MY FAVORITE WORKOUT: SHAWN WILLIAMS, kettlebell training: Lifting this weight ends exercise boredom

> His background: Last spring, Shawn Williams decided he was tired of the typical gym workout. “I’ve been doing the weightlifting thing since high school and it got kind of redundant,” said the 33-year-old Williams, who lives in Decatur. “It seemed more like a job. It wasn’t fun anymore.” His boredom, coupled with the fact that he had recently gotten engaged and wanted to slim down for his wedding, got him motivated to look for something else.

> What he found: He searched the Internet and found articles on kettlebell training. Intrigued, he read a book on the subject called “Enter the Kettlebell” by Pavel Tsatsouline. So just what is a kettlebell? It’s basically a weighted ball with a handle on it. “It’s how they work out in Russia; I found it really interesting,” said Williams. At first he bought his own kettlebell but when he didn’t feel confident with the movements, he joined Condition Kettlebell Gym in Atlanta.

> His first impression: During the first couple of classes, Williams said he felt like his heart was jumping out of his chest.

> A typical class: They start with a warm-up, doing things like “get-ups,” which means getting up off the floor while holding the weight overhead. Then they transition into the actual workout, doing moves that involve swinging the kettlebell in a 30-second-on, 30-second-off pattern. “At the other gym, everything was on my own time. I’d work out, take a break, grab water. I could stay in the gym a long time,” said Williams. But with kettlebell training, he’s in and out in 45 minutes.

> The weight: The kettlebells are in kilograms and Williams said he usually uses between a 28- and 32-kilogram weight (about 62 to 70 pounds).

> His workout week: Williams takes kettlebell classes four times a week in the evenings. And besides a few push-ups and pull-ups outside of class, he said, “That’s about it.”

> His results: Since starting in February 2008, he’s lost almost 50 pounds. He says changing his diet helped, too. “I’m a big guy,” said Williams, who used to weigh more than 300 pounds. “It’s total body. I’ve had my front delts show but now my rear [shoulder] muscles are appearing.”

> His favorite part: “You don’t know what to expect day in and day out. You don’t get stuck in a rut. At work around that time when I get ready to go to the gym, I’m thinking about what’s going to be on the board. [Instructor Delaine Ross] has a big board with the workout, what we’re going to do that day. I’m thinking, ‘What is she thinking? Where is she going?’ I like that.”

> His goal: He said he’s certain kettlebell training is something he can stick with. And it’s a good thing, because he’s working on losing 52 more pounds.

> Who else would like it: Williams said it’s great for people who like change and those who get easily bored with routine. He said he’s far from bored: “When I go to the gym, it’s exciting.”

THE WORKOUT

Where Shawn Williams does his kettlebell training:

Condition Kettlebell Gym

659 Auburn Ave., Unit 157, Atlanta

404-380-1111, www.gymcondition.com

> Do you have a favorite workout? E-mail us at myfavoriteworkoutajc @gmail.com.