Use What You Have

I'm always looking for more ways to challenge myself. Always looking for the next step. Always making sure I don't stagnate, thus changing up the routine as much as I can. Sure, for you to get better at something, you need to focus on that thing until efficiency is achieved. But you also need to focus on SHIFTING the focus of your muscles so that you will adapt to the new movement. The only reason you improve in something is probably because it's new to you. That said, for your muscles to improve as a whole, they need to experience something new pretty frequently. This isn't to say that once you're done with a technique that you should never go back to it. But there needs to be, lets say, constant "shifting" of technique.

For example, in the spirit of this subject, I tried to make that challenge for my body to better it's adapting capabilities. What was a normal kettlebell workout (which in itself isn't normal at all) turned into an excruciating challenge for my body to take hold of. I was using my 50lb kettlebell, and was going through some long-cycle cleans, overhead presses, overhead lunges, windmills, bent-presses, and squats. Then came the real workout...
I had some rubber bands hanging up in the corner that I usually use for punching and kicking drills. I quickly hooked the strap to my ankle, wrapped the other end of the band around the handle of the bell, and then went to town! I wanted heavier weight, and BOY did I get it! There's no way of knowing for certain, but it felt like it added another twenty pounds with certain movements. It added a lot more weight, and also was a good stability movement, as the rubber band wanted to fly right back to the floor. I did some overhead presses with the band and some windmills as well, until I couldn't take it anymore,
I HIGHLY recommend you use some durable rubber bands and take your workouts to a whole new level! And for me, being poor and all, it sure beat buying another kettlebell when I could just use a rubber band instead. In other words, its a great thing to temporarily put on some more weight to that bell. I would always recommend a heavier bell over this, of course. But for those of you who only have one bell and want to quickly add some weight to it, this is the way to go!

That's all folks!!

Coach C
Wicked Iron Underground