I just shot a quick video for you with some new and unique kettlebell partner workout exercises to try. These will straight-up smoke you out – and I’m willing to bet that you’ve never tried doing these exercises – in this exact way – EVER before.

Whether you are training by yourself or with someone else, you’ll get a killer workout using these combos.  And they are a great example of how you can combine relatively simple and basic kettlebell exercises to continually change up your workouts and keep them exciting and fresh.

Check it out:

If you liked this video, go here.

And remember, you’ll get LOTS more kettlebell partner workouts like these (156 over the next year, to be exact), when you take advantage of the special offer going this week on the new-for-2013 FVT Coaching Club. Don’t miss it. Check it out here:

=> New-and-improved-for-2013 FVT Coaching Club (special offer ends soon)

Okay – thanks it for now! Talk soon -

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

So I am always preaching about the benefits of sticking with the same workout plan for a period of time, and not changing things up too often.  However, I also am fully aware of the potential resistance to this concept.  That you probably want to change your workouts up frequently and keep them interesting, for the sake of fun and variety if nothing else.

In the video below, I cover the best solution to this problem.  This is the approach we take in my Sacramento, CA boot camp classes, and it works great.  Check it out:

Video Recap

Today I want to talk to you about how to keep your body weight and kettlebell workouts interesting, and also continue making progress.

So with this question, a lot of trainers will tell you that you don’t want to do the same thing over and over because your body will adapt and then you’ll stop making progress. This is true … but on the other hand, you can also go overboard with this. If you change your workout every day, every single time and do something completely different with no rhyme or reason…that’s actually bad. That gives you no chance to, for example, progress on a certain exercise. You can’t see if your kettlebell swings are getting better, or if your technique is improving. You can’t see if you can do more pull ups.  You can’t see if your squat poundage is improving, or whatever you are working on.

So what we actually do in the boot camps at my training studio in Sacramento, to keep our body weight and kettlebell workouts interesting, is we will change the workouts up frequently, but we also have a theme that we work with each day.  For example.  In any given week, we’ll alternate between a strength based day where we do heavier lifting (although we usually still have some sort of cardio element). We’re lifting heavier weights to focus on building strength those days. We’ll alternate that with a conditioning day where we are doing more body weight based movements, we’re keeping the heart rate up the entire time, we’re incorporating running, stuff like that. We’ll alternate back and forth so that, number one, people can train every day. Number two, we have sort of a general theme we’re working with but it still allows you to keep making progress over time, getting better at certain exercises and working towards a specific goal.

I hope that helps you with keeping your body weight and kettlebell workouts interesting, and also continuing to make progress over time!

PS - If you liked this video and article, stay tuned for some exciting stuff.  I’ve come up with a way to give you several brand new high-intensity, 30-minutes-or-less, do-anywhere FVT workouts that you can use yourself, with your training clients, boot campers, etc. – every single WEEK – at a super low cost.  I’m pumped about it  Talk soon!

Guest post for you today from new friend of mine and “physical culture renaissance man” Logan Christopher.

Different Forms of Kettlebell Snatch Tests

by Logan Christopher, co-host, June 15th  FVT Kettlebell Workshop

If you’ve been lifting kettlebells for awhile, it’s likely that you’re familiar with one form or another of the snatch test.

The kettlebell snatch is one of the premier kettlebell exercises. It’s tested in Girevoy Sport (GS)as one of the main lifts. It’s also one of my favorites.

Lots of beginners want to move into it quickly. But it is quite a bit more technical than the swing, which is it’s foundation. I recommend that you spend a few months of consistent work building your technique and foundation with the swing before moving onto the snatch.

That doesn’t mean you can’t practice the snatch. Far from it. But a good foundation should be in place before you pursue snatching at a higher level, which any form of the snatch test will do.

So let’s talk about different forms of the kettlebell snatch test.

GS Style

In GS you are allowed a single hand switch over a span of ten minutes and attempt to get as many reps as possible.

The limitation here will almost always be the grip and it becomes very technical as you work to spare the hands from the weight as much as possible. Because of this the technique is done in as relaxed of a manner as possible and is often quite slow, with time spend waiting in the lockout.

Great for a sport, but I don’t think it’s the best thing for the average person since its requirements are quite specific.

USSS Snatch Test (Multiple Hand Switches)

That stands for the United States Secret Service Snatch Test, as that’s how this form first came into popularity. I don’t know if many people call it that anymore, but it was a big thing when kettlebells first became popular.

In Pavel’s Enter the Kettlebell, its still one part of the Rite of Passage. For a man you need to work up to 200 reps in 10 minutes with a 24kg kettlebell.

The difference between this and the GS test is that multiple hand switches are allowed. You can even set the kettlebell down and rest. But once the clock starts it runs, and here again you go for 10 minutes.

Often times for people the hands will still be the weak point. But here the focus is more on speed and conditioning.

I made it my goal to break 300 reps on this which is almost as fast as possible the full time. Some people say I wasn’t locking out every rep so it doesn’t count, but no matter how you cut it, the endurance needed for this is crazy.

Higher or Lower Minutes

Just because the main time frame used is 10 minutes doesn’t mean you can’t change that up.

I will tell you a five minute test feels like nothing compared to ten. Those second five minutes are the really hard ones. This will make it less of a test of endurance and generally more of speed.

You can also go longer. I haven’t done this one much, as 10 minutes of the same thing is about the limit of what I want to concentrate on before I get bored. This of course would make it more of an endurance game and less one of speed.

Beast Snatch Test

The typical weight for men is 24kg. If you’re competing in GS men will have to work up to 32kg to compete at the elite levels. For women its usually a 12kg bell or something a little higher.

There is a version of the USSS Snatch Test done with the 32kg for guys. This is brutal. In the near future I plan to beat 200 reps in this. But lets take it even further.

Snatch tests are not typically done with heavier weights. But I want to change that and issue a challenge out to anyone reading this.

By heavy for men I mean 48kg aka The Beast. That is the heaviest kettlebell I own though, if you have heavier you can go for it too. For women I propose a 32kg kettlebell.

Once again the time frame is 10 minutes. Of course this will have to be built up to. (So will snatching the beast for most. I remember many years ago how happy I was when I snatched the beast for the first time ever.) This is done in multiple hand switch, and rest allowed, style.

Here is my first attempt at a 5 minute version of this test. I managed 34 reps in this time. My goal in the future is to break 100 reps in a 10 minute time frame so I have a little ways to go.

For this I propose some small changes to how snatches are usually done. Since the weight is quite a bit heavier you’ll likely end up with some dip at the lockout, especially in later reps. This is fine, as long as it gets locked out overhead, and you stand up fully with it.

Secondly, because it’s a heavy weight, and the potential for injury is higher, as the weight can pull you out of place, instead of bringing it all the way done from the top, the kettlebell can be lowered to the shoulder, swung down and then snatched again. You’ll have to figure out the pacing that works for you best on this one as it will certainly be different than the other kettlebells.

Forest and I will be holding a Beginner and Advanced Kettlebell Training Workshop coming up on June 15th in Sacramento. Its your chance to build up the foundation you need to move onto advanced training like this. Limited spots are available.

Logan Christopher has been called a physical culture renaissance man for his wide range of abilities in strength and fitness. One of his specialities is kettlebells in doing the snatch, and his favorite, kettlebell juggling. But that’s only a small part of what he does which includes bodyweight training, heavy lifting and feats of strength. Check out Legendary Strength for more ideas and signup to receive 5 special reports as your free gift.

I am SO sick of people making this training mistake.  It could very well be the #1 cause of kettlebell training injury.

If anyone made this crucial error at the RKC – which, unfortunately, they did – our chief instructor made us ALL do 50 penalty burpees.

Although the burpees sucked, I think it was a good idea.  Because you can really injure yourself doing this.  And it’s so easily avoided.  Watch the video below to see what it is:

Video Recap

Today I’m going to cover something pretty basic but very important and that is how to pick up a kettlebell, or any kind of weight for that matter, up off the ground. Now this is like if you are shifting the ‘bell off the ground, or if you are moving it around to get ready for your set.

What happens all the time with new people in our boot camps is they go to pick up the ‘bell and while they are focused on using good form during the set, they are moving the kettlebell around and getting all sloppy and being totally careless moving the weight around between sets.

So anytime you pick up the KB, make sure that you have a nice flat back, use good form like you are doing a deadlift.  It might seem like a small thing, but I can tell you from personal experience that the only time I’ve actually tweaked my back with kettlebells was between sets and moving a heavy ‘bell while being careless.

So that’s a basic tip for you, but is really important for long term safety when doing kettlebell training.   

Okay.  Quick, simple, but CRITICAL tip to keep your KB training safe for the long haul.  Train hard, and talk soon -

Forest

PS - If you liked this video, please share it with your family and friends! And – if you haven’t grabbed your free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to KB Training – make sure to do it now by dropping your best email address into the box at the upper right of the page.

Hope you are having a FANTASTIC weekend. The weather is great here in Northern California, perfect for an outdoor workout.

I am about to head out for a quick KB session and bike ride, but before I do -

I have been getting a lot of questions about my new Hybrid Kettlebell Strength program. So, I thought I would go throug,h and answer some of the ones we are getting over and over. I think these will help you out, whether you are doing Hybrid KB Strengh, or any other strength-based program.

Let’s go -

Q: How do I bump up the weight(s) I am using in my workouts?

A: Incorporate strength work into your overall routine, and use the principle of progressive overload.

Simply put, you need to strive to use more weight in your workouts over time. If you are pressing a 12k today for three sets of eight reps today, try to get nine, eight, eight with it next time. Then nine, nine, eight. Then nine, nine, nine. Then maybe ten. Then maybe bump up the weight. Etc.

THIS is why we want to stick with the same workout and exercises for at least four to six weeks, BTW. PARTICULARLY if gaining strength is our goal. If we change things up more frequently than that, there is no way to measure progress and see if we are getting better at specific exercises.

Q: How often should I change up my workouts?

A: Every four to six weeks.

If you are not the type that gets easily bored with your workouts, you could actually probably do the same workout even eight, ten weeks, or more. As long as you are making progress on the routine you are doing, you can (and should) keep doing it.

Q: How to I scale up or down, and adapt things for a more basic – or more advanced – fitness level?

A: Here are some progressions for some basic exercises included in the Hybrid Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning program. I have listed them in order from easiest/most basic variation, to hardest/most difficult variation:

• split squat-bulgarian split squat-bulgarian split squat with weight
• inverted row-band assisted pull up-standard pull up-pull up with kb on foot
• burpee with hands elevated, no jump at top – burpee with no jump at top – burpee with jump at top – burpee with jump at top, push up on the floor
• hands elevated push ups-knee push up-standard push up -feet elevated push up

Q: What if I travel often, and don’t have access to any equipment?

A: Plan ahead, and work around it.

For your real strength days, it is best to have access to your KB’s. So plan those one to two days per week for when you are home, or will have access to kettlebells.

Then, you can do body weight – based workouts for your metabolic conditioning days when you are on the road.

You can also do interval cardio when you are on the road – running is the simplest way, or just using simple body weight – based movements (jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, etc.)

I travel about once a month or so – in anywhere from three to seven day stretches – and this system works great for me. I am able to stay on track with my workouts and even make progress while I am away.

Q: What if I only have three days per week to train? Can I still make progress?

A: Follow this template:

Day 1 – Metabolic conditioning + interval cardio
Day 2 – Off
Day 3 – Heavy strength + Recovery/LSD cardio
Day 4 – Off
Day 5 – Metabolic conditioning + interval cardio
Day 6 – Off
Day 7 – Off

This will allow you to get all the work you need in three 45 -60 minute sessions.
Alright! Hope this Q&A has helped you out. If you have any other questions, I am here to help – feel free to ask them. Now I’m off to hit my kettlebell workout for the day!

Train hard, and take care -

Forest

PS - Hybrid Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning is on sale for just one more day. Check it out and grab your copy at a great discount here:

=> Hybrid KB Strength and Conditioning

I have a workout for you today I’ve created in the ‘style’ of my new Hybrid Kettlebell Strength program.

(I actually did this one last night myself – and whoa! I was SHOCKED at how tough it was.)

The important thing to keep in mind, to get the very most out of this one, is to use the heaviest weight you can handle with perfect form. NOT so heavy that you get sloppy. But, you gotta challenge yourself. Otherwise, it won’t be nearly as tough.

Here we go – let’s get right to it:

Hybrid KB Strength Workout

First, do:

Turkish get ups – 5 each side, switching sides each rep

Do one or two TGU’s on each side with no added weight first – ‘naked’, as they say – and increase the weight progressively each set, until you’re really challenging yourself on reps 4 and 5.

Then, on to:

(Pair 1)

Double KB squat to press – 6 to 8
Band pull apart – 12 to 15

Repeat for a total of three sets each.

Go for it on the kb squat to press. Use as much weight as you can handle with perfect form. Try increasing the weight on the second and/or third set.

For the band pulls, hold a resistance band in front of you, with your arms straight and the band at about eye level. Pull the band apart, keeping your arms straight.

(Pair 2)

Kettlebell crush curl – 10 to 12
Feet elevated close grip push up – 8 to 10

Repeat for a total of three sets each.

Grab a heavy kb and ‘crush’ the ball part of the weight, while you do bicep curls with it. Superset this with a foot elevated close grip push up.

Finish with:

High Intensity Interval Cardio (optional)

30 second sprint
30 second recovery
Repeat 10 times

Run or bike are the preferred modalities for the high intensity cardio. The ‘sprint’ portion should be HARD – like 9 out of 10 intensity. The ‘recovery’ portion should be EASY – like 3 out of 10 intensity.

Whew! Give that one a try, and let me know how it goes.

And – if you like it – be sure to check out my brand new Hybrid Kettlebell Strength program here:

=> Hybrid KB Strength

Have a great Saturday, and talk soon -

Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKC II

PS - If you are looking to:

• Slash your body fat
• Get a lean, athletic looking build
• Bump up your current weights
• “Tighten up”
• Get STRONG – WITHOUT lots of expensive equipment
• Do it QUICK – with a workout that can fit into your crazy schedule
• Seamlessly integrate kettlebells and body weight, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your KB routine

You NEED to check this program out:

Hybrid Kettlebell Strength <= save over 50% this weekend

Today’s article is about the new rules of hybrid kettlebell strength.  It’s MY take on what I see as a big problem in the fitness world today … and what you can do about it.

But real quick before we get started, I want to share a quick personal story with you …

I still remember it like it was yesterday.  My first high intensity, REAL metabolic conditioning style kettlebell workout.

See, during the first seven or eight years of my lifting career, we only really did it one way.  We lifted heavy weights.  We rested plenty between sets. Weights were for getting STRONG – and that’s about it.

This type of heavy training ROCKS actually, and is a super important part of your overall training program … but when you are used to training a certain way, and you throw in one of these high-intensity, full-body, mixed-strength-and-conditioning workouts, your world gets turned upside down

Me and my training partner – a guy I worked with at the big box gym where I was employed at the time – hammered out a less-than-10 minute, SUPER high intensity, kettlebell and body weight – based circuit workout.

I remember lying on the floor afterwards, feeling like I was going to puke … and because of the exercises in the workout, having what they call “monkey claw” (it’s where your hands kind of curl up into balls, due to a fatigued grip) … and thinking – “Man, that was awesome.  I gotta do workouts like this more often!”

Sick, I know.  But, I’ll bet you have similar thoughts yourself after a good workout.  It’s just how us crazy fitness peeps roll

NOW … the point of this article … is that these kind of workouts can be almost addicting, in a way … but that really, you can’t let that “suck you in”, and get away from doing basic, heavy, effective strength work.

You NEED to include some max strength work in your overall scheme as well. You will not have the core, pre-requisite strength to perform your body weight/kettlebell/etc. movements at a high intensity and with great form, if you don’t.

This is so hard for me to get some of my clients to understand.  They feel like they MUST be smoked after EVERY workout.  That a day where you focus on heavy, basic, compound lifts, and don’t feel trashed afterwards is waste of time or something.

To make continued progress in your training, you must get this idea out of your head.

Sample Strength + Metabolic Conditioning Template

All this being said, I wanted to illustrate exactly what I am talking about here, with a sample week of workouts – using the “undulating periodization” model. I have used this template myself, and with hundreds, if not thousands, of in-person training clients, over the years with great success.

This basically means that you hit different training modalities – both heavy/max strength training and higher rep/conditioning-style work – not in specific, dedicated phases, but rather all over the course of a single week.

It allows most folks to make solid, continuing gains – in both strength AND conditioning. Which is a tough feat

Day 1 – Metabolic conditioning day
Day 2 – Interval cardio day
Day 3 – Heavy strength day
Day 4 – Recovery/LSD cardio day
Day 5 – Metabolic Conditionoing day
Day 6 – Interval cardio day
Day 7 – Off

OR – if one only has three days per week to train, they could also set it up like this:

Day 1 – Metabolic conditioniong + interval cardio
Day 2 – Off
Day 3 – Heavy strength + Recover/LSD cardio
Day 4 – Off
Day 5 – Metabolic conditioniong + interval cardio
Day 6 – Off
Day 7 – Off

And probably get pretty similar results.

In conclusion, I love high – intensity, conditioning – style kettlebell workouts.  I always will.  But I think it is also very important to take a step back, look at your programming as a whole, and make sure you lift HEAVY, too – it’s the foundation that much of your other training is built upon.

Thanks for reading, and talk soon -

Forest

PS - I will be back VERY soon with a full workout program, based on the theories discussed in this article. Stay tuned. AND – if you haven’t signed up for my free email newsletter, and grabbed your free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training, make sure to do that now – you’ll get very first notice of the program’s availability when you do.

I have another free kettlebell challenge workout for you today.

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

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. Enough said 

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!

Oh – and would love to hear how you do, in the comments section below.

Forest

PS - I originally wrote this workout for my kettlebell juggling expert friend Logan Christopher to share with his readers … and he actually ended up taking the challenge himself and catching it on video.  He smoked it  Check it out:

PPS - Logan and I met in person a couple of months ago at a business conference … we got to talking, and given that Logan is actually in the Santa Cruz area – only a couple of hours drive from where I am (in Sacramento) – we thought it would be great to collaborate on a kettlebell workshop. We could bring our own unique viewpoints and talents to share, for an awesome experience.

So, if you are interested, good news.  The workshop is on, for sure. The date is set, and the sign up page is almost ready.

I will have more details about that workshop coming for you early next week. Stay tuned  And make sure to sign up for my email newsletter to be the first to find out when it’s open, if you haven’t done that yet.  Just drop your best email address into the box at the upper right of the page to do that now.  Thanks!

Last post, I gave you the first half of this “kettlebells for strength” workout. If you missed it, check it out here:

=> Get STRONG With Kettlebells (part 1)

Today, I got part two for ‘ya!

KB’s for Muscle – Workout B

Snatches
Do 50 total, switching hands every 5-10 reps. Men should use a 24k ‘bell, women 16k. Time yourself and do all 50 reps as fast as you can. As your conditioning level improves, strive to improve your time. You can also start with a lighter weight or less reps and work your way up if you’re out of shape.

*Check out this article and video series on how to learn and refine the kettlebell snatch (it’s a three part series):

=> Mastering the Kettlebell Snatch

Goblet Squat/ Pull Up Superset
Start by doing 15 Goblet Squats.
Follow the KB Squats with a Pull Up ladder – do 1 rep, rest :30, do 2 reps, rest :45, do 3 reps.

After completing the Pull Up ladder, rest about :60 seconds and repeat this superset two more times.

*Check out these articles and videos for some tips on how to do more pull ups:

=> 2 Tips to Improve Your Pull Ups Fast
=> Controlled Cheating For More Pull Ups?

Rengade Rows

Finish the workout off with 3 sets of 10 reps here.

*Here’s an article and video on how to do the Renegade Row:

=> Kettlebell Exercises for Abs – The Renegade Row

NOW the question is – how do you put these kettlebell workouts together into a routine that makes sense, gives you the right amount of recovery, etc.?

Simple – do workout A on Monday. Rest or do some light recovery work (walk, ride your bike, swim, etc.) on Tuesday. Do the workout B on Wednesday. Again, do some light recovery work, flexibility/mobility, etc. on Thursday. Do workout A again on Friday. Take the weekend off.

The next week, you’ll follow the same schedule, except you’ll do workout B on Monday, workout A on Wednesday, and workout B on Friday. Rest for the weekend and start all over again the next Monday. You can do this routine for 4-6 weeks until you’ll need to change it up.

And that about sums things up.  You now have one of my all-time favorite kettlebell and body weight – based strength workouts … as I mentioned in part one of this post series, I just finished a six week cycle of it myself, and was able to get stronger in every lift in the program, in addition to putting on some new muscle mass in the process.

Thanks again for reading, and talk soon -

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS - If you liked this article, be sure to sign up for my kettlebell training email newsletter … you’ll get tips and tricks like the ones in this article sent to you several times each week when you do … PLUS a free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training!  Just drop your best email address into the box at the upper right of the page to get signed up now.

AND – if you know anyone else who might benefit from this info, feel free to pass it on 

The best way to reach any training goal is to focus on it, and it alone, for a period of time.  Until you reach it.

Put another way, trying to lose fat, AND gain strength, AND get your first pistol squat, AND do more pull ups, etc. – all at the same time – is NOT the most efficient way to do things.  It’s also a mistake that, unfortunately, I see a lot of folks make with their training.

For example – let’s say you want to get stronger.  Focus on that.  Make sure the program you’re doing is oriented towards this goal.  Make sure you’re eating adequate kcals/protein/etc. to support your training goal.  Stay for a while.  Don’t bounce around from workout to workout.  THEN – once you have reached your strength goal – can you move on to fat loss, or running faster, or doing more pull ups, or whatever.

Make sense?

Okay … now that we have that part out of the way … I have a new “kettlebells for strength” workout for you today.  This one of my favorite kettlebell and body weight – based strength workouts … I just finished a six week cycle on it myself, and was able to get stronger in every lift in the program, and put on some new muscle mass in the process.

It is a little different that many KB workouts that I post here, in that it is a body part split … you’ll focus on all your “pushing” muscles in the “A” workout, and all of your “pulling” muscles in the “B” session.  If you’re trying to get stronger – and add some muscle mass in the process – it’s a great way to train. 

Today, I will post up the first half of the workout. Then, I will post up the second half in a follow up article – along with a more detailed explaination of how to put the whole thing together.

KB’s for Muscle – Workout A

1) TGU’s
Do one ‘naked’ on each side (no added weight) and then three more on each side, switching sides each rep.

*Here is an article and video with a few tips on how to improve your Turkish get up technique:

=> The Turkish Get Up Broken Down Into Steps

2) Push Ups
Do three sets of max reps with 30 seconds of rest between sets. Pick a Push Up variation that’s challenging for you – you shouldn’t be able to complete more than 20 reps on the first set.

3) KB Presses
Do three ladders up to 5 reps each. The pressing ladders will look like this:

Clean and Press Right
Clean and Press Left
Clean, 2 Presses Right
Clean, 2 Presses Left
Clean, 3 Presses Right
Etc.

* Here are some tips to help you boost your pressing strength:

=> Instantly Boost Your KB Pressing Power

4) Bar Dips
Do three sets of max reps just like you did with the Push Ups.

Okay! That’s it for today. Hope you enjoy the workout – talk soon, and be back with part “B” very soon -

Forest