Don’t Have A Kettlebell Yet? Try This Workout …

Maybe you’re on the road (that’s especially true for a lot of us this time of year) …

Maybe you’re at the gym … you gotta work out, and there aren’t any kettlebells!

Maybe you just don’t have a KB yet … you can’t quite justify the purchase price – or simply just haven’t gotten around to buying one.

Whatever the case, there’s inevitably going to be a time when you can’t train with your beloved kettlebells.

Here’s a dumbbell complex workout from my No Gym? No Excuse! Dumbbell Complexes For Fat Loss program that’ll give you some of the fast-paced, time-efficient, fat-burning and extreme-conditioning benefits of kettlebell training – without the ‘bell:

Now the video is simply a demonstration of each exercise in the complex – for the full workout, you’d do:

10 1 DB Goblet Squats (heavy)
10 DB Swings (heavy)
10 1 Arm DB Curl and Press (ea side)
10 DB Sumo Squat Jumps

And repeat the circuit 3-5 times with as little rest as possible.

Enjoy and Happy New Year to you!

Forest

P.S. This workout is from my new No Gym? No Excuse! Dumbbell Complexes For Fat Loss program … to learn more about it (and the special deal you can get the next couple of days), click the link below:

Dumbbell Complex Workouts For Fat Loss

10 Minute Burpee + Kettlebell Swing Workout

Things can get crazy this time of year … and the efficiency of kettlebell training can be a life saver when you’re pressed for time! Here’s a two exercise workout that hits every major muscle group in your body, gets you some strength and conditioning work at the same time, and can be completed in about ten minutes start to finish. For detailed instruction on how to perform the routine and a quick demo of how to do each exercise, check out this video below:

Now, the video above is actually just part of a single workout from my 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge plan … but if you’re looking to use it as a complete workout, you could simply do as many rounds of the seven Burpees and 25 Kettlebell Swings as possible in ten minutes (make sure to include a quick kettlebell warm up first and static stretch at the end of the session).

Give this one a try for a quick total body smoker – and Happy Holidays to you!

Forest

P.S. Make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter while you’re here; you’ll get a free Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training as a gift just for signing up! Simply drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page to sign up now.

P.S.S. If you liked this workout, you might be interested in my new Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual – it breaks down the Swing in tremendous detail, shows you how to incorporate it into a variety of different body weight and kettlebell workouts, and has got a 12 week kettlebell Swing and body weight training program to take you from KB ‘newb’ to ninja kettlebell Swing master! Learn more about it by clicking the link below:

Forest’s Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual

A Kettlebell ‘Practice System’ That’s Helping Clients Learn Twice As Fast …


This isn’t the ‘practice system’ I’m referring to … but it’s a pretty motivating video, no?

Most people take much, much longer than they should to learn the basics of kettlebell training. And as I see more and more folks that have ‘casually’ done some KB work visit my new kettlebell gym, one of the most common mistakes they make (and, BTW, I typically discover this as we start working out, I break down their form, un-do bad habits, etc. 🙂 ) is trying to focus on too many things at once.

Now, if you’re guilty of this sin, you can rest easy that it’s not your fault – in fact, it’s human nature.  But the problem is that it doesn’t work – so we have to change how you approach your training to fix the problem!

This is something I learned from my first kettlebell instructor – and I’ve used it since with everyone I teach the basics of KB training to.

The key is to stop trying to think about everything at once and start thinking about just one thing at a time.

So, for example, let’s say you’re practicing and refining your technique in the Kettlebell Swing. You’re doing maybe five medium-intensity sets. You might focus on creasing at the hip and pushing the butt back on set one, keeping the upper body tight on set two, squeezing the glutes and pulling the knee caps up on set three, etc.

The bottom line is that you can’t focus – well – on more than one thing at a time. Simplify the move you’re trying to learn, break it down into steps, work on one thing at once, and you’ll be surprised at how fast you start making progress!

P.S. This is a little tip I extracted from my new Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual … if you’re looking for a complete guide that’ll take you from ‘newb’ to kettlebell Swing ninja, and a twelve week Swing-focused program to get you in great shape, master the Swing, and lose a bunch of fat in the process, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t check it out 🙂 Click the link below to learn more about it:

Forest’s new Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual

Me? Get My Kettlebell Certification?

Think about it!!
Think about it!!

While you might have considered getting your kettlebell certification, I know most of you just want to learn how to use KB’s to most effectively and safely burn fat, build lean muscle, and get into great shape. However, there is a case to be made for getting kettlebell certified – whether you plan on teaching others someday or not. Here are four great reasons why you should seriously think about it:

1. Keeps you fresh on all the latest tricks and techniques

I just signed up for the level two RKC certification this coming July … and while I personally train with kettlebells myself and teach others how to use them almost every day of my life, I know that there are new developments in the RKC system that make it well worth it to go back every couple of years.  It will help improve the quality of instruction I deliver to my clients as well as my own personal fitness.

2. The physical challenge

When I completed the level one RKC cert, I was surprised at the physical difficulty – no other personal training certs that I’ve done have anywhere near the physical component that the RKC does.  And I think that’s a great thing – you gotta walk the walk if you’re gonna talk the talk! Each day was easily physically as hard as a three-workout day of (American) football training camp.

But if your goal is personal fitness, a physical challenge like this is awesome – and I think 99.9% of folks couldn’t do it by themselves.  So this is another great reason to think about signing up.

3. Being around like-minded individuals

Whether or not you plan on teaching others how to train with kettlebells, there’s nothing like being around other like-minded folks when it comes to something you’re passionate about.  Kettlebell enthusiasts are a unique breed 🙂  And I think just this, and the connections you end up making, are well worth getting your kettlebell certification.

4. It’s cheaper than personal training

If you’re looking to learn the ins and outs of KB training, it’s actually cheaper and more time efficient to get, say, the new HKC cert than it is to get an equivilent amount of one-on-one training from an RKC (and that’s providing you can even find one in your area). Plus,you’re getting instruction from multiple world-class kettlebell instructors all at the same time!

So there you have four reasons why you should consider getting kettlebell certified.  I think there’s a lot of value in getting your cert whether you’re looking to teach others or just doing it for some or all of the personal reasons listed above.  Who knows – your passion may even turn into a career!

Train hard, train smart and good luck –

Forest

P.S. The HKC is a great starting point for a kettlebell certification – it takes only one day, they’re held in locations all over the world, and the experience is simply unmatched.  Click the link below to learn more about it and see if one is being offered in your area soon (and look out for that early registration discount when you head over! 🙂

HKC (HardStyle Kettlebell Certified) Instructor Workshops