FAQ

If you're brand-new to kettlebells, RKC stands for "Russian Kettlebell Challenge." It's a certification course honcho'd by Pavel Tsatsouline, the man who's generally credited with introducing kettlebells to the U.S.

I'll be honest, Pavel introduced me to kettlebells; the first few bells I bought were from his company, Dragon Door.

While I'm grateful to Pavel for his introducing me to kettlebells, I've long resisted the urge to drink the Kool-Aid on his RKC (and many other of what I believe are over-hyped products).

His certification course runs two days and costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500. I'm all for the "you gotta spend money to make money" idea, but I never could justify dropping that kind of coin on a certification course.

Pavel (along with his partner John DuCane) is, among many other things, a marketing genius. And Dragon Door's kettlebells are among the best on the market (though CRAZY overpriced, IMHO). But I never envisioned a sufficient enough ROI to plunk down the dough for an RKC certification.

So "No" is the answer to this FAQ.

"But What If It's Raining?"

Good question. When I was in California I had more classes canceled on account of forest fires than inclement weather. But with the temperamental afternoon weather here in the Springs it behooves us to take the elements into account.

One of the great things about the workouts with Front Range Kettlebell Fitness is the ability to get outdoors to start huffing and puffing. Of course, one of the downsides--particularly over the last several months--is the tendency to get rained out on account of the inclement weather that seems to roll in with depressing regularity late in the afternoons.

But that won't stop us, thanks to our "Plan-B." If the rain rolls in, threatening our workout, we convert an oversized 2-car garage into a kettlebell house of pain. This option has greatly improved our consistency and has the potential to even keep us going during the winter months.

You can turn up the furnace in your house to stay warm, or you can turn up the furnace in your heart. Personally, I get a particular sense of satisfaction working up a sweat in 15-degree temps in January, watching the steam float off my body as I'm swinging cold cast iron around.



"Will I Be Sore?"

Frankly, I'm a little disappointed you'd ask such a question.

But I'll nevertheless venture an answer: your inaugural foray into kettlebells will likely leave you with an exquisite, almost debilitating soreness--particularly in your posterior chain (hamstrings and glutes) at about H-hour + 48.

As a friend of mine said, kettlebells prepare you for a host of things, but nothing prepares you for kettlebells.

I've seen more than a few cases of projectile vomiting that have been induced by an extreme kettlebell workout. (But as the Navy SEALs say, "That's just weakness leaving your body!")

The good news is that if you stick with it, you'll never be "that sore" again. I wake up the morning after every kettlebell workout with what I call a "good sore;" I love it--it's instant, positive physical and mental feedback that I'm doing something good and exerting for my body.

"Can I Get Injured?"

Let's face it: there's a degree of danger in every physical activity.

That's certainly the case when you're lifting large, heavy objects.

And should you be foolish or careless enough to stage on your person a contest of flesh and bone v. cast iron (in the case of the kettlebells), well... as Mom used to say, "It doesn't take a Phi Beta Kappa" to determine who the victor will be.

The good news is we'll teach you the proper techniques so as to greatly reduce the risk of injury.

As I said, I've been using kettlebells for over 8 years, and have never injured myself.

Neither has anyone I've taught how to use a kettlebell--and there have been hundreds--ever been injured.

The most dangerous part of the workout for me is loading gear in and out of my car.

"Will You Measure My Body Fat?

In a word, "No." See the About Us section.

Besides, do you think the lion or cheetah you saw on The Discovery Channel last night, or last year's Kentucky Derby winner, or Michelangelo's David, for that matter, got wrapped around the axle over BMI?

You will burn fat, increase your metabolism, lose weight (though perhaps not to Biggest Loser proportions), provided you workout consistently, push yourself during the workout, AND you watch what you eat.