Is Curling Really a Sport?

Today’s 44 is a move that Kristin (Stuft Mama) did with her class and showed on her blog.  I had to try it because it uses my favorite piece of equipment -the  BOSU!!!  It is a triceps dip with alternating kicks.

Start with your hands on the BOSU and feet on the ground – 

ready
ready

Dip (triceps) and kick right leg –

down & kick
down & kick

Go back to start position –

here again
here again

Dip and kick left leg –

left kick
left kick

Since I counted a right kick and a left kick as 1 rep, I had to do 88 tricep dips to complete the 44!!!  My arms were shaking!

The February challenge with Taylor (Lifting Revolution) is a fun one!  Last week we did 100 walking lunges every day.  This week it is 400 push-ups split however you like.  Yesterday I did 135 push-ups and today I did 80 so in 2 days I’m over half-way!!!

And, I added in Les Mills Combat – Extreme Cardio Fighter today.  60 minutes of kicking, punching, twisting and just plain fun!!!

Screen Shot 2014-02-11 at 9.20.31 PM

Curling – is it a sport or just a past-time?  I don’t even get the concept.  Chris keeps saying it is like Shuffleboard.  Well, I’m pretty sure that shuffleboard  is a game they used to play on The Love Boat so I’m not convinced it is a true sport.

pushing the stone

pushing the stone

Here’s what I’ve figure out about curling – one person pushes the stone.

"sweeping'
“sweeping’

The rest of the team does a sweeping motion to speed up (or maybe it slows it down?) the stone.  Pretty sure the object is to get the stones into certain parts of the ring or something and try to knock your opponent’s stone out of the circle.

Screen Shot 2014-02-11 at 9.26.23 PM

What I do know is that there is ZERO cardio involved and I’ve never seen any of the participants even come close to working up a sweat.

In the 2010 Vancouver Olympics one of the competitors was actually 6 months pregnant – Screen Shot 2014-02-11 at 9.32.49 PMSo, if you compare curling to some of the other events in the winter Olympics, is it really a sport?  

Ski jumping – look at the strength required to hold the body in the jump position!!!

ski jumping
ski jumping

Snowboarding – Half Pipe:  These guys (and girls) are flying up to 15 feet in the air on some of their flips.  And, then they have to land the jump and do another and another and another….

the Half Pipe
the Half Pipe

Have you seen how fast these athletes guy down the mountain while still dodging the gates?!  Look at the leg strength required to hold the position without falling!!!

Slalom Ski
Slalom Ski

The amount of athleticism required to perform some of the jumps, holds and other tricks that the ice skaters perform is amazing!!!

Figure skating
Figure skating
this while balancing on skates!
this while balancing on skates!
being thrown and spinning
being thrown and spinning

All of the skating races seem brutal – short ones, longer ones – just staying in the low position requires tremendous lower body control!!

speed skating
speed skating

Then we go back to curling – at least they can wear “fun” pants!!!

Norway team
Norway team

So – what do you think?  Is curling really a sport or is it just a hobby?

Happy Wednesday!!

Kim