The Towel Kettlebell Swing

One of the most common mistakes people make with the kettlebell swing is using the arms too much, and not using enough hip / lower body power.

The towel kettlebell swing is a brilliant drill that I learned at my first RKC certification over five years ago, that for many folks fixes this mistake in about 60 seconds.

Watch the video first, then give the drill a try – and watch your kettlebell swing form improve instantly!

Towel Kettlebell Swing coaching points:

— use about HALF the normal weight you’d use for a KB swing
— turn the kettlebell “sideways” (opposite direction from your standard KB swing)
— grip the towel close to the handle – there should be about an inch of towel between your hands and the horn of the ‘bell
— do it correctly, and the ‘bell will fly out straight, and be weightless at the top of the move
— if you try do the “squat and front raise” thing, and use your arms too much, the ‘bell is going to droop down at the top

Once you get the movement down, go directly into a set of standard kettlebell swings after you’re done, and watch your form improve instantly!

Hope that helps, train hard, and talk soon –

Fores Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – Did you find this video helpful? If so, please share it with someone you know who could benefit. Thanks!

Memorial Day Kettlebell + Body Weight Conditioning Workout

It’s been a great weekend here in Northern California so far. Great weather, spending some time relaxing outside by the pool, hanging with friends, and eating lots of great food.

 

Perfect weather here in Sacramento this weekend!

How about you? How’s your weekend going?

Speaking of great food, this morning I woke up and knew I needed to hit the conditioning workout EXTRA hard. Went just a tad over my daily calorie goals for the last couple of days 😉

So that’s what I did. And I thought I’d share the workout with you to try yourself.

Let’s get right to it –

(BTW – you can get 130 MORE conditioning workouts LIKE this one – but that use every style and piece of equipment that you can imagine – with the “friends of Forest” Lift Weights Faster deal my new friend Jen Sinkler’s got going this weekend. More info on that, HERE.)

 

Memorial Day Kettlebell + Body Weight Conditioning Workout

1 – Warm up:

— EASY jog 30 sec
— walking lunge SLOW, feel the stretch 30 sec
— inchworm with push up 30 sec
— jumping jack 30 sec

repeat 2x

2 – Workout (get OUTSIDE and enjoy the summer weather if ya can!):

— sprint 15 sec HARD
— rest 30 sec
— as many push ups as possible in 15 sec
— rest 30 sec
— sprint 15 sec HARD
— rest 30 sec
— as many kettlebell swings as possible in 15 sec
— sprint 15 sec HARD

rest 60 sec

repeat three more times for a total of four rounds

Notes:

— do the first couple of sprints at maybe 60-80% speed, to get yourself in the “groove” and ready to hit it hard
— go HARD for 15 seconds and rest (really) for 30 … the idea with this is to get enough rest so you can attack the 15 sec bursts ALL OUT. If you rest for 10 or 15 seconds, it probably won’t be enough, and the intensity and quality of your workout will break down
— get OUTSIDE if you can! I cranked this session in a little park next to my house.
— if you can’t sprint, you can do run in place HARD, jumping jacks HARD, jump rope as fast as you can handle w perfect form, or even a rowing machine or stationary bike at a high intensity

Okay, I’m off to relax a bit and get ready for a big holiday boot camp session tomorrow in the AM at the FVT studio. Give that workout a try, and let me know how it goes for you. And enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Forest Vance
ForestVance.com

PS – Don’t forget – you can get 130 MORE conditioning workouts like this one, but that use every style and piece of equipment that you can imagine, with the “friends of Forest” Lift Weights Faster deal my new friend Jen Sinkler’s got going this weekend. More info on that HERE.

The BEST Hybrid Kettlebell Workout EVER?

Kettlebells are awesome.

Sprinting is awesome.

In today’s article from my friend Mike Whitfield of Sprint Conditioning, he puts them TOGETHER into one killer workout – to create what COULD be be the best “hybrid” kettlebell conditioning workout EVER!

Enjoy –

– Forest

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The BEST KB Hybrid Workout EVER?
by Mike Whitfield, author, Sprint Conditioning

It was a beautiful 73-degree sunny day in Kennesaw, Georgia.

There was a field.

There was a kettlebell.

And I wanted to do something cool about that.

Hey, I’m Mike Whitfield, Master CTT and a friend of Forest Vance. We both have a similar story on losing fat and helping others do the same (but without having to live in the gym).

Of course, unlike Forest, I never played football in my life … except Madden on the Playstation (ha!). But here is a photo of where I was and where I’m at now:

Hey, if I can do this, ANYONE can.

So, let’s start with a quick quiz … what are 2 of the most powerful conditioning “tools” to help you shed fat and get in the best shape of your life faster than anything else?

If you’re guessing “Sprints” as one – you are right.

Sprints demand a lot both from your nervous system and your muscles, so in order to recover from them, your body has to work harder. During this recovery, your body utilizes fat as fuel.

To get the most out of sprints, they must be done in a very short amount of time with strategic recovery periods.

It’s definitely the fastest (but NOT the easiest) way to lose fat.

Today, you’re going to combine the power of sprints with a single kettlebell.

If it’s beautiful outside, get some vitamin D and do this outdoors.

Here’s the plan:

— Use a kettlebell as your marker.

— Sprint 10 – 20 yards

— Once you reach the marker (KB), do 10 KB Swings.

— Your recovery is walking back to the starting point.

— Do this for 10 minutes. Rest more if needed – but remember, it’s only 10 minutes!

See how it works here:

Note – If you’re not a sprinter, you can do:

a) Jumping Jacks (10-15 as fast as possible)

b) Run in Place (10 secs – go HARD!)

What an awesome way to burn more fat in less time… and yes, you can even train like an athlete!

Have fun,

Mike Whitfield, Master CTT

Grab 31 MORE sprint conditioning workouts like this one here

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Wow, awesome stuff Mike.  Thanks so much for sharing with FVT readers!

One more thing.  I am throwing in my OWN bonus program – the Mud Runner’s Manual – FREE, when you pick up a copy of Mike’s Sprint Conditioning through my recommendation this week, while it’s on sale.

Inside, you’ll learn little-known methods of:

— Total body strengthening – get strong and tough enough to beat any obstacle

— Building functional muscle – you’ll build strength that not only looks good but works great too

— Increasing flexibility and mobility – qualities you’ll need to stay injury free on race day

— Improving cardio endurance – a KEY component of performing at a high level at your event

— Improving mental toughness – maybe the most important quality of all at your mud run

— Getting you stronger, faster, and more athletic!

 

Again, you’ll get this FREE when you grab a copy of Mike’s Sprint Conditioning system on my recommendation.

Just grab your copy of Sprint Conditioning HERE (or from any other link in this post), forward your email receipt to my assistant at fvtraininfo (at) gmail.com, and she’ll get you hooked up with your bonus!

Bodyweight / Kettlebell Challenge Workout

Just finished up our monthly challenge workout at the FVT studio with our boot campers. Could easily be the hardest one ever.

This is no joke. Seriously, make sure you’ve got your form dialed in on all these moves and a good base of fitness if you’re even going to attempt it.

But, if you’re up for it, give it a go, and let me know how you do:

Bodyweight / Kettlebell Challenge Workout

Set up is FIVE exercises:

– KB swings (standard weight is 24k for men, 16k for women)
– hand release push ups (from the toes for men, from the knees for women … each rep, at the bottom, take your hands off the floor)
– walking lunges (lightly touch your knee to the ground on each rep; each step counts as one)
– inverted rows (either suspension trainer or Lebert Equalizer … knees are bent, feet flat on the floor … any grip … touch the ground with the body and chest to the level of the hands on each rep)
– burpees (no push up at the bottom, clap hands above the head at the top of each rep)

Get as many reps as you can of each exercise in 60 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds between exercises. Do three rounds total, resting for 60 seconds between rounds. Your score is the total number of repetitions you do in the workout.

Score benchmarks:
300 – great
375 – amazing
450+ – world class

Good luck! You’ll need it 😉

– Forest

PS – I put together a special report at the end of each year, of ALL the challenge workouts we do at our studio – for folks who want it for reference, to do the workouts on their own, etc.

You can get THREE years worth of my challenge workout reports:

— FVT Challenge Workouts 2010
— FVT Challenge Workouts 2011
— FVT Challenge Workouts 2012

FREE when you grab my friend Shawna K’s Challenge Fat Loss program this week through my recommendation.

Just click THIS link, order Challenge Fat Loss, forward your receipt to fvtraininfo (at) gmail.com, we’ll verify your purchase, and send you all three of the bonuses!