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33 KB Challenge Workouts

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You love new, challenging, different workouts to mix things up and change your routine.

Maybe you’ve hit a training plateau and need something to snap you out of it and take your workouts to the next level.

Or, maybe you’re just simply looking for a reason to get excited about your training again!

But your current workouts aren’t cutting it. You’re bored with doing the same thing. You’re not getting great results. And you need some kind of progressive routine that fits together, makes SENSE, and will drive you towards your goals of fat loss and lean muscle gain.

Well … I just put the finishing touches on my new and improved Ultimate Kettlebell Challenge Workouts program … and it’s the perfect solution for you!

In this program, you’ll find TONS (33 to be exact) of new, fun, and exciting kettlebell challenge workouts to add to your current routine.

These 33 new workouts are organized into a progressive, 8 week training plan designed to help you lose fat, gain lean muscle, and get into great overall condition … without ever repeating the same workout twice.

=> See this new program here

 

The Ultimate Kettlebell Challenge Workouts program includes workouts like this one (and 32 more):

Workout 12 – Kettlebell and Body Weight Beat Down

Start today with two exercises paired together – the plank and the lunge jump. You’ll do four sets total of each, for as many reps as you can in 25 seconds. Rest for about 15 seconds between exercises.

Second pairing is the standard push up and the KB swing – 12 reps of each, as little rest as possible, as many rounds as you can in five minutes.

Now for a killer finisher. You’ll do seven reps of each exercise without putting the ‘bell down – single arm KB press, KB rack squat, and KB bent row. Then you’ll set the KB down, do seven burpees, and repeat the entire sequence a total of four times (two times on each side).

You may or may not know my personal story (you can see the whole thing HERE), but I lost 64 pounds in 7 months shortly after my pro football career ended – and I’ve managed to keep it off, using a program like this one.

These workouts are designed specifically for YOU if you’re looking to lose fat, gain lean muscle, and stay in great shape – using nothing but a kettlebell and your own body weight, training for about 20 minutes 3-4 times per week.

ALSO … almost forgot 😉 … one of the biggest issues folks have with KB training is safety. They want to make sure they’re doing the exercises correctly, not only to get the most out of them in terms of results, but to stay safe and avoid injury.

So what I’ve done is included TWO great resources to teach you how to use kettlebells safely and effectively.

When you pick up your copy of the Ultimate Kettlebell Challenge Workouts program, you’ll also get:

 

1 – The FVT Kettlebell Workshop Videos

We had a professional film crew come in and film the last Kettlebell Basics workshop we did at my studio. It’s literally the closest thing to attending one in-person, without actually being there 😉 These are typically $97-$197 to attend – and we only do them in Sacramento, twice a year.

In these workshop videos, you will get detailed instruction, coaching, cues, technique corrections, drills, and more on ALL the basic kettlebell exercises, including:

— The Deadlift and variations
— The Swing
— The Turkish get up and variations
— The Clean
— The Press and variations
— The squat
— The Snatch and variations

And much more.

 

2 – The Ultimate Kettlebell Guide

The Ultimate Kettlebell Guide is your fully illustrated guide to 41 different kettlebell exercises.

PLUS, you’ll get muscle group illustrations for each movement. There are a TON of kettlebell moves explained in this resource. It’s the perfect compliment to the

Ultimate Kettlebell Challenge Workouts package – it’s like your own personal kettlebell training encyclopedia!

 

MAN I am excited about this. It’s a complete – no, ULTIMATE 😉 – kettlebell training program for fat loss, lean muscle gain, and overall fitness.

Click the link below and grab your copy now:

=> Ultimate Kettlebell Challenge Workouts + The FVT Kettlebell Workshop Video Series + The Ultimate Kettlebell Guide (on sale now!)

 

Have a great day, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II
ForestVance.com

Lake Tahoe Kettlebell Workout

On By adminIn General, Kettlebell WorkoutsLeave a comment

Just got back from a great weekend trip to Lake Tahoe with my wife and nine week old daughter.

It was our first time doing something like this with her … we survived and actually all had a great time! A victory for all!! 😉

We were staying at a resort, and on Sunday morning I wanted to get a quick workout in while everyone was sleeping, so I snuck down to the workout room for a lift.

Now don’t get me wrong – the workout area was SUPER nice, as nice as a lot of small commercial gyms.

They even had a few sets of kettlebells to train with, I was amazed!! 😉

BUT … it also made me SO thankful for the training studio we own, where I do the majority of my own workouts now.

See, I worked in a commercial gym enviornment for years, and tollerated it, but I realize now that it was SO not me.

It was a fine place to start, but NOT inspiring … in fact more like energy SUCKING.

The general vibe and workout intensity was pathetic.

The music was always at a very low level, and was usually soft rock or jazz – good stuff, but doesn’t exactly fire you up to train hard 😉

If you lifted heavy weights or grunted or yelled during a set, people would give you dirty looks.

I’m sure it is a fine and great enviornment for some folks, just not me.

Our current studio is bare bones, but it has everything you need.

A couple of power racks, barbells and weight plates, KBs, DBs, battle ropes, sand bags, a few pull up rigs, suspension trainers, and lots of room for body weight exercise.

(We are actually getting ready to move into a bigger and better studio that’s over twice the size in the very near future, which I’ll have more details about for you very soon … and though we’ll have more workout space, more equipment, more bathrooms and changing rooms etc … it’s still going to have the same vibe, just bigger and better!)

Everyone that trains here is ready to WORK every day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s like one big community and a fantastic supportive environment … but you don’t come here to chat through and during your workout. You come here to train hard and get RESULTS.

And, we can play whatever music we want, pretty much as loud as we want, which honestly priceless.

Moral of the story for YOU?

Find what inspires YOU when it comes to training, and do that.

Find a place, a workout style, and people to train with that get you fired up everyday to get better.

Maybe it’s a commericial gym like the one I talked about earlier. If so, cool! Good for you. Maybe you like Zumba. Or yoga. Or any number of other options.

And that is GOOD.  The key is you have to jive with and vibe with the program you choose to really stick with it for a period of time.

Maybe it’s more the style of our little gym that you like. (If you’re in the Sacramento area, we’d love to have you by for a sample workout – just shoot me a message and we’ll set it up.)

Either way, figure out what inspires YOU to get better and work hard day in and day out … because that’s what you need to stick with any kind of training program for the long term.

– Forest

PS – Here’s the workout I did yesterday in case you are wondering:

(warm up – 2 rounds, 30 secs ea)

bw squat
plank hold
leg swing

(pair 1 – 3 rounds)

8 rev lunge to double KB overhead press
3 pull up

(pair 2 – 3 rounds)

8 double KB deadlift
12 close grip push up

(pair 3 – 3 rounds)

5 hanging knee to elbow
5 sit outs

(quick finish – no rest!)

ez bar curls drop set 3×10

Kettlebell Combos for Fat Loss

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For the last few days, we’ve been talking about the concept of alpha and beta receptors, and how they effect fat loss.

In short, alpha-2 receptors can be seen as the bad receptors that hinder fat burning, and the beta-2 receptors are the good receptors that help accelerate fat burning.

The more alpha-2 receptors there are compared to the beta-2 receptors the harder it is to burn fat and vice versa, the greater the number of beta-2 receptors versus alpha-2 receptors the easier it is to burn fat.

So HOW do we inhibit the alpha-2 receptors, and activate the beta-2 receptors?

We start with low insulin. One way to achieve low insulin is by intermittent fasting.

Also, catecholamines are what binds to the receptors on your fat cells. To stimulate your catecholamines you need to perform high intensity exercise. Intermittent fasting will help produce catecholamines as well.

There are of course MANY forms of high intensity exercise. Sue Heintze has a complete plan for you inside her Beta Switch program. Another great form of high – intensity exercise – one of my personal favorites, in fact – is kettlebell complex/combo training.

One of the really cool things about kettlebells is that once you learn the basic moves (swing, TGU, squat, clean, press, and snatch), you can combine these moves together into almost infinite combinations.

Of course there is an ideal way to put these moves together for maximum fat burning and lean muscle building effect (I outline this in my Kettlebell Combos for Fat Loss program – more details on how to get that FREE this week below)

Here’s a quick sample workout to show you what I’m talking about:

Fat Burning KB Complex (combo) Workout

(start on the right side; complete reps as prescribed; then repeat on the left side)

1 KB clean
straight to

5 KB squat to presses
straight to

10 one arm KB swings
Once you finish this sequence on BOTH sides – making sure to rest as little as possible – move directly to –

Pull ups OR body rows – max reps minus one

Repeat this combo five times with about sixty seconds of rest between rounds

THEN finish your workout with ten rounds of 30 seconds on/30 seconds off high intensity cardio (running, biking, etc)

In summary, alpha-2 receptors can be seen as the bad receptors that hinder fat burning, and the beta-2 receptors are the good receptors that help accelerate fat burning. The more alpha-2 receptors there are compared to the beta-2 receptors the harder it is to burn fat and vice versa, the greater the number of beta-2 receptors versus alpha-2 receptors the easier it is to burn fat. To inhibit the alpha-2 receptors and activate the beta-2 receptors, we can 1) practice intermittent fasting and 2) perform high intensity exercises. And kettlebell complexes are a GREAT form of fat – burning high intensity exercise!!

Try today’s workout, and start losing fat in those most troublesome areas of your body!!

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
ForestVance.com

PS – When you grab a copy of the Beta Switch program I mentioned above, I’m going to hook you up with a FREE copy of MY Kettlebell Combos for Fat Loss program (this is the basic, stripped down, IMPROVED, all-you-need-to-know version of my original 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Kettlebell Solution program.)

You’ll get the training manual and the coaching videos – you’ll have all you need to lose fat in all your trouble areas using KETTLEBELL TRAINING!!

All you have to do to get this FREE is:

– Click THIS link (or any other one in this message)
– Pick up a copy of the Beta Switch on my recommendation
– Forward your Clickbank email receipt to my assistant at fvtcustomerservice (at) gmail.com

And we’ll send you access to your FREE copy of my Kettlebell Combos for Fat Loss program!

Think You Know How to Squat? [video]

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, VideosLeave a comment

There are a lot of things that have to be in place to do a proper squat.

You need:

— mobility in the right places
— strength in the right places
— desire to work (squatting is hard!! … and it’s a lot easier to do half-reps etc)

And the reality is, most people do NOT have all of these things going.

Most people cannot do a legit, full-depth squat with perfect form.

Now it’s SO important that you develop and maintain your squatting ability. As a baseline for proper movement. To get the most out of your workouts and fitness program. To keep fit and healthy and strong as you age.

The goblet squat – invented, or at least popularized, by Dan John – is a fantastic exercise 1) to teach you how to squat properly and 2) as a drill in itself.

Check out this short video from our last kettlebell workshop for a quick tutorial on how to do the movement:

The Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Thanks –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – If you liked this video, it’s just a tiny, tiny taste of my stuff … I have literally hundreds of free videos like it, hundreds more training articles / blog posts / free workouts, dozens of full training programs, a membership site, an online coaching program …

The “core” of it ALL is my email newsletter.  It’s the hub and main focus of what I do online.  So if you got to this page somehow and you’re NOT signed up for my newsletter yet … and you dig the video here … be sure to drop your best email in the box at the upper right of the page to get signed up now!

Armour Building Kettlebell Complex

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Got another complex workout for you today.

In the article we posted on the blog a couple of days ago, I talked two great ways to use complexes:

1 – As a tough “finisher” at the end of your strength training workout

2 – As a stand – alone training session to replace your cardio

Another way I you can use complexes that I didn’t mention is as a strength workout by themselves – IF you program them correctly.

A great example is Dan John’s infamous Armour Building Kettlebell Complex. I learned and this one at the RKC II from Dan himself about three years ago – TOUGH stuff.

The Armour Building Kettlebell Complex consists of:

— 2 double cleans
— 1 double military press
— 3 front squats

Here’s a good video on how to do it:

You ideally use the heaviest weight you can press for 1-3 reps, to really get the most out of it.

Go for 15-20 minutes, and get as many HIGH QUALITY sets as you can with GOOD FORM in the allotted time.

Simple, but VERY effective for building strength.

Give that one a try and let me know how it goes for ya! 🙂

Have a great day, and talk soon –

Forest

PS – When you pick up a copy of Challenge Complexes on my recommendation (includes 35 MORE complex workouts like the one in today’s article) … because I think it’s a fantastic program, and I think you’ll really benefit from purchasing it … I’m going to throw in a copy of my “Kettlebell Complex Scorcher” program.

This is a full program based around a brutal kettlebell complex that you’ll focus on progressing and improving upon over a four week period. It includes a manual in PDF format and a coaching video walking you through how to do the exercises in the workout.

All you have to do to get this FREE is:

– Click THIS link (or any other one in this message)
– Pick up a copy of Challenge Complexes on my recommendation
– Forward your Clickbank email receipt to my assistant at fvtcustomerservice (at) gmail.com

And we’ll send you access to your FREE copy of my Kettlebell Complex Scorcher program!

PreHab Revolution – FVT Mobility Exercises

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Doing mobility exercises on a daily basis for the last 18 months or so has literally changed my life.

Among the differences I have noticed:

— Aches and pains from various injuries have decreased or even disappeared

— I move better and feel stronger and end up moving MORE throughout the day, and as a result I burn more calories and have gotten noticeably leaner

— My workout performance has improved

It’s really amazing how a simple, five minute routine done every morning has made such a profound difference in the way I feel for the rest of the day.

So if you’re NOT doing joint mobility exercises in your current routine – and you’d like to enjoy some of the same benefits that I have – you gotta start!

That being said, I got two resources for you to check out today.

One is the video below. Try the sample joint mobility routine here for 7 days, and see if you can’t feel the difference.

PreHab Revolution – FVT Mobility Exercises

Exercises covered in the four or so minute clip:

— My “perfect posture” drill
— Hip circles
— Forward / back bend
— Side bend
— Waist twist
— Arm circles
— 3 way neck
— Shoulder shrugs

Second is my PreHab Revolution program. It’s the full package that’ll help you improve mobility, strengthen your core, reduce chronic pain, and get into great condition in less than 30 minutes per day. Learn more about that here:

=> PreHab Revolution

If you’re not currently doing joint mobility exercises as part of your training routine, START. You’ll be AMAZED at the difference it makes!

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist

Fix Your Kettlebell Clean (new video)

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, VideosLeave a comment

The kettlebell clean is possibly the toughest to MASTER of the basic KB drills (“basic” kettlebell exercises being the swing, squat, Turkish get up, clean, press, and snatch).

The goal is to clean the ‘bell up from the ground in one smooth movement into a perfect rack position at the shoulder. But commonly –

— The starting positon / “set up” for the clean is done wrong
— Folks get TOO MUCH hip drive, and end up whacking / brusing up their forarm in the process
— The KB takes the wrong path on the way up, making the exercise much harder (in a bad way) and causing extra stress on the elbow and shoulder

SO, I got a new video for you, that will show you how to fix the problems listed above – a few more – in about two minutes! Take a pause from whatever you’re doing and check it out below.

And, don’t forget – as part of the “FVT Baby Sale” going this weekend, we have not one but TWO of my best-selling kettlebell programs on sale:

=> Kettlebell Challenge Workouts 2.0
=> Kettlebell Boot Camp Workouts

So if you enjoy the video, be sure to check out those programs as well 😉

Kettlebell Clean Technique Tips

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Level 2 Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

Why Your Squat Isn’t Getting Stronger (NOT what you think)

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A lot of experts say that the squat is the king of all exercises.

Of course, there will always be a bit of debate to be had … about if this is the true “KING” of all exercises out there … some people will agree, and some people won’t.

BUT … what matters most is … if you get stronger in the squat, you’ll end up getting strong all over as well. You can’t deny that.

So then, the question becomes – HOW to get your squats stronger?

Do you just keep adding weight to the bar? Is there some sort of special set/rep scheme you should be following?

Interestingly, it’s NOT always just an issue of strength.

Of course we can always keep trying to add more weight to the bar in hope of getting ourselves stronger … but if that’s all it took, we’d have a LOT more people walking around with bigger squats, right?

What could very well be holding you back from a stronger squat is MOBLITY. You need to be able to move your body through a better range of motion, more efficiently.

Because the better you move, the stronger you’ll get in the long run.

If all you do is keep trying to add weight to the bar in hopes of getting stronger – and if you’re not moving well – you’ll end up running into problems. You’ll be reinforcing terrible movement patterns, which will NOT help you get stronger … and in all likelyhood, you’ll end up getting injured as well.

The solution is to re-learn how to MOVE properly … and if you’re trying to improve your squat, re-learn how to do the actual squat movement itself.

Do that, and you’ll see your strength levels BLAST off the charts.

To give you an exact done-for-you-system on how to do this right, check out my buddy Travis Stoetzel’s Double Your Squat Program. You’ll not only discover how to move better and with more efficiency, you’ll also get your hands on Travis’ proven 6-Week Squat Cycle.

It’s an All-In-One squatting system that will no doubt help you gain massive amounts of strength.

=> Double Your Squat System (on sale this week at 75% off!)

That’s it for now. Start working on moving better, and see your squat numbers go up faster than you ever thought possible.

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II
ForestVance.com

PS – Almost forgot – got a new video up for you today on this same topic. A simple starting point for improving your mobility on the barbell back squat is the kettlebell goblet squat.  Check it out below:

Kettlebell Squat Progression

Brutal Kettlebell Challenge Workout (up for it?)

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Got a BRUTAL kettlebell challenge workout for you today from the FVT archives. (This one is from my original Kettlebell Challenge Workouts course).

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

Kettlebell Challenge Workout

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.

 

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 –

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

 

PS – Let us know how you do in the comments section below!

PPS – Here’s a “secret” link to grab my original Kettlebell Challenge Workouts program at 50% off:

=> Get Kettlebell Challenge Workouts (special discount link)

 

20 Minute Total Body KB/BW/Suspension Workout

On By adminIn Kettlebell WorkoutsLeave a comment

THANK YOU again so much for all the well wishes on our new addition to the Vance family!

We welcomed a new baby girl into the world last week, and it’s been crazy but SO awesome and amazing.

I am off from the gym for a couple of weeks, staying home to help my wife out. We just got home a few days ago, and there is just SO much to figure out with a newborn child, especially it being our first … when it comes to just living your daily life 🙂

NOT sleeping a lot, I can tell you that … but even just stuff like eating and showering takes thought and planning and strategizing!

The first few days were so crazy, just trying to survive really … and still are 😉 … but now that we are getting into a semblance of a routine, it’s time to get back to hitting some kind of workouts.

I am going to be focusing on short (around 20 minutes), total body, minimal equipment workouts to get it done.  And while you may not have a newborn child at home, I bet this style of training might interest you and your training needs and goals as well.

Here’s a LIGHTNING quick, SUPER efficient, minimal equipment workout that I’m currently doing, that you can use when YOU are short on time but want a great workout.

20 Minute Total Body KB/BW/Suspension Workout
Inspired by Suspension Revolution 2.0

— start with 3 min foam rolling / joint mobility / total body general warm up

Pair 1 – 3 rounds, as little rest as possible:

– single arm KB swing – 7 ea arm
– suspension trainer atomic push up – 8

(rest 60 seconds)

Pair 2 – 3 rounds, as little rest as possible:

– bottoms – up KB press – 6 ea side
– suspension trainer single leg squat – 8 ea side

(rest 60 seconds)

To finish – 4 rounds, as fast as little rest as possible:

– suspension trainer burpee w push up – 6 (switch foot in cradle ea rep)
– KB squat clean – 8
– 30 jumping jacks

There you have an INTENSE, 20 minute workout you can knock out using nothing but a kettlebell and a suspension trainer. At the end of the day, it’s about balance in life … and pretty much no matter what you got going on, you OWE it to yourself and your loved ones to take care of yourself mentally and physically and keep up with your workouts. ANYONE can take 15-20 minutes three to five times per week and train. Now it’s just a matter of making it happen!

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – IF you’re into suspension training – whether you’re just getting started and learning the basics, or you want some crazy advanced stuff to take you to the next level – check out my friend Dan Long’s Suspension Revolution program. It’s on sale this week, and it’s an AWESOME resource for learning how to do this RIGHT. It includes 191 exercises, 20 follow along workouts, and a TON more. I highly recommend it. Check it out here:

=> Suspension Revolution 2.0 (on sale this week)

Dan has trained pro athletes and REALLY knows his stuff … besides being a SUPER high energy  and a really great guy.  I was super impressed when we first met in Vegas last year and then earlier this year in So Cal.  Be sure to check out his Suspension Revolution program, on sale this week.