KettlebellPlanet.com

Whenever you are training, ask yourself this, "Is what I am doing awesome?".

If it isn't, then why are you doing it?

Just so we are both on the same page, compound lifts like cleans and front squats are awesome. Wasting your time on an elliptical doing steady state cardio is not. Compound lifts will build muscle, power, stimulate your metabolism, and make you look like you actually train.

The problem with a lot of awesome drills is that people avoid them because they are lazy, chicken or ignorant.

If you suffer from the first two ailments then this blog is not for you and neither is the weight room. Give up training and start collecting stamps as Charles Poliquin would say.

If, on the other hand, you want to start banging out sets of hardcore cleans and front squats then you have come to the right place.

Cleans, and other variations of the Olympic lifts will build explosiveness and pack some meat on your upper back and shoulders.

Front Squats will improve your ab, upper back, and leg strength while at the same time improving mobility.

You really can't go wrong incorporating these drills in your training so both should become staples.

Here is how to do the hang clean. Unless you have proper instruction, stick to this variation of the clean as it is the hardest to screw up.



Here is a video to show you how to do a proper front squat.



If you find it really hard to stay upright in the front squat try this drill to increase your thoracic spine (upper back) mobility. This will allow you to front squat and over head squat properly, thereby handle more weight and get stronger.




To give you some ideas on how to incorporate cleans into your training program, here is what I did today. For me Monday is a lighter day that focuses on explosiveness and conditioning. I tend to keep the weight a little lighter and don't want to feel drained after this training session.

• Hang Clean
• worked up to singles with 80% of my 1 rep max
• dropped it down to triples with 70%
• total time about 30 minutes
• Pull-Ups
• did a set of pull-ups between most sets of cleans
• roughly 6 x 8-10
• Push-ups
• 3 x 20
• starting the reps with clapping push-ups
• Ab Wheel
• 3 x 8

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

On Saturday my training partner and I practice strongman events, focusing mainly on upper body drills, leaving lower body drills for Sunday.

When it comes to building and displaying strength in the upper body, overhead pressing is king. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of the bench press, having competed in about 15 powerlifting contests, but I believe the truest test of upper body strenght is determined by how much you can pick up off the ground and lock out overhead. No wonder that strongman contest always have an overhead lock out event.

With this in mind our upper training is usually focused around putting weights overhead, and so should yours.

Here is what we did on Saturday, hopefully it gives you some ideas for your training.
AM, Strongman Training, Upper Body Focus

• Mobility Work
• Dynamic Warm-up
• push-ups, lunges, broom stick weightlifting drills, etc
• A1 Fat Bar Clean and Press
• started with just the bar, worked up to a max single
• dropped the weight down and practiced at 80-90% for a few sets
• about 1 hour spent on this lift
• A2 Pull-Ups
• various grip
• did a set of 8-10 reps between clean and presses
• B1 Single Dumbbell Clean and Press
• 5 x 1
• B2 Keg Carry
• 5 x max distance

PM, Kettlebell Training

• Double Kettlebell Clean and Press
• 5 x 10
• start from the ground on each rep for maximum range of motion
• A1 Double Kettlebell Strict Military Press
• 5 x 6-8
• A2 Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row
• 5 x 12-15
• B1 Dumbbell Curls
• 2 x 10
• B2 Push-ups
• 2 x max reps

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

Are you a follower of the paleo/primal nutritional philosophy? Here is probably the best article I have ever read about how and why you should make the switch to paleo nutrition.

Speaking of paleo/primal eating, here are some reasons why men AND women should eat more steak.

Trying to get huge? Take your training to the next level.

Do you train like a little girl or do you train like a man?

Here are some more back to basics training ideas to help you get big and strong.

Have you gone organic? Here are some reasons why you might.

Want to learn the kettlebell basics right the first time? Well, there are over a thousand posts on this site, or you can check out a great article written by Mike Roberts about a Kettlebell Coaching Session he recently did.

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
 http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

Training at home can be a great way to get your workout in when you don't have a lot of spare time. All that travel time can instead be devoted to a proper warm up or getting in some extra sets. According to my wife since we live in a condo it would be too difficult for me to train with barbells so instead I opt for spousal harmony and use kettlebells at home.

Thursday I was playing with my kettlebells and I re-discovered a great drill to build full body strength and work your conditioning (burn fat) like crazy. The drill is a double kettlebell clean and jerk, but when you rack the bells drop down into a full squat before driving up and jerking the bells. This will obviously work your legs, but you will be surprised how much your upper back and abs are recruited to do this drill properly.

Here is a great video of Steve Cotter demonstrating the single kettlebell version. Start with this drill first before progressing to the double kettlebell version.

• Mobility Work
• joint circles and movement drills
• Dynamic Warm-Up
• reverse lunges with twist x 10/side
• side lunge x 10/side
• inch worm x 10/side
• single leg glute bridge x 10/leg
• Russian twist x 10/10
• t-push-up x 10/side
• A1 Turkish Get Up
• 3 x 5/side
• A2 Double Kettlebell Swing
• 3 x 20
• Double Kettlebell Clean, Rack Squat, Jerk
• clean the bells to rack position, squat down until your elbows touch your knees, squat back up and then jerk the bells overhead
• 5 x 5
• B1 Renegade Row
• 3 x 8/side
• B2 Double Kettlebell Clean to Rack Squat
• same drill as above but without the jerk overhead
• if your shoulders are not tired then feel free to jerk or push press the bells
• 3 x 5

Here is a video I found of the double kettlebell version. Try to really blast the bells up explosively though.



For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

This week is a back off week. Meaning I train a little lighter, don't go to failure and take an extra rest day. So instead of training my upper body on Tuesday and my lower body on Wednesday, I got a massage yesterday and then did a full body workout today. Nothing was done to failure but the weights were enough to provide a bit of a challenge. See the previous post for more details on back off weeks and recovery.

Here is the actual workout I did. Hopefully it will give you some ideas on how to spice up your training.

• Mobility Work
• Dynamic Warm Up
• A1 Safety Squat Bar Chain Squats
• 3 x 5
• A2 Fat Bar Clean and Press
• 3 x 5
• B1 Safety Squat Bar Seated Upper Back Good Mornings
• seated
• curl and then extend the upper back
• 3 x 5
• B2 Fat Bar Chain Deadlifts
• 3 x 5
• C1 GHR
• 3 x 10
• C2 dumbbell Curls
• 3 x 10

The seated good morning is a drill to work the upper back. Usually a lifter will fail in the squat or the deadlift because their upper back rounds and then the body caves in. To address this you need to work the upper back hard. These special good mornings will do just that.



For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

I am a big believer in short, frequent and intense training sessions to build muscle, improve conditioning and stimulate the metabolism. That being said you must factor recovery into your training plan. You can't push your body to it's utmost limits several times a week for months or years on end, something will give.

In my case it's usually my nervous system that breaks down first. I become irritable, have trouble sleeping, and my heart rate goes through the roof for no apparent reason. If I keep pushing it, next I begin to have joint pain. Recently this go to the point where I was missing workouts due to severe tendonitis in both arms. Not fun. Everybody reacts differently so you have to learn to listen to your body.

So how do you constantly improve without burning out or injuring yourself?

The key is to plan your recovery strategies within your training cycles.

I like to train 3 weeks hard and then 1 week a little easy. This is called a back off week. It allows you to get your work in without digger a deeper hole to recover out of. The key to a back off week is to do it BEFORE you experience over training symptoms. That way one week is enough to get back to normal.

During this back off week I highly recommend you take advantage of other recovery tools such as Deep Tissue Massage. A good massage will do wonders for your aches and pains, allowing your body to reach new plateaus soon afterwards. For example my grip improved considerably from getting active release therapy. If you can't afford massage or don't like to be touched by strangers, then get a foam roller. It is a poor mans massage but you can do it wherever, whenever.

Other keys to recovery include getting plenty of sleep and eating a nutritious diet filled with leafy greens.

The sleep part is obvious, your body rebuilds itself during this state, yet it never ceases to amaze me how many trainees go to bed around midnight on work nights and then party on the weekends. When is your body supposed to rebuild and improve? Turn off the TV and go to bed!

As for diet, the body will thrive in a low acid environment. Sugar is highly acidic, so a diet high in sugar or processed food will increase the acidity in your body. This will make it harder to recover from stress, such as training, and make you more prone to getting sick. Instead eat a diet high in unprocessed protein (meat, eggs, etc) and balance it with generous portions of vegetables. Vegetables are very basic, and so will help bring your PH balance to an optimum level. Eat real veggies, the colorful ones, not just potatoes!

Supplements. I used to own a supplement store and actually became pretty jaded about them over time. Let's face it, the "fancy" ones are usually just expensive marketing hype in a can. Instead stick to the basics, protein powder, a multi vitamin, zinc, magnesium, and fish oil. Another supplement I recommend from time to time is L-Glutamine. NFL strength coaches give their athletes a mega dose of glutamine before combines and camps to put extra muscle on them at the last minute. By mega I mean 40 grams a day, but an extra 10lbs of muscle would be nice right?

To summarize:

• Train a little easier once every four weeks
• Get a massage once a month
• Sleep more
• Eat more veggies and quality protein
• Take some supplements that will improve your overall health

Any other tips for recovery that I am missing?
For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

I was down at Bedros Keulian's Fitness Business Summit this weekend, and as a result, I'm a day off schedule with my training this week.

Next week I'm flying to Oregon to work with Nike and some NFL athletes at a Pro Camp - so I need to get back on my schedule to allow that travel.

As a result - today was a "modified" session. Instead of my scheduled resistance training I did a combined workout (Adapted from New Rules of Lifting for Abs).

I thought I'd share it with you to show you what I did. It was pouring outside and this Scottish boy hates the rain - so I wasn't doing anything outdoors :) (this was all done in the home gym, but being a gym owner I probably have more equipment at home and in my garage than some commercial gyms!)
Warm up:
5 mins treadmill
Dynamic Warm Up
Core:
Valslide push aways -12 reps each side
Swiss Ball Mountain Climbers -12 reps each leg
Cross Body Band Chops -12 reps each side.
Resistance Training:
DB Split Squat - 8 reps ea., 60s rest
Two Point DB Row - 8 reps ea. 60s rest.

Deadlift - 8 reps, 60s rest
Alt DB Chest Press - 8 reps ea., 60s rest
DB Step up - 8 reps ea. 60s rest
DB Push Press - 8 reps ea. 60s rest

Offset DB Front Squat - 8 reps ea, 60s rest
Mixed Grip Chins - 8 reps ea., 60s rest
Total: 14 work sets
(Normally I do half as many exercises for 2-3 sets of each, today was only 1 set each side).

Metabolic Training:
Incline Treadmill intervals - 5 x 30s on, 90s off
Toal workout time was just around 45 mins.

I used a Polar Heart Rate monitor which tracked my average heart rate at 85% max and I peaked at 98% (probably during the interval sprints).

The monitor said that the workout overall burned 650 cals. Not sure how accurate that is, but it's useful for comparative data with other training sessions.

In just over 45 mins I hit mobility, core, full body resistance and some extra metabolic work.
And I'm back on track and ready to attack the week.
--
AC
PS - John Romaniello's Final Phase Fat Loss program is still on sale.
Check it out.

AlwynCosgrove.com
24420 Walnut street
Newhall, CA
91321
US

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

I am writing this after putting down two large steaks for dinner with a ton of vegetables. Life is good. Unfortunately I am experiencing a phenomenon I call Meat Sweats.

Meat Sweats are a pretty common condition for me. You see I usually train right after work and just before dinner. This is great as I get to plow into some meat and other goodness as soon as I finish a hard session of lifting heavy stuff. Like I said, life is good.

Unfortunately, spending an hour throwing around kettlebells, lifting weights or running sprints and then eating a pile of meat is a great way to be incredibly hot right before bed. Sometimes my Meat Sweats are so bad I have to take a cold shower before going to bed! I call this my pre-bedtime cool down shower. So ya, some nights I will train, shower, eat, then shower again. Weird I know.

In case you don't know, the affliction I am speaking of is a result of the thermic effect of training and digesting meat. Obviously a tough strength training sessions will elevate your metabolism. You break down muscle through heavy lifting, and then your body starts rebuilding. It takes a lot of energy to rebuild muscle tissue. So you get a bit warmer. What you may not know is that meat has a very high metabolic effect on the body as well, more so than other foods. Approximately 20% of the calories you intake when eating meat are burned up just trying to digest it. Hence the Meat Sweats.

So, if you play your cards right you can actually get bigger and leaner at the same time. First, have a tough strength training sessions of compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, cleans, etc. Then drink your post workout shake which should be a mix of some carbs, about 20-30 grams and 30-50 grams of protein. Next, quickly go home, shower so your wife doesn't complain about being "all sweaty", then plow back a huge portion of lean cut of organic or naturally raised meat. It doesn't matter if it is beef, bison, chicken, turkey, or pork, in fact it is best to rotate your meat sources regularly.

Next, sit back and prepare to get your Meat Sweat on.

If you are not meat sweating withing 20 minutes of your post-post workout meal, then either you trained like someone who doesn't want to get "too big" or you ate enough meat for a vegan. Don't hold back here people, put in a tough training session and plow back enough meat to force you onto the couch.

If you are still unsure about how to get more awesome, check out what I did today in the quest for more muscle and better health starting with breakfast. I drank a ton of water on top of what you see here so do that instead of drinking calories.

Off to bed by 10pm like a good little strongman.

The Kettlebell Clean and Jerk is a great way to rev up your metabolism, especially when you are short on time.



If you are looking for another way to put on some muscle and lean out at the same time try PLP, The 60-Day Challenge. It is a cool idea I read on T-Nation today.


For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

I write this as my wife is getting her swell on in the other room with her kettlebells. Seeing her train on her own makes me proud because she is not a competitive athlete like myself who "has to" train. If I don't I train, I embarrass myself at contests, but for her it is a lot easier to take it easy and watch reality TV. There are no immediate consequences, yet she is choosing to put her work in, instead of taking the easy way out.

If I were a Jamaican gangster I would give her "Big Ups".

Speaking of taking the easy way out, today my training partner bailed on me for some reason and I knew there would be nobody at the warehouse we practice strongman at. This isn't a gym where other people are getting their swell on. It's a warehouse in the middle of nowhere, and when you train alone, you are ALONE. It would have been real easy to call it a lazy Sunday and stay home, but instead I decided to use this time to get ahead of my competition.

The guy who wins first place in a strongman contest probably doesn't take the easy way out too often.

With that in mind, below is the workout I did, hopefully it will give you some ideas on how to get stronger and leaner.

AM, Strongman, lower body focus

• Mobility Drills
• Warm-up
• Farmers Walk
• 53lbs/hand x 3 lengths
• 103lbs/hand x 2 lengths
• 148lbs/hand x 2 lengths
• 238 lbs/hand x 2 lengths
• 288lbs/hand x 1 length (saving up for a max carry)
• 348lbs/hand x 3 steps
• 348lbs/hand x 3 steps again
• This weight took everything I had just to get it off the ground, it is actually the most weight I have ever had in my hands.
• The idea was to build confidence by handling weights far above what any contest will have this year.
• 248lbs/hand x 2 lengths
• max speed
• I thought this would feel light after the big carry but I was pretty tired as even this felt heavy.
• Atlas Stone
• Small stone x 2 lifts
• My arms will bleeding from the stone and I couldn't lift it with football sleeves so I wimped out and moved on.
• Dumbbell Deadlift
• 120lbs/hand x 15 reps
• Lately I have been finishing up my leg workouts with one set to failure of dumbbell deadlifts to build mass due to the long range of motion.
• Prowler Sled
• Pushing and Pulling the Sled with the legs only
• 900lbs or so x 8 lengths of the gym
• Heavy Grips
• 250lbs x 4 x 5-6

PM, Kettlebell, Lower Body Focus

• 1 Kettlebell Swing x 250 total reps
• If fresh I would use two bells but my lower back is pretty tired from this morning
• Double Kettlebell Rack Squats x 4 x 10
• This is a great drill for the legs obviously, but it really works the abs and upper back as well much like a front squat

As for diet, Sunday's are pretty much like every other day for me. I consume a mostly primal/paleo diet of protein, veggies, some fruit and lots of drink water. I try to avoid grains and processed foods as much as possible.

Breakfast:

• 6 egg spinach omelett
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1 tbsp fish oil
• 1 magnesium capsule, 1 zinc capsule

Pre-Workout

• 1 pear

Post Workout

• giant bowl of Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop protein powder
• 1 handfull of berries
• 1 orange

Lunch

• 1 bowl of home made shrimp gumbo

Dinner

• Huge serving of slow cooked pulled pork
• tons of veggies

Some people will complain that eating this way takes a lot of prep. In my head I think, "Well, it's better than being fat and sickly." But my response is that it really does not take that much time and why not eat well? Plus, my wife is an amazing cook!

Diet, like training, and achieving results in any endeavour always boils down to the same thing. Do you take the easy way out and blame others if you don't succeed? Or do you put together a plan and stick to it?

Focusing on consistent efforts over the long haul will allow you to achieve amazing results.


For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

There is a quote from old time strongman Earl Liederman that I like to use often when explaining my philosophy on training, "Train as often as possible while staying as fresh as possible."

It is pretty straight forward and stands as true today as it did back in his time. Basically, train frequently. Meaning several times a week and even several times a day. But, keep the sessions short. 30-45 minutes is an ideal amount of time to lift heavy stuff once you are warmed up. The problem is, once you get pretty good at lifting, you need to do even more of it to improve in terms of size and strength.

This brings us back to Earl's concept. Add more sessions but keep them brief. Let me give you an example. On the weekends my buddies and I do strongman training. Upper body drills are practiced (I write practice because strength is a skill) on Saturday and lower body drills are practiced on Sunday. We go hard and heavy and the workouts are brutal.

Several meals and hopefully a nap later I go into my spare room and play with my kettlebells for a bit. I train the same muscles groups on the same day (upper body on Saturday, lower body on Sunday) but in order to prevent burnout I mix it up. Firstly I am using kettlebells instead of heavier weights, but also I focus on higher rep drills to work different motor units. So AM is heavy, PM is light. This prevents me from avoiding the PM sessions because I am beat up and feeling like a wimp. Instead I just tell myself I am going to play with my kettlebells for a bit and quite when I am tired.

I learned this concept from Charles Poliquin's site, which is full of great training ideas, and thought I was the only guy around doing this until my training partner asked me what I was doing tonight. It turns out all 245lbs of him trains twice a day as well, and has been for years. He is Mongolian so we don't talk too much, hence my ignorance, but he told me that he likes to get a pump in the evening. You see, he understood this concept already, heavy in the morning, light in the afternoon.

You may not want to put the time in, and I don't blame you, but the fact is twice a day training works. You will get stronger due to practice, remember strength is a skill, and you will get bigger due to volume, PROVIDED you follow the second part of Earl's wisdom, STAY FRESH.

I am not talking about Mike the Situation fresh, I am talking about preventing burn out from over training.

Stay fresh by:

• mixing up the lifts
• mixing up the loads
• mixing up the set/rep schemes
• napping (this is huge)
• eating a ton of quality food
• sleeping 8-10 hours
• taking your vitamins
• getting sports massages
• doing concentric only lifting at times
• training outdoors

What do you think? Am I out to lunch or do you see your squat PR going up already?

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

But just like Frodo when he was in the heart of Mordor, we still have hope. Here is an amazing story about controlling your own destiny to get what you want out of life, instead of doing and achieving what losers and conventional wisdom expect of you.

Just because most of the people around you are fat, sickly and ignorant, does not mean you have to be. Get your swell on, eat healthy and read a book. You will be a better person for it.

Speaking of getting lean, fit and strong, below are some workout ideas for you.

First off I am posting a solid kettlebell I put together for someone trying to fire up their metabolism and get burn some body fat:

• Mobility Work
• Warm Up
• Two Handed Swing x 20, 20
• Double KB Press x 5-10, 5-10 (depending on your strength and the weight of the kettlebell)
• One Handed Swing x 20L, 20R
• Halo x 10, 10
• Clean x 10L, 10R
• Goblet Squat x 10, 10
• Snatch x 10L, 10R
• Windmill x 5L, 5R
• Bottoms Up Clean x 10L, 10R
• Turkish Get Up x 5L, 5R
• Figure 8 to Hold x max reps
• Double KB Clean and Press x max reps

If you are looking to get big and strong instead, you can take some ideas from the strongman training session we had today. If you don't have access to logs and atlas stones, just replace these lifts with similar barbell movements.

• Mobility
• Warm Up
• Fat Bar Clean and Press
• worked up to a moderate weight
• A1 Strongman Log Clean and Press
• worked up to a max single
• A2 Weighted Pull-Ups
• stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure each set
• B1 Strongman Log Clean and Press
• dropped the weight to 90% 1RM and did singles
• press outs at the top
• dropping the weight from the top to allow for more lifts
• B2 Prowler Sled Rope Rows
• attached ropes to the sled then did various types of rows to drag the sled
• Altas Stone Lifting
• we did a few singles with the stones for practice

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

Well it's Friday and thank God for that. Instead of working and busting my ass in the gym I get to relax and have some fun. By that I mean eat too much food and have a couple of drinks while watching a movie at home. But first it's time for you and I to catch up on our reading and learn how to get stronger, leaner and healthier. Here are some links to help you out.

Feel like a caged animal sometimes? Why not get out? Or you can live like most people, in a human zoo.

Did you over do it on St. Patty's day and feel a little guilty? You should. Here's why.

Go to sleep, unless you want to be fat!

Are you making this common error done with bang for your buck exercises?

Want to get stronger? Here is a basic strength program.

Have a sweet tooth? Here are ten good reasons not to eat sugar.

Here are 3 tricks for faster fat loss.

Need to put some size on? Here are three efficient ways to gain five pounds quickly.

Watch too many action movies? Why not become a super soldier yourself?


For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

I can't believe how fast time flies. This post is number 1,001! It seems like only yesterday I was putting my ideas on training, weight loss, nutrition and awesomeness up into the webosphere for the world to critique.

It seems fitting that post number 1,001 contains a mix of thoughts as this blog has covered a lot of topics.

Thought Number 1:

Hills Sprints.



They are just plain awesome. By including hill sprints you get to train outside in the sun and fresh air. You become faster and more explosive. You will lean out. And you will train your legs without loading the spine.

Do them. But don't eat a giant bowl of stew right before as I did on Monday. Trust me.

Thought Number 2:

Deep Tissue Massage.



I have never experienced something that sucks some much while doing it and yet feels so awesome once it is done. I consider myself a pretty tough guy but I literally had to bite my lip to prevent myself from wimpering. They hurt, but you will feel amazing afterwards.

Get them. You don't have to do them all the time but if you have been training for a few years there will be some areas that are extremely tight and possibly ready to snap. Since getting only two sports massages this month I move better, experience no pain in my shoulders and elbows, and much to my surprise my grip strength has actually improved.

Thought Number 3:

Lifting with Chains (or Bands).



Using accomadating resistance (heavier at the top than at the bottom) may be the best way to build power and explosiveness. If you use chains regularly all your main lifts will improve and you will probably put on some muscle as well.

Use them. Add chains or bands to squats, deadlifts, bench press and any other compound movement that is easier at the top then at the bottom.

Keep on training and feel free to post your thoughts on getting lean and jacked below.

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

Sorry for the late post swoldiers. I spent the weekend in Banff National Park having fun in the mountains.

If you are looking for a fun way to get some exercise in before winter is over, go sledding. My friends and I hit up a mountain with some inner tubes and had a great time. The best part is you forget you are exercising every time you climb back up.

As for awesome iron links, let's be gentlemen and let the ladies go first. If you are a woman and trying to get in shape but don't know where to start, then Start Here.

Want to get bigger, stronger and faster? Learn how to do Power Cleans then.

Looking for other ways to get stronger? Don't make this common mistake.

Want to make your triaining Old School? About about Hunter Gatherer Old School Fitness?

Do you have triceps muscles that are mistaken for spaghetti? Make sure you include plenty of parallel bar dips.

Ever get annoyed by preachy vegans? Dispense some vegan truth to justify your honorable meat eating lifestyle.

Want a stronger grip? Check this video out by Charles Poliquin.




Do you like staring at breasts? You should, it is good for your heatlh.



For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

What is up Swoldiers?

Before I get started giving you some more oh so exciting training tips, if you are trying to lose weight here are five reasons why North American's are getting fat.

I suggest you do the opposite. Unless you want to be one of those "people" who wear crocs out in public because they are comfortable. And for you ladies, Uggs are not much better.

No sex for me thanks!

Anyways, there is no point in being lean if you don't have some jacked muscles to show off at the office cooler. So here is a workout you can try to beef up your legs and back.

• Mobility
• Warm-Up
• A1 Front Squat with Bands
• work up to a tough 3 x 3
• A2 Deadlift with Chains
• work up to a tough 3 x 3
• B1 Front Squat Holds
• load up the bar and take it out of the rack in the front squat position, but just stand there and hold the weight
• 3 x max time
• B2 Bulgarian Split Squats
• I like this drill to stretch out my hips and pump some blood into my legs
• 3 x 20
• Upper Back Flex Band Good Morning
• the upper back is usually the muscle group that fails in a max effort squat or deadlift, strengthen it and you lifts will go up
• 3 x 15

This is the workout I did today. I highly recommend you use chains or bands pretty much every time you do a compound lift because it will teach you to drive the weight up explosively. I don't normally alternate sets between squats and deadlifts like this because it is pretty damn tiring. But I was surprised at how good it felt and how much quicker I was able to work through the sets. If you are short on time I highly recommend this.

The front squat holds are a great drill to strengthen your abs, lower and upper back. Plus it prepares you for heavier front squats in the future.

The upper back good morning is a new drill for me. The idea being that the upper back is usually the weak link in the squat and deadlift, which is why people bend over before they fail on a lift. If you strengthen the upper spinal errectors you will be able to stay upright with more weight and have a better chance at finishing the lift. Plus you will build some meat in the upper back, which is bad ass. Check out the video below for some ideas on how to strengthen this muscle group and increase your squat and deadlift in the process.

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

Here is a little tip to improve your pressing strength and build some muscle mass throughout your triceps, shoulders and upper back that I learned from Dan John.

At the end of a pressing workout, when the bar is still locked out overhead, bend your elbows a bit and then lock them out again. Do this as many times as you can until you can't lock the bar out anymore.

This drill is called a press out, and is a great way to strengthen your triceps and the improve the finish of any pressing lift. I used them a lot for over head presses but you can use them on the bench press as well.

Below is a workout I did today with some press outs thrown in. I use a fat bar or fat gripz whenever possible to improve grip strength and forearm size. The stronger your grip is, the more strength you will be able to demonstrate in real world situations such as helping your buddy move or wrestling a drunk to the ground. Or, if you are a practical man such as myself, not embarrassing yourself in a local strongman contest!

• Mobility
• A1 Fat Bar Clean and Press
• worked up to a 3 x 3, press outs on the last rep of the last set
• A2 Fat Gripz Pull Ups
• 6-8 reps between each set of presses
• B1 Barbell Push Press
• 3 x 5, with press outs on the last rep of each set
• B2 Fat Gripz Cable Rows
• 4 x 8-10
• C1 Cable Triceps Extensions
• 3 x 15
• C2 Cable Curls
• 3 x 8-10

Do you guys have any tips to share on how to improve your pressing power?

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com

In my training cycle, Monday falls between two days of hard strongman training and two days of heavy barbell work. Needless to say it isn't a day that I tend to push my training really hard. Instead I use the time losen up and get a bit of conditioning work in. If you are not interested in looking like the incredible hulk, then feel free to add more volume to the workout below.

Another point to remember though, hard workouts alone will not make you lean. There is an old saying, "You can't out train a bad diet!" It is true, believe me, I have tried. I love to eat and have learned the hard way that there is one simple formula to not gettting fat:


Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss

Here is a fat burning/conditioning workout you can do with your kettlebells. If you are focusing on fat loss, shorten the rest periods. If you are focusing more on hypertrophy, then catch your breath between drills and push for extra reps. The reps listed below are just a suggestion, do what you can without breaking your form.

• Mobility Work
• Dynamic Warm-up
• body weight drills to get the blood flowing
• Kettlebell Circuit,
• Briefly rest between each set,
• 3-5 rounds
• Double KB Rack Squat x 5
• Double KB Jerk/Push Press x 8-10
• Double KB Swing x 20
• Windmill x 5/5
• Double KB Bent Over Row x 10-12
• Dumbbell Curls
• 3 x 10-12
• Bent Over Dumbbell Laterals
• 3 x 10-12

Do you guys recommend any other good books on health and weight loss?
For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

What is up swoldiers?

I have said it before but in the interest of making you lean, strong, and jacked, I will say it again. Carrying heavy weight for time and distance will take your training to the next level. I don't know if it is the time under tension or just the fact that your body has to move and control a load at the same time, but it works. Carries will make you a better athlete.

With that in mind the focus of Sunday's strongman practice was farmers walks. Even if you don't compete in strongman, include farmers walks in your training routine regularly. They are the father of the carrying drills because you can use the most weight and you hold it in your hands. Everything from your neck to your ankles will be tested.

Here is the workout my training partner and I did today, hopefully it gives you some ideas on how to getting bigger, stronger and faster, or at least sexier.

AM, Strongman Practice, Lower Body Focus

• Mobility Work
• Dynamic Warm Up
• Farmers Walk
• started with just the handles
• kept adding weight until I hit a 318 lbs per hand walk (25 lbs per hand personal best)
• Atlas Stone
• played with the Atlas Stones a few times
• was pretty spent from the max effort farmers walk though
• Dumbbell Deadlifts
• 2 x 15 reps
• These are a great drill to pack on muscle mass because the range of motion is so long and your grip has to work like crazy as the dumbbells try to roll out of your hands
• A1 Prowler Sled
• pushing and pulling
• 6 sets with a moderate weight to give the legs some direct work without stress
• A2 Rolling Thunder
• This is a 2.5 inch rolling handle that you can add weight to
• Nothing works your grip better
• 6 sets
• Captains of Crush
• to finish off the grip

PM, Conditioning

• 250 total kettlebell swings with 1 x 24kg
• just to get some conditioning in

Here is a video of me practicing my farmer walk. Needless to say I was pretty sore later.

What is your favorite carrying drill?

For semi-private or personal training contact:
Nathan Donahue
Calgary, Alberta
Nathan@kettlebellplanet.com
www.kettlebellplanet.com