Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations.

They are some of the physically and mentally toughest men walking the planet. And they need strong cores to run longer, conserve energy and prevent injury while carrying heavy loads.

You may not be in combat in remote areas of the world, but is a workout to help you train your core like they do:

#

Special Forces Kettlebell-Bodyweight Abs Workout

in the style of SpecForce Abs – 6 week training plan

1 – Suspension Trainer Plank Hold

Your hands will be in the handles of your suspension trainer or rings, your feet will be set at the same level on a box or bench, and you will be in a “high plank” / top of push up position.

This prepares you for full-body stabilization in unstable environments. This one will be tough, you will want to quit!… but keep going, and you’ll end up with a stronger core.

Hold for three sets, as long as you can, resting about one minute between efforts.

*If you don’t have a suspension trainer, you can swap this one out with a regular plank hold on the floor.

2 – Overhead weighted carries

Supporting a large load overhead is critical for various missions and tasks that special forces perform.

Grip a heavy kettlebell in each hand, lift them directly over your shoulders, tighten your core and glutes to prevent hyperextending your lower back, and walk for distance. Do three walks of 100 feet, resting one minute between sets.

*If you only have one kettlebell, you can do this one with a single KB at a time.

3 – Bear crawls

Special forces operations are often forced into unnatural positions and must stand or support themselves for long periods of time. Crawling increases your upper-body strength and gives your core a crazy workout.

Get into crawling position, keep your core tight, your hands right under your shoulders, and your knees right under your hips. Crawl continuously for 60 seconds, rest for 60 seconds between sets, and do three rounds total.

#

I created this workout in the style of the SpecForce Abs program.

The course is created by Tactical Fitness Expert Tood Lamb.

He’ll help you turn your core into a perfectly functioning, injury-proof, high performance machine:

=> SpecForce Abs

Keep training hard, and if you want stronger, better-looking, more functional abs, this workout is for you!

– Forest Vance
KettlebellBasics.net

Here is a kettlebell workout for you to start your week strong.

It’s called a chipper because you “chip away” at the prescribed amount of reps until complete, at which point you go to the next move.

For example – the first exercise the workout calls for is KB Goblet Squats. You’ll need to do 50. So you could do 20, then rest 30 seconds or so, then do 15, then rest 30 seconds or so more, then 15 more, then move on to the next exercise. Or you could do five sets of 10 with 30 seconds rest between. Or whatever works for you.

Bottom line – it’s a great way to get an intense, full-body workout in a short amount of time… all you need is a kettlebell or two and about 20 or 30 minutes… and it’s a lot of fun, too:

#

Monday Kettlebell Workout: Chipper Strength #1

You will perform all the reps of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. Rest as needed to maintain proper form. Record your time to track your progress.

1 – KB Goblet Squat – 50 (Women:16k+, Men: 20k+)
2 – Push-ups – Men:50, Women:30
3 – Single-Sided Jump Lunges – 50 (25/ea side)
4 – 1-Arm Push Press – 50 (25/ea side)(Women:12k+, Men: 20k+)
5 – Plank With Knee Tap – 50 (25/ea side)

FINISHER – Complete 5 rounds of the following two moves as fast as possible.

1 – Box Jumps -10 (note:stepping down is safer and preferred) Sub Jump Squats if no box – 10
2 – Power Step-ups -10/ea leg Sub High Knee Taps if no box -10/ea

#

In the last give or take 25 years since I’ve got “into” the fitness world, I’ve seen a LOT of trends come and go. But kettlebells are here to stay. They won’t change. Learn how to use them properly, and you have a lifetime of fitness gains ahead!

– Forest and the FVT Team

PS – Find out for yourself why everyone is raving about my new CORE Kettlebell Challenge training system. You’ll lose fat, gain strength, improve performance and become a stronger version of yourself in the next 40 days. Get a sample week of the workouts, 100% free at the link below: http://bit.ly/corekbfreesample

Research is showing it more all the time:

You can induce more than enough stress to your respiratory system, central nervous system, and skeleto-muscular system to obtain the training applications you’re looking for, in as little as 10 minutes time.

But how?

1 – By focusing on the quality of the exercise you choose

2 – By focusing on the execution of the exercise you choose

Truth is, something called training economy is the part of most lifters routine that is holding them back.

They are choosing little return on investment exercises that just don’t achieve enough of what we’re looking for in the time span we have to make it happen.

Enter – the kettlebell.

The great thing about kettlebells is that nearly every exercise you do with them right off the bat places more of the overall stress on your body that it requires to get the ideal results in both the performance and aesthetics to areas that you’re looking for…

And you can in a matter of minutes instead of hours.

Try this:

10-min Single KB Workout
Sample – Met-Con 6

5 Rounds:

(a) Single Arm Snatch (5 reps/arm)
(b) Anti-Lateral Flexion Overhead Press (5 reps/arm)
(c) Anti-Rotation Row (5 reps/arm)
(d) Single Arm Farmers Walk (100 ft./arm)

» Rest 2 minutes between rounds «

*Perform ALL exercises of the circuit on one arm before switching arms. Do not rest until you have completed all reps on each side.*

#

Just 10 minutes, and you’ve burned a lot of body fat, in just a little bit of time.

Give that one a go, and let us know how you do!

And if you like it, also be sure to check out the full Met-Con 6 program at the link below:

=> Met-Con 6

To your success! –

– Forest Vance
ForestVance.com

Meet Bob.

Bob is 55 years old.

Bob has not only lost over 40 pounds, but he has made some tremendous strength gains. He went from doing 1 pull up to 12. He increased his deadlift from 185 to 325. And MUCH more.

He used a training program very similar to the one linked below, to make these gains:

Hybrid Kettlebell Muscle

But after training with me for a solid three years, he strayed a bit from my teachings.

He started to try to add in MORE volume, intensity, and frequency, by going out and doing additional workouts on TOP of the ones we were doing at my gym.

Bob was training 5-6x per week, and at a strenuous level at every session.

And Bob started to get little overuse injuries.

He’d tweak his elbow. And then his calf. And then his lower back.

He’d take it easy for a couple of weeks, but then be right back into it.

And eventually, after repeating this cycle multiple times, Bob herniated a disk in his lower back.

He was out for the count.

No surgery yet, and now six months in, we’re finally back to solid training intensity.

And making solid, steady gains again.

But now he’s listening more to what I have to say 🙂

So if you want to gain strength after 40, but you want to do it in a safe, effective, long-term way, here are 3 key things to pay attention to:

1 – Volume

Volume refers to the number of muscles worked, exercises, sets, and reps during a single session.

I know that when I was 18, I could train for 90 minutes, 5 days per week, and be fine. I’d recovery, stay injury-free, and make continued gains.

Now, if I attempted a program like that, I’d break myself in a matter of weeks 🙂

You might not be able to tolerate and recover from, and might do better on, less total training volume at a more advanced age.

2 – Intensity

Intensity refers to the amount of work required to achieve the activity, and is proportional to the mass of the weights being lifted.

This is expressed commonly as a percentage of 1 rep max (1RM).

So if you’re doing 3 sets of 5 reps at 75% of your one rep max on the deadlift, that would be an intensity prescription.

For older lifters, you need to make sure you’re not spending too much time at higher intensities.

You need more recovery, your body just can’t handle going in and trying to max out on the bench press every Monday.

You CAN get into that 85-90% intensity range for certain short bursts … you just have to be careful, and know what you are doing.

3 – Frequency

Frequency refers to how many training sessions are performed per week.

This is individualized, and a lot of it depends on your training background.

But one thing is for sure, if you are over the age of 40, you very likely will do better on a little less frequency than more – three times per week seems to be perfect for most men and women.

#

You CAN still make strength gains in your 40’s and beyond.

You CAN still push yourself.

And you CAN still have fun with your training.

You probably just need to do it in a different, more sensible way than you did in your teens, 20’s, and 30’s.

For a program that fits all of these criteria, I recommend Hybrid Kettlebell Muscle.

We strength train, combining more “traditional” strength work with KBs, 3x per week.

The intensity prescriptions are smart, and gradually scaled.

We mix in the cardio you need for heart health and to burn fat, in the form of HIIT.

And we make sure to work your core and flexibility and other things that are so important for the over 40 athlete.

Check out Hybrid Kettlebell Muscle here:

=> Hybrid Kettlebell Muscle

And here’s to your continued success in strength training after the age of 40! –

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
ForestVance.com

PS – Bob is not my client’s real name. But this story is about an actual client of mine.