Frequently, folks email in asking about what I do for a workout on a typical day.

So, thought I’d share with you my overall workout “template” – in case you have similar goals, and want to model it.

My current goals are:

– keep the aches and pains at bay
– gain strength and lean muscle
– if needed, be ready at any given time to take on a variety of physical challenges – these days, I don’t need to specialize and be an awesome strength athlete, but I want to be able to say run a 5k, or play pick-up basketball for 45 mins, do 10 pull ups, do a pistol squat, press a half-body weight kettlebell over head, bench press 1.5x my body weight, snatch a 24k KB 100 times in 5 mins, etc.

With that in mind, here is what I’m doing for my workouts currently:

– I do flexiblity and mobility work EVERY day – first thing in the AM when I wake up for 5-10 mins, and for 5-10 mins before every workout
– I do 3-4 days a week of work right now of barbell work, rotating between the “big” lifts each strength day (military press, deadlift, bench press, back squat)
– On the military press and bench press days, I do some extra upper body work – like chins, push ups, direct arm work, etc.
– On the deadlift and squat days, I do some kind of “finisher” (like I’ll show you here in just a sec) – this could be with kettlebells, body weight, whatever
– And on two or three other days I’ll do some kind of conditioning – getting outside is awesome, so try to do that – typically sprints or riding my bike

Cool thing is, this works great because it is regimented and planned, but also allows for some flexibility.

I get my strength work – which NEEDS to be planned over time to get the best results – but I can also “plug in” workouts as “finishers”, and on conditioning days, from different and new programs, and still keep the workouts interesting.

Here is the what I did for a recent workout:

** For more info on the Complete FVT Hybrid Barbell Training system – which incorporates the basic barbell lifts with kettlebell and body weight moves, so that you can build strength, lose fat, feel great and be fit ALL at the SAME TIME – click HERE **

1 – Warm Up (30 sec ea, 2x thru the circuit)

12 body weight squats
6 push ups with rotation
15 jumping jacks
10 leg swings each leg

2 – Strength work

trap bar deadlift – 4×5, work up to 295 on last set
(pair with)
walking lunge, body weight only, 3×8 each leg

3 – Double KB Complex

KB suitcase dead 5
double KB swing 5
double KB clean 5
double KB front squat 5
double KB push press 5

Five rounds of this complex, set KB down and rest about 30 seconds between rounds

So, there is my workout template. It works great to keep me strong, keep the aches and pains at bay, and maintain a decent level of overall fitness at the same time.

Feel free to model and use it to plan your own workouts.

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
ForestVance.com

PS – For more info on the Complete FVT Hybrid Barbell Training system – which incorporates the basic barbell lifts with kettlebell and body weight moves, so that you can build strength, lose fat, feel great and be fit ALL at the SAME TIME – click HERE

Knocked out a kettlebell / bodyweight workout earlier this morning in my garage … I was listening to the Rocky 4 Soundtrack of course … and that’s when it hit me … Rocky trains with KBs!

(If you haven’t seen Rocky Balboa, you gotta watch it. It’s actually probably my 3rd favorite of all the Rocky movies (after 1 and 4). I was surprised, since Stallone hadn’t made a Rocky movie for at least 20 years when it came out … but def worth checking out!

Anyway, Stallone is in GREAT shape in the flick, and he’s at least 60, if not older.

Could his secret to getting in such amazing shape, even at 60+ years old, been training with KBs?

It very well may have been!!

And word is on the street that Stallone is working on a NEW Rocky film, scheduled for release at the end of 2015 … and if I were a betting man, I’d guess that he’s using KBs to get into top shape for this one, too.

So … if YOU are wanting to get into training with kettlebells … but you worry about your form, and getting the most out of them that you can while preventing injury, then you should check out my “13 Dangerous Kettlebell Mistakes and How to Fix Them!” program.

=> 13 Dangerous Kettlebell Mistakes … and How to Fix Them

In this e-manual and 13 video series, you’ll discover over a dozen KB mistakes and how to fix them, including:

– How to choose the PERFECT kettlebell weight for you
– The secret technique to ensure you learn each kettlebell exercise correctly
– Why most people mess up the swing and do it wrong
– Simple steps to master the Turkish get up
– How to avoid whacking and bruising your forearms on the KB clean
– A simple way to instantly boost your KB pressing power 10-20%
– How to do perfect snatches, every time

And more.

Plus, you get a bonus fully illustrated guide to 41 different KB exercises – “The Ultimate Kettlebell Guide” – with your purchase. This guide even includes some kettlebell workouts to get you started.

Check it out at the link below:

=> 13 Dangerous Kettlebell Mistakes … and How to Fix Them!

Okay, that’s it for now … off to enjoy the weekend.  If you want to use kettlebells to get in great shape like Rocky, BUT you’re worried about using proper form and avoiding injury … then make sure to check out 13 Kettlebell Mistake and How to Fix Them.

Have a great one, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance
Level 2 Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

PS – Here’s what my workout looked like this morning, if you’re curious:

1- foam roll + joint mobility + dynamic warm up for about 10 mins

2 – 4 sets of 6 kb presses (24k) ea side + 4 sets of 6 chin ups

3 – KB complex – 3 rounds ea side (2 24k):

— 5 snatch
— 5 rack squat
— 10 one arm swing
— 5 reverse lunge

4 – Approx 20 minute walk to finish / cool down

If you’ve been doing any sort of “High Intensity Interval Training” workouts, and are seeing any of the following symptoms:

— loss in strength
— loss in hard earned muscle
— loss in overall physique results (gotten fatter, softer, etc)
— drop in overall performance

You could be in trouble.

See, while these HIIT type of workouts are OK at helping you burn off a bit of fat, TOO much HIIT can hurt you.

If you’re going to do HIIT, you’ll want to make sure to balance it out with some strategically programmed strength and power work to help maintain and build muscle mass.

If you don’t, you’ll soon find yourself having the symptoms noted above.

The good news is, I’ve found a system that does just this … with workouts that last 24 minutes or less, and that can be done in your home with nothing more than a set of kettlebells (or dumbbells) and a pull up bar:

=> Garage Built Body – your HIIT addiction solution!

I wanted to give you a sample workout from the program, so you could get an idea of what a “set up” like this might look like.

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GBB Day 2 – Density Acclimation

1 – 8 minutes, as many rounds as possible of:

— 3 burpees
— 5 pull ups
— 5 double KB thruster

2 – 8 minutes, as many rounds as possible of:

— KB sumo deadlift high pull x 4,6,8,10 …
— hand release push ups x 2,4,6,8 …

3 – 4 rounds NOT for time

— 40 yard sprints

###

Now that one might LOOK simple on paper – but trust me, it’s a SMOKER! Try it yourself and see 🙂

And instead of just being some randomized workout (like most HIIT programs are), Travis – creator of the Garage Built Body system – takes you through a progressive 16 week program, so that one training session builds upon the last, and you can see progress over time.

Learn more about the full Garage Built Body system here:

=> Garage Built Body – your HIIT addiction solution!

Train hard, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II, PCC
ForestVance.com