A Day At My Kettlebell Boot Camp …

I keep getting emails asking about what one of my kettlebell boot camp workouts actually looks like. So I thought that, from the standpoint of helping you put your own workouts together, I would walk you through a typical day:

1. We usually start off with a dynamic warm up of some kind … something like the warm up I talked about in this post: How To Warm Up For Your Next Kettlebell Workout In 3 Minutes Or Less

2. Then we move on to a ‘strength circuit’ – this is sometimes kettlebells only, sometimes kettlebells and body weight or dumbbell exercises mixed together.  It’s usually a combo of two exercises, performed for a specific amount of reps each and rotated back and forth for 5 minutes non-stop.  This is a great set up that allows folks of various fitness levels to all get a great workout in a group setting.  Here’s a video of one of my favorite combos (this is actually a sample video from a brand new workout program I have out – I’ll give you more details about it at the end of this post):

3. Then, we do two ‘conditioning circuits’ – this might be something like:

10 Kettlebell Squat Cleans

5 Kettlebell ‘Renegade Rows’ each side

10 Walking Overhead Kettlebell Lunges

And we’ll run through these sequences in the same fashion as many times as we can for 7-10 minutes.

4. I then take about 5 minutes to do core and/or corrective work – Planks, Hip Bridges, stuff like that.

5. To finish, we do a simple static stretch at the end.

In 45 minutes you get resistance training, conditioning work, core work, exercises for injury prevention, and flexibility – and that’s tough to beat 🙂

That’s the structure of a typical kettlebell boot camp workout at Forest Vance Training, Inc.  Hope that helps you design your own boot camp workouts in the future!

Oh, and the video above is from my new 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge total transformation plan … if you’re trying to lose body fat, it’s for sure at least worth checking out.  Heck, I’m giving away bonuses with it for the next few days (3 days to be exact) that are worth more than the actual product, including a free copy of the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide … and on top of that, the package is over 50% off.  Get the details here:

The 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge

Top 4 Kettlebells For Fat Loss Resources

Judging the feedback I get from readers of this blog and my own personal training clients, fat loss seems to be a goal on the top of most kettlebell trainee’s minds. So here’s a short list of four great resources to help you learn more about using kettlebells for fat loss:

1. Kettlebells for fat loss article on DragonDoor.com from Senior RKC David Whitley

This article breaks down all the important aspects of a fat loss program – no matter what tools you’re using to do it – and gives three different sample kettlebells for fat loss plans. Some solid, totally free programs to help you lose fat with kettlebells.

2. TRX Kettlebell: Iron Circuit Conditioning

This is an awesome new DVD set that features chief RKC instructor Pavel Tsatsouline and Chris Frankel, TRX® Head of Programming. It combines together two great fat burning and conditioning tools – the TRX® suspension trainer and the kettlebell – for one hell of a workout routine. Check out the video trailer – it’ll get you fired up, I promise 🙂

3. Barbell, Kettlebell, and Dumbbell Complexes to Take Your Body to a New Level of Hardness and Conditioning

This training article from Truth About Six Pack Abs author Mike Geary details the use of complexes – including those using kettlebells – for fat loss. If you’ve never heard of complexes before, the basic concept is that instead of repeating the same exercise for multiple reps to complete a set, you sequence one rep of several different exercises right after one another and repeat the sequence several times to complete a set. It’s a training technique I talk about in my KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide and one you should, without a doubt, be incorporating into your programming if your goal is fat loss.

4. The KettlebellBasics.net Kettlebells for Fat Loss Workouts – Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workout 1 + Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workout 2

This is a two-part article series I did about a month back that details two different kettlebell routines for fat loss. These workouts would be another totally free starting point if you’re looking to get started asap with using kettlebells for fat loss.

Another side note: As you (hopefully) already know, diet is a huge factor in reaching your fat loss goals. A great addition to any of these workouts would be the Best Fat Loss diet plan from yours truly – for more info on that, click here: The Best Fat Loss Diet

So there you have four different workout programs to chose from to get you started working towards your fat loss goals. Ultimately, pick a program (all of the above are solidly designed programs that will get you to your goals), stick with it and get after it!! Training hard and training consistently is what it’s all about. And let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

New Kettlebell T-Shirt Design From KettlebellBasics.net

If you’ve been looking for some cool kettlebell-themed gear – to work out in or just to roll around town and show your pride with – check out the new KettlebellBasics.net online store here:

Kettlebell T-Shirts, Hoodies and more

And check out this recent post for a few reasons why ordering a shirt, hoodie or sticker is a great idea:

3 Great Reasons To Buy Your Kettlebell Gear Now

The design above is brand new – and more are in the works.  Heck, even if you’re not crazy about any of my designs, there are lots more out on the site I used to create them – here’s a couple other cool ones I found surfing around:

That’s it for today – have a great weekend!  And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up for the KettlebellBasics.net newsletter while you’re here – you’ll get a free kettlebell training video and e-manual upon confirming your subscription.  Just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page to get the free gifts delivered straight to your email inbox.

3 Tips To Improve The Turkish Get Up

The Turkish Get Up is a tricky movement … but it’s one of the foundational kettlebell exercises, and it’s essential that you perfect it if you want to get the most out of your kettlebell training. In the experience I’ve had over the last several thousand kettlebell-based personal training sessions, here are three tips that will help you ‘iron out the kinks’, so to speak:

1. Don’t sit up to start the movement – roll instead

‘Punch’ up towards the ceiling while rolling on to the elbow at the same time to get yourself off the floor.  This small detail makes getting up so much easier – and it’s how the exercise is supposed to be performed.

2. Learn the first half first

The best way to learn the Get Up is by learning the first half of the movement; if you try to stand all the way up from day one, you’re going to make things a lot harder on yourself. Just come up to where your down arm is locked out and is supporting your weight, and then return to the ground. You can actually get a lot of milage out of the movement by just practicing the first half; here’s how to perform the half Get Up:

3. Do a sideways Windmill to stand up

As you bring the foot through and go to your lunge position, aim to get your knee close to your hand – then do a sideways Windmill to stand up. Don’t sit back on your hand – this is a very common mistake.

These tips might be a little hard to visualize – see if you can pick out what I’m talking about as I go through the movement in this video:

Apply these Turkish Get Up tips to your kettlebell training today and I know you’ll see some fast improvements.  And keep training hard!

P.S. Kettlebells From The Ground Up by Master RKC Brett Jones and world-renowned physical therapist Grey Cook is a fantastic resource if you’re looking to really master the Turkish Get Up and get everything you can out of it – you can check out a recent review I did of the product here:

Kettlebells From The Ground Up Review

Two Tips To Improve Your Kettlebell Snatch

The kettlebell Snatch is a tricky movement to get the hang of – I know I got my fair share of bruised wrists when I was learning it.

I stumbled across this video from Jason C. Brown of KettlebellAthletics.com that shares a couple of great tips to help perfect your Snatching form:

To summarize:

Drill 1:

Grab a light kettlebell. Do a bottoms-up Clean with it – so the ‘bell should end up with the bottom facing towards the ceiling and racked at about shoulder level. Now, ‘punch’ your hand around the kettlebell from shoulder level up to being locked out overhead. The idea here is to practice actively getting your hand around the KB, instead of just letting it come over the top and crash down on your wrist.

Drill 2

You want to base the Snatch exercise off of the high pull – in other words, the arc of the ‘bell should be like that of a High Pull vs. a Swing (watch the video to see a demonstration). If you base the Snatch off of the Swing, the arc will be too far in front of your body.

So you can do a progression to work your way into doing a Snatch: Do a Low Pull, do a High Pull, and then a Snatch. I actually use that progression with folks all the time with a lot of success.

Remember: Practice makes perfect. Don’t just blast through your KB workouts with no regard for form; strive for perfection. And if you’re having trouble getting the hang of the kettlebell Snatch, the two tips mentioned in this video should help you out.

Hey – have you signed up for my newsletter? I’ve got two free gifts for ‘ya when you sign up today … just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page.

3 Great Reasons To Get Your Kettlebell Certification

You have a passion for training with kettlebells. You’re ready to further your knowledge – and you want the credentials to back it up. You’re ready for a physical and mental challenge. You’re ready to get your kettlebell certification!

Here’s three great reasons why you should take the next step in your training career and book a spot at your next local kettlebell certification:

1. You want to teach others

This is probably the #1 reason why people get certified.  If you want to teach others how to safely and effectively train with kettlebells, it’s a must. Plus, being certified shows others that you’re serious, gives you more credibility, lets you charge higher rates … it’s just the right thing to do.

2. You want to further your knowledge and be the best you can be

I thought I knew quite a bit about kettlebell training before I got certified … and was humbled at the RKC weekend 🙂  Even if you’ve got experience working in the fitness industry, being around others who have enthusiasm and knowledge in your topic of interest is fantastic – as they say, knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied.

3. You want a mental and physical challenge

Several of my own training clients have gotten their kettlebell certification for this very reason … they’re ready to take their training program to the next level and they want the mental and physical challenge that goes along with getting their cert.

If you read this blog on a regular basis, you probably know that I’m impartial to the RKC system.  And I don’t have any other kettlebell certifications, so it’s true that I don’t have anything to compare to.  However, I do have several other ‘nationally accredited’ personal training certifications … and I can tell you that the physical challenge I endured at the RKC weekend, as well as the amount of knowledge I gained, was amazing compared to the rest of my certs.

When I say physical challenge, here’s a video to give you a little idea of what I mean:

Now just imagine three 10+ hour days of that 🙂

Another cool thing about the RKC system is that you have the option to get in with a ‘low barrier of entry’  – the HKC. For more details about that cert, you can check out the full post I did on it here: The HKC Kettlebell Certification

Basically, the HKC is a one-day kettlebell certification that teaches three basic moves – the Get Up, the Swing and the Squat. The physical test is a little easier than the RKC, and it costs about 75% less.  Additionally, it’s offered at a lot more places than the RKC … you can see a list of locations and learn more by clicking the banner below:

HKC (HardStyle Kettlebell Certified) Instructor Workshops

If you’re looking to go right for the RKC, click the banner below for more info on that:

RKC Certification

So if you’re thinking about getting your kettlebell certification, hopefully this post has given you a few good reasons to make it happen … let me know what you think in the comments!