Meet Maddie 🐈:
Some sessions have a clear purpose from the moment they begin.
This one revolved around a simple but demanding idea: alternating Persian meels and kettlebell snatches over eight rounds.
After warming up with rope flow, meel swings and kettlebell preparation, the main practice began.
Each round consisted of:
- One minute of Persian meels
- Thirty seconds rest
- One minute of kettlebell snatches
- Thirty seconds rest
Rather than using the same weight throughout, I gradually climbed and descended through the implements.
The meels progressed from 4.5 kg to 8 kg before returning to the lighter weights, while the kettlebell snatches moved steadily from 16 kg up to 28 kg before working back down again.
By the end of the circuit I had completed:
- 480 Persian meel swings
- 169 kettlebell snatches
The combination worked beautifully.
The meels encouraged relaxed shoulders, rhythm and continuous circular movement. The snatches demanded precision, timing and explosive power. Each discipline seemed to prepare me for the next.
The evening didn’t end there. More meels followed, along with speed bag work, double-end bag practice, rope flow and finally ten minutes of yoga on the decking as the light began to fade.
Sessions like this remind me why I describe what I do as practice rather than training. Every implement contributes something different, yet together they create one continuous flow of movement.
And while I was counting swings and snatches, Maddie had far more important things on her mind. She was waiting patiently inside for her evening meal.
Everyone has their priorities.
