Meet Maddie 🐈:
Coaching on a warm, humid evening reminded me that good practice isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the right things in the right order.
After a joint mobility warm-up, we prepared with swing to clean, swing to snatch and swing to clean & press, before moving into a simple but effective 15-minute EMOM:
- Minute 1: Heavy single-arm swings
- Minute 2: Snatches
- Minute 3: Clean & press
Then we repeated the cycle five times.
The important part wasn’t just the kettlebells. Rather than standing around waiting for the next minute, we used the remaining time for gentle joint mobility. Every minute became a balance of strength and restoration.
The session finished with heavy hand-to-hand swings, single-arm swings, push-ups on the kettlebells and, as always, Qigong on the decking.
By then, the day’s heat was beginning to fade.
Right on cue, Maddie wandered over, brushing around our legs and stopping for a stroke from both of us. It made us smile because it has almost become part of the routine. Whether she’s supervising from the decking, asleep under a bush or keeping warm by the wood burner in winter, she always seems to know when practice is coming to an end.
Sometimes the best finish to a coaching session isn’t another exercise. It’s a quiet moment, slowing the breath, enjoying the evening and sharing it with good company – even if that company has four paws.
