A couple of years ago, I participated in a 30-day Challenge.

It was a combo of mental, physical, and spiritual work to help you improve as a person, better live out your purpose in life, and serve others.

It was an amazing experience actually… I won’t get into all the details in this post… but the main reason I bring it up is because as part of the Challenge, we would do push ups every morning.

The way we did the push ups actually reminds me of the “Push Up Mastery” guide that you get as another free bonus when you pick up a copy of the Physique Zero program we’ve been talking about all week:

-> “Physique Zero” Pull Up Progression Method + Full “2x Your Push Ups in 30 Days” plan

There was a structured and progressive system where you’d slowly but surely progress the the number of push ups you would do every day, for 30 days straight.

I increased my push up ability quite a bit that month!… and I’m willing to bet that the average person who follows this program to a “T” could do the same, maybe even double the amount of push ups they could do in one go.

Here’s a short example – it’s the first three days of the program:

DAY 1

Set 1: 5
Set 2: 5
Set 3: 10
Set 4: 5

DAY 2

Set 1: 20
Set 2: 10
Set 3: 10
Set 4: 8

DAY 3

Set 1: 8
Set 2: 15
Set 3: 8
Set 4: 8

The program follows a very specific progression in terms of going up and down in total reps and volume each day for 30 days. You obviously need to see the full plan to understand how it all works. But hopefully this gives you a general idea.

(BTW – there is both a beginner and advanced version of the program, so you can start with the plan that works best for you and where your fitness level is currently at.)

For the full, detailed program that will help you do more push ups (plus the full at-home bodyweight strength program to go with it!), click the link below:

-> “Physique Zero” Pull Up Progression Method + Full “2x Your Push Ups in 30 Days” plan

Here’s to doubling your push ups in 30 days! –

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Over 40 Training Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net

I think if I had to pick just one bodyweight exercise I could do along with my kettlebell training, it would be pull ups.

This is because vertical pulling – the movement pattern performed when doing a pull up – is so critical to balanced development and total body strength, yet it is very difficult or almost impossible to train with kettlebells alone.

Plus, it’s just SUCH a great way to develop upper body strength and overall fitness, using just your body weight!

All that being said, pull ups are tough for a lot of people to get going with. Here are five tips that should help:

1 – Be patient

Pull ups are extremely physically demanding, which means you won’t see the quick results that you can with other exercises. If you can do two today, it would be almost impossible to be able to do twelve in two weeks. Accept that being able to do more is a slow and steady process.

2 – Get lots of practice with the movement

When we’re tired, we often try to cheat by giving up proper form in order to make things easier on ourselves. Just focus on doing a couple per day at first, and think of it as practice – don’t work on them to the point of exhaustion or muscle failure.

3 – Use the Pull Up Ladder

Try this:

1. Do 1 rep and then rest for 30 seconds.

2. Do 2 reps and then rest for 45 seconds.

3. Do 3 reps and then rest for 60 seconds.

Then repeat this sequence again twice more (3 sets total).

4 – Use Negatives in your training

A Negative Pull Up starts with you at the top (over the bar) and then you lower yourself down. Your muscles are able to handle more weight on the way down than the way up, so this is another way to keep working even after you’re too tired to do any more normal repetitions.

5 – Lose some weight

Pull ups require you to carry all of your body weight, so less weight means being able to do more! It’s that simple.

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To recap, pull ups are an excellent indicator of all around fitness. If you want to do more, follow the tips in this article, and you’ll be on your way to to success!

For the full, detailed program that will help you do more pull ups (plus the full at-home bodyweight strength program to go with it!), click the link below:

-> “Physique Zero” Pull Up Progression Method + Full 12-week Bodyweight Strength plan

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Over 40 Training Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net

Happy Monday!!

I just back from a trip to Louisville, Kentucky.

I was there for a mastermind meeting with my business coach and some other industry colleagues. I am a big believer in coaching! Just like I coach men and women over 40 to get strong and lean with kettlebells, I have coaches in fitness, business, and other areas of life to help me be the best that I can.

On my trip, I also had some hot chicken for lunch one day that was the BOMB:

I’m not used to eating like this, so I felt pretty sick after eating it for a while, lol… BUT, it was so tasty, that I have to say in this particular case, it was worth it!! ?

The epic hot chicken meal got me to thinking: The Holiday season is right around the corner, and the vast majority of us might be consuming a few extra calories here or there.

BUT, the LAST thing we want to do is go BACKWARDS on our fitness goals over the next two months.

So what we can do?

One thing is to allow yourself some leeway in eating things like hot chicken, or whatever else you want to enjoy. You CAN eat these kind of meals once you truly understand how they fit into your dietary “big picture”!

The other thing is to stay on track with your training schedule, or even kick it up a notch.

Hopefully you’re already doing a good three or four workouts a week. This is your base. If not, start right away. Whether you come work out with us in person at our Sacramento studio, or you do some of my at-home kettlebell workouts, or combination of both, three or four 20-45 minute workouts each week is something that should be do-able for everybody. No excuses!!

You can also add in a bit of extra cardio on top of your current training plan. This is what I will be doing. For example, if you could do three extra sessions a week and burn 500 kcals at each, that could be a great “buffer” to help mitigate some of those extra Holiday foods.

(It really depends on your goals as to the exact type of cardio that you do. I personally like a combination of low intensity training like hiking or rucking, and sprinting. Check out the plan at THIS LINK for an awesome program to help you incorporate sprints with your kettlebell workouts!)

To sum up, the main point of today’s post is really to get you thinking about your strategy for holiday fitness. If you are mindful and have a plan, you can maintain – or even make gains! – in the traditionally challenging time of year for your health. Start planning now!

Train hard, talk soon –

– Forest Vance

Master of Science, Human Movement

Kettlebell Expert

Over 40 Training Specialist

KettlebellBasics.net

ForestVanceTraining.com

Got a Spartan race coming up in about a week and a half.

I’m especially pumped, ’cause this is the first one I will be doing with my wife!

Wanted to share a routine that we’ve been doing on weekends to help prepare. This workout is great for ANYONE looking for an “outside the box” total body conditioning workout, whether they are preparing for a Spartan race or not. It’s also a great compliment to your kettebell routine:

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*This free backpack has been my go-to rucksack for the last few months – highly recommended:

-> Free Tactical Backpack Offer

RUCK, LIFT, SPRINT (my Sunday “Spartan prep” routine)

PART 1

Ruck about 1 mile with a 20-40 pound ruck sack on your back (adjust weight, pace, etc for your fitness level and goals)

PART 2

Take your ruck off, and use it to complete as many rounds as you can of the circuit below in 10 minutes:

• 5 ruck clean-to-reverse lunge
• 5 burpees
• 10 ruck squat to overhead press

PART 3

5x100m sprints (beginner) 10x100m sprints (advanced) (take your ruck off for these)
(great set up: ruck to a football field; do your sprints; then move on to part 4)

PART 4

Ruck about 1 mile with a 20-40 pound ruck sack on your back (adjust weight, pace, etc for your fitness level and goals)

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Add this RUCK, LIFT, SPRINT workout to your weekly routine to burn more fat and take your conditioning to the next level.

To your success!

-Forest Vance
Kettlebell Expert
Over 40 Training Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net

PS – This free backpack has been my go-to rucksack for the last few months – highly recommended:

-> Free Tactical Backpack Offer

If you work out hard enough, can you “burn off” that weekend of off-the-rails eating?

Seriously, what are your thoughts?

Ponder this:

It would be hard to do a higher calorie burning “workout” than running a marathon, wouldn’t you agree?

I mean, you’re lacing up your shoes and running for TWENTY SIX PLUS MILES!

You would think that kind of massive effort would result in at least a little bit of weight loss, right?

Well, it turns out that running a full marathon burns just 2600 calories:

That might sound like a lot, but consider this:

You actually need to burn at least 3500 calories to lose a single pound of body fat.

Which means that running 26.2 miles doesn’t even burn enough calories to melt ONE MEASLY POUND!

Add to that, hit up the pizza place or burger joint, along with a couple / few beers to “reward” yourself for a job well done,
and you’re easily erasing all of your hard work.

The bottom line is, if you want to shed body fat, you need to train AND eat right to get the results. There is no way around it.

If you’re looking for a diet plan that that’s based on sound science AND a track record of client success, I recommend you check this out:

-> UFL (Underground Fat Loss)

Join the countless others who’ve transformed their bodies and lives!

And remember – you CANNOT “exercise off” a bad diet.

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach
KettlebellBasics.net

Heavier weights for lower reps are best if you are trying to get lean!

Maintaining your strength and muscle mass as you shed fat should be a top priority. The best way to do this in your training is to stick with heavier weights for lower rep ranges.

The other hugely important component of getting lean is your diet. Different workouts, more cardio, etc. does have a SMALL impact on fat loss – but not nearly as much as your diet does. So the main focus of your training should be to maintain muscle and strength, while at the same time getting into a consistent calorie deficit with your diet.

Lighter weights for higher reps DOES have a place in your training, it’s probably just not best used when you are focusing on getting lean. For example, you can do a “deload” phase where you take a couple / few weeks every couple / few months, lighten up your loads, bump up your rep ranges, and give your body a break.

To sum up, if you are trying to lean down, heavier weights for lower rep ranges are the way to go. This way you can maintain or even build muscle while you shed the fat and get into peak physical condition!

Train hard, talk soon –

– Forest Vance Master of Science, Human Movement – Kettlebell Expert – Over 40 Training Specialist

PS – My unique kettlebell methods are creating new success stories every month. Get lean and strong in half the time, without the gym… and learn the secrets of pain-free training in the process. Learn more and sign up for my upcoming 28-day Kettlebell Metcon Challenge at the link below:-> https://bit.ly/28daykbmetcon

Bodyweight training is the perfect compliment to kettlebell work.

By strategically blending KBs and calisthenics, you can hit all five aspects of fitness:

• Muscular endurance
• Flexibility
• Cardiovascular fitness
• Muscular strength
• Body composition

Today’s workout is from the “Turbulence Training Bootcamp Workouts” ebook. I highly recommend you pick up a copy and get some great ideas on how to incorporate bodyweight workouts with and into your kettlebell program. (Turbulence Training Bootcamp Workouts is actually oriented towards trainers and fitness professionals, but truly ANYONE looking to reap the benefits of bodyweight exercise can benefit.)

Check it out:

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TT Bootcamp Workout #4 – “Tabata Time” (Advanced)

*Check out full exercise descriptions in the main program HERE

Warm-up (30 seconds per exercise) – 10 minutes

• Run in Place
• BW Squat
• Inchworm
• Cross Crawl
• Prisoner Forward Lunges
• Shuffle
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time.

TT Strength Circuits (30 seconds per exercise) – 10 minutes

• Vertical Jump & Stick
• Spiderman Pushup
• 1-Leg Deadlift (30 seconds per side)
• Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.

TT Tabata Circuits – 10 minutes

• BW Squats – 20 seconds BW squats plus 10 second hold in bottom position x 8 rounds
• Rest 2 minutes and take water break
• Pushups – 20 seconds pushups plus 10 second hold in top position x 2 rounds

Water Break – 2 minutes

TT Big 5 Conditioning Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) – 10 minutes

• Siff Squat
• Close-Grip Pushup
• Prisoner Sumo Squat
• Walking Lunge
• Mountain Climber
• Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.

Water Break – 1 minute

Total Body Abs Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) – 5 minutes

• Cross-Body Mountain Climber
• Plank
• Reverse Bridge
• Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time.

Cool-down, Stretching & Water Break – 10 minutes

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To sum up, bodyweight training and kettlebells are like a match made in heaven. Master the basics of both, and you’ll have everything you need to stay lean, strong, and athletic – at ANY age. Be sure to check out the full TT Bootcamps program HERE. And here’s to your continued success!

-Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Kettlebell Expert
Over 40 Training Specialist
KettlebellBasics.net