Learn the Basics of Kettlebell Training from Forest Vance, Certified Kettlebell Instructor
4-Minute Tabata Abs Workout
Do as many reps as you can of each exercise for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds between moves. Do 4 rounds of the sequence total:
– Bird Dog (beginner) / Sit-Out (advanced)
– “Modified” Hollow Hold (beginner) / Standard Hollow Hold (advanced)
Add this short and powerful sequence to the end of your next kettlebell workout for some extra work on your abs!
-Forest Vance, Master of Science – Human Movement, Kettlebell Expert, Over 40 Training Specialist
Turkish Get Ups rock!!
No other exercise simultaneously trains both stability and mobility, across so many joints, and in so many positions.
However, if you are working around an injury, are just learning the exercise, or just don’t quite yet have the strength to do the full version, it can be quite tricky.
Check out today’s video! show two beginner / entry – level variations of the movement – the “1/2 get up” and the “foot switch get up”.
And if you like this one, also be sure to check out my Lifetime Kettlebell Fitness program for men and women over 50 – we show you how to do different versions of all the different kettlebell moves, so that you can make faster progress and avoid injury at the same time:
=> Lifetime Kettlebell Fitness
-Forest Vance
Kettlebell Expert
Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net
Kettlebells are here to stay!
In addition to being an amazing tool for full-body workouts, KBs are perfect for working your abs, too.
Pretty much all of the main kettlebell moves, including:
ALL light up your core.
But if you want to try something new – that will shoot your heart rate through the roof, burn a ton of calories, and hit your abs HARD, all at the same time – try the Kettlebell Full Body Attack:
1 – You are going to need two kettlebells. Pick the heaviest KBs you can use safely and with good form. The reason being, when you are doing a renegade row or a push up or anything with your hands on the ‘bells, they can get a little bit unstable if your weight is really light. That’s because all of your weight is supported on the bottom of the ‘bell, which is really small.
2 – Get both hands on the ‘bells, hop your feet back. Row on the right. Make sure when you do that row you transfer your weight over and get in a nice plank and use the muscles in the back to do the row. Now do a row on the left. Then hop the feet forward.
3 – From here you have to adjust your hands a little bit and turn the handles in. It’s not going to be like a Russian swing to clean, it’s just going to be from a dead stop.
4 – Go from right here, snap the hips, weights up to the clean position. From here, adjust your feet a little bit, do a squat up to an overhead press. You can add in an optional push up if you want to make it more difficult. Repeat that for reps.
Check out the video with a full breakdown of how to do this exercise HERE.
Try adding the kettlebell total body attack into your workouts for better and faster results.
And if you want more kettlebells for abs, stay tuned – our 28-day Kettlebells for Abs Challenge 2.0 is opening for registration tomorrow, Tuesday, August 24th!
-Forest Vance
Kettlebell Expert
Over 40 Training Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net
Check out this “sneak peak” into my KB Fit Over 40 online coaching program!
So many of my remote personal training clients talk about how cool it is that we have the technology to work together and get amazing results, whether they are working with me in person here at my Sacramento, CA – based kettlebell studio, OR pretty much anywhere else around the world with an internet connection!
Now, this sample workout is just a small example of how I can help you reach your goals working together remotely.
We are also able to:
– Design a written, personalized workout plan that you’d do on your own time
– Give you on-going, individual feedback on your training
– Formulate a customized nutrition plan together so that you know exactly what to eat and when to eat it …and MUCH more.
I’ve had my online personal training program going since 2014, and in that time, I have helped almost seven hundred men and women over 40 get the best results of their lives – with kettlebells!
Click the link below to apply and be my next success story:
KB Fit Over 40 – https://forestvance.wufoo.com/forms/m67qz7y1a46hkn/
– Forest Vance Owner, FVT Boot Camp and Personal Training
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Russian Kettlebell
Certified Personal Trainer
Certifed Performance Enhancement Specialist
Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach
KettlebellBasics.net
ForestVanceTraining.com
How do you know when you are ready to go up in kettlebell weight?
The gap in available kettlebell sizes typically presents a significant increase in weight. KBs are typically available in 4k increments, so the jump from a 12k to a 16k for example is a full 33% increase in weight. This is a jump you would NEVER take, for example, in barbell training. (Imagine going from squatting 200 pounds one workout, to 265 the next!)
Plus, kettlebells are not cheap, so adding more weights can also get expensive in a hurry.
So then, how do you know when you are ready to go up in kettlebell weight?
The main criteria should be to be able to demonstrate smooth proficiency and feel at a sense of ease with your current set of kettlebells.
For example, if you can perform a smooth set of 5-10 kettlebell presses with ease and great form using your current weight, it’s probably time to size up.
Or if a set of 20+ two hand kettlebell swings feel easy, you can maintain perfect form, and do not spike your heart rate – it’s time to size up.
And remember, over time, you need to be continuously challenging the body to adapt in order to keep making progress. It could be adding weight, it could be adding reps, it could be doing a different, more challenging variation of an exercise – but the overall principle is critical for your long-term success.
I hope this simple guideline helps you safely and confidently grab that next kettlebell. Now go get those kettlebell GAINZ!!
– Forest
PS – My “300” KB Challenge workouts will help you get better results – and, with some of the advanced techniques in the program, you can probably get some additional mileage out of your current set of kettlebells! Details and grab a copy here -> https://forestvance.lpages.co/the-300-kettlebell-challenge/
KB-BW MRT Circuit
Do 4 rounds for time:
– 10 push ups
-7 1-arm KB squat to press per side
– 8 1-arm KB swing per side
– 12 KB overhead tricep extension
– 15 cross body mountain climbers
If you liked this, you’ll LOVE our upcoming 28-day KB Challenge – you’ll get stronger, leaner, faster than ever! Details and sign up here now:
-> https://forestvance.lpages.co/28-day-kb-pha-challenge-v3/
Back in my pro football days, bodyweight conditioning work was a staple of our training.
We’d do sprints, burpees, bear crawls, you name it.
After a summer of doing these kind of workouts daily, you’d be in lean, mean, AND in awesome overall shape going into training camp.
If you want to add some bodyweight conditioning to your kettlebell workouts so that you can get the same kind of results, today’s “countdown ladder” workout is a great place to start!
-Forest
–
Bodyweight Countdown Ladder
:50 walking lunges
:10 rest
:40 dead bugs
:10 rest
:30 push ups
:10 rest
:20 bodyweight squats
:10 rest
:10 burpees
Repeat for two rounds total!
Are you stuck pressing the same kettlebell, and can’t seem to increase the weight?
I have a quick tip for you in today’s video that will help you get an extra rep or two on those hard sets, instantly… which might not seem like much, but done consistently, can add up to big time strength and muscle gains over time!
It’s often little tips and tricks like this that make all the difference, especially when you get to a certain point in your kettlebell training journey. That’s why if you’re not getting the results you want from all your hard work, it might not be your fault. You just don’t know exactly what you need to do.
I just had two spots open up in my “KB Fit Over 40” coaching program – so if you want me to not only 100% custom design a workout for you, but also to coach you and guide you and hold you accountable along the way, and give you tips and tricks like the one I shared today that are specific to YOU and YOUR exact situation, apply now at the link below before my client roster fills up again:
To your success! –
-Forest Vance, Kettlebell Expert, Over 40 Training Specialist, KettlebellBasics.net
Watch the video here -> https://youtu.be/LQaI0SyL1Hk
This is a sneak peak of what we do in our 28-day KB Challenge program. I do an “explainer” video just like this one for every single workout, so that you know exactly what to do to get the best possible results!
Click here for more details and to join our upcoming 28-day KB AMRAP “Summer Shred” Challenge – https://forestvance.lpages.co/28-day-kb-amrap-summer-shred-challenge-v2/
– Forest and the FVT Team @ KettlebellBasics.net
In today’s article and video, I will make the case for limiting your HardStyle kettlebell swings sets to 15 or 20 reps. Two of the main things that are trained in the kettlebell swing exercise are hip extension and the ability to absorb force. When we do more than 15 or 20 reps swings at a time without stopping, these two things get much harder to do, and we lose some of the effectiveness of the exercise.
Sprinting, jumping, other athletic activities – these all require explosive hip extension. Kettlebell swings are a great way to train this movement pattern. When we get over that 15 or 20 rep mark however, fatigue typically sets in, and most people cannot to get proper explosive hip extension.
Kettlebell swings also teach a person how to absorb force safely and efficiently. KB’s are great for things like contact sports for this exact reason. There are not a lot of other movements that can replicate this. When we get over that 15 or 20 rep mark however, fatigue typically sets in, and most people cannot use proper body mechanics.
To sum up, I believe that in most cases, a person should limit their HardStyle kettlebell swings sets to 15 or 20 reps. This is because most people get fatigued at the higher rep ranges, cannot maintain proper form, and the exercise becomes less effective.
– Forest Vance Master of Science, Human Movement
Kettlebell Expert
Over 40 Training Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net