Flexible, mobile shoulders are one of the biggest keys to long-term performance and staying pain-free.

And yet, most people don’t realize they have a shoulder problem until it manifests as pain, clicking, weakness, or loss of strength in presses and pull-ups.

Today, I want to give you a quick-and-dirty shoulder flexibility test you can try right now.

This won’t tell you everything about your shoulders—but it’s an excellent starting point.

It takes less than 30 seconds and gives you real insight into how your shoulders are doing.

Here’s the test.

1 – Raise one arm overhead and reach down your back.
2 – At the same time, bring the other arm up behind your back.
3 – Try to touch your fingertips together.

Now, here’s how to score it:

— Excellent: Your fingers overlap
— Good: Your fingertips touch
— Average: Your fingertips are less than 2 inches apart
— Poor: Your fingertips are more than 2 inches apart

What your result means:

— If the top arm felt tight, that usually points to limited shoulder flexion and tight triceps.

— If the bottom arm felt tight, that often indicates restricted shoulder extension and internal rotation.

If either arm was tight, you’re more likely to experience:

– Shoulder discomfort or instability during training
– Limited range of motion in presses or pull-ups
– Rotator cuff irritation
– Shoulder pain or impingement over time

What to do next:

If you scored excellent, great work.
Just remember—this test doesn’t evaluate strength or stability, which are just as important for truly bulletproof shoulders.

Those are things I specifically address in my daily shoulder routine.

If you scored average or poor—and you’re not actively working on this—now is the perfect time to start.

That’s exactly why I created my newest program:

-> The 8-Minute Shoulder Fix

It’s a 28-day plan built for people who want to:
– Relieve shoulder pain
– Restore mobility
– Train hard without limitations

It takes 8 minutes or less per day.
No fancy equipment required.
Includes follow-along videos and PDFs.

And this week, it’s on sale.

When you grab it, you’ll also get my 10–20–30 Tactical Kettlebell Program completely free as a bonus.

If you took the test and want a simple, proven way to improve your score, reduce pain, and protect your shoulders long-term, click here to check it out.

Talk to you soon,
— Forest

You may have heard of the original 5×5 program.

The 5×5 is a strength-training program originally popularized by Bill Starr in the 1970s. It has also had several more recent popular iterations and spins. The core of the program involves performing five sets of five reps of a chosen exercise to increase strength and size.

The 5×5 program is typically done using compound exercises such as the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

What I wanted to do, however, was take the spirit, energy, and time-tested results of this program—especially when it comes to building functional strength and lean muscle—and adapt it for kettlebells (since that’s kind of my thing).

The Kettlebell 5×5 has been a huge hit, so now I’m rolling out an updated version for 2026.

We officially start the program together tomorrow, Monday, January 12th. If you want to hop in and follow along with us in real time, you can sign up at the link below:

→→ Kettlebell 5×5 – 2026 Update

I’ve also copied and pasted a full sample workout from the program below so you can try it out.

Hope to see you on the inside!

– Forest

KB 5×5 – WORKOUT 1

Video demos are included for every exercise and workout in the full program HERE.

WARM-UP
30 seconds each, no rest. Complete 1–2 rounds:

– Arm swings / circles
– Hip hinge / bodyweight good mornings
– Bodyweight squats
– Plank shoulder taps

PART 1
Do 5 reps of Exercise 1. Rest 60–120 seconds.
Do 5 reps of Exercise 2. Rest 60–120 seconds.
Alternate back and forth until you’ve completed a total of five rounds.

When you can complete five sets of five reps for each exercise, progress by adjusting tempo, reducing rest periods, choosing a harder variation, or increasing weight:

– Single or Double KB Press (5 reps per side)
– Single or Double KB Swing (5 reps per side for single-arm swings / 5 reps total for double swings)

PART 2
Do 5 reps of Exercise 1. Rest 60–120 seconds.
Do 5 reps of Exercise 2. Rest 60–120 seconds.
Alternate back and forth until you’ve completed a total of five rounds.

When you can complete five sets of five reps for each exercise, progress by adjusting tempo, reducing rest periods, choosing a harder variation, or increasing weight:

– Single or Double KB Row
(If no heavier weights are available, go to 10–15 reps)
– Single or Double KB Squat
(If no heavier weights are available, go to 10–15 reps)

PART 3
Perform as many reps as possible for each movement in 45 seconds.
Rest 15 seconds between exercises.
Rest 60 seconds between rounds.
Complete 2–3 total rounds:

– KB halo + reverse lunge
– Push-ups with alternating shoulder taps
– Fast feet or high knees

Check out this 5×5 kettlebell superset from my full 5×5 Kettlebell Evolution program:

→ 5×5 Kettlebell – 2026 Update

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5×5 Kettlebell Superset Workout

Two exercises:

• Double KB Front Squats
• Double Burpees (burpee with two push-ups after every rep)

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Like the traditional 5×5 program, this is done as 5 sets of 5 reps per exercise, alternating between movements with structured rest periods, and progressing from workout to workout.

But unlike the traditional 5×5, we progress in one of three ways (since kettlebells tend to be more limited in weight selection and have bigger jumps between loads):

• Adding weight, OR
• Decreasing rest periods, OR
• Using a slower tempo

This is just a small sample from one part of one workout from the full 5×5 Kettlebell Evolution program (updated for 2026). If you want to check out the full program, click the link below:

→ 5×5 Kettlebell – 2026 Update

— Forest Vance
ForestVanceTraining.com
KettlebellBasics.net

PS — Here’s a quick video where I break this one down:

→ https://youtube.com/shorts/Bshqe0zQOkQ?si=Jk28t-yNrPa91323

Check it out, then go grab the full program here:

→ 5×5 Kettlebell – 2026 Update

Not long ago, I ran a poll on my kettlebell page and asked a simple question:

Why do you work out?

The options were:

• Aesthetics/appearance
• Functionality/athleticism
• Mental health

A lot of people checked more than one box—but what surprised me was how many people chose mental health as a major driver. Honestly, it may have been the majority.

That result stuck with me. And it’s a big part of what led to the idea behind the Sober Warrior Kettlebell Challenge.

The idea is simple:

You dial in your training, your recovery, and your nutrition. You get into a rhythm. You give your nervous system a break. And you give yourself a chance to feel better—not just leaner.

Inside the challenge, you get:

• The Ageless Warrior Kettlebell Challenge
• The Feed the Beast meal plan
• The Regenerate recovery system

(If you bought those programs separately, it would cost more than the challenge itself. So even if you’re just buying into the idea and committing for the month, you’re already ahead.)

These workouts are designed to:

• Release endorphins
• Reduce stress
• Help regulate hormones
• Bring cortisol down instead of constantly spiking it

Every day includes a recovery component using my Regenerate sessions—mobility, flexibility, and pain management. And that matters more than people realize. Chronic pain and stiffness often drive people toward unhealthy coping mechanisms. When your body feels better, your decision-making tends to follow.

On the nutrition side, you’ll be using the Feed the Beast plan, which is based around intermittent fasting. That helps regulate blood sugar, supports long-term health and longevity, and—again—takes pressure off your system instead of adding more stress.

Below, I’ve included a sample workout from the Ageless Warrior Kettlebell Challenge. This is the exact training style you’ll be using inside the Sober Warrior Kettlebell system.

Give it a try.

And if it resonates, CLICK HERE to jump in—because today is the day we officially start.

— Forest

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Kettlebell + Mental Health Workout

Do as many reps as you can of each exercise in 40 seconds. Rest for 20 seconds between moves. Rest for 60 seconds between rounds. Do 3 rounds total:

• KB Goat Bag Swing -> 2 Hand KB Swing -> Single Arm KB Swing (20 seconds per side)
• Plank hold -> add march
• Alternating bodyweight lunge -> KB Tactical Lunge (alternate legs each rep)
• Single Arm KB Row (20 seconds per side)
• (modified) up-downs -> regular Up-Downs

-> Click here to sign up for the January 2026 Sober Warrior KB Challenge

If you’ve ever felt like workouts take too much time—or they’re so intense they’re impossible to sustain—I want to share one of my favorite conditioning methods: the 10-20-30 protocol.

It’s backed by research, incredibly effective, and actually doable.

Instead of constant all-out intervals, this method cycles effort levels so you get serious conditioning without burning yourself out. You work for 30 seconds at an easy pace, 20 seconds at a harder pace, and finish with a 10-second all-out push. Those built-in build-ups let you recover just enough to keep intensity high without wrecking your joints or nervous system.

Research shows that this style of training improves fat loss, cardiovascular health, blood sugar regulation, and even markers associated with conditions like hypertension and asthma.

Here’s a free sample workout using the 10-20-30 method—straight from one of the programs inside Firebreather Kettlebell:

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19-Minute 10/20/30 Kettlebell Workout

Part 1: Strength & Power

Set a timer for 60-second intervals.

• First 30 seconds: Comfortable pace
• Next 20 seconds: Push the intensity
• Final 10 seconds: All-out effort

Move straight to the next exercise. After completing all movements, rest 60 seconds. Complete 3 total rounds.

• Dead-Stop Kettlebell Swings

– First 30 sec: Controlled swings, resting between reps
– Last 20/10 sec: One-arm swings and/or kettlebell snatches

• Push-Ups

– Start with standard push-ups
– Progress to harder variations (incline, clapping, or diamond)

Part 2: Conditioning & Mobility

Same 60-second format: 30 easy / 20 moderate / 10 all-out. Complete 2 rounds.

• Alternating Reverse Lunges

– First 30 sec: Bodyweight
– Last 20/10 sec: Add kettlebell load

• Single-Arm Kettlebell Rows

– Start light
– Increase load as intensity rises

• Jumping Jacks

– Easy and rhythmic early
– Finish strong

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This is exactly the kind of conditioning I rely on now—especially after years of hard training and a pro football career that left its mark on my joints. Kettlebells let me train hard, get my heart rate sky-high, and burn fat without pounding my body like traditional cardio.

That’s why I built Firebreather Kettlebell.

It’s a fat-loss kettlebell conditioning system for men and women 40+, designed to help you:

• Burn serious calories without running
• Get elite conditioning without joint pain
• Build muscle instead of burning it off
• Train hard without wrecking your body
• Stick to short workouts you’ll actually do

Firebreather Kettlebell includes 10 complete programs (120+ workouts):

• EMOM Afterburn Challenge 2.0
• 10–20–30 Kettlebell Conditioning
• Norwegian Kettlebell 4×4 2.0
• EDT Kettlebell Challenge 2.0
• Extreme Kettlebell Conditioning 2025
• Drop a Size Kettlebell 4.0
• Upper–Lower Kettlebell Strength System
• Ageless Warrior Kettlebell GAINZ
• Kettlebell GAINZ
• Old-Time Kettlebell Strength

Today’s workout is just one small taste of what’s inside.

If fat loss, conditioning, and joint-friendly training are priorities for you in 2026, this one bundle could easily carry you the entire year.

-> Grab Firebreather Kettlebell Here

— Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor
RYT-200
Former Professional Football Player
Founder, Forest Vance Training, Inc.

PS – If you want to dive deeper into the research behind the 10-20-30 method, you can check it out here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11295100/#ejsc12163-sec-0060