How to get leaner AND stronger at the SAME TIME

Being in the fitness industry for now over a decade, I’ve come to realize two glaring truths:

1 – Most of the strongest people in the world don’t care about fat loss. Sure, they can deadlift a Mack Truck, but they get winded going up a flight of stairs.

2 – Most people who want to lose fat don’t really care how strong they get. They just want to “tone”. They may think that they’re getting strong because they’re “lifting weights”, but in reality, because of the way most fat loss programs are structured, they’re just doing some form of “resistance cardio”.

But what if you could get stronger AND lose fat at the SAME TIME?

Today, I want to share an article with you from my good friend, Strength Coach and Expert Kettlebell Trainer Chris Lopez, about how you can use his “ninja” trick to get both stronger AND leaner at the same time.

– Forest

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How to Turn Strength Training into Fat Loss Training

by Chris Lopez, SFGII, CSCS
author, Kettlebell Fat Loss Evolution

Sometimes, in order to get results, you need to take a look at what everyone else is doing, and then do the exact opposite.

If your goal is to lose fat, then this holds true more NOW than ever before.

You see, most fat loss gurus these days are advocating doing complexes and circuits of 7 or 8 exercises with 15 reps per exercise and no rest time in between exercises.

My question – as a strength coach and fat loss expert of 15 years is…

Why bother?

You’re barely moving any weight and your form and technique is going to turn into complete garbage by the end.

In fact, doing multiple sets of 15 rep full body exercises is a ONE WAY STREET TO GETTING INJURED.

And because of that, I’m a big fan of lower rep fat loss programs.

Low reps are usually reserved for strength programs so how do you make the transition from low rep strength program to low rep fat loss program?

You use this “ninja” trick:

You cut the rest time between sets … like somewhere between 60-90 seconds or less depending on how many reps per set you’re using.

Most low rep “powerlifting-type” strength programs call for 3-5 minutes of rest between sets.

Unless you have 3hrs to waste in a gym and want to meticulously count your calories, training like that is not going to allow you to lose any fat.

And although that still sounds like a lot of rest compared to the rest of the Tabata/CrossFit/Bootcamp fat loss world, when you’re lifting something challenging (ie. Heavy) and moving it explosively – like you would in a proper kettlebell swing – that 60s disappears in the blink of an eye.

You might think you’d get really tired very quickly with such minimal rest.

You’re right.

You will at first.

But something really awesome happens …

Metabolically, you’re huffing and puffing, but neurologically, you’ll get stronger and stronger.

In other words, even though you might have a hard time catching your breath, you’ll still be able to use good technique to move your kettlebell.

Sure, eventually you’ll get tired, your force production will drop, and that will be the sign when your session is over or it’s time to move on to another exercise.

But the best part is…

1 – You’ll use a ton of energy and stimulate the proper hormonal responses so you’ll burn fat – especially after your workouts, when it matters most.

2 – Your strength will actually increase – something that doesn’t happen in a mainstream fat loss program.

3 – Your conditioning will increase – without you even trying.

It’s a WIN-WIN-WIN.

So why wouldn’t you do something like this?

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AWESOME stuff Chris. Thanks so much for sharing with FVT Readers!!

Chris has a full kettlebell training system – Kettlebell Evolution – based around the principles in this article. He has set up a special “friends of Forest” discount on it for this week, which is VERY cool of him to hook up – so if you enjoyed today’s article, check out the full program below and grab it at a special price:

=> Kettlebell Evolution (special “friends of Forest” discount, this week only)

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II
ForestVance.com

MY Personal Workout Plan

Honestly, I’m kind of modest guy … so I don’t talk a lot about my athletic accomplishments.

But for the purposes of this post, I’m going to share with you a bit about how I trained when I was at the peak of my pro football career … vs how I train NOW … so YOU can learn from my “mistakes”, and get the best results from your current fitness program.

At the peak of my pro football career, I weighed almost 310 pounds.  I squatted over 600, benched 450 and power cleaned 375.  I was also pretty athletic – I had a 34 inch vertical jump and ran the 40 in under 4.9.

BUT … this was at the expense of a few things:

1 – I was constantly in pain – heavy lifting all the time, combined with hundreds of collisions a week, just in the process of practicing and playing my sport, left me constantly banged up.

2 – I had horrible flexibility and mobility.  I could barely reach my own back to scratch an itch or wash it in the shower.  And it took a LOT of effort to reach down and tie my shoes.

3 – I was badly imbalanced – a lack of much uni-lateral lifting and the constant injuries left me with some serious imbalances on either side of my body … which just fed right back in to the pain and injury cycle.

Now if you’ve played competitive sports in the past … or you’ve just lifted hard and heavy for years … some of what I’m talking about here may sound familiar to you.

Lifting heavy and neglecting mobility, flexibility, balance in the body can lead to a lot of problems.

GOOD news is … there is a solution.  Now, my goals and approach are much different.  I take a totally different approach to training.  And I feel literally like a new man!

Currently, my goals include:

— Maintaining upper body muscle and “looking like I work out”

— Staying pain-free

— Being able to DO stuff … play with my daughter as she grows up, run mud runs, play pick-up basketball, whatever … but STILL also be able to lift relatively heavy too.

The approach I take to my workouts now, after over 15 years of training myself and working with literally thousands of training clients over the years, can be found HERE.

I train with barbells most of the time and still do the basic lifts – deadlifting, squatting, and pressing variations.

But I mix these with kettlebell lifting and body weight exercises in a strategic way to maximize strength AND athleticism AND keeping my body healthy and feeling good.

I have put this system into a workout manual and set of coaching videos, called Barbell / Kettlebell Hybrid Training 2.0.

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Here is a sample workout for you that follows this approach:

1 – Warm Up (30 sec ea, 2x thru the circuit)

12 body weight squats
6 push ups with rotation
15 jumping jacks
10 leg swings each leg

2 – Strength work

trap bar deadlift – 4×5, work up to 295 on last set
(pair with)
walking lunge, body weight only, 3×8 each leg

3 – KB Complex (complete all exercises on one arm without setting the ‘bell down)

KB suitcase dead 5
KB swing 5
KB clean 5
KB front squat 5
KB push press 5

Three rounds each side, no rest between sides, set KB down and rest about 30 seconds after completing a round on each side

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To sum up, if you want to get strong AND athletic AND stay pain-free, MIXING barbell training and kettlebells and body weight is the way to go.

And again, the workout above is just a one-off sample … to really get the best results from this training method, I suggest you grab the full program I’ve put together HERE.

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

Extreme KB Cardio Conditioning Workout

I am just getting back from a trip to Kentucky. Was there to learn and connect and work on the business for a couple of days. Great times!

Another highlight of the trip was the “Hot Brown” I had for breakfast this morning:

I saw this dish featured on the Man v Food TV show a while ago, and knew I had to eat one while I was away.

This thing was the BOMB! NOT on the fat loss meal plan, that is for sure … probably got enough calories for the rest of the weekend in one meal … but it was SO worth it!!

On to the main point of today’s message :). I was able to get a couple of solid training sessions over the last couple of days, the hotel I was in had a nice little workout area … but I am also looking forward to getting back and getting a great KB workout this afternoon or tomorrow in my garage.

Got a ‘Beat the Clock’ – style kettlebell cardio workout for you today – this is what I’ll be doing for my own training, and thought you might want to try it as well.

Check it out:

Extreme Kettlebell Cardio workout #14
(Full Extreme KB Conditioning program included in the Ultimate Fitness Bundle)

— 12 push ups
— 20 one arm KB swings (10 R / 10 L)
— 5 windmills/side
— 8 goblet lunges/side

This workout is done “beat-the-clock” style. So on the minute, every minute, you’ll start a set of a given exercise. Your rest period is the length of time between when you FINISH each exercise and the next 60 second interval starts.

For example – do 12 push ups. If it takes you 30 seconds, you get 30 seconds rest before you start the swings on the next 60 sec interval. If it takes you 10 seconds to do them, you get 50 seconds rest. If it takes you 45 seconds to do them, you get 15 seconds rest. Etc.

Do three to five rounds of the sequence total, using this same work-to-rest ratio.

Watch the video for this workout here:

That’s about it for today. Off to spend some time w the family. Let me know how that kettlebell workout goes for you, and talk soon –

– Forest

PS – When you grab a copy of the Ultimate Fitness Bundle (it’s available for just a couple more days!), you’ll get 21 more extreme kettlebell cardio workouts like this one … PLUS 71 other FULL programs designed for every fitness goal you can imagine. Learn more and pick up your copy here.

PPS – We are heavy in planning mode for the FVT Ultimate Challenge Workout … if you’re in the Sacramento area, this is something you’ll REALLY want to check out.

I’m so pumped about it. Stay tuned!!

MY “Off-Day” Recovery/Flexibility/Mobility Routine

I am training for another RKC II cert which is coming in about 6 weeks. Among the things I need to do include a windmill with a snatch size ‘bell and a perfect ass-to-grass pistol squat.

Now I can grind out both of those right now … but I will not lie, my flexibility in the hips and thoracic spine areas leaves something to be desired. I might be able to DO the movements but they aren’t as great looking or honestly as good as they could be. That’s why I am dedicating a full three days per week of workout sessions JUST to recovery, flexibility and mobility. Already after just three sessions of this last week, I could feel the difference in my windmills and pistol squats in yesterday’s training session. Pretty crazy.

Now if you know you need to work on your flexibility and mobility (and chances are you do), you should try this method as well. Here is what one of my recovery/flexibility/mobility days looks like if you want to try and build it into your own routine:

 

MY “Off-Day” Recovery/Flexibility/Mobility Routine

1 – Foam roll/SMR

I take a lacrosse ball and roll out sore areas in my upper back, standing against the wall. Then I use the foam roll to hit my calves, hamstrings, IT bands, quads, hip flexors, and back.

2 – Joint mobility

I do 10-20 reps each of:

3 way neck
shoulder shrug
arm circles
hip circles
knee circles
ankle circles

3 – Dynamic stretch

I’ll hit specific areas I need work on – inchworms for the hams and calves, sumo squat-to-stands for the hips, walking lunges w a reach for the hip again …

4 – Low intensity walk or bike ride for 20 or 30 mins

I enjoy getting outside and doing this, it enhances recovery, I work the cardio a bit and I can get out in nature and clear my mind. And since I typically train

around noon it’s also a nice break from all the craziness of a typical day.

5 – Static stretch

Here I will again hit areas I need to focus on – like the hips, hamstrings, T-spine, etc. Also I will include a couple of yoga poses here.

 

If you need to loosen up and enhance your recovery, try working a session or two like this per week into the mix, and let me know how it goes for you. I think you will be pleasantly surprised 🙂

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and talk soon –

– FV

 

PS – My PreHab revolution program is on sale for the next couple of days. In it you will find a full program to get you feeling and moving great. It’s got follow along videos on how to perform everything outlined above and a LOT more included. Check it out here:

=> PreHab Revolution

How to Prevent Kettlebell Calluses

Flash back to late 2008. I am in training for my first Russian Kettlebell Challenge certification.

One of the things you have to do to get certified is the infamous 100 rep snatch test – 100 snatches with a 24 kilo kettlebell in 5 minutes or less.

So after a month or two of training for the test – still maybe three or four months out from the actual certification weekend – I decide to do my first trial run.

It goes fairly well. I get it done, but just in time – with maybe 10  or 15 seconds to spare, if I remember correctly.

Funny thing was though, my hands were feeling really “hot” during the last minute or two of the test.

So I look down, and am surprised to see that there is a streak of blood running down my right arm.  I had ripped a callus straight off and just powered through (with all the fatigue and willingness to get it done, I did not even realize it when it happened)!

This was a good lesson though – because my training was affected for the next week or so, and I did not want that to happen again.  So I have had to learn to take better care of my hands in my KB training.

I thought you might have similar problems?  So I shot a quick video with some tips to help.  Here is how to prevent kettlebell calluses:

 

** We have been talking a lot this week about complex training … and so this video is actually great timing … because when you are doing complexes, the KB is in your hand for a long period of time and is doing a lot of rotating around.  And this is exactly when your hands tend to get torn up the most.

SO if you picked up a copy of Challenge Complexes – or are just planning on doing more complexes in your programming in general – you’ll want to pay special attention to this one.

How to Prevent Kettlebell Calluses

(video recap)

I’ve got a new video for you today to show you three tips on how to save your hands when training with kettlebells.

This is a really common problem.  Almost everyday it seems, I get questions like

“How do I save my hands when training with kettlebells?”

or

“My calluses are getting ripped off during hard kettlebell training.  After my high rep snatch workout I look down and blood is running down my forearm!”

Well I’ve got three simple tips to help solve this one.

Number one is to stop gripping the kettlebell so hard. What’s probably happening is when you are doing something like a snatch or clean you are gripping the bell really hard to try and slow it down. So maybe for one single repetition I do a snatch and I grip it hard and it slows down the impact but that’s an artificial way to keep that from happening. What needs to happen is you actually grip the kettlebell less and improve your technique on the snatch. Or on the clean, you need to be able to punch your hand around and not grip it hard to keep it from smacking you in the wrist. With the snatch it is just about snapping the hips hard, doing a little bit of a high pull, getting the weight to float up there and spearing the hand through.

Check out some of my other videos on my Youtube channel. I’ve got a lot more tips and specifics on there on how to do the kettlebell snatch.

The same thing with the clean, you are just punching that hand around like you are drawing a six-shooter. Elbow stays close to the body and your hand just comes around the ‘bell. No impact, no need to crush the grip.

Number two, and this comes from practice and lots of repetitions, is you want to be able to transfer that kettlebell back and forth from (demonstrating) this part of your hand to this part of your hand to skip over the calluses.

So if I’m doing a snatch, I’m going back and the kettlebell is going to be more in the hook of my fingers. Then as it comes over the top I skip to this part of my hand and as I gooseneck it to the top it’ll flip back over to the other part. So really, my calluses aren’t getting a huge beating while I’m doing that.

Number three would be if your hands tend to sweat and you are going to lose your grip (this happens a lot with any kind of high rep single arm kettlebell work in particular) just use some lifting chalk. You can get it at your local sporting goods store. Really all this is going to do is dry your hands off and improve your grip. It definitely helps to improve your grip if your hands tend to get sweaty. You may like it or you may not…as you can see it is a little bit messy but its worth it if that is a problem that you’re having.

So there are three tips for you to save your hands when training with kettlebells. Start using those right away and see some improved results.

Keep training hard, and talk soon –

Forest

Upper Body Kettlebell Workout

It’s almost time for the weekend!

Here’s a quick upper body kettlebell workout sequence you can do:

– as a stand-alone workout (for three to four rounds)

– as an “add-on” at the end of your existing routine (for one or two rotations)

Check it out:

Upper Body Kettlebell Workout

AND – also – you can get 99 more kettlebell workouts like this one to use with your boot campers and yourself at 58% off for a few more hours here:

=> 99 Kettlebell Boot Camp Workouts @ 58% off

Thanks, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC

Modified Turkish Get Up (advanced variation)

In the video below, I break down an advanced/modified Turkish get up variation.

This is actually one of my favorite TGU “progressions” … it’s more challenging than the standard version of the exercise, and is a great way to work in the “same but different” programming approach we frequently speak about.

Watch the video to see this cool advanced Turkish get up variation -and to try it out for yourself:

(video recap)

Today I’ve got a cool Turkish get up variation for you.

What we’re going to do here (and I’ll demonstrate in just a second) is a Turkish get up with three presses during the movement.

I’m not exactly sure what this one is called. Some people call it a “three-headed dragon” … which is pretty cool 😉 … so we can call it that if you want.  I’ll just call it a Turkish get up with three presses in the movement.

Start on your side and get set up like you are doing your normal turkish get up. Pull the weight into the frame, press it up. Your first press is going to be from the ground. So right here your elbows are close to the body and your wrist is nice and straight.

Punch up, up to the hands for your second press. Make sure you come all the way down to your rack position and then press it over your head.

Now sweep the foot and come up to our lunge position. Do a press from here. Now stand up and reserve the motion, hitting your presses again on the way down.

That’s your movement! A modified Turkish get up with three presses.  Enjoy!

Beginner/Intermediate Kettlebell Swing Form Tip + ‘Quick Fix’ (video)

In the video below, I cover a common kettlebell swing form mistake.

This mistake is typically made by beginner and intermediate KB trainees – but you might even be doing it if you’re “more advanced”.

It’s actually the cause of many unnecessary problems that CAN stem from the KB swing – but SHOULDN’T – including lower back pain.

Watch the video below to see what it is – and your ‘quick fix’ for it:

 

Beginner/Intermediate Kettlebell Swing Form Tip + ‘Quick Fix’

Thanks for watching, and talk soon –

Forest

PS – Having trouble viewing the video in your browser?  Click the link below:

=> Kettlebell Swing Form video

(Video Recap)

I’ve got a quick tip for you today to improve your kettlebell swing form. 

This is a fix to a mistake that I see all the time in our kettlebell boot camps and with my personal training clients.

First, let me show you what a proper kettlebell swing should look like. 

You can see that I’m swinging the ‘bell back and it is coming above my knee level. What you want to avoid is swinging the weight too low to the ground and going below the knees. 

I get the ‘bell tight to the frame and as close to my body as I can. Get the hips out of the way at the last minute. 

You only make the mistake once of swinging it too high and hitting yourself 🙂

This will make for a much tighter arc and makes for more efficient movement. It’ll also take the pressure off your lower back which is probably the #1 cause of back pain when doing kettlebell swings…….which you shouldn’t be getting, by the way!

Top 13 Kettlebell Training Mistakes and How to Fix Them (part 2)

If you are:

  • Having trouble with the Turkish get up
  • Are whacking the heck out of your forearms on the clean
  • Can’t seem to refine your snatching technique

Today’s post is going to be super helpful for you.

This week, we’re covering the top 13 kettlebell training mistakes – and how to fix them.  If you missed part 1 of the series, make sure that you check that out as well, here:

=> Top 13 Kettlebell Training Mistakes and How to Fix Them

 

Let’s get right to it!

 

Top 13 Kettlebell Training Mistakes and How to Fix Them (part 2)

 

Mistake #6 – Not Doing the Turkish Get Up

I get emails at least weekly from folks asking if they can “skip” this exercise, and do something else instead.  And my standard response is that if you are not doing Turkish get ups, you are missing out big time.

See, the first time I tried this movement, I’m not going to lie – I hated it.  It kind of hurt my shoulders, I couldn’t really figure out what it was doing, and it just felt strange.  I actually was ready to give up on it.

BUT – when I finally got with an RKC instructor and learned how to do it PROPERLY, I realized just how many benefits the exercise provides.  It’s great for shoulder mobility AND stability, “core” strength, hip mobility and stability, and so much more …

Check out this article to see how to do the exercise, broken down into steps:

=> Turkish Get Up Broken Down Into Steps

 

Mistakes #7, #8, & #9 – (fixing the clean)

The clean is another one of the core kettlebell training moves that can be very tricky to get down.  I have three big mistakes – and fixes – that you’ll find in the video and article below:

=> Three Tips to Improve Your Kettlebell Clean

=> Three Tips to Improve Your Kettlebell Clean (video)

 

Mistake #10 – No tension generation in the press

If you’re trying to press heavy and you’re not using max tension techniques to help you, you’re missing out big time.

Here’s some tips to help:

=> Boost Your KB Pressing Power

=> Boost Your KB Pressing Power, re-visited 

 

Mistakes #11, #12, & #13 – (fixing the snatch)

The KB snatch is another really tricky one to get down.

The biggest issues folks seem to have with this one:

  • The KB coming over the top of the hand and smacking the wrist
  • Not generating enough hip drive to get the KB around at the top
  • Letting the ‘bell get too far out and away from the body on the way up and on the way down

Here is my best article and video series on how to do the movement right.  Use this learning progression and these mistakes should be much improved.

=> Mastering The Kettlebell Snatch (part 1)

=> Mastering The Kettlebell Snatch (part 2)

=> Mastering The Kettlebell Snatch (part 3)

 

Alright!  Between the two posts in this series, I’ve covered what I feel are the top 13 kettlebell training mistakes – and how to fix them.  I am confident that whether you’re a KB beginner or have been at it for a while, you’ll have found some value and new info.    Most importantly, take the tips you’ve learned here, APPLY them in your KB practice, and watch your results go through the roof!!

’till next time –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – If you enjoyed this article, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter and grab your FREE Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training!  Just drop your best email address into the box at the upper right of the page to get it now.

And – if you know someone who might enjoy this info – please don’t hesitate to pass it along :)

Top 13 Kettlebell Training Mistakes and How To Fix Them (part 1)

Just got back from a great weekend in Chicago at the Perform Better Summit.  Learned a TON of new stuff, met some great new people and connected with some old friends.  All in all a great time.

View of the Chicago skyline from the Navy Pier

 

One thing I notice every time I get “out and about” in the fitness world and attend an event like this one – is that kettlebells are RAPIDLY gaining popularity.  Even just three or four years ago, not many folks were training with them … nowadays, almost everyone is using them in their workout programming to some extent.

However, unfortunately, most people still don’t know how do use – or teach others how to use them – CORRECTLY.  Big difference 😉

Maybe it’s that the curve of really learning how to use the ‘bells right is a little too high.  Maybe they are intimidating.  Maybe people are just impatient and don’t want to take the time.  Whatever the case, I am doing my part to put a stop to this 🙂  And that is why I have created this post series.  In it, I’m going to break down for you the top 13 kettlebell training mistakes – and how to fix them!  Enjoy –

 

Top 13 Kettlebell Training Mistakes and How to Fix Them (part 1)

 

Mistake #1 – Using too much OR too little weight

A big part of getting started with kettlebell training CORRECTLY is picking the right weight to use.  Go too light, and you’ll get little benefit.  Go too heavy, and your form will be thrown off as well.  Below, you’ll find a full article and video I recently did on what size kettlebell to use:

=> What Size Kettlebell to Use

Mistake #2 – Doing too much, too soon

So you’ve picked up a ‘bell …

ESPECIALLY when you’re first starting out … and during the course of your whole KB training career for that matter … it’s KEY to remember that learning to use KB’s properly is like a skill.  If you don’t take the time to practice and refine your movements before you go after them at full intensity, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll injure yourself.

Here’s a great article from the archives on the topic of …

=> Why You Need to Practice Your Kettlebell Skills

Mistake #3 – Lack of full hip extension in the swing

The swing is king.  It’s the first kettlebell exericse you should learn (and master) before you move on to anything else.

If you’re making this mistake, you’re not getting a full application of the power that’s being generated by the lower body during the Swing.  Not only will you be weaker, but doing this puts the stress on the wrong muscles and wrong areas of your body.

Here’s an article and video with more info on how to fix this one:

=> Kettlebell Swing Mistakes and Fixes, Part 1

Mistake #4 – The “squat and front raise” swing

This mistake involves a Squat and Front Raise Pattern – vs. the correct ‘hip-driven’ Swing where the arms account for maybe 10-20% of the movement.

Here’s an article that breaks down how to fix this one:

 => Kettlebell Swing Mistakes and Fixes, Part 2

Mistake #5 – Not getting the ‘bell far enough back in the swing

The Swing mistake here is not getting the ‘bell far enough back as the weight comes down between the legs and is ‘hike passed’ back.  Here’s the problem broken down in more detail for you, and how to fix it:

=> Kettlebell Swing Mistakes and Fixes, Part 3

Whew!  Okay … we’re up to kettlebell mistake number five … and we still got seven to go!!  Focus on getting those first five points down, and I’ll be back with part two very soon – we’ll talk about Turkish get ups, cleans, presses, and much more.

’till next time –

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II

PS – If you enjoyed this article, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter and grab your FREE Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training!  Just drop your best email address into the box at the upper right of the page to get it now.

And – if you know someone who might enjoy this info – please don’t hesitate to pass it along :)