I recently interviewed Errick McAdams for DragonDoor.com – working on these interviews is one of my absolute favorite “tasks”. Getting to know and share these success stories is incredibly rewarding, and I always look forward to learning more about other people drawn to the HKC, RKC and PCC. The stories are varied as everyone starts from a different point — some have always been athletic and played team sports in high school and/or college, others like Maggie Fazeli Fard, the Senior Fitness Editor of Experience Life Magazine discovered their athleticism as an adult.
Not many of you know this, but I really began fitness in earnest at about age 30. While I’d been very aware of gyms, and had lifted weights (freeweights and machines) at Gold’s all summer every summer home from college starting in 1996, before trying all manner of “womens workouts” most of which were based on the bodybuilding model we had back then. They worked to a point… and I probably didn’t know what I was doing much either… But I wasn’t getting the “shape I wanted” at the time. And well, unless it was summer and too hot to be outside, I must admit I was bored. So, I tried other things for several years with limited success. (Some of which–bellydancing–would make for some amusing “throwback Thursday” material for sure.)
I started practicing tai chi somewhat earnestly in 2000 (it got much more serious later then on and off — now I practice qigong at home and am looking for the right teacher). I liked it a lot, it challenged my mind and seemed to expand my range of motion in physical and somehow mental ways too. Some of the very simplest combinations became mental anchors for me when dealing with anxiety-inducing situations. It also helped my concentration. Anyway, at around 30 I kept hearing people say, “It’s all downhill from 30” and other such nonsense. But at that time I had gained a little weight along with a good bit of stress at home and with the business I was running at the time. It was taking it’s toll on me, and I ALMOST started to believe that maybe those people were right. Yeah well… fight the power!
I discovered kettlebells after realizing that the gym I’d been using (it wasn’t Gold’s) was starting to creep me out so bad that I didn’t want to go anymore. The neighborhood was deteriorating and the realization that someone had tried to steal the wheels off my car one night was not exactly reassuring. My “that’s pretty good for a girl” gains at the gym were starting to plateau, and the gym’s clientele got sketchier and sketchier. But a web search or two or three yielded this kettlebell thing, and it changed a whole lot for me. It was challenging in all the right ways, it pin pointed my weak points (of which there were quite a few) but I could also see that there was finally a way of fixing them. This wasn’t about watered down “workouts for women”, there were serious people of all genders getting great useful results with this stuff… and in fields that weren’t just about taking pretty pictures. Law enforcement, security, military people as well as athletes were using kettlebells and calisthenics. There’s no way they were going to waste their time with something that didn’t work, right?
Long story short, it doesn’t all fall apart after 30. I’m creeping up on 40 (got just a couple years) and I feel better than ever… most of the time I feel like I’ve been given another shot at being in my mid-20s. In fact, every now and then I get this funny little attitude from people who act like they think I’m some “little 20-something chippy”. I’ve decided not to be offended, they’ll realize there’s more going on over here soon enough, and WOOHOO I guess this skincare regimen is paying off. That or maybe they need to make an appointment with their optometrist?! Either way it’s all good.
Sorry about the big tangent – what I’m getting at is that it doesn’t have to fall apart at any age, there’s always a way and there’s always progress to be made. Another recent interviewee, RKC Team Leader Paul Britt has some older clients who have regained and/or maintained their independent lifestyles because of smart training with kettlebells. Keep moving, keep note of what’s going down the hatch… there’s no reason to give up on an active, independent life.
So, definitely go read this interview with Errick McAdams. He’s a very unique trainer, and he breaks some rules. I like that. For example, he actually works out WITH his clients. He also has a seriously dialed-in metaphor that gets people to understand their individual metabolic quirks in an amazingly elegant way. You know those articles and spam emails that say “this one weird trick” well you know what? This idea… it’s a legit “one weird trick” and it’s all in the brain. I was so pleased that he shared this game changer in his interview, because it’s so simple yet can really make a huge difference.
Kettlebells, calisthenics, and an understanding of your own metabolism can be absolutely revolutionary for quality of life, appearance, energy… really just about everything if you think about it. The “anti-aging” properties I can personally vouch for (I can jump around like a little kid), and just the fact of feeling like I have more control on how I perform, function, and look is incredibly empowering. Not sure if it is my age, but my body and I are definitely on the same team now, and I wish that for everyone–while we hear more about women and body issues, I know that men have them as well. As cheesy as this sounds, make friends with your body, it doesn’t always happen overnight, but allow for that possibility in life. I’d also say that getting with a good coach like an HKC, RKC, and/or PCC will give you the tools to not only improve your health, but further make peace with your body. And that’s when the magic really begins (in my opinion). Because going from “eww look at my stomach/thighs/etc” to “check out what I can DO!” is life changing.
Ok… well that was way more personal than intended. What’d they put in this espresso?!?
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