Off Season Strengthening

It's pretty much off-season in most parts of the cycling world. The morning chill tends to slow the flow of testosterone on the morning rides. It's time for a bit of a change of pace and this provides for opportunities in the areas of cross training and strengthening.

You have to know that I am a life long "hater" of weight lifting. I've never liked it. I don't suppose that I ever will. I've never found the whole weight lifting process to be that productive. Often times, it involves trips to the gym which takes time out an otherwise full schedule. If not, it involves purchasing products that take up an extreme amount of space in the house. And, let's face it, not many wives understand the appeal of gym equipment as a part of the decorating scheme.

Enter my solution. A couple years ago, I started researching body weight exercises. I came across Ross Enamait (www.rossboxing.com). This guy is amazing. Take a look at the videos when you get a chance. I purchased Never Gymless. The spiral bound book has hundreds of body weight exercises with strength progressions. In general, I like body weight exercises because I don't have to leave the house. However, it still didn't get my full attention.

As I continued the search, I came across kettle bells. Basically, a kettle bell is a cannonball with a handle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into quick fixes. I just don't have much time and I need the most bang for the buck. In just a few minutes, you can get all the workout you need, want or can tolerate. Kettle bells come in different sizes/weights. The exercises are explosive and require complete body control. You have to use your entire body to perform them effectively. This may be the reason I like them the most. As an exercise begins to isolate specific muscles, it significantly looses its ability to enhance overall function. Ultimately, I'm driven to enhance function so I'm looking for exercises that require total body integration.

If you are interested in experiencing a kettle bell workout, go to Fitness Systems. Their Mobile, AL store is located across from Providence Hospital. Ask for Paul. He's a Kettle bell certified trainer. Oh, if you go, be prepared for a workout.

Kettle bells meet the following priorities:

• Low price compared to other strengthening equipment
• Small footprint(doesn't take up much space)
• Total body workout
• Complete workout takes just minutes

It doesn't get any better than that.