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Tuesday, March 3, 2009
What Do You Want From Your Kettlebell?
Out of ideas for today so I wondered if you'd consider doing me a favor, please?
I want to right about what you are looking for as you develop a relationship with your kettlebell or kettlebells. I will be able to develop some excellent blog posts from what you share with me.
Write a quick note in the "Comments" area below and tell me what you need. Or you can email me at sandysommer at charmcitykettlebells.com
I write a lot about different kettlebell exercises you can do to get in amazing shape. The intensity of a typical kettlebell session helps you lose the fat and build lean muscle. Here’s something I’ve been guilty of though. Lots of people may have no idea what a kettlebell actually is.
A kettlebell is a big metal ball with a thick handle attached to it. Think cannonball with a handle. . It looks menacing but it is a really fun training tool. For you to get maximum fat burning and muscle building results with your kettlebell you must understand how to properly train with it.
Kettlebells are incredibly popular with people who have hectic schedules. And with good reason. You can get tons of work done in a short period of time. My average personal workout is 20 minutes. RKC training doesn’t involve any isolated exercise. Every movement uses multiple muscle groups.
Do you have 11 minutes to work out each day? If you do here’s something I swiped from Geoff Neupert, SR. RKC
Train for the next five weeks. For 11 minutes a day. It will become a habit after 30 days and you will accomplish much. I will work very hard and get a lot of work done. In 11 minutes a day.
You will feel better and you will certainly look better. You will move better and you will probably decide that you have more time than you first thought to devote to your fitness program.
There a 6 basic RKC movements. We combine the Clean and Press into one full exercise. Each day you will do a different one. Here’s how it will look for 5 days a week for 5 weeks.
Monday- Swings
Tuesday- Turkish Get Ups
Wednesday- Clean and Press
Thursday- Front Squats
Friday- Snatches
You have 11 minutes to get as much work done as possible. You can’t let form suffer as you try to accomplish more. Rest and get back to it. Each week of swings for example, you try to get more work done in the 11 allocated minutes. In Week 1 say you get 80 swings finished safely and with solid, good form. Week 2 your goals at least as many even if that means 81. If you are ultra fit and you can work the whole 11 minutes you just need a bigger kettlebell.
So there you have it. 5 weeks of 5 exercises done for 11 minutes per session. You will get results that may amaze you. You will be in the habit of exercise. You will be motivated because you will make progress through the 5 weeks. You won’t stall. And you will have put into practice time management skills that will impact all of your living.
I did my own version of a "300" type workout today with just kettlebells. I picked a 16kg because I was focused on measured, safe speed. Use the lightest bell you practice with is a good idea here.
Total time was 24:06 and calories were 458 AHR was 148 and max was 169.
For Three rounds:
10 reps per side with single bell and the bell shouldn't ever be on hte floor during a round. If you must rest, then please continue to grip the bell. 300 reps total when completed.
Kettlebell Thrusters
Kettlebell Clean and Press( Clean after each rep)
Kettlebell Overhead Squat ( or Racked Squats)
Kettlebell Windmill (make sure both feet are turned away at 45 degrees and make sure your hip is shifted under the bell. When bell is on right feet are turned left and vice versa)
Kettlebell Snatch (or one armed swing if you don't know how to snatch)
If there are movements here that you aren't comfortable with the modify them.
It's just about impossible to gain weight just by eating veggies. I mean seriously, you'd have to eat a LOT of 'em.
BUT...
Salads are a different story altogether. I ate one when I went out for lunch on Friday and it was great but not the healthiest thing ever. Why is it that every time people want to get rid of their belly fat they break out the salad bowls and start eating like a rabbit?
Thing is, MOST salads people eat are loaded with fat and calories. It's as if people think bacon, cheese and ranch dressing suddenly have amazing fat burning properties when they're on top of a couple of carrots and broccoli.
Look, you probably don't really want to know how much damage you did the last time you ate "healthy" and went to the salad bar for lunch.
But what's done is done. Here are the tips you need to remember the next time you order one. They are from the Head of R & D at Prograde Nutrition, registered dietitian Jayson Hunter:
1) Ask for the dressing on the side and dip the tongs of your fork in the dressing and THEN pick up some salad. It gives you just enough flavor and keeps your calorie intake under control.
2) Choose a salad that has grilled protein in it such as chicken or fish. Remember, it should be GRILLED and not fried.
3) Sorry, leave off the cheese and bacon bits. You know why ;-)
The sales ends TOMORROW night!
Remember, Prograde Nutrition is currently having a BIG 10.9% off everything January Celebration Sale to celebrate the New Year and the fact they are now shipping to the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Yes, that's 10.9 as in January of 2009 ;-)
Here are some other details I want to make sure you know about:
- Again, you receive 10.9% off all Prograde products.
- It will run from Thursday, January 8th until Thursday, January 15th at 11:59pm EST.
- Yes, that 10.9% off will be applicable to SmartShip orders. But it only applies to that first purchase. Not ongoing.
I think we should all remember to give "thanks" throughout the year. Most of us at least remember to at this time of year. I have so much to be thankful for. I've started a new business this year and I have a wonderful crop of kettlebell enthusiasts who help make each day a blessing. I am really thankful for the faith and trust they put in me to help them achieve their fitness goals.
I have an incredibly supportive girlfriend who is the best thing that could have happened to me. I have a very funny, warm, affectionate, smart and loving four year old son and an amazing family. Oh and we have 3 pain in the ass pets who I love too.
Since we have so much, I asked earlier in the week for those who are more fortunate to help me help the Bea Gaddy Family Center. They serve thousands of the less fortunate year round and Thanksgiving in particular is a big day for them. Earlier this week the Center suffered a fire so they are pretty much behind the eight ball. Please drop off anything you can by Tuesday. I stopped there today and they are so grateful for any support now.
My Fells Point Kettlebell students brought in their first turkeys today, along with some canned goods too. Thank you all so much and I know more help is on the way.
I really want to give special thanks to Tracy Kwiatkowski and Nicole Callender for really helping to spread the word about the Bea Gaddy dilemma. THANK YOU SO MUCH:)
Be sure to know why you are thankful as we enter the upcoming holidays. If there is anything you can do to help someone out, please do so. If you can't do much, at least you can smile for what you have and smiles are pretty contagious. Have a great weekend!
How To Build The Ultimate Kettlebell Circuit Training Workout For Rapid Fat Loss
In the past, the cornerstone of most resistance training workouts has been performing exercises in a straight set format. Essentially, this means you perform a certain number of reps for a given exercise or you perform as many reps as possible for a given exercise and then you rest anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes based on your training goals before repeating this set a certain number of times based on your goals. For more of a fat loss and lean muscle gain, emphasis on shorter rest periods are ideal. For more of a strength or power emphasis, longer rest periods are prescribed.
So, what’s the problem with this format? Well, though straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most “big box gyms” you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the bench press. They pump out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with some buddies, watch a couple of highlights on ESPN, and then gingerly walk back to the bench area to hit up their second set. In general, most people, guys in particular, tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the bench that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern (a horizontal push). That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises!
A much more effective and time-efficient approach to creating a workout is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:
1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)
2.) Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)
3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises
Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine my favorite circuit training template using timed set intervals:
The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:
Exercise#1- Kettlebell Goblet Squats
Exercise#2- Push ups
Exercise#3- Single Leg Kettlebell Deadlift
Exercise#4- High Pulls
Exercise#5- Russian Twist
Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.
Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).
To recap, the key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:
Exercise#1- Double-Leg
Exercise#2- Push
Exercise#3- Single-Leg
Exercise#4- Pull
Exercise#5- Core
Here’s a workout video showing you a great circuit you can perform anywhere:
I’ll be sharing some more great kettlebell circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come ;)
A lot of women ask me, "Won't I get big if you help me get stronger?" With kettlebells, the answer is an emphatic and resounding, "NO!"
Kettlebells certainly help you develop huge pushing and pulling power. They also give you amazing aerobic health without getting on a human hamster wheel. You get all the cardio you need in any one of my workouts.
Check out this video of my friend Delaine Ross
See what kettlebell gals look like. Here is Chriss and here is Kelly.
We are working on SOME HUGE stuff for you coming soon!
Fells Point Workout for Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
We had an excellent group of folks who worked their butts today! Charm City Kettlebells Tuesday 5:30 AM class is rocking the bells! Great job by Janette, Mark, Ellen, Nicole and Liz. Keep it up!
We started with some basic joint mobility and then we did 4 circuits of the following:
30 seconds on, 30 seconds planks
Kettlebell swing plank goblet squat plank right one arm kettlebell row left one arm kettlebell row plank
1 minute of russian twists
18 minutes of work and then we did a "cool down."
This is a new, hardworking group and we will be creating a higher level of intensity as time goes on. They are kickin' butt!
I own Charm City Kettlebells and will get you in the best shape of your life.We sell Results, Not Memberships! I do classes, semi-private and one on ones. Call me at 410-812-0816.
