Heavier Than It Looks

It was the kind of day (and week) where everything was going wrong (or breaking) and I was disappointed about a lost opportunity and all I wanted to do was crawl underneath the bed covers (turn on my heated mattress pad, which is so freakin’ awesome) and just hide. Instead of hiding, I went to the Warrior Room to exorcise and exercise the bad mood out of my body.

I am so glad I did.

My friend Debby joined me for the Isolation/Tabata class. I think she needed a good burn, too. The class was pretty full. It was a surprise considering the evening classes I’ve taken before were pretty small (less than 8 people in the class). I think there were the max this time, 12.

The instructor turned on the soundtrack to Footloose and barked at us to get moving! The workouts were killer. My heart rate was high. I was sweaty, I was getting tired, I was loving it! We did the usually workouts–tabatas with burpees, squats, squat jumps, one-handed kettlebell swings, chest press and overhead presses. All good stuff.

If you want to read another review from a fellow blogger who went to the free class, check it out here. “Kettlebell training is no joke. I really don’t think you can prepare for the type of work they put you through. Despite taking a lot of breaks through the training session, I would definitely do this again.” Truth! Kettlebells are no joke.

Speaking of no joke…I did something new that kicked my butt!

Yes, those tires are just as big and just as heavy as they look. Since the class was so big, we split into two teams and did a team “drill.” Everyone got to the wall and into the wall-sit position. The first team mate ran out and flipped the tire three times, then flipped it three times back to the starting position. Then they high-fived the next team member and they ran out to do it.

The first time we did this I was on the team that was flipping the bigger and heavier tire. I was surprised at just how much of a struggle it was! Those guys that do this for training make it look SO EASY. It’s really not.

The trick is to squat down and use the power in your legs–not your back. Bending over and lifting with your back is a recipe for very bad things. I was trying to be SO mindful of that. When it was my turn to flip the tire I did my best. I found that I could lift it but near the top before flipping it over I struggled to push it. I often used my legs to help me flip it.

Want to see what I burned doing this killer workout?

Over 600 calories! In one hour. Holy Moly.

I was also shocked that I was not sore the next day. I thought for sure my back and legs would be wrecked after flipping that monster tire. Just goes to show you how strong you can get when you’re not paying attention. 🙂 Non-scale victory!

Have you ever flipped a tire? How did you do?