May 2013 Challenge Workout Results

And the results are in! GREAT work to all on this one.

**Click here to see the May 2013 Challenge Workout again, in case you missed it**

MA 11:50
SK 11:55
SS 12:07
JM 12:21
SG 12:25
SF 12:35
BC 12:40
SJ 12:41
BP 12:50
PK 13:14
LA 13:45
PK 13:46
KS 13:59
BM 13:59
LC 14:00
AS 14:12
AL 14:40
JG 14:44
JC 14:49
JB 14:53
MP 15:01
RM 15:09
DS 15:13
AM 15:38
PT 15:39
JV 15:47
JM 15:55
NP 16:01
RA 16:15
PN 16:16
AP 16:30
RA 16:40
CB 17:05
BA 17:22
BK 17:40
MT 17:45
EZ 18:25
MP 18:59
AM 19:57

‘Till next time –

The FVT Team

Register for FVT Mud Run Event Prep 2013 (last chance)

One more day before registration for the 2013 FVT Mud Run Event Prep program shuts down.

This program includes:

  • Once per week 60 minute training sessions (15 minutes longer than our standard boot camp classes), initially meeting at the FVT Land Park studio, and potentially venturing out at different points during the program for runs/activities in surrounding outdoor areas.
  • Special workouts to help you prepare for your upcoming mud run(s).
  • Access to a special website where we’ll post workouts from each week, training tips, and much more.

We’ll be forming a team (or teams), but if you’re already registered for a specific race, no worries either –the main focus of this program will be on getting you physically and mentally ready for race day.

Our first class is happening this Sunday at 8am, and we’re shutting down registration tomorrow (Friday) night at 11:59pm. If you’re still on the fence, don’t delay – sign up now before it’s too late!!

=> Sign up for the 2013 FVT Mud Run Event Prep program here

– Forest

PS – If you’re wondering exactly what we’ll be doing during the workouts, check out this workout/video:

=> Mud Run Workout Video

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Follow Up

IMG_2018

Yep, that’s me. Three over from the right. I walked a full mile in those bad boys last Saturday.

The picture above is of me and my Walk a Mile in Her Shoes team members. Walk A Mile in Her Shoes is an international event in which men embrace the opportunity to raise awareness about the serious causes and effects of sexualized violence. I joined over 500 other Sacramento, CA business leaders, elected officials, students and more to run, walk, and/or limp a full mile in high heels shoes.

The event was a great success. We raised a total of over $200,000 as a group. I also have a new found respect for women who walk in high heels shoes on a regular basis! :)

THANK YOU so much to everyone who contributed and supported me in the walk. It means a lot to me – and your contribution is going to a GREAT cause.

– Forest Vance
Owner and Head Trainer, Forest Vance Training, Inc.

PS – One more pic for your enjoyment (me leading our team through a warm up of squats, burpee, and jumping jacks):

IMG_0016

May 2013 FVT Challenge Workout

It’s on!

Here is the May 2013 FVT Challenge Workout:

7 kettlebell goblet squats
14 kettlebell swings
7 burpees
14 push ups

Complete 7 rounds as fast as possible.

*Official weight on both the goblet squats and swings is 12k for women, 20k for men
*Standardized way to do push ups is from the knees (women) and from the toes (men)

Enjoy! 🙂 Be back later this week with the results –

The FVT Team

Free BW/KB @ Home Workout; Last Chance for FVT A-List Voting

You know you need to be getting at LEAST three workouts in every week to make consistent progress towards your goals. It’s Friday – so do a quick self-eval. Are you on track? Or do you need to sneak a session or two in this weekend to keep yourself moving in the right direction?

If you are looking for a quick, efficient, “strength AND cardio AND core AND lots more” – style workout to do … you are in luck. Because I have a free gift for you today. It’s a workout that hits ALL of these things – and it’s broken down for you in both video and written format. Get your workout clothes on and give this one a go:

(BTW – this session is done in the style of the mud run workouts we’ll be doing for our upcoming training program. If you’re interested, find more info about that by clicking here.)

Kettlebell/Body Weight @ Home Workout

Video Recap

You’ll do :45 seconds of cardio (jog, bike, jump rope, step ups, or jumping jacks) between each exercise. Perform each of the following exercises continuously for :45 seconds:

•t push up
•kettlebell (or dumbbell) squat
•pull up (or body row)
•box jump (or step up)
•bear crawl
•farmer’s walk
•diagonal lunge
•plank

Do two to three rounds of this circuit total.

Okay, that’s it for today! Hope you have a fantastic weekend.

– Forest

PS – I want to remind you that if you haven’t gotten the chance to vote for us yet on the KCRA A-List, to please do it NOW!!!

Just kidding. You don’t have to vote. But we may not be able to be friends anymore if you don’t, and I catch wind of it.

Just kidding again. 😉 But seriously. Vote now by clicking the link below. Just a few hours remain to do so, and it will help us out a lot:

=> Vote for FVT on the KCRA A-List

PPS – I’m participating the in Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event this Saturday morning, the 4th of May, 2013. I will be joining over 600 other Sacramento, CA business leaders, elected officials, students and more to run, walk, and/or limp a full mile in high heels shoes. I am sure it will be QUITE the experience 😉

Anyway – if you can make it out, it would be great to see you. The event starts at 10:30 am. And, if you would like to contribute to the cause and help me with my fundraising efforts, you can do that here:

=> Support Forest at Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

2013 FVT Mud Run Prep Program FAQ

We are getting geared up for the upcoming FVT Mud Run training program. I am so fired up, I can’t wait to get started!

We have been getting a lot of questions, and I know many of you are still “on the fence” as to whether the program is right for you.

So, I thought I would go through and answer some of the questions we have been getting over and over since we announced the program last week:

If you are ready to sign up now, click the link below:

=> FVT Mud Run Event Prep 2013

2013 FVT Mud Run Prep Program FAQ

 

What exactly are you guys going to be doing?

Good question. The workouts will be once per week 60 minute training sessions (15 minutes longer than our standard boot camp classes), initially meeting at the FVT Land Park studio, and potentially venturing out at different points during the program for runs/activities in surrounding outdoor areas.

We will be doing special workouts to help you prepare for mud run-style events – with things in mind like:

  • Total body strengthening
  • Building functional muscle
  • Increasing flexibility and mobility
  • Improving cardio endurance
  • Improving mental toughness
  • Getting you stronger, faster, and more athletic!

Workout activities will include, but not be limited to:

  • Running
  • Plyometrics
  • Kettlebell exercises
  • Body weight moves
  • “Stretching” – normal and “exotic” variations
  • Obstacle-specific exercises/workouts

Does the program include just the workouts? Or anything else?

In addition to the once per week group workout, you’ll also get access to a special website where we’ll post workouts from each week, training tips, and much more.

You’ll be able to interact with folks that are participating in the program here outside of regularly scheduled training sessions. Even if you have to miss a training session here or there, you can rest assured you’ll still have workouts to complete on your own.

If you are ready to sign up now, click the link below:

=> FVT Mud Run Event Prep 2013

Do I have to actually sign up for a race to participate in the training?

As long as you’re 100% committed to giving the training your best and attending all the sessions you possibly can – no! And if you’re just looking for a program to get your a@@ in shape over the summer, this’ll definitely do the trick …

How long is the program going to run for?

The plan is to run the program throughout the “good weather” months, and prepare for and sign up for a few different mud runs – that we decide on as a group – along the way. HOWEVER – while we will likely have space for folks to sign up down the road – there is no guarantee. We’ll only accept new people as space allows. If you want to ensure your spot, sign up now.

What if I miss a training session?

We’ll be posting the weekly workout plan online, so you’ll be able to complete the workout on your own. You can also make up the session at any one of our 17 weekly regularly scheduled boot camp times.

Can I just sign up for a few sessions/pop in/etc. to check out what you guys are doing?

Here’s the thing – these are serious events. They will challenge you physically and mentally in every way, even if you’re already in great shape.

That being said, adequate preparation takes 100% commitment. So – the answer is no It’s all or nothing with this one.

Whew! Okay, hopefully that answers any questions that you might have about signing up. If you have any other q’s, don’t hesitiate to let me know. We are at about 50% capacity, so if you are interested, please sign up as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. Do so by clicking the link below:

=> FVT Mud Run Event Prep 2013

Thanks, have a great day, and talk soon –

Forest

Support Forest @ Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

Boy oh boy. The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event is happening this Saturday, and somehow I have agreed to participate 🙂

Walk A Mile in Her Shoes is an international event in which men embrace the opportunity to raise awareness about the serious causes and effects of sexualized violence. I will be joining over 600 other Sacramento, CA business leaders, elected officials, students and more to run, walk, and/or limp a full mile in high heels shoes. All funds raised for the event go towards ensuring 24 hour services are available for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the Sacramento, CA area.

It will be a great experience. I am sure that (unfortunately) lots of pictures will be taken … which (also unfortunately) we’ll share with you when all is said and done.

So here is the deal. This message is my official ask for your help. My personal goal is to raise $500. Any amount that you would like to contribute is MUCH appreciated. Just click the link below to go to my personal DonorPage and give now:

=> Forest’s personal Walk a Mile in Her Shoes DonorPage

And – if you are in the Sacramento area, would love to have you join me at the fun filled event festival on May 4, 2013 (that’s this Saturday)!

Thanks so much in advance for your support. Have a great day, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
Owner and Head Trainer, Forest Vance Training, Inc.

Kettlebell and Resistance Band Workout

I posted this article and video up a few months ago on my personal blog at ForestVance.com … and in light of our kettlebell and resistance band 20% off sale in the FVT Pro Shop this month, I thought I’d re-post it here for your benefit. Enjoy!

Kettlebells are a tool that can be used to reach almost any fitness goal – from fat loss to muscle gain to improved total body conditioning.

HOWEVER – I’m NOT one of those folks who trains exclusively with kettlebells. I incorporate a wide variety of training implements into the mix with my training clients and in my own workouts … and one of my new favorites is the continuously looped resistance band.

Bands are awesome and incredibly versatile. They are also somewhat unique in that they provide increasing resistance as the band stretches – quite different than a free weight implement like a kettlebell where the resistance curve is controlled by gravity.

So – by combining kettlebells and resistance bands together, we can get the best of both worlds! Try this kettlebell and resistance band workout to add some variety to your existing routine and accelerate your results:

Video Recap

Kettlebells and resistance bands are a perfect combination for a lot of different reasons. The resistance bands are a good compliment to kettlebell training because they provide a different type of resistance. With a kettlebell you have ballistic movements, you have slow and controlled movements which are controlled by gravity. Whereas with a band, the resistance actually increases as you stretch. So it’s great for increasing athleticism, reactive time, all different types of stuff.

I’m now just going to demo a quick kettlebell and resistance band workout. This is going to be categorized into three different pairs. Your first pair is going to be a push up and a squat. The push up is going to be done with your band. By the way, this is a continuously looped band. There’s a difference between these and the typical bands with the handles which are just ok although I’ve never been a huge fan of them. The continuously looped bands go way up higher in resistance. You can get a wide range of bands, all the way from very small up to very big ones. They’re a lot more heavy duty, you can go up to 150 to 200 lbs of resistance if you want to. This is a medium to large size band, I believe it’s about 1 inch thick.

So here’s what you’re going to do for the pushup. Hands through the band, thumbs down, bring the band over your head and around your back under your arms and do a push up. You’re going to do ten of those and then hop up and do a goblet squat with the kettlebell. Do 12 and that’s the first pair. Do three rotations- three sets of each exercise.

Our second pair is going to be a lunge and a row. So for a lunge with the kettlebell, come back up to the goblet position and take a giant step back. Ten each side. Then do a bent over row with the band. Double up the band and stand on it, back nice and flat. Then do a bent over row with the band. (Do 12 repetitions of the rows)

Last pair, we’re going to do a squat jump with the band. Stand on the band like you’re going to do a squat, bring it up to a rack position underneath your neck. Do a squat jump with the band. Super set that with a one arm kettlebell swing. So do 8 one arm swings each side, 12 total squat jumps with the band. The whole workout should take you maybe 20 minutes. It hits every major muscle group. You get a nice resistance and cardio workout all in one.

Thanks, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance, Level II Russian Kettlebell Challenge Certified Instructor

PS – Both kettlebells and continuously looped bands are available in the FVT Pro Shop … and you can save 20% on ’em through the end of this month! Come by the studio and grab your KB and band combo pack today.