This photo captures the essence of my favorite workout. It starts with a 5-minute warm up on the jump rope and then moves right into a circuit of 9 kettlebell exercises separated by 10 sets of 10 kettlebell swings. It's a quick, brutal, effective workout that I can easily do in the comfort of my home any time of day.
I'm an amateur athlete swinging a 35-pound wrecking ball around my living room while doing a physically exhausting workout. There's little room for error and plenty to break. . . hardwood floors, plaster walls, glass windows, not to mention the bones in my feet. It got me thinking about why "free weights" are generally so much more effective than machines for strength training, and I'm sure there's plenty of scientific evidence to explain it, but I have my own theory:
Fear
If you're performing a bench press and the only force preventing a weighted bar from decapitating you is provided by
the muscles in your arms and chest, your brain/body will do whatever it takes to complete that last rep. Similarly, I will subconsciously use every small muscle in my hands and every stabilizing muscle in my core to keep that cannon ball from crushing my toe or splintering my floor. For something as primal as a workout, eustress is incredibly effective.
Cash: 13.0%
Core: 75.2%
Explore: 11.8%
Workout: Kenzai Kettlebell Century Swing, @35lb in 17:52
Alcohol: New Belgium Fat Tire
Supplements: Zinc 30mg, Magnesium 450mg
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