Learn the Basics of Kettlebell Training from Forest Vance, Certified Kettlebell Instructor
I’m super excited to share with you the new and re-vamped Kettlebell Basics Weekly Workouts program …
It was created in response to frequent requests for fresh and new kettlebell/body weight workouts, videos, and meal planning advice.
Workout plateaus and boredom are two obstacles many kettlebell/body weight training enthusiasts face … and this program provides a great solution. Click the link below to check it out:
Kettlebell Basics Weekly Workouts
– Forest
Merry Christmas!
As a gift for you this year, I’ve put together a special Kettlebells For Fat Loss plan. Here’s a summary of what it includes:
The ’4 Step Kettlebell Success Formula’ video – learn the four key steps to kettlebell training success (and overall fitness, health, and well being), including the best way to set your fitness goals, how to formulate an effective training plan, and much more
The 2012 Kettlebell/Body Weight Fat Loss Workout Guide – A complete four week kettlebell/body weight/conditioning workout plan that’ll get you on the fast track to fat loss
The Rapid Fat Loss Meal Planning Guide – All the diet info you need to reach your fat loss goals – includes planning guide and sample meal plan
Again, this program is totally free, and no email opt-in is required … it’s just my token of appreciation and way of saying thanks for a great year!
Click the link below to visit the download page now:
http://10x10kettlebells.com/2012quickstart/
Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKC II
Don’t miss this cool kettlebells for fat loss plan I put together as a Christmas gift for you – click the link below to get it now:
You’ve just bumped up a kettlebell weight/size for your presses. You’re getting stuck at a specific rep count and can’t seem to get any higher …
Or, maybe you’re going for a new personal best on the kettlebell press, but can’t quite press the next weight up.
If either of the above scenarios describe you, your press/re-clean technique could be the key to unlocking extra pressing power …
In a post earlier this year, I talked about how to boost your kettlebell pressing power using whole-body muscle tension techniques … this concept is a follow-up on that idea and will further help you get more out of your KB pressing.
The idea is that for light weight/high rep/lower intensity sets, you can do your presses right from the shoulder for reps. However, for heavy weight/low rep/higher intensity sets, try re-cleaning the ‘bell between each rep. This will allow you to use some of the kinetic energy you generate with the clean to assist in ‘boosting up’ your press.
It’s amazing the difference this technique (combined with the tension principles discussed in the article I’ve already mentioned) can make in your strength and overall rep totals.
Check out this video where I discuss the re-clean principle in more detail:
That’s it for today – a simple but very effective technique for boosting your kettlebell pressing power. If you’re looking for that edge to press more weight and make faster progress, add it to your training technique arsenal and enjoy the benefits!
Keep training hard and talk soon –
Forest Vance, RKC II
P.S. If you liked this post, you can get kettlebell tips like this one delivered straight to your email inbox every week when you sign up for my email newsletter … just drop your name and best email into the box at the upper right of the page to do so now.
I’m going to make a statement that’ll probably ruffle a few feathers, that’s probably a little politically incorrect, that a lot of strength coaches might disagree with … but one that, in my opinion, is a simple truth –
Women have different training needs than men.
Given that roughly 60-70% of my in-person training clientele is female – and has been for the duration of my (nearly) decade – long personal training career – I feel I have enough first-hand experience to make this statement. Here are a few ways a woman’s training needs differ from a man’s:
So this blog post is all about the best kettlebell exercises for women. I’ll start by explaining how women can benefit from kettlebell training. I’ll cover some common target/problem areas. And then I’ll outline some kettlebell exercises to target these areas along with a full kettlebell workout.
Here are a few benefits of kettlebells that are specific to most women’s fitness goals:
Here’s a short list of typical ‘problem’ areas for women:
The basic kettlebell exercises hit all of the problem areas I just listed above very effectively. The swing and snatch, for example, work the heck out of your hips, glutes, back, and core muscles. The Turkish get up – as well as the clean and press – are both great for hitting your midsection and arms. And the goblet squat is hard to beat for complete lower body strength and development.
Here are the main kettlebell exercises women should be focusing on learning first – all other more advanced kettlebell drills are built on the ‘base’ of these five:
(For more specific technique tips on each drill, click the exercise name):
Here’s a workout that incorporates everything we’ve covered so far – it’s designed to help you lose fat, build strength without building muscle bulk, improve endurance, and hit those hard-to-target areas like the midsection/abdomen, hips, thighs, butt, arms, and back :
Warm up – foam roll/joint mobility/dynamic stretch
(For exercise pairs – perform each exercise back-to-back without rest, rest for :30 and repeat pair two more times for a total of three sets of each exercise):
Exercise pair 1
Turkish get up – 3 each side
Body row/pull up – 2 reps short of failure
Exercise pair 2
KB lunge – 10 reps each side
Swing or Snatch – 8 reps each side
Workout ‘finisher’
Double kettlebell clean and press – 5 sets of 6-8 reps, heavy enough weight to get 1-2 reps short of failure, 15-20 second rest between each set
finish w/ 5 mins. of static stretching for tight muscle groups
In conclusion, kettlebells are a fantastic training tool for women. They meet specific training needs that many women are looking for and are great for targeting typical female problem areas. Even better, the basic kettlebell moves are all you need to meet all of these goals.
Keep training hard and talk soon –
Forest Vance, RKC II
Additional resources you might enjoy:
The 10×10 Kettlebell Solution – Complete 10 week kettlebell body transformation course – lose fat, gain lean muscle, and learn all the basic kettlebell moves in the process
Kettlebell Basics Premium Workouts Series – ‘Mega-bundle’ of kettlebell workout videos and manuals, meal planning guides, and much more
Low Carb Holiday Fat Loss – Don’t underestimate the importance of diet in your fat loss efforts … this is a meal plan (and workout guide) designed to help you lose fat during the holiday season
It’s a great time to be a kettlebell enthusiast.
The popularity of kettlebell training has exploded over the last several years … and with this uptick in popularity has all kinds of cool gear to make your KB workouts more efficient and fun been created.
That being said, knowing exactly what to get for the KB lover in your life can still be tough … so I’ve come up with this list of 10 gift ideas for the kettlebell enthusiast to get your holiday/kettlebell gift-giving thoughts started:
Kettlebells, books, + DVD’s: A somewhat obvious starting point – but not to be overlooked. Most folks have a new KB book or DVD they want – or a new kettlebell size they need for their collection.
Heart Rate Monitor: Heart rate monitors allow exercisers to establish a target zone and maintain their goals by monitoring their progress on a daily basis. This would give a person who has begun to workout or has the desire to challenge themselves further the ability to accurately gauge their growth.
Gymboss Timer: The beauty of this inexpensive supplemental workout tool is that it can help a person plan and execute their kettlebell workouts, giving them an opportunity to exercise as if they were in a boot camp class because it takes thinking out of the picture. This timer creates structured intervals for a person to move through with any form of workout.
ForestVanceTraining Kettlebell-Themed Apparel: Browse our website with different clothing items and accessories, giving that special someone a way to express their enthusiasm outside of the gym.
ForestVanceTraining Kettlebell-Themed Apparel
Vibram Five Fingers: A type of minimalist shoe manufactured by Vibram, originally marketed as a more “natural” alternative for different outdoors activities (sailing, kayaking, canoeing, and as a camp or after-hike shoe). The footwear has thin, flexible soles that are contoured to the shape of the human foot, including visible individual sections for the toes. Perfect for kettlebell training.
Kettlebell FitDeck Exercise Cards: If you know someone who enjoys working out at home, but is searching for a way to mix up their options, these cards are a great opportunity for them to have variety and create their own workouts. Multiple ‘themes’ of these cards exist, including kettlebells and body weight training.
Kettlebell FitDeck Exercise Cards
Jump Rope: This is a great present for a person who is unable to get into the gym on a daily basis, and works out from home because it creates a self controlled cardio workout with very little required space.
Foam Roller: If you know someone who works out often, you can be pretty sure that they deal with aching muscles and soreness, that is where the foam roller comes in. This tool causes self-myofascial release to occur, breaking up tension in muscles and giving a person the benefit of being able to work out regularly with less pain.
MP3 Player: This would make a great present for someone who works out by themselves at the gym or outside, music is a great form of motivation and this provides a person with a great variety to choose from.
Massage Gift Certificate: Massages can help break down lactic acid, loosen up tight muscles, and increase blood flow. This is very beneficial to people who workout often because it can alleviate current pain and help prevent future pain.
In conclusion, more cool stuff exists now than ever before for the kettlebell lover. This is a short list of gift ideas to get you thinking about what to get for the kettlebell enthusiast in your life this year. Happy holidays to you!
Forest
P.S. If you liked this post, please make sure to sign up for my weekly email newsletter while you’re here … you’ll get a free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training when you do as my way of saying thanks … just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page to sign up now!
