If you train with kettlebells (or just want strong, mobile, pain-free shoulders), you need to prep your shoulders the right way.
This quick 6-minute routine is exactly what I did before my workout today—and my shoulders felt noticeably more open, stable, and ready to work.
It’s an example straight from my 28-Day Bulletproof Shoulders Challenge, where I guide you through simple, effective movements to unlock pain-free, powerful shoulders in just a few minutes a day.
Try This 6-Minute Shoulder Warm-Up:
1 – Foam Rolling – Thoracic Spine (1-2 mins)
Place a foam roller under your mid-back, roll from just above your lower back to just below your neck.
Find tight spots, hold, and gently extend over the roller to improve thoracic mobility.
2 – Child’s Pose with Side Stretch (30-60 secs per side)
A yoga-based move that opens up your shoulders, lats, and thoracic spine.
Sit back into Child’s Pose, then reach one arm across to the opposite side to stretch deeper.
3 – Banded Pull-Aparts (2 sets of 15)
Strengthens the upper back and rear delts to improve posture and shoulder mechanics.
Keep tension in the band, control the movement, and focus on full-range motion.
If you feel tight, stiff, or restricted in your training, this routine will unlock your shoulders so you can move, press, and train with kettlebells pain-free.
This is just one piece of my 28-Day Bulletproof Shoulders Challenge, where we go deeper into daily drills to build strong, mobile, and pain-free shoulders—and today is your last chance to join for FREE when you sign up for my Hybrid Kettlebell-Barbell Strength Training Program.
You see, after multiple shoulder injuries from playing football for over a decade, and nearly 30 years of lifting, I know firsthand how important it is to stay on top of shoulder health.
But fixing shoulder pain isn’t just about doing a couple of stretches.
It’s about mobility, stability, activation, overhead strength, flexibility, and recovery.
That’s exactly what we’ll be working on in this challenge.
Here’s an Example of What We’ll Be Doing
Each session is just 3-6 minutes per day, making it easy to fit into your routine:
Mobility and Strength Work
External Rotation Press – 10 reps for stability and strength
Hand-Release Push-Up – 6 reps to activate full shoulder engagement
Downward Dog to Plank Flow – Strength and mobility combo
Deep Flexibility Drills
Thread the Needle Stretch – Unlock tight upper back and shoulder mobility
Controlled Shoulder Articular Rotations – Improve range of motion
Hanging/Doorway Stretch – Open up the chest and lats for better overhead position
Reinforce and Strengthen
Scapular Push-Ups – Build strong stabilizers and posture muscles
Kettlebell Bottoms-Up Press – Improve grip, shoulder stability, and integrity
Band External Rotations – Activate the rotator cuff for long-term health
You’ll get video breakdowns of every exercise so you know exactly how to do them properly. Click here to learn more.
What Can You Expect After 28 Days?
I’m not saying you’ll be 100 percent pain-free, but if you follow this program daily, you should see less pain, better mobility, stronger, more stable shoulders, and more confidence in your workouts.
Get your free copy now. Just grab Hybrid Kettlebell Muscle, and you’ll get instant access. This is a limited-time offer, so don’t miss out.
You want to be strong, athletic, and pain-free for life.
But if you’re like most people over 40, you’ve probably felt the wear and tear—shoulder aches after pressing, stiffness after workouts, or wondering if you’re really training in the smartest way possible.
Barbells develop max strength, progressive overload, and serious muscle gains.
Kettlebells improve athleticism, mobility, and injury-proof your body.
This hybrid approach lets you train harder for longer without feeling like a wreck after every session.
Try This Hybrid Strength Workout (Straight from My Program)
This session gives you the best of both worlds—barbell power, kettlebell athleticism, and a built-in shoulder mobility routine so you feel strong and pain-free.
The Hybrid Strength Circuit (4 Rounds)
Barbell or KB Deadlift – 3×5
KB or Barbell Overhead Press – 4×5
Walking Lunges (DB or KB) – 4×8 per leg
Pull-ups or KB Rows – 3×6
3-Minute Bulletproof Shoulder Routine (see below)
Rest 60-90 seconds between rounds. Move with power and control, keeping form tight.
Bulletproof Your Shoulders in Just 3-6 Minutes
Most people ignore mobility—until they get injured.
That’s why I built the 28-Day Bulletproof Shoulders Challenge—a simple 3-6 minute daily routine that eliminates pain and keeps your shoulders strong and mobile.
When you train the right way, everything in life gets better.
You move better, feel better, and recover faster—so you can actually enjoy life, not just survive workouts. You look stronger, more athletic, and more confident—and trust me, your wife notices. You show up sharper at work, with more energy and focus—because strength isn’t just physical, it’s mental.
This isn’t just about fitness—it’s about building the best version of yourself.
Here’s the Catch…
I’d love to give you the entire program for free—but then you’d just read about it and never actually take action.
In today’s video, we talk about the correct way to do a kettlebell swing to avoid lower back pain.
The key is to keep the kettlebell close to the body on the downswing, rather than letting it swing too low and close to the ground. This can put strain on the back.
We suggest visualizing hike passing a football to help keep the movement proper.
Now take these tips and go get your Gladiator Kettlebell GAINZ — build the strength, power, and resilience of a Gladiator in just 20-30 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week at the link below:
Back in 2005, while playing for the Green Bay Packers, I attended my first yoga classes.
At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but I did notice significant improvements in my recovery, flexibility, and overall athletic performance.
Unfortunately, after that stint, I let yoga fall off my radar for the next 10-15 years.
Fast forward to my late 30s, and I started noticing something: despite working out hard—training with kettlebells, competing in Spartan Races, and even participating in powerlifting meets—my recovery, mobility, and flexibility were taking a hit. I felt beat up and knew I had to do something about it.
That’s when I decided to give yoga another shot. Living in Sacramento at the time, I started taking yoga classes regularly. The difference was almost immediate. My body felt better, my flexibility improved, and I could recover faster from intense workouts.
Over the last six or seven years, my journey with yoga has deepened. I’ve completed multiple yoga certifications, including a 200-hour teacher training program. And I’m now regularly teaching yoga classes at my studio, in the greater community, and to my online audience around the world.
I still lift kettlebells, train hard, and do everything I love—but yoga has become the perfect supplement. It balances out the wear and tear of heavy lifting and intense workouts. If you’re curious about adding yoga to your routine but don’t have time for multiple 60-minute classes each week, I’ve got two simple recommendations to get you started.
1. Regenerate Sequences (3-6 Minutes)
If you’re short on time, these short yoga sequences are a game-changer. Designed to hit different parts of your body, they help you reduce pain, improve flexibility, and feel amazing—all in just a few minutes. I like doing these first thing in the morning, but they work anytime during the day.
Bonus: My Regenerate program is on sale this week, and I’ll drop the link below if you want to check it out.
2. Fire and Flow Sequences (10-15 Minutes)
For a more dynamic option, my Fire and Flow sequences are great yoga-based cardio finishers. Think of them as a blend of traditional yoga and movement patterns designed to boost your heart rate and stretch your muscles at the same time.
Here’s a sample 10-15 minute Fire and Flow finisher you can try today:
10-minute “Fire and Flow” Finisher
Perform the following sequence continuously for 10 minutes:
Mountain Pose to Forward Fold: Start in Mountain Pose, hinge at your hips, and fold forward.
Halfway Lift: Flatten your back, bringing your torso parallel to the floor.
High Plank to Low Push-Up (Chaturanga): Transition into a strong plank, then lower to a hover.
Upward-Facing Dog: Roll onto the tops of your feet, lift your chest, and stretch the front of your body.
Downward-Facing Dog: Press back into your heels, lengthening your spine and hamstrings.
Step Forward to Half Lift: Flatten your back, bringing your torso parallel to the floor.
Forward Fold: Hinge at your hips, and fold forward.
(back to Mountain Pose and repeat)
— This is a most basic example — I add many small variations to progress you throughout the full program — learn more and sign up now HERE
If you’ve been looking for a way to enhance your training, recover faster, and move better, I can’t recommend yoga enough. Start small with short sessions, and I guarantee you’ll feel the difference.
That’s all I’ve got for you today—have an awesome day, and I’ll talk to you soon!
-Forest and the FVT Team at ForestVanceTraining.com — KettlebellBasics.net
PS: The workout above is from Arnold’s book, Education of a Bodybuilder. I highly recommend you read it. The book is packed with inspiration and workouts like this one. You’ll feel motivated to tackle any goal or challenge you’re pursuing.
PPS: If you’re looking for a simple but powerful home-based plan to build strength and improve flexibility, check out my Bodyweight Beast Building + Operation Pull Up 2-for-1 sale. These programs are inspired by Arnold’s timeless principles but updated to deliver even better results:
As I’ve been getting back into different forms of yoga, calisthenics, bodyweight training, isometrics, and the like, one thing that’s caught my interest is the workout routines of prisoners.
With limited space and no fancy equipment, inmates have developed incredible bodyweight programs. One standout approach is interval training—short bursts of intense effort using push-ups, pull-ups, squats, burpees, and other dynamic exercises. Research shows that interval training can produce up to nine times more fat loss compared to traditional long, slow cardio.
Why? It cranks up your post-workout metabolism and keeps you burning calories long after you’re done. Think of it as a jailhouse approach to maximum efficiency: no excuses, no wasted effort.
Curious about putting this idea into action? Click the link below:
PS – One of my favorite Jailhouse interval workouts is called the Deck of Pain—a simple but brutal session that will push you to your limits. Here’s how it works:
Grab a standard deck of 52 cards.
Assign an exercise to each suit:
Clubs = Squats
Spades = Push-ups
Hearts = Pull-ups or Inverted Rows
Diamonds = Hanging or Lying Leg Raises
Shuffle the deck and start drawing cards.
The suit determines the exercise.
The number tells you the reps to perform (face cards count as 10, Aces as 11).
Keep drawing cards and performing the corresponding exercises until you’ve worked through the entire deck.
Why is this style of interval training so effective? It cranks up your heart rate, keeps your muscles burning, and torches fat long after the workout is over—up to nine times more fat loss per calorie burned compared to traditional cardio.
Curious to give it a try? Click the link below to check out my full course jailhouse-style bodyweight training and interval workouts:
Every time I recertify for my kettlebell certification—about every 2–3 years—one thing always looms over me: pull-ups.
At 6’4” and 240 pounds, pull-ups don’t come naturally for me. In fact, they never have.
Back in 7th grade, I remember staring at that pull-up bar during the Presidential Fitness Test, feeling defeated because I couldn’t even manage one.
Fast forward to my pro football days when I weighed over 300 pounds—I still couldn’t crank out more than 3 or 4.
But since retiring in 2006, I’ve dropped about 60 pounds and started focusing more on mastering the basics. Through consistent practice and the right training strategies, I’ve made massive progress over the years.
One of the most effective tools I’ve used? Pull-up ladders.
Ladders are a game-changing method for building strength and volume without burning yourself out. If you’re stuck at 1 or 2 pull-ups and want to break through to 5, or even 10, this is where you start.
Here’s a simple ladder system you can try today:
1️⃣ Do 1 pull-up. Rest 30 seconds. 2️⃣ Do 2 pull-ups. Rest 60 seconds. 3️⃣ Do 3 pull-ups. Rest 90 seconds. 4️⃣ Repeat the sequence 1–2 more times.
The challenge is a 28-day system that takes you step by step from where you are now to crushing up to 20 pull-ups.
Whether you’re at zero or already hitting 10, the program is built to push your limits with different phases and proven techniques—like pull-up ladders.
My team and I have been working hard on this program, creating videos, guides, and tools to help you master pull-ups while building strength for your entire upper body.
Right now, you can grab Operation Pull-Up Challenge (and even get it free) when you pick up my Bodyweight Beast Building program. Learn more at the link below:
If pull-ups have been your nemesis—or you’re ready to take yours to the next level—this is your chance!
Talk soon, – Forest
P.S. Try the simple ladder method above for the next month, 3x per week. You’ll see progress, guaranteed. If you want the complete system, grab the challenge now!
It’s officially 2025, and I hope your year is off to a strong start. Last night, I kept things pretty low-key—just hanging with the family and reflecting on the year ahead.
How about you? Did you celebrate big, or keep it chill?
Before we dive into today’s workout, I wanted to let you know that I’ve extended my End-of-Year Winter Warrior Sale through midnight tonight. Since it’s the start of a new year, I wanted to give everyone an extra chance to grab these programs and kick off 2025 strong.
This sale includes some of my most popular programs:
Each of these programs is designed to help you build strength, protect your joints, and improve your fitness—all tailored to different training styles and goals.
Now, to give you a taste of what’s inside, here’s a free sample:
“Fire and Flow” Warrior Isometrics Workout (free sample)
Hold each exercise for 30 seconds, divided into three positions (10 seconds each). Rest 15 seconds between exercises and 60 seconds between rounds. Complete 3 rounds total.
Full Boat: Straighten legs, reach arms forward, core engaged.
Twisted Boat: Twist torso to the right, then left, hands reaching toward the floor.
Optional Finisher: “Fire and Flow” Conditioning For a steady-state cardio finisher, flow through this yoga-inspired sequence for 10 minutes at a moderate pace:
Mountain Pose
Forward Fold
Half Lift
High Plank to Low Push-Up
Upward Dog or Cobra
Downward Dog
Step Forward to Half Lift
Forward Fold
Mountain Pose
To increase the challenge, add a Chair Pose Hold at the start of each round.
This workout is perfect for building lean muscle, protecting your joints, and boosting strength—all with minimal time and no equipment required.
If you’re ready to make this the year you crush your fitness goals, check out these programs before the sale ends tonight:
I’ve got a quick challenge for you today—it’s called the Nordic Ascension Challenge, and it’s going to test your strength, endurance, and mental toughness. It’s simple, it’s hard, and it only takes 15 minutes.
This is a sample workout straight from my Bodyweight Beast Building program, which, by the way, you can grab for free this week when you pick up my new Norwegian 4×4 Kettlebell Challenge.
Here’s the workout:
Bodyweight Squats: Start with 2 reps, add 2 each round (2, 4, 6…).
Push-Ups: Start with 1 rep, add 1 each round (1, 2, 3…).
Plank: Start with 10 seconds, add 10 seconds each round (10s, 20s, 30s…).
Reverse Snow Angels: Start with 10 seconds, add 10 seconds each round (10s, 20s, 30s…).
How to do it: Start with 2 squats, 1 push-up, a 10-second plank, and a 10-second reverse snow angel. Next round, bump it up to 4 squats, 2 push-ups, a 20-second plank, and a 20-second reverse snow angel. Keep climbing the ladder for 15 minutes.
It doesn’t matter if you’re just getting back into fitness or you’re already crushing workouts. This will challenge you at your level.
This workout is just one piece of the Bodyweight Beast Building program. It’s a 6-week plan that focuses on building lean muscle, protecting your joints, and getting strong as hell using nothing but your bodyweight.
Not only do you get that, but I’m also throwing in:
The Athletic GAINZ Diet Plan. Think of it as the way Spartans would eat if they had nutrition coaches. Timeless, simple, and effective.
The CORE Kettlebell Challenge. My Amazon best-seller. It’s packed with kettlebell and bodyweight workouts, plus some stories from my own fitness journey.
If you’re looking to switch things up, hit some new goals, or just crush it in your workouts, this is a solid way to do it.
Anyway, give the Nordic Ascension Challenge a try today and let me know how it goes. Seriously—it’s tougher than it looks, but you’ll feel like a champ when you’re done.
