Month: November 2012

10 Minute Kettlebell/Body Weight Home Circuit Workout

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, General, Kettlebell Workouts, VideosLeave a comment

Maybe 100% of your workouts are at home.

Maybe you work out at a gym or other type of training facility primarily, but a quick home workout has to do when you’re pressed for time or just can’t make it happen any other way.

Well, clearly I’m a bit biased ;), but –

1) Kettlebell workouts and 2) body weight – only training are by far my two favorite ways to exercise at home.  I have a workout room set up in my house with a variety of different types of exercise equipment … but to be honest, 90% of the time I just stick to KB’s and body weight.

The combination of these two modalities allows you to get a fat-blasting, lean-muscle building, high-intensity conditioning workout almost anywhere.

I put together a quick video for you from my home workout space – this is a great one to knock out over the weekend for some extra holiday-time calorie burning.

Enjoy!

To quickly recap the video –

Do this exercise sequence:

  • plank-to-push up
  • kb goblet squat
  • jumping jacks
  • kettlebell swings

Do each exercise for as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. No rest between moves. Do the entire sequence three to five times non-stop with no rest.

KB’s and body weight are a powerful training combo for getting a lot done, in a short amount of time, in a very small space. Perfect for those home workouts during the busy holiday season.

Enjoy this workout, and have a great weekend!

Forest Vance, MS
Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

PS – Signed up for my email newsletter yet?  Get free KB training videos, workouts, and more – just drop your name and best email into the box at the upper right of the page to get it now.

Black Friday Kettlebell/Body Weight Circuit Workout

On By adminIn Kettlebell WorkoutsLeave a comment

Today marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season here in the U.S. … and there’ll no doubt be some fantastic deals.

But the best deals are always in limited supply, so being in top shape could mean beating fellow shoppers to the punch and grabbing that flat screen T.V. or laptop computer at 80% off …

Here’s a quick Black Friday Kettlebell/Body Weight Circuit Workout to get you mentally and physically prepared for the big day:

 

Video Recap

Do each exercise for :45 seconds continuously.  Rest for :15, move to the next exercise in the circuit, and repeat the entire rotation three times without rest.

  • Weighted Mall Carry (KB farmer’s walk)
  • Lunge and Grab (lunge with reach)
  • Get Up and Go (burpee + 5 yd sprint)

Enjoy this workout, and talk soon!

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

**Cyber Monday Update!!  15% off EVERYTHING – books, DVD’s, equipment, and more – at DragonDoor.com.  Check it out here:
 

Kettlebell Exercise for Abs – the Renegade Row

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, Videos4 Comments

No matter WHERE your fitness level is at …

You can always get better abs.

Thing is … traditional ab training …crunches, leg raises, sit ups, etc. … not only is it ineffective … it’s boring.

A fun and unique kettlebell exercise for abs is the kettlebell renegade row.  And as an added benefit, when you do this move, not only will you work the heck out of those core muscles, you’ll hit almost every other muscle group in your body at the same time.  Watch the video below for the full breakdown:

Find out what ALL of the best kettlebell exercises for abs are here:

=> Kettlebell Basics Premium Workouts

That’s it for today!  Thanks for watching, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

 PS – If you haven’t signed up for my kettlebell email newsletter yet – you’re missing out! 🙂 You’ll get my free Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training when you do – just drop your best email into the box at the upper right of the page to get it now.

Kettlebell Warm Up – Turkish Get Up Progression

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, General, VideosLeave a comment

You know you NEED to warm up.

But unfortunately, when you’re pressed for time, don’t have a specific plan in mind, or just flat out don’t feel like it, the warm up is often the first part of a kettlebell workout to go.

So … here’s a super quick kettlebell warm up sequence for you to do before your next workout … it only takes two or three minutes, and it hits all of your major muscle groups.  You’ll never have an excuse to miss a warm up again! 🙂

 

Video Recap

Start with one ‘naked’ Turkish Get Up on each side. Take your time and work through each position of the exercise.

Move on to one Turkish Get Up on each side with a very light weight. Same goes here – go very slowly, and make sure to work each position of the move.

Add a little more weight and do one more rep on each side.

You’ll end up doing three reps on each side … you’ll have hit your shoulders, back, core, hips, and more … and you’ll be ready to rock!

That’s it for now – thanks for reading, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – If you’re still looking to master the Turkish Get Up – and the rest of the basic KB moves – the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide could be exactly what you need:

=> The KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide

Kettlebell Low Back Pain – Quick Fix Tip (video)

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, General, Tips and Tricks, Videos2 Comments

The kettlebell swing is the most used … and most abused! … kettlebell exercise.

It’s a move that works the heck out of the big back muscles … the glutes … the hamstrings … the core … but it’s NOT an exercise for the lower back.

I still get emails/Facebook and blog comments/etc. though at least weekly, if not daily, from folks experiencing kettlebell low back pain.

So I thought I’d shoot a quick video breaking down of one the #1 causes of KB back pain – and how to fix it:

Video Recap

Swinging the kettlebell too close to the ground is one of the main causes of kettlebell low back pain.

To fix it, bring the ‘bell as close to the body as you can as it swings back. The motion is similar to hike passing a football.

Another great cue is to imagine you are throwing the KB through your stomach … and then to get the hips out of the way at the last minute.

Think of it this way – if you were going to pick up a heavy object, you would bring it close to the body as you could. It’a a simple mechanical advantage. Same goes for the kettlebell swing.

 

To sum up, the kettlebell swing is king.  But you gotta do it RIGHT and use perfect form to 1) stay safe and 2) get the most out of the exercise.  Use the tip in this video to eliminate the lower back pain you’re getting from your swings!

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II