Fitness and Exercise Blog

The Ultimate Toughman Kit

I was a bit skeptical of any kettlebell dvd labeled “Ultimate” or “Extreme”…

Extreme Kettlebell Cardio 2 DVD is the 1st one I used. The warm-up is a little longer than I’m used to, but I enjoy it. It really gets your heart rate going and prepares for what is to come.

Next I tried the 1st workout called “The Flow.” He said you can use a heavier KB since the reps are lower, so I grabbed a 24kg (which is the size I started out in KBs with over 6 years ago). It almost killed me! I dropped to a 16kg for the next 2 workout sections and one of the core workouts at the end. For a point of reference, I am 5’10”, 183lbs, have done the ROP a number of times, to include the SSST and can strict MP the 88lb kettlebell. Nothing special, but I really didn’t have a use for the 16kg bell until this DVD!

By this point, I knew the “extreme” label wasn’t hype. This DVD is tough. Heavy emphasis on cardio and strength endurance. More biased towards lower body than upper.

Likes: the menu system is simple, but functional. Just highlight the workout segment you want and hit enter on the remote. Once it finishes, you are back at the menu. Catch your breath (cough up a lung) then hit the next one you want. There is good variety, 7 KB workouts, 2 core workouts and the warm-up. An easy day would be the warm-up and any 2 workouts. Medium day; select 3-4 workouts plus warm-up. Hard day; try and do 5+ workouts plus warm up.
The workout segments are about 5-10 minutes each (I’m too busy getting smoked to time them!)

Dislikes: the sound and video quality has been mentioned. I’m all about function though, when the DVD is running and I’m following along, I don’t notice it at all. It is only an issue if you are watching on the couch…but that isn’t what this (or any KB) DVD for!

Final critique: the instructions on how to use the DVD scrolls by pretty fast. Easy for me to scan/absorb, but I have quite a bit of fitness experience. Someone newer to fitness would have to pause to take in the information.

Bottom line: a great follow-along kettlebell dvd with lots of different kettlebell exercises. You will lose weight with this one!

KAT kettlebell juggling DVD vol 1. I’ve only spent a little time on this one so far, watched it through and did 1 workout. At first, I wanted the fancier stuff likely in vol 2 &3…but it is important to get the basics down. At any rate, the KBs still catch air early on. There are over a dozen exercises on here. He recommends to pick 4 or so to work on each session.
Again, I’m finding a great use for my 16kg bell and my wife’s 2X 12kg bells. This is a lot of fun, a great addition to add variety to any routine. It is a good pure cardio workout also. You are using light bells, but for higher reps, and you don’t really notice the reps since it is so much fun and challenging.

The setting and video quality is good and the instruction is clear. There is a lot of meat here to keep you busy for a long time. The lower intensity makes it great for light days and variety days if you are going through the “Enter The Kettlebell” ROP. He goes over safety right off the bat which is of course very important for juggling KBs and a good refresher for general KB work.

No real gripes, it might have been good to add in an example of what a typical “KAT” workout would look like or a couple different 15-20 minute follow along workouts. Not a big deal though, it doesn’t take much imagination to work on 4-5 techniques for a half hour or so.

“Ultimate Tough Man Kit” bottom line? The Extreme Kettlebell 2 DVD puts the “tough” in it, the KAT kettlebell juggling I guess makes it “ultimate?” It is a challenging set that added some much needed variety to my workout program and has enough info to keep me working at it for months. Good kettlebell dvd set, I recommend it.

I can’t stand wasting time, especially when working out. That’s why I prefer kettlebell exercises. It always bothers me to see the typical person concerned with fat loss, idling their life away on a cardio machine for 45 minutes to an hour, especially when it doesn’t do much!

Another version is the male who is obsessed with muscle, reads all the muscle magazines, and spends 45-90 minutes lifting weights 4X per week, another hour or more per week on “cardio” and $500 a month on supplements, all for mediocre gains.
3I have never really focused on looks, just performance so my conditioning wouldn’t be a liability for me in combat. Along the way, I discovered not only some very efficient ways to build strength, endurance, and cardio (anaerobic and aerobic fitness), I found out how to do it all at once! I also learned ways of burning up to 6 times the fat of traditional cardio methods also in less time.

This is accomplished through high intensity interval training or circuit training. Dr. Tabata conducted a landmark study in 1996 where he had subjects do 8 sets of sprints on an exercise bike. The sprint intervals were 20 seconds long at max effort, followed by just 10 seconds of rest. The entire workout portion was only 4 minutes long, but in his research he found that compared to the control group riding at a steady pace for an hour, those using his protocol increased their VO2 max by more than the control group and their an-aerobic capacity was much improved. (The control group didn’t improve an-aerobically at all, never tapping into this system). Perhaps most surprising is that the sprint group showed a greater percentage increase in aerobic (traditional cardio) capacity as well!

A researcher by the name of Tremblay conducted a study of high intensity interval training similar to Tabata, but he measured fat burning. He found the interval group burned fewer calories than the traditional cardio group during the workout…but due to having an elevated metabolism for 4-6 hours later because of the high intensity, the end result is they burned up to 6 times the fat as the long, slow, distance cardio group.

We can take these concepts (intervals with high intensity and short rest periods) and combine them with weights. Now we have a way of increasing strength, strength-endurance, cardio and anaerobic capacity, along with superior fat burning, all in one 15-45 minute (max) workout!

While you can do this with anything (or nothing, just bodyweight), kettlebells and kettlebell exercises lend themselves to this style of training perfectly. Kettlebells are very compact and the handle lends itself to high rep, full body exercises, that would be hard to do with dumbbells of a similar weight (without taking out your knees). The kettlebells build incredible grip strength in addition to developing killer cardio, raw strength and burning the fat.

Bottom line: buy kettlebells, try out some interval training, and reap the rewards of greater results in less time!

Well, life caught up with me between the twins, the wife, the 6 yo daughter, getting back to my job and other obligations. I haven’t workout out in 2 months and put on some weight. Now I’m feeling crappy and it is time to get back in shape (and I’ll bring you along for the ride if you want).

First, take stock of where I am, get some initial stats and slowly start a fitness routine. I was doing mostly bodyweight stuff before, now I’m gonna get back to the kettlebell. Last Sunday at my National Guard drill, I did my first workout in a long time. After a joint mobility warm up, I did a peripheral heart action circuit consisting of 2 different groups of 4 exercises. 1st group: Dumb bell chest press, ab wheel, pull ups, dumb bell step up to bench. 2nd group: Barbell snatch, knee raises, barbell squats, wood chopper w/ medicine ball. I did the first group of 4 exercises back to back (no rest between them), then rested for 30 sec. and repeated for 3 sets. Rest 1 minute, then switched to the second group and did the same thing.

Total workout time about 20 minutes for a full body strength, endurance and anaerobic cardio workout, I was trashed (and sore for a few days…) I followed that a few days later with an easy day of joint mobility and a few Turkish Get Ups and a set of 50 kettlebell swings. I ended the week by doing the Iron Core Kettlebell workout DVD with my 24kg kettlebell. It was kinda hard, which is sad, I used to do that with my 32kg bell.

As far as nutrition goes, I am just establishing my initial numbers and tracking calories for a week with no changes yet. My initial stats are 5’10″ tall, 197 lbs, and 16.9% body fat (ugh…). What’s important is consistency: I will measure myself on my bathroom scale at the same time (morning for me) wearing the same thing. Body fat was done with my digital calipers. It will do you no good to weigh yourself one day at home, then the next week at the gym, just be consistent so you know when you are making progress.

Finally, I computed my calorie target for when I start my diet. I calculated my basal metabolic rate (how many cals. you burn just being alive) by multiplying my body weight times 10. 197X10 = 1970 cals. Then times an activity factor which is usually 1.4 for sedentary people (office jobs etc.) I am using the pre-loaded formulas in the “Lose it” app for my iPhone which I wrote about here: http://fitnessexerciseblog.com/?p=66

Anyway, 1970X1.4 = 2,758 calories. This is an estimate of how many calories per day would maintain my current weight. In order to lose, I need to cut this obviously. The “Lose It” app spit out 2156 cals/day to lose 1 lb per week. If you don’t have the app, just subtract about 500 cals per day for your target. Men don’t go below 1600 cals per day, women stay above 1200.

I’ve been keeping track for 6 days now, I’ve been averaging roughly 2700-2900/day (hence, the weight gain). Though, just the act of keeping score will cause you to likely eat less on its own for psychological reasons. Stay tuned as I continue detailing my kettlebell exercises and go into more detail on how I’m going to tweak my diet plan.

I really do get asked this all the time:

“When is the BEST time to workout?” (preferably with kettlebells ; )

Well, in reality, the best time truly is whenever you are actually going to do it.

Look, some people love to get their training in first thing in the morning.

Some love to go during their lunch hour.

And, of course, many people just wait until after work.

Hey, with some many people completely out of shape and unhealthy I’m happy whatever time you go and workout, so long as you actually go!

But many people are confused as to what and when they are supposed to eat based on when they get their workout in.

And they are also baffled as to when they should take their supplements.

You’re in luck if you’re one of the confused! My partners over at Prograde Nutrition have created this really simple chart that shows you examples of what you can eat and when, and it’s all based on what time of day you workout.

Plus, it also shows good times to fit in your supplements for optimal results.

Even better is that they made a version for men and a version for women.

Check out the female version here: http://fitkettlebell.getprograde.com/how-to-use-prograde-products-female.html

OR

Check out the male version here: http://fitkettlebell.getprograde.com/how-to-use-prograde-products-male.html

Yours in health,

Brian

Perhaps the best book I’ve ever read on strength training was “Power To The People” by Pavel Tsatsouline. In it he details how to build extremely high levels of full body strength using only 2 exercises, 20 minutes a day and less than $150 in equipment (said “equipment” being a 300lb barbell set, look for sales or buy used.)

The best part is because this is low volume, heavy weight work you do not get very sore (after a short adaptation period, I don’t get sore at all) and don’t pack on much (if any) muscle. You just get crazy-strong. How does it work? Well, it has to do with adaptations in your central nervous system (CNS)…teaching your body to let you tap into more of the theoretical strength you already possess. It is like removing a block from under the gas pedal.

We all know that under extreme duress such as a life or death situation, we can tap into lots of extra strength not normally available to us.  This is because our central nervous system limits the amount of strength available to us under normal circumstances in order to protect our joints and muscle tissue.  In an emergency, our body decides the risk of a ligament, tendon or muscle tear is worth it to deal with the immediate situation.  The problem is, on a day to day basis, the amount of your theoretical strength your CNS lets you tap into is very conservative and only a fraction of what is available.

So, in order to tap into more of this strength, you have to let your CNS know that is what you want.  You do this by lifting heavy weights (with safe and stable form) for low repetitions.

The method is to pick a few multi-joint exercises (2-3) and do them 4-5 days per week. Do only 2 sets of 5 reps per exercise. Right now I just started this program again and I’m using the dead lift and the bench press. The dead lift is basically the king of full body strength exercises and utilizes about 80% of your muscles. The bench press pretty much covers the other 20%.  In the book, Pavel recommends a one arm standing barbell press which really works the grip and stabilizers.  This option also means you don’t even need a bench.

Never go to failure (this just teaches your nervous system to quit) and cycle the weights. So, over the course of 2-4 weeks, the weights will slowly increase so that your last workout is the toughest. Take a week off then start over again backing off the weights a bit and working up to a new personal best. The 1st set of 5 reps is heaviest; the second set should be about 10% lighter.

If you want to get strong and toned without adding bulk, this method is for you. If getting “yoked” (that means big) is your thing, using this method for a month will allow you to add more weights in your traditional bodybuilding routines leading to better gains.

Heavy weights, low reps (5 or less), low sets (1-3), give it a try.

I read a great book on body weight strength training this week called “Convict Conditioning.” Yes, that’s right, the routines were developed in prison where, contrary to popular belief, there isn’t that much access to weight equipment and none at all in the 1970′s when the author was first incarcerated.  I’m all about learning from wherever I can and I’ve been on a big body weight training only kick lately, so I didn’t let the title dissuade me.

There is an interesting section where the author observes that in his experience with training lots of people, he thinks training with body weight is helpful for fat loss because the mind and body know that in order to improve on the exercises, you need to be lighter.  This is especially true for pull-ups and handstand push ups, but also very helpful for simpler exercises like bodyweight only squats.  He thinks the subconscious helps to limit appetite and control weight in order to improve performance.

Of course, there are no studies backing this up, but it makes sense to me. The mind is very powerful and sets out to accomplish whatever goals we set for it.  If we tell ourselves we are losers…we will be.  If we think we are worth about $50K a year that is pretty much what we’ll make.  If we set out to improve our body weight only strength, our mind will help us accomplish that goal.  Things aren’t that simple of course…but I do know you will never accomplish anything you don’t believe in!

I’ll end with a great quote from “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, though it is a poem more about finance and life in general, I think it fits nicely:

I bargained with life for a penny

And life would pay no more,

However I begged at evening

When I counted my scanty store.

For Life is a just employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages,

Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire,

Only to learn, dismayed,

That any wage I had asked of Life,

Life would have willingly paid.

What have you asked of Life?

-Brian

I had a great workout this morning.  I am currently doing an all body weight routine (taking a break from kettlebells) which needs little room and can be done anywhere (I kept doing it while traveling from Iraq in Kuwait and Ft. Lewis.)  It is called “Tacfit Commando” and incorporates joint mobility warm ups with a Yoga cool down and progressively more challenging bodyweight exercises in the middle following the Tabata 20 sec. work/10 sec. rest protocol, which is extremely effective for anaerobic conditioning and fat burning.

Don’t let the title or website throw you off.  Though developed for Spec-ops soldiers, this program is accessible by anyone (I used it with my soldiers who were overweight and out of shape).  Also, from the perspective of a personal trainer, it does an excellent job of incorporating a great warm up and cool down along with using movements that take the body through all 3 planes of motion (for geeks like me, that would be “sagittal,” “frontal” and “transverse”.)  It also has good programming with no intensity, low intensity, medium intensity and high intensity days so you always stay fresh and don’t over train.  I think it is way better than something like P90X which has up to 90 minute workouts! (No thanks, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of time).

Daughter demonstrating plank at age 4

The full workout is only 45 mins including warm up and cool down, and my 5yo daughter showed up about half way through and was doing it along with me.  She was able to do the exercises with ok form having not seen them before and without any coaching from me.  Pretty cool.

Anyway, I’m going to be giving a complete review of this program in the future at www.fitkettlebell.com so stay tuned!

-Brian