I am a big believer in constantly varying your conditioning workouts to keep your body guessing and burning fat each time. Kettlebells are a great tool for this because you can flow from exercise to the next so easily. I found this great video of a tough kettlebell complex that would be sure to melt some fat off your belly and ass so check it out below.
The key to complexes such as this is to change drills 1 or 2 reps before you gas out on your current drill. The goal is systemic fatigue, not localized. So keep the kettlebell moving for as long as possible to exhaust your entire body at one time. For more great information on complexes (they rock for building muscle and burning fat) check out Istvan "Steve" Javorek's book. He is the inventor of complexes and is considered one of the most knowledgeable trainers to come out of Eastern Europe.
The reps will be dictated by how tired each individual muscle gets (shoulder tired, move from pressing to a leg drill). As for sets, just do as many rounds as you can before it is obvious that you are spent. Use form as a guideline.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more. www.kettlebellplanet.com
My legs are jello right now. I have been trying to incorporate The Primal Blueprint Law #5: Sprint once in a while, more often. Sprints burn fat, build muscle and improve athleticism so if you aren't mixing them into your training it is probably a mistake. Probably my favourite advantage that sprints offer is that they are extremely time efficient. Once you are warmed-up a 20 minute sprint workout is enough to leave you in a heap and force physiological changes. Efficient, effective and fun, what more can you ask for?
Now, since I don't care to leave my hamstring hanging off my ass at the track, I prefer to do hill or stair sprints. These are safer and cause less impact, which is important for heavier or untrained athletes. Try to find a big steep hill or a massive staircase outside. That way you can enjoy the benefits or training outside as well.
Today I decided to hit an 11 story staircase along the Elbow River in Calgary. It is wooden, so there is even less impact, and in a park so it is quiet with lots of green space; perfect for getting your sprint on! I did 4 sprints to the top, gassing out and walking earlier on the way up each time. If you can't sprint the whole hill/staircase that's OK. Just keep going up as fast as you can, it will still feel like a sprint to your legs and lungs!
Here is the workout in detail:
bike to the park
nice and slow to warm-up
stair sprints
4 times up 11 stories as fast as possible each time
bike home
nice and easy because I was dying
Pretty simple right? Workouts don't have to be complicated or tortuous to be effective. Just pick something awesome to do, then work it really hard for a short period of time. When you are gassed, stop. Then go home and eat!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
I just thought this was a cool workout idea and wanted to share it with you guys.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Today was my first workout since the strongman contest on Sunday. I am still a little sore but wanted to get back in the habit of hitting the iron as soon as possible. I biked to the gym, did some front squats, bench pressing and rows, then biked back. Here is the actual workout I did:
bike to gym
20 minutes nice and easy
front squat
worked up to a max single
added 50lbs and did a stand and hold to get used to heavier weight than I can handle at the moment
narrow grip bench press
worked up to a heavy 5 reps
cable row
this was supersetted with the bench press
5 x 15
bike back hom
nice and easy again
Since I am still a little beat up I didn't want to destroy myself with a brutal training session. I took it easy on everything except the front squats because that was my main focus today.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Well, the King of Kensington Strongman Contest is over and I am a sore, exhausted and happy man. It was a tough contest but I came out with a 2nd place trophy, a few welts and a big smile. Competing is fun, you push yourself beyond what you think you are capable of, make new friends, and gain a great sense of satisfaction. Plus you don't feel guilty pounding back a DQ Blizzard after wards!
I posted a video below for you to check out if you care to watch me in action. The events were a truck pull, a log press with 185lbs for reps, a yoke walk with 590lbs (an event I need more practice with), a farmers walk with 220lbs per hand, a deadlift up to max weights (I hit 580lbs), and a stone carry for distance with 350lbs.
I couldn't have made a such a good showing without the help of my wife, the Independent Powerlifting Team, the guys at Remington's Gym, and the Bells of Steel Crew. Now that this contest is over I am going back off a bit and spend more time running sprints and playing with my kettlebells. Basically taking it easy Nathan style for a while!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
As I rest up for tomorrows strongman contest I thought I would share an interesting article I came across this morning. I have several kettlebells, obviously, but I also have an Ironmind Sandbag that is collecting dust in my closet. I used to use it all the time until I moved to Calgary and bought a condo (no back yard!). Anyways, sandbag training is awesome and will make you stronger and more athletic. I would compare it more to wrestling than lifting weights though, as the weight is always shifting on you. There's nothing wrong with that though, because as anyone who watches mma knows, wrestlers are damn strong!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
This is primarily a training blog. It started out solely for the purpose of me sharing my kettlebell workouts with the world and somehow morphed into a "hard core" strength training and Paleo eating site, probably because these are the areas of fitness and nutrition that interest and work for me.
I recently read The Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson and I now use it as a kind of guideline for me live a more healthy life. Mark breaks The Primal Blueprint into 10 laws to help you live the way you were meant to, not as corporations and social constructs. He attacks conventional wisdom wisdom ruthlessly, and why not? As more money is spent in the health, fitness and diet industries, people continue to get fatter and unhealthier. What people "know" isn't working. It's time for a change and personally I believe that Mark is fighting the good fight.
Primal Blueprint Law #1: Eat Lots of Plants and Animals.
Before agriculture, people didn't have a choice on this one, so our bodies are actually best adapted for these food sources. Eating plants and animals is an easy one for me. I love to eat meat, veggies, fruits, you name it. I have learned from experience, I used to be fat, that natural foods are more forgiving to my waistline than processed foods.
Meat makes me feel strong and plants make me feel healthy and energized. In the past when I did the Atkins diet and ate only meat and cheese, I felt kind of sick and became constipated. I needed the veggies and I love a bit of fruit. It works for me and will probably do the same for you. Make plant and animal foods the staple of your diet.
Primal Blueprint Law #2: Avoid Poisonous Things.
In the past this would have meant venomous animals or poisonous foods. Today modern processed foods like trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, or even grains fall under poisonous things. Times have changed and now the poisons we must be aware of are more insidious. They lurk under the guise of healthy foods in the super market. To be fit and healthy you have to learn to control your insulin through diet, and that means you can't eat the way TV ads want you to. Ditch the cereal and juice for and omelet and green tea. Bottom line, if you look at a food and can't figure out where it came from in nature, don't eat it.
Primal Blueprint Law #3: Move Frequently at a Slow Pace.
This one surprised me. I always thought walking and easy exercise was a total waste of time. I am one of those high intensity interval training guys who would rather sprint and puke than go for a jog. Well, I guess I was wrong. Mark explained that hunter gatherer's would spend a large portion of their day moving at a slow to brisk pace. Even hunting was done through hiking and tracking, only chasing down prey at the end if necessary. Sure, people had to run for their lives at times, but that was done at full speed and for a short period. People didn't go for jogs, it was metabolically expensive and pretty pointless.
All that hiking regulated their blood sugar, not that they really needed it, and built their fitness base. So getting more light exercise is a new initiative of mine. I am trying to make time to go for walks or easy rides more often without pressuring myself into "making it hard". I spent a month in Greece last year and walked for several hours a day with a lot of hill climbs involved. Even though I drank wine, ate bread and took it easy, all that walking prevented a single pound from being added. Don't be afraid to take it slow to get the benefits of cardio without the stressfull effects of long hard slogs. Mark recommends 2-5 hours a week of light to brisk cardio in the 55% of max heart rate zone. On the bright side, I have yet another reason not to go for a jog, cortisol baths.
Primal Blueprint Law #4: Lift Heavy Things.
Now you are talking my language. Mark explains that at times Paleo people, or Grok in his scenario, would have to lift heavy things whether it was moving rocks, carrying items or wrestling rivals in play. The fact is we know that lifting heavy things helps build and maintain muscle, improves tendon strength, and increases bone density. It also helps regulate your body fat, but only if you diet (insulin) is under control.
As a kettlebell enthusiast and strength athlete I love to lift heavy things. Lately I have been training with a strongman team, the Bells of Steel Crew, so lifting heavy things now includes stones, logs and all sorts of crazy objects. When it comes to health I don't think it matters much what you choose to do for strength training, just pick something you enjoy and have fun with it on a regular basis.
How is this for a fun, outdoor, primal workout?
Primal Blueprint Law #5: Sprint Once in a While.
As I mentioned above, our Paleo ancestors had to run for their lives at times. Only the strong, and fast, survived back then to pass on their genetics. Although the average person today is fat and weak, deep inside, at the genetic level is an athlete waiting to burst out! Sprinting is something I keep promising myself to make more time for. Back in college I played rugby and the sprint training I did before my final season turned me into a machine! I was leaner and faster than I have ever been sense.
I highly recommend including sprints in your routine, but start easy. If you go from the couch to the track and sprint full out you will be back in the hospital waiting room with a torn muscle in no time. Ease into it. Start with bike sprints or hill sprints at 80% and warm up thoroughly before hand. Sprints will make you lean and explosive but they are extremely demanding so work your way up to them over time.
Primal Blueprint Law #6: Get Adequate Sleep.
Before digital entertainment, people had their fun and then hit the hay. They had "relations" more often and caught more zzzz's than we do today. Sounds nice doesn't it? For me this is a tough one, I love to stay up and play video games or watch movies. Going to bed early takes discipline but it pays off. You will look better, feel better and find it easier to lose weight or improve athletically. Turn off the screen and go to bed!
Primal Blueprint Law #7: Play.
This one caught me by surprise. Apparently, hunter gatherer populations have more leisure time than we do! How is that for a kick in the nuts of the modern world. Our entire world is devoted to be being lazy and you are telling me we had it right the first time!
Anyways, hunter gatherers have more time and they use it positively. They play. That's right, even the adults. They wrestle, race, have games of skill like archery and throwing, and it is an important part of their lives. Play is fun, releases stress, is healthy, and a great social outlet. I have always played sports and always thought it was because I am so competitive but what I realized is that I just love the "bro time". I love to hang with guys and test myself against them. Play is fun and will improve your life so join that rec league team you keep talking about and get out there!
Primal Blueprint Law #8: Get Adequate Sunlight.
I love this one. For years I have been reading that training outside boots your testosterone and mood. I don't know about the testosterone but I can tell you that few things make me feel better than an outdoor workout. Sunlight was an integral part of our lives until the invention of the light bulb. Our bodies need it to produce Vitamin D. Get outside and catch some rays! Burning is bad, but a lack of sunlight isn't good either so go outside to do your exercise, play or just hang out.
Primal Blueprint Law #9: Avoid Stupid Mistakes.
A blown knee could be deadly for a hunter gatherer, especially one that lives near lions and tigers. Things have changed now and Mark theorizes that life has become so safe, no predators or deadly melee's, that people don't pay attention to anything anymore. For example, today we can survive pretty serious injuries but going through life on auto pilot has other consequences such as deadly car accidents or drownings. As a former teenage boy I can attest to the fact that stupid mistakes can cause injury and embarrassment. Now that I am older I know better than to put my body at serious risk for no good reason. I don't want to miss any workouts!
Primal Blueprint Law #10: Use Your Brain.
Use it or lose it. It blew me away to learn that the brains of Paleolithic people were larger than the brains of people today. We always picture stupid "cave men" but the stereotype is completely wrong. Hunter gatherer's don't get to veg out every night. They don't rot on welfare or work mindless jobs. They think, plan and act every day to feed their families and survive. Humans rose up through survival of the fittest, and it was our brains that gave us an edge against other animals.
With the agricultural revolution, selective pressure waned and everybody got to pass on their genes. Don't believe me, watch Jerry Springer. People don't have to be smart to get buy and procreate anymore, but they don't have to be stupid either. Using your brain will improve your cognitive abilities and delay the onset of mental disabilities related to aging.
Personally I enjoy strategy games, learning about investing and reading to stimulate my noggin. My wife likes brain puzzles instead. Everybody is different but my point is that your brain craves challenges so give it some!
That is all the Primal Blueprint laws Mark laid out in his book. I believe they are words to live by and I am trying my best. If you have read the book please post your thoughts below. If not, I'd love to hear from you too!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Since I am resting up for the King of Kensington Strongman Contest at the Salsa Fest this weekend in Calgary, I don't have a heck of a lot of training ideas or workouts to show you guys. Instead I thought I would post a newsletter from Mike Robertson.
48 hours left to get the early bird discount to the Midwest Seminar!
Tomorrow at midnight, the price goes up from $149 to $199 to attend the 2010 Midwest Seminar.
Where else will you get to learn from guys like Evan Osar, Bill Hartman, Lee Taft, Pat Rigsby and Brett Jones? Not to mention the fact that you'll receive .5 NSCA CEU's for being in attendance!
You don't want to miss out on this event. Follow the link below and be sure to sign-up TODAY and save yourself some cash in the process!
I just got word that Mike Reinold is hosting a free live webinar next week. Mike is one of my go-to guys in the industry, so this is definitely something I'll be checking out.
In this piece, I review some of the pertinent research on distance running, as well as ways you can improve your biomechanics for safer and more effective runs. Be sure to check out the "Comments" section as well, as there's some fantastic points being made there as well!
The reverse hyper is a wildly popular exercise, both in sports-performance and powerlifting circles. But does it fall into our mantra of safe AND effective? If you use the exercise, this is definitely something you'll want to read.
Is "core training" as simple as throwing in some crunches at the end of your workouts? This piece examines the functional anatomy involved in core training, and attempts to describe how proper core training can and should be carried out.
That's it for this week folks. Have a great weekend and I'll "see" you next week!
All the best
Mike
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Hey guys, here is a video of the bells of steel crew training for the King of Kensington. I am the skinny guy pulling the truck at the beginning.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Just like yesterday, the goal today was to have a short and snappy workout to help prime me for the King of Kensington Strongman Contest this Sunday. I focused more on speed and explosiveness than sheer weight to prevent any nervous system burnout this close to the contest. Here is the workout I did:
The front squat is a true athlete maker. It will strengthen your legs, your core and improve hip mobility. If you need more power, muscle mass or explosiveness (and who doesn't?) then start front squatting!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
This was my last upper body workout before the King of Kensington Strongman Contest on Sunday. The goal here was to have a snappy workout without killing myself. The cleans were done for speed and nothing was pushed to absolute failure.
Barbell Clean and Press
worked up to a moderate 3 x 3
speed was the goal here
Weighted Dips
3 x 15
Weighted Pull-ups
3 x 5
Dumbbell Curls
2 x 5
heavy with a slow negative
Dumbbell Reverse Fly's
2 x 15
A powerful snap of the hips is important for any sport. This is why squats, deadlifts, cleans, snatches, sprints and plyometrics are fundamental to so many athlete's training programs. When in doubt, choose one of these drills and work them hard, your rivals will wish you hadn't!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
I was still hurting from the brutal strongman workout we did yesterday so I took it pretty easy today. The main focus was to loosen up and get the blood flowing. If you are feeling fresh, by all means add some more volume to the workout below.
Mobility Drills, 10 minutes
Foam Roller, 5 minutes
Dynamic Warm-up (lunges, push-ups, etc)
Kettlebell Swings x 50
1 Arm Kettlebell Swings 2 x 15/15
1 Arm Kettlebell Cleans 2 x 15/15
Halo 1 x 10
As you can see it was a pretty easy workout with most of my time being spent loosening and warming up. Sometimes you have to listen to your body and take it easy. I even took a nap before this workout because I was so beat up!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
I trained with the Bells of Steel Crew again today and as usual it was a blast.
We had an actual 16 wheeler with a full length trailer to pull. To pull the truck we wore a towing harness for leg drive and used a thick rope fixed in front of us to pull with. Getting started is the hardest part as you have to lean way forward and then do a squat while at the same time pulling a rope as hard as you can. All your muscles are working at once so it really works your conditioning as well as your strength.
After working the truck for a bit we hit the log press to try and bang out as many reps as possible in 90 seconds because that is the time available in the upcoming strongman contest.
We finished with some dumbbell holds to work our grip and simulate the farmers walk.
Here is the workout we did. You will notice that we didn't do many sets but I promise you it was extremely tough. Each set was done to absolute failure and I litteraly almost puked after my first set of log pressing.
Last week I was in a rush to get a workout in before leaving for Phoenix. I didn't have much time but knew I would be sitting on my but a lot so getting a workout in before leaving was a priority. I decided to do a short and intense kettlebell workout that would leave my metabolism elevated long after wards. Here is the workout I did using a 24kg kettlebell:
mobility, 2 minutes of joint circles (remember, I didn't have much time)
kettlebell swings 1 x 30
kettlebell high pulls 1 x 15/hand
kettlebell snatch
100 reps in 8 minutes
switching hands as needed to maximize work rate
Getting the snatches done in 8 minutes wasn't a problem, but it sure as heck left me sweating and panting for a while later. A lot of the super fit kettlebellers are hitting a 100 reps in under 5 minutes! If you are in good shape give this workout a try, but I recommend more of a warm-up than I did to help avoid injury.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
As some of you know I am preparing for the King of Kensington strongman contest in Calgary on July 25th. The upcoming contest and our training methods to prepare for it were recently featured in the Examiner. Check out the article here.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
AC: Labor Day is coming up in seven weeks so people are looking to quickly lose at lot of fat and get into top shape. What mistakes do people typically make in pursuit of six-pack abs?
Chad Waterbury: For the last 15 years as a trainer I’d say that 95% of my clients all wanted to lose fat. It’s funny because people often associate me with training methods that are solely intended to build size and strength. In reality, when it comes to programming for fat loss, I have a lot of experience.
But as that saying goes, “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.” Even though I’ve spent a decade and a half experimenting with fat loss protocols, I’ve made many mistakes along the way.
My first mistake was having people do long-duration, low-intensity cardio. Sure, it helped people lose some weight, but a lot of it was muscle. It also wreaked havoc on their hormones and joints. The adrenals get overworked, cortisol pours out, and stubborn body fat never goes away due to an imbalance of hormones. Their hips, knees, and ankles get inflamed and this, in turn, reduces the amount of time and energy they can devote to enhancing their athleticism – a key to burning fat fast.
Second, I dropped too many calories out of their diet, too fast. When you eat less food you end up giving your metabolism fewer of the key nutrients it needs to stay running strong. This causes your catabolic hormones to escalate, while the good hormones that enhance fat burning, recovery, and motivation plummet.
My third mistake was having clients do high-rep weight training to failure. Training to failure is difficult to recover from, even when you have a surplus of calories. But when you combine it with long-duration cardio and a low calorie diet you’ve got yourself the perfect formula for bringing a person’s metabolism to a screeching halt. It’s simply too much stress for the body to handle at once.
These are the problems I faced during my first few years as a trainer. AC: So what changes did you make to overcome those obstacles?
Chad Waterbury: First, I started experimenting with short, intense cardio sessions because it was around the time that Tabata’s paradigm-shifting research came out. His research showed that we need to focus less on the metabolic changes that occur during a workout and think more about what’s happening after you stop training.
Low intensity cardio only burns calories while you’re doing it. High intensity cardio, on the other hand, keeps burning calories for many hours after you stop training. Put another way: an hour run has a minimal impact on your metabolism but it’s very hard on your joints. An intelligently designed high intensity cardio session is very stimulating to your metabolism while being relatively easy on your joints.
Second, I started delving deeply into nutrition and the impact it has on your metabolism and hormonal profile. Put simply, when the goal is fat loss you should choose foods that are high in nutrients but low in calories. You won’t lose fat unless you give your body fewer calories than it needs, there’s no way around that. But in order to keep your metabolism from shutting down you must give it the nutrients it needs to stay elevated.
Third, I switched my strength training parameters around so people were lifting to maximize muscle fiber recruitment. This is an important step that people generally miss out on. When you increase muscle fiber recruitment you’ll increase the metabolic cost of the workout, and that’s essential for burning fat. Another change I made was with body weight exercise pairings performed at top speed without rest. This turned out to be very effective for burning calories and fat while maintaining a person’s strength. AC: That’s a good overview. Can you give us some specific examples of what we should be doing to burn fat?
Chad Waterbury: Alwyn, we’ve shared many discussions over the components that make up an effective workout for burning fat. The bottom line is that you must create the largest metabolic cost possible in order to keep your metabolism revved up long after you leave the gym.
I’ll take you through an example of my style of fat loss training. First, start each workout with a few minutes of rope jumping to stimulate blood flow and prepare the joints for the workout. Then do a few mobility exercises or some foam rolling to mobilize your stiffest joints. Now you’re ready to train.
A typical fat loss workout doesn’t start with a treadmill jog or anything like that. Instead, I have my clients do a circuit of, say, split jacks, jumping jacks and burpees performed at top speed for multiple rounds with minimal rest.
Next, perform a full-body strength circuit with a load that’s heavy enough to stimulate all your muscle fibers, without making deep inroads into recovery. Accelerate all lifts, keep the rest periods to a minimum, and choose an upper body pull, an upper body push, a lower body exercise, and a core exercise to complete the circuit.
After that, I use unique combo exercises that can consist of as many as six different exercises in one. Or I’ll use an exercise pairing such as a kettlebell swing and push-up, performed at top speed, with minimal rest. Then I finish up with some stretches for the ankle, hip, and shoulder joints.
With regard to nutrition, the solution is as simple as replacing low-quality carbs such as bread, pasta and potatoes with nutrient-dense foods such as berries and vegetables. Then, add enough fish oil into your diet to get the results you’re after.
The second step is to feed your body amino acids and glucose at strategic times around your workouts to stave off fatigue and improve recovery. Branched-chain amino acids, for example, are very stimulating to your metabolism when you take enough of them at the right times. I have my clients take a certain dosage, based on body weight, before and after training along with a simple post-workout recovery feeding that doesn’t require any esoteric supplements. AC: You’ve got a new program out, Body of F.I.R.E. Tell us a little bit about it. What makes it so unique?
Chad Waterbury: There are three keys to losing fat, and keeping it off. First, follow a diet that will put your body in fat-burning mode. Second, you must understand what motivates you to get in shape, and never lose site of it. Third, your training program must generate the largest metabolic cost possible.
In my experience, the best way to burn fat and become more athletic is with Full-body, Intense, Resistance Exercise, hence the acronym F.I.R.E. I’ve experimented with every type of programming imaginable, and nothing works better. The coolest part of my system is that it works just as well for professional athletes as it does for non-athletes who just want to look better on the beach. Men and women have both experienced incredible results on the program. With each workout I give a thorough description of how to modify the workouts or exercises, based on a person’s fitness level.
I’ll use the kettlebell swing and push-up pairing that I mentioned before as an example. A female might perform all the push-ups with her knees down, whereas an athlete can do clap push-ups, instead of regular push-ups, to make it more challenging. Or you can rest more, or less, depending on your fitness.
Furthermore, the progression plan is unlike any other. Instead of just adding weight, I use multiple progression methods in a systematic way to ensure that your body will keep getting better, week after week. One of the reasons why people stop getting results on a training program is because there isn’t a progression plan in place, or it’s a progression plan that won’t make your body burn more fat.
My client, Jon, lost over 40 pounds of fat on the program. Sure, he got a tan, shaved, and lost his shoes, but I think the rest speaks for itself.
I put Ralek Gracie on the program for his recent win over the legendary Sakuraba. He didn’t need to lose a lot of fat, but he had to get stronger, faster, and more explosive. He said the Body of F.I.R.E. program quickly got him in the best shape of his life.
I’ve also had outstanding results with females who did the program. My client Danielle lost five pounds in the first week. Another client Molly, a 44 year-old actress, used the program to get in shape for a movie role where she plays Reese Witherspoon’s softball coach.
It was my goal to make a program that give anyone great results, that’s why I spent so much time tweaking the program so people can easily modify the workouts to his or her own level of fitness.
It’s mid-summer now, so this is the perfect time to change your body for good. If you get started right away, you’ll have your best, leanest body by Labor Day!
--
Alwyn
PS - You can pick up Chad's Fat Loss program - Body of Fire - HERE
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Well the Calgary Stampede is in full effect here in cowtown. Since I am not brave enough to ride bulls or wrestle steers, I stuck to some awesome partying and managed to sneak in a Strongman Workout at the Bells of Steel world headquarters.
The King of Kensington Strongman Contest is coming up fast so I am trying to focus my training as much as possible on this event by doing the actual events. Even if you aren't planning on competing in strongman, I highly recommend you use implements or any odd objects you can find for variety's sake. It will keep your training fresh and fun while forcing your body to adapt.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
My buddy Kaevon over at Bells of Steel just launched his new Online Strength Training Store. It is full of cool strength training tools like kettlebells, maceballs, chains, plyo boxes and more. Now I know you Yanks have all kinds of online stores that carry this kind of obscure equipment but up here in Canada we just don't have many options. We always get screwed with duty and shipping from the US so I am pretty excited that Kaevon took it upon himself to hook up my fellow Canadians. If you are Canadian and looking for fun training equipment, check out Bells of Steel to see if Kaevon can help you.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Today I did a heavy lower body workout. On my way to the gym I didn't know for sure what I was going to work on so I asked myself, what would be awesome? The answer was simple, some hard and heavy good mornings and some farmers walks. It was a simple workout but one that left me tired and satisfied with my efforts.
Good mornings are a drill I rarely see people doing in the gym and I think it is a shame. Pretty much everybody, whether they be athletes or couch potatoes, needs to develop their hamstrings, glutes and back muscles. Developing these muscles will improve your athletic performance, the aesthetic of your physique and possibly most importantly your posture. The key to good mornings is to arch your back, instead of rounding it, and to think about moving your butt back instead of bending over.
I've written about farmers walks enough already so I will keep this simple, picking up heavy stuff and walking with it will make you stronger, leaner and tougher. If you don't have farmers walk handles just use the heaviest dumbbells in the gym. Often I will do farmers walks with 150 lbs dumbbells even though it is a light weight to walk with. The advantage of using db's is that picking them up from the ground repeatedly turns into a very long range deadlift, which is a great way to build muscle too!
Bike to the gym
nice and easy as a warm-up
Cambered Bar Good Mornings
work up to a heavy 3 x 3
Farmers Walk
work up to the most weight you can effectively move with
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Today's workout was upper body focused and the goal was to help prepare me for an upcoming strongman contest. I spent a lot of time doing barbell clean and presses and then played around with a heavy kettlebell and a drill to simulate lifting a stone that Mark Phillipe wrote a while back, I called them plate rows. Put a 10 lbs plate on the ground, then place the heaviest plate you have on top of that. Olympic 50kg plates are best but use what you have. Anyways, stand over the plate and do a set of rows. Then add more weight each set until it is too heavy to get off the ground. This drill really simulates the act of lifting a smooth, heavy stone off the ground. It will build your grip, back, biceps and even hamstrings to a degree. Plus it will be new to your body so that should cause some new growth.
Instead of simulating lifting a stone, why not enjoy the summer and actually get outside? Going outside on a nice sunny day and lifting heavy stuff or running sprints is a great way to workout and surprise your body.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Ever since I first went to the gym in 1995 I have been a voracious reader of any training book, magazine and website I could find. For the longest time I only cared to learn about how to lift big weights and build big muscles. It wasn't until my hip seized up and I couldn't walk right for 6 weeks back in 2002 that I started to pay attention to joint health and training smarter. At that time I was training first thing in the morning before work and hitting wide stance box squats five days a week. Stupid.
After deciding I never wanted to go through a joint injury again I started to research joint mobility and warm-up techniques to prevent future injuries and keep me feeling limber.
The best sources I found at the time and still use today were: Magnificent Mobility, by Eric Cressey and Miker Robertson. This is a great DVD that will put you through a series of drills to loosen you up and prime your body.
Super Joints, by Pavel Tsatsouline is book that really focuses on joint health that teaches you drills to keep your joints lubricated and moving through their full range of motion.
The New Rules of Lifting, by Alwyn Cosgrove is actually a book that explains every area of strength training but the dynamic warm-up that Alwyn lists is the one I do before most workouts.
The purpose of a dynamic warm-up is to prepare the body for action.Walking on a treadmill does not prepare your body for a battle with a kettlebell or loaded barbell. It may increase your internal temperature but that is only a fraction of what you are actually trying to do here. You need to do drills that force blood into your muscles, wake up your nervous system, and loosen up your tight spots like your hips and ankles.
The benefits of a proper warm-up include:
decreased risk of injury due to warm muscles
improved form due to increased mobility (try squatting cold with tight hips!)
improved performance due to a primed nervous system
The warm-up I do only takes about 10 minutes total and isn't so difficult that it tires me out before the actual work out starts. I start with joint circles more to prevent chronic injuries than anything and then move to an actual dynamic warm-up.
Joint Mobility/Lubrication
neck movement
wrist circles
elbow circles
shoulder circles
ankle circles
knee circles
hip circles (I get made fun of for these ones but after that hip injury these are a must for me)
Dynamic Warm-Up
reverse lunge with twist
side lunge with twist
inch worm
Russian twist
t-push-up
The dynamic warm-up I use is "borrowed" from Alywn's book listed above, I still have yet to find a simpler and more effective one. The fact that it is a body weight circuit makes it even more useful because I don't need any equipment or much space.
Warming up doesn't have to be some boring chore. Use it as a time to prepare yourself mentally and physically for your workout, and mix it up if you get bored if it.
Now if you are still not sold on the benefits of warming up I have some motivation for you below.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
Jim Wendler has a saying when it comes to training, "Is what you are doing awesome?" If it isn't awesome, why are you doing it?
Today for example I knew I was going to hit my lower body but wasn't sure exactly what drills I would pick. After asking myself what is awesome, I came to the conclusion that I should hit some heavy front squats and then do some farmers walks. These drills work Everything in the lower body and a heck of a lot of muscles in your upper body as well.
Here is the actual workout I did:
Front Squat
worked up to a max single
dropped the weight and did a few sets at 70% for doubles
So that was it, simple but awesome none the less. Front squats are probably my favorite squat variation, even though I compete in powerlifting I prefer them to back squats. The key to good front squats is to stay upright and as Dan John teaches, squat deeply BETWEEN your legs. Check out the video below of a true master front squatter in action. Once you have the form down, quit playing around and put some real weight on the bar, your new muscles will thank you!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
I have been writing about and working the Clean and Press movement a lot lately. Sorry if I sound like a broken record but it is a great all around drill to build your entire body strength. Because it is such a dynamic movement it will improve your athletic ability and even burn a ton of calories. You can use a barbell, dumbbells, a kettlebell or two, or even a triceps/neutral bar. Last weekend I even clean and pressed rocks!
Bike to the gym nice and easy as a warm-up
Clean and Press
Using a parallel grip triceps/neutral bar to simulate the grip of a strongman log
Worked up to a max single
Then dropped the weight and did a few sets for low reps
Bent-Over Row paired with Dumbbell Military Press, 4 x 8-10
Weighted Pull-Ups paired with Weighted Dips, 4 x 8-10
Bike home from the gym, nice and easy
A heavy duty triceps or neutral bar is a great tool to use instead of a barbell because by changing the grip you hit different muscles and remove stress from your wrists. I didn't make a video of the clean and pressing with a neutral bar but the one below will give you a good idea of the movement. Don't be afraid to go heavy though!
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
To celebrate the founding of this great nation my wife and I decided to hit at local park in sunny Calgary and have a fun kettlebell workout. Since we were outside we focused mostly on juggling, carrying and throwing our kettlebells instead of the traditional lifts. I say this all the time but nothing beats training outside in the sun on a warm day.
Here is the workout we did:
Mobility Drills
joint circles, twists, etc
Dynamic Warm Up
body weight drills for a quick, easy circuit
Kettlebell Drills
Swings 2 x 20
One Hand Swings 1 x 20
Swing Juggling 4 x 20
passing from hand to hand using spins and flips
just have fun with this and try different passes
Figure 8 to Hold 3 x 20
Farmers Walk x 1
Opposite Overhead Walk x 1
one kettlebell overhead, the other down by your side
Rack Walk x 1
walking with the kettlebells in the rack position
Overhead Walk x 1
both kettlebells overhead
Swing Throw x 10 throws
throwing the kettlebell in front of you with a swing motion
Overhead/Snatch Throw x 10 throws
throwing the kettlebell over your head behind you
I love throwing kettlebells because it is such a primal movement. I can just imagine our ancestors who were made of harder stuff than us comparing their strength by throwing a big rock for distance. Just look at Highland Games Heavy Athletic contests, throwing heavy stuff is a major part of this traditional sport.
Check out the video below of my pasty white Canadian body throwing a kettlebell. Can you tell it is winter up here most of the time? Anyways, throwing a kettlebell is fun but try throwing it all different kind of ways to work other muscles.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
This video is just cool. Look at all the fun training tools they are using while training outdoors. It doesn't get much better than that. The rope climbing really stood out for me. It is a method you almost never see these days (I don't expect to see them hanging from 20 foot ceilings at commercial gyms!) but will develop your grip, arms, and back like few other exercises can.
Looking for a personal trainer in Calgary? I can help you lose weight, get in shape, or build muscle. Whether you are an athlete or just getting started, I can help. Email me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com to learn more.
. He is the inventor of complexes and is considered one of the most knowledgeable trainers to come out of Eastern Europe.
is awesome and will make you stronger and more athletic. I would compare it more to wrestling than lifting weights though, as the weight is always shifting on you. There's nothing wrong with that though, because as anyone who watches mma knows, wrestlers are damn strong! 
Swings
Ab Fall Outs
Holds
handles just use the heaviest dumbbells in the gym. Often I will do farmers walks with 150 lbs dumbbells even though it is a light weight to walk with. The advantage of using db's is that picking them up from the ground repeatedly turns into a very long range deadlift, which is a great way to build muscle too!
, by Alwyn Cosgrove is actually a book that explains every area of strength training but the dynamic warm-up that Alwyn lists is the one I do before most workouts.
teaches, squat deeply BETWEEN your legs. Check out the video below of a true master front squatter in action. Once you have the form down, quit playing around and put some real weight on the bar, your new muscles will thank you!
to simulate the grip of a strongman log
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