Are you joining us for the upcoming 28-Day Iron + Asphalt Challenge?

-> Join the 28-Day “Iron + Asphalt” Drop-a-Size Challenge

The basic idea is simple:

We’re combining kettlebells + rucking + performance-focused intermittent fasting to help you lose up to a full clothing size in 28 days while still training hard, maintaining muscle, and feeling strong.

And one of the biggest parts of the challenge is going to be the nutrition side.

I’m taking my Feed the Beast / Modern-Day Warrior approach and turning it into a full Performance Intermittent Fasting Workshop.

See – I have tried I’ve personally used intermittent fasting for well over a decade, and I’ve used variations of this approach with hundreds of clients over the years.

There’s also a solid body of research behind intermittent fasting. It can be a very effective tool for controlling calorie intake and body weight, and depending on the person and the approach, it may also help improve things like blood-sugar control and other markers of metabolic health.

But here’s the part I think gets missed:

If you’re someone who actually TRAINS, you need to approach fasting differently.

You can’t necessarily take the exact same approach as someone who’s relatively sedentary and simply trying to eat fewer calories.

If you’re lifting weights, training with kettlebells, rucking, doing conditioning work and trying to maintain or build lean muscle, you have some additional things to think about.

You need to:

• Get enough protein
• Eat enough total food to recover
• Time your meals intelligently around harder workouts
• Know when fasted training makes sense — and when it doesn’t
• Use carbs strategically instead of automatically eliminating them
• Adjust your fasting window when your training demands change

That’s the approach we’re going to take here.

-> Join the 28-Day “Iron + Asphalt” Drop-a-Size Challenge

We’re using intermittent fasting as a fat-loss tool without sacrificing performance.

Every Monday at 12 PM CST, we’ll meet live for a short training (roughly 15-30 minutes) – followed by open Q+A.

(Can’t make it live? No problem. Every session will be recorded, so you can go back and watch it whenever you want.)

And rather than just tell you we’re going to “cover intermittent fasting,” here’s the actual plan:

WEEK 1: THE FASTING BLUEPRINT + YOUR MEAL PLAN

• What intermittent fasting actually is
• Why it can work so well for fat loss
• 12:12 vs. 14:10 vs. 16:8
• How to choose the right fasting window for YOU
• Morning fasting vs. earlier eating windows
• What you can drink during a fast
• How to deal with hunger
• How to gradually extend your fasting window
• What to do if you train in the morning
• What to do if you train later in the day
• How to set up your exact fasting schedule for the week
• How to structure your meals inside the eating window
• What your first meal should look like
• How much protein to build into each meal
• Several plug-and-play meal templates so you don’t have to guess

WEEK 2: EAT TO LOSE FAT AND PERFORM

• How much protein you need
• Why protein becomes even more important during fat loss
• How many meals to eat inside your eating window
• How to build your first meal after a fast
• Protein + produce + smart carbs + healthy fats
• Why carbs are NOT the enemy if you’re training hard
• How to place more carbs around tougher workouts
• How to avoid the giant “reward meal” after fasting
• Hydration and electrolytes
• Alcohol and fat loss
• How to adjust your portions based on your size and goals
• How to tweak the Week 1 meal templates for YOU

WEEK 3: FASTING + TRAINING

• Can you train fasted?
• When fasted training works really well
• When eating before training might be smarter
• Strength training while fasting
• Kettlebell training while fasting
• Rucking while fasting
• Why walking and rucking pair so well with fasting
• Hard conditioning and fasting
• What to eat after your workout
• How soon you actually need protein after training
• How to time carbs around harder workouts
• Signs that you may be under-fueling
• What to change if your workout performance starts dropping
• How to adjust your fasting window on harder training days

WEEK 4: MAKE IT WORK IN REAL LIFE

• How to handle weekends
• Restaurants
• Travel
• Holidays and social events
• What happens if you break your fasting schedule
• What to do after an overeating day
• Hunger-management tricks
• What to change if fat loss stalls
• Moving between 12-, 14- and 16-hour fasts
• How to transition from fat loss to maintenance
• When fasting may NOT be a good idea
• How to build a long-term approach after the 28 days are finished

By the end, I want you to understand not just what to do for 28 days, but how to adjust the approach yourself going forward.

If that sounds like what you need right now:

-> Join the 28-Day “Iron + Asphalt” Drop-a-Size Challenge

We start Monday!

— Forest

Combining a kettlebell session with a weighted backpack (rucking) builds incredible total-body strength, core stability, and aerobic endurance.

It’s what we’re doing in our upcoming 28 day “Iron and Asphalt” Kettlebell Challenge, where you can learn how to use this unique combo to lose up to one clothes size in 28 days:

–>> 28-day “Iron + Asphalt” Kettlebell – Ruck Drop-a-Size Challenge

Here’s a cool way to combine the two modalities into a hybrid routine, and for a 200 pound guy, this one torches around 550 calories:

The Kettlebell EMOM + Ruck Hybrid Workout

Warm-Up: A quick dynamic warm-up to prep you for the work ahead, gets you ready for walking fast and being explosive with the hips. We detail the exact warm-up inside the challenge.

The Kettlebell EMOM Block (15 minutes):

This block alone will have your heart rate up and burning through calories fast. Every minute on the minute, for 3 rounds, complete the following:

• Kettlebell swings, any style! 20 reps (suggested weight: 24kg men / 16kg women)
• Push ups, any style! 15 reps
• Kettlebell goblet lunges, any style! 20 reps, 10 per leg (suggested weight: 16kg men / 8kg women)
• 1 arm kettlebell rows, 12 reps per side (suggested weight: 20kg men / 12kg women)
• Jumping jacks, 30 reps

That’s 5 minutes per round, 3 rounds, 15 minutes total. Beginners can knock the reps down if you’re not finishing with rest.

The Ruck Transition (20-40 minutes):

This is where most of your calorie burn happens. Put on your weighted sack. We want about 20 pounds for beginners, 30 pounds for more advanced (you can go lighter if you’re just starting). Then walk at a fast, purposeful pace for 1 to 2 miles. If you can find a route with some hills or uneven terrain, even better, that’ll push the burn even higher.

A few quick tips to get the most out of it:

• Start light, especially if you’re new to rucking, and work your way up to heavier loads over time.
• Keep the weight positioned high and close to your shoulder blades.
• If your pack has a hip belt and chest strap, use both so the load sits on your hips instead of just your shoulders.
• Stand tall with your shoulders back. If you find yourself leaning forward, the load is too heavy.
• Take shorter, quicker steps rather than long strides to protect your knees and lower back.
• Keep your core engaged the whole time to stabilize your spine.

Once you’re back, finish it off with a short core circuit (about 6-8 minutes) to squeeze out the last bit of burn:

Core Finisher:

Complete 3 rounds of the following circuit. Rest as needed between exercises. Rest 60 seconds between rounds.

1. Bear Plank Drag Through, 7 each side (suggested weight: 12kg+ women, 20kg+ men)
2. Side Plank with Hip Dip, 7 each side

Pretty fun, and you’ll enjoy it.

Calorie estimate is based on standard MET values for high intensity kettlebell circuits and rucking, calculated for a 200 pound individual. Actual burn will vary depending on your weight, effort level, and pack weight.

If you want the full program, with a lot more sophistication, more workouts, more of everything, check out the challenge. We start Monday. I’ll walk you through exactly what to do, every step of the way. And you can drop up to one clothes size in 28 days:

–>> 28-day “Iron + Asphalt” Kettlebell – Ruck Challenge

— Forest

*Quick heads-up before today’s story: if you missed the KettleFighter Championship bundle, the price has bumped up a bit today, but it’s still a great deal – 82% off at the link below. Grab it now before it’s gone.

-> KettleFighter Championship (still 82% off, last newsletter mention)

I just got back from a week at Disney World with the family.

It was a ton of fun. Some great lifetime memories made. Hectic as always, but I love doing it.

And real talk, let’s just say the eating plan took a week off. 😂

Disney food, snacking all day, sodium and sugar, eating on the go the whole trip. I kept my kettlebell workouts going in the hotel gym, but nutrition was completely off plan. Coming home a little bloated after a week like that is just normal.

Maybe you’ve been there too, vacation, a busy stretch, a rough couple weeks. Weight goes up and down like this for every human. Lean periods, softer periods. The key is keeping an eye on it and getting back to where you want to be.

So here’s what I’m doing about it.

We’re in the final stretch of prepping for our Iron and Asphalt Challenge at the studio, rucking plus strength work, deadlift and bench press for anyone training with us in person in Lee’s Summit. Months in the making.

I’m building a kettlebell version as an online challenge this month, follow right along. Sign up and you’ll do the challenge with me, plus get my new app to check off your workouts. I’m also running an updated, follow along version of my Feed the Beast intermittent fasting plan, weekly check-ins, new aspects live during the challenge, recordings included.

Here’s the basic idea, whether you follow my program or go it alone:

• Create a consistent calorie deficit
• Three kettlebell training days per week
• Three rucking or walking days, just a backpack with weight, no fancy equipment. We’re working up to 20-30 lbs locally, start at 10 if you’re new, 30+ if you’re advanced. 30-45 minutes, three days a week, on non kettlebell days
• Pair that with Feed the Beast intermittent fasting for a nutrition side deficit too

Goal: 1,000 calorie daily deficit, about 2 lbs a week during the challenge. I’m following the same plan myself for Iron and Asphalt, plus a 10k a couple months out.

It opens tomorrow, full details then.

That’s it for today. Have a great day.

The “Fighter Kettlebell Bundle” sale is counting down. Just a couple of days to go. If you are thinking about picking up a copy, here is the link:

–>> “Fighter Kettlebell” bundle with over 120 KB workouts​

The big idea: you can build the strength, power, and conditioning of a fighter with kettlebells – in just 20 to 30 minutes a day, 3 to 4 days a week.

As you well know, fighters have some of the best overall conditioning of any athletes. They’re strong, fast, flexible, and in incredible shape. And you already know kettlebells are a favorite pick for these types of athletes.

Here is a free sample workout from one of the included programs:

—

​(free sample) “Fighter Kettlebell” bundle with over 120 KB workouts

PART 1 – Do as many reps as you can of each exercise in 45 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds between moves. Do 4 rounds total:

• Single arm KB swing OR KB snatch (20 seconds per side) (12k women / 20k men)
• Recline rows OR pull ups OR 1 arm KB rows (12k women / 20 k men)
• Alternating tactical lunge 12k women / 20k men (advanced)
• Push ups with alternating shoulder tap (knees for beginners / toes for advanced)

PART 2 – Do as many reps as you can of each exercise in 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds between moves. Do eight rounds total (four sets per exercise):

• ½ Turkish get ups (alternate sides each round) (8k women / 16k men)
• Burpees (choose your version)

—

With the “Fighter Kettlebell” bundle, you get over 120 KB workouts​, like the one in today’s sample.

Just a few of the programs you’ll find inside:

• Iron Vise’s Kettlebell Isometrics. Not many programs out there build strength this way.
• Razor’s Kettlebell Apocalypse, brutal hybrid sequences in superset format that hit the core from every angle.
• the Kettlebell Mobility Challenge from Iron Monk, great for clients in their 40s and 50s who need to move better, not just work harder.
• the Spartan Sprint from Voltage, a short 15-minute, sprint-style session built for max effort and fast results.
• the PHA Challenge, peripheral heart action training where you alternate upper and lower body movements.

And there’s even more. Over 120 different workouts and 10 full training plans. But it’s only on sale on sale for a short time. If you’re interested, click below:

–>> “Fighter Kettlebell” bundle with over 120 KB workouts​

Have a great day! —

— Forest Vance | #1 Kettlebell Fan | Creator, KettleFighter Championship

There’s a reason kettlebells are the tool fighters and combat athletes keep coming back to.

The offset weight builds a crushing grip and forearm strength.

Ballistic movements like swings and snatches build explosive power and lung-searing conditioning in the same rep.

And because you’re moving one awkward weight through space instead of pushing a machine in a straight line, every set builds the kind of core stability and total-body control a fighter actually needs, not just muscle for the mirror.

Take this “Serpent Flow” KB/BW Hybrid Workout from the KettleFighter Championship program as an example, on sale for a short time longer here –>> NEXT PAGE

—

“Serpent Flow” KB/BW Circuit Workout

Complete the full sequence one time (standard) or two times (advanced) as fast as possible:

– 20 two-hand KB swings
– 20 regular push ups
– 10 split squats per side
– 10 1-arm KB rows per side
– 20 jumping jacks
– 10 one-hand KB swings per side
– 20 close grip push ups
– 10 alternating reverse lunges per side
– 10 palms facing away 1-arm KB rows per side
– 20 X jacks
– 20 hand-to-hand KB swings (10 per side)
– 20 wide grip push ups
– 10 alternating front lunges per side
– 10 palms facing toward 1-arm KB rows per side
– 20 seal jacks

—

If you are ready to build a gas tank that doesn’t quit, build athletic strength, and sharpen your body into a weapon, grab 120+ more workouts like today’s sample in the KettleFighter Championship program, on sale for a short time longer at the link below:

–>> NEXT PAGE

— Forest Vance | #1 Kettlebell Fan | Creator, KettleFighter Championship

Okay – ​KettleFighter Championship is LIVE​!

Think “choose your character” screen from the old-school fighting games you grew up on, but for your training 😉

Check out this sample workout from the full program (just one of 120+ like it):

—

“The Strategist” KettleFighter Championship Workout – Day 2 / Week 3

Main Circuit – Complete 4 rounds total of the circuit below. Take minimal rest between exercises (your rest is the transition time between moves). Rest 60 seconds between rounds:

1 – Double KB Rear Lunge (non-alternating, uneven KB’s are okay) – 10/ea side (Women:12k+, Men: 20k+)
2 – KB 1-Arm Rotating Row with Pause (3 second pause) – 8/ea side (Women:12k+, Men: 20k+)
3 – KB Snatch – 6/ea side (Women:12k+, Men: 20k+)
4 – Alternating KB Kickstand RDL – 8/ea side (Women:12k+, Men: 20k+)

Finisher – Complete as many rounds as possible of the following two exercises in 5 minutes.

1 – Alternating 1-arm Dead Stop KB Swing (switch hands at the top of the swing) – 5/ea side (Women:16k+, Men: 20k+)
2 – Mountain Climbers – 40/ea leg

—

If you ever played any of the fighting games back in the 90s- Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, whatever your game was- here’s the idea:

I took complete kettlebell training programs, and packaged them into a “choose your fighter” style bundle.

Each program is a different fighter, built around a different training style, strength, power, conditioning, mobility, and core.

You get all 10 programs, over 120 workouts total, and you can rotate through however many fighters you want:

• The Bear (Gladiator Tetrad Kettlebell)
• The Brawler (Kettlebell 5×5 Evolution)
• The Strategist (The Kettlebell 500 Protocol)
• Voltage (The Spartan Sprint)
• Blitz (28-Day PHA Challenge)
• Serpent Flow (Kettlebell/Bodyweight Hybrid Training 4.0)
• Iron Monk (28-Day Kettlebell Mobility Challenge)
• Iron Vise (Kettlebell Isometrics 2.0)
• Razor (Kettlebell Abocalypse)
• The Warden (OCR Domination)

Click the link below to learn more:

–>> NEXT PAGE​

— Forest Vance – #1 Kettlebell Fan – Creator, KettleFighter Championship

I’ve got something new I’m working on right now, and I’m probably as excited about this as anything I’ve put together in a long time.

If you ever played any of the fighting games back in the 90s- Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, whatever your game was- you’re going to love this.

Here’s the idea: I took 10 of my best kettlebell training programs and repackaged them into a “choose your fighter” style bundle. Each program is a different fighter, built around a different training style, strength, power, conditioning, mobility, and core. You get all 10 programs, over 100 workouts total, and you can rotate through however many fighters you want.

Here’s the full roster:

• The Bear
• The Brawler
• The Sergeant
• Voltage
• Blitz
• Serpent Flow
• Iron Monk
• Iron Vise
• Razor
• The Warden

Today I want to give you a real taste of what’s inside. Below is an actual workout from The Bear, my grinding-strength fighter. Give it a shot and see how you feel:

–

“The Bear” 20-min KB Snatch Challenge

PART 1 – Strength/Core Superset

4 rounds of:

— KB snatch, 30 seconds per side (recommended weight: 8-12k for women, 16-20k for men)
Rest 15 seconds
— Plank hold, 30 seconds
Rest 15 seconds, then repeat

PART 2 – Descending Ladder

Complete all reps of all exercises below as fast as possible:

— 10 KB squat jumps
— 10 (1 arm/2 arm) gorilla KB rows
— 10 push ups
— 10 bodyweight walking overhead lunges (per side)
— 10 body mountain climber burpees (add a push up)

Then 8 reps of all exercises
Then 6 reps of all exercises
Then 4 reps of all exercises
Then 2 reps of all exercises

–

That’s just one workout from one fighter. The full bundle, all 10 fighters, all 10 programs, is launching later this weekend at launch pricing. Keep an eye on your inbox.

Talk soon!

— Forest

Unfortunately, it’s a very common problem among kettlebell enthusiasts.

They get a great start with their kettlebell training. They get so excited about the power of their newly discovered training tool that they pick up and train with a KB almost every day.

And then the forearm, elbow, and/or wrist pain hits. It’s debilitating. They actually have to stop training with kettlebells completely for a time. And the excitement of this newly discovered training tool quickly turns to frustration.

*These tips come straight out of my new 8-Minute Elbow Fix program, and you can get it for a special launch week price when you order in the next few days. For more info and to take advantage of this limited-time offer, click here: -> 8-Minute Elbow Fix

Kettlebell lifting can without a doubt cause elbow pain. But the good news is that it can be prevented, reduced, and even eliminated with a routine of simple exercises and a few key habits.

(FYI, these tips will help anyone who uses their hands and forearms with high frequency, whether you lift kettlebells, do intense bodyweight training, play tennis, golf, or anything else that loads the elbow repeatedly.)

1. Address the joint above and below, not just the elbow

Here’s the mistake almost everyone makes. They feel elbow pain, so they focus every fix on the elbow. But the elbow is a simple hinge joint; it just bends and straightens. Most of the time, the real issue is coming from the shoulder or the wrist.

A simple bicep stretch (shoulder extended, elbow straight, palm down) does more for a lot of people’s elbow pain than any elbow-specific exercise ever will. Same goes for basic wrist mobility work. If you’re only addressing the joint that hurts, you’re missing where the problem actually started.

This is exactly why my program starts every single day with shoulder and wrist work before it ever directly touches the elbow. Check out the full plan here: -> 8-Minute Elbow Fix

2. Rest has a ceiling; don’t overdo it

If you’re constantly reaching for pain meds, wrapping up, or icing your way through workouts, that’s a sign of an inflamed joint. The instinct is to rest it completely. But here’s the catch: rest longer than a week or two, and you start losing strength and muscle, which sets you up for the same problem down the road.

The better approach is short-term rest paired with pain-free motion. Cat-camels, nerve glides, light isometric holds. Keep the area moving without loading it.

3. Rebuild the cuff and grip before you rebuild the press

Once the pain calms down, the temptation is to jump straight back into heavy pressing and gripping. Don’t. The joints above and below the elbow, your rotator cuff, and your grip need to be strong again before you load the elbow like normal.

Face pulls, banded external rotation, and loaded carries are the three exercises doing the most work here. They rebuild the stability that was probably missing in the first place, which is usually what led to the elbow taking on more than its share of the load.

To sum up, elbow, forearm, and wrist pain sucks. It’s an all-too-common problem that can stop your kettlebell training in its tracks. But these three tips are a great starting point for beating it.

If you want the exact day-by-day plan, all 28 days mapped out, 8 minutes a day, plus a free bonus isometrics program to keep training while your elbow settles, click below to check it out. Launch week pricing ends soon:

-> 8-Minute Elbow Fix

Thanks for reading, and talk soon,

Forest Vance, M.S.​
Master of Science – Human Movement
Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist | RYT-200 (Yoga Alliance)
Former NFL Athlete | Founder, FVT Warrior Wellness

This program is educational in nature and isn’t a substitute for medical advice, so check with your doctor if you’re dealing with anything severe or ongoing.

Today I want to talk about something I’ve dealt with at various points in my kettlebell training career: elbow pain.

Here’s one big thing most people get wrong about elbow pain. They treat it like the elbow itself is the problem. Ice it, wrap it, pop some Advil, throw on a sleeve. But your elbow is a simple joint; it just bends and straightens, and a lot of the time the real cause is coming from somewhere else, usually the shoulder or the wrist. Get those working the way they’re supposed to and the elbow pain often clears up without you ever directly treating the elbow.

That’s exactly what I dig into in my 8-minute Elbow Pain Fix course, dropping very soon. Stay tuned! But here are a couple quick things you can try today:

1 – Don’t just shut everything down and wait it out.

A short break, a week or two, away from the moves that are bothering it the most, is a smart move. Rest, but then get back to it, with an intelligent approach. Going months without training that area tends to leave you weaker, and the pain often shows back up once you start again anyway.

2 – Work on strengthening your rotator cuff.

Your triceps help stabilize your shoulder. If your rotator cuff is weak, your body starts leaning on the triceps to do that stabilizing job too, on top of everything else they’re already doing. That’s extra work the triceps weren’t built to handle, and often that overload shows up as elbow pain. Band pull-aparts and face pulls are a simple way to start building that strength back up. (I’ll get into exact routines later this week!)

There are many other considerations that go into a complete program to address elbow pain. These are just two to start. The full routine walks you through the whole thing step by step. Stay tuned; the full 8-minute Elbow Pain Fix is coming soon.

— Forest

PS – Lifetime Kettlebell Fitness was on flash sale over the weekend, and it sold way more than I expected! I honestly didn’t realize how many of you would want the 2026 edition. It’s no longer at the flash-sale price, but it’s still available at a great price if you’re interested. Go check it out HERE.

Got a sample workout to share with you today from KB Workout for People Over 50 (2026 Edition)!

*Just a heads up, we are doing a flash sale on the program this weekend – so check out the sample workout, and if it seems like a program that would be a fit for you and your goals at this time, you can see the full course at the link below:

-> KB Workout for People Over 50 (2026 Edition)

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WORKOUT 3 – WEEK 2 – LIFETIME KETTLEBELL EVOLUTION / 2026 EDITION

PART 1 — 3 rounds of:

–Kneeling 1-arm KB press (:30/side)
Recommended weights:
Beginner: 6–10 kg
Intermediate: 10–16 kg
Advanced: 16–20 kg

– rest for :15, then:

— Split-stance single-leg KB RDL (:30/side)
Recommended weights:
Beginner: 8–12 kg
Intermediate: 12–20 kg
Advanced: 20–28 kg

PART 2 — 3 rounds of:

— KB side-to-side lunge — :45
Recommended weights:
Beginner: 6–10 kg
Intermediate: 10–16 kg
Advanced: 16–20 kg

– rest for :15, then:

— Bear Plank Hold – :30

PART 3 — 3 rounds of:

Seated KB straddle rotations — :30

Recommended weights:
Beginner: 6–10 kg
Intermediate: 10–16 kg
Advanced: 16–20 kg

Dead bugs — :45

—

That’s just one workout from the full “Lifetime Kettlebell Evolution” (2026 Edition), built specifically for people 50+. Check it out here:

-> KB Workout for People Over 50 (2026 Edition)

This special pricing is good for this weekend only!

— Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
Corrective Exercise Specialist
ForestVanceTraining.com | KettlebellBasics.net