3 Minute Kettlebell Workout

Sometimes, you have the best of intentions to get your workout in …

But you oversleep, or something else comes up during your designated workout time, and your normal 30 or 45 minutes to work out is cut down to 15 or 20.

At this point, some folks will just give up. Do nothing. The workout does not happen, at all.

This, in my opinion, is a BIG mistake.

I think that it is very important to keep in mind, that SOMETHING is ALWAYS better than nothing, when it comes to your fitness program.

Even if you can only work out for a few minutes, if you have a short, intense workout on hand, you will still burn a few kcals, rev up your metabolism, and make some progress towards your ultimate fitness goals.

And that’s what the workout I have for you today is all about. It is perfect for these types of situations. It is SUPER short – but quite intense.

 

Without further ado – your 3 minute kettlebell workout:

1 – Do a quick warm up. Something like two rounds of the following exercise circuit, each move done for 20 seconds each:

  • body weight squat
  • plank hold
  • wall slide

2 – Do a few low-intensity sets of kettlebell swings, to get yourself in the “grove”.

3 – Set a timer for three minutes. Do as many kettlebell snatches as you can. You can switch arms as often as you like – and put the kettlebell down as often as you like – but the goal is to get as many as possible in three minutes. Use whatever strategy is best for you.

4 – Take about three minutes to stretch tight muscle groups to finish off.

Take this workout seriously, pick a proper weight, honestly go for max snatch reps in three minutes – and you WILL be smoked. Enjoy! 😉

Oh – and one more thing … if you liked this quick, intense and effective kettlebell workout, you can many more like it in my newKettlebell Challenge Workouts 2.0 program – on sale, for this week only. Click the link below to grab your copy before the price jumpson Friday night:

=> Get more kettlebell challenge workouts here

That’s it for today! Have a great one –

Forest

“Throwback” Beat the Clock KB/BW Workout

Today, I have a workout for you from the FVT “vault”. I used this set up for a full program I wrote a while back (we have a few workouts like it in the FVT Coaching Club) – but for some reason got away from using it in the training session programming as of late …

This workout set up is really cool. It’s kind of sneaky – in that it seems easy for the first few minutes, and then it creeps up on ‘ya …

And it’ll get ‘ya an amazing cardio workout – without having to do cardio in a “traditional” sense.

Okay, let’s break it down, so you can give it a go:

 

“Beat the Clock” KB/BW Workout

 

  • Set your timer for 45 second intervals.
  • Perform exercise one in the squence for prescribed number of reps.
  • Your rest period is the time between when you’re finished with your set and the next interval starts.
  • For example … first interval = 15 push ups. Do your 15 push ups. If you can crank ’em out in 20 seconds, you get 25 seconds before you have to start your next set. If it takes you 40 seconds to do your push ups, that’s okay too – but you only get five seconds of rest before you have to move on to the next exercise.
  • Do three rounds of each sequence before resting.

 

Sequence One

  • 15 push ups
  • 20 squat jumps
  • 15 KB see saw presses (two KB’s at once – press one up while the other comes down – like a see-saw)
  • 8 reverse lunges each leg with KB in goblet position

 

Sequence Two

  • 15 inverted rows/beginner pull ups (with suspension trainer or Smith machine, etc.)
  • 15 squats with KB in goblet position
  • 20 two hand KB swings
  • 10 burpess (no push up)

Give that KB/BW Beat the Clock workout a go, and let me know how you do.

And, if you are looking for more new, interesting, and fun KB/BW workouts just like it …

=> Check out the new-and-improved-for-2013 FVT Coaching Club here

 

That’s it for today. Hope you have an awesome weekend, and talk soon –

Forest

Kettlebell Workouts for Abs – the Rack Walk

Looking for a rockin’ kettlebell workout for abs?

Meet the KB rack walk.

Got a new video for you from friend and fellow KB instructor Chris Lopez.  He does a GREAT job explaining in detail exactly why this move is so great for your abs … he gives us some fantastic coaching cues to get the most out of it … and he shows how to best incorporate it into our workouts.  Check it out:

*If you liked this video, make sure to check out Chris’s new follow-along video based KB workout program – he’s got a special sale going this week for loyal FVT readers just like you:

>> Click here to grab Chris’s new Kettlebell Evolution program at your special FVT discount <<

Thanks, and talk soon –

Forest

PPS – I am so excited about this new Kettlebell Evolution program, I am going to throw in a copy of my PreHab warm up video series and special report, when you grab a copy this week during Chris’s special sale.

 

This video series is a great compliment to Chris’s program.  When you’re in need of an extended warm-up, when you’re extra sore from your last workout, when you have specific problem areas that need work, this will provide you with the perfect solution.  It details and walks you through the research-backed and field-tested best way to prep for your workouts.

This video series and report isn’t currently available by itself anywhere else at ANY price.  But, I am going to give it to you – FREE – when you grab a copy of the new Kettlebell Evolution program on my recommendation.

Simply forward your Clickbank purchase receipt to fvtraininfo (at) gmail.com, and we’ll send you a copy of my PreHab Warm Up program, ASAP!!

Swing Less to Burn More

I’m not sure if you know this, but the kettlebell swing could be THE most time efficient and effective exercise for fat loss.

In a study published by the American Council on Exercise and conducted by exercise scientists at the University of Wisconsin, researchers found that participants burned an average of 20 calories per minute doing a standard kettlebell snatch (which is an exercise whose foundation is the kettlebell swing).

That’s 400 calories over a 20 minute period.

That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute-mile pace over a 20 minute period.

These researchers found that both the male & female subjects increased their strength, power and athleticism in addition to their cardio capacity.

BUT, The most mind-boggling result of the study was that the participants increased their abdominal core strength by a whopping 70%!!!

They didn’t do crunches, they didn’t do sit ups, they didn’t even do planks.

All they did was snatch a kettlebell – a full body movement that works every muscle in your body.

BUT, there’s a bit of an issue with the way most people approach their kettlebell training that could be hindering their results.

In today’s article, my friend and certified kettlebell instructor, Chris Lopez, explains how you should alter your kettlebell swing to maximize fat burning … that actually involves you DOING LESS!

=====================================

Swing Less to Burn More

by: Chris Lopez, CTT, SFGII
author, Kettlebell Evolution

My wife has decided that she wants to train to get her Level 1 SFG Kettlebell Certification.

That involves her snatching a 12kg kettlebell 100 times within 5 minutes…among other things.

Having gone through the process before, I know what it takes, but it’s not so much about grit and determination as much as it’s about MASTERY and PRACTICE.

We’ve tweaked her program a little and I’m really focusing on helping her dial in her form now…and since she lives with a pretty good instructor (that’d be me, folks), she’s intent on listening.

One morning during her regular training session she was going through a set of kettlebell swings when I stopped her to make one really IMPORTANT change to her technique (and her mentality to when she approaches her swing training).

You see, she was chasing reps.

(“Chasing reps” means just going, regardless of form with no respect for what you’re doing, just to get to “that number”. Bad news, because that’s when people usually end up getting hurt.)

It was obvious because she was huffing & puffing, her shoulder was disconnected with the rest of her body and her kettlebell – which provides incredible feed back – was wobbly on the finish.

After further investigation, it was because she was following what seemed like a logical progression, but she wasn’t at that level yet.

Confused? Here’s what I mean…

Her program required her to do 10 x 1-arm swings per side at the top of every minute. So every time the clock hit :00, she would start her set. Then when she was done, she would rest for the remainder of the minute. Her protocol was to do that for 10 minutes.

But, like I said, she was chasing reps.

So I had her cut down to 8 swings per side and changed grip and her shoulder started to look more packed and her swing got stronger.

But still, it wasn’t right.

So we dropped it down to 6 per side and I asked her to focus on breathing “through her abs” on her finish giving a powerful “tsssshup” as the kettlebell and her arm reached parallel to the ground.

On the finish, she focused on rooting by locking her knees out, squeezing her butt, bracing her abs and dropping her shoulders down and back.

And then I asked her to fire her lat and throw the kettlebell through her knees on the back swing.

Guess what happened?

A more powerful and fluid swing with VISIBLE moments of tension & relaxation – just like a wave.

What she also noticed was that even though I cut her volume by 40% (remember she went from 10 per side to 6 per side), she felt like her cardiovascular system was more challenged than when she was doing 10.

Read that again please…

We cut her training volume by 40%, but the INTENSITY increased.

We got her better results by DOING LESS reps.

Why? Because we focused more on being connected with the kettlebell.

And even though she felt more cardiovascularly challenged, she was doing less and therefore had MORE TIME to rest between sets.

This resulted in high intensity sets EVERY TIME she performed the swings.

So now, she can build her cardiovascular system with more intense swings. She’s at 6 now, but in a few weeks she’ll be back at 10 but with a more intense, powerful swing.

So let’s sum up the lessons here…

1. Don’t chase reps. If you focus on your form, you can get that intensity you want AND become more powerful and stronger in the process.
2. Treat the kettlebell like an extension of your body. It’s not external resistance like a dumbbell.
3. Be patient. Progress logically, but don’t be afraid to take a step back to dial things in properly. Remember, PRACTICE, don’t “workout”

=====================================

Great stuff, Chris.

No wonder when people start training with kettlebells properly they not only seem to lose a ton of fat, but they get stronger and more powerful too.

PRACTICE, don’t “work out”, folks!

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

 

PS – Don’t forget that Chris’s BRAND NEW Kettlebell Evolution Advanced Fat Loss Program is on sale only for YOU, a loyal FVT fan, at the ridiculously low price of $37 (it’s going to be $97 regular price).

Pick it up BEFORE it expires on Friday please.

==> Pick up the BRAND NEW Kettlebell Evolution Advanced Fat Loss Program for $37 HERE (link expires in 2 days)

 

PPS – I am so excited about this program, I am going to throw in a copy of my PreHab warm up video series and special report, when you grab a copy this week during Chris’s special sale.

 

This video series is a great compliment to Chris’s program.  When you’re in need of an extended warm-up, when you’re extra sore from your last workout, when you have specific problem areas that need work, this will provide you with the perfect solution.  It details and walks you through the research-backed and field-tested best way to prep for your workouts.

This video series and report isn’t currently available by itself anywhere else at ANY price.  But, I am going to give it to you – FREE – when you grab a copy of the new Kettlebell Evolution program on my recommendation.

Simply forward your Clickbank purchase receipt to fvtraininfo (at) gmail.com, and we’ll send you a copy of my PreHab Warm Up program, ASAP!!