Month: August 2014

Fix Your Kettlebell Clean (new video)

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The kettlebell clean is possibly the toughest to MASTER of the basic KB drills (“basic” kettlebell exercises being the swing, squat, Turkish get up, clean, press, and snatch).

The goal is to clean the ‘bell up from the ground in one smooth movement into a perfect rack position at the shoulder. But commonly –

— The starting positon / “set up” for the clean is done wrong
— Folks get TOO MUCH hip drive, and end up whacking / brusing up their forarm in the process
— The KB takes the wrong path on the way up, making the exercise much harder (in a bad way) and causing extra stress on the elbow and shoulder

SO, I got a new video for you, that will show you how to fix the problems listed above – a few more – in about two minutes! Take a pause from whatever you’re doing and check it out below.

And, don’t forget – as part of the “FVT Baby Sale” going this weekend, we have not one but TWO of my best-selling kettlebell programs on sale:

=> Kettlebell Challenge Workouts 2.0
=> Kettlebell Boot Camp Workouts

So if you enjoy the video, be sure to check out those programs as well 😉

Kettlebell Clean Technique Tips

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Level 2 Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

Why Your Squat Isn’t Getting Stronger (NOT what you think)

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A lot of experts say that the squat is the king of all exercises.

Of course, there will always be a bit of debate to be had … about if this is the true “KING” of all exercises out there … some people will agree, and some people won’t.

BUT … what matters most is … if you get stronger in the squat, you’ll end up getting strong all over as well. You can’t deny that.

So then, the question becomes – HOW to get your squats stronger?

Do you just keep adding weight to the bar? Is there some sort of special set/rep scheme you should be following?

Interestingly, it’s NOT always just an issue of strength.

Of course we can always keep trying to add more weight to the bar in hope of getting ourselves stronger … but if that’s all it took, we’d have a LOT more people walking around with bigger squats, right?

What could very well be holding you back from a stronger squat is MOBLITY. You need to be able to move your body through a better range of motion, more efficiently.

Because the better you move, the stronger you’ll get in the long run.

If all you do is keep trying to add weight to the bar in hopes of getting stronger – and if you’re not moving well – you’ll end up running into problems. You’ll be reinforcing terrible movement patterns, which will NOT help you get stronger … and in all likelyhood, you’ll end up getting injured as well.

The solution is to re-learn how to MOVE properly … and if you’re trying to improve your squat, re-learn how to do the actual squat movement itself.

Do that, and you’ll see your strength levels BLAST off the charts.

To give you an exact done-for-you-system on how to do this right, check out my buddy Travis Stoetzel’s Double Your Squat Program. You’ll not only discover how to move better and with more efficiency, you’ll also get your hands on Travis’ proven 6-Week Squat Cycle.

It’s an All-In-One squatting system that will no doubt help you gain massive amounts of strength.

=> Double Your Squat System (on sale this week at 75% off!)

That’s it for now. Start working on moving better, and see your squat numbers go up faster than you ever thought possible.

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II
ForestVance.com

PS – Almost forgot – got a new video up for you today on this same topic. A simple starting point for improving your mobility on the barbell back squat is the kettlebell goblet squat.  Check it out below:

Kettlebell Squat Progression

Brutal Kettlebell Challenge Workout (up for it?)

On By adminIn Kettlebell Workouts, VideosLeave a comment

Got a BRUTAL kettlebell challenge workout for you today from the FVT archives. (This one is from my original Kettlebell Challenge Workouts course).

Just change into your workout clothes, grab a kettlebell and give this one a go!

Kettlebell Challenge Workout

Video Recap

  • 2 Clean and Presses on each side
  • 4 Snatches on each side
  • 12 Goblet Squats
  • 16 Hand to Hand Swings

Repeat this circuit 5 times as fast as possible.

 

Additional notes

Official KB weight for this challenge is 24k (men)/16k (women).

That being said, do NOT attempt the workout with the official weight unless you have an adequate level of strength and conditioning. Meaning, quite simply, that you must be able to handle the load safely and under control for the duration for the workout. If you’re not ready yet for the official weight, no worries – do the workout with a lighter weight that you know you can handle, but will still challenge you.

Bottom line, use good judgement, and work out safely.

 

Time standards

Done with good form, non-stop, each round/circuit will take you approx 1:30 to 1:45 to complete. With that in mind, here are some general guidelines for time:

14 mins or less = good
12 mins. or less = great
10 mins. or less = elite

Enjoy the workout – and the rest of your weekend –

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

 

PS – Let us know how you do in the comments section below!

PPS – Here’s a “secret” link to grab my original Kettlebell Challenge Workouts program at 50% off:

=> Get Kettlebell Challenge Workouts (special discount link)

 

20 Minute Total Body KB/BW/Suspension Workout

On By adminIn Kettlebell WorkoutsLeave a comment

THANK YOU again so much for all the well wishes on our new addition to the Vance family!

We welcomed a new baby girl into the world last week, and it’s been crazy but SO awesome and amazing.

I am off from the gym for a couple of weeks, staying home to help my wife out. We just got home a few days ago, and there is just SO much to figure out with a newborn child, especially it being our first … when it comes to just living your daily life 🙂

NOT sleeping a lot, I can tell you that … but even just stuff like eating and showering takes thought and planning and strategizing!

The first few days were so crazy, just trying to survive really … and still are 😉 … but now that we are getting into a semblance of a routine, it’s time to get back to hitting some kind of workouts.

I am going to be focusing on short (around 20 minutes), total body, minimal equipment workouts to get it done.  And while you may not have a newborn child at home, I bet this style of training might interest you and your training needs and goals as well.

Here’s a LIGHTNING quick, SUPER efficient, minimal equipment workout that I’m currently doing, that you can use when YOU are short on time but want a great workout.

20 Minute Total Body KB/BW/Suspension Workout
Inspired by Suspension Revolution 2.0

— start with 3 min foam rolling / joint mobility / total body general warm up

Pair 1 – 3 rounds, as little rest as possible:

– single arm KB swing – 7 ea arm
– suspension trainer atomic push up – 8

(rest 60 seconds)

Pair 2 – 3 rounds, as little rest as possible:

– bottoms – up KB press – 6 ea side
– suspension trainer single leg squat – 8 ea side

(rest 60 seconds)

To finish – 4 rounds, as fast as little rest as possible:

– suspension trainer burpee w push up – 6 (switch foot in cradle ea rep)
– KB squat clean – 8
– 30 jumping jacks

There you have an INTENSE, 20 minute workout you can knock out using nothing but a kettlebell and a suspension trainer. At the end of the day, it’s about balance in life … and pretty much no matter what you got going on, you OWE it to yourself and your loved ones to take care of yourself mentally and physically and keep up with your workouts. ANYONE can take 15-20 minutes three to five times per week and train. Now it’s just a matter of making it happen!

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – IF you’re into suspension training – whether you’re just getting started and learning the basics, or you want some crazy advanced stuff to take you to the next level – check out my friend Dan Long’s Suspension Revolution program. It’s on sale this week, and it’s an AWESOME resource for learning how to do this RIGHT. It includes 191 exercises, 20 follow along workouts, and a TON more. I highly recommend it. Check it out here:

=> Suspension Revolution 2.0 (on sale this week)

Dan has trained pro athletes and REALLY knows his stuff … besides being a SUPER high energy  and a really great guy.  I was super impressed when we first met in Vegas last year and then earlier this year in So Cal.  Be sure to check out his Suspension Revolution program, on sale this week.

Kettlebells, Barbell Training and the 80/20 Rule

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The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, states that 20% of your effort in anything you do will produce 80% of the results.

Named after Vinfredo Pareto, an Italian economist from the 19th Century, this rule can be applied to almost anything from business, to productiveness and even to achievements and happiness.

A couple of examples:

— 20% of customers in a business will generate 80% of the profits
— 20% of the people on a work team will produce 80% of the results
— You use 20% of the stuff of in your house 80% of the time, and vice versa

The rule ALSO applies to your training program.  20% of the efforts you put in produce 80% of the results.

A perfect example comes from my Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Training program. The first pairing of movements in workout A is:

— Barbell deadlifts
— KB overhead presses

Four hard sets pushed to the limit with these two exercise, and you’re 80% of the way there. You hit all of your major muscle groups … get stronger … get your heart rate up / a little “cardio” if you keep the rest periods down … work the heck out of your “core” … and a lot more … JUST with these two exercises.

Now, if you have a little more time, it’s a good idea to do the rest of the workout. I’m not saying to shorten your workouts, starting today, for the rest of your training career, by 80% 🙂

BUT … my point is, even if you only got 15 or 20 minutes to work out … you CAN get a great training session, if you focus on the “critical” 20%:

— Be consistent, don’t miss workouts
— Pick exercises that give you a lot of “bang for your buck”, and work a lot of muscle groups all at once – like basic kettlebell, barbell, and body weight movements
— Train with intensity
— Bring a positive attitude

No more excuses for lack of results in your workouts.  Make a plan, focus on the stuff that COUNTS, and get it done!
Have an awesome training session today, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II
ForestVance.com

PS – If you haven’t already … last chance to grab my Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Training program for less than 10 bux – click HERE to get it now!

NEW Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Training Workout

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

When it comes to building brute strength, nothing beats the barbell as a training tool.

Kettlebells on the other hand are a fantastic piece of equipment for rapid fat loss, and shooting your conditioning levels through the roof.

So for folks like me and you, who want to:

– gain strength and lean muscle
– if needed, be ready at any given time to take on a variety of physical challenges – maybe run a 5k, or bench press 1.5x your body weight, or snatch a 24k KB 100 times in 5 mins …
– just look, feel, and perform at our best, all of the time

COMBINING these two training modalities gives you the best of both worlds.

BUT – what’s the BEST way to do it?

Well, after getting questions almost every day about the best way to mix barbell and kettlebell work in the most efficient way, I went to the “lab” (my gym) and tested dozens of different training programs first on myself, then on a few select training clients. I came up with a program that is the result of YEARS of hard work, experimentation, and figuring out the most effective barbell / kettlebell workout that will get you the fastest results, in the shortest amount of time. And I put it together into my new Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Training program.

I wanted to give you an actual sample of one how one of these workouts is put together, so you could see if it’s a training style that would fit your needs:

 

Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Workout

1 – Start with a general warm up, including foam rolling and mobility work

2 – Move on to superset #1 – four rounds of these two exercises total:

– Barbell Deadlift x8
– KB Single Arm Press x8

3 – FOUR sets of alternating reverse goblet lunges, eight reps each, try to go UP in weight each set (until you can no longer complete the reps / your form breaks down / etc)

4 – Kettlebell – based metabolic finisher to end the workout

(This one is actally from my friends Funk Roberts and Chris Lopez’s new Kettlebells for Fighters program – the beauty of this plan is that you can use one of the “finishers” I give you in the workout, OR you can use any other one you like. It’s great for mixing things up, but also keeping the “core” lifts the same so you can continue to make progress on them etc. ):

– Do exercises circuit – style, one after the next
– 45 seconds work
– 15 seconds rest between exercises
– Rest for two minutes after round one and repeat circuit a total of four times

– 1/2 stance 1 arm KB swings (2 rounds right, 2 rounds left)
– single leg KB deadlifts (2 rounds right, 2 rounds left)
– goblet squats
– push ups
– one arm KB rack step ups (2 rounds right, 2 rounds left)
– KB renegade rows
– 2 arm KB swings

Video on how to do this circuit:

Click HERE for more info on the KBs for Fighters program

To sum up, for gaining strength and lean muscle, to be ready at any given time to take on a variety of physical challenges, and to just look, feel, and perform at your best, all of the time – you can’t beat the combo of barbell and kettlebell training. The key lies in HOW you combine the modalities for best results. And you can learn EXACTLY how to do this, in the most effective and time-efficient way, with my new Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Training plan HERE.

Thanks for reading, have a great Friday, and talk soon –

– Forest