Month: September 2016

3 Reasons for Kettlebell Swing Back Pain (and how to fix it)

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, General, Tips and TricksLeave a comment

Kettlebell swings are one of the best KB moves in existence for rapid fat loss.

They work all your major muscle groups, and burn more calories per minute than almost any other exercise.

That’s why they’re a staple of of my fat loss programs.

However, if you do them wrong, you can end up with  lower back pain – which should NOT be happening.

Here are 3 reasons for kettlebell swing back pain – and how to fix it:

1 – Using sloppy form to pick up the Kettlebell

As people get set to swing the ‘bell, a SUPER common mistake is that they simply use sloppy form.

People will round their back and give zero thought to engaging the core muscles.

This is a BIG no-no, and very dangerous.

It puts your back in a poor starting position, and it also sets you up for bad technique during the exercise.

Make sure that your back is flat and your abs are engaged when you pick up the KB and get it set for your first rep of a set.

2 – Overextending at the top of the movement

It can be easy to let your hips go too far at the top of a KB swing.

This is hard on the back, and also you lose power when you do it.

Instead, think about finishing the exercise in a “standing plank” position.

At the finish of the exercise, your knees, hips, shoulders and head should all form a perfectly straight line.

3 – Swinging the KB too close to the ground

Many people swing the Kettlebell too low to the ground as it comes down.

This makes the move much harder and less efficient … and it is also potentially dangerous.

Instead, make sure that the handle of the KB stays above your your knee level as it comes down.  This will give you the best leverage and keep the pressure off of your back.

To sum up, Kettlebells swings are a fantastic exercise for rapid fat loss and sending your conditioning levels through the roof.

But make any of the mistakes outlined in today’s article when you do them, and you put yourself at risk for lower back pain.

Stick to the recommendations to improve your form, and you will be on your way to SAFE rapid fat loss with Kettlebell swings!

– Forest Vance
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
Master of Science, Human Movement
creator, “Best of FVT Kettlebell Workouts” Mega-Bundle

PS – If you found today’s article helpful, be sure to check out my “Best of FVT Kettlebell Workouts” package, up on sale for a couple more days.

Every training plan in the package – and there are 8 of them total – includes coaching videos, so that ALL your questions about proper KB form are answered.

You’ll also get dozens of kettlebell workouts for fat loss that’ll have you at your ultimate fitness goals faster than you thought possible.

Learn more and get your special discounted copy now at the link below:

=> Kettlebell Workouts Mega Bundle

20 Minute Kettlebell Workout from London

On By adminIn Kettlebell WorkoutsLeave a comment

I am in a SERIOUS busy stretch for a few weeks!

Last weekend we had a meeting in Sacramento with our Renegade Fitness Entrepreneurs group …

This weekend I am in London for a business event as an attendee …

And two weekends from now I will be in San Fran, speaking at the NorCal fitness summit.

VERY fun though, and so great learning and connecting … and just showing up and making it happen!

With the hectic schedule, it’s almost unavoidable to end up eating out a lot of the time. I am doing my best to stay on track – but it is a constant challenge.

That’s why I am also being sure to keep up with the workout schedule, no matter WHAT.

And since the circumstances call for workouts that are short, efficient, and require little (or no) equipment – having the Kettlebell / Bodyweight Workouts Mega Bundle workouts to pull from is KEY.

Here is the workout I did this morning (there is a little gym around the corner from where we are staying and they had a couple of KBs there, which was awesome!)

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Kettlebell / Bodyweight Beat Down – Workout B

1 – Set your timer for one minute intervals. On the minute, every minute, you’ll do 5 KB presses right, 5 KB presses left … your rest is the amount of time that’s left on the clock between when you finish the set and the next minute interval starts. Do this for 5 minutes, for a total of 5 sets of 5 reps on each side of kettlebell presses.

2 – Next, we have a couple kettlebell complex – do three rounds total, resting about 60 seconds between rounds (if you only have one KB, just do the total number of reps on one side, then repeat on the other side, for a total of three rounds on each side) … do NOT set the kettlebell down until you’ve completed the entire sequence:

– snatch – 4
– front squat – 4
– swing – 8
– lunge – 4

3 – Finish by doing as many reps as you can of each exercise in 30 seconds; take as little rest as you can between moves and about 30 seconds of rest between rounds; do three rounds total:

– high knees
– hindu push ups
– lateral hops
– inverted rows
– lunges

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No matter what you have going in your life or how busy your schedule gets, you can always keep the training going, so that you can stay in shape and keep progressing towards your fitness goals.

Workouts like the one I shared with you today are perfect.

But just one is probably not enough.

So if you current routine is getting boring …

If you are a trainer and you are looking for new and fresh ideas for your clients …

If you just would like to have all of your workouts pre-programmed for you for the next year, and not have to think about it …

Then you should also check out the 75% off sale we have going on the Ketlebell / Bodyweight Workouts Mega-Bundle this weekend:

http://bit.ly/2cUiFLG

Rock on, and thanks for reading! –

– Forest Vance
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
Master of Science, Human Movement
ForestVance.com

[new video] Unusual Tip to Improve Your Turkish Get Up

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, Tips and Tricks, VideosLeave a comment

The Turkish Get up is one of the BEST kettlebell moves around.

It requires shoulder stability and control, core strength, and leg drive – all things essential to lifting heavy weights and being an all-around strong-ass person.

BUT – it’s also one of the trickier KB moves to master, and is probably the one I get the most technique questions about.

So check out today’s video for and “unusual” tip to improve your Turkish get up.

Since it relates to me learning a routine for the first dance at my wedding … you’ve PROBABLY never heard of it … but take the 90 seconds to watch the video, and I think you’ll find it very helpful!

Train hard, talk soon –

– Forest Vance
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
ForestVance.com

PS – For more tips to improve your kettlebell training technique, check out my Top 13 KB Training Mistakes – and How to Fix Them! home study course:

http://bit.ly/2cLzk6v

#1 “Rookie” Workout Mistake to Avoid

On By adminIn General, Tips and TricksLeave a comment

I bet you’re making this “rookie” workout mistake.

And I BET you can’t guess what it is! 😉

Ready for it? …

It’s programming your own workouts.

But don’t worry – it’s not your fault.

Most people make this mistake when they’re first getting started.

I made this mistake myself for the first few years of my own training.

I read a few fitness – related books, magazines, and websites … and thought I knew all I needed to know! 😉 …

So I wrote all my own workouts.

I DID get okay results – because I trained hard, and was consistent –

But I SHOULD have just found a program that was geared towards my goals – or better yet, listened to my college strength coach, and followed the program he gave us! – and I KNOW that my results would have been even better.

Then I made the same mistake when I first got started in the fitness industry.

I was a young trainer and I thought I knew everything.

So I would write all of my client’s workouts from scratch.

Not only was the programming *just okay* … and not as effective as it could have benn … I could have also saved a TON of time, if I had utilized some programs like this one:

=> 101 Bootcamp Conditioning Circuits

You see – there is SO much great “done-for-you” programming these days, that you can literally swipe and use … from all the top trainers in the world! … out there for the taking.

I have programmed thousands and thousands of workouts for thousands and thousands of clients at this point in time … so I DO do some programming myself at this point in time … and this is certainly a good goal to work towards …

But I also use MANY of these done-for-you workout progamming templates / packages to get new ideas and even to simply “swipe and deploy”.

So if you are still in the first few years of workout / training experience … I highly recommend you just use other people’s workouts that are designed with the goals you have in mind – for yourself, or for your training clients.

This way, you can focus on the workouts themselves … getting better at the movements … working hard … getting it done … and all the while, save yourself a TON of time.

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Personal Trainer
ForestVance.com

PS – A great new resource to get started with the done-for-you programming stuff – for trainers and trainees alike – is on sale this week. I picked up a copy and am loving it and already using some of the ideas in my own workouts, and with clients. Learn more and get YOUR copy at the link below:

=> 101 Bootcamp Conditioning Circuits

Your KB Workout for Today

On By adminIn Kettlebell WorkoutsLeave a comment

The purpose of today’s post is to give you an idea of how I run my Elite KB Coaching program.

As one of my Elite KB Coaching Clients, you have a workout that you follow each day, that is custom designed for you, your specific goals, equipment you have access to and time you have available to train, etc (the one below is just an example) –

And of course, I give you videos that show you how to do each movement with perfect form – again the workout below is just for example purposes.

So you follow the workout exactly as outlined by me … you record how it went, how much weight you used for each exercise, if you have questions about proper technique when doing any of the moves, or anything else …

And we work TOGETHER in this way towards your goals.

Can you see how POWERFUL this is?

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Here is your workout for today:

(warm up, do each exercise for 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds between moves, repeat for 2 rounds total) – seal jacks, side lunge with skip, inchworm with push up, bodyweight SLDL

1 – Barbell Deadlift – 5 sets, 3 reps each, work up to 87% of one rep max on last set.  Rest approx 3 mins between sets.  Take a quick video with your phone and send it to me to review to check form.

2 – 4 Rounds, As Fast As Possible –

— double KB push press – 5 reps
— KB snatch – reps / side
— burpee – 5 reps

(stretch tight muscle groups to cool down)

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Now that workout is short and efficient … but it is specifically designed for someone who is looking to gain more total body strength … lean muscle … and keep their conditioning levels up.

It’s one of three workouts they would do per week.

And it’s custom designed with the equipment they have available to train with in mind – just like your workout will be.

SO …

If you are looking to make a SERIOUS body transformation using kettlebells as your training tool of choice …

If you have some KB training experience, but are looking to take it to the next level …

If you have no major injuries or limitations with your workouts …

And you can commit to working HARD …

You can inquire about one of the four spots I have remaining in my Elite KB Coaching program by filling out the short form at the link below:

http://bit.ly/2bV9PfM

And I’ll get back with you ASAP.

Thanks – train hard – and have a great day! –

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
ForestVance.com