Category: Tips and Tricks

Story of the Crazy Kettlebell Man (and a body weight/KB circuit workout)

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Happy Halloween!

I’m feeling extra inspired – because Haloween is one of my favorite holidays 🙂 – so I have TWO things to share with you today:

1. A scary kettlebell story
2. A special Halloween body weight and kettlebell circuit workout

 

Story of the Crazy Kettlebell Man

It’s Halloween night. You’re on the way back from a costume party when your friends decide it’d be a good idea to drive to the outskirts of town to check out a haunted mansion …

You pull off the road and park the car at the back of the property. The house itself is on the top of a hill, still quite a distance away … it’s a dark and cloudy night and the road is pitch black with no streetlamps.

You shiver as you follow your friends into the woods …

It’s a long and spooky walk. You finally arrive at an overgrown lawn that looks up at the house.

You glance up at the third story and the windows gape at you like dark eyes. Suddenly, a ball of light appears in the window … you’re sure your friends told you the house was abandoned!

The light seems to float, and before your eyes, it forms into a hulking giant. You gasp in shock … and the figure begins to swing a giant ball-shaped object.

“Let’s get out of here!” You cry … your friends apparently saw the figure, too, and the group sprints to the car and speeds away.

“What was that?” You ask.

“Don’t you know?” Says your buddy. ”It was the crazy kettlebell man!”

You shriek. “The crazy kettlebell man?”

“Yep. A team of kettlebell lifters lived in the mansion. They were Girevoy sport world champions … until the team captain went mad and killed them all. They say he still haunts the mansion to this day and tries to lure visitors in to join his crazy kettlebell circuit workouts.”

Shivering, your friends drop you off and you head home. For the rest of the night, your dreams are filled with images of the crazy kettlebell man trying to lure you to his mansion, swinging his giant kettlebell …

 

10-31-12 Halloween Body Weight and Kettlebell Circuit Workout

– start with a five minute warm up – like this one

-then do:

(circuit 1)

10 pull ups or inverted rows
31 kettlebell swings
12 close grip push ups

(circuit 2)

10 plank-to-push ups
31 jumping jacks
12 goblet squats

– Perform exercises in each circuit back-to-back without rest. Rest 30-60 seconds, and repeat each circuit three times.

– For some tips on how to do more pull ups, click here

– To check out a video with some kettlebell swing form tips, click here

That’s it for now!

Talk soon –

Forest

PS – If you haven’t grabbed your free Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training yet, make sure to do so now!  Just drop your best email address into the box at the upper right of the page.

PPS – If you have family or friends who would enjoy today’s article(s), please feel free to forward them along!!

Getting Back in Shape in Your 40’s and Beyond (with kettlebells)

On By adminIn General, Tips and Tricks1 Comment

If you:

  • Wonder if your best years of being fit, feeling great, being strong, and looking good are behind you …
  • No longer see a lean physical specimen with muscle definition when you look in the mirror, but instead a doughy, middle-aged body that you feel disappointed in …
  • Feel sluggish, and no longer have the energy and vitality you used to …

Today’s post is for you.

Fellow KB fan David Lee from HumanNature @ Work shares with us his personal story of getting back into shape in his 50’s … and how kettlebells helped him do it.

– Forest

Getting Back in Shape in Your 40’s and Beyond

by David Lee of HumanNature @ Work

Along with a bunch of bodyweight exercises, this morning’s workout included:

1. Six chin-ups with a 24Kg (54lb) kettlebell on a weight belt
2. Two rest pause chin-ups with my 16kg and 24kg kettlebells (88lb) on a weight belt.
3. One arm push-ups, 4 per arm

I’m a 55 year old guy and could barely do a single chin-up four years ago.

If you’re above 40, I’m writing this post for you.

If any of the following sound familiar, I’m writing this for you:

1. You wonder if your best years of being fit, feeling great, being strong, and looking good are behind you.

2. When you look in the mirror, you no longer see a lean physical specimen with muscle definition.  Instead, you see is a doughy, middle-aged body that you feel disappointed in.

3. You no longer feel strong and sturdy. When you bend over, you brace your lower back with your hand. You hope doing this will keep you from “throwing out your back” or pulling a muscle.

4. You feel sluggish. You don’t have the energy and vitality you used to.

5. You “want to want to” work out. You wish you liked working out, but you don’t. You wish you could force yourself to go to the gym, but it bores the hell out of you. You wish you had the discipline to work out at home, but that just isn’t happening.

If any of the above rings true, I feel your pain.

I was there.

I also remember the day things turned around, the day I stopped feeling disappointed and became
determined to do something about it.

Here’s what happened….

I was slogging along on a treadmill in a hotel gym in Austin, Texas while on a business trip. Bored out of my mind, I kept punching up new channels on my TV, looking for something to help me escape the monotony.

That’s when I came across an infomercial with a bunch of people doing some kind of extreme fitness program with a really enthusiastic, humorous guy leading the pack. He was only a little younger than I and was in amazing shape. In case you can’t guess who it was, it was Tony Horton of P90X fame.

Even though I had never worked out at home and questioned whether I had the discipline to do so, I was sick of how I looked and felt. I wanted to look just half as fit and be half as fit as Tony. So when I got home, I bought the program.

I can remember my first time putting in one of the DVDs (it was Core Synergistics) and struggling through about half of it. For the chest and back workout, which included chin-ups and pull-ups, I ended up getting rubber bands because I couldn’t do reps of chin-ups or pull-ups. When I finally graduated to being strong enough to do them, I would max out on 4-5.

I have to confess, I’m not a real structured guy, so I never did the program in the systematic way they map out. I didn’t read the instructions and didn’t do the different cycles they recommended. I just varied the workouts.

But I could see the changes. I was losing flab and putting on muscle.

I can still remember the day when I looked in the mirror and—this feels a little strange to admit—I was startled by what I saw. It was actually like “Woah! Who’s this dude?”

Again, this feels strange to say, but maybe you can relate to that primitive reptilian brain response that gets triggered when you come across a guy who is much bigger and stronger looking. No matter how civilized you think you are, or how confident you feel, there’s this reflexive alertness that comes out of nowhere.

That’s kind of how I felt when I looked in the mirror. Now, it wasn’t like I looked like Arnold or Dorian Yates by any stretch. We’re talking 6’2” and about 180 lbs. But… where before there was no definition and only this doughy, tubular body, I saw decent sized delts with definition and more muscle mass than I could remember ever having.

It truly was a strange phenomenon, almost like I finally woke up to the fact that I had changed. It actually took a while for my self-image to catch up to this new reality. I was no longer the over-the-hill doughy middle-aged guy.

I continued on with P90X for about six months when one day I was talking with a friend about how much I loved my fitness program and the difference it made, when she shared how much she enjoyed using something called kettlebells.

She asked me if I had ever heard of them. I hadn’t.

Although I could see she was really into them, I wasn’t. I thought they were some kind of girly thing.  (Man, how wrong could I have been?).

The image I had was some little bell shaped weight thing that women swung around, one per hand, while they did some kind of aerobic dance workout. Again…how wrong could I have been about that?

I can’t remember what triggered me to finally go online and do some research, but after a little reading, I knew that kettlebells were going to become part of my program.

Once I started using them and learning about functional fitness and exercising movements and not individual muscles, I became even more of a hard core fitness fanatic.

So, now, almost four years later, I feel and look like a different person. Interestingly enough, what I used to find incomprehensible—working out in the morning—is now a habit. Now the following may sound weird, but sometimes if I wake up at say, 3 or 4 AM, I can’t get back to sleep because I’m so stoked about my upcoming morning workout. So I get up, and “bring it!”

 

About the Author:

David Lee is the founder of HumanNature @Work. He is a speaker, consultant, and writer in the areas of employee motivation; resilience; and storytelling for entrepreneurs, leaders, and coaches. He works with individuals and leadership teams interested in maximizing their effectiveness. His websites are: www.HumanNatureAtWork.com, www.StoriesThatChange.com, and  www.WhateverLifeBrings.com.

Kettlebell Combos for Fat Loss (part two)

On By adminIn General, Tips and Tricks1 Comment

Last time, we talked about the concept of using kettlebell combos for fat loss.

(If you missed that post, you can check it out by clicking here.)

Now, I want to give you an outline of how you’d set up a complete “kettlebells for rapid fat loss” routine.

But before we get going … it’s critically important to remember that having a specific plan for your workouts in place WILL maximize your results.

I’ve talked about this concept many times before … and I’m still honestly convinced that most people just kind of surf around online, think about what kind of stuff they like, and then pick a workout for the day and do it … without regard for specific goals, appropriateness of exercises for fitness level, etc.

This is NOT the best way to go about structuring your workouts!!

The main problem with changing too frequently is that you never really focus on one thing and get good at it.  Instead, you end up doing lots of different exercises … getting in decent shape … … but never really reaching your full potential with a specific exercise or strength skill.

Now don’t get me wrong.  This is much better than not working out at all.  It’s moving, and burning kcals, and getting some activity in.  But the thing is, if you’re reading this post, chances are that you’re past that stage.  You’re working out more or less consistently.  It’s just a matter of exactly WHAT to do … and how to set it up … to maximize your results.

Okay, on to the program outline …

1) Do a kettlebell combo – like the one I outlined last time – about three days per week.  Make sure that you’re hitting all of your major muscle groups evenly, and that you’re combining the exercises in a way that makes the workout flow smoothly and minimizes the need for rest.

Also, make sure you’re using great form in all of your kettlebell exercise to 1) prevent injury and 2) get the most benefit out of them possible.

2) Do high intensity, interval-based cardio workouts two to three times per week.  “Long” cardio – like 35 minutes plus – is just okay … but it’s not ideal.  And we’re in it to win it … so we want ideal. 🙂

3) Follow a meal plan specifically designed for rapid fat loss.  You might not want to hear this, but … you can workout as hard as you like … but if your diet isn’t on point, it’s all to waste.

That’s it.  Do those three things, and you will lose body fat – fast!  I have faith in you.  You can do it.  Take your own personal fat loss challenge starting NOW … and keep me posted on your progress!

‘Till next time –

Forest

PS – Would love to hear your thoughts on these concepts!  Please post your comments below.

PPS – I have a complete and  done-for-you program based around the concept of using kettlebell combos for rapid fat loss coming to you very soon … make sure to keep an eye on your email inbox for details.  And if haven’t signed up yet – what the heck are you waiting for? 🙂  I’ve got all kind of cool free stuff for you when you do … just drop your name and best email into the box at the upper right of to sign up now.

PPPS – 10/25 update!  The 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Kettlebell Solution is now available.  Click here to learn more.

Quick Tip to Fix Kettlebell Shoulder Pain

On By adminIn Tips and Tricks1 Comment

Shoulder pain is something that has hindered my training on and off for the last decade.

During my college and pro sports career (I played college football and had a ‘cup of coffee’ in the NFL), I had MANY injuries. I also lifted really heavy weights for more than a decade.  This is when it all started.

Shortly after my sports career ended, I lost a bunch of weight (I played offensive line and was around 300 pounds when I was playing … now I hover between about 246 and 248) and got into kettlebell training  (by the way, I have an AWESOME project in the works with a new and updated rapid fat loss kettlebell system coming your way next week … say tuned for that).  And for a while, my shoulder pain kind of just went away …

And then, during training for my first RKC certification about four years ago, my shoulder started to bother me again. One of the RKC testing requirements, as you may know, is 100 snatches with a 24k ‘bell in five minutes … so I did a LOT of KB snatching in preparation … and I did great at the cert weekend … but my shoulder was hating me afterwards.

Now, any time I do a lot of snatches, pressing, or any kind of repeated overhead work (like we were doing in training for a mud run we completed about a month ago) – my shoulder KILLS me … and to be honest, it sucks!

If you suffer from shoulder pain like I do, I’m betting that you’re looking for any solution you can find.

So a couple of weeks ago, my friend and colleague Rick Kaselj provided me with a review copy of his new Fix My Shoulder Pain system. And I have to say, this is some good stuff. The shoulder issues I was having from the mud run training are MUCH better. And it’s due to some simple tips. I want to share my favorite one with you here today …

** Rick’s Fix My Shoulder Pain System is on a 50% sale for the next couple of days, btw … and I’ve put together a special kettlebell complex program that you’ll get as a free bonus when you grab a copy … just click here to grab your copy of the FMSP program … and forward me your email reciept when you get it … and I’ll hook you up!**

So … the quick fix to your kettlebel shoulder pain is (and this tip is straight from Rick) …

Warm Up The Muscles & Not Just The Joint

When it comes to warming up prior to a kettlebell workout, most people are not doing anything to prevent a shoulder injury – which we’ve learned is the most commonly hurt body part. You’ll see guys that are doing arm circles and arm crosses before their workout which is fine, but this does not hinder an injury. The circles and crosses help lubricate the joint but does nothing to prime up the actual muscles in the  shoulder – which is what you need to do.

Quick Fix: During your warm up add resistance to wake up the muscles of the shoulder, rotator cuff and shoulder blade so they are ready to protect and prevent a shoulder injury. There are several exercises you can pick from but my favorite is the elbows back full range of motion bodyweight push-up with feet elevated on something.

Click here and scroll down a bit to see a demo of what I’m talking about:

=> Quick Fix Shoulder Warm Up

Now – this is obviously just one quick tip, and not a complete solution – but it is a great start. Try it before your next KB workout and let me know what you think.

(Also – the full Fix My Shoulder Pain System is on a 50% sale for the next couple of days, and I’ve put together a special kettlebell complex program that I’m going to give you as a special bonus when you grab a copy … just forward me your email receipt when you get it (you can do that here) and I’ll hook you up!)

Thanks for reading, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
Level 2 Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor

3 Tips to Beat Forearm, Elbow and Wrist Pain from Kettlebells

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Unfortunately, it’s a very common problem among kettlebell enthusiasts.

They get a great start with their kettlebell training. They get so excited about the power of their newly discovered training tool that they pick up and train with a KB almost every day!

And then the forearm, elbow, and/or wrist pain hits. It’s debilitating. They actually have to stop training with kettlebells completely for a time. And the excitement of these newly discovered training tools quickly turns to frustration …

**The tips I’m about to share with you are from Rick Kaselj and Jedd Johnson’s Fixing Elbow Pain program … and you can get a special deal on it when you order through me for the next two days.  For more info and to take advantage of this special limited-time offer, click here: === >> Fix Elbow Pain**

Kettlebell lifting is something that can without a doubt cause elbow pain. But the good news is that it can be prevented, reduced and even eliminated with a routine of simple exercises and life habits.

(FYI, these tips have and will help anyone who uses their hands and forearms with a high frequency – whether you lift KB’s, do intense body weight training, engage in other strength training activities, play tennis, golf , etc., etc.)

3 Tips to Beat Forearm, Elbow and Wrist Pain From Kettlebells

1. Warm up before kettlebell training

A warm up is an easy thing to skip. But – ESPECIALLY if you have elbow pain – DON’T DO IT! Get in your mind that you will take a preventive approach.

An example of a specific warm up drill you could perform for elbow pain is the elbow circumduction drill.

For this exercise, the upper arm will remain at the sides and then the hands will travel in large circles, pivoting at the elbow. It is a good idea to do these slow to keep tension on the muscles and connective tissues and to eliminate momentum.

Another example is manual resistance of the hands and fingers. You simply push down with your opposite hand on the other hand’s wrists and fingers to warm them up and stretch them out.

** Don’t forget to check out the complete Fixing Elbow Pain program for more specific exercise instructions, picture and video demonstration, and much more. **

2. Take preventive measures during kettlebell training

An example here is to use something like elbow sleves during KB lifting. This is great for keeping warm and keeping the blood flow going during exercise to the effected area.

Another example of a preventive measure would be modifing your grip accordingly and in a specific way during activity to keep elbow pain down and to keep from futher aggrivating it.

3. Take care of your elbows after kettlebell training

After your KB workouts – and even in between, on your off days, etc. – it’s very important that you take care of your elbows, forearms, and wrists.

Stretching after exercise is a simple tip that will help you beat your elbow pain.

Try the torso-to-hand stretch:

With a wall or other sturdy object, you can perform a stretch that will get everything from your finger tips all the way up to you torso, especially your chest. Also if you turn your head away from the hand being stretched, you will feel it somewhat in the neck muscles as well.

Contrast bathing and band traction are two other examples of things one could do to take care of your elbows and forearms after exercise.

To sum up, elbow, forearm, and/or wrist pain SUCKS. It’s an all-to-common ailment that can stop you in your kettlebell training tracks. But the tips in this article are a GREAT starting point to help you beat it!

And don’t forget – the “beat elbow pain” sale is going on for only two more days. Click the link below to check it out:

=== >> Fix Elbow Pain Now

Thanks for reading, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
RKC II

Planning Your Kettlebell Workouts – The Basics

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Locating a good KB workout online.  Fighting kettlebell routine boredom.  Not knowing what exercises to do on what days/how to put everything together/etc. …

These are all common issues/problems/frustrations folks have in their kettlebell training efforts.  So in today’s post, I’m going to address these issues and lay out a complete foundation for planning your kettlebell workouts!

Planning Your Kettlebell Workouts – The Basics

First and foremost, you do need to change your kettlebell workouts frequently. This is necessary to, among other things, 1) prevent boredom and 2) keep from adapting/plateauing/etc.

HOWEVER – if you change your workouts TOO much – then you never give yourself a chance to improve. You can’t see if you’re getting better at specific exercises (because you’re doing different ones all the time) and you can’t see if your weights/reps are going up (again, because your exercise choice is so varied, you’ll never really know how you’re improving day-to-day or week-to-week).

And this is a big problem – because we’ve ALL been guilty of switching things up just for variety’s sake just a little too often …

So – here’s the three step KB workout planning approach that’s worked for me and now thousands of my personal training clients:

1) Define exactly what your goals are.

Muscle gain? Fat Loss? Improved performance? Before you pick a program to follow, you have to know exactly where you’re going and your ultimate kettlebell training goal(s).

2) Find a program to follow.

There are lots of decent free kettlebell programs around – a great starting point is here, right on this blog. Search the archives, or just take a look at this page to get started:   Free Kettlebell Routines on KettlebellBasics.net

**You could also go the paid route and invest in a resource like I have listed on this page:  Forest’s kettlebell programs and products.  Main difference being that my paid programs are much more complete than the free ones … explanation/video of individual exercises, theory behind how the workouts are designed, how everything fits together, etc.  

The choice of which solution fits best for your specific situation/available research time/etc. is yours … main point being to pick a solid program and STICK WITH IT!!**

3) Follow the program ’till it stops working – THEN switch it up.

Follow the routine you’ve picked for your specific goals ’till it stops working and you hit a plateau.  For most folks, this ends up being about four to six weeks – a reasonable time frame to improve at specific exercises, bump up your weights and reps, etc.

Then you re-asses, set some new goals, rinse and repeat! 🙂

In conclusion, planning your kettlebell workouts is something a lot of folks have a tough time with.  Not knowing exactly how to put things together, getting bored with the same exercises, and a host of other issues make planning your kettlebell workouts tough.  So, when it comes time to plan your next kettlebell workout routine, just follow the three step process outlined in this post, and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your ultimate kettlebell fitness goals!

That’s it for today –

Forest Vance, RKC II

PS – Getting the KettlebellBasics.net newsletter? You’ll get two free gifts – my Kettlebell Rx video and my Beginners Guide to Kettlebell Training – as my way of saying thanks when you sign up.  Just drop your name and best email address into the box at the upper right of the page to do so now!

Kettlebell Training – Where to Start

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, General, Kettlebell Workouts, Tips and Tricks, Videos2 Comments

New to kettlebell training?

Intrigued by the dynamic, often ballistic KB movements that work the entire body and include elements of both strength and cardio – but not quite sure where to start?

This article is for you.  It may seem simple on first read – but don’t let that fool you.  Follow this simple plan and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your ultimate fitness goals with kettlebell training …

Kettlebell Basics – Where to Start

1. Get kettlebell(s)

Make sure you’re getting the right size and selection of KB’s for your specific goals, starting fitness level, etc.  It’s very important that you choose the right KB to start – and the process might not be as straight-forward as you think.

I shot a video on this exact topic a few months back – check it out by clicking the link below to help you make your decision:

What Size Kettlebell to Use

 

2. Learn the basic exercises

Kettlebell training is more like learning a new sport skill than an exercise routine in many ways.  A kettlebell swing is FAR more technical that, say, a bicep curl or push up.  And the more advanced moves all hinge on two basics in the HardStyle system – so you MUST get a grasp on them first …

The two basic HardStyle kettlebell exercises are the swing and the Turkish get up.  Spend time learning them.  Practice them.  Get someone who knows what to look for to check out your form.  Master them.  And have the discipline to do so before you move on to more advanced exercises.

This article will teach you the basics of the Swing and the Turkish Get Up.  It includes both video instruction and a sample workout incorporating the two moves:

The Best Kettlebell Exercises For Beginners

 

3. Next Steps

Once you’ve “earned the right” to move on to more advanced kettlebell training moves (by mastering the Swing and Get Up!), you can learn the clean and press and the snatch.

This article will teach you the next movements in your progression:

The Best Kettlebell Exercises For Beginners (revisited)

 

In summary, learning the basics of kettlebell training is simple – but not easy.  It takes patience and mental discipline to stick with the basics and master them before moving on to more interesting and exotic movements.  But trust me – you’ll be glad you did in the end.

Train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance, RKC II

PS – If you like hard copy (vs. digital) books and DVD’s, I have a great special for you this weekend … we’re holding this one at my Sacramento training studio, and have decided to pass the opportunity for savings online.  It’s a somewhat unique chance to get in-hand, PHYSICAL copies of a few different products of mine at a great price … check it out here:

2012 FVT Summer Clearance Sale

The Best Kettlebell Exercises For Beginners (revisited)

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, Kettlebell Workouts, Tips and Tricks, Videos5 Comments

*If you’re a complete kettlebell beginner, please review the first part of this series here: Best Kettlebell Exercises For Beginners

It’s critical that you perfect your get up and swing technique before you start learning the moves covered in the article and videos below.*

You’ve perfected your form in the basic KB moves – the swing and the get up. You’ve even gone through a basic program that focuses primarily on these two exercises to lose weight, tone up, improve your posture, move freely, gain overall fitness, etc.  Where do you go next?

The next kettlebell exercises you should learn are the snatch and the clean and press.  First, check out the videos below – I’m confident that whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been training with kettlebells for some time, you’ll pick up at least a few technique tips that’ll improve your workouts.  Then, check out the workout below the videos I’ve put together that incorporates all of the basic kettlebell drills (and a few basic body weight moves as well).  Enjoy!

Kettlebell Snatch/Clean & Press Video Series – Technique Tips & Much More

The Clean – Technique Tips

The Press – Tip to Boost Your Power

Mastering the Kettlebell Snatch (three video series)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Kettlebell Basics Workout

*Warm up – Do five Turkish Get Ups on each side. Start easy – with no weight at all or a light weight – and work up to a heavier weight with each rep. Switch sides after each rep.

*Perform the first exercise in each pairing. Immediately move to the next exercise (or exercises) and complete the prescribed number of reps. Rest :30 and repeat each sequence a total of three times.

1a: 10 reverse lunges
1b: pull ups – until muscle failure

2a: 5 kettlebell clean and presses each side
2b: 25 body weight squats (explosive tempo)

3a: 10 kettlebell snatches each side
3b: 20 push ups

*Finish with static stretch of tight muscle groups

In summary, once you’ve perfected your technique with the two basic kettlebell drills – the swing and the get up – it’s time to move on to the snatch and the clean and press.  The videos and workout above will help you learn all the basic kettlebell exercises for beginners.

Train hard and talk soon –

Forest

PS – Remember – this is one workout to help you with learning your kettlebell exercises for beginners – not a complete plan.  Please make sure to work it into a solid and well-thought-out comprehensive program.

If you know how you’re going to work these moves into your existing routine, awesome!  But if not, here are a couple options to check out:

1. For total kettlebell beginners, click here

2. Once you’ve mastered the TGU and the swing, graduate to this program

Law Enforcement Fitness Training – With Kettlebells

On By adminIn General, Kettlebell Workouts, Tips and Tricks1 Comment
Law enforcement fitness training - with kettlebells!

If you’re reading this blog, I assume you’re not doing what most police/law enforcement/criminal justice types probably are: long, slow distance runs, a typcial bodybuilding-style weight training routine, or a combination of both.

And if you’re stuck in the 90’s and are still training this way, here’s why you need to stop: LSD cardio and/or bodybuilding-style weight training does very little to prepare you for your line of work.  Law enforcement fitness training, at the most basic level, should be based around preparing for short, intense encounters where your very survival may depend on quickly controlling a confrontation.

You should know full well that a seated chest press machine – or even a slow jog – is nothing like this type of activity.  What we’re after are high-intensity, functional-style workouts that get us better at the specific tasks/activities/etc. we’ll be facing in real life.  And this makes kettlebells a great tool for the job!

In this article, I’m going to address specific needs of law enforcement fitness training. I’ll explain exactly why kettlebells are a great tool for meeting/improving these needs. And I’ll give you a sample law enforcement fitness training kettlebell workout!

Law enforcement fitness training – specific needs

People who are in the field of law enforcement need to be in great physical shape not only because of their health, but also their safety.

One key to this is being able to have a strong grip and forearm strength in order to survive in the field, whether it be dealing with someone who isn’t cooperating or the need to catch a suspect who has jumped over a fence. In addition, officers must have strength and endurance in terms of running so that they have the capability to physically sustain a high speed pace in the case of a chase.

Why kettlebells are the perfect tool

Kettlebells provide a functional form of training that carries over into the daily lives of law enforcement. They allow a person to strengthen their grip through a variety of exercises, which will not only help to apprehend a suspect, but also provide strength in operating weaponry with quickness and safety. Kettlebells engage the posterior chain, which enables people who are training to become more powerful runners with increased endurance.

Because of these benefits and the small amount of time required to get an intense workout with kettlebells, training officers have begun to incorporate them into their regimen to help improve the fitness of their recruits in the little time they have to train them. As opposed to going on long runs and going into the weight room to lift, they now require shorter runs and then a kettlebell workout, followed by firearm training. This has proven to be more applicable to the field work required of the officers.

Law enforcement fitness training kettlebell workout

Here’s a workout that incorporates all the needs and elements I’ve discussed in this article:

Warm up

Workout

  • 3 Turkish get ups each side, adding weight each rep – for example, do one rep with no added weight (‘naked’), one rep with a 12k ‘bell, and one rep with a 20k ‘bell on each side
  • light .5 mile jog (easy warm up pace)
  • 100 kettlebell swings total (two hand, one hand, or hand-to-hand) – any combination, just finish all 100 before moving on to the next exercise
  • medium-intensity .5 mile jog (getting hard, but not going all out)
  • 20 burpee pull ups (do a burpee. Step forward to the pull up bar, hop up and do a pull up. That’s one rep.)
  • hard .5 mile run (go hard!  Finish strong and give it all you’ve got.)
  • three 100 yard farmer’s walk carries (grab two heavy kb’s. Walk with ’em ’till your grip gives out.  Pick a weight that allows you to walk about 100 yards.)

Cool down

  • Static stretch of tight muscle groups

In conclusion, kettlebells are a great tool for law enforcement fitness training.  Folks involved in this line of work have some very specific fitness needs, including strength, endurance, and grip/forearm strength.  Kettlebells very effectively and efficiently help one train for all of these qualities.

Thanks for reading and and talk soon –

Forest Vance, RKC II

PS – If you liked this kettlebell workout, you’ll LOVE my free kettlebell email newsletter … plus, when you sign up, you’ll get a copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training!  Just drop your best email into the box at the upper right of the page to sign up now.

Kettlebell Lower Back Pain – Causes & Fixes (revisited)

On By adminIn Basic Kettlebell Drills, Tips and Tricks3 Comments
How To Eliminate Kettlebell Lower Back Pain

We had an AWESOME ‘Kettlebells For Fat Loss’ workshop last Saturday at my gym in Sacramento, CA.  I love doing these workshops (I get to talk about one of my favorite things for hours on end!) – and it’s cool to see folks from 50, even 100 miles away come in for a half day of intensive, un-interupted kettlebell instruction.

Now like anything else that’s rapidly growing in popularity, there’s a lot of mis-information out there on kettlebell training/technique/etc.  And with folks at these events more often than not being self-taught, there’s some serious “re-learning” of the basics going on, to say the least 🙂

That being said, I see the same “kettlebell issues” pop up over and over again at these workshops – and with training clients in general – and one of the biggest ones is kettlebell lower back pain.  That is, people complain of their lower backs hurting during and/or after a kettlebell training session.

Plainly put, this is bad.  Because kettlebell exercises folks typically get back pain from doing – like swings, snatches, and cleans – aren’t exercises for your lower back! In fact, if you’re doing these exercises correctly, you shouldn’t feel them in your back at all.

Now while there are a variety of reasons why this can happen, in 90%+ of cases I see there are two main causes: 1) muscle (specifically core) weakness and 2) poor form.  In this article, I’m going to cover each of these KB LBP causes in a little more detail, and show you how to fix them.

Kettlebell lower back pain reason #1: muscle weakness

Lifting a kettlebell in a balistic fashion – as you do in a swing, snatch, or clean – will require your body to brace to stabilize the movement.  It will also place demands on the core muscles of your torso, including your lower back.

If your core muscles are weak, you won’t be able to brace effectively.  And you’ll get lower back pain.

Fix:

Check out this post for a quick test and my #1 exercise to improve your core strength:

How To Tell If Your Core Muscles Are Weak (plank test)

Kettlebell lower back pain reason #2: poor form

Poor form – specifically during KB movements where you flex forward at the hip – is another cause of kettlebell lower back pain.

Fix:

In a previous post on this blog, I covered two common kettlebell technique mistakes that cause lower back pain (and fixes to them as well) – click the link below to see that post now:

Lower Back Pain During The Kettlebell Swing – Causes & Fixes

In summary, kettlebell lower back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, but the two main ones are 1) muscle weakness and 2) poor form. The tips in this article will help you address both of these issues – use them to eliminate your lower back pain and accelerate your KB training results!

Train hard –

Forest Vance, RKC II

P.S. For more great tips and tricks like these delivered straight to your email inbox – and a free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training – just sign up for my newsletter by dropping your name and email address into the box at the upper right hand corner of the page!