Monday, December 10, 2012

How the Fremen of Dune Made Their Kettlebell Exercises

By Rob Sutter


The planet Arrakis, better known as Dune, is home to the Fremen, the Zensunnis who wandered from planet to planet aimlessly. The Fremen had to deal with numerous hardships on the planet Dune, from the blistering heat to the great sandworms to the never ending stream of custodians, including the brutal Harkonnens. The Fremen were already in extraordinary shape, their bodies lean and battle-ready. But what nobody supposed was how they used a modified version of kettlebell exercises to help attain this conditioning.

When Pardot Kynes first made contact with the Fremen, it was after interceding in a knife battle between three Fremen youths and six Harkonnen soldiers. The youths were armed with crysknives and rocks, while the Harkonnens had full battle gear, armor, and lasguns. The fight appeared grossly unfair, until Kynes stepped in and helped the Fremen to win, and then saving the life of one hurt youth.

It was not much longer until the Fremen had brought the Kynes to the sietch they had. For those not in the know, the sietch is viewed as a shelter within the desert, consisting of cave complexes in which people live as a society of sorts. The Fremen had lived under the less than merciful eye of the Harkonnens and had to keep themselves physically fit. Under the guise of spice workers, they soon became laborers within towns. The body armor belonging to the tyrannical group was then put to use in a new fashion that stunned Kynes.

Using the combat helmet of one of the dead soldiers, one of the youths loaded it with sand. He packed it firmly and then sealed the opening with a piece of clearplaz. Using the chinstrap of the helmet, the youth commenced to pick up the heavy helmet and use it similar to a dead weight. Primitive but effective kettlebell exercises in the desert, to put it plainly. Fitness authorities such as Lorna see these exercises as versatile ways to get into shape.

Ever enterprising, the Fremen managed to fashion themselves unpolished versions of kettlebells. One of the primary edicts of the Fremen was that nothing would go to waste. With this mindset, the crude weight equivalent served two goals. One, the youth who killed the Harkonnen in battle had a memento of his victory. Two, the tribe now had a useful device by which to work out. A successful venture all around. Except, of course, for the Harkonnen.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment