Of Doom

5 Pull Ups, 10 Sandbag Cleans, 15 Sandbag Push Press, 20 Sandbag Back Squats, 100 Skips. 5 rounds as fast as you can.

Men should aim for a 30kg sandbag; women should aim for 15kg.

Record your time.

Train hard!


Don't have a sandbag? This is my original bag - a 25kg contractors bag of sand. It cost me �1.50 and I used some tape to make it a little more secure.

No excuses.

Sandbag Training For MMA & Combat Sports - Now Live

My new book Sandbag Training For MMA & Combat Sports is now available here

Sandbag Training For MMA & Combat Sports is the indispensable guide for anyone who wants to improve their strength and conditioning for combat. You'll learn:

• Why sandbag training is perfect for MMA & Combat Sport Athletes
• How to construct your own sandbag
• How to master over 60 of the most effective sandbag training exercises for MMA & Combat Sports

This book is ideal for anyone who wants to:

• Build devastating strength and conditioning
• Dominate their opponents in training and competition
• Develop a practical, effective and straight-forward fitness programme for MMA or any Combat Sport/Martial Art

The book comes complete with a range of 'follow along' training programmes that will get you in the best shape of your life.

Here are some screenshots from the book:

Click here to get your copy now

Sandbag Training For MMA & Combat Sports

My new book Sandbag Training For MMA & Combat Sports is out this coming Wednesday (18th July) and you can now access an exclusive FREE 60-page sample of the book.

Get Your Free Sample Now

Keep training hard!

Matt

From Weak/Unhealthy Mom to Super Strong Fitness Model Mom

I've been very anxious to feature a very special female in my life, Katie Dawers. This young lady has come incredibly far and superseded all of her expectations by a long shot.  On behalf of everyone, including myself, who has trained with her, watched her grow, we are truly so proud of you Katie! Don't ever quit! Dedication, determination, and smart training pays off, as you have proved to yourself and the world!


Read her story below. Hope you are all as inspired as much as we continue to be.

KATIE DAWERS's STORY

Everyone has a story. Some people�s life stories are sad, some of them are exciting, some are boring and some are inspiring. With my story I hope to inspire everyone from all walks of life. I wont bore you with my childhood journey into adult hood, instead I will start where life really happened, and I mean this in the most literal way possible, when I got pregnant with my son.







?When I found out I was pregnant with my son I was 18 years old.  I had many unhealthy habits.  I smoked a pack to two packs a day. Caffeine was my best friend, as I would drink the large Red Bulls several times a day, on my minimal caffeine day it was coffee and two large Red Bulls.  It doesn't stop there.  My diet consisted of a bagel or croissant for breakfast, I ate lunch at Jack in the Box and dinner at Carls Jr.  Back then I worked for a lawyer and we would take breaks and smoke cigarettes and drink coffee and I loved it!  It made me happy.   Receiving the news of being pregnant I was in major shock and definitely not ready to make any life changes.  I found out I was pregnant really early, only about 4 weeks and my ultrasound showed only an egg.   After my sonogram I went home and smoked a cigarette, considering this is what I had done to cope for the last 4 years of my life.   After the shock I quit smoking and quit the caffeine as much as I could, I still had my one-cup of coffee every single day. Through out my pregnancy my wonderful husband talked me into walking every day, and so I did. However, I walked maybe half a mile a day if that.  Even though I made big steps (for who I was back then) my diet was not that much better. I would eat pizza with a bag of carrots. I did always try to eat something good.  I didn't have any money then so I lived off tuna helper and broccoli.  The meals were cheap and I was saving for my baby.  I didn�t know then that the most important thing was the health of my baby.




After a long pregnancy Cole was finally born.  I fell in love with this little boy.  I have never loved anything more in my life.  But this love was not enough, this little boy never slept (he still never sleeps) he�s just not a sleeper.  I became a little depressed. I had a little post partum depression and when that wore off I was still depressed. I remember visiting my mother.  My mother told me I was depressed from not sleeping. While I nursed my new born, she continued to tell me I needed to join a group that  had other mothers to support me.  Well my mother had just had a baby herself, my little sister Ava she was about 2 when Cole was born.  My mother did stroller strides back then and so I joined.  In stroller strides we ran a quarter mile stopped and used some bands for strength.  I was dying.  I couldn�t run nor use the bands.  As hard as it was I kept going, it got me out of the house and at the time I lived 45 minutes from my mom so I got to see her twice a week. My husband is a Marine and had to deploy when my son was 7 months old.  I was 45 minutes from my mom and alone with a seven month old baby.  Working out got me through the seven months of my life.  It quickly became my release.  While this is terrific most would say, I also began drinking wine, every night while my husband was gone.  It got me through the lonely nights. I felt like I never got a break and never had a baby sitter.  I hung out with my mom a lot and spent my first month living at my moms house, I was so lost.  Drinking helped and when my husband returned the drinking never stopped it became a habit and a bad one.






About a year or so after I started stroller strides, my mother Della Whelchel and Lauren Brooks decided to start a kid friendly class using kettlebells and strollers (Buggybellz). I was excited for my mom, however kettlebells were really intimidating for me.  As their first class approached I went early with my mom.  She was trying to show me a few tips and moves with the kettlebells before other mothers arrived.  Anyone that does kettlebells knows that we start everyone with an 8kg (18lbs). My mother says to me �press it�. First of all I didn�t even know what a �press� was nor was I sure I wanted to. The swing was enough to overwhelm me and the class has not even started yet. While my mother was showing me how to press it ever so gracefully, she handed me the bell and I begin to press it. Lets put it this way, it was very ugly and the bell never made it past my shoulders. I was weak. This was hard for me as in the stroller strides classes I felt I grew stronger.   As my life started to change so did my attitude.   Kettlebells were very intimidating for the first six months or so.   I remember thinking how strong Lauren and my mom were, I thought, �I will never be like that, I couldn�t, I will just stay where I am physically, I cant even imagine being that strong.�   As I attended these classes regularly three days a week I eventually got my form down.   I had the best support, my mom.   We would practice at her house and talk about it all the time.   My mom taught me almost everything I needed to know to get through the days with my baby to how to swing a 16kg kettlebell.   Going into these classes I remember how flabby my stomach was, I hated it.   I had rolls; my arms were flabby and weak.  In my first year of learning kettlebells this slowly but surely started to change and so did my eating habits.  I began to follow my mother.  We would talk about diet a lot as she is and was into health. I still didn�t eat that well though; I would still have pizza every once in a while and hit a fast food joint. My drinking was probably worse then ever at this point. I remained pretty mellow while drinking; it wasn�t like I was a raging alcoholic, or violent, if you didn�t know me you might not even know I have had something to drink. As time went on my mom and Lauren allowed me to teach a Buggybellz class for them once a week after receiving my HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification). This is around the same time I took one of Laurens classes at her in home gym.   She encouraged everyone to pick up a bell that they have never pressed before after a series of progressions. The biggest bell I ever used before at that time was a 16kg.  So I picked up the 20kg I racked it and I pressed it.  I think this was the first time I realized I could be as strong as my mentors.  I had to figure out how to do this.  Buggybellz wasn�t going to work. I couldn�t carry heavy enough bells in my stroller nor afford them.   I really had to think about this.  I began taking Lauren's classes once a week.  Lauren did heavy snatches in class and I snatched the 20kg, I felt like I was on fire. 

After time Lauren and I started talking about me teaching for her.  I became RKC, Russian Kettlebell Certified, my confidence really started to grow.  I felt better than I ever have in my life and I had such great people supporting me.  I felt like going into Lauren's classes I wanted to be better, as if what I was doing wasn�t enough and I found a way, I just figured it out.  I grew to be really strong and confident. I got compliments on my body more than ever actually for the first time ever! I had this fire in me (I still do) to do something, to be something great; I didn�t want to settle for less. There was more out there, there had to be. I had a dear friend, make a phone call to a mainstream fitness photographer. I sent him some pictures and he said he would throw me in the �hopper�.  Well these �mainstream� guys they get busy, my friend and I kept calling him and emailing and eventually he did a shoot with me for Compax.  I went down to his studio with butterflies in my stomach I probably could have vomited. Luckily he was a really cool down to earth guy.  I spent hours at his studio and when I left I never felt more alive.  I had a rush and I wanted that to be my life.  I had to figure that out too.  While this was all a slow process I kept in touch with the photographer, and I tried signing with different agencies.  I got really into my training, I got really strong and I was going to Lauren's classes 3 days a week and teaching one day a week.  My life has officially changed since the day I found out I was pregnant.

I cut down on my meat tremendously; in fact I even dabbled with being vegan.  I now only eat grass-fed organic meat, I only eat organic veggies, and I no longer use drinking as a release.  I have a glass of wine or two on occasions.  I don't eat any dairy and I make my own nut milks.  I have a garden in my back yard.  I don't eat fast food but of course we have to live and I will have dark chocolate or nut brownies once in a while ;) I do not drink coffee or any other caffeine (unless it�s a special treat of course).  I am now able to press a 24 kg, pull up with a 12kg, single leg dead lift 2 32kg�s, swing my body weight and much more.  I will never stop doing kettlebells I will never stop training it has truly changed my life.  I now have a few shoots under my belt in fitness; you can find me on the cover of 3/GO magazine, in My Mad Methods Magazine, in Nuun, Compax, etc. I have signed with a fitness agency in LA, and am signing with a fashion agency as well.  I now train at On The Edge Fitness with Lauren Brooks, all while continuing to go to college, raise my beautiful son, and hold my marriage together.  My life has forever changed.  I will continue to grow and evolve.  I will continue to motivate myself and always strive to be better as everyone always should. Living outside my comfort zone as much as I can. If there is anything I would want someone to take away from this story it would be that just because you are someone you may not be proud of today, does not mean you have to be that person tomorrow.  You can be whomever you want.  Though, it is not an easy road, you are not stuck and you have a choice, you have to want to change.  There is hope and it only takes one step at a time. Take one step and never look back!




Thank you Katie for sharing your journey from unhealthy to super woman.  You have only just begun and I truly look forward to your continued road to optimal living.  I'm honored to have been a part of your life change experience and look forward to witnessing your incredible success! 

A Simple Guide To Designing a Workout for Kettlebell Instructors

By Lauren Brooks

You�ve trained hard. You�ve completed the grueling three-day weekend of the RKC/SFG or the full day of the HKC or Strong First User Course. Congratulations, you are now officially certified! You have proved that you can execute the basic kettlebell exercises with safe and correct form. You have proved that you understand the concepts and can relay them to a novice. You have proved that you are tough and can withstand challenges. You have developed the strength and conditioning needed to pass the certification process. These are all wonderful qualities, but now it�s time to work on the most important part, putting it all together. Actually designing a safe, balanced, and efficient program for your individual clients and group classes.

Now that you know how to do these exercises and you can do them well, you are probably anxious to teach (if you aren�t already doing so). Students will come to you because kettlebells are the new, cool thing and they�ve heard that they are efficient for fat loss, strength, and conditioning. Now it�s up to you to design workouts for both individuals and classes, that will not only deliver excellent results, but keep them engaged, excited, and most of all, safe.

Working with a group who are at different levels and have varying backgrounds can be very tricky. Here are some general points that you need to realize about the population who tend to participate in group classes.

1. Not everyone who walks through the door wants to be as strong as you or will enjoy training with kettlebells as much as you. Therefore, spending 6 long weeks on mastering the Turkish Get Up and treating everyone like they are at the RKC may have them running the other direction faster than you can swing a kettlebell.

2. LISTEN to the goals of your clients and RESPECT them. If they tell you they want to lose weight, feel stronger, and become more conditioned, then spending a few weeks learning the Bent Press is not going to be the smartest approach; unless, of course, that is what they specifically request.

3. Clients need to regularly feel some sense of accomplishment. If you design a program that your students can never get through, they will leave feeling like a failure as well as completely exhausted. Having unrealistic programs is generally why trainers have clients dropping like flies. People will come to you wanting to feel better and improve themselves in some way. Not to feel worse. If they wanted an "extreme" workout every time by performing an incredibly high amount of reps, they would have signed up for P90X. Causing a client, especially a new one, to become too sore to walk the next day or lift their arms doesn�t make you a good trainer. In fact, it shows that you didn�t educate them about putting on the breaks during their session. Have them leave your session feeling challenged but very accomplished. They need to have won, not lost.

4. Educate your clients, they will appreciate and respect you more. Exercise fanatics and ex-football players have a real hard time not doing more in my classes, especially in the beginning. They have been programed to assume that if they don�t feel like they�re going to vomit or are completely wiped out by the end of the workout, that it was a waste of their time. Spend some time throughout the workout, and afterwards, educating them on the importance of approaching the workouts as practice. You wouldn�t practice basketball until you could barely dribble the ball anymore or practice surfing to the point that you are so fatigued that you�re almost drowning. Show them all the people who�ve had success so that they have models to relate and aspire to. Whether it�s other RKC�s or inspirational stories of people who train using the same philosophy as you, show them that these people don�t train until failure yet they continue to add strength, conditioning and achieve fat loss. Real photos and stories will speak a thousand words and will get them to trust you. They need something relatable to them. An article I wrote 5 years ago, "The Need To Train Like A Man, Especially If You�re A Woman," has been found useful for so many. Trainers use it as an example to educate and show their female clients that it�s okay to use weights that are heavier than 5 pounds. Since I originally wrote the article, I�ve found it on the internet translated into several languages. Have some motivational material up in your gym and/or ready to show your clients.

Now for the fun part. Designing workouts for multi-level classes is a learning process that I�ve personally had the chance to evolve and improve over the last 7 years. Every year I learn more techniques, change my mind on certain philosophies, and am therefore making my programs better and better. This article would not be necessary if I didn�t see and experience unsafe, ineffective "kettlebell" classes. Just because someone is certified doesn�t mean that they have a clear understanding of program design. This, of course, is true with all fitness communities. For example, CrossFit coaches are getting a very bad rap for valid reasons. I have met several excellent ones that create smart programs and focus on proper form. Yes, just several out of thousands. Pretty scary! Just like the HKC or RKC, you represent all of us. I have had clients come and tell me the stuff they did with a kettlebell instructor and I�m surprised they ever decided to pick up a kettlebell again. Hopefully this article sheds some light and helps change some common mistakes.

10 Basic Rules For Designing A Strength and Conditioning Kettlebell Class

1. Include a Pulling movement in almost every workout. Whether it be One Arm Rows, Horizontal Body Rows using Rings, One arm Body Rows, Pull-ups, or Double Farmers Walks. Pulling and using the lats in a variety of ways through both vertical and horizontal is a must. Most of your clients sit too much and thus have an underdeveloped posterior chain, rounded shoulders and weak lats. Be sure to make it a priority to show them where their lats are and to help them make sure to strengthen them to counter balance their day job.

2. Program rests in your workouts. If you want your clients to achieve any kind of real strength, putting in a required rest before beginning the next exercise or round of exercises, will allow them to recover properly and use a significant load with proper form. Trainers that want to run their clients into the ground will have them go from one exercise to the next without any type of break. A workout like that might be okay on a rare occasion, but if they come to you hoping to get stronger, you are doing them a great disservice by not encouraging rest and mobility breaks.

3. Do not put the Grinds at the very end of a workout. I�ve seen it too many times where an instructor will wipe the floor with their class by having them do hundreds of swings, squats, push-ups and snatches. Then at the end they will have the students do an excessive amount of Windmills or Turkish Getups. By then the students are so tired and shaky that they can barely hold their arms up enough to complete a solid rep. Rule of thumb, place them in the beginning or after a significant period of rest so the student feels fresh. Asking them to perform slow, controlled exercises that require focus when they are very spent is basically like asking a drunk person to try a max rep of the Turkish Get Up. It�s a crap shoot, and with a group it�s never worth it nor is it beneficial. Hopefully I�ve made my point.

4. All out interval conditioning drills such as Tabata, Vo2 Max, and HIIT generally should go towards the end of a workout. Unless the entire workout for the day is a conditioning day with intervals throughout, then do not have your class perform extremely high intensity conditioning work, and then expect them to perform well for Heavy Double Presses and Double Front Squats. Just like #4, regarding the Grind Lifts as a general rule, heavy lifting should be done towards the beginning when the body is fresh.

5. Mix up your class focus from time to time. If you have your clients train heavy the majority of the month, surprise them with lighter days and slightly higher reps. I prefer strength training and consider anything over 5 reps to be a high rep class, but let�s get real here. As someone who wants to be overall physically fit, it�s nice to show your clients and yourself that high reps are achievable when done safely. Throwing in a new approach here and there can break them of feeling stagnant with the same old way of lifting! Same thing goes with high rep cardio kettlebell classes. If you are addicted to the cardio feel and are constantly having your clients reach for the lightest kettlebells so that they can make it through your high rep class without vomiting, then try and change gears from time to time and focus on heavier bells with low reps. It will take some adjusting for those clients that are programmed for the go-go type class, but educate them as to why you are changing to more of a strength focused class. Wow your clients with the size kettlebells that they can swing at reps of 5-10. Most will be pleasantly surprised and will feel empowered because they hadn�t truly realized their overall increase in strength.

6. Stick to Basic exercises, but vary it slightly for the advanced student to keep it fun and interesting. I�m all for practicing the same exact exercise for years on end, but I do have to remind myself that my clients are not me! Not everyone finds joy in doing Turkish Get Ups everyday like I do. If you want them to continue to get better at squats don�t just do Goblet Squats. Throw in variety. Split Squats, Front Squats, Over-head Squats, Bottoms up Clean Squats, TGU Squat Style, Deck Squats. Have fun with them. Most regulars will appreciate it. Your more advanced clients know how to do basic exercises and can easily do them on their own. They pay to come to your group classes to experience your smart, yet unique workout design with the hope of learning something new, whether they know it or not.

7. Hands and grip need to be considered when designing the program. Giving your class hundreds of snatches and swings with tons of farmers walks on a humid day will only do one thing. The rest of the week your schedule will be clear. Their hands will be trashed so that not only will they have to miss training sessions, but they may not even want to come back at all. Be sensitive and think how the workout you planned will effect their hands. I know it may not be an issue to you since you are used to it, but it�s a big issue for many students.

8. RKC is a school of strength not a school of endurance. Remember why you chose to be certified or affiliated with the RKC or HKC. We want our clients to first move well and then move well with load, gently adding speed and conditioning appropriately. Let�s not forget the philosophy we share. If your personal client only wants endurance training, then wonderful. I have never had a client of mine mad at me for making them too strong. My clients have become such believers in strength based workouts with finishers that they tested themselves with long runs after a substantial absence from running. Believe it or not, they ran like a champ. One ran over 8 miles with ease, which was their longest run ever. Another ran a half marathon without training. I don�t recommend you try it, but yes there is something to smart program design. It works!

9. Balanced Exercises for a balanced body. Going back to rule #1, regarding pulling exercises, you want to make sure you choose a balanced workout. If you have a workout that entails lots of of Push-Ups, Presses, and Burpees you are asking for fried shoulders and possible neck injuries. Leaving out pulling exercises such as rows or pull-ups places your clients that much further from a balanced body. Can you put all those pushing exercises in one workout and be safe? Yes you can from time to time, but very carefully. Throughout the week make sure you have included lower body strength. If you have your class focus on heavy or multiple squats, make sure that they get in deadlifts or more hamstring dominant lifts as well. It doesn�t all have to be in the same session, but program it in during the week for overall balanced training.

10. Include a warm up and cool down. Whether it�s correctives for your individual client, light body weight exercises, or mobility, warm up the class together in some fashion. Cool down the class with either light stretching and/or joint mobility. Encourage meditation, active recovery and restoration of the body in order for them to return to class feeling optimal and recharged.

Sample Class Workout Ideas for an All Level Group

Sample 1

A1. Turkish Get Up (Alternating) 2 reps

A2. Heavy Swing 10 reps

Rest and Repeat 2-3 rounds

B1. Goblet Squat 5 reps

B2. Push-Ups 5-8 reps

B3. Double Cleans 8 reps

Rest and Repeat 2-4 rounds

C1. Horizontal Body Row or One Arm Row 3-6 reps

C2. Forward Lunge 5 each side

C3. High Plank or Ab Roll out for 15-20 seconds

Rest as needed and Repeat 2-4 rounds

Finisher: Take a comfortable bell and make it look pretty, fun and fast. Ladder it down. 5 each arm, 4, each arm, and so forth. If the class is very advanced feel free to add

1 Arm Swing or Snatch 5,4,3,2,1

Sample 2

A1. DeadLift (Double or Single Bells) 4-6 reps

A2. Double Press (or single press for beginners) 3-5 reps per arm

A3. 2 Hand Swing 10 reps

Rest and Repeat 2-4 Rounds

B1. Pull-ups or Stabilized One Arm Row 5 reps or (75-80%)

B2. Stationary Lunge (Single or Double Bells) 5 reps

B3. 1 Arm Swing 5 reps each side

Rest as needed and repeat 2-4 Rounds

Finisher: 15 seconds on 15 seconds off for 4-5 rounds. Use a bell for the snatches that is challenging, yet allows you to move quickly. Make it look good.

Snatch or 1 arm Swing Left

Snatch or 1 arm Swing Right

Squat Thrusts

Ropes Waves or Vertical Jumps

Final Point

I admit that I am a bit of a snob when it comes to poor program design. Teaching a group class is not something that I believe one should take lightly. Do your homework and put together solid workouts for your class in somewhat of an orderly fashion that makes sense. Hopefully the two sample workouts focused on strength with conditioning will be a helpful guide if you are just beginning your journey into teaching. I do a lot of traveling so don�t be surprised if I jump into one of your kettlebell classes. Remember the more simple the better. Stick to the rules and your clients will continue to see strength and conditioning gains. As Dan John says, "It�s just that simple." See you soon!

Bomb Kale Salad in Under 5 Minutes (Vegan Friendly)

This bomb ass kale salad is delicious and healthy. I believe in a healthy high fat diet with super foods and this just about covers it with a quickness. Due to Trader Joe's being one of the most convenient and fun places for me to shop, every single ingredient in this recipe can be found there. There are only 5 (now 6) ingredients so it makes it super easy and convenient, which is imperative for a busy working mom that rather spend quality time with her kids than taking extra time in the kitchen that's not always necessary.

Updating this to 6 ingredients thanks to the awesome comments below.  Adding fresh lemon juice to the tahini sauce to thin it out is such an excellent idea!!

Tahini Kale Salad

2-3 cups Organic Kale (I used Lacinto)
2-3 whopping Tbs of Tahini Sauce (add fresh lemon juice and water to thin it out to the consistency of your liking)
1/2 chopped Avocado
Handful of raw cashews
Several slices of Red onion to taste

Directions: (Brace yourself since it's very complicated ;P) Toss kale and tahini mixture together until blended well. Add the rest of ingredients and serve.  PHEW, that was tough.  (that's my sarcasm)

Meat eaters can add several ounces organic free range chicken for extra protein or some shrimp.


Enjoy and let me know what you think!