Archive for kettlebells
Strength Training for Fitness and Aesthetics
Posted by: | CommentsAlright I was sitting here at my laptop with no clue what I wanted to write about so I’ll just give you a free workout to try at home. Hell I’ll write down the guidelines for you to complete it free of charge since I am not an asshole after all. I just came back from running a class and this is what I had them do. All you need is a kettlebell. The purpose of this training session is to train over head stability and movement quality, build strength and boost your metabolism to burn some fat (if that is your goal get on a proper nutrition program).
4 turkish get ups alternating sides. Make sure to pay attention to proper form.
“Countdowns” (I stole “countdowns” from uber Strength Coach Alwyn Cosgrove…he told me to…)
Complete this as fast as you can with good form.
10 swings
10 goblet squats
9 swings
9 goblet squats
8 swings
8 goblet squats
till you get down to 1
Wait for your respiration to return to normal then do kettlebell arm bars to open up the chest. That one doesn’t have a specific rep count since I want you to just kind of explore your way through the exercise. Remember to keep your lats tight and keep your shoulder away from your ear.
Then do a couple halos and round the body pass just to loosen up your shoulders a bit more.
Prone cobra stretch at the end.
Enjoy.
Eric Moss RKC
I want you to notice that even though there is a lot going on in that workout I stress the basics. It’s turkish getups, swings and squats. Do more of the stuff that provides a high bang for your buck and you will get better results. Exercise selection is the last thing your body adapts to so don’t buy into that muscle confusion crap. Try that training session out and let me know how you do with it. I mean it, speak up.
Here is why running for fat loss sucks
Posted by: | CommentsAlright so not that long ago someone commented on my blog here asking why I said running sucks for fat loss. Well here is why.
The basic premise behind just about every exercise program for every goal one can think of is that our bodies are all adaptive mechanisms. We adapt to every single thing we do to become more efficient at it. You do things that require strength, your body responds by fortifying it’s nervous system, increasing muscle mass, increasing tendon strength and that sort of thing. It adapts to become more efficient for the given task.
Well running works along the same lines. You run a certain distance at a certain speed and your body adapts to it by making your body more efficient. Once your body becomes more efficient at it it ends up taking less calories to run the same distance. Think of it like trading in a car with bad gas mileage for a car with good gas mileage. I know that sounds good except for the fact that our bodies don’t store the gas that isn’t used up in the form of six pack diminishing body fat.
So in order to burn the same amount of calories you would have to run either longer, faster or both. Then once again your body picks up the slack and adapts to it and you are right back where you started. It’s just like a dog chasing it’s tail. Run as you might you will never catch it.
So if you are trying to burn fat the best strategy is to try to replace it with muscle via resistance training at a fast pace and couple that with a proper nutrition program. My preferred tool is the kettlebell. Muscle itself takes up a lot of calories just to maintain itself and hey it looks cool too.
What do you think?
“Gaining Strength vs. Getting Ripped”
Posted by: | CommentsSo a week or two ago I was a bit curious so I decided to post a simple little question on facebook
“Which would you rather be, strong or ripped if you had to choose one?” and I have to say I was very surprised by the responses.
2 would rather be ripped.
12 would rather be strong.
I really thought it was going to be the other way around and I was very surprised that a lot of the girls wanted to be strong. I get a lot of email from people that are asking me how I got ripped abs. Lately I have been posting some of my strength stunts where I just turn on the camera and try and do something I haven’t really done before that requires a bit of strength. I tend to get a lot of positive feedback from that but nobody really asking me how (well to be honest some of them are strength coaches that already know the answer).
Now even though the question required that you choose one I have good news for you and no I didn’t save a ton of money on car insurance by switching to Geico. The good news is you don’t have to choose one and if you did in fact prefer to get ripped you should choose both. To get ripped you should strength train.
Take a look at the muscular definition of the weak man.
Now take a look at the muscular definition of this old time strongman Eugen Sandow.
Which has better definition?
“To get strong I must do things that require strength. To get ripped I must eat healthy nutritious food.” Say that out loud to yourself ten times in a row, memorize them and get the best of both worlds.
Time to hear your comments.
The Biggest Loser Strength Kit. Are you kidding me?
Posted by: | CommentsSo today I was sitting on my bed jammin a little bit on my guitar because I couldn’t think of anything to write about on this here blog you are reading. As I am playing I am also glancing around the room searching for my muse and noticed that my t-shirt drawer was open. Standing out of my shirts was a shirt that some of my friends had given me as a present/joke which I sometimes where to fitness seminars just for a laugh. It said “I workout everyday” and has a picture of a WiiMote.
Then I realized “Wii have a problem.”
You see just as I saw that I had a bit of a flash back to when I was Christmas Shopping at Best Buy and found an ingenious item for sale called The Biggest Loser Strength Kit for the Nintendo Wii.
Biggest Loser Strength Kit, complete with 5lb dumbbells
Are you kidding me? First thing, if you want to be strong you have to do things that require strength. 5lb dumbbells won’t require strength unless you are just waking up from a hospital bed after a long time in a coma or are just getting out of a full body cast. Hopefully you aren’t.
Now second if you want to change your fitness levels and change your body don’t use video games to do that. Chances are video games are what got you there in the first place so don’t expect them to get you out no matter how bad you want them to. Get up off your ass and get outside train hard and train consistent and do things that require strength (even if strength isn’t your goal).
Now I know you got some thoughts floating around your head. Let me hear them.
Turbulence Training Style Workout Done With Kettlebells
Posted by: | CommentsI know its been awhile since I had last posted but things had been a bit rough. Anyways I know you want your fat loss and muscle building workouts you greedy bastards you so here is one I created. I used ideas I got from the emanual Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne. I don’t know if you saw my video on which is better Turbulence Training or p90x but if you did you would know I favor Turbulence Training.
Why?
Its more efficient. I am all for doing the things that bring the most bang for the buck when it comes to training time. Why do things that are unnecessary? Anyways here is your Turbulence Training style fat loss and muscle building workout done with kettlebells
Remember you have to eat correctly too.
