Running is still one of the best ways to get a great workout in a short amount of time.

It is a fantastic compliment to your kettlebell training – or body weight training, or barbell training, or whatever else you have going.

Personally, I run most “off” days when I am not lifting KB’s or barbells, or doing a body – weight based workout of some kind (two or three times per week on average).

We also run, in some form, at least a couple of times per week during our boot camp workouts at the FVT studio.

Now all that being said … just going out for a jog or run with no specific plan in mind, is NOT the best way to structure your running workouts.

It of course depends on what your ultimate fitness goals are and what you are training for specifically … but if you are looking to lose fat, maintain and increase cardio fitness, and get a lean, defined physique … the best way to do this is through High Intensity Interval Training, otherwise known as HIIT.

HIIT is a training technique in which you give high-intensity effort through quick bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods.  This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up, and burns more fat in less time.

Watch the video below for one simple, fun, and EFFECTIVE way to structure your next HIIT workout.  A great start would be to do this one a couple of times per week in addition to your current program.  And let me know how it goes in the comments section below!

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC

PS – As I mentioned earlier in today’s article … if you are after a lean, defined, ripped physique … sprint workouts like the one in today’s video should without a doubt be included in your plan.  But, for maximum results, you ALSO need to be structuring your resistance training in a specific way for that goal.

To do that, the program I recommend is the Lean Body Guide, from my friend Jason Klein.

The entire system is based around this concept of using strategic cardio AND resistance traning in a specific way to get that lean, “movie-star” look you’re after.  It’s a program built specifically for this goal, and it’s a great one.  Click HERE to learn more about it and grab your copy at a discount today.

I had a guest article and video published on a fitness colleague’s blog the other day.

The article and video outlined one of my kettlebell challenge workouts.

I got several comments with very positive feedback. But one of them – from an “anonymous ortho surgeon” – was pretty scathing, to say the least 😉

At first I was a bit upset when I saw the post. But then I quickly realized that I was HAPPY he posted his comment – because if he’s thinking this, odds are other folks are as well – they just might not be saying it with such “conviction”, for lack of a better term 😉

So I thought I’d share with you the three big points touched on in his response – and my answers – to hopefully address some of your top KB training concerns:

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Point #1 – “Kettlebell training is bad for your back”

My answer –

With all due respect, if you feel that the swing is an exercise that is bad for your back, I would challenge you and say that you are likely doing the exercise incorrectly.

The swing is in fact GOOD for your back if done correctly – it promotes proper movement patterns and strengthens the muscles of the posterior chain, among other things.

Here is an article recently published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that does a great job of explaining further:

http://www.kettlebellsusa.com/swinging-away-back-pain-by-dr-benfung-the-science-behind-kettlebells.html

Point #2 – “This workout is random, has no rhyme or reason, and is not backed by science”

My answer –

The workout in this post (one of my kettlebell challenge workouts) is not intended to be a complete, be-all-end-all program. It is to be done periodically to test your fitness level and for a fun challenge.

The concept with these challenge workouts is that you can do them once, go back to following your regular program for a period of weeks or months – and then come back to doing them again to see how you’ve progressed.

Loads of research from the last 5+ years points to the fact that interval training is superior to more traditional steady-state cardio … which another benefit of performing this specific workout, if you wanted to be more “scientific” about it.

Here is one research article that supports this – a quick google search would find you dozens more:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311123639.htm

Point #3 – “Why are you programming 200 swings into a workout”

My answer –

In short – for both the physical and mental challenge! Because that’s what a workout like this is all about!! 🙂

That being said – in this specific workout, yes, the total volume is 200 swings (100 at the beginning, 100 at the end) … but that does NOT mean you would need to do all 100 swings in a row.

With good form and a proper weight, this is in fact do-able with virtually zero risk of injury. (Again, I would challenge your swing form.) HOWEVER – for folks who are just getting started, are still working on their form, etc. – breaking up the set with rest is 100% fine (like doing five sets of 20 reps each, or even ten sets of ten).

I am all about making KB workouts challenging but do-able for all ability levels.

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To sum up – if you’ve ever had concerns about any of the things I touched on in the message above, hopefully today’s email was helpful for you.

And the bottom line is, whatever form of exercise you choose – whether it be running, pick-up basketball, or kettlebell lifting – there is inherent risk involved. You can get injured. But the benefits are many, many times over more worth it than the potential harm. That’s why we do it 🙂

Thanks for reading, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
Master of Science
Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

PS – If you’re looking to improve your kettlebell training form, no doubt, the #1 best way to do it is with a highly qualified in-person KB trainer. Look for one in your area.

But that’s also unfortunately not possible for everyone. The second-best thing is top-notch video instruction. Which you’ll get over five hours of, with our new KB workshop DVDs. And they are on sale for a short time longer. Check them out here:

=> Kettlebell Workshop DVDs (on “launch discount” now)

I’m very excited to announce that our new Kettlebell Workshop DVDs are now available for purchase!

*** Grab the KB Basics and Advance Workshop DVDs at your special “launch discount” price here ***

I met Logan Christopher – my partner on this project – at the beginning of this year at an industry event.  If you don’t know Logan, he is a wild guy and does some pretty crazy stuff – juggling kettlebells that are lit on fire, for example:

Anyway, Logan and I stayed in contact, and eventually decided to do a kettlebell workshop together.  (You may have heard me mention the workshop, or you might have even attended yourself!)

The event was a great success.  We covered everything from the basics of safe and effective technique on all the basic moves (the swing, Turkish get up, snatch, clean, press) to the crazy (like overspeed training techniques, kettlebell juggling)

Whether you were at the workshop or not, the good news for you is that we got the event professionally filmed and edited. And as of today, it is officially available on DVD.

I’m really pumped about this project, as it’s the first one of its kind that I’ve done (90% of my current products are digitally delivered).

I wanted you, a loyal FVT reader, to be the first to know about it – and to get the chance to grab it at a discounted price.

=> Grab the KB Basics and Advance Workshop DVDs at your special “launch discount” price here

Hope you’re having a great day, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC