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
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
— 30 KB Snatch (15 per side) (16k women / 24k men) — 30 Push-Ups — 30 Walking Lunge (15 per leg) — 30 Ring Rows — 30 Burpees — 30 one arm KB Swings (15 per side) (16k women / 24k men) — 30 Mountain Climbers — 30 KB Rack Squats (15 per side) (16k women / 24k men) — 30 Lying V-Ups — 30 Lateral Hops (15 per side)
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If you are ready to finally start getting serious results from your home KB workouts, sign up for our upcoming our 28 Day “Dirty 30’s” Kettlebell Challenge at the link below:
You’ll get a full 28-day training plan, a free copy of both my Kettlebells for Abs – Advanced Results course and Extreme KB Cardio Conditioning, plus coaching and motivation from me, my team, and the rest of your fellow 28-day Challengers.
But we kick off in just a few short days, so sign up and start getting ready now.
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!
First, kettlebell and bodyweight workouts – correctly designed – are a great start. You use full-body, functional movements that engage your core, without even having to work your stomach directly.
Second, if you really want to focus in on the gut, you can do a few minutes of direct ab work every day. Use a series of routines like the ones HERE, in the “Ab Torture Method” course I’ve been talking about for the last couple of days. It takes just a few minutes, and it goes a long way if you want to specifically work on and improve your midsection.
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Check out this sample workout from the Ab Torture Method:
250-Rep “Ab Torture” Challenge
Side bridge 30 reps with 10 second hold
Ab wheel 75 reps
Weighted leg raises 100 reps
Plank on ball with feet elevated 2 X failure
Weighted v-ups 75 reps
*If you don’t know exactly what each of these exercises are, or how to do them, there are full video descriptions in the full program, here:
And also, you will learn how to sub some / all of the moves for an acceptable alternative, if they require equipment and you don’t have it available.
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Finally, you’ll need to focus on your nutrition. If you have strong abs, but you have a layer of fat over the top, you won’t be able to see them. So get your diet right, and those midsection muscles will be showing themselves in no time.
There you have it. If you want better abs – which most everyone does! – 1) do functional fitness workouts with kettlebells and bodyweight 2) do direct ab work, and 3) focus on your nutrition.
Here’s to your continued success!
-Forest Vance KettlebellBasics.net
PS – If you liked today’s sample workout, get dozens more like it in the full Ab Torture Method plan here:
Specifically, one of my tightest areas has always been the hips.
If you spend a lot of the day in a flexed (sitting) position, maybe you have the same issue?
When this happens, we lose good hip extension mechanics, which impacts so many of the athletic movements that we do. It can also result in back and knee pain.
The couch stretch will help losen up the hips and restore that.
(Check out REGENERATE 2.0 for a full solution to your tight hips.)
THE COUCH STRETCH
– Start by standing in front of a couch or chair – Put your back knee on the couch or chair and keep your front leg on the ground – Put your back foot up against the back of the couch or chair – Point the back toe – Squeeze your glutes, and the glute of the up leg in particular, to stabilize your lower back and correctly position the hip joint – With the butt squeezed, drill the front of the hip towards the ground – Work on this daily for at least 60 seconds per side
Try doing the Couch Stretch daily for a week – 60 seconds each leg, each day – and pay attention to the change you can create.
– Forest Vance Master of Science, Human Movement Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist
PS – For tight hips, I also recommend that you check this out:
It’s a complete program you can follow at home, that takes just a few minutes per day, and that can truly change your life. Click here for instant access.
Today, I’m going to show you a five minute isometrics workout you can do anywhere!
This is a great technique. It’s kind of a forgotten method, but it was used by old time strongmen as a big part of their training programs. And it’s effective for building strength and muscle – any time, any place, no equipment required!
Do three rounds of the sequence below (watch the video to see how to do the exercises):
– wall push – :30 hold
– palm push – :30 hold
– scissors – :30 hold
There you have your five minute isometrics workout for strength. Thanks for watching, and see you next time!
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If you like today’s video, be sure to grab the full CORE Kettlebell Beginner’s Guide (FREE for a limited time) at this link: http://bit.ly/corekbbeginner …and stay tuned for more kettlebell exercise videos like this one!
