Blog | FVT Warrior Wellness | Lee’s Summit Personal Training & Kettlebell Coaching

FVT Obstacle Course Race Training Program

The Obstacle Course Race we did as a team a couple of weeks ago was VERY challenging … but so rewarding! …

And talk amongst the FVT community has spurred interest in doing another one 🙂

So check it out – we are looking at putting together a training group and signing up for a local Obstacle Course Race to complete as a team in November.

BUT … we need to gauge interest and see if folks are actually serious about signing up.

So, reply to this messgae and LET ME KNOW please, when you get the chance – if we do indeed put this together – are you interested?

The structure / cost / etc of this one would likely be very similar to the last one we put together – details at the link below (please do NOT sign up using this page):

https://www.forestvancetraining.com/mudrun2016

If you have family / friends / co-workers / etc who you think might be interested – please feel free to forward this message their way.

Thanks – and let me know!

– Forest Vance
Owner, FVT Boot Camp and Personal Training

Meet Cielo

We kicked off the Team FVT Showcase Series a couple of weeks ago.

Our team members take great pride in being part of the FVT family, helping men and women in the Sacramento area become fitter and stronger versions of themselves.

We all have different backgrounds, and are all a vital part of keeping the motivating and encouraging atmosphere alive at the gym.

And now you’ll have the opportunity to get to know each one of us a little better.

Next up is our awesome admin assistant Cielo!

Cielo is a recent graduate of C.K. McClatchy High School, and is currently studying nearby at Sacramento City College, pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy.

Cielo has recently gained an interest in maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle, and has started her journey towards that. She plans to not only contribute to the encouraging and welcoming environment here at FVT, but to balance work, school, and fitness as part of her new and improved lifestyle.

Get to know Cielo: Fun Facts

1- Favorite exercise – besides bootcamp at FVT 😉 – would be hot yoga

2- Favorite passtimes include swimming and hiking at nearby trails

3- Dream Vacation would be Italy

4- Bucket List item: To have visited every US state at least once (7/50 completed!!!)

Say hello to Cielo next time you’re at FVT!

Eagle Pose – Stretch for Shoulders and Hips

We have another great yoga pose to give your hips, upper back, and shoulders some much needed care. It’s called the Eagle pose – it not only provides a deep stretch, but because it is a standing pose, will help improve balance .

Here’s a video that shows you how to do the pose:

This will be a great recovery after a boot camp filled with push ups, presses, and KB swings , that can be hard on your body. Not only will you improve flexibility and get a good stretch, but you will begin to see an improvement in your strength training as well.

We have begun our weekly Restorative Yoga session held Wednesdays at 6pm at FVT. You can drop in for a class for $15, or pay for a 5 class pass for $60 (and don’t forget, cash or check ONLY please.) We hope to see you tomorrow!

– FVT Team

Restorative Yoga Wednesdays @ 6pm

We are so excited to be starting our 6pm Wednesday night yoga classes back up again tomorrow night!

As a reminder – you can sign up for these classes in the mindbody system as you would for any other workout. The cost is $15 per single session, or $60 if you’d like to prepay for 5 classes at a time – cash or check only.

Here’s another message from FVT yoga instructor Becky Jensen about the healing power of restorative yoga. Check it out below:

The Healing Power of Restorative Yoga
by Becky Jensen, RYT 200

Top fitness experts are heralding the benefits of adding a period of restoration to your fitness schedule. Rest after workouts, is where the work you did in the gym sinks in.

One great way to do this, as well as to expand your awareness of self and body, is with the practice of restorative yoga. You will come to cultivate a deeper understanding of your body as we guide you through gentle poses tailored to work in tandem with your heavy duty bootcamp fitness routine.

Restorative yoga, or yin yoga, is practiced in a quiet setting, involving no flow, limited movement, and centers on a few poses per class held for longer lengths of time, usually in low lunge, supine, sitting, or prone positions.

We turn inward, we focus on our breath, we explore beginning mediation and mindfulness.

You need no prior yoga experience to start this practice!

In our hour together, we RELAX while the muscles let go and the connective tissues of the body slowly lengthen. These long poses not only train us to learn to quiet the mind, but as we create space in the mind we also create lasting benefits of this practice such as greater range of motion, increased flexibility in less time, and time to reset the body back into its natural parasympathetic rhythms (as opposed to the all-day fight or flight stress response we can find ourselves in).

Classes are $15 each or $60 for 5.

– FVT Team

Dragon Pose – the Antidote for Prolonged Sitting?

We are SO excited to be continuing our 6pm Wednesday night yoga classes at FVT.

Today we have a short article from our instructor Becky on how to do the Dragon pose – a GREAT move, called by some the “antidote” for prolonged sitting, and also the perfect compliment for all the hard training we do at FVT.

Enjoy!

In a training schedule filled with squats, kettlebell swings and burpees, we can start to notice how stiffness in the hips and the back of the legs can get in the way of our progress in these movements. With restorative/ yin yoga at FVT, we target these areas in particular with poses that start to open the hip flexors and the hamstrings, groin, quads and glutes, supercharging those areas for bootcamp!

One pose in particular that you can try at home in preparation for FVT’s restorative/ yin yoga class is the Dragon pose. This is a deep hip and groin opener that gets right into the joint and stretches the back leg hip flexors and quadriceps. It can even help with sciatica!

THE DRAGON POSE

Getting Into the Pose:

— Begin either on hands and knees or in Down Dog.

— Step one foot between the hands.

— Walk the front foot forward until the knee is right above the heel.

— Slide the back knee backward as far as you can.

— Keep the hands on either side of the front foot.

Alternatives & Options:

— If the back knee is uncomfortable, place a blanket under it, rest the shin on a bolster, or tuck the toes under and lift the leg off the floor.

— If the ankle is uncomfortable, place a blanket underneath or raise the knee by putting a bolster under the shin.

— Stay here for 2-5 minutes each leg, start slow, working up in minutes over time.

— No rush! Yoga is not a competition… Even with yourself! Be ok with where you are at!

Coming Out of the Pose:

— Move your hands to Down Dog position, move the back knee forward a bit, tuck the back toes under, and with a nice groan, step back to Down Dog.

In our restorative/ yin yoga class at FVT, we will learn this dragon pose and all of its numerous variations that get deep into those joints that need this TLC so badly… and more!

Sweat, recharge, repeat
FVT RESTORATIVE/ YIN YOGA summer series
Wednesdays 6pm @ FVT

– Becky Jensen, RYT 200

Wednesday Night Yoga @ FVT

The 2016 Summer Yoga Series @ FVT was a great success!

Huge THANKS to all who came out.

Based on the great turnout and feedback, here’s the plan moving forward:

— We are going to keep the weekly yoga class @ FVT going on Wednesdays at 6pm, on an on-going basis.
— You will have the option of pre-paying for 5 classes at a time … which will be $60, and will be good for 60 days from the date of the first class used … or you can do a single class at any time for $15.
— As the word spreads, attendance grows, etc, we will work to add another class on a weekend day as well.

We think that this system will provide maximum flexibility for to stay involved with the yoga program at FVT, and still make it work with your existing boot camp schedule.

There will be NO yoga this Wednesday at 6pm. We will re-start regular classes NEXT Wednesday the 20th at 6pm.

We will set this up in the Mindbody system, and you will sign up for it like you would any other training session.

Last thing – payment for yoga will be cash or check ONLY. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes – but we need to keep things simple with this one. Pay when you get the chance if you’d like to continue – next time you’re in to the studio, etc – to reserve your spot.

Thanks – and hope to see ya on July 20th at 6pm!

– The FVT Team

July 2016 Challenge Workout

The beginning of the month means it’s time for another FVT Challenge Workout!

It’s an opportunity to push yourself more than a usual boot camp, and is a great way to measure your improvement. We rotate through three different Challenge workouts over the course of the year, and each one is scored or timed in some way.

This month, we have our Band Challenge Workout – check it out:

2016 FVT Band Challenge

** Complete ALL the “tests” at the grey band level and earn a grey FVT band! (if the workout is done at a boot camp at our facility)
** Complete ALL the “tests” at the black band level and earn a black FVT band! (if the workout is done at a boot camp at our facility)

1 — KB swings – 16k for women, 24k for men

Clcok will be set for 30 second intervals. On each interval, 10 swings will be performed. Rest period is the time between the 10 swings are finished and when the next 30 second interval starts. Repeat for a total of 10 rounds.

10 sets of two hand swings with prescribed weight listed above = grey band
5 sets on each side of one hand swings (alternating hands each set) with prescribed weight listed above = black band

2 — Push ups – knees for women, toes for men

Elbows and upper arm BREAK parallel, no exceptions … body stays in a totally straight line, no hip sag or “A frame” … no adjusting the knees, hands or feet during the test.

Body cannot touch the floor at the bottom of a rep; cannot lock out and rest at the top.

15 for grey
30 for black

3 — Pull ups

Any grip (pull up or chin up)

women – 15 sec hold over bar = grey, 1 rep = black
men – 1 rep = grey, 5 reps = black

4 — Burpees

Thighs and torso much touch the ground at the bottom of the movement. Full extension of the body – knees, hips, and upper body – as well as a jump and clap of the hands over head – must be completed at the top of each rep.

15 in one minute = grey
20 in one minute = black

2nd degree black band qualification

Individuals who successfully complete the black band will get the opportunity to qualify for a 2nd degree black band.

To get the 2nd degree black band, one rep of a strict overhead kettlebell press must be performed with an 18k (women) or 32k (men) kettlebell on each arm.

The kettlebell must be cleaned to the shoulder with one hand in smooth motion.

The kettlebell must come to a complete stop at the shoulder.

The hand of the pressing kettlebell must start under the chin.

There will be no bending of the knees or leaning to the side as the kettlebell is pressed overhead.

The kettlebell must come to a complete and controlled stop at the top of the movement.

The kettlebell must be lowered to the ground in a controlled fashion.

And The Results…

NEW Grey Band Earners:

Arlen O.

Sheryl Y.

Leanne K.

Gabrielle K.

NEW Black Band Earners:

Brad P.

David W.

Gina M.

NEW Multi-colored Band Earners:

Lilia K.

Zeb B.

Keep up the great work everyone!

‘ till next time –

– The FVT Team

Meet Leanne

Our team members take great pride in being part of the FVT family, helping men and women in the Sacramento area become fitter and stronger versions of themselves.

We all have different backgrounds, and are all a vital part of keeping the motivating and encouraging atmosphere alive at the gym.

And now you’ll have the opportunity to get to know each one of us a little better in the Team FVT Showcase Series we have planned for the next few weeks.

First up is our awesome coach Leanne!

Leanne fell in love with fitness in 2000. After relocating to California from the East coast, she joined a gym to meet new people and to learn more about fitness . Leanne hired a personal trainer and lost 25lbs in 12 weeks, that’s when her fitness addiction started. She decided to become certified in personal training and hasn’t looked back since.

She has been a stay at home mom for the last 10 years but fitness has always been a top priority. She has competed in the NPC bikini division and holds a certification with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Her passion for fitness has kept her motivated and driven and she is eager to share her experience and tips to change lives here at FVT!

Get to know Leanne: Fun Facts

— If she hadn’t become a trainer, Leanne would have pursued a career as a dancer. Not hard to believe after seeing her always dancing while leading a workout at FVT!

— When it comes to movies, Leanne’s favorite genre is horror films

— She spends the rest of her spare time chasing around her two kids, ages 12 and 7.

Come take a boot camp workout with Leanne today!