Happy Sunday!

One of my favorite parts of my morning routine is when I have the time to do some steel mace work.

This is why our 28-Day Steel Mace Flow Challenge starts tomorrow, and I wanted to give you a taste of exactly what it looks like.

Now, a 7 or 10-pound steel mace works great for this. If you’re brand new and don’t have one yet, even a broomstick can offer surprising benefits for practicing movements and building mobility.

Two Ways to Run the Challenge

Option 1 — Add-On Format

One session per day, done first thing in the morning, tacked onto the end of your existing workouts, etc. Each session runs 5–10 minutes. Train 6 days per week, rest on Day 7. This keeps your current strength training intact while layering in rotational strength, shoulder stability, and conditioning.

Option 2 — Standalone Format

Two sessions back-to-back, 3 days per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Total session time is 20–30 minutes. This is a dedicated steel mace training block — one tool, one focus, all 28 days.

Here’s a Sample — Days 1 & 2

Day 1 — Lower/Core Focus

30 seconds work / 15 seconds rest — 3 to 5 rounds

• Hinge Rotate Press (Right)
• Hinge Rotate Press (Left)
• Reverse Mace Lunge (Right)
• Reverse Mace Lunge (Left)

Do this as a finisher on its own, OR combine it with Day 2 for a full standalone session:

Day 2 — Upper Focus (EMOM)

6–10 minutes, every minute on the minute:

• Minute 1: 12 Steel Mace 360s per side
• Minute 2: 7 Burpees

Alternate back and forth for the full duration.

The full 28-Day Steel Mace Flow Challenge kicks off tomorrow, Monday, March 2nd, and you can still jump in and do it live with us.

Click the link below to get all the details and reserve your spot:

–>> 28-day Warrior Mace Flow Challenge – Starts Monday, March 2nd

Enjoy your Sunday!

— Forest

You lift. You show up. You work harder than 90% of the people you know.

But there’s still a layer of fat sitting over your muscle that won’t budge.

And deep down, it drives you crazy.

Because you’re doing a lot right right!

But when you take your shirt off — or catch yourself in a mirror — it’s still there.

Soft around the middle, and blurring the definition you’ve worked hard to build.

And the worst part?

You have a good idea why:

You’re not getting your conditioning in.

Not really.

Maybe you run occasionally. Maybe you throw in a metcon every few weeks. But the consistent, regular conditioning work that actually strips the fat off your hard-earned muscle?

It’s not happening.

And it’s not happening because every format you’ve tried either wrecks your joints, eats into your recovery, or requires you to completely overhaul the training you actually love.

So you keep lifting. You keep eating well. And that layer stays right where it is.

I want to show you something today that changed this for me — and for a lot of the guys I train.

This is a 5-minute steel mace (or kettlebell) Finisher that you can take on to the end of whatever you’re already doing.

It’s just one move – but it gives you an idea of why this type of training is so unique and effective.

It’s the exact approach we use in my 28-day Mace Burn Challenge.

And it hits your conditioning hard enough that your body starts responding in ways that longer, slower cardio never delivered.

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“The Berserker” – 5 Min Mace / KB Finisher

This is a compound movement that chains a full rotational swing into a deep loaded squat and cross-body reach. Every major muscle group fires at once. Your heart rate spikes. Your core works overtime.

Done for a few rounds at the end of your workout, it creates the kind of metabolic disturbance that burns fat for hours after you’re done — not just during the 5 minutes you’re working.

How to do it:

Start standing, feet shoulder width, mace held at the base of the handle with both hands close together.

Step 1 — Perform a mace 360.

Step 2 — As the mace returns to the front, flow directly into a squat. At the bottom, reach the mace head down and across your body to touch your opposite foot. Swing right, touch left foot.

Step 3 — Drive back up to standing. That’s one rep.

Do 5 reps per side every minute, on the minute, for 5 minutes.

Can you do it with a kettlebell?

Yes — hold it by the horns and mimic the circular swing before dropping into the squat and touch.

But the mace is genuinely better here. The offset weight creates real rotational load through the full arc — your core, shoulders, and grip are fighting to control it the entire time.

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Give this a try, and you will see the power of the steel mace for rapid conditioning and fat burning, instantly!

Then go check out my 28-day Mace Burn Challenge HERE.

– Forest

PS – The 28-Day Mace Burn Challenge kicks off March 2nd. If you’re tired of that stubborn layer of fat hanging around despite all the work you’re putting in — this is the missing piece. Learn more here.

In 2005, while playing for the Green Bay Packers, I attended my first yoga class.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

But I did notice that my recovery, flexibility, and athletic performance improved.

Then, like many things during that stage of life, it fell off my radar for the next 10–15 years.

Fast forward to my late 30s.

I was still training hard, lifting kettlebells, doing Spartan races, and competing in powerlifting meets…

…but something was different.

My recovery wasn’t what it used to be, my mobility was taking a hit, and I felt more beat up after training.

I realized I needed to do something different — so I gave mobility and recovery work another real shot — consistently this time.

The results were immediate. My body felt better, my flexibility improved, I recovered faster, and the nagging aches weren’t running the show anymore.

Over the last 6–7 years, I’ve completed multiple certifications, including my 200-hour teacher training. I now teach regularly in my community and work with people worldwide.

But most importantly – this is about keeping your body strong enough to keep lifting, training, running, and living the way you want.

That’s why I created my 8-Minute Fix programs.

If you want to add mobility and recovery work to your routine — but don’t have time for long classes every week — this is what I recommend.

Each 8-Minute Fix targets the most common problem areas:

• Tight or painful hips
• Sore, cranky shoulders
• Stiff, flare-up prone low backs
• Knee pain and lower-body discomfort

You pick the area that gives you the most trouble right now.

You spend 8 minutes a day on it.

And you start feeling better.

This week, when you grab any one of my 8-Minute Fix programs, you’ll also get my full REGENERATE 2.0 recovery system free — so you can fix what hurts now and build a body that stays strong for the long run.

–>> Learn More Here

– Forest

P.S. If you’re training lower body this week, here’s a slightly more advanced hip prep sequence I use before deadlifts or heavy swings:

• 90/90 Hip Rotations – 6 controlled reps per side
• Banded Hip Distraction (or deep prying squat hold) – 30–45 seconds
• Hip Airplanes – 5 slow reps per side (hold each position for 2–3 seconds)
• Single-Leg RDL Iso Hold – 20 seconds per side (focus on tension through glute and hamstring)

Takes about 5–6 minutes total.

This is controlled mobility plus activation so your hips are stable and strong before you load them.

Click here to learn about the full programs.

If you want to build serious pulling strength, there’s one benchmark that never lies: pull-ups.

That’s exactly why I created Operation Pull-Up — a complete program designed to take you from wherever you’re starting (zero, five, or anything in between) all the way up to 20 strict pull-ups.

How Operation Pull-Up Works

Operation Pull-Up runs in a 28-day challenge format, but it’s built in phases:

— Phase 1

— Phase 2

— Phase 3

— Etc.

You move through the phases at your own pace. Everyone progresses differently depending on their starting point, bodyweight, strength level, and recovery. Some people move faster, some slower — but the structure keeps pushing you forward until you hit 20.

The Two Biggest Pull-Up Mistakes I See

Before I tell you how to get the most out of this program, let’s talk about the mistakes that keep most people stuck.

Mistake #1: Only Doing Pull-Ups Once Per Week

This does not work.

Pull-ups respond best to frequency. You should think of pull-ups more like a skill than a body-part workout.

In Operation Pull-Up, you train pull-ups three times per week. Sessions are short — often just 10–15 minutes — but that consistent exposure is what drives progress.

Mistake #2: Going to Failure Every Session

Grinding every set to failure is a fast way to stall progress and irritate your elbows.

Again, this is skill-based strength. Most of your work should feel challenging but repeatable, not soul-crushing.

You’ll perform multiple sub-maximal sets throughout the week. Some weeks you’ll add two or three reps to your max. Other weeks you might only add one — or even hold steady.

What Happens If You Stick With It

If you follow the plan and respect the process, your pull-ups will go up.

You’ll build real pulling strength, improve technique, and develop the kind of back strength that carries over to everything else you do.

Get the Full Plan (Free Right Now)

Right now, Operation Pull-Up is included for free as part of Bodyweight Beast 2.0.

When you grab it, you also get:

— Bodyweight Beast 2.0 (full bodyweight training plan)

— Bodyweight Phase 1.0

— the 14-Day Steel Mace Challenge (a unique, athletic training style)

— My Core Kettlebell Challenge eBook

Even if you already own one of these, the rest easily makes this worth it.

This promotion is ending soon — so if pull-ups are something you want to finally master, now’s the time:

-> GO HERE NOW

Check it out and get started!

-Forest

If you’ve been curious what Steel Mace Vinyasa training actually feels like, here’s a quick taste.

This is the 20-minute strength + conditioning block from one of the classes in the 14-Day Steel Mace Vinyasa Challenge.

(Full sessions also include smart warm-ups, flows, and cooldowns — but I wanted to keep this short and simple.)

Why this works so well:

• Builds real strength without heavy loading
• Lights up your core, grip, and shoulders
• Improves balance and coordination
• Feels powerful, athletic, and honestly… just fun
• You finish feeling better than when you started

Here’s the 20-minute steel mace block:

20-Minute Steel Mace Strength Block

Format: 60 sec work / 30 sec rest
Run one learning round, then work sets

1. Standing Cat–Cow (Single-Leg)
   Two-hand guard position. Pull mace behind head, crunch forward with a knee lift.
   → 60 sec (30 per side)
2. Ballistic Squats
   Over-under grip. Squat, pull mace in, switch grip at the top.
   → 60 sec
3. Warrior III RDL
   Single-leg hinge, mace stays close to the body.
   → 60 sec (30 per side – kickstand or full balance)
4. Uppercut Lunge
   Step back and punch the mace up across the body.
   → 60 sec (30 per side)
5. Four-Corner Balance
   Balance on one foot. Quarter squat and tap: front, side, back, curtsy.
   → 60 sec (30 per side)

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That’s it.

Rotational strength.
Core stability.
Grip and shoulder work.
All in about 20 minutes.

If this looks like your kind of training, the full video classes (with warm-ups, flows, and cooldowns) are included inside the free 14-Day Steel Mace Vinyasa Challenge — available right now as part of Stormproof Strength.

You can check it out here:

→ Bodyweight Beast 2.0 + Free 14-Day Steel Mace Challenge

– Forest

I was just putting the final touches on the video training for the 28-Day 8-Minute Knee Fix Challenge. (It kicks off this Monday!)

This is one of those challenges I honestly kind of also built for myself 🙂

I’ve had knee surgeries. I did all the physical therapy. There’s nothing “clinically wrong” with my knee anymore.

But the issue is… it still hurts sometimes!

What I’ve found is that when I stay consistent with a short, very specific rehab-style routine, my knee feels way better and stays way more stable.

For example, here’s a simple 8-minute routine from the program (videos included; and you actually get a new sequence, six days per week in the full challenge):

Minute 1 – Quad Sets + Straight Leg Raises
Minute 2 – Glute Bridges (slow squeeze at the top)
Minute 3 – Terminal Knee Extensions (banded)
Minute 4 – Hamstring Sliders or Eccentric Hamstring Curls
Minute 5 – Tibialis Raises (shin muscle work most people never train)
Minute 6 – Standing Calf Raises (slow tempo)
Minute 7 – Supported Split Squats or Step-Back Lunges (pain-free range)
Minute 8 – Ankle Mobility Rocks + Deep Squat Pry

If I do something like that first thing in the morning, every day, it makes a big difference.

It helps:

• strengthen my hips
• activate the right quad stability muscles
• build hamstring support
• strengthen calves and ankles
• keep my knees mobile
• improve knee tracking

I still train hard. I lift. I do kettlebells. I do yoga. I move most days.

But if I skip this specific stuff for a while, my knee flares up.

So I started this challenge again for myself — and I figured I might as well invite you to do it with me.

It’s only $15.

And honestly… what do you really have to lose?

Hope you’ll join me.

GO HERE NOW.

— Forest

Quick heads up — this is the last email I’m going to send about my 8-Minute Shoulder Fix being on sale.

Right now, when you grab it, you also get my Tactical 10-20-30 Kettlebell Plan included. It’s a solid deal, and if shoulder pain has been limiting your training, it’s worth a look.

You can check it out here:

-> 8-minute Shoulder Fix (last call)

A little background, in case you don’t know my story.

I played football for almost 15 years — high school, college, and a short run in the pros. I was a three-time All-American offensive lineman at UC Davis (a Division I FCS), and I had short stints in the pros with both Green Bay and Kansas City.

..and my shoulders got absolutely wrecked in the process 😉

Years of contact, years of heavy lifting, years of just “pushing through it”… like a lot of guys, I figured pain was just part of the deal.

But here’s what I eventually learned the hard way:

Taking care of your shoulders helps you both reduce pain, AND perform better!

— Stronger presses.
— Cleaner Turkish get-ups.
— More confidence under the bell instead of that searing “uh oh” feeling every time you go overhead.

Here’s a simple 8-minute kettlebell shoulder warm-up from my Shoulder Fix program you can try before your next workout:

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8-min “Pain-Free” Shoulder Warm Up (from 8-minute Shoulder Fix)

– Arm circles + controlled shoulder CARs
1 set of 6–8 slow reps each direction per arm

– Light kettlebell halos
1–2 sets of 8–10 reps each direction

– Kettlebell arm bars
1 set of 3–5 slow reps per side, or 30–45 seconds per side

– Tall-kneeling or half-kneeling kettlebell presses
1–2 sets of 5–8 controlled reps per side with a light bell

– Turkish get-up reps or partials
1–2 slow reps per side

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Nothing fancy — just the right mix of mobility, stability, and activation.

Do this before your next kettlebell session — especially if you deal with tight or cranky shoulders — and you’ll feel the difference almost immediately.

And when you do it consistently, as we do in the 28-day Shoulder Fix, that’s when things really change.
You could experience Less pain over time, better performance, and more confidence doing things like training hard without breaking down.

If this kind of work resonates with you, this is your window.

This is the last reminder about the discount, and the last chance to grab it with the Tactical 10-20-30 Kettlebell Plan included.

-> Grab it here while it’s still available

— Forest

I recently had a new client come in, and this is extremely common.

They had clear strength goals.
They were training consistently.
Kettlebell work was dialed in.

On paper, everything looked good.

But something was stalling them out.

Their hips were tight. Especially the hip flexor complex. Which meant the glutes weren’t firing well. And once that happens, everything downstream suffers.

Swings feel off.
Snatches feel awkward.
Athletic movements feel limited.

So before we touched a kettlebell, we spent 5–7 minutes at the start of every session opening up the hips.

Nothing crazy. Nothing aggressive.

Just a short, repeatable sequence — very similar to what I’ll be teaching in my upcoming 90-minute Hip Mobility Workshop.

I want to give you a simple version of that sequence right now so you can try it yourself.

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5–7 Minute Hip Reset (do this daily or before training)

1. Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch (Couch Stretch setup)
:60–90 seconds per side

• Back knee down, front foot forward
• Light glute squeeze on the back leg
• Tall torso, slow nasal breathing

2. Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor + Overhead Reach
:30–45 seconds per side

• Same position
• Reach the arm of the back leg overhead
• Gentle side bend away from the kneeling knee

3. 90/90 Hip Switches
:45–60 seconds total

• Sit on the floor in a 90/90 position
• Slowly rotate side to side
• Use hands for support if needed

4. Bridge Hold with Slow Breathing
:45–60 seconds

• Feet flat, squeeze glutes, lift hips
• Slow breaths
• Feel the hips fully extend

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Try this before your next kettlebell workout, or first thing in the morning if your hips feel stiff from sitting.

Most people notice an immediate difference.

Now — if this hits home for you, I’m teaching a full 90-minute Hip Mobility Workshop where we go much deeper into this exact process.

This is a live workshop I’m doing as a guest session for my friends at FleX16 (my former gym in Sacramento). You can attend in person if you’re local, or live on Zoom, and you’ll also get the replay.

When you sign up, you also get my 8-Minute Hip Fix (28-day daily routine) included as a bonus.

Today is the lowest price I’m offering as part of the 12 Days of Christmas.

If you want the full plan, the full progression, and live coaching through it:

-> Sign up for the Hip Mobility Workshop here

This is a one-day offer. When today ends, it comes down and the next deal goes live.

Give the sequence a try — and if you want the complete system, I’ll see you in the workshop.

— Forest