I am heading out shortly for one of my “anabolic sprint” workouts, thought I would share.

It IS true that too much cardio can “kill your gains”, and research supports this. I can tell you first-hand that ramping up the weekly running milage and doing something like preparing for a 50k Spartan Ultra event DOES make it hard to hold on to muscle and strength. The human body adapts in totally different ways to these two types of exercise.

HOWEVER, research also shows that a MODERATE amount of cardio – two or three days per week, 20-30 minutes each for example – SUPPORTS muscle gain. It just has to be the right kind. “Anabolic sprints” are a great option if you are trying to gain strength while keeping your cardio fitness at the same time:

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“Anabolic Sprints” Workout

1 – Warm up with 5-10 minutes of low intensity jogging and/or run a couple sprints at 40-50% effort.

2 – Sprint 50 yards.

3 – Walk back to the start and rest a few momements.

4 – Repeat five to ten times.

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You want to work up to the point where you are doing these sprints at an all-out effort. HOWEVER, if you are just getting back into something like this, GO EASY to start! Trying sprints after not running for months or years is a great way to get injured. Do this workout once or twice per week, and gradually build up the intensity each session.

Also, speaking of sprints:

My friend Logan Christopher just put one of his courses, “The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Conditioning”, up on quarantine sale. Learn more and get it here.

This is a great program to pick up specifically if you want to improve your conditioning. The thing with conditioning is that most people do it wrong (like just running long distances). This program starts off by dispelling the myths of “Cardio” exercise, and how there are much better options!

You’ll discover methods like:

• Explosive Sprint Sets
• Short Intense Sets
• Long Sets
• Intervals
• Loose Intervals
• Circuits
• “Non-Stop”

Logan will show you how to use these methods in variety of ways – with squats, jumps, jump rope, burpees, hill sprints, other running, circuit training, and more. Each is also taught with progressions in mind, so you can make the most from your training. Learn more and get it here.

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To sum up, doing cardio the RIGHT way can actually support muscle growth, not hinder it. You just have to do it the right way. This anabolic sprints workout fits the bill perfectly.

-Forest and the FVT Team at KettlebellBasics.net

One of our specialties here at FVT is helping people blast past a fat loss plateau. If you feel like you’re putting in a solid effort, but you still look the same now as you did 90 days ago, here are a few reasons why it might be happening:

1 – You’re not eating enough.

This seems like a weird thing to say, but a lot of people think about weight loss, and the first thing they do is cut their intake down as low as possible. I recently talked to a reasonably active guy who was in reasonably good shape. He had a base of muscle and fitness and strength, but had around around 15-20 pounds to lose at a current weight of 210. And he was trying to diet at 1500 calories per day.

First off, this kind of deficit is tough and painful to maintain, so you either can’t stick to it, or you have extra snacks / binge in the evenings / go crazy on the weekends. Second, you end up losing muscle, which sucks. Third, even if you can stick to it, your metabolism slows down, the results stop after a few weeks, and you have no where to go.

2 – Your portions are off.

Sometimes in converstations with people stuck at a fat loss plateau, I realize they have no idea what 3 oz of chicken looks like, or 1 cup of rice, or 1/4 cup of nuts. This might seem insignificant, but it really adds up.

A week or two of measuring everything you eat and drink is INVALUABLE for long-term education and results.

3 – You are drinking your calories.

#1 culprit here is alcohol. Trust me, I love drinking as much (or most likely, more) than you. But recently I’ve come to realize that it’s REALLY hard to lose fat if you’re drinking more than occasionally. Not drinking at all is ideal if you’re serious about fat loss. But a couple / few per week is probably the realistic upper limit for most if you’re going to reach your fat loss goals.

I hope the tips in this article helps you with breaking your fat loss plateau. Not eating enough, portions being off, and drinking too many calories are simple things, but they can make ALL the difference.

-Forest Vance and the FVT Team at ForestVanceTraining.com

PS – If you are looking for more help in this area:

1 – Join our 28-day Challenge starting today, it includes a copy of my FEED THE BEAST meal plan that goes into what I am talking about here in more detail, and gives you sample meal plans to follow as well -> 28-day KB Challenge + FEED THE BEAST diet plan

2 – I am taking on a handful of “Shred Over 40” nutrition – focused personal training clients this month as a test. If you are interested in getting our personal, individualized help with your nutrition to get in the best shape of your LIFE in 2021, reply to this message with the words “OVER 40 SHRED”, and I’ll send you the details.

One thing I find really inspiring is following athletes in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond that are still performing at a high level.

The CrossFit games – Master’s Category has no shortage of these folks.

Check out the physiques on these two competitors I found, just doing a quick Google search! (they are both in the 60+ division by the way):

Paul Perna

Susan Clarke

Bottom line, these CrossFit games – Master’s Category are nothing short of amazing.

They sport incredible physiques.

But what is equally impressive is the fact that they are such well balanced athletes. These men and women have world class levels of both conditioning and strength at the same time. Something highly unusual when top performance in a specific sport typically comes at the expense of NOT being good at much anything else.

So how do they get there, how do they do it?

With their special unique style of workouts.

Only problem is, to train the way that these athletes train presents problems for the average Joe and Jane.

For one, some of the typical workouts they do are fairly technical and pose somewhat of an injury risk if you don’t know proper technique. Olympic lifts for high reps at a high fatigue level is asking for trouble for the average person.

Secondly, these athletes train a large amount of time. A lot of them are training for hours, three or four times per day.

And finally, the set up required to do the sort of workouts is not accessible for a lot of people. You need a full barbell set up. You need a lifting platform. You need a full array of weights and conditioning equipment like rowing machines and assault bikes and much more.

But I’ve come up with a solution: We have adapted the great workouts these athletes use, and use many of the same principles, but make it so that you can do them at home with a couple of Kettlebells and your own bodyweight, in 20 or 30 minutes, three or four times per week.

-> Click here for all the details on our upcoming 28-day EMOM Kettlebell Challenge 3.0 for Men + Women Over 40

Hurry, we start Monday, February 15th!

-Forest and the FVT Team at KettlebellBasics.net

A lot of people think they have to deprive themselves to reach their fitness goals.

And while it’s true that you can’t just eat whatever you want…

…there absolutely IS a way to eat the foods you enjoy, and still get the fat loss results you desire.

A lot of times, it’s just about making some small tweaks to your favorite recipes.

Take these protein oatmeal pancakes for example.

As I write this message, it’s New Year’s Day 2021!

We just finished a big family breakfast, and now we’re all resting for a few before heading out for a walk.

So figured I’d take a second to share this receipe.

I made these pancakes and, as usual, it was a hit!

And, it was a healthy and nutritious breakfast for everyone to start the day:

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Protein Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup oatmeal (dry)
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Blend ingredients for about 30 seconds

Measure out 1/4 cup of “batter” for each pancake; makes 4

Nutrition breakdown (for all ingredients / all 4 pancakes):

485 kcals
23 g protein
19 g fat
57g carb

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In the meal plan you get with my new Kettlebells for Abs program, you get dozens more recipes / meal ideas like this.

You will be surprised at the things you can eat, and still get the results you are looking for.

You’ll find ideas for:

• Quesadillas
• Turkey Sandwiches
• Chicken Burritos
• Turkey Tacos
• Pesto Pasta

And many more!

All fit within the meal plan to get you the abs you desire.

Get the full 28-day KBs for Abs PLUS the “Easiest, Fastest Fat Loss Meal Plan EVER” bonus FREE at the link below:

-> KBs for Abs + “Easiest, Fastest Fat Loss Meal Plan EVER”

…and here’s to a great start to your New Year’s abs goals!

-Forest and the FVT Team @ KettlebellBasics.net

Tactical operators are in amazing shape.

They are athletic, lean, strong… and they obviously perform at a very high level!…

…but if you look at their actual training, it’s the OPPOSITE of what most people think.

They do NOT spend a lot of time at the gym, pumping up their muscles like a bodybuilder.

Because if they did, they might end up gaining muscle, but they would also get too bulky. They’d lose overall athleticism. And they wouldn’t be as able to perform at a high level in what they have to do in their daily jobs.

Most people I’ve talked to also prefer this lean, athletic, functional look.

And that’s what this training plan is all about:

=>> Tactical Muscle

You’ll do workouts like this (video breakdowns, exercise explainations, much more in the full program):

Black OPs mass Protocol – Strength Block B – Monday workout – week 1

– A Double leg bounding 3 x 3 X 90 sec

– B “Cluster” KB front squat 5 x 1 (5) 30 x 0 3 min

– C1 Swiss ball leg curl OR lying hip ext w feet on bench 4 x Max reps
– C2 Weighted sit up 4 x 8 – 10 3010 90 sec

Or this!

10 min “Tactical Muscle” Pull Up-Push Up-Sit Up Super Series 

A – Pull up super series:

– Wide Grip / Medium Grip / Narrow Chinups
– 10 seconds rest between each position
– 2x Max Reps
– Rest – 3 mins after complete

B – Push up super series:

– Narrow feet elevated pushup / Narrow feet flat pushup / Wide feet flat pushup
– 10 seconds rest between each position
– 2x Max Reps
– Rest – 3 mins after complete

C – Sit up super series:

– V-Ups / Situps / Front Plank (1 min)
– 10 seconds rest between

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See the way the Tactical Muscle program is all set up, and what makes it unique, at the page linked below:

=>> Tactical Muscle

It’s a whole training system, and it includes:

• the Tactical Muscle System
• 4 week “Black Ops Arms” specialization program
• 7 Day Testosterone Solution
• the Alpha Status Handbook

GET – the Tactical Muscle system

To sum up, if you want to look and perform like a tactical operator, you need to make sure your training is structured properly, and that every workout you do gets you a little closer to your goal. This program will help you do just that.

To your success!

-Forest Vance
KettlebellBasics.net