KettlebellPlanet.com

Hey kettlebellers, here is another interesting newsletter from Alwyn Cosgrove!

I recently interviewed naturopath Dr Bryan Walsh as regards his new course "Fat is Not Your Fault"

AC: I have to be honest, when I heard the name of your program I thought, "Of course it's people's fault. If you eat junk food and don't exercise, then being fat is their fault." But then when I heard more about your program I realized you were onto something.
BW: Honestly, that's most people's response and shows you just how much misinformation there is out there. We're taught to believe that diet and exercise are the only things required to lose weight. And while we do need them to lose weight, our body also has to be functioning properly. If it's not, weight loss simply won't happen.
There are some very smart people in your field doing amazing research - really smart people in fact, and you're one of them - but the part that is being sorely missed has to do with genuine underlying factors that are not allowing them to lose weight despite following a great diet and exercise program.
The missing link is people's physiology which unfortunately nowadays, is worse than it's ever been in human history. It can make weight loss virtually impossible for millions of people.

AC: That's really interesting and I couldn't agree more. Could you give me some examples?
BW: Sure.
First and foremost is blood sugar balance. Every diet book out there is designed to help balance blood sugar because it is so important for health and weight loss. But what these books don't tell you is how to assess your blood sugar to see if it is being effectively managed.
I see patients all the time that are following a great diet and exercise program - perfect actually - but when we do blood work on them, they have blood sugar issues despite the fact that they are doing everything right. In women, blood sugar and insulin increase testosterone, which will make weight loss virtually impossible, in addition to creating other imbalances in the body.

AC: They have blood sugar issues even though they are following a diet and exercise program?BW: Absolutely. That is another misconception. Diet and exercise are fantastic for helping manage blood sugar, but if there are other things going on inside the body, someone can still have blood sugar issues. Things like adrenal gland dysfunction and high cortisol - this will raise blood sugar despite what someone is doing on the outside and will practically ruin all their efforts.Gastrointestinal health is another one. If people have some type of infection - which is FAR more common than people realize - or if they are eating foods they are sensitive to, these are a stress to the body and will increase cortisol levels, among other things, making a diet and exercise program completely ineffective.

AC: That's fascinating. How common do you think this is?
BW: More common than people realize. The type of people I see in my practice are not sick people. They generally well-educated people who read a lot of health books, eat pretty well, exercise, take supplements and are generally healthy-minded people. But I can tell you that almost everyone that walks through my door has imbalances - hormones, blood sugar, adrenal gland issues, gastrointestinal dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalances - despite the fact that they are living a healthier lifestyle than most other people.
I'll give you an example. We put people on a 28 detoxification program, which is basically a modified elimination diet, supplements to support their gastrointestinal system and liver, and after following this for 28 days, everyone loses weight whether they are exercising or not. When you reduce inflammation in the body and give it a chance to relax a bit, weight loss happens effortlessly.

AC: What can people do to get started?
BW: The first thing is to get educated. Knowledge is power. That's why I created Fat Is Not Your Fault. It is to help educate people on the different systems of their body and how it impacts weight loss if it is not working properly. I get comments almost daily on how much people love the videos I made for the program. I try to explain things in a very easy-to-understand way and then offer solutions. Sometimes it's certain lab tests that people can get, other times it's how to do things like an elimination diet - but the first key is education. You must learn how things work so that when you go to your doctor you can have a conversation with him rather than just have him tell you what to do.
I also created an assessment form so people can figure out which areas in their body need the most attention. For example, people can see if they might have a thyroid issue, a gastrointestinal issues, or if their hormones are causing them the most difficulty. There are also questions geared towards neurotransmitter balance, how toxic someone might be, what type of blood sugar issues they might have and then I have an audio guide to help walk people through their results.

AC: It sounds like you covered everything.
BW: I worked hard on it and am very proud of it. There is nothing like it anywhere, especially all in one place. There is so much misinformation available today that I wanted to create the best possible product I could to help as many people as possible. And I thank you, by the way, for helping me reach more people.

AC: Well, I've known you for a long time and the quality of work you put out. It's my pleasure. Where can people learn more?
BW: The easiest way is to go to Fat Is NOT Your Fault
The entire program is there and, the information that people get, honestly . . . it's a steal. It was a lot of fun to put it together and now my goal is to help as many people as humanly possible. There are a lot of unhappy people out there blaming themselves for being overweight, when it might have very little to do with what they are doing.

AC: Thanks for your time, Dr. Walsh. It's been fun.
BW: Agreed, Alwyn. I love what you do and think you're one of the brighter lights in the fitness industry. Thanks for doing everything you do.

--ACPs - check out Dr Walsh's course => "Fat is not your Fault"

AlwynCosgrove.com
24420 Walnut street
Newhall, CA
91321 US

Today's workout was a "free" day, so to speak. I had meant to go to the gym and practice my powerlifts but was stuck late at work so I hit the kettlebells at home instead to make up for lost time. When I create a fun workout from scratch I always try to hit the 6 basic athletic movements, upper body push, upper body pull, twist, lunge, lower body push, and lower body pull. I learned this concept from Alywn Cosgrove's book, The New Rules of Lifting. I highly recommend this book for all levels of fitness enthusiasts.
Here is the kettlebell workout I did:
- mobility work (joint)
- foam roller
- dynamic warm-up (think lunges, twists, push-ups)
- Kettlebell Circuit, 3 rounds, short rest between each drill (20 seconds):

1. 2 kettlebell rack squat
2. 2 kettlebell swing
3. 2 kettlebell military press
4. 1 kettlebell bent over row
5. 2 kettlebell suitcase lunge
6. 1 kettlebell windmill

- Metabolic Ladder Work, select two opposing drills, do one rep of each, then two, and so on up the ladder until you gas out. No stopping, no rest, keep going until you reach systemic fatigue.

• push-ups paired with swings x 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...gassed out

That was it, pretty straight forward. Fun but not devastating as some workouts should be. Give it a try if you need something different!

Hey Readers, I subscribe to Alwyn Cosgrove's newsletter and so should you! Whenever an email goes out that I think you guys would like I post it here. Here is today's newsletter from Alywn:

Well it's here - Memorial Day Weekend. The official start of Summer. The great "unveiling" - when the shirts come off, the swimsuits go on and the entire. World knows exactly how good or bad your dieting and exercising was for the last 3-4 months.
My colleague Jason Ferruggia has called this weekend - Judgment Day!
Are you ready? :) If not - you have two more BIG weekends this Summer in which to dial in your physique and make a huge difference. That's right - it's not over -- you still have two more Judgment Days this year!
Goal setting is all about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals -- and T stands for "Time line". Athletes peak for National Championships, Trials and World events. Just because you're training for fat loss or to look better naked - doesn't change the fact that DEADLINES are extremely effective tools.
So we're going to set two this Summer.
Your next goal is Independence Day ((for my US readers) - July 4th - only five weeks away. With a combination of a kick start plan, a solid workout and nutritional support program and a healthy dose of motivation - you could easily be 10-15 lbs leaner by then.
Your next goal is the end of summer - the Labor Day weekend (first weekend in September). This is currently fourteen weeks away. So if you're looking a little flabby this weekend or feeling a little embarrassed about your physique -- you can still make amazing changes. It's never too late.
This is an opportunity for you to look completely shredded - rock hard legs and abs by Summer's end.But you still need to start now.
Here's the fat loss basics (if you need more info see below):

1. You need to create a caloric deficit - no two ways about it - you must burn more than you consume.
2. The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise
   Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum. Keep your fluid intake high (water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day. This will help maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from blowing your diet.
3. Exercise - interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most bang-for-your buck. Steady state aerobic training just doesn't burn enough calories for your goals right now, and a body part training split will be less effective than total body training for fat loss.
4. Try to exercise at least six days per week - three days of interval based cardio and three days of resistance training.
5. Supplements: there is almost nothing that will make a difference. Sorry. Certain supplements can boost metabolism, or increase your energy somewhat and these may be useful - but in terms of real world "pounds of fat lost" I have yet to see anything that really made a difference. A multivitamin and a fish oil supplement are vital though - but more for your overall health. a protein shake or meal replacement powder can be useful for convenience but are nothing more than high quality food.

If you need a jump start - go HERE- this will take care of some fat quickly in the next four weeks. And when you are ready to really ramp it up and change your body forever - get over to Afterburn Training and get started on that program.

--ACPS -All talk of fat loss aside - enjoy your holiday weekend. But PLEASE remember the point of this weekend - remember our fallen heroes and spare a thought for all the troops who are still fighting for us today.

My thanks to all of you.

AlwynCosgrove.com

24420 Walnut street

Newhall, CA

91321US

Here is the workout we did in Marty Hansen's kettlebell class.

Mobility Work (5 minutes)
Dynamic Warm-up (jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups)
1 kettlebell clean x 5+5
1 kettlebell clean, squat and press x 5+5
1 kettlebell clean, press and squat x 5+5
2 kettlebell clean, squat and press x 5
2 kettlebell clean, press and squat x 5,3 (tired)
Hack DL 3 x 10 paired with 2 kettlebell Chest Press 3 x 10
Snatch (slow eccentric) x 6+6,6+6,6+6 paired with Front Raises x 4,5
Crush Grip Deadlift and Curl x 10,6 paired with Pistols x 10+10,10+10
Skull Crusher 3 x 6-10
Swings 4 x 20 with a 1 minute break between sets

Hi Nathan - do you have any blog postings on how to deal w/left & right body dominance? That is to say, my right side is dominance shows in uneven strength development and the ability to maintain good form in later sets when more tired. Are there general exercises to balance this out? Jay.

Hey Jay, thanks for writing me. I have never written about how to deal with left or right side body dominance because it has never been a major issue for me, yet. To be honest I think this is a question that you would need to ask a professional working in the strength and conditioning field. Not just some weekend certified personal trainer but the kind of people with their CSCS.

If I had a side that was far weaker than the other, I would simply do some extra sets for that side. Unilateral arm or leg work could be all you require to bring up that weak point. I would do the normal workout, say squats and deadlifts, then do some single leg squats (Bulgarian Split Squats) and/or single leg deadlifts.

We all have some imbalance, but rarely is it severe enough to cause injury. So my advice would be that if you find yourself twisting on compound lifts to favour your strong side, do some extra work on the weak side at the end of your training session.

That being said, I am an athlete, not a coach. I don't have a CSCS or a Masters of Human Kinetics, so it may be best to consult a professional on this one.

Thanks!

Ring in The Loss of Fat – Why Fitness Works With Kettlebells

If you want fitness and health to be inseparable friends in your body, there’s nothing like working out with kettlebells. These hard, heavy objects are not most people’s first choice as an exercise buddy, but they’re your best bet for an overall workout and effective and lasting weight loss. If you’re looking for equipment beyond your treadmill and cycle to help you lose that extra and stubborn fat, you don’t have to look further than kettlebells, because:

Kettlebell swings and snatches are great ways to improve your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. They give all your muscles a workout and are as good as, if not better than, squats and lunges.
Kettlebell exercises are of a high intensity and involve working on and moving your whole body. They improve the composition of your body by decreasing the amount of fat and increasing your muscle mass. With more muscle mass, your body’s metabolic rate goes up and you burn more calories in a shorter time and even when you’re not active. They’re especially effective in helping to get rid of those unseemly love handles on your waist. In fact, they burn more calories and work better in trimming the extra fat than a run on the treadmill.
Kettlebell workouts make for good cardio workouts because they use most of your muscles and also don’t tax your reserves too much.
Kettlebell workouts are fun ways to help build your muscles and improve your strength.
They help get rid of belly fat without eating up your muscles.
Kettlebells help you improve your flexibility and core stability. You’re less likely to fall accidentally and injure yourself as a result.
Kettlebell workouts help improve your fat to lean mass ratio. They enhance strength in your back, shoulders, grip and arms. They are ideal for those who want to seriously train their muscles and improve their fitness levels without investing a large amount of space or money.

You can carry your kettlebells (they come in various sizes) with you wherever you go, thus ensuring that you don’t miss working out no matter where you are. If your workouts are high intensive, make sure you allow enough rest periods in between your workout days so that your muscles are rested and not prone to injuries. Remember to follow the right techniques and methods using videos or personal trainers to help you out so that you don’t injure yourself unintentionally.

This article was written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of online surgical tech school at her blog iScrub. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com

Mike Robertson is one of the brightest minds in Strength and Conditioning today. I signed up for his newsletter a while back and find I learn something with each edition. Here is an article from his latest newsletter:

Recapping the RKC
This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Russian Kettlebell Certification (RKC). Needless to say, it was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget.
Before I get into the weekend, I'd like to start off by thanking my good friend Jason Thompson for hooking me up with some seriously sweet gear. If you are into kettlebells, or just need some kick-ass training gear, be sure to check him out at GiryaNation.com.
Let’s begin talking a little bit about the requirements to become an RKC, and then I’ll discuss the weekend itself.Snatch!One of the primary requirements of the RKC is being able to pass the snatch test. In this case, whatever your body weight is in kilos, you need to be able to perform that many snatches with an appropriately weighted kettlebell, all in the course of 5 minutes. In my case, I had to perform 90 snatches with a 24 kilo kettlebell in 5 minutes. Now if I had several months of training and conditioning under my belt, this could’ve been a lot easier. However, my first real experience with kettlebells came in late January when we had Master RKC Brett Jones to our facility for a seminar. Going into that point, I had never perform anything with a kettlebell outside of a swing and a poorly performed windmill.Following the seminar, I started working diligently on my technique, but there was a small problem: I had to travel to Australia for 2.5 weeks for work! This wasn’t exactly conducive to my strength, conditioning or skill work, as I only managed 4 workouts over the course of 16 days. My back was truly up against the proverbial wall.
Upon my return, I started hitting the ‘bells hard and heavy. I started by snatching or swinging a minimum of 3x/week. In the course of this time, I aggravated a previous adductor/hamstring injury, which definitely did not help my cause. Now it was getting hard to get the reps in because my damn body wasn’t holding up!
In my case, I started snatching three times per week – one heavy day (24 kilo), one medium day (20 kilo), and one light day (16 kilo). My goal was to start by getting 90 with the 16, and then 90 with the 20, and eventually 90 with the 24. I can’t say the program was in any way, shape or form rocket science, but I figured it would work well. This would allow me simultaneously to bring up my conditioning and my technique. Trying to snatch every day with the 24 kilo ‘bell would’ve been absolutely brutal.Over the course of the next 5 weeks, things started to fall into place. I had one really terrible workout about 3 weeks out, but after that the number continued to climb. My final workout (6 days out from the seminar), I hit 90 snatches after a moderately intense squat workout.Regardless of the numbers I’d hit previously, I was still nervous going in to the test. What if my technique was off? What if I my gas just wasn’t there that day? Add to that the obvious nervous tension that everyone else was exuding and it makes for a very stressful Friday morning.When my turn came up, I realized it was now or never. Strangely enough, I really don’t remember hardly any of the testing. Somewhere around rep 50 or 60, I had to take a moment and strip off my sweatshirt, as the drawstrings were hitting me on the face every rep. Doh! From there, the only thing I clearly remember was that when I hit those last 2-3 reps, all out fatigue was setting in. I definitely remember my only goal on rep number 90 was to just hold on to the ‘bell! So I’ve just hit my number, I’m totally smoked, and next thing I know, Pavel himself is standing right behind me! I can’t talk, I’m totally out of breath, and probably looking like a total buffoon. He told me that my technique would improve as the weekend went on, and as it was, those were sage words.
The Training
Over the course of the next 3 days, your truly learn what pain is all about. And not bad, I’m about to hurt myself pain – but just good, honest, I’m working my ass off pain. I think sometimes we forget about how hard we can push when really asked to.Without going into too much detail, let’s just say the snatch test is literally the tip of the iceberg. In 3 days you go through 9 workouts, each one equally grueling and difficult.
The strange thing is, however, that even though you would think that your technique and skill would break down, it actually improves over the course of the weekend! Your timing gets a little bit better. The snap and drive from your hips is more powerful. You learn to balance tension and relaxation. Quite simply, you become much more efficient.But to say that the weekend is simply about kettlebells is a vast underestimation. If you’ve been to the RKC, you know what I’m talking about.This weekend, when it’s all said and done, is about improving movement. It’s about really understanding your body and how to take control of it. I feel if more coaches and trainers would take this certification, the industry as a whole would be vastly improved. Even if you never used kettlebells again, the sense of body mastery you develop is quite astounding.
The Staff
I’ve had the pleasure over my 10 years in the industry to work with some really top notch individuals. In that same breath, I’ve also been around and worked with clowns that have no clue what they’re doing.The entire RKC staff is definitely the former – we’re talking some of the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals I’ve been around. It would be like the Perform Better summit of kettlebell instructors.Really, it’s that good.I was lucky enough to be a member of Team Jones. Again, if you’re unfamiliar with Brett, you’ve probably been lurking under a rock for the past 5-10 years. This guy is not only an amazing kettlebell instructor, but a freaky strong raw powerlifter and grip guy to boot. Needless to say, I couldn’t have picked a better instructor to work with.
The rest of our crew (Tim Anderson, Fawn Friday and Sharon Nelson) were first-class as well. They were always good about giving you critical, yet needed feedback to tweak your form. Over the course of the weekend, you’re bound to have good reps and bad ones – the key is to have great coaches around who are willing to help you out. These guys did an amazing job.And while all the instructors were great, I don’t think anyone doubts why Pavel has been so successful. Between the seminar, dinner Saturday night or lunch on Sunday afternoon, I’ve got to admit he might be one of the brightest fitness guys I’ve ever met. There’s just this amazing sense of quiet confidence that he exudes – it’s quite powerful. And yet, he’s amazing approachable, friendly, and quite funny to boot. I’m sure I will continue to learn from Pavel for many years to come.
The Community
Before wrapping this up, I can’t imagine not mentioning the amazing sense of community and camaraderie that this event elicits. Right from the beginning, people you don’t even know are cheering you on, helping you get the allotted number of reps for the snatch test.
Through some of the most grueling workouts you’ll ever imagine, people are in your ear, shouting words of encouragement. The same thoughts, feelings, and emotions are resonating within them as well. As the saying goes, “You will earn your RKC.” If you expect to show up for the weekend and get handed a piece of paper at the end, you’re sorely mistaken. At the end of the weekend, you’ve been through intense workouts. You’ve had your technique mercilessly refined. You’ve had to demonstrate that you can not only perform the lifts, but that you can coach them as well.
Team Jones!
So when 4:30 rolls around on Sunday afternoon, there’s no better feeling in the world than hearing that you’ve become an RKC. In this day and age where entitlement reigns king, I can honestly say I’ve never worked harder for a “piece of paper” in my entire life. In fact, I’m damn proud to call myself an RKC.
After all, I earned it.
Stay strong
MR