A Kettlebell Training Staple: Gymboss Interval Timer Review

On February 17, 2010February 18, 2010 By adminIn Product Reviews, Tips and Tricks2 Comments

The majority of kettlebell workouts I do myself and with clients have a time component to them. Whether you’re keeping track of rest periods between sets, the length of your entire workout, if you’re doing as many reps as you can in a pre-determined amount of time, or if you’re doing a specific interval method like the Tabata protocol, having a reliable and accurate way to time yourself is essential.

A simple stopwatch is one solution, but it doesn’t give you much flexibility and definitely leaves a few features to be desired. A great solution is the Gymboss Interval Timer.

There’s all kinds of cool stuff you can do with the Gymboss. You can simply set a specific rest interval, hit the start button every time you finish a set, clip the device to your belt and set it to vibrate every time it’s time to go again – great for keeping your rest intervals consistent. You can program a specific time interval, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for example, and set up as many rounds as you want of this interval to lead you thru your workout (perfect for things like the Viking Warrior Conditioning program by Kenneth Jay). You can even use it to learn to run – set up 2 min on, 2 min off intervals, for example, clip it to your belt, and run/walk every time the beeper goes off. Decrease the walking interval and increase the running interval every workout until you’re running continuously for whatever amount of time you’re shooting for. Your imagination is seriously the limit with this thing.

The only downside with the Gymboss is that it’s a separate unit you have to carry around – so it’s not as convenient as, say, a wristwatch. But in my opinion, for the extra features it offers, it’s well worth it.

You can pick up a Gymboss today by clicking here. And if you have one already, I’d love to hear how you like it!

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Kettlebell Basics Book Review: Enter The Kettlebell

On December 29, 2009 By adminIn General, Product Reviews4 Comments

Enter the Kettlebell by Pavel gives you a complete template for conditioning, size and strength using the kettlebell as a stand-alone tool. Pavel’s incredible knowledge and sense of humor also make it an enjoyable read. If you’re trying to learn or refine the basics of kettlebell training, Enter the Kettlebell is without a doubt one of the best resources around.

Pavel kicks things off by giving a short overview of what kettlebells are, and all the reasons why they’re probably perfectly suited for your fitness goals. He takes you through a very basic self-movement assessment and provides a quick warm-up and a couple of corrective stretches. He gives you the ‘basic’ program, the program minumum – the PM uses only two kettlebell exercises but is simply amazing in moving you towards a greater base of conditioning and strength. As I mentioned in a previous post, I personally actually lost body fat and gained muscle doing this routine exclusively. One of the most amazing things is it’s efficacy – four workouts a week which amount to less that an hour a week – total! – of working out.

The next step is the ROP, or Rite of Passage, and Pavel gives you a great template to help you become a ‘man among men’: 200 snatches with a 24k kb in 10 minutes and a 1/2 body weight single arm clean and press. Complete this goal and you’ll be one strong – and top notch conditioned – mo’ ‘fo.

This is the book that righted the ship for me. I swung around a kettlebell in my back yard for a month or two before purchasing the book with really nothing to show for it. After reading through it several times and taking meticulous notes, and following both programs in it to a ‘T’, I made some great progress with regards to my conditioning, strength, and kettlebell technique. If you haven’t ordered Enter The Kettlebell by Pavel yet, make sure you do so right away by clicking HERE!

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Dragon Door Kettlebell Review

On December 12, 2009December 13, 2009 By adminIn Product Reviews10 Comments

If you’ve shopped around for kettlebells at all, you’ve probably found that there are a lot of different brands out there at a wide range of different prices. I’ve personally used quite a few different brands of kettlebells, and I can tell you firsthand – there’s a difference! I’m going to give you a few tips on your purchase, and also explain why a quality ‘bell – particularly a Dragon Door kettlebell – is worth the extra investment.

First, don’t cheap out when purchasing a kettlebell. Although I’ve never witnessed it first hand, I’ve heard stories of cheap kettlebells coming apart at really bad times – like when the weight is pressed overhead. That being said, quality is obviously an important factor.

Secondly, if you’re just going to be doing really basic stuff with the kb’s, like squats or two-handed swings, then you can probably get by with a lesser brand. But as soon as you progress and start doing things like higher-rep cleans, snatches, etc., the smoothness of the handle and the way the weight is balanced become really important.

Third, I’ve found that cheaper brands of kettlebells tend to come apart pretty fast. For example, I purchased a few kettlebells from a local sporting goods store when I first started getting in to kb training, and within six months the rubber coating came off and they started to rust.

Dragon Door Kettlebells are the best I’ve trained with and I’m currently in the process of replacing all my non-Dragon Door ‘bells. They just have the best finish, the best workmanship, and are the best balanced. If you’re just starting out with kettlebell training, a single kettlebell is fine – an average man could start with a 12k or a 16k, an average woman an 8k or 12k. Use the information on this blog to help get you started and you’ll be on the fast track to reaching your fitness goals with kettlbell training! Click the link below to order a kettlebell from Dragon Door now and get up to 30% off: