Blog | FVT - Part 185

Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop Saturday, November 13th

As you walk into my Sacramento area personal training gym, one of the first things you see is a line of kettlebells against the wall.

And nine out of ten people ask the same question:

“What are those things?”

So one of the first exercises I typically cover with a new client is the Kettlebell Swing. It’s one of the best exercises in existence for burning fat. And once you’ve done a few, you’ll at a very minimum appreciate the effectiveness of the exercise to blast your heart rate through the roof – and work nearly every muscle in your body at the same time.

Click here for details on the Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop:

http://sacramentopersonaltraining.com/kbs4fatloss/

The fact is, if you’re trying to lose body fat and you’re not using kettlebells in your workouts, you’re missing out big time. Kettlebell training has taken the fitness world by storm. Everyone from stay at home moms to high level athletes are enjoying the benefits of kettlebells for losing fat, gaining lean muscle, improving flexiblity and increasing cardio fitness.

Now, a quick word of caution: The bad thing about kettlebell training is that it’s pretty technical – that is, reading an article or two on the internet and watching a few YouTube videos just isn’t adequate preparation – in fact, it’s a good recipe for injury. You need hands-on instruction to learn how to use kettlebells safely and effectively.

If you’re interested in learning how to use kettlebells to lose fat, I have great news: my Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop is set for the Saturday the 13th of November!! For details about the workshop and to reserve a spot (last year’s workshop sold out in a single day, so be sure to grab a spot if you want in), click the link below:

http://sacramentopersonaltraining.com/kbs4fatloss/

See you there!

Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKC

P.S. Know anyone who might be interested in this workshop? Help spread the word and tell your friends and family!!

Kettlebell Training For Fat Loss And Six Pack Abs

If you’re looking to shed some pounds and flatten up your stomach – and you’re not using kettlebells in your workouts – you’re missing out big time.

Kettlebell training is hands-down one of the best, fastest, and most efficient ways to both lose body fat and carve out those six pack abs.

KB’s train your abs in a very functional way – the way they were meant to be trained. As an example, a crunch is a typical movement that is used to train the abs. But the crunch is a movement that is very rarely used in real life.

In contrast, kettlebell training forces you to use your abs like you do numerous sports activities and in real life every day. Squatting while holding a weight in front of you (as in a Goblet Squat) or powerfully extending your hips and efficiently absorbing and decelerating force (as in a Kettlebell Swing) is about as real-life and functional as it gets.

Kettlebells also train your abs with full-body exercises – you end up blasting those abs and hitting a bunch of other muscle groups at the same time. And if we’re trying to burn body fat, that’s the name of the game!

Check out this quick video where I go into more detail on both of these points:

Sample Exercises

To further illustrate the points I cover in the video above, here are a few sample kettlebell exercises that do a great job of both working your abs and burning tons of body fat:

1. Renegade Rows

This exercise, while working a lot of other muscle groups at the same time, is probably one of the most challenging ab exercises you’ll ever do. Here’s an entire post on the Kettlebell Row and variations of it, like the Renegade Row:

The Kettlebell Row

2. Front Squats

Kettlebell Front Squats are one of the best kettlebell exercises for your abs. They force you to stabilize a weight in front of you and maintain a neutral spine (if you’re doing the exercise right, that is) through a very real-world and functional movement – squatting! Here’s the full article on how to do the Kettlebell Squat:

The Kettlebell Squat

3. The Turkish Get Up

The Turkish Get Up is another fantastic exercise for your abs that can be performed using kettlebells. It is, however, highly technical – here’s an article on my Kettlebell Basics blog about how to perform it properly:

The Turkish Get Up

So there you have a couple reasons why you should be using kettlebells if your goal is fat loss and/ or getting a flat stomach … and three great kettlebell exercises for the abs. Incorporate these exercises into your existing routine and start reaping the benefits today!!

The Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop

Our group personal training/ fitness boot camp sessions include a good amount of kettlebell work … about 30-40 percent of a typical workout is done with kettlebells, including Swings, Squats, and Turkish Get Ups.

However, I get requests at least a couple of times per month for kettlebells-only group training – – right now, private training with me is the only way to get that kettlebells-only instruction.

The new Land Park training studio is in many ways the facility I’ve been waiting for to hold the next kettlebell workshop … plus, most folk’s goals include body fat loss, improved conditioning and lean muscle gain … so what better topic to cover in an upcoming workshop than how to use kettlebells to lose fat and get a toned and defined midsection?

This workshop would be delivered in four 45 minute group training sessions, held once a week, over a month’s time. We would take a group training session to address each one of these topics in detail:

Proper form on the basic kettlebell drills – including the Swing, Turkish Get Up, Clean and Press, and Snatch
The right and wrong way to use kettlebells to train your abs and lose body fat – with sample exercises and workouts
Advanced technique tips and drills to perfect your form
Integration of concepts into overall programming

And much more!

Please post in the comments section below, shoot me an email, give me a call or text message and let me know if you’re interested and we’ll make it happen in the very near future!!

3 Good Ways To Injure Yourself Working Out

You’re finally getting your workout schedule dialed in. You’re shedding body fat and gaining lean muscle. Just as you’re really hitting your grove, just as you’re finally finding a program you can actually stick to – that old nagging injury rears it’s ugly head.

Maybe you’re even getting pain somewhere new – the shoulders, knees and lower back are the biggest common problem areas for clients I work with.

Ultimately, no matter what your fitness goals are – and no matter what your specific situation is – it’s almost impossible to make progress if you’re injured and can’t work out.

The good news is that many of these injuries can be prevented by following a few simple guidelines. So check out the video below for three good ways to injure yourself working out – and a for few tips on preventing these injuries from happening in the first place:

Here’s a summary of what I talk about in the video above:

3 common ways to injure yourself working out – why sports injuries occur

1. Bad Form

When building a workout routine, we need to pay just as much attention to how we’re doing specific exercises as we do to which ones we choose, the amount of sets and reps we do of each, etc.

Take Squats for example. A Squat is a highly functional exercise that you actually have to do every day whether you like it or not – when you get up out of a chair or get out of your car, you’re doing a version of a Squat.

There’s a common perception out there that Squats are bad for your knees. But the truth is that it’s not Squats that are bad for your knees – it’s how you’re doing them that’s bad for your knees. So get some proper instruction and make sure you’re using great form in your workouts.

2. Poor Core Strength

If your ‘core’ – the muscles not only in your abdominal region and back, but also those in your pelvic floor and hips – is weak, you won’t be able to properly stabilize the trunk and spine and you’ll greatly increase the likely hood of injury.

Let’s take the example of doing a simple Push Up: If your core strength is lacking, you’ll have a hard time keeping proper form and alignment – your hips may sag towards the floor, for example – which will in turn put extra stress on those common problem areas listed above and lead to eventual pain and injury.

3. Poor Flexibility and Mobility

Inadequate mobility and flexibility is another great way to injure yourself working out.

When you go to do any movement and don’t have the flexibility in the right places to do it, you end up over stressing certain areas of the body.

For example, if you go to pick something up off the floor but lack the flexibility to do it with proper body mechanics, you end up compensating in other areas of the body – which over time can lead to pain and injury.

Summary – and tips for sports injury prevention

Using bad form, poor core strength, and poor flexibility and mobility are three great ways to injure yourself working out. And the reality is that no amount of print or video learning can replace in-person instruction – so if you know you’re guilty of any of these things and would like some personal help in proper exercise technique and program design, contact me at (916) 273 9366 to schedule a free eval session today. Meeting with you in person, I can evaluate where you’re at now and exactly what you’ll need to do to reach your ultimate fitness goals.

My background/qualifications in post-rehab and injury prevention – and possible future workshop/workout series

I don’t talk about this much, but my Master’s Degree is actually in Human Movement with a emphasis in Corrective Exercise – in other words, much of my formal education is in this exact injury prevention and post-rehab area.

I’ve had the concept for a workshop/workout series to address this topic specifically for quite a while. I know a lot of you are working hard towards your other fitness goals, but injury prevention is very important – and this would be an opportunity to address it with full attention and in detail.

What proper form actually is
The right and wrong way to strengthen your core – with sample exercises and workouts
Flexibility and mobility drills and application to common movement imbalances and pain patterns
Workout tips, integration of concepts into overall programming
And much more!

Please post in the comments section below, shoot me an email, give me a call or text message and let me know if you’re interested and we’ll make it happen in the very near future!!

Talk soon

Forest

October 2010 Challenge Workout Results

Here’s October’s challenge workout one more time:

10 Push Ups
20 Kettlebell Swings
30 Walking Lunges (total – 15 each leg)
40 Cross Body Mountain Climbers
50 Body Weight Squats

Start with Push Ups and complete the entire sequence as fast as possible. Repeat the sequence again, starting at the top with Body Weight Squats. When you’ve completed the sequence twice – once ‘down’ and once ‘up’ – start again with Push Ups and do it again. Get as many rounds as you can in this fashion in 20 minutes.

And the results (total number of rounds completed):

AT 5+2
AG 4+3
SP 4+2
MG 4+2
LE 4+1
SG 4
BG 4
VL 3+3
NG 3+3
EZ 3+3
AK 3+2
MB 3
SM 3
PP 3
AS 2+4
NP 2+3

Great job guys! Keep training hard!

‘Till next month’s challenge –

Forest

October 2010 Challenge Workout

Every month at Forest Vance Training, Inc. Sacramento Personal Training and Fitness Boot Camps, we do a challenge workout. The idea with these workouts is to test your fitness level (although the workouts aren’t identical, you can track your progress and see how your fitness is improving when you do the workouts every month) and to challenge you both physically and mentally. They’ve been a huge hit since early this year – and will without a doubt remain part of our regular workout program.

Even if you’re not involved in one of our personal training or boot camp programs, I encourage you to follow the monthly challenge workouts and do them yourself (if they’re within your capabilities, of course).

Here’s this month’s challenge:

10 Push Ups
20 Kettlebell Swings
30 Walking Lunges (total – 15 each leg)
40 Cross Body Mountain Climbers
50 Body Weight Squats

Remember, the key is to push yourself to get as many rounds as you can in the allotted time – I’ll be posting the results later in the week if you’d like to see how your time stacks up.

Keep training hard!

Forest

Re: This Saturday’s Free Workout and Open House …

Hey –

You’re in for this Saturday’s free workout and Open House at the new Forest Vance Training, Inc. personal training studio, right?

Remember, it’s happening this Saturday, the 2nd of October. The workout starts at 10 am and will last about 30 minutes … and we’ll be open for another hour or so after that, so swing by and check us out! Everyone is invited … and you’re more than welcome to bring along family and friends.

You do need to sign up fast if you want a spot for the workout, though … there are exactly 6 spots remaining as I write this blog post. Call me at (916) 273 9366 or contact me here to reserve your spot now.

The new training studio is located at 3200 Riverside Blvd, Suite A … it’s on the North side of the small strip mall at the intersection of Riverside Blvd and 7th ave. Here’s a map:

View Larger Map

See you there!

Forest

New Sacramento Personal Training Facility Pics, This Saturday’s Open House, and Last Chance For Pre-Sale Special

Whew! The dust is settling … and group training sessions are rolling this week at the new studio. Here’s a couple pics of the new Forest Vance Training, Inc. personal training and fitness boot camp facility in the Land Park area of Sacramento, CA:

Again, current group personal training session times (with more coming soon) are:

6 am Tuesdays and Thursdays

9 am Tuesdays and Thursdays

6:30 pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

9 am on Saturdays

Open House This Saturday

I’m having an informal Open House this Saturday, October 2nd. I’ll be holding a free group training workout at 10 am and have the place open for about an hour afterwards for anyone who wants to come by and check it out. Here’s the schedule for Saturday:

9-9:45 am – Regularly scheduled group training

10-10:30 am – FREE group training session – body weight and kettlebell fat blast

10:30 – 11:30 am – Open House – stop by and check out the new space, grab some complimentary refreshments

Space for the workout is, however, limited – anyone is welcome to attend, but please let me know via phone or email if you’ll be there – I have room for about 15 people in the free workout.

Pre-Sale Special Extended Through Tuesday Night

Last chance to sign up for the pre-sale special! As there was a small issue with the flooring being installed on time and things didn’t start exactly as planned, I’ve extended the pre-sale special through tomorrow night – that’s Tuesday, 9/28. You have until then to pay and reserve your spot. It’s a great deal ($67 bucks for two weeks of unlimited group training), so if you’re on the fence, take advantage of it while you can. Here’s the direct link to sign up:

The Pre-Sale Special is no longer available – contact me if you’d like to set up a free trial session

That’s it for today! Have a great week.

Forest

The Weight Loss Secret ‘They’ Don’t Want You To Know About

What’s the real secret of weight loss success?

At the end of the day, it’s not the latest and greatest workout program.

It’s not the most cutting edge, perfectly tailored and personalized meal plan.

It’s not a finely tuned and individualized supplement regime, either.

All of these things mean nothing if you don’t take action. If you lack motivation, if you lack follow through, if you lack the ability to make it happen … none of these things will do you a drop of good.

I’m here to support you … to provide you with the tools you need to reach your goals … but I’ll be the first one to admit that it’s up to you to do what it takes to reach them.

Don’t get me wrong – if you don’t have the right tools, if you you don’t know how to workout safely, effectively, and productively, if you don’t have a good grasp of proper nutrition, you won’t reach your goals, either. There’s a big difference between working hard and working smart. But I see lack of action as a big obstacle for folks in reaching their fitness goals.

I’m going to spell out an action plan to help you get you from wherever you are now to where you want to be. This is the exact process I take each and every one of my new personal training clients through.

Also, make sure you write all of this down and put it in a place where you can see it each and every day. This is extremely powerful – the fact that most people don’t do this is a big reason why they aren’t successful with reaching fitness goals they set for themselves.

1. Figure out your reasons why

Why do you want to get in shape? Is it for your health? To feel better about yourself? To fit better into your clothes? For your kids? What’s your burning desire? This is the first step in setting your fitness goal (s).

2. Set a goal

Now, it’s time to set some very specific fitness goals.

Set a timeline – if it’s to lose 30 pounds, for example, give yourself a reasonable time frame to do it.

Finally, break down your goal into actionable monthly, weekly, and daily steps until you’ve hit it!

Here’s an example:

Reasons why: Feel better in my clothes, have more energy, live longer with great health and experience all life has to offer!

Goal: Lose 30 pounds of body fat

Timeline: 5 months

Actionable steps:

30 pounds of fat loss breaks down to:

6 pounds a month
1.5 pounds a week
.21 pounds a day

To lose 1 pound, you need to create a 3500 calorie deficit, which means to lose 1.5 pounds a week, you’ll need to create a 5250 calorie deficit each week, or a 750 calorie deficit each day.

By working out every day and burning an average of 250 extra calories per day in those workouts, in addition to eating an average of 500 calories less per day, you’ll lose 1.5 pounds per week, 6 pounds per month, and 30 pounds over the next 5 months.

Sound simple? It is. Of course, there are a lot of details I’ve left out – exactly how to workout to get your your specific goals, exactly what to eat, what to do if you stall out or everything doesn’t go as planned – and that’s where my help comes in 🙂

But this is the top-level view of how to hit your goals. Remember: No excuses – just results. Let nothing get in your way. The harder you’ve worked for something, the better it feels when you finally accomplish it. Now go do it!

Forest