Discovering new ways to lose fat and get in shape is obviously big business. It seems that every day there is a new piece of equipment or a new “revolutionary workout” that is being advertised on TV or fitness magazines. Everything from incredibly complex abdominal machines, to high end home gyms that cost as much as your mortgage payment, and even, (and this is my FAVORITE), machines that actually ELECTROCUTE your muscles are being sold each and every day. With all of these choices being thrust at us all the time, how can we choose? How do we know which ones are really worth the time, effort, and expense? Well, have no fear, because I have the answer for you. I am going to tell you about one of the newest and most effective exercise tools on the market and one that will literally transform the way you think about exercise, AND will dramatically speed up the results you get.

Now, before you get the wrong idea and think that I am no better than the plethora of ads I just talked about, let me say that this tool is new, only to us. What I am talking about has been around for hundreds of years, but has only recently been introduced here in the US. Give up? I am talking about the Russian kettlebell.

Remember when I asked “How do we know which ones are really worth the time, effort, and expense?” How about 300 plus years of proven results? The kettlebell has been around since 1700, maybe even before that. Russians used the bell, which resembles a cannonball with a handle, as a counterbalance in their open air food markets. Some of the market owners started lifting the weights for fun and challenging each other to lift heavier and heavier weights and thus, a new sport was formed. Because of the unique design of the bell, an amazing array of lifts and exercises were possible and some even began throwing around the large handled bells to add even more intensity to the workout.

Working out with a kettlebell is unlike anything you have ever tried before. The basic idea of the kettlebell is to use your entire body to move the bell through space and using principles of physics, the weight is transferred through all of your muscles increasing the calories you burn and the muscles you work out. Rather than just standing still and lifting a dumbbell or barbell, the kettlebell is an active exercise often involving swinging the bell, power lifting moves such as the clean and snatch, and for those who are really experienced, even hand to hand drills that involve throwing and catching the bell just as the Russians did hundreds of years ago.

If you are looking for a new and EXCITING way to tighten and tone your body, pick up a kettlebell and give it a try. I can promise you, it is addictive, and VERY effective. You may start to experience your body looking and feeling stronger and leaner than it has ever been before. The newest piece of exercise equipment may just be one of the oldest. Kettlebells have been around for hundreds of years, don’t you think it’s time you tried them out?

By: Emile A. Jarreau

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If you’ve been looking for a different training technique to break out of a rut, eliminate the boredom, and bring on new results, “complexes” may be just what you’ve been looking for. If you’ve never heard of “complexes” before, the basic concept is that instead of repeating the same exercise for multiple reps to complete a “set”, you sequence one rep of several different exercises right after one another and repeat the sequence several times to complete a “set”.

No, this is NOT circuit training… it’s much different. It’s basically like performing a routine of exercises, instead of just mindlessly performing a typical “set” of one specific exercise. This type of training is excellent to work a huge amount of musculature in a short amount of time, and definitely takes your workouts to a whole new level of intensity. The conditioning aspect of this type of training is amazing, as you’ll find yourself huffing and puffing after repeating a sequence a mere two or three times. If I had to venture a guess, I’d have to say that this type of training probably elicits a good growth hormone response as well, due to the large amount of full body work completed in a given time period. But that’s just my guess.

I like to incorporate about 5 exercises into my complexes. Any more than that and you might start to forget what’s next in the sequence. Here’s an example of a killer barbell complex that really gets me fired up:

Example Barbell Complex

1. high pull from floor (explosive deadlift right into upright row in one motion);

2. barbell back to thighs, then hang clean (explosively pull bar from knees and “catch” the bar at shoulders);

3. barbell back to floor, then clean & press overhead;

4. barbell back to thighs, bend over, then bent over row;

5. barbell back to thighs, then finish with Romanian deadlift

Use a weight that you can still handle for your weakest lift of the bunch, but keep it heavy enough to challenge you. Try to repeat the sequence 2-3 times without resting… That’s 1 set. You could progress over time on this routine by increasing the amount of times you repeat the sequence in each set, or by adding sets on subsequent workouts before eventually increasing the weight. For example, say you completed the above complex with 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 3 sets in todays workout. Next time you perform the workout, try to do 155 lbs for 3 sequences per set for 4 sets. Once you successfully complete 5 sets with 155, increase the weight 5 or 10 lbs next time, and drop back to 3 sets. This is a great way to make improvements over time, while cycling your training volume.

Now I’m going to show you a great kettlebell complex that really kicks my butt. I’ve been training with kettlebells for a little over a year now, and can definitely say that they have dramatically improved my strength, body composition, and overall physical capabilities. If you’re not familiar with kettlebells, they are an old eastern European training secret that has just started to take the US by storm over the last few years.

Many elite athletes are using kettlebells as their preferred training tool for serious results. If you would like more info on kettlebells just go to TruthAboutAbs.com and click on Fitness Programs. I’d recommend just starting off with one bell and learn all of the single kettlebell drills first, before delving into the double-bell drills. Just one kettlebell coupled with some bodyweight exercises can literally be enough to comprise your own home gym, without any other equipment necessary. Or you can just incorporate kettlebell training into your normal training routine once or twice a week to shake up your routine and stimulate new results.

Example Kettlebell Complex

1. one arm swing

2. one arm snatch, keep the bell over head;

3. one arm overhead squat;

4. bell back down to bottom, then one arm high pull;

5. bell back down to bottom, then one arm clean & press

As with the barbell complex, repeat the sequence (without rest) 2-3 times with each arm. That’s one set… and one hell of a killer set at that! Try increasing from 3 to 4 to 5 sets on subsequent workouts with a given weight before increasing your sequence reps. If you’re not drenched in sweat with your heart beating out of your chest after that complex, you either went too light, or you are a mutant freak!

Alright, since most people will have easier access to dumbbells instead of kettlebells, now I’ll show you how to compile a good dumbbell complex.

Example Dumbbell Complex

1. upright row with each arm separately, then both together;

2. front lunge with one leg, then the other;

3. back lunge with one leg, then the other;

4. curl to overhead press;

5. keep dumbbells at shoulders and squat

Again, the same type of sequencing and progressions work great with the dumbbell complexes. I think a great strategy is to alternate barbell complexes on one day with kettlebell or dumbbell complexes on alternative training days. For example, you could do barbell complexes Monday, kettlebell or dumbbell complexes Wednesday, and back to barbell complexes on Friday. Maybe hit some sprints and bodyweight drills on Saturday; then Monday would be kettlebell or dumbbell complexes again, Wednesday would be barbells again, and so on. Give this program a try for a month (if you dare), and you will be one hardened individual!

By: Mike Geary

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(c) 2008 Sandy Sommer

It seems like we will do almost anything to lose weight quickly. We won’t eat all day. We eat all day. We exercise only in the “fat burning” zone. We starve ourselves. You get the idea!

One of the many issues is that we seem to get clashing information from many sources.

I hope to help clear up a few things for you here.

First, eat breakfast! Eating in the morning jump starts your metabolism and helps you start off the day right. Fruits, whole grains, dairy and protein help you get going. Skipping meals (for most people) is not helpful. You will have wild fluctuation in blood sugar and skipping meals often leads to binge eating later on.

Here’s a few more myths:

Myth #1: Working out in the Morning is Most Effective

The most effective time to work out is the time of day that you WILL workout. It’s really that simple. Working out in the morning works well for a lot of people because if you do it first thing, life won’t get in the way. There is no research that proves that a certain time of day is better than another. Work out when you will do and be 90% compliant with your promise to be fit.

Myth #2: To Lose Fat You Must Do Cardiovascular in the Fat-Burning Zone

You definitely will burn more fat during your workout if you work out at low intensity but the real goal is to burn fat all day.The higher the intensity of your workout, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be and thus the more calories you will burn. Carbohydrates won’t be stored and thus converted to fat as readily if you have a metabolic furnace.

Myth #3: You can lose inches using “Spot Reduction”

This wives tale is on of the oldest and most perpetuated. Much of where fat accumulates on your body is hereditary. In general, men tend to collect it around their belly and women around the hips and thighs. Working just those areas won’t make you lose it more quickly there.Training your body as a whole machine instead of a collection of body parts is the key to fat loss through exercise and this is why kettlebell training is so effective at helping you get your best body.

Let’s examine the role that kettlebells can and should play in your quest for your best body.

When you work with kettlebells you will be training at different heart rates and thus, some of your work will occur in the “fat burning,” some will be aerobic in nature and some will be anaerobic. If you use kettlebells as part of your physical culture you will lose fat! Kettlebell training works you out much like interval training does since you work at different intensities throughout.

To get your best body will require consistent effort. If you work hard during your workouts and eat cleanly and intelligently you will look and feel your best!

By: Sandy Sommer

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Do you wish to make a supreme edge in body building and flaunt your muscles to make your friends envy? Just give up all worries and start your kettlebell exercises today. Kettlebell bodybuilding is a fine method to build your muscles, tone them and get overall strength. You might have seen Olympians, athletes and other famous personalities with great bodies. They may not engage themselves in stern bodybuilding routines, but there secret to such beautiful body lies in exercises.

The Kettlebells

 

Seek no more! You can achieve a body if you stick yourself to kettlebell bodybuilding. This is a secret weapon, tonic, tip and all things which make a perfect body full of stamina and strength. There are various forms of exercises which tend to build you body. But as you do such exercises please take care of the following few tips on kettlebell bodybuilding.

 

*Always maintain a routine of kettlebell workouts. You cannot afford to miss your workouts simply due to laziness or other reasons. It won’t show good results.

*Exercise in rhythm. There should be a flow of intensity and volume of your kettlebell exercises. If you always do it rigorously you may not achieve your goal. It is important to give rest to your body.

*Never do kettlebell bodybuilding exercises without proper training or in absence of a trainer if you are new comer.

*try to perform kettlebell exercises with the weights you are advised. Don’t think that overweight or heavy weight exercise can build you muscles.

 

Once you keep the above said tips in mind you can carry on with your kettlebell bodybuilding exercises without any doubt. Here are few forms of kettlebell exercises perfect to build your body and shapes of muscles.

 

Kettlebell Crush Curl: This is a very popular form of kettlebell exercise but very few people perform this. Because most people don’t have the aim of bodybuilding. They do kettlebell exercises to keep themselves overall fit. Crush Curl exercise targets your biceps, forearms, pectoral, triceps, chest muscles and others. You must do this exercise very carefully in a slow and controlled manner to reap maximum benefits. Remember this is not a dynamic movement exercise like other kettlebell exercises.

 

To perform this exercise simply grasp the kettlebell on each side with a palm facing grip. Squeeze as hard as you can so that kettlebell hold tight gripped. You can keep the handle on top to make the session more easier. From bottom position your elbows should be extended and the kettlebell should be in front of your thighs. Now keeping your back straight slowly curl your kettlebell up. Do this simple exercise three times a week and see the developments of you muscles.

 

Kettlebell Swing: This is an exercise which golfers too perform to get maximum power and distance in the swing. Enter kettlebell swing exercise routine and set the foundations of maximum power and agility. You need to have power along with good body too. Kettlebell swing is a good kettlebell bodybuilding exercise. It is the foundation of most kettlebell lifts.

 

In this exercise you have to hold a kettlebell of desired weight and swing it between your legs up to your above chest level. The arms must be kept straight and relatively loose. The power is for this workout is generated by your hips. It is necessary to maintain a total body sequencing to perform kettle swing exercise.

 

Other kettlebell bodybuilding exercises includes kettlebell bent press, kettlebell windmill and others.

By: Paul Davis

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