Because it might be the #1 mistake people make when they are trying to build strength.
It’s not your fault, because you’ve been sold this lie by fitness marketers for the last decade.
But what I always see and hear about people doing, is constantly changing up their program and exercises, for the sake of “muscle confusion”, in hopes of making gains.
But if your goal is to press a bigger KB… or do more push ups… or do more pull ups… or up your deadlift…
The OPPOSITE of what you need is muscle confusion.
Simply put, if you want to get stronger, you must force your muscles to perform more work than they previously have.
It has to be in a systematic, planned, progressive, balanced, and specific way.
I don’t have time in today’s post to get into more details – much more info on the page below if you want to learn more: https://bit.ly/rawdynamicstrength
And if your strength gains have stalled out, now you know why ?
Prisoners all over the world have put together highly effective strength-building routines they can perform in the tiny space of their cell, or with limited equipment in the yard.
And they are known to get and look REAL strong, despite their small space and little or zero available training tools.
This workout – called the “Deck of Pain” – is supposedly a favorite among prisoners, because they typically have a deck of cards handy.
What you do is take a standard deck of 52 cards. You assign one of the exercises below (or a variation) to each of the four suits. So you could have something like:
Clubs – Squats Spades – Push Ups Hearts – Pull Ups or Inverted Rows Diamonds – Hanging or Lying Leg Raises
Then you start drawing cards from the top.
The suit tells you what exercise you’re doing, the number tells you the reps.
Face cards count as 10, aces as 11.
Draw the cards and perform the corresponding movement until you get through the whole deck!
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For a VERY limited time (this week ONLY), I am including my Bodyweight Beast Building program FREE when you purchase my “300” KB Challenge: http://bit.ly/300kbchallenge2020
Because I want to help you unleash your inner warrior and get a ripped Spartan body, in just 42 days… AND learn how to get strong, shredded, and into the best shape of your life using bodyweight training.
But this special is good for THIS WEEK ONLY. Then both programs go back to regular price.
Give that workout a try if you want to build muscle, shred fat, and build superhuman conditioning – any time, any place, with minimal-to-zero equipment.
And here’s to your continued success!
-Forest Vance KettlebellBasics.net
PS – Get my “Bodyweight Beast Building” course FREE when you sign up for the 300 KB Challenge, this week only: http://bit.ly/300kbchallenge2020
*Below is an excerpt from the “Command Presence” whitepaper – a free bonus with purchase of the First Strike program I mentioned in yesterday’s email: https://bit.ly/firststrike61220
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Although most people don’t realize it, posture also provides a way to instantly improve the body by 15 percent or more.
It’s true!
Forget all those hyped diets or exotic supplements or secret training routines, posture is the quickest way to change the body.
The confident person seems to know this. He or she has almost perfect posture. In fact the stronger the confidence in a person, the stouter their posture seems to be.
And the opposite is obvious as well. Have you seen the people who are slumped over all the time? It conveys a message of weakness and fragility. It may or may not be true individually, but that is the picture that gets painted right up front.
Now go too far on the posture front and you end up looking like a cartoon character, and somewhat foolish. You look like a balloon ready to be popped. So you want to have a strong posture, but you don’t want to over-exaggerate it.
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HOW TO
A big part of excellent posture comes simply. Get your chest up and your shoulders back instead of slumped.
A mirror helps a lot, particularly if you can see yourself from several angles.
Another way to simply recognize how far you have to go is to stand with your back against the wall, chin up, and put a book on your head. Step out and keep your body upright enough to keep the book where it is.
It will take some practice if you have had poor posture or haven’t built up strong posture habitually, but it is a habit you can change and the sooner the better.
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COMMAND PRESENCE POSTURE CHECKLIST
— Head up, shoulders back and your neck should be touching the back collar of your shirt — Your feet should be shoulder width or slightly wider apart — Stay relaxed, if you look stiff and tense it becomes apparent — Hold your head high and chin level — Stand firm, don’t sway — Arms are never crossed and your hands are not in your pockets
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Again, today’s article was an excerpt from the “Command Presence” whitepaper.
It talks about five factors (posture is one of them) that you can learn and develop to improve your “Command Presence” and how you present yourself to the world. It is a free bonus with purchase of the First Strike program I mentioned in yesterday’s email. I highly recommend that you check it out at the link below:
See, I recently came across an article on health.harvard.edu on that is SUPER cool and useful when it comes to:
Improving performance
Boosting testosterone
Improving recovery time
Curing performance anxiety
Decreasing fatigue
Helping sleep problems
…and more.
HRV is simply a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat.
It is the best non-invasive measure of ANS (autonomic nervous system) activity and balance.
From the article (I’ll post the link below):
“If a person’s system is in more of a fight-or-flight mode, the variation between subsequent heartbeats is low. If one is in a more relaxed state, the variation between beats is high. In other words, the healthier the ANS the faster you are able to switch gears, showing more resilience and flexibility. Over the past few decades, research has shown a relationship between low HRV and worsening depression or anxiety. A low HRV is even associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease.”
So monitoring and working with HRV is something top performers in many fields do, because as you can see, it’s a key metric.
However, it can be tricky to track. The gold standard is to analyze a long strip of an electrocardiogram, the test we frequently do in the medical office where we attach wires to the chest. There are apps and heart rate monitors that do it too.
But the method, and entire method outlined in this course:
One thing that seems to be a HUGE help to the 40+ crowd that we specialize in working with are these “extra” 5 minute core workouts.
What we do is give our personal training clients these mini workouts to do on their own. The goal is to get three of these sessions in per week. They take about five minutes, and they don’t require any equipment.
(FYI – you can get a booklet with several of these workouts in it FREE – it’s called “Kettlebells for Abs – Advanced Results” – when you sign up for our 28-day “Dirty 30” KB Challenge that starts today: https://bit.ly/dirty30skb)
If you are in this 40+ age group, and you want to:
Get stronger in every move you do
Improve balance and stability
Make it easier to do everyday activities
Reach your overall fitness goals faster
I recommend you give this strategy a try.
Here is a sample one to start:
Extra 5 Minute Core Workout (no equipment required)
:30 plank hold (no rest) :15 side plank hold – left side (no rest) :15 side plank hold – right side (no rest) :30 V-sit hold (no rest) :30 glute bridge (no rest)
Repeat one to two more time for a total of two to three times through the circuit.
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You can get a booklet with several of these workouts in it FREE… it’s called “Kettlebells for Abs – Advanced Results”… but you have to sign up for our 28-day “Dirty 30” KB Challenge. It starts today. Details and last chance to grab your spot here => 28-Day “Dirty 30’s” KB Challenge
We have this program we run at our studio called “Lean and Jacked”. It’s a small group of men and women that I have worked with personally a few times per week for the last six or seven years. Our workouts typically would look like this:
1 – “Big” lift – squat, deadlift, or bench (we peak out two three times per year, and use simple periodization to just work towards getting everyone a little stronger each 12-16 week training cycle)
2 – MRT – mix of kettlebell and bodyweight movements typically; where we’re spiking the heart rate for a solid 20 minute bout, but using various weighted movements in specific sequences to do it
We’ve seen dozens and dozens of dramatic body transformations come out of this group.
If you are trying to get both lean and strong and athletic, and transform your physique, all at the same time, I truly think that training like this is THE best way to get it done.
For the last 10 weeks or so though (so crazy to write that, I can hardly believe it honestly), our physical gym location has been closed.
And these guys and gals still have the same goals.
They want to continue to build strength, while staying lean at the same time.
But they don’t have the same access to the heavy weights.
So we’ve had to adapt.
The workouts we’re doing – to stay strong and lean, at the same time – are looking a lot like this:
*Time-Volume Training is about intelligently using training volume to create overload in muscles. It doesn’t require heavy weight or a gym full of equipment to work. Instead of building muscle with training INTENSITY (i.e. lifting heavy weights to failure with just a few sets), we will build muscle via WORKLOAD (a.k.a. training volume).
The “TIME” part of Time-Volume Training refers to the block of time that you’re working the exercise/muscle group. The “VOLUME” part refers to the work you’re doing within that time block. This method uses basic physiological principles of adaptation to build muscle and strength.
15-minute “5-3-1” Bodyweight Time-Volume Workout
– 5 close grip push ups (beginner / intermediate) OR handstand push ups on wall (advanced) – 3 assisted chin ups (beginner / intermediate) OR Tactical pull ups (advanced) – 1 elevated pistol squat per leg (beginner / intermediate) OR regular pistol squat (advanced)
Set your timer for 15 minutes.
You’ll start off by taking no rest at all, moving directly from one exercise to the next.
Once you approach failure on one of the exercises, you’ll then start to take 10 seconds rest in between each exercise…then 20 seconds, etc. if needed.
Get as many rounds as you can in the 15 minute time block.
…and you are done!
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Now.
My friend and colleague Nick Nilsson created this Time-Volume training program.
He has dozens and dozens more workouts just like this, put into a full program to get you amazing results.
And he’s got far more details and intricacies that make the program work.
But truly, I am 100% on board with the course.
It’s similar in style and philosophy to how I train my peeps.
And I can certainly tell you, the folks in my Lean and Jacked group are getting as good gains as ever.
Many are saying their body feels BETTER, because they’re taking a break from the heavy lifting.
And they are doing it all in their own homes, using minimal, or in some cases zero, equipment, using workouts like the one I outlined for you today.
If you want to get similar gains, check out the Time-Volume Training program at the link below:
Over the last 10 years or so, in many Tactical Fitness circles, men and women have been doing the “Murph” workout on Memorial Day.
The workout was first made popular by the CrossFit community, who perform many workouts created to honor fallen heroes, commonly called the Hero’s WOD (Workout of the Day).
Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005.
The workout itself was Michael’s favorite workout to do, which at the time referred to it as “Body Armor”, hence the 20 lb vest or body armor as part of the workout prescription.
The movie Lone Survivor was released in 2013, which tells the story of Michael Murphy and his men based off the book written by Marcus Luttrell, the lone surviving SEAL from Murphy’s group.
The Murph is now performed by men and women accross the US on Memorial Day as a fundraiser for the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation, and to honor all those who have served and sacrificed in the line of duty.
Here’s what it looks like:
1 mile Run 100 Pull-Ups 200 Push-Ups 300 Air Squats 1 mile Run
*With a 20 lb Vest or Body Armor
It is a brutal workout. But the movements are pretty straightforward, and they can also be tweaked / modified if needed.
The 1 mile runs HAVE to be completed first and last.
Of course, you can run / walk these as needed.
The pull ups, push ups, and air squats can be “partishioned” – the most common strategy being to partition the reps into 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats.
The pull ups could also be “scaled down”, and done with assistance like a band. You could even substitute ring rows to scale further.
And the push ups can of course be done with your hands elevated on a box or bench, or from the knees.
The workout can be performed with a weight vest, or without one.
And finally, you can also try a “half Murph” – where you do a 1/2 mile run, 50 pull ups, 100 push ups, and 150 air squats – if you don’t feel ready to attack the whole thing.
Doing the workout, thinking of, and honoring those who served and sacrificed for our country is the main point.
Not being able to lose weight is common, and extremely frustrating.
It’s exactly how I felt when I “retired” from my football career (I played through high school, college, and about two years bouncing around in the NFL).
But after loads studying to figure out what the best approach was going to be fore me – and also getting help from a coach I was working with at the the time at a gym – I was able to lose 64 pounds in 7 months… and keep it off for the last 15 years!
The program is both adaptive to you and your specific goals and needs… but we also give you LOTS of sample meals so that you can just plug-and-play, tweak slightly if needed, and rock it out.
There are also three keys the program is built on:
1 – PLAN – Start with planning out your meals. Use the block chart we give you in the 14 Day Metabolic Reset Challenge to figure out how much you need to be eating each day. I also walk through that chart and how to adjust it for your needs and goals in the video training.
Then you can either:
— Build your own meals using the block chart
OR
— Pick meals that you like from the sample meals provided that fit in with your daily targets
2 – SHOP – You have to go the store and get the food you’re going to need.
Seems simple but it’s a new habit many people have to develop. A lot of people are used to not doing much, if any planning when it comes to nutrition… and if you’re trying to lose weight, and build better habits for the long term, this won’t work.
You can’t just fly by the seat of your pants and grab meals out and eat when you feel like it. You have to get, and always have, the food you need on hand, to be able to follow your plan.
3 – PREP – This is where you prepare the food that you are going to eat.
This is another key, because let’s say you’re out working for 10 hours per day. You’re probably going to need to pack at least a couple of meals and one or two snacks.
It doesn’t have to be complex – you can have maybe some veggies and lunch meat and nuts for one meal, a protein bar for another, a piece of fruit for another. Whatever fits into your plan and your blocks.
And develop techniques that make your life easier – hard boil eggs for a few breakfasts all at once, or cook 2x or 3x portions for dinner, and eat leftovers for the next couple of days.
But prepping your food is another key to success.”
Again, I get that not being able to lose weight is common, and extremely frustrating.
We are looking for a few dozen more men and women over the age of 40 to join our 14-day nutrition reset program. We’ll give you the meal planning, the workouts, the motivation, and the accountability that you need right now. Click this link, check out the details, sign up and get started today right away: https://bit.ly/14daymetabolicreset
Pictured here is a “2 block” Zone meal:
(This is the meal plan we use as the “base” for our 14-day Nutrition Reset Challenge)
Zone Food Blocks are simply a measurement used to define how much of these macronutrients you should be eating throughout the day.
Each Zone Food Block consists of one block of protein, one block of carbohydrate and one block of fat.
10 to 12 blocks of balanced food is about right for a smaller woman for one day. You’d adjust your daily intake up from there based on gender, body size, activity level, and body comp.
Feel free to experiment with your number of daily blocks and move them around as you see fit. Everyone is different.
For a complete breakdown of the meal plan, to learn how to set up your days for success, for on-going accountability and coaching and more, check out our 14-day Metabolic Reset Challenge at the link below:
It’s the solution to help you both get rapid results, AND build the foundation and habits you need for long-term success.
But if you want to get in on the live video coaching / training / QnA I’m doing later this week, you’ll need to get registered ASAP: https://bit.ly/14daymetabolicreset
Look forward to working together, and hearing your success story!
