KettlebelleBody

BLOG HAS MOVED!

2009-12-01T10:35:00.001-08:00

Hey all

Just to let you know I am no longer updating this blog - all new posts will be at one of the following:

http://www.kettlebellebody.com/blog

http://www.fitbodyfix.com/blog

Or you can join the member site FREE: http://carolineradway.ning.com

Free 60 min Coaching Call with KettleBelleBody!

2009-12-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

Special Advent Offer!

To prevent the holiday weight gain, I am offering the next 10 people who buy a copy of KettleBelleBody a FREE 60 minute coaching call!

This can be used to refine your technique, or to discuss goal setting, mindset or nutrition - it's your call!

Fire me an email once you have bought your copy and we can schedule the call in!

To a truly happy Holiday season - not a fat, bloated one!

KettleBelleBody Challenge Round 2 - Pre New Year's Resolutions!

2009-11-03T03:04:00.000-08:00

The latest KettleBelleBody Challenge is up, so those of you who entered need to submit your before and after pics and measurements, and a report about what you did and how it all went, by Wednesday!

As several entrants were ill at various points over the past month, we talked of extending the challenge, but I just got an email from my friend Brad, of Eat Stop Eat, who is running a challenge of his own, and thought that we could combine the two - use Brad's nutrition and KettleBelleBody workouts, to get in your best shape ever BEFORE New Year's Resolutions! Also means you can get all the bonuses he is offering, and also be in with a chance of winning a prize from me by entering and logging in the forum: http://carolineradway.ning.com/forum/topics/9-weeks-till-new-year-the !!!

The email I got from Brad (bear in mind I got this yesterday, 2nd Nov, so the '3 days' he mentions is now only 2!):

It's nine weeks until the end of 2009, I know, scary but true.

Nine weeks until we all start making our new resolutions.

And most likely, Nine weeks until we promise ourselves that we are
going "eat less, exercise more and finally lose some weight"

...

What a waste of a resolution!

...

We don't need to wait until December 31st to start losing weight.

In fact, with the right attitude and the right approach you could
lose twenty pounds BEFORE new years.

You could have twenty pounds LESS FAT on your body AT your new
years party.

So why wait?

Here's my challenge to you ==> Instead of wasting your resolution
on a weight loss goal, why not commit TODAY to losing 20 pounds
BEFORE 2010?

It's achievable, it's realistic and it is definitely doable.

I'm not going to lie to you, it will take some hard work on your
part. Losing 20 pounds in only 9 weeks is going to be a challenge -
But anything worth doing is worth doing right, so it's going to
take at least a bit of work.

So consider this a personal challenge.

And I'm going to do my best to help you along the way.

Here's how:

I'm calling this the "Lose 20 in 9 Before the end of 2009!"
Challenge.

To get you started in the right direction, I'm going to give you 3
great weight loss bonuses if you pick up your copy of Eat Stop Eat
over the next three days.

First, I'm going to give you 'How Many Calories' my answer to the
question "how many calories do you need to eat to lose weight"

Second, I'm going to give you "The Ten Day Diet Solution" A really
simple set of quick and easy guidelines for cutting back on how
much you eat

Third, I'm going to give you "The Eat Stop Eater's Guide to Eating,
Fasting and Everything in between" this is the success manual for
anybody who is new to the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle and want to learn
how to maximize it's fat burning benefits.

With Eat Stop Eat, these three bonuses and the Elimination Workout
(which you already have) you have ALL the tools you need to make a
20 pound weight loss by the end of 2009 a complete reality.

There is nothing missing, you will be armed with everything you
need, the rest will be up to you.

But if that doesn't sound like enough, I'm also willing to help you
along the way with two, hour long coaching calls with John Barban
(Science Editor of Eat Stop Eat) and me. The best part about these
calls is that John just recently lost 20 pounds in 9 weeks,
dropping from 215 pounds all the way down to a VERY lean 190
pounds, so he knows what you will be going through!

In our first call John and I will help you set your goals, set
your mind frame and cut through some of the common myths of weight
loss.

And of course we'll answer all of your questions on how to make
weight loss a reality.

Then in our second call we'll cover the hardest part of any diet -
keeping on track.

Why wait until 2010? Why waste your new years resolution on a
weight loss dream (after all, when you don't say a goal out load -
it's nothing more than a dream).

So here's your chance - Take the challenge to lose 20 pounds of
body fat BEFORE new years, and then think up a resolution that's
more original and more useful than "lose weight"

Time lines are tight, so this offer is only available for the next
three days.

If you want a solid shot at losing twenty pounds BEFORE 2010 then
you need to start today!

Let's get going!

Your friend,

Brad

So, if you want to make the most of all Brad has to offer, check out: EAT STOP EAT. Then head over to the community site and enter the challenge there: http://carolineradway.ning.com/forum/topics/9-weeks-till-new-year-the

Kettlebells for Surfing

2009-10-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

As a surfer, and all round 'board sports' woman, I want my training to make my 'playtime' even more fun! I windsurf, surf, kitesurf, snowboard and have recently taken up stand up paddle surfing - my weekends are dedicated to whatever nature has in store, and if the forecast is for strong winds or massive swell, I need to be ready for it!

Unfortunately, sports that are weather dependent, such as surfing or windsurfing, can be infuriatingly unpredictable, and you can go months on end without a day where 'not being at work' co-incides with a good forecast! If you are a pro, then of course you can dedicate your time to searching out the right conditions, or being ready for them when they come, but as most of us have full time jobs too, we have to accept the fact that we can't be out there ripping it up as much as we might like.

So it makes sense to ensure that we are maximising our precious time on the water by being as fit for it as possible. And that's where kettlebells come in pretty handy...

Many surfers and other board sports lovers are by nature a little anti-'being indoors too much' so the idea of going from the office to the gym can be more than a little painful. Many will go begrudgingly because they feel they should and realise they need to stay in shape, but the love for sports that get you right out there in the elements means they are far happier in the open air. So the portability of kettlebells is a big plus - throw them (well, don't actually throw, but you get my point) in the back of the van (gotta have a surf van, but car will do) and take them to the beach or park for a workout, rather than cooping your primal self up in a sweaty gym!

Surfing requires a heady mix of strength, power, endurance, mobility, stability, balance and fluidity that can all be perfectly developed using a properly constructed kettlebell program.

The first hurdle a surfer has to contend with is a hard paddle out back in the first place. So you are going to need a strong back and shoulders, mobility through the shoulder girdle, a healthy rotator cuff and of course the heart and lungs to keep this all going as you battle it out past the white water.

Kettlebells make working the posterior chain a natural step, the basic swing strengthens the entire back side of the body, whilst also developing endurance by getting the heart pumping. Moving into snatches, and you have an even more powerful exercise for the surfer, as you strengthen and stabilise the shoulder and shoulder girdle at lockout, and the workload becomes even more intense.

A great way to condition yourself for the paddle out would be a 10 minute snatch test. Perform 10 reps on each side, resting between sets as little as you can but as much as you need, for a total of 10 minutes. Count your reps performed in the time period and aim to beat your number next time! The aim here is to ultimately rest as little as possible to get maximum reps in, so staying fluid and relaxed while working hard is key - again a great crossover, as paddling out into big sets you need to keep calm and focussed.

In addition, great exercises for paddling would include a supine KB pullover - lying on your back, feet flat and knees bent, hold the KB at your chest, arms almost straight, and drop the arms, hinging at the shoulders not the elbows, overhead almost to the floor, then return to the start position. Go as heavy as you can on this, or try one smaller kettlebell in one hand and alternate.

Flexibility and stability in the shoulders can be developed with the snatch, and also the windmill when the kettlebell is held in the upper hand - this is a vital exercise in the surfer's armoury as it strengthens the mid section while under torsion, providing a 3 dimensional approach to 'core' training that is so often overlooked in more conventional training.

So, you've made it out back, and your watching the sets roll in. You pick a wave and you have to sprint like mad to catch the bloody thing. So you are going to need some serious reserve capacity in that cardiovascular system to manage it. So ensuring you are performing hard, intense intervals in your training program. The snatch-test approach mentioned earlier should do the job nicely - but you could also consider adding in some shorter, even more intense intervals in addition. Try a heavier kettlebell than you use in the snatch test, and perform tabata intervals (20 s work, 10 s rest) for 4 mins total.

Next comes the 'pop up'. Explosive power, co-ordination and balance all come together in one fluid movement, and you will find that a core of steel will give you a significant advantage. Of course, there is no substitute for practicing the actual drill, so you could get yourself an 'Ollypop' towel and physically practice the 'pop' as part of your warm up. But in addition, you should include Turkish get ups (which are also great for the shoulders) as well as windmills as already mentioned. V sits with the kettlebell going through the same overhead motion as the pullover are also great, you can pull the knees in to your chest, or, taking it further, have the arms and legs straight and 'pike' up to centre.

Renegade rows are a staple favourite in any training plan as they are great for the core and the upper back, so these have got to be in a surfing fitness plan for definite! Combine with some press ups in the same position, either alternating each rep (row, press up, row, press up) or doing a set of one then the other. A bottoms up kettlebell low plank is also a good one to throw in for good measure.

So, you've mastered the pop-up and you're up and surfing! Front squats are a great exercise for the pop up and also for the ride itself, as they load up the core while developing leg strength. Squatting rock bottom is the key - once you have the mobility and strength to squat rock bottom with added load, you will feel how 'free' your legs feel and how you can surf fluidly with more ease and less effort. Single leg squats & deadlifts are also key exercises to include.

Training barefoot or in minimal shoes means throughout the entire training session we are strengthening up our feet - and while surfing, the feet are working hard to direct your bodyweight effectively into the board so you can turn and ride smoothly. I personally love to wear my Vibram Five Fingers as much as I can, not just for training - and as much as I hate wearing wetsuit boots unless I absolutely have to (i.e. my toes would otherwise drop off with the cold!) I think one of the reasons I love them so much is that they look a bit 'webbed' and remind me of being on the water! I have noticed that my toes have literally come alive since wearing them, and my feet are so much stronger. This has such an impact on how well you can control the board - it makes it worth the funny looks I get at the supermarket!

The beauty of surfing is that you are compelled to stay out as long as the conditions are firing, and having a solid level of fitness means you won't need to be cutting your sessions short as you haven't got enough in you to keep going. Making the most of days when the swell isn't pumping, and pumping some cast iron kettlebells instead, means you can jump in when the conditions call for it and make the most of every second!

For more exercise, fat loss and kettlebell secrets and tips sign up to my mailing list (and claim your free report): http://kettlebellebody.blogspot.com or join the member site for LOADS of free fitness and fat loss resources: http://carolineradway.ning.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caroline_Radway

Kettlebell V Treadmill

2009-09-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Cardio must be done at the gym, right? Or pounding the pavements outside in the cold and rain, or by lapping the pool for hours on end?

Well, no, not at all - especially when you have a kettlebell or two to hand!

Cardiovascular activity is anything that involves elevating the heart rate to get it working harder than usual, and will involve movement of the major limbs in order to elicit an elevated heart rate response.

We all think of the obvious forms of cardio, but even weight training can have a cardiovascular benefit when the exercises are performed with minimal rest in between. I'm sure you've heard of circuit training, but when it comes to performing cardio outside of a circuit class we all tend to migrate to the 'usuals'.

I think a lot of this is down to gyms! We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves, so we 'follow the herd' and do what everyone else is doing, and what will keep us as invisible as possible. Jumping jacks, skipping, burpees etc are all just a little too, well, different, to feel comfortable doing in public.

Even if we exercise at home, it still feels a bit strange jumping around not moving anywhere, so we might go for a run instead. Ironically going nowhere in another sense...

The bodyweight exercises mentioned above are all excellent cardio conditioning exercises, and are actually more intense so can be performed in an interval training format (e.g. 1 minute on and 1 minute off) which gives you a far better fat burning and metabolism boosting workout than the equivalent time spent at a steady plod on the treadmill! You get much more high intensity work in, and it is intensity, not time spent exercising, that is the key to increased fitness and a boosted metabolism (which means increased fat loss!).

Kettlebells are also a perfect way to get cardiovascular conditioning without even having to move from the spot you are in - if you are ever asked what you would take onto your desert island, make sure it's a kettlebell (you'll then look super hot when you find the local 'talent' too!).

Swings are the basic kettlebell dynamic (hence cardiovascular) exercise, and involve your entire body. You simply (there is specific technique involved so not that simple to start with) swing the kettlebell backwards and forwards, bending at the knees and hips as you lower the kettlebell and driving the legs and hips up to raise the kettlebell, using momentum from the power of your legs and hips, rather than the strength of your arms.

If you doubt whether this can match plodding away on a treadmill, I recommend you give it a go! I did 25 swings with a 16kg kettlebell yesterday in between each set of resistance exercises (a total of 23 sets of 25 swings!) and in around 30 mins I had had a heart-pounding, metabolism boosting, endorphin rushing workout that was hard but enjoyable and immensely satisfying!

Compare that to jogging on a treadmill watching TV.... In fact, maybe don't even try! In my view there is no contest, and once you've given it a go you'll surely be hooked too! If you want to join the fun, there's a KettleBelleBody Challenge going on, come and join us: http://carolineradway.ning.com

KettleBelleBody Challenge Starts Today!

2009-09-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's not too late to enter - but better be quick!

RULES:

1. Follow KettleBelleBody workouts (if you haven't got the book, you can get your copy: http://www.kettlebellebody.com)

2. Follow the KettleBelleBody Nutrition Plan, or a nutrition plan of your choice, to be approved by me first! You have the Nutrition Guide in the community site: http://carolineradway.ning.com/forum/topics/your-nutrition-guide and my new S.I.M.P.L.E. Nutrition System: http://carolineradway.ning.com/forum/topics/simple-nutrition-system for you to use.

3. Take measurements and front, side, back view pics. Log all this on the forum: http://carolineradway.ning.com/forum/topics/transformation-contest-monday

4. Report at least 3 times per week in the forum (the same link as above to keep everyone in the loop!). I'm actually away for 2 of the 6 weeks, so you're going to have to keep each other psyched up for those 2 weeks as I'm going to be staying away from the computer!

5. Submit final measurements and pics on my birthday (what a treat!), Sunday 1st November. I will choose the winner and the winner can select the prize!

Any questions, give me a shout via email, a comment below or on the forum!

Kettlebell Revolution and Killer 10 Minute Workout from the Monkey Bar Gym

2009-09-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd let you all know that you can get Chris Lopez' 'Kettlebell Revolution' for half price from today! Up to normal price ($97) on Friday, so get in there quick if you want to nab a copy:

Of course it's not a patch on my awesome kettlebell programme (that's for girls, but not 'just' for girls!) KettleBelleBody, and if you're not sure which one to get, I know which I'd reccomend! But if you already have KettleBelleBody and fancy a change, or if you're as obsessed by kettlebells as most kettlebellees are and want everything you can get your hands on, this programme is worth a try!

And, there's more! If you want a great, killer, 10 min workout from the legend, Jon Hinds of the famous 'Monkey Bar Gym', here ya go:

Simple, quick....

.... and BRUTAL!!!

ENJOY!

You can find out more from Jon at the Monkey Bar Gym (he actually created the Jungle Gym - essentially the same as a TRX):

Alcohol and Staying (or Getting) Lean - Guest Post from Mike Geary

2009-08-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

Can you still get or stay lean when drinking alcohol?

I must admit, it is one of the biggest think I struggle with - I keep trying to have a wine-free weekend but when Saturday night rolls around, wine with dinner just seems to make it a celebratory meal, rather than a regular weeknight meal. But I have made sure Saturday night is the only night I drink, as a rule, and know that if I want to achieve or maintain then alcohol cannot be something I indulge in too much or too often!

There are several reasons why alcohol will halt your results, but there are ways you can enjoy the odd tipple and still get great results. Like many things, it's all about balance.

Read Mike's tips - they closely mirror the advice I give to clients, one of who recently lost a stone and 13.5 inches in 3 weeks, having a gin & tonic on day 10 and a glass of rose and some vodka made into a cocktail (actually 3!) with fresh strawberries and ice on day 21! Not bad! She might have lost a little more without these, but then she may also have ended up eating more of 'good' foods to compensate for the percived deprivation so it may have had a neutral or even positive effect on her results! This also means the idea of maintaining results is less daunting - there is no sharp dividing line between 'losing fat' and 'a healthy but enjoyable lifestyle'!

So, over to Mike:

This topic seems to be a common struggle I hear from a lot of people... They want to get lean, but they don't want to give up drinking alcohol.

Now, I'm not talking about alcoholic type of drinking (that is obviously a problem)... we're just talking moderate social drinking here.

First, although some people may willingly choose to give up alcohol entirely, I still think most of us can drink in moderation, and still stay perfectly healthy and lean. But there are a few tricks that can help you to not pack on the pounds... and I'll mention those in a little bit.

As for myself, it comes down to choosing what I'm going to be strict about to maintain my fitness lifestyle and what I'm not going to be strict about.

For example, I'm pretty strict about never eating anything deep fried or made with trans fats, never eating white bread, and never drinking sodas or sweetened soft drinks of any kind... but I'll admit that one thing I've chosen to not be strict about is drinking alcohol.

I'm in my 30's now and I certainly don't drink as frequently as I did back in my crazy college days, but I'll certainly enjoy some cold ones when hanging out with friends, going to a bbq or dinner party, or during a night out at the bars and nightclubs.

It's all about balance in your life, and not every aspect has to be perfect in order for you to still get the body and health that you want. You'll drive yourself crazy if you're trying to be perfect.

Of course, if you have no problem abstaining from alcohol, then that will certainly be the best thing for your health and your body.

However, for the rest of us, that actually do like to partake in some social drinking, here are a few tips that have helped me to stay single-digit bodyfat lean, while still drinking occasionally.

1. Obviously alcohol gives you extra empty calories on the days that you choose to drink. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for carbs and protein, and 9 calories per gram for fats.

On nights that I know are going to involve some drinking, it helps to make sure that dinner is based only around protein and vegetables. You're going to take in a lot of empty calories with the alcohol, so eating a good portion of appetite-satisfying protein along with nutrient-rich vegetables can help to control your appetite and give your body the nutrients it needs.

Plus, most importantly, there's just no room for loads of carbohydrate-rich foods if you're also going to be consuming alcohol. Carbs + alcohol is a perfect recipe for growing a beer belly!

2. If you want to save your body from adding layers of ugly fat, by all means stay away from syrupy, fruity drinks that are loaded with sugar... this is a double whammy for your gut as you're not only getting all of the empty alcohol calories, but also loads of empty sugar calories. Big fruity drinks such as a margarita can sometimes have as much as 500-600 calories per serving!

Instead, your best bet is to stick with a clear alcohol mixed with club soda and a squeeze of lime or lemon. Vodka with club soda and extra lemon/lime squeeze is my drink of choice at the bars/nightclubs.

Stay away from tonic water mixers! Some people don't realize this, but tonic water is loaded with almost as much sugar as regular soda pop... on the other hand, club soda has no calories at all. It's clearly the lowest calorie way to drink.

3. If you're going to drink beer, you're better off choosing just 1 or 2 dark beers rather than 5 or 6 light beers. Sure, dark beers have more calories than light beers, but dark beers also have more B vitamins and antioxidants than light beers, so you actually get more nutrition from the dark beer. As long as you keep it to just 1 or 2 dark beers, you may still stay within 150-400 calories.

4. Try to get in a high intensity full body workout before your night out of drinking. At least you've revved up your metabolism and have your body processing calories a little faster.

Also, trying to get in some sort of exercise the morning after your night out can also help to get your body back to a good state of health. This may not be your best workouts in terms of energy, but it can help to just get your body moving and break a sweat.

5. Avoid the late-night munchies after a night of drinking! This is where most people do the biggest damage to their waistlines.

Instead, make sure to have some lean protein and vegetables quickly available at home (perhaps some pre-cooked chicken breasts, grass-fed steaks, or even tuna fish and some veggie sticks) so that you can satisfy your late night post-party appetite with lean protein instead of carbohydrates.

The worst thing for your body is loading up on pizza, ice cream, and other carb-rich junk after a night out of drinking.

6. If you drink multiple drinks socially, try to keep drinking alcohol to only 1-2 days/week maximum if you want to stay lean. On the other hand, if you never drink more than 1-2 drinks per day, I think having 1-2 drinks daily with a meal can still be part of a healthy lifestyle. As long as those calories are accounted for and you still stay within your daily caloric maintenance.

7. Wine is one of the healthier drink choices... if you must have a drink, you might as well choose wine so you at least get a good dose of antioxidants as well. Red wine is known for it's antioxidant content, however even white wines contain antioxidants as well.

And finally, like I mentioned before, drinking alcohol just adds one more thing to your list that you have to work against in getting the body you want.

Abstaining may always be the best choice, BUT we also need to be realistic and know that social drinking is not something that most people are willing to give up entirely.

For that reason, this list of tips to help manage social drinking in a healthier way can really help you to stay leaner and healthier and still balance a little bit of social drinking into your life.

Ahhhhh, I Now Understand Why They're Called Five Fingers!

2009-08-11T00:28:00.000-07:00

Love my Vibram Five Fingers, but only watching this vid do I finally get the reason for the name!

Free Fat Loss Extravaganza!

2009-08-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

Would you like free acccess to fat loss tips, tricks and techniques from experts around the world?

If so, make sure you check out http://www.freefatlosstips.com/ where Daniel Munday, Georgette Pann, Spida Hunter, Mark Raynsford, James Kerrison, Dan Grant, Dave Soucy and myself are all giving away goodies that will see you out of your rut and shedding bodyfat in no time - and it's all ther for the taking!

I'm giving away an exclusive KettleBelleBody fat loss programme: you can get this, along with all the other fat loss freebies at

http://www.freefatlosstips.com/

Make sure you tell your friends about this one as I don't want them to miss out either!

Are You Lazy? Try Meditating...

2009-07-31T06:09:00.001-07:00

I've recently been advised to start meditating (yes, I know, its been a long time coming!).

I got the advice from my coach, Mike Mahler, who recommended I try the Holosync Programme. I bought the programme immediately and found that I got immediate benefits in terms of reduced stress, increased energy and an impoved sense of wellbeing. 30 mins listening to the CD feels like a mini vacation!

CDs are a great way to get into meditation, for people (like me) who would struggle to make the time, or spend the full time meditating 'properly'. You also get the benefits that take years to get to with 'traditional' meditation, as the CDs are designed to actually take your brain into an alpha or theta brainwave state, whereas with traditional meditation it can take years of practice to get there.

I have also bought a book on Mindful Meditation (the proper, hard work version!) which I aim to try to practice alongside the CDs. But the CDs are great for making me stay in the meditation for the full 30 or 60 mins, and are also great to listen to while going to sleep at night, to put on if you wake and can't get back to sleep, and also to listen to if you wake 30-60 mins before you actually need to get up (I do that a lot!). The Holosync guys recommend you actually get up an hour earlier if you really can't find (aka make) time in the rest of your day, as the effect of the CD will be even more beneficial than the same amount of sleep!

The best time to listen to the CDs is after your workout - and I love the double endorphin hit this gives you! Not only is it a great way to feel doubly great after your workout, but it is a fantastic boost to your recovery - and its kind of nice not having to go straight into 'real life' after a hard kettlebell workout!

This has an added benefit, though. According to Mike, the typical habit of eating your post workout meal or shake straight after training is flawed logic hormonally, as growth hormone peaks 30 mins after training. Immediately stimulating insulin kills the GH response and we want to make the most of as much GH as we can! Meditation also boosts hormone balance, increasing DHEA and reducing cortisol.

I have the Holosync CDs, these are the ones Mike uses and recommends. My only gripe is that they are big on trying to upsell you to further levels, which is quite annoying! I have already received a few sales letters in the post and the initial level is not cheap, so I don't want to invest any more in it just yet! So long as you can ignore the upsells then they are great though.

I have also just discovered the Immrama Institute which offer similar CDs, these are cheaper and I'm not sure what the difference is, if there is any. I've ordered the Ocean Wave CD, so even if they have the same effect, I can change the sounds each time for a bit of variety (the Holosync is rain water and bell things, blissful to listen to!)

Each programme has a meditation CD as well as other CDs that you can listen to while studying, reading or working out, to get you into a heightened state of concentration, or 'the zone'. I've not actually used any of the other CDs yet, but will start using them - see if my articles and blog posts become better and more consistent to see if they are having a positive effect!

If you want to find out more, check out these links:

HOLOSYNC Programme
IMMRAMA CDs
MIKE MAHLER (loads of articles and resources on hormonal optimisation)

Post a comment below if you have personal experience with either of these, or if you have any questions!

Meditation for Lazy Guys & Girls!

2009-07-31T05:19:00.000-07:00

Free 30 Minute Coaching Call and a Kettlebell Challenge!

2009-07-21T01:06:00.001-07:00

Just to let you all know that I am going to be running a KettleBelleBody Transformation Contest soon, and that I would like you to be a part of it!

It's going to be a 30 day challenge: you have to follow my KettleBelleBody Programme and Nutrition Guide and chart your progress on a blog (you can do this via the member site: http://carolineradway.ning.com).

There will be a winner in both the male and female category (the program is 'not just for girls' despite the title so don't want to exclude the guys, and it will be great if we could get some couples doing this together!)

As a bonus to anyone who doesn't yet have a copy of the programme, I am offering a 30 minute coaching call to the next 20 people who grab a copy!

Crazy, maybe, but a few clients are off on holiday over the next couple of weeks so thought I'd put those few hours to good use! This offer is going to run for 24 hours or until the 20 places have gone (or until I realise what a fool I've been and change my mind!)

So, if you don't have a copy yet, make sure you head on over to: www.kettlebellebody.com now and get in there quick!

If you do already have a copy, you can get a 30 minute call when you sign up for the Transformation Contest (more on that to come soon!), so you get a prize just for signing up!

So, let me know if you are going to join the contest, and send this link on to friends and family that you think would be up for the challenge or in need of some extra motivation!

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below and let me know if you want to schedule in your 30 minute coaching call (best to leave an hour just in case we go over 30 mins...)

Speak soon!

More on Barefoot Training and Running - I love my Vibram Five Fingers!

2009-07-17T09:10:00.001-07:00

Some more info on why you should probably ditch your running trainers:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/

Barefoot Training?

2009-07-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

I used to encase my feet 90% of the time in running trainers, for training, while training clients and for just general walking around, and I can see that many people do the same.

When I began to train with kettlebells I realised that running trainers were not the way forward - the soft, cushioned nature of the sole, creates unwanted instability and transmits forces to places you don't want them, increasing the risk of injury.

The general advice is, therefore, to train wearing flat soled shoes, such as Pumas - yes, the ones you buy for a fraction of the cost of running shoes, from the 'fashion' sports outlets! I used to think that anyone wearing those in the gym hadn't got a clue (which is often the case in fact) but now I realise the error of my ways!

I actually usually train completely barefoot when I can, as you are allowing the feet to do the work they were created to do! Rather than allowing over-supportive trainers to reduce our feet's need to work, we can strengthen them by training barefoot.

There are loads of nerve endings in the feet - by over-cushioning we desentise these important proprioceptors, so we are missing out of a really important aspect of training.

If you pronate (as in the arch of the foot rolls inwards), then barefoot training should encourage your glutes to work harder, which should reduce the pronation. If you need extra work to fire the glutes properly, then you need to make glute activation part of your warm up routine - most people should be doing this really. Wearing shoes that support you in this position do nothing for helping you to improve the situation - they accomodate the dysfunction, which can lead to further problems down the road, or up the kinetic chain...

To find out how you can test your own glutes and the steps you can take to rectify the situation, check out this article: http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/most_recent/how_strong_are_your_glutes_really

Of course, when you are training outside or in a gym, barefoot training is not usually advised or allowed. Which is why I decided to invest in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers (see the pic!). They look kinda wierd and I was sure I'd only wear them in the relative privacy of the gym or my garden, but they are so comfortable I want to wear them all the time!

The toe 'fingers' that I thought would feel really wierd, are actually brilliant as they encourage your toes to spread, in the way you may have done at the beginning of a yoga class, but that regular shoes simply do not allow you to do. I can feel each toe becoming independent and controlled and working as they are meant to!

Try to isolate each toe (like drumming your fingers) and most people will really struggle. Some yoga teachers can do it, but most people just won't have the control. In fact, the first few times I put the VFFs on it took me ages to actually get my toes in the 'fingers' and I do go barefoot quite a lot already, as well as windsurfing / surfing barefoot. Today I managed to slide my feet in no probs - was quite exciting!

You can read all about them on their site: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com and they have a Facebook fan page too.

Plenty of runners are using the VFFs too, not just us kettlebellers and resistance training folks. Of course, you can't run as far or as fast to start with, and running in the VFFs will show you where your weaknesses are, as opposed to hiding them, but in the long run your body will be stronger, and surely that is the point of training?

A recent article (I'll hunt it out and post the links in another post) likened it to jumping onto a big, soft, mattress as opposed to hard ground. Although you would think you land with more cushioning on the mattress, the body can experience more shock as the mattress is supposed to absorb it, so the body doesn't. If you jump onto hard floor, the body is forced to absorb the shock effectively itself, by flexing the relevant joints for a softer landing.

Pavel refers to it as the 'extensor reflex' that is turned off by adding cushioning to the soles of the foot (check out his blog post: here)

Would appreciate your comments - have you tried the Vibram Five Fingers? Are you still put off by the freakyness of them? Have I persuaded you to give them a go??

No Kettlebell To Hand? Here's a Workout for the Road - No Excuses!

2009-07-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

OK, a fat burning, EPOC inducing (that means it's gonna raise your metabolism all day long!) and heart pumping bodyweight workout for you:

Warm Up: See Joint Mobility exercises: HERE

A1. 15 Bodyweight Squats - arms by your sides, or raise arms in front as you lower, or hold hands to head, prisoner style. If you have a KB to hand, then hold goblet style at your chest or in the racked position, doing 8 with the KB on the left and 8 on the right.

A2. 15 Push Ups - if you can't do full press ups then do kneeling or even better, elevated - using a bench (or a table if you need it a bit easier) for your hands. Make sure the chest, not the head, comes between the hands so you are engaging the chest muscles properly. For more advanced, have one hand on the kettlebell and do 8 each side or swap each rep.

A3. Skipping / Jump Rope or Kettlebell swings 60 seconds.

Repeat the above 3 exercises 3 times, 15-30 s rest (as little as possible) between the exercises and 30 - 60 s between rounds.

B1. Single leg deadlift x 10 each side (see this video of Lauren doing the KB version - do the same just with no KB if you need to - touching the floor in front instead). Lauren has a great KB DVD series - including one for pregnant women (yes, those abs have had babies!)

B2. Dolphin x 12 (clip here - but I would suggest you drop the hips lower at the bottom than she does in this clip)

B3. 10 burpees (my Southampton bootcamp trainees' fave exercise!)

Repeat the above circuit 3 times as for the first circuit!

Finish off with a plank - hold for 30 - 90 s.

Then stretch, shower and hit the rest of your day, basking in your elevated metabolism, knowing you're burning fat all day - yay!

Come visit my community site, too: http://carolineradway.ning.com

Warming Up for Kettlebell (and any) Training

2009-07-08T02:01:00.000-07:00

I am often asked how best to warm up before training with kettlebells, and in general.

Sometimes new arrivals to my bootcamps wonder why we are gyrating around before training and not just jogging around the park

Most people are totally misinformed about what constitutes a proper warm up, thinking a quick 5 mins jogging or on the cross trainer will do the job, or perhaps a light set or two on the weights, or a few stretches - or even nothing at all!

But, there is a better way!

A way that will not only get the temperature of the body up, but that will improve mobility, work through every joint and every plane of motion, reducing injury both in the long and short term, as you are fully prepared for the training to come and also improving your mobility in the long term by consistent practice.

This way of warming up also serves as a 'rehearsal' for the training to follow - so you are ensuring you get maximum bang for your buck when it comes to the training you are about to do, which means you get a more effective and more efficient workout. Gotta be worth doing, surely?

It's referred to as a 'dynamic warm up' or 'joint mobility' and there are many variations of movements you can use to achieve the desired effect.

My KettleBelleBody book has an entire section devoted to a dynamic warm up sequence (as well as a Yoga Sun Salutation sequence that can also be used as part of your warm up, but if you don't have access to that then I can highly reccommend Steve Maxwell's 'Daily Dozen'.

This is a series of, you guessed it, 14 movements (ha, got ya there did I? There are 12 'core' movements and 2 optional ones!!) that should be performed daily - before training on training days and ideally in the morning on recovery days.

You can check out Steve's Daily Dozen here: JOINT MOBILITY WARM UP

It is also worth noting, that if you have any especially tight muscles that restrict movement (usually calves, hamstrings and traps) then it is worth stretching these statically before you train. Static stretching is otherwise NOT recommended as part of your warm up, as it actually switches off the muscles you want to work! So remember - only stretch the muscles that are over-active and preventing correct movement.

You may also want to 'fire up' inactive muscles - in most people this will be the core and glutes. Bridging movements are great for getting the glutes going - 1 leg variations if possible (if your glutes are operating as they should a 1 leg bridge / hip extension should not be a problem). A great option for firing up core and glutes is also the bird-dog.

If you have any joint mobility ideas or favourites the please list them in the comments - I like to keep my dynamic warm ups varied so always on the lookout for new inspiration!

Or head over to my new community site and chat to me on the forum there!

How to get not just Hot, but BOILING!

2009-07-07T01:39:00.001-07:00

Mindset is the difference between success and disillusionment, and nowhere more so than in fitness.

We set off with all the best intentions, on an exercise or diet plan, but unless we have taken the essential first steps of figuring out WHY we want to be doing it and WHAT we want to achieve, then we often find that we flag a little, and end up veering off course, without really knowing what went wrong...

Make sure you review your goals TODAY! And if you don't have any clear goals, then spend a few minutes right now jotting down your first thoughts. What do you want to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? We often give ourselves vague goals, but be specific! Give it a timeline - it doesn't matter if you don't quite hit that time, so long as you are heading in the right direction, so don't be afraid to set a really challenging timeframe - if you don't quite get there you will have got a lot further than if you set a less challenging goal, so 'fail forward fast'!

Think of it as a mental / emotional 'warm up', and make sure you review your goals on a daily basis. 'Warming up' in this way will ensure you are reminded of why you are choosing the healthy breakfast, why you are drinking lots of water and why you are excited about your training session. Without focus on these goals, and paying attention to them regularly, it is easy to forget why we're doing it all.

If you do forget, you may start making less good choices and finding that your great habits slip back to not-so-great habits. While it might seem that a little bit here or there won't hurt, it is the accumulation of all the little things that make the difference, and can result in great success or the complete opposite.

Those little things really do matter - watch this video to remind yourself just how much that little extra degree of effort can result in incredible results:

For more inspiring videos, check out Rocky, Randy Pausch, Aimee Mullins and more in my community site (you'll need to enter a few details to log in):
http://carolineradway.ning.com/video

And once you're in there, check out the 'One Burning Question' topic in the forum: http://carolineradway.ning.com/forum/topics/your-one-burning-question where I am answering any questions you may have on fitnes, nutrition, wellbeing, whatever! Windsurfing, surfing, snowboarding, yoga, kettlebells too...

And have a browse - there are loads of resources: nutrition guides, healthy recipes, a foam roller manual and more!

Your One Burning Question and a dose of Inspiration!

2009-06-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, I have recently consolidated all my member sites into one giant information 'hub' at http://carolineradway.ning.com.

I would love you all to join and get into the forum, where you can post me your 'One Burning Question' (feel free to post more than one!)

The aim is to keep all my 'teams' under one roof - there's loads of nutrition advice, recipes, motivation and mindset info, but there are also private groups you can join, if you are a Personal Training client, and Outdoor Fit for Life 'bootcamper', a KettleBelleBody trainee and there are more groups to come!

So do head on over and join in the fun, and ask me anything you like!

Also, you really must check out this video, truly one of the most inspiring things I have seen in a long time. Turning a percieved 'disabiliy' into something schoolkids were actually envious of is pretty incredible in my view: http://carolineradway.ning.com/video/the-ideal-woman

Spot Reduction Kettlebell Workout?

2009-06-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I must firstly apologise for having been absent from this blog for a while! I have been learning about Biosignature / Hormonal Profiling and assessing all my clients, so any spare moment when I haven't been training people (I'm so busy at the mo - so much for a recession!) has been spent completing detailed reports for them about why they store stubborn fat in the places they do, and helping them come up with a strategy to get rid of it!

Yes, spot reduction IS possible, but not in the way you have always thought!

Exercising your bingo wings (or bat wings) will not 'tone them up' as you cannot actually burn fat selectively by exercising that area. And usually the exercises you do to burn fat from areas like your upper arms are pretty low on the overall calorie burn, and it is the overall calorie burn that counts when burning body fat...

...So, ironically, you need to do big, full body moves, such as deadlifts, lunges, squats, presses and pulls to burn bodyfat from your upper arms (and everywhere else!).

So, how then can I be telling you spot reduction is possible?

Well, it is actually down to manipulating the hormones that cause you to store fat in certain areas.

That means correct and appropriate nutriton and training, as well as some targetted supplements while addressing issues such as sleep quantity / quality and stress.

I will explain about all this in more detail in future posts and emails, so keep an eye out, but for now, I have a kettlebell workout that is designed with most hormonal types in mind:

Warm up for 5 mins - dynamic stretches, general pulse raiser and joint mobility.

A1. Racked Squats x 10 (squat with one or 2 KBs in the racked position)
A2. 2 KB Press Ups x 10 (you can do regular press ups if the KB version is too hard!)
A3. Super Burpees x 10 (burpee as usual, but grab the KB and perform a front squat rather than jumping up)

Repeat the above superset / mini-circuit 3 times with minimal rest.

B1. Racked Split squat (lunges but stay in place for the 10 reps on each side then swap sides, rather than alternating each time, the KB in the racked position, same side as the front leg) or Bulgarian split squat with back foot on a step. 10 each side.
B2. One arm KB row. 10 each side
B3. Swings x 25

Repeat the above superset / circuit 3 times with minmal rest.

C1. KB Clean and Press x 10 each side
C2. Windmill x 10 each side (no KB if you are just learning, low KB as a progression, KB high if you are experienced)
C2. Snatches x 10 each side

Repeat the above 3 times, minimal rest.

Revel in the fact you have just boosted your metabolism ready for a great weekend!

Let me know how the workout goes!

P.S. Most people think they will burn more fat by doing more 'cardio' such as running, cross trainer etc. etc....

... I hope you know now that they are wrong, and workouts like the one above, along with a solid, nutritious healthy eating plan are the answer!

If you disagree, or have any questions, fire away!

P.S. My KettleBelleBody site has been hacked - so if you follow the links you will get some random hacker stuff displaying - this is not my site and I'm doing all I can to get it sorted... Sorry!!

Leigh Peele Rocks - Some No Nonsense Diet Advice For You

2009-05-08T08:10:00.001-07:00

Leigh Peele, (AKA The Fat Loss Troubleshooter) is my go-to girl when it comes to getting my head in the right place when it comes to fat loss.

She has an awesome ability to tell it like it is, in a way that inspires me to take actions the 'yeah but' side of me likes to avoid!

We all get stuck in ruts and have mental blocks and default excuses that creep in to our self-talk, and Leigh puts her finger on most of those in this great podcast: http://avidityfitness.net/2009/05/05/what-to-do-after-the-binge/

(You can listen direct here too: http://www.avidityfitness.net/downloads/ep-22-after-the-binge.mp3)

I really recommend you have a listen, especially if you are at a bit of a sticking point or plateau, or if things aren't going the way you want them to. It's essentially about how to deal with a binge, but there is so much more useful stuff in there, that applies accross the board.

Often its the one thing we are most resisting (recently I was resisting going back to logging my food in Calorie King as I have been doing with great success for 18 months!) that is the one that is holding us back, and you can guarantee that Leigh will not only remind you of the importance of what you are resisting, but also help you see it in a new light, so you realise that your resistance is harder work and more effort than just doing it, and getting the results you are after.

A little aside: Did you hear about the man who didn't believe Egypt had a river?
He was in de-nile.

Leigh will make sure you're not wallowing in a murky river, but instead sailing over it unhindered, towards your goal!

One of her quotes is 'get in and get out'. As in, just get on with the fat loss bit, give it your all, and then you can chill out a bit (in that new bikini on the beach!)

And if you haven't seen her classic video then you have got to check this out too:

Cheat to Lose? Ha Ha, Check This Video Out:

2009-05-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

How not to diet (but laughing will burn a few cals):

Minimal Equipment: Maximum Effect

2009-05-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of chatting to Daniel Munday this week (him being in Oz it was 8.30pm for me and 5.30am for him!) about how much simpler life can be when you work out at home, as well as how you can actually get a more effective workout.

I am, of course, all for kettlebells as the ultimate home training tool, but these can and should be augmented by good use of bodyweight drills. Many kettlebell exercises should be practiced 'naked' first anyway and there is a whole section of KettleBelleBody dedicated to bodyweight training so you can get started while waiting for your kettlebells to arrive, or so you can still get a great workout when you are travelling light!

Gyms provide you with equipment that is worse for you than using absolutely nothing - so why pay all that money to get worse results? Obviously most people don't know what they should be doing, so find it easier to go to the gym, but if you listen to the interview on Daniel's new community site: http://homeworkoutexercises.ning.com/ you can check out a load of really useful resources and video clips for home exercise - so get ready to ditch the gym membership and get in fastastic shape!

I have already learned the 'up down' from him - something my Outdoor Fit for Life Bootcampers are going to hate him for!

What is your favourite bodyweight exercise and why?

Come Join Me in the Magic Hundred - Starts in 10 Days!

2009-04-16T01:25:00.000-07:00

Those of you who were reading my Find Your Perfect Fit blog last summer may have seen my posts about the Magic Hundred.

Well, time has come again to repeat the exercise (in fact I should have done it again since I completed the last one in November...)

The Magic Hundred really is the ultimate goal getting programme. If you want to make the next 3 months the most successful and fun of your life then you MUST join me and my bootcampers, and the thousands who are all starting the progamme together in 10 days, on April 27th.

I did this last year, in which time I learnt to kitesurf, created an ebook and launched it, read loads more than ever (usually don't get time for fiction), learnt to fish (and even fed ourselves with fresh fish) amongst other things - and I lost a bit of focus half way through so could have done a lot more!

This time my goals include having the best bootcamps in the country, getting a brand new VW van and an airstream campervan, learning to forward loop, eating 95% Paleo, winning the KB comp that's being held in July - and I haven't really thought about the rest yet...

What would you like to achieve? You can think big and small, some things you may not get, but better to not quite achieve some goals then never set any and never achieve anything, eh?

Check it out now, and get signed up to join us in 10 days! THE MAGIC HUNDRED

Happy Easter!

2009-04-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

Just to say 'Happy Easter' (or happy holidays)! Hopefully the celebrations aren't too chocolate-filled: think 80:20 and you'll be fine, but overdoing it just because its that time of year will lead to a lot of hard work to reverse after Easter, so just stop to ask if that second piece really is worth it!

Don't forget that the darker the better where chocolate is concerned, as there is less sugar and more goodness (yes there is goodness in the pure cocoa!) so make sure you demand the best quality chocolate and don't settle for second best!

I'm hoping to get one of these from Hotel Chocolate, but I think at £20 I can safely say I should be so lucky!

If you want a truly guilt-free chocolate fix, over Easter or anytime, Prograde Cravers are the answer: http://kettlebellebody.blogspot.com/2009/01/finally-prograde-comes-to-uk-and-we-all.html

I'm off to Cornwall now, if we get some decent surf or wind then I might be able to justify a bit of chocolate, so fingers crossed! I'm actually going to buck the egg-shaped trend and pop over to St Ives to Living Foods to get some of their incredible Raw Chocolate Pie, made of raw superfoods only!

Your Questions Answered (Finally!) How To Lose Body Fat and Some Delicious Recipes Too!

2009-04-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

So, the time has come for me to finally start answering your questions - several of you posted some great questions a few weeks ago and I must apologise for taking so long to reply!

My first question was asked by several peeople and was contained within many questions such as the ones below:

Hi Caroline

I'm 12 weeks pregnant so any articles on how to prepare physically for the birth and how to eat well, what exercises to do and what to avoid.

I'm still training finding it really hard to stick to my usual paleo-style eating plan because my tastebuds have gone haywire! Most of my usual fish and meat choices smell and taste horrible now, so getting enough lean protein in is proving difficult. Advice on that would be very welcome.

Many thanks

Rachel Johnston

I would love teaching on how to eat. I have seen a huge improvement in my figure with kettle bells, but if I could lose 5 pounds it would be great. How do you balance enjoying life and having a slim body?

Joy Humphries

Hi Caroline,

I'd really like articles on nutrition... specifically, how to make the same ol same ol tuna and chicken interesting again! :)

And of course, kettlebell routines are always a plus!

Thanks!
Cheverly

Ok you asked for it Caroline.

A tricky question from Australia!
I compete in mountain bike races, long distance adventure races and well, most things going really! I train hard and usually two sessions a day (from 60 mins to three hour sessions) and im not just doing long slow distance! Im mixing in intervals, speed work, some killer hill repeats up mountains. I also do a bodyweight/ kettlebell superset circuit three times weekly, and some yoga and rockclimbing. im no slouch, i train hard and i am fit (with calves and quadriceps to die for!)
But im still fat!! And i think this is more a nutrition question than anything else. Sure i can lose weight if i cut out carbs, but i also guarantee that i won't be able to get out of bed, let alone do my training! im still struggling with this awful chubby stomach, to the point that it is really affecting my self esteem because well, i guess i don't really look like i can do what i do in terms of my sports performance.
So my question is how should i eat to maintain a high volume of training, and hard training, but still lose weight. I understand that it all comes down to calorie balance in the end, but sometimes i am just eating to be able to train or to recover for the next session, but i am not getting lean the way i should be!
I hope this question spurrs you on to right some more great articles!

Regards,
Lissanthea Taylor

Hi Caroline,

Thank you for this. I have a big problem in my mid-section, especially around my hips and butt. I have been struggling to get rid of the excess fat after I gave birth to my son. I would really appreciate any tips as to how I can effectively deal with this in my diet and exercise programme.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Thenjiwe

So, there is a LOT of confusion out there regarding diet and nutrition!

All of these questions have a different slant, and of course there are many other questions there regarding pregnancy, recovery and stubborn fat areas and these will follow in the next few articles, but to start with there are a few basics to make sure you are losing fat, not simply 'eating healthy':

1. You MUST have a calorie deficit to lose body fat! You can't trick this one - calories do count, most diets that don't ask you to count them will trick you into it by making it hard for you to eat by banning things! Or by managing cravings, which is much more valid, but not a guarantee of success. Not tracking doesn't work for me as I like to eat, even if I eat only 100% clean, natural foods I will still eat more than my body needs to lose weight, if I'm lucky I will maintain. Remember, to lose fat you need LESS than your body needs - and your body wants at least what it needs, so relying solely on your body's intuitition will at best lead to maintenance. In a world of temptation you have to add the fact that your mind is constantly being bombarded by messages to eat, so you may feel hungry but its a Pavlov's response to constant harrassment to eat (even weight loss ads are selling you food to eat to burn fat).

2. Quality of food is vital for ensuring you have maximum energy, even more so if you are in a calorie deficit and / or training hard! Meats, vegetables and fruit are more nutrient dense than starchy carbs, so focus on those first. If you must add carbs (if you are an endurance athlete like Lissanthea) then add them last and focus on starchy veggies and potatoes first: squashes, sweet potatoes etc. Then wholegrains such as brown rice, millet, oats, quinoa. Also remember that sugar and white starches such as flour are actually 'vitamin robbers'. Yup, as the name implies, they actually use up more nutrients in the process of digestion than they supply. If you have an intolerance this will be made even worse by gastrointestinal distress...

3. Training is important not only for the calorie burn element but for the fact that you will ensure that it is fat you lose, not muscle. If you don't use muscle it won't stick around as its metabolically expensive (read 'burns lots of calories at rest') which is bad for a body that wants to store fat for emergencies, but great for someone who wants to lose fat. So use it or lose it! Full body compound moves are far better (squats, lunges, press ups, rows) as they actually use all your muscles - a simple jog round the park can do the opposite, encouraging muscle loss and as its not using many of the muscles of the body you will also not be supporting the maintenance of muscle throughout the entire body in the way that full body workouts do.

4. Inspiration is important too! Clean eating can be divine, but sometimes it feels a bit like hard work or we just don't know where to start. If you already have the Kettlebellebody Ebook you have Daniel Munday's fabulous 13 and a half minute meals so go hunt it out of your computer and give one of the recipes a try today!

An alternative, if you don't have my book (and really, if not, why not?! Especially as summer is practically here, Antipodeans notwithstanding: www.kettlebellebody.com...) you should check out my friend Jon Le Tocq's great new recipe book, Cooking for the Fitness Lifestyle. It's on sale at the ridiculously bargainous price of $13 or £9.99 with 150 clean and delicious recipes. He's also listed calories of all the recipes, so you can indulge (many of them feel pretty indulgent and certainly not 'diet food'!) but also plan your food so you can maintain a calorie deficit... Get a copy before he realises he's actually giving it away!

Next time I will answer some of the more specific questions regarding eating for different goals and situations.

If you have any more questions, please email them to me or post them in the comments box and I will add them to the list. As with this post, where there are several questions on a certain area or topic I will focus on those areas first so worth adding your question id you want to see an answer sooner!

A quick Kettlebell Workout to Do NOW - No Excuses!

2009-03-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

OK, a quick 'no excuses' workout for you, to stay within the theme of my Ultimate No Excuses 'You Write the Rules' Transformation Contest!

Perform 5 mins of dynamic stretches, plus body weight squats, lunges, side lunges and the stick up before you start.

10 Reps (each side where applicable) of the following, taking as little rest as possible until the end of the min-circuit:

Clean and Press
Tactical Lunges, or Racked Lunges (holding the kettlebell in the racked position)
Press ups (if you want to use one kettlebell on the floor you can do assymetric press ups, one hand on the bell and one on the floor, alternating each rep (which means you have to do 10 each side - ha!)
Deadlift - you can do any variation here: one kettlebell centre, suitcase deadlift holding one to the side, 2 KB deadlift holding two of the same or uneven weight to the side (if unevem don't forget to swap!)
Lunge and row (or if you have 2 KBs try the renegade row!)
Swings x 25 (yes I know I said 10 of each but hey...)

Time yourself if you can find an implement of time measurement, give yourself 1-2 minute break then repeat and see if you can hit the same time!

If you have time for a third set - hit it!

Have a good stretch of tight muscle groups afterwards - and enjoy the feeling of a revved up metabolism!

And next time, try to beat today's time (or go for harder variations or a heavier KB...)

And the Winner Is.... YOU?

2009-03-02T01:23:00.000-08:00

Well, the votes have been counted and it was a close one!

The overall winner of the 2009 KettleBelleBody Valentine's Love Your Body Challenge is....

........Nikki Caputa!!!

Yes, again!! For the seecond time running Nikki has cleaned up, CONGRATULATIONS!

If you are reading this and kicking yourself for not entering and letting Nikki win FOR A SECOND TIME, then GOOD!!

(Take that feeling and read on to find out how EVERYONE can win this time...)

Because with these contests, it actually doesn't matter whether you win or not! All those who give it a go and see it through are winners, as they get great results, and definitely better results than the alternative of not taking part!

A challenge is counterproductive if you try to be too perfect and if the focus is only on winning, as the moment you think you may have ruined the chance of winning you are likely to give up altogether!

The next full challenge is not going to be held for a while, but, I have a far more cunning plan to ELIMINATE ANY EXCUSES that have stopped you taking part so far!!!

EVERYONE can win this one - yes, that means YOU TOO!

The winning is the taking part this time, there will be prizes for ALL who see it through (at my discretion & as with all my contests, I let the winner select what they want as a prize at the end)!

So, a different kind of challenge! It is COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN TERMS!!!

You heard that right - am I crazy? Maybe?

But I have just been through a month of following a kind of challenge and realised that one of the things I most struggled with was feeling like the decision to train / eat in a certain way was made for me... Great for motivation if you need someone to give you a shove in the right direction, but for a programme to be effective in the long term you need to be INSPIRED - the clue being in the word - it has to come from WITHIN.

You have to decide you WANT to make the changes and do them in a way that fits you and your life right now. If you have a weekend away and can't train or want to make that your 'cheat meal' then you need the flexibility to be able to do that. I want this challenge to be the kick start you need to get LONG TERM results too...

One of the major principles of KettleBelleBody and kettlebells in general is reaching your goals ON YOUR TERMS - fitting workouts into a busy life and hectic schedule and still getting GREAT RESULTS.

So, until the next formal challenge starts I have decided to offer up a prize to EVERYYONE who documents their progress with KettleBelleBody and gets great results!

You don't have to beat anyone - apart from all those who are too lazy to bother! All I'm asking for is ACTION on your behalf, combined with ACCOUNTABILITY that comes from setting your goals and logging your progress publically.

The reason - you will get BETTER results this way! And I want you to be USING my programme, not letting it gather dust on your hard drive or a shelf somewhere!

THE RULES:

YOU CAN START WHENEVER YOU LIKE! This is to eliminate excuses about committments getting in the way / holidays etc.
You can choose a timeframe too! Some people like the 30 day challenge as you can be super strict for a shorter period and can avoid distractions, others prefer the longer term, so 12 - 16 weeks, as you can allow for the odd slip up...
You take photos and measurements before starting the workouts and once per week for the duration (this is great for your own accountability and success too, check out: Muscle in a Month for mine!).
You perform 2-4 KettleBelleBody workouts each week but can also do other activities and workouts - I appreciate we all have things we love to do and don't want KBs to replace all that!
I would prefer it if you followed the KettleBelleBody Nutrition Plan, but you can also choose an alternative should you prefer. I really reccomend Leigh Peele's Fat Loss Troubleshoot Manual if you need an extra boost.
You log your progress at least weekly on Mission Slim-Possible - you can also set up a free blog at www.blogger.com but make sure you post at least weekly on the forum to summarise your progress so it is easier for us to follow - I'll set up a single forum thread for us all to enter our updates.

And that is it! Once you have finished your Challenge, you must email me the link to your blog as well as a summary of your before and after measurements and your first / last pics. Winners are at my discretion and depend on the progress you have made towards your goals and the challenges / obstacles you have oversome. You must write 2-300 words on why you deserve a prize! Also, by entering you agree that your comments and pics can be put up here and shared with readers (just so I don't have to ask each time I want to post an extract on the blog!)

Simple, huh?

Comment below if you plan to enter, and if you haven't already joined Mission Slim-Possible then head over and join now!

KettleBelleBody 'Love Your Body' Transformation Challenge Finalists!

2009-02-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

Well, Valentine's Day was not only a day for romance and flowers, but a day for the committed 'Love Your Body' Challengers to take stock of their achievements over the past 6 weeks - since Jan 2nd (yes, it does feel like a long time ago, doesn't it?!)

In many ways January and early Feb are the hardest times for a fitness plan, as the cold, dark days can leave you feeling demotivated and low on energy. But despite these challenges, the finalists gave the challenge their all.

AND, THE TWO FINALISTS ARE (drum roll, please!)....

NIKKI CAPUTA & KATHY SNYDER!

NIKKI CAPUTA

AGE: 40!
OCCUPATION: Freelance hairdresser.

BEFORE:

Waist :28 1/2"
Hips: 34 3/4"
Right leg; 21 1/4"

Left leg; 21 1/4"

AFTER:

Waist; 27 1/2"
Hips; 34"

Right leg; 21"
Left leg; 21"

"I love a challenge and felt this was just what i needed to get me focused and back to healthy eating after a very relaxing and indulgent Christmas. I was definately less strict on myself as regards to the food but not with the work outs. I have managed to combine my kettle bell workouts with running, combat, boxing and outdoor bootcamp workouts. The challenge has re-educated my eating and i now feel that i have made permanent changes to the way i eat.

The most important thing is that the challenge (and Caroline!) has inspired me to retrain and hopefully become a personal trainer myself. Having spent most of my life having not much confidence in my body, I have used both challenges to focus myself and to achieve things I never really thought i could. I can now take this self belief and use it in a positive way to help me realise my dreams, one of which is to build my own personal gym at the bottom of my garden, another being to focus on training people outside like Caroline does.

I took my after pictures in a bikini I bought about four years ago. Until the pictures i had only worn the top half as the bottoms were far from flattering. Now I can`t wait for the summer to show it off and plan to continue with a good maintenance plan so that I retain my shape up until then. Also I bought two new pairs of skinny jeans in celebration of finishing the challenge ................size 10 of course!!"

You can see that Nikki looked pretty good at the start (despite trying to hide it in those boy shorts - ha!) by most standards, but that was thanks to her hard work in the December challenge!

To strip those last few pounds and look as great as she now does took loads of hard work and determination to not settle for 'average' - and you can see that the results are definitely something to be proud of!

KATHY SNYDER:
Chicago, USA
Occupation: Independent Manufacturer’s Representative (Sales Rep for Network Analysis Products)
Age: 49

BEFORE:

AFTER:

"Why Kettlebells?
Kettlebells are awesome, but I’ll admit I would never have picked them up on my own.

I was introduced to kettlebells by my trainer in August when I was endeavoring to prepare for upcoming knee surgery. The trainer had me perform crab walk and lunge supersets with kettlebells – the first time I’d ever used them – and I thought I was going to pass out. THAT intrigued me – no other activity in the gym ever made me feel like I was going to keel over. He said it was likely my blood pressure was to blame because of the overall demand the supersets put on my body, but that it should improve with time. So that became my challenge. I knew that this was the piece of equipment that could cause profound and immediate stress to my body. The feeling I got when I used them at the club was different from any sensation I’d ever experienced with any other type of exercise. I knew I was improving, and I wanted more.

Why KettleBelleBody?
After my surgery, I discovered Skwigg writing a lot about how much fun kettlebells were to use, and how impressed she was with the KettleBelleBody program. When Caroline announced the 6-Week Love Your Body Challenge for 2009, I just had to participate. Being accountable to an on-line group was something I wanted to try. I purchased KettleBelleBody and my first kettlebell soon after. I started practicing the exercises and routines the last week of December.

My Experience
I love the KettleBelleBody workouts! They are challenging, and make me feel good and exhausted in a pleasant, whole-body way.

Several things stood out for me during the Challenge. What amazed me the most about the experience was the impact this program had on my mid-section. Within a couple of weeks, I noticed how all of my pants fit better, and my waist was down over an inch. That kind of success has been a huge motivator.

Another aspect I enjoyed was how good it felt to do the complete warm-up and cool-down programs. Others commented about how the stretches improved their flexibility and made them feel more limber. This was true for me as well, which was a nice surprise as I have never been excited about stretching. I now look forward to the warm-up and cool-down. My back cracks every time, without having to go to a chiropractor. 

I had an “ah-ha!” moment on January 31. That was a Core1 day, and to that point, I was still doing partial workouts. That day as well I told myself it would be okay to just do 3 circuits. Then something clicked - I hit a groove. For the first time, I pushed myself to perform all four circuits, and I felt invincible the rest of the day. My caloric burn for 101 minutes was 780, and I wanted that feeling again. Since then I do all circuits, and burn over 500 calories every session.

I travel with my 10-pounder. It makes my bag a little heavier – a reason to get searched – but that just adds to the fun. I can do a good Blaster with 1-arm Swings and Turkish Get-Ups in any hotel room, which is very cool.

I enjoyed the Challenge, and am embarking on another 6-Weeks, this time with the “2s” of the Multi Focus 4 Days Per Week schedule as I prepare for Spring Break. Thanks for a great program! "

Kathy has done really well, and in addition to the entry I wanted to share with you her continued results and additional comments since the challenge has ended:

"I know the first part of the Challenge wasn’t my best effort. I’m still not proud that I missed all of Week 2, but I must say my diet was a lot cleaner and my exercise was more intense after Jan 25.

I do want to let you know that since the Challenge, the disruption of moving to the 2^nd program in the Multi Focus 4-days Per Week has been palpable. A) I’m sore (with Warm Up and Cool Down, so I know I’m exercising new muscles), and B) I have lost over a pound from my weekly average weight each of the past four weeks. I had a goal to be sub-160 by Mar 28 – my average so far this week is 165 – so if I keep dropping at this rate, I’m going to beat that goal. Do I like kettlebells? You bet I do! (Did I tell you I got one from my sweetie for Valentine’s Day? Best Valentines gift ever!)

Here’s another bit for you – I think the kettlebell training has rehabbed my shoulders. All last year, I had a lot of rotator cuff tenderness when I’d reach overhead for anything – worse if I was trying to lift something. Now? The tenderness is all but gone, and Monday I did regular Press Ups (40 of them in Strength2) and that’s one exercise I have never been able to do.

My body is changing – I look and feel stronger. I don’t really like the pictures that mark the end of my Challenge, but they do show a flatter midriff. I couldn’t be more pleased with the program, the effects, and how it makes me feel.

The reason for sharing that extra comment is the reason why Kathy made it into the final. PERSISTENCE!

She, like many others, floundered in the middle of Jan. The weather got bad, the challenge felt hard and people felt they had slipped up.

BUT, did Kathy give up (like several others)? NO! She got straight back on track, aware that her deviating from the plan might put others ahead, but she also realised that it is not the winning that really counts, but the DOING!

By getting back on track she did get great and obvious results. Not as good as had she stayed on track for the whole time, but a lot better than quitting altogether at the first challenge.

Six weeks is much harder than 30 days for a challenge, but also even 6 weeks is not long enough to get ongoing results when you have a target that is far off. There are always going to be moments when you break your respolve, miss a workout, eat something you had planned not to.

The important thing - get back on track as soon as you can! Enjoy the deviation for what it is (don't feel guilty!), and then get right on with things.

You can see on my Muscle in a Month challenge blog that my Valentine's Weekend was a dietary disaster - but I still did the workouts and got straight back onto the nutrition. Some people would have said 'if I can't do it 100% I won't do it at all' but you can see from Kathy's results that that is just not true, especially when it comes to something as long term and ongoing as eating and exercise.

We make a clean start every second - and every choice we make takes us closer to or further away from our goals. Once something is done, it is done, and there's no point making the next step backwards just because the one before was!

Kathy has proven the power of persistence and is well on track to hitting her ultimate goals. I am just proud to have been able to contribute to her success in this challenge!

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR VOTE IN THE COMMENTS BOX BELOW, OR YOU CAN VOTE VIA TWITTER or FACEBOOK or EMAIL (info@perfectfitforlife.com)

*VOTING CLOSES WEDNESDAY FEB 25th MIDNIGHT GMT

Meltdown Kettlebell Fat Loss Training Launched Today!

2009-02-17T05:03:00.000-08:00

Finally, Troy Anderson has launched the MUCH awaited Kettlebell Fat Loss 'MELTDOWN' programme!

The programme is fantastic and a great addition to your Kettlebell workout library. It even includes a DVD (I know there are loads of you who really want a KettleBelleBody DVD and I will get one done sometime, I promise, but right now this is a great stop gap!)

So, what's in the programme?

155 page manual that contains 5 Months of top notch kettlebell fat loss programs

Kettlebell Exercise description Appendix contains photographs and descriptions of every single exercise in all of the workouts.

Special inside the manual bonus video links, showing you sequence and optimum technique for the Big Iron Burn portion of the manual.

4 Week 'Start from Ground Zero Training Plan'... that will allow the inexperience kettlebell user to start down the path to becomes a fat losing sensation, by starting with this simple and easy 4 week plan and progressing into the other 17 weeks of training.

You’ll Also Discover ...

A really Simple and Easy technique used by Olympic Athletes who need results fast!

The Kettlebell secret which works out your entire body... so you can burn fat faster than you believed possible!

The Amazing Secret of one of the world’s healthy, fittest and respected men and exactly what exercise he recommends HINT: This may surprise you!

How to Not only burn fat but start to develop a lean hard body using this long forgotten Russian secret

The 5 Things you absolutely must do before you start using Kettlebells if you want to burn fat.

Two things that you need to do if you want to become athletic... forget these and you don’t stand a chance!

7 Things which will absolutely murder your chances at losing weight... and how to overcome them

Why using Kettlebells can give you a body that will rival the bodies of celebrities: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Kim Basinger, Caroline Radway (ha, only joking!) it's true they are all kettlebell users!

How to use ‘Smoking’ to burn fat (This isn’t what you think!)

He's running a trial offer of $7.97 so you can 'try before you buy', and of course he offers a rock solid money back guarantee anyway so there's no risk on you. So what are you waiting for?! Click the link below to find out more...

MELTDOWN KETTLEBELL TRAINING

Muscle In a Month - Why?

2009-02-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

Dax Moy has created a beast of a programme called 'Muscle in a Month' that he has been using on his famous actors & actresses (and himself) with great success for a while. However, as they don't want to be used for 'before' and 'after' pics he's asked me and several fellow trainers to be guinea pigs so he can get some evidence about its amazing transformational ability!

Just what have I got myself into?!

We are all following the Elimination Diet (a copy of which comes with my KettleBelleBody programme: those who did really well on my 30 Day Challenge were using it in addition to their training, as it ensures you are fuelling your body with the quality it needs to perform the workouts to the best of your ability and thus get the best results).

Each night Dax posts the workout for the next day - and we have to train hard and heavy every single day for the full 28 days - no days off at all! These workouts are brutal and we are only on Day 4... The workouts are top secret, but they are harsh!

We've all got blogs about the programme as we have to take pics and measurements every single day, which is horrendous, as well as a bit of a pain, but will be well worth it when we see the effect of the training in more detail than the usual 'before' and 'after' pics can ever show.

You can check out my dedicated blog (the first time I have ever posted 'before' pics - last time I took them I chickened out completely when it came to putting them on the web, but with this its all part of the challenge so we have to!): http://carolinesmuscleinamonthexperience.blogspot.com. I've linked to all the other guys so you can see what they are up to by following the links on the right hand side.

One of the great things is knowing that when I'm going through hell in a workout, all the others are going through the same! It's got a similar feel to the KettleBelleBody challenges, where we are all supporting each other through it, which means we get even better results.

A support network is so important to your success, if you haven't joined Mission Slim-Possible yet then you really should - you don't have to be doing the challenge and it is a really great place to share workout advice and challenges. You can also see how the current 'Love Your Body' Challengers are doing - with just over 1 week to go!

Check it out: http://www.missionslim-possible.ning.com

Panic Over - KettleBelleBody Site is Back!

2009-02-03T03:04:00.000-08:00

Panic over - my site went down on Saturday night which has been a complete disaster, but you will be pleased to know it is back (well I sure am pleased!).

So, if you had problems accessing www.kettlebellebody.com for the past few days, please accept my apologies - all now is up and running!

I Need Your Help!!!!

2009-01-28T04:13:00.000-08:00

Hey guys

I need some help.... I've realised I have been slacking on the 'writing' department recently! Partly because I wrote so many at the end of November (30 in a day as a challenge!) and partly because I've been busy organising bootcamps and other stuff...

But that is NOT a good excuse! I need to make time, as I manage to do for my training, and as I gently remind my clients and readers on a regular basis regarding their own training...

When I looked a bit closer into my reasons for being so slack recently, I realised I am feeling overwhelmed by information and have loads of things I want to write about, but can't nail it down to actually getting started on any one topic! And I have lots of 'topics' but not more specific questions / problems that would make a more interesting and targetted article...

So, this is where you guys come in! I would really love you all to comment below this post, with a topic that you would like to see covered.

I will then write an article on each and every topic, aiming for one article per weekday...

Of course, I have the right to refuse certain topics, so keep them clean and fitness / health related! But controversy is OK...

So this is your chance to get detailed answers to your most pressing fitness and health related questions. If there is anything I feel underqualified to answer I will forward the topic onto someone I see as more of an expert and get them to do a 'guest' article, so you not only have my knowledge at your fingertips, but also that of the hundred of trainers and coaches I have in my network....

So, what do you want to know?

Post below and I'll get writing!!!

Getting Through the Hard Bit...

2009-01-18T02:55:00.000-08:00

Here comes the tough bit! After Christmas and New Year, or at the beginning of any fat loss programme, we are really dissatisfied with how we look and feel and this gives us momentum to start the programme and make the changes we need to make...

But, it doesn't take much to make us feel fantastic again!

And this is what makes the programme get even harder...

I know that it has hit me this week - I put a few pounds on over Christmas and New Year (well, really its been staedily accumulating since my birthday in Nov as I had almost weekly parties and nights out, and guess what, it all adds up somewhere!)

But, a few weeks of clean eating, making sure I'm eating at least 500 cals below maintenance, and ramping up the exercise intensity (I actually took a full training break for 3 weeks in December - highly scary but did me the world of good - everyone should take a week at regular intervals, depending on your exercise intensity, frequency and goals... Most do this naturally on vacation, I don't so had t0 force myself into it!)

So what's the problem, I hear you ask?

Well, sticking to a programme, or a deficit, when you are feeling good again makes it harder! The feeling that we have 'deserved' a treat or two creeps in (although you can of course fit regular treats into any fat loss programme). For me it is the deficit - I just want a day where I can not have to worry about what I am eating!

Luckily, kettlebell training means you can worry a bit less about the calories, as you will be burning loads in your training sessions, BUT you can obliterate any fat loss results without reducing your cals below maintenance - simple as that! The kettlebells / training just mean your maintenance level is higher....

You should also make sure you stay as active as possible throughout the day - it's not just the training that counts, its the daily caloric burn, so training for an hour then lounging around all day really won't do the trick!!!

But what you really need to do at this point, is refocus on your bigger goals!

Make sure you are really clear on what you want to achieve, and while you are pleased to have reached the first few stages of success and you really have to congratulate yourself for that, you also have to stay laser focused on that end result!

For those of you on the 6 Week Love Your Body Transformation Challenge, we are just over 2 weeks into it, a third of the way in! You are already doing so well, but now you need to keep reminding yourself how great it will feel to be a finalist or a winner!

You can ask Nikki via Mission Slim-Possible forum if you like - she has loved the result so much she's going to re-train as a Personal Trainer, so its really had a huge impact on her!

So, reward yourself with a little pampering, and enjoy the fruits of your labours so far...

But also remember that you need to keep pushing on! Persistence, perseverance, consistency and committment will get you the results you have always wanted - and you really can do it!

Why Will Smith is a Legend - Some Words of Wisdom from the Ultimate Bad Boy

2009-01-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Perfect Fit Bootcamps in Southampton (UK) - COMING SOON!

2009-01-15T01:24:00.001-08:00

Bootcamps are coming soon to Southampton Common!

Using a blend of bodyweight, kettlebell and other exercises, as well as boxing drills (I trained with David Haye!) I will get you fit and fabulous with these 45 minute outdoor workouts!

More info on my website: PERFECT FIT BOOTCAMPS SOUTHAMPTON

First session FREE (you still need to book) and 100% money back guarantee so you have nothing to lose!

Sign up to the mailing list for more info: morning and evening taster sessions will be running at the end of Feb and then regularly from end March...

FINALLY!!! Prograde Comes to the UK! And we all get to benefit as they're celebrating with a HUGE SALE!

2009-01-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

A bit of exciting news I wanted to share with you! I have been harrassing the guys over at Prograde for ages to get it shipped over here to the UK, and finally, thanks to me and plenty of others, they have finally crumbled and are now sharing their amazing products with us non-US citizens!

Everyone I know speaks so highly of Prograde , and these are people like Isabel De Los Rios and Mike Geary who are famed for their high standards when it comes to food - it all must be organic, natural and impeccably sourced, as well as functional and nutritious. Prograde delivers on all of these fronts, and I am excited to be able to get my hands on them on a regular basis (they even autoship to save the hassle of re-ordering - sweet!!)

And the best thing about it, is that they are having a massive sale to celebrate!!

10.9% off everything!!

Yes, that's 10.9 as in January of 2009 ;-)

The offer is running from Thursday, January 8th until Thursday, January 15th at 11:59pm EST.

The 10.9% off will be applicable to SmartShip orders. But it only applies to that first purchase. Not ongoing.

The coupon code you enter at checkout is: 012009

Go to the site: PROGRADE NUTRITION - MEGA SALE!

You don't want to miss this one, well I don't anyway! Some product feedback below:

VGF+25...Highly recommended! I haven't yet used it, but users report huge improvements in skin, nails and moods. The premise is that you that you can get the nutrients of 25 whole vegetables, greens and fruits in a capsule, and while I do not recommend relying on this (you still need 10 portions of veg / fruit a day!) this does mean you get more than just 'insurance'. You get optimal health. And you make sure you are building the best you possible!
There are specific formulas for men and women and the formula uses whole foods. It is NOT a synthetic vitamin created in some lab somewhere, that just gets flushed down the toilet as your body can't actually assimilate the contents (as with most vitamin supplements).

Prograde Workout...Tastes great simply mixed with just water. Perfect for after your workout to giving you the scientifically proven dosage (and ratio) of carbs to protein for maximum recovery, so you are ready to hit the kettlebells hard again sooner (thus burning more fat!). Only one falvour, which is a bit of a downside, but for a post workout shake that doesn't personally bother me too much, as it tastes great and does the job!

Prograde Lean...The chocolate flavour is lush! Highly regarded as one of the best tasting meal replacement shakes - my only criticism is there really should be more flavours. I like vanilla in my protein porridge and pancakes, as well as many recipes, and like a twsit of banana in my shakes, so until they get onto that I won't be replacing my whole stash with Prograde Lean, but as soon as they do, I will!

Now, I've left this one till last as regretably they cannot yet ship it to the UK!! Disaster for me, but all you US / Canadians out there can still benefit. I must admit I am GUTTED though...

Prograde Cravers... I'd get these simply for the taste - loads nicer than any other snack bar and better for you too! All organic ingredients, can get Spirulina, Almond, or the clincher, Peanut Butter! Great when you are craving chocolate (or peanut butter) or just as a healthy snack when you're on the move. I must admit, though, organic, nutritiousness and healthiness aside, the thing I am most excited about it the deliciousness factor, in particular the peanut butter variety!

As I am on a bit of a mission at the moment (as are many of the KettleBelles at Mission Slim Possible) there is no room for the added calories of peanut butter in my diet (healthy fat it may be, but I can't rely on myself to execute moderation when a tub of the stuff is around and it don't take much to kill a calorie deficit, I can assure you!). Prograde to the rescue: Prograde Cravers deliver PB and chocolate (dark, organic of course) in one 180 calorie hit! I can defintely factor that into the equation and know I'm actually doing myself good in the process - a double winner! Anyone up for petitioning the Prograde team to figure out a way of getting these over to the UK?!

There are loads more products available, just have a browse at the store! And let me know if you want me to review anything else, and let me know how you go with the products - the guys would love to hear your feedback!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T06:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all!

Have a fabulous start to the year, and don't forget the KettleBelleBody 6 Week 'Love Your Body' Valentine's Challenge starts Friday - so head over to Mission Slim-Possible to sign up and get started. This will start 2009 off with a bang, that's for sure!

Also, for those of you in Southampton (UK!) you can start the New Year with some fat burning and fresh air, as I am running bootcamps in Southampton Common on Mondays and Fridays at 12.30pm from 12th Jan! Find out more on my PT site: Perfect Fit Bootcamps.

Love Your Body Valentine's Transformation Challenge Starts Jan 2nd!

2008-12-23T04:55:00.000-08:00

The next KettleBelleBody Transformation Contest is coming! This time we're running for 6 weeks, from Jan 2nd to Valentine's Day!

The Love Your Body Challenge is your chance to kick off the New Year in style, get into the best shape of your life in the first 6 weeks of the year, and in time for Valentine's Day! I have a romantic weekend away planned which will keep me motivated for the 6 weeks - I recommend you get something exciting in the diary for that weekend, buy yourself a new, smaller outfit to wear and keep visualising how great you are going to feel when you get to the end of the 6 weeks.

The finalists in the last challenge did amazingly in only 30 days, this is almost 50% longer so just imagine what is possible...

Head over to Mission Slim-Possible: http://missionslim-possible.ning.com/forum/topics/6-week-love-your-body and join if you haven't already, and head to the forum to announce your intention to take part, introduce yourself to the guys already over there and state your goals for the 6 weeks...

Then its time to think about your nutrition plan. You can use the Nutrition Guide provided in KettleBelleBody, or check out the following if you want even more detail:

I really recommend you try Leigh Peele's Fat Loss Troubleshoot: it's coming out, bigger and better, on Friday. You are in the driving seat with the FLTS and get to use Leigh's framework to create the plan that suits you and your goals. She has, however, provided a menu plan for those that like the hard work done for you (including counting the calorie levels so you don't have to).

I just want to emphasise that nutrition is vital and you must have some kind of plan, even if it is your own based on previous methods. I would rather you followed someone else's programme if mine doesn't appeal, than to just wing it and not get the results! I tend to follow other people's programmes in addition to following KettleBelleBody Nutrition, as that is the way that I eat anyway (just so you know I'm not giving you that info then doing something totally different!).

Other really good plans include:

Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat

Great for those who don't like strict food plans and menus, and who want to break free from OCE (obsessive compulsive eating!). I'm doing a modified version of ESE throughout Christmas to help moderate the excesses of the season, and plan to continue in the New Year for the challenge.

Isabel De Los Rios' Diet Solution Programme
A really fantastic holistic approach to nutrition, focusing on clean eating and optimal health.

Let me know if there are other programmes out there you are considering for the challenge and I will review them here, providing my thoughts on them so you and others can make informed decisions.

It's going to be great fun, a great challenge and the results are going to be incredible, so come and join in!

Happy Christmas and here's to the fittest, most fabulous year ever in 2009!

XCaroline

And the Winner Is....

2008-12-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Well, the votes have been counted and the winner of the first ever KettleBelleBody Transformation Challenge is....

NIKKI CAPUTA!

BEFORE: 9th November

AFTER: 9th December

6 1/2" Total loss: 3 1/4 inches lost off her waist in 30 Days!

Well done Nikki!

I'll be in touch to discuss the prize - options are online / Skype or one to one coaching with me over the next month!

Vote for the KettleBelleBody Transformation Contest Winner!

2008-12-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

The entries are in for the first ever KettleBelleBody Transformation Contest!

The two finalists are.... (drum roll, please...)

Nikki Caputa and Kelly Swindell!

These guys have done sooooo well! Please read through this post to find out more about their results and experience - then please leave a comment with your vote!

Hopefully their fantastic pre-Christmas results will inspire you to join in the fun on Jan 2nd, when the Valentines 6 Week Challenge commences! That's 50% more time - could mean 50% better results than these guys - can you afford not to take part?!

Check out their results and vote for the winner now!

KELLY SWINDELL:

BEFORE: 9th November

AFTER: 9th December

Shed 6"

Weight 136lbs to 132 lbs

KELLY'S STORY:

Did these 30 days ever go fast. I'm so happy to report that i only missed 1 workout and that was this weekend, but on those days I was working out on my course :0) I participated in this challenge as this is a hard time of year to stay on track, I thought well even if I stay the same it will be much better than going backwards. I wanted to have accountability, and this site was exactly what I needed, not only to keep myself on track, but to also offer support to fellow participants.

I am totally amazed at the after pictures. esterday a few people came up to me at the gym and commented on how small I am looking. The thing is I could not see it in myself until I looked at the pictures. i am still having trouble believing it is me!

I have been working out with the Kettlebells at home and I do not have a mirror so I had no idea that I have 'muscles' !!! When I go into the gym I have only been doing intervals or a Crossfit themed workout so again no mirrors. I think that my brain still sees me as I was at the beginning of this year.

So what did I do? I followed Carolines workouts exactly, I did Kettlebells 4 times a week and then I ran my intervals 2 times a week, one day on the weekend was hard exercise free. Now I also walk my dogs twice a day and also walk my children to school, so I do get some extra steps in. However I do not add this as exercise into a journal as it is something that I have to do no matter what day, but I thought that I should add this on here now as it is extra compared to someone without kids or dogs :0)

Caroline's workouts are amazing, you get such a workout, I still have a love hate relationship with TGUs. I have been able to really target my worst area, I am sure this is because the KBs are unstable so you are firing your core all the time.

These workouts are not just for girls !!!

I am going to still follow this programme as Caroline has so many different programme cards and at the end of this week I will have completed the first one, there are many different exercises that I have not even attempted yet.

I followed the warm up and cool down, I loved the cool down part as I find stretching relaxing, I also learnt some new stretches! I also followed the Elimination diet. The hardest part was giving up coffee and tea, after the 1st few days the headaches were gone but the cravings were still there, but I stick with it Dax says 100% or nothing, so that is what i did. I found that I could eat many different foods, I was never hungry or feeling deprived of anything. I found that when the TOM came my chocolate cravings were not as bad, and I just had some fruit for the sweetness. When I got to day 21 i added bread back in and I'm ok with that, but when I eat wholewheat pasta i feel super bloated so from now on, I will just eat spaghetti squash in place of the pasta.

I believe that I had a light bulb go on in my head over the last month, I have followed other programmes before and I know that I did not give 100%, this time I did and it shows you what you can do when you are committed to it. Even if I didnt feel like working out I told myself it was only 30 days and I can do it. I had day 23 of the Elimination Diet in my head and it was my mission to at least get there and then I could add some bread and pasta in. Once there it really was not the big deal, then all that was left was the last 7 days.

At the beginning of these 30 days I never thought that I would change my body this much.

Stats:

Bicep 10 1/2 10 3/4" increase 1/4"
Chest 36 1/4 35 decrease 1 1/4"
Waist (smallest part) 27 1/2 26.5" decrease 1"
Waist Navel 31 29" decrease 2"
Hips 37" 36 1/2 " decrease 1/2"
Thigh 22 1/2 21 1/2" decrease 1"

Total inches down 6"

Weight at the start was 136lbs, my weight today is 132 lbs

Over the last 30 days I have met some amazing people on here and I'm sure that the support will not stop now that the challenge is over. I have found that when you stick to something it works. It is not easy, but everyday you have to get up and tell yourself that you can do it and that you are going to do it. and no im not going out for coffee :0) the cravings are done !

NIKKI CAPUTA:

BEFORE: 9th November

AFTER: 9th December

6 1/2" Total loss!!!!!

NIKKI'S STORY:

When i started this challenge i decided that my goal was, that as i had not long ago turned 40, i wanted to get back the figure i had in my 20s!!! I suppose having twins has altered my shape but i always used this as an excuse to not do anything about it.

The challenge has helped me more than you can imagine, in just one month i have done more positive than i have in the last 8 years!! It has been fantastic to have the support of all the people on the challenge and especially my husband who has as ever been amazing. He too was stuck in a rut and we have motivated each other to just get on with it!!! As well as the amazing positives, i have also found some people who are negative influences but have learnt to rise above their comments and WOW look at the results.

I have totally stuck to the KB programme, doing either 3 or 4 workouts a week mixed in with boxing and body combat. I have mixed up the workouts so i got to sample alot of the exercises and have to say i totally love the whole thing!!! Food wise i followed my own plan and cut out coffee tea and alcohol completely (give or take the odd slip up!!). My eating is so much healthier now and i dont plan on letting it slip back even with Christmas around the corner.

I went and tried on a pair of skinny black jeans size 10 today just for the hell of it ....and they fitted!!! So i am on my way to dropping a size!!

As i said on the forums before i dont want this to stop, so will be carrying on (maybe not so strictly!!) until the next one. Thanks so much Caroline and everyone. xxxx

Waist now 28 3/4 = 3 1/4" loss
Hips now 35 1/2 = 1 1/2" loss
Thigh now 20 1/2 = 1 1/2 " loss.

6 1/2" Total loss!!!!! (Over 3 sites only...)

So, now it's up to you!

Who are you going to vote for? It's a really hard call as they've both done so well! Bear in mind, that these two were actually pretty lean to start with, and as they always say, it gets harder the leaner you get, so these two really have done amazingly to be the two finalists.

Leave your comments at the end of the blog!

LINES ARE NOW CLOSED! RESULTS WILL BE CALCULATED SHORTLY!!!

The Fat Loss Troubleshooter

2008-12-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

If you are struggling to get the nutrition side of things nailed, then you need Leigh - the Fat Loss Troubleshooter!

She's just about to release an update to the excellent Fat Loss Trouble Shoot Manual, and has a rather compelling trailer to whet your appetite (or not...): VIEW TRAILER

She is also launching her healthy 'eats' book: Body By Eats in Feb - you can even get a taster (ha ha) with some absolutely delicious recipes here, now: GIVE ME HEALTHY RECIPES!

Leigh is especially interested in rebuilding spent metabolisms, shot to pieces by women intent on overtraining and undereating to lose weight. Her Metabolic Repair programme is perfect for anyone who has brought their calories down and is training hard, but not seeing any results. I highly recommend it - in fact I have taken some time out of training following Leigh's advice and feel all the better for it (plus have dropped a few lb already!).

I try to give myself adequate rest anyway, and those of you who have my KettleBelleBody programme will know how much I advocate intense training coupled with plenty of rest and recovery.

But it's all too easy to ignore our own advice! I kinda trick myself into thinking 'vacations' are rest enough from a rigid training plan and are therefore the only time I don't follow a set training programme. But my holidays always involve windsurfing, surfing, kitesurfing, snowboarding, mountain biking and daily ashtanga yoga (plus I do all these activities at the weekends, which should really include a full rest day!), so it was not a surprise I needed a bit of time off.

I actually realised I have not taken a full week off training in a few years - I even got back into training after a knee op in about 2 days, which I knew was silly but just couldn't help myself! I would caution clients against that sort of behaviour, but conveniently 'forgot' to give myself a break!

Funnily enough, my weight has stayed the same since that knee op, despite aggressive training and strict nutrition. I realised rest was in order as per Leigh's instructions - it all suddenly made sense. But it took someone else to give me that advice! It was actually through advising a customer that I reminded myself of Leigh's programme last week in fact, as I identified the signs in someone else that I was failing to see for myself - it is so easy to delude ourselves sometimes.

So, whether you are not seeing results because you have not got the finer details of fat loss nailed, or because you have been overtraining / undereating, Leigh will be able to tell you exactly which side of the fence you are on, and exactly what you can do about it.

I can't recommend her books highly enough - she has re-inspired me to tighten up my nutrition and work on taking a more long term training approach, allowing myself more planned rests!

Those of us into kettlebells tend to be quite focussed and want to train hard, thinking that rest is an evil word - which is why I think we all need this book.

Would be really interested in finding out what results you get on the programme, so keep me posted!

Red Carpet Ready TV - Cool New Online Show!

2008-12-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

I've just found out about Valerie Waters' cool new online TV show. If you don't know Valerie, she is the ultimate Hollywood trainer!

Now, usually, trainers roll out their one celebrity client or B-lister at this point, to try to impress, but check Valerie's client list out:

Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Steven Dorff, Matt Dillon, Benicio Del Toro, Jim Carrey, Richard Gere, J-Lo, Charlize Theron, Cindy Crawford plus many others...

Pretty impressive (jealous, moi?!). So, in true celeb style she now has her own weight loss reality TV show: Red Carpet Ready TV

You can watch in 'real time' as the participants go through the struggles we all encounter on their weight loss journey - only they get to face the cravings in full view of the world!

The show airs 5pm Tuesdays PST, but you can check out the first 4 episodes right now: Red Carpet Ready TV

30 Articles in 30 Day Challenge: Easy. 30 in 36hrs: Done!

2008-12-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

I was set a challenge to write 30 articles in the 30 day month of November. An easy task, one a day, no problem.

But I didn't actually take the challenge on until Friday! I suddenly decided I wanted to complete the challenge, as I had a client-free afternoon for once, so I set myself up at my lap top and got started!

I did calculate beforehand that I was likely to fail - logisitcally I didn't actually have enough time, and I wasn't going to sacrifice my weekend for it, I just thought at least getting 15 done would mean I was better off than having done nothing!

The concept of 'Fail Forward Fast' was on my mind - something I'd recommend you consider trying. Better to set a lofty goal and fail (e.g. aim for 30 and manage 15) than set a 'realistic' or 'achievable' goal that doesn't push you, in this case I could have set myself the challenge of writing 5 articles and easily managed it. I would have succeeded in meeting my goal, but been less successful than failing at a harder goal!

So, tip tapping away on the lap top, stopping for a KettleBelleBody training session and a meal Friday evening, I managed 15! I was really pleased, and half thought I'd leave it there and enjoy a weekend off....

But of course, the challenge hounded me in my head, and I thought I could at least get to 20... Or 25... So after training clients and a day out on Saturday, starting at about 4.30pm, I sat on the sofa and continued with the articles. I stopped for yoga and a meal, but then got back on it, and by 10.30pm (36 hours after starting the challenge!) I had managed it!

So, I now have a larger selection of articles, on a range of topics, available for you to peruse at: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Caroline_Radway

If there are any topics you'd like me to cover in future articles, let me know! I'm going to try to write an article a day from now on (which means I need to get on and write one today!) so I'll appreciate ideas on what you'd like to read...

Just Because It's Free It Doesn't Mean You Have to Have It All!

2008-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

We often help ourselves to extra food and alcohol when there's a buffet, or a party, as it's essentially 'free', but we do need to remeber that we'll pay the price later!

So that's my top tip for the party season - remember that you have access to whatever food and drink you want all year round, so there's no need to act like you've never seen pumpkin pie before just because it's Thanksgiving (remember Hallowe'en anyone?!)

Actually, I've not ever eaten pumpkin pie, being a Brit, and I would really love to make a healthy version someday!

However, what I really wanted to remind you of was a giveaway where you can take as much as you like this Christmas, and know that with every 'just one more' that crosses your mind, you'll be giving yourself an even greater chance of a fit and fabulous 2009!

What am I on about?

The 12 Days of Fitness, of course!

This really is a gift-giving extravaganza, over 25o fitness pros worldwide, including me, will be giving out special gifts to make sure you can make 2009 your fittest yet!

I'm giving out a special Kettlebell Workout, that will NEVER be available anywhere else - a complete exclusive!

And I've been checking out some of the other gifts and there are some real treats, I can tell you!

You need to sign up at http://www.12daysoffitness.com and then just wait till Dec 10th when the gift giving will commence!

So, what are you waiting for?

Starvation Mode - How This Myth May Be Making You Fatter!

2008-11-24T02:09:00.000-08:00

Since reading Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat, my views on eating 6 meals or every 3-4 hours a day have been turned upside down.

I realised that I could get by for a lot longer than that and still train hard while getting leaner, losing bodyfat but not my precious lean body mass.

As a woman, aiming for around 15-1600 cals a day, the meal size you would need to eat 6 small meals a day is so small as to be almost impossible to stick to - and for a smaller woman, needing about 1200 cals a day, splitting that into 6 x 200 cal feedings would be soul destroying!

It is such a common dogma in the fitness industry, to the extent that most people don't even question it. But when you look at the science, as both Brad and Lyle McDonald have done, extremely thoroughly, it just doesn't add up...

To see Lyle McDonald's detailed discussion of the matter, and why you no longer need to worry about getting fatter just because you are forced to miss a meal or snack, follow this link: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

http://www.kettlebellebody.com

On the 12th Day of Fitness, My True Love Said To Me: Hey You're Looking Fantastic!

2008-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to remind you about your very special invite to take part in the world's largest ever fitness information gift-giving at: www.12daysoffitness.com.

An estimated 500,000 people will benefit from the combined fitness expertise of over 250 personal trainers, physical therapists and nutritionists - including me!

You will have the opportunity to download my exclusive '12 Days of Fitness Christmas Kettlebell Workout'...

...My Christmas Kettlebell workout is designed for all of us time-poor people, who need a fast, effective workout we can do at home, or anywhere, for maximum results, fast! It will help offset some of the damage that is almost inevitable over the festive season and give you all you need to whip yourself into shape in the New Year, too.

It's clearly laid out for you with step-by-step instructions, so you really can't go wrong! My main aim with the workout is to make sure you actually do it, so I've done all I can to make that as easy as possible for you.

The workout is created exactly like the many workouts provided in my book, KettleBelleBody (aimed at women, but all the feedback I'm getting is that I've narrowed my audience too far and that it's a killer for the boys too!) but it is a completely EXCLUSIVE workout, that won't ever be seen anywhere again, so you don't want to miss out!

What makes the release of this workout so special is that it's going to be part of a much bigger gift-giving bonanza - the '12 days of fitness'. Over 500,000 people will receive advice and help with achieving their health and fitness goals for 2009.

You can claim your copy of my 'Christmas Kettlebell Workout' and loads of other goodies by visiting www.12daysoffitness.com and getting your name onto the gift list.

Santa will be delivering fitness gifts worldwide from December 10th!

Feel free to forward this link on to anyone who might want some inspiration over the festive season and beyond...

Leading Fitness Experts Give The Gift Of Health To World With Biggest Ever Health and Fitness Giveaway This Festive Season

2008-11-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, December 10, Dax Moy, myself and over 250 of the world's top fitness professionals will open the doors on the World’s largest ever health and fitness gift-giving, set to generate positive health for over 500,000 people this Christmas

The program, called '12 Days of Fitness’ initially began when the UK's leading fitness professional, Dax Moy, wanted to express his gratitude to his clients and offered them a gift a day for 12 consecutive days as his twist on the 12 Days of Christmas.

Last year Moy shared this idea with fellow fitness professional Pat Rigsby and they expanded the 12 Days of Fitness to include not only their own clients but to the world at large and gave fitness gifts to over 200,000 people who signed up at the site at www.12daysoffitness.com.

This year, with the help of 250 of the world's top personal trainers, nutritionists, therapists and specialist fitness experts, the 12 days of fitness is set to become the biggest fitness gift giveaway in history with expected downloads of over 500,000 between the 10th and 22nd of December. "There’s never been another health event like this, where so many people stand to benefit from the expertise of true professionals for free” says Moy who has been working flat out to make this year’s 12 days a success.

“Fitness professionals from around the globe have contributed hundreds of e-books, reports, videos, meal plans and other free gifts in their hope of making 2009 the year that anyone, regardless or their location, financial situation or past failures, can finally reach their fitness goals and make those New Year's Resolutions a reality once and for all.”

Perhaps the best part of the 12 Days of Fitness giveaway is that regardless of a persons health or fitness goals, there are going to be gifts specifically designed to help them achieve success.

"We've received gifts designed for busy mom's, elite athletes, bodybuilders, back pain sufferers and pretty much anyone else you can imagine covering everything from fat loss to rehabilitation and everything in between.

There literally will be something for everyone this year and all of it free, making it, without a doubt, one of the most important gifts anyone will receive this year. After all, what’s more important than health?”

The 12 days of gift giving starts December 10th but those interested are urged to visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com right away to sign up for their free gifts.

Once enrolled, participants will get a daily email telling them how to access each of the new gifts that are being added each day as well as a reminder on how to access previous gifts.

To guarantee a healthy start to 2009, simply visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com today.

30 Day KettleBelleBody Transformation Challenge Starts Mon 10th Nov!

2008-11-03T03:22:00.000-08:00

The first ever KettleBelleBody Transformation Challenge starts a week today, on Monday 10 November, and I'd love you to join us and rise to the challenge!

I'll be doing it with you, and there is a support group for all entrants to join so we can post out before and after measurements / pics and log our progress and results: http://missionslim-possible.ning.com

The Rules:

All entrants must perform KettleBelleBody Workouts for the 30 days (not every day of course!)

All entrants must choose a nutrition programme to follow. I am suggesting Dax Moy's Elimination Diet, as that is what I will be using, but you can follow the KettleBelleBody Nutrition Plan (a little less rigid than the Elimination Diet, my usual approach!) or another plan of your choice. I can assist with helping you find a plan that suits you - and will post some recommendations this week so you can choose.

Dax's programme can be downloaded for free HERE: http://www.daxmoy-pts.co.uk/elimination/

And that's it really! You will need to take measurements and pics before and after, as these will be used to judge the winner...

Any questions, post a comment or join Mission Slim-Possible and we can get chatting on the forum there!

The challenge starts on Monday 10th November for 30 days - and we really all will be winners just for taking part, as we'll all get to the festive season feeling fitter and leaner than ever!

Why wait till the New Year to take action? With mince pies and Christmas candy being handed around in late October, we can do so much damage by the New Year your resolutions might only get you back to where you are now if you're lucky!

By taking action now, you can stop the pre-Christmas bulge from taking hold at all, and enjoy the festive season all the more!

Kettlebells On My Birthday Cake!!!

2008-10-31T03:50:00.000-07:00

It's my 30th birthday tomorrow and last week I had a big party, which was very cool as I never have parties. It was loads of fun, but the best bit of all was my birthday cake!

Now, I know as a Trainer you wouldn't expect me to spend too much time eating cake, which is very true, and in fact I ate far too much of this one, but that is not my reason for mentioning it...

I had a sneaking suspicion I might be getting a cake, as my boyfriend had been acting shifty all day, popping in and out of the house. As it wasn't my actual birthday I knew it couldn't have been a present...

And the manager at the restaurant really ruined the suprise when he announced in his French accent 'Where is your boyfriend? I met him this morning!'

But my there was still a surprise in store for me....

The cake had a kettlebell on it!!

Not a real one, of course, that would have squashed it somewhat.

But he'd taken one in to the cake store and they made one, in the exact shade of blue, in fondant icing!

I literally cried!

And all my clients who were there laughed as they know how much I love my Kettlebells! Some of my friends and family were a bit more confused though, as they had not seen a kettlebell first hand before!

Luckily I directed them all to the recent video taken for our local paper: KETTLEBELLS IN SOUTHAMPTON COMMON so they could finally see what all the fuss is about!

The one on my cake was a bit heavy for me though....

I've saved it and its sitting on my mantelpiece - I wonder how long it will last before going mouldy?

I had to be at the resturant at 6.30pm for drinks (managed to stick to champagne all night, yay!) and at 5.00pm I was actually throwing my kettlebells around, getting a pre-dinner metabolism boosting workout in!

It did mean getting ready was a bit more of a rush than I'd have liked, but is one of the many great things about kettlebells - you really can squeeze a workout in anywhere and any time. Everyone has 10 minutes, its just a question of making time...

Time is something that we can't just 'find' - we have to actually 'make' it!

I did one of the 10 minute blaster workouts from my KettleBelleBody programme - a full body routine of swings, single arm rows and bottoms up kettlebell press ups, as well as 100 hindu squats that I've started doing, on Matt Furey's recommendation (great pre-surf warm up, more about that in a future post though!)

Don't forget, my KettleBelleBody programme is at a special pre-30th birthday pre-launch price of $49.99 until tomorrow! So if you want to get your hands on it at this mega discount then you'd better act fast!

KETTLEBELLEBODY PROGRAMME

If you want to read some reviews about it then check out the amazing health and fitness blog Skwigg Blo g, where the self-confessed nutrition and exercise nut, Skwigg, tells it like it is! Once you read her blog you will be checking in regularly to find out all about her mad adventures - it's brilliant!

You can also check out Women's Diet and Fitness - Angie Schumacher who actually inspired one of the exercises in my manual (OK, so she pretty much invented it!) interviewed recently about the programme and kettlebells in general....

Have a great weekend! I'm going to be celebrating my birthday in style - making every effort to stay away from the lap top, but I'm definitely not staying away from the kettlebells! Looking forward to another pre-dinner out metabolism boosting workout, although this time I'll be able to fit in a longer session (to justify even more cake?!)

http://www.kettlebellebody.com

Kettlebells On Southampton Common - Daily Echo Online!

2008-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Check out this video to see Sarah and I in action on the Common!

Don't you just hate seeing (and hearing!) yourself? Painful!

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/video/video/55626/?archive_page=0

http://www.kettlebellebody.com

I Did It - KettleBelleBody Programme Is Launched!

2008-10-08T01:43:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted here for a while, but I've been head down in my book, determined to get it launched before going on holiday, which I do tonight for 2 weeks!

So mission accomplished! It took lots of long nights and crazy early starts, but it's done, and now I can go and meet Dax Moy the day I get back from holiday, when my Magic Hundred has finished, safe in the knowledge that I took action and ticked that massive goal off the list!

So, where can you find out more?

Check it out here:

Lovely Legs Kettlebell Workout!

2008-09-22T00:13:00.001-07:00

WARNING!!! This workout will also tone and tighten your midriff!

Here's a lower body workout for you. I will post a video of all the exercises soon, but technical hitches over the weekend meant all the footage I got was useless!

So for those of you who know what each exercise is I thought I'd get the workout out for you, contact me if you have any questions, otherwise I'll update you when the video is done!

WARM UP: 5 - 10 mins progressive warm up to include dynamic stretches and joint mobility work for the full body and static stretches ONLY for muscle groups that are particularly tight (eg calves and hamstrings).

You can also foam roll tight areas, especially the ITB, at this point (more info HERE).

PERFORM THIS CIRCUIT WITH 30s REST BETWEEN EXERCISES (MAX!!) 1-3 TIMES:

Swings x 15 (If you want even more of a cardio blast for maximum fat burning you can add a set of swings in between every other exercise in the circuit! You can also have an active rest by performing a 'round the body pass' or slingshot for the 30 s rest period - this will give you abs some extra work and stop the heart rate dropping too much...)

Squats x 20 (10 each side if holding KB racked to one side, alternatively hold to your chest, by the horns).

Single Leg Deadlift x 10 each leg

Cossack Side Lunge x 10 each side

Single Leg Straight Leg Deadlift x 10 each side

KB Overhead Squat x 10 each side. Hold one kettlebell overhead as you squat - only if you have strong and stable shoulders and feel comfortable doing this. The alternative is to leave the KB out of it and hold your arms above your head in a Y shape.

Tactical Lunges x 10 ES. Pass the kettlebell under your leg at the low point of the lunge, while keeping the body tall. Step back with the leg you are holding the kettlebell in.

Side Lunges x 10 ES.

Single Leg Get Ups or Full Pistol Squats x 5 ES. If you can do full Pistols, then shoot! If you can't (or don't know what I'm on about!) then try the Get Up - sit on a chair, extend one leg in front of you and stand up with one leg only, then sit back down! Start high and gradually lower the seat as you improve.

Windmill x 10 ES. This should be done without the Kettlebell until you have the movement dialled, then add a light kettlebell to the lower arm and eventually hold the kettlebell in the upper arm.

Same Side Elbow to Knee Crunch x 10 ES. Hold a light kettlebell in the arm overhead, bringing the elbow down to the knee as you lift the knee up on the same side.

Side Plank 30 s ES. To make this harder, lift the top leg so you are in a star shape....

You can repeat this circuit up to 3 times! As you improve, reduce the rest periods and increase the number of circuits...

Snatches with the 20kg Kettlebell!

2008-09-21T06:27:00.001-07:00

Well, I thought I'd try snatches with the 20kg kettlebell...

Just some Sunday afternoon fun!

Kettlebells For Women - Article in Washington Post

2008-09-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd bring this article to your attention, some more media coverage regarding Kettlebells for women, it's all good!

A Great Workout for Women Who Like To Throw Their Weights Around

Another Steve Cotter Workout - Cardio Circuit & Some Core...

2008-09-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Did the Cardio Circuit from CD 4 with a 16kg. Again, not intense cardio but shoulda really been a rest day today so deliberately chose something more chilled!

The workout starts with 10 or so Round the Body Passes each way, and these are done in between every exercise...

Single arm swings x 10 each side

Single arm clean x 10 ES

Sgl arm clean & press x 10 ES

Squat - KB racked x 10 ES

Snatch x 20 ish ES

Squat - KB overhead x 10 ES

Windmill - KB lower hand x 10 ES

Tactical lunges x 10 on each leg

Single leg deadlift x 10 ES

Windmill - KB upper hand x 10 ES

Sgl arm clean & press x 10 ES

Turkish Get Up x 5 ES

I then did couple of other exercises - a few more Turkish Get Ups and Windmills (this is the first time I've done them with the 16kg so very pleased with myself!) and some killer same side elbow to knees (standing) with the kettlebell overhead in the arm you are bringing down to meet the knee, if that makes sense... Plus a standing twist, but I don't really like them, they feel a bit weird and pointless, which is why I decided to call it a day and go and do some yoga...

Did the 'Post Surf' section of Peggy Hall's Yoga for Surfers 1, a great way to relax and unwind after a hard day on the water, or session with the iron!!

Today's Workout - Steve Cotter's DVD

2008-09-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

Just did one of the workouts from Steve Cotter's Extreme Kettlebell DVD - the Cardio Circuit 2 & 3 from disk 4, about 30 mins in total...

The following, 1 minute rounds with a 16kg:

Hand to hand swings

Front Squat - KB to chest

Clean and Press - 1 side only

Overhead Squat - same side

Clean and Press - other side

Overhead Squat - same side

Single Arm Row - one side

Reverse Lunge KB to chest - one side

Single Arm Row - other side

Reverse Lunge KB to chest - other side

Snatch

Lateral / Cossack Lunges KB to chest

Snatch other side

Side squats / Bob & weave

Horizontal Row - one side

1 leg single leg deadlift

Horizontal Row - other side

1 leg single leg deadlift - other side

Biceps Curls - holding horns, bell uppermost

Half Squat round the body pass

Followed by the 10 minute circuit with 2 x 16kgs, 30 s of each exercise...

Double cleans

Dive bomber push up

Double Snatch - I didn't actually have the kahunas to try this with the two 16kgs as I've only just started doing double KB ballistic stuff... Next time...

Clap Push Ups

Front Sq uats - KBs racked

High Kicks

Double Mil Press - only managed a couple of these - heavy!

Squat hold

Double arm bent over row

Jump lunges

Double swings - managed these, although feel like legs have to be super wide!

Lateral shuffles

Renegade row

Hip Switches

1 Leg Deadlift

Bob & Weave

Double clean and press - actually did 1 leg DL on the other side as only did 1 side earlier...

Jumping Push Ups - amazed I could do these - easier than they appear - give em a go!

Double arm horizontal row

Cossack side lunges

All that was only 30 mins! Didn't feel as high intensity cardio as the Anthony Diluglio DVDs, as there is still a strength element for me, espscially using the 2 16kgs. But feel energised rather than depleted and looking forward to training tomorrow!

450 cals according to my Polar HRM with a max of 166bpm...

Workout of the Day: AOS Firepower

2008-09-13T10:42:00.001-07:00

I've had this DVD for ages and never got round to doing it - as it requires 2 kettlebells and by the time I got two 16kgs I went and had some knee surgery and haven't used any of my kettlebell DVDs since then, preferring to write my own training sessions.

But sometimes it is good to defer the programming to someone else, and be the trainee rather than the trainer for once! I love using DVDs both for kettlebells and yoga for that reason!

I do train myself hard, but when someone else is deciding what you're going to do you invariably push your limits in one way or another.

AOS Firepower has 5 different programmes you can choose from, all using the same 15 drills but manipulating the sets and rests. I went for doing the whole thing twice, but the longer rests, taking 55 mins (the final option is doing the whole thing twice with shorter rests taking 45 mins).

Whereas with all his other DVDs I skip the rest completely, I must admit I was grateful for it today!

I used mostly my 16kg kettlebells, as I only have one of all the others, although the first round I used the 11kg & 14kg for the alternating military press as I thought I'd never manage it with a 16kg (swapping half way). The second round I used only the 16kg for all exercises, except the Turkish Get Up where I used a 14kg (next time will stick to the 16kg for all)...

Drills are as follows:

Turkish Get Up

Alternating Clean and Press

Double Bent Over Row

Super Burpee

Figure 8 to Hold

Super Plank

Alternating Double Clean (this one I didn't do as he does as I was a bit to malco-ordinated, so cleaned one then then other rather than strictly alternating)

Suitcase Deadlift

Alternating Chest Press

Russian Twist

High Pull and Snatch

See Saw Press

Figure 8 & Hold Tactical Lunge

Renegade Row

Squat & Triple Crush

...Oh yeah, and then the 5 minute snatch test!

I kinda lost count but think I did 95 in the 5 minutes with the 16kg, alternating hands every 5 reps. All I need to do now is work on doing 100 on each hand for 5 minutes, then on the other for another 5 and I can enter that Girevoy Sport Kettlebell Challenge I read about in Kettlebell Info Mag....

I wore my heart rate monitor, which I tend to do as I can see how intensely I've worked on a cardio level (although I put the watch down the front of my top as it gets in the way of the kettlebell - can someone please invent one that you can attach somewhere kettlebell friendly please?!) and the 55 min workout (including 5 mins mobility at the start) burned 650 cals, getting my heart rate to a max of about 185 bpm.

A fat blasting, heart pounding, muscle pumping workout, that's for sure - thank you Anthony!

Turkish Get Up Sit Up

2008-09-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

Turkish Get Ups are one of the best kettlebell exercises there are.

You lie on the floor, with a kettlebell in your outstretched arm, and stand up.

How can something so seemingly simple be so brutal and so effective? Well, there's a hell of a lot going on - giving you strength, endurance, mobility and even cardio (you'll see after a few!)

Today I'm going to give you a really good video that takes you through the first stage - just the Sit Up part. You go from lying to a seated position, without getting all the way up.

I do these after my main workout, a great way to train the abs and get that six-pack going!

Try them for yourself!

Letter From Your Belly Fat

2008-09-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

How's it goin'! This is a letter from your ol' pal, Belly Fat. We had a great run this summer, didn't we? Lots of good times, great food, and plain ol' sitting around eating too much.

Well, I'm thinking about sticking around another year if you don't mind. But you might need to get a bigger pair of pants, as I was thinking about expanding my place down here.

So do me a favor, avoid that interval training you were thinking of doing. The last time you did that stuff, I nearly had to look for a new place to live. I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West in the land of Oz. Did you hear me yelling, "Help me, I'm melting!"?

Instead, stick to that slow cardio stuff. Sure I get a little sweaty, and the ol' brain up there thinks it's doing "a real fat
burning workout", but it's never enough to melt me outta here.

Another thing, keep listening to those experts who say strength training doesn't burn body fat. Since research shows they're wrong, if you added strength training to your program, you'd practically need to throw me a going away party!

After each one of those superset workouts you tried last January it felt like someone lit a match under our collective butt. I was burning up down here!

But boy oh boy, I sure was glad you gave that up and went back to just lifting utensils and not dumbbells. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to celebrate another summer together this year.

Sometimes I wonder, what did you ever do in college without me, your trusted belly fat? Back then, you were probably one of those people that couldn't wait to get to the beach to show off your body, unlike these days.

Nope, stay in the shade and keep the cover-up clothes on, that's the way to go now. Besides, its a lot closer to the cold beer and the BBQ when you're sitting in the shade avoiding all the fun down on the beach.

Well, it sure was good catching up with you. I'm sure we'll be in touch more often, as long as you stay away from that Turbulence Training workout routine.

Brings a tear to my eye whenever I even think about that workout program and all the belly fat it's burned. Heck, it's fried more fat than a short order cook at a roadside truckstop.

So again, if you want to keep your dear old belly around for another year and another summer, do NOT use Turbulence Training - otherwise, its all over pal, and you'll never see me again.

Belly Fat says, "Don't use this"

==> TURBULENCE TRAINING.COM

Your friend and spare tire,

Belly Fat

PS - Seriously!

Don't go near that Turbulence Training program unless you want to see me, Thunder Thighs, Manboobs, Jigg Lee Arm Fat, and Luv Handles pack our bags and hit the highway.

It will be a sad farewell, and you'd be stuck with ripped abs, gorgeous glutes, and toned arms, and you know how much attention those guys get from the opposite sex. Who needs it, I say.

PPS - Don't do what this guy and gal did.

They used Turbulence Training and look what happened to their belly fat. Now please go get me some more comfort food...

"Hi Craig - First, I LOVE your program. In just under two weeks, I have already started seeing definition - that has been my goal for as long as I have been working out (a LONG time). Keep up the GREAT work, and thanks!"
Susan Siceloff

"I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends."
Billy Williams

CLICK HERE ==> TURBULENCE TRAINING - IT MAY NOT BE KETTLEBELLS BUT IT'S GOING TO BLAST YOUR BELLY FAT!

Get Flabby - Train for an Ironman...

2008-09-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've been through the cardio fatness loop (loads of cardio, getting fatter, think you should be doing more...). Here Rachel Cosgrove tells all about how training for an Ironman left her flabby and undefined!

http://www.figureathlete.com/free_online_article/training/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin

Intensity Rules!

Check Out My Motivation Interview for Lead Britain To Wellness

2008-09-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of being interviewed by Noel Lyons (www.noellyons.com), for a new 'Let's Get Motivated' series as part of his 'Lead Britain To Wellness' programme.

You can sign up to receive notification of all the audios in the series here: Lead Britain to Wellness.

Or to download my interview directly go here (you have 24 h before the link expires, so get there quick!):

Motivation Interview

Post-summer is one of the busiest times in the fitness industry - I think most of us have indulged too much over the summer, or looked at our holiday pics and and decided next year we're going to look fab, so are wanting to take action!

This audio series is designed to help you kick start your motivation, so you can start taking action now - think of all the progress you can make between now and Christmas if you get going right now...

Download My Interview With Noel Lyons HERE!

Rolling Deck Squats - Get Those Legs Lean and Butt High!

2008-08-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

Rolling Deck Squats are absolutely awesome for developing strength in the legs and core, that will result in super lean, toned legs and a tight butt, as well as abs of steel!

Basically, you roll in a ball on your back and then come to your feet and stand up! Sounds easy? Well it really isn't!

The first few times I tried it I had to use my hands to help push me up (so couldn't hold a kettlebell) and it took a good amount of practice to get it nailed! An old knee injury slowed me down as the flex wasn't fully there on the right knee - but doing these has improved my mobility no end - another massive bonus of this exercise as you work through the full range of movement.

I persevered, despite feeling a prat for not being able to do something that looked so easy - but every time I almost got up I just couldn't move!

Luckily, the perseverance paid off, and every time I tried I could literally feel my core firing up more and more until it finally got me through the 'sticking point' and up. From there I was addicted....

Forgot to mention what a killer cardio exercise this is too! A few of these and you'll be sucking air, that's for sure! You're whole body gets a look in, so this is a full body, metabolism boosting blaster of an exercise!

To make it even harder, you can try the 'no momentum' version in the video below, the kettlebell is firstly lifted overhead as you're body is on the floor (a pullover) and you use strength rather than momentum to get to the bottom of the squat position, and then to squat up... Fierce....

26 x 25 + 28 x 25 = A Lot Of Kettlebell Swings!

2008-08-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday and Wednesday were 'Fat Loss Circuit Training' on the Metabolic Surge programme I'm following at the mo, and this time there were 26 sets on Tuesday and 28 sets on Wed - there is a set of a resistance exercise with 40 s of cardio in between.

This time I did swings for my cardio BOTH DAYS!

As 25 swings takes me 40 s I just did 25 swings each time. There is no rest between the resistance and cardio so each workout (before the core stuff at the end) took between 30 & 40 mins (Wed took a bit longer, funnily enough...).

And each workout burnt about 650 cals, according to my Polar Heart Rate Monitor. Not bad...

26 x 25 is 650 and 28 x 25 s 700, so that's a total of 1350 swings over 2 days (not counting the ones I've done as demos while training people of course!).

Eeek, not sure I'd have done it at all if I was any better at mental arithmetic and had figured that out in advance!

Metabolic Surge HIIT Using My 14kg KBs... Killer...

2008-08-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh I can't believe I just survived that workout! I'm doing Nick Nilsson's Metabolic Surge programme at the moment - it's a rapid fat loss plan that gives you very precise workout and nutrition protocols every day for 46 days, consisting of low carb days, low fat days, protein only days and even a fruit only day! This is definitely too prescriptive for many but I like testing these things out so thought I'd give it a go and I'm actually really enjoying it! More so today, as you are allowed a cheat / treat meal at the end of each of 3 rounds - and that is tonight for me!

Anyway, the workouts are matched to fit the nutrition protocol you are following on that day - there are fat loss circuits, high intensity intervals and muscle rounds on certain days, as well as the odd rest day! His workouts are a bit more bodybuilding style than I would do, so I have modified them a bit to use mostly kettlebell exercises (of course!).

Today was High Intensity Intervals (HIIT) and I decided to use my 14kg KB for snatches. Only 15 minutes - a great metabolism boost before my cheat meal!

The protocol for HIIT in the first round is either maximal (25 s work to 5 s rest for a total of 15 mins) or submaximal (1 min work to 30 s rest for a total of 20 mins). I decided to go for the former, and worked out that meant about 8 snatches each arm with 5 s in between for a total of 36 intervals.

Maybe I'm just stupid, but I didn't think that sounded too bad (even though 'killer' Tabata intervals are 20 s work to 10 s rest x a measly 8!) but by set 17 (I have a fab Gymboss Interval timer that beeps at me to start and stop and totals the sets up for you - no way I'd manage that on my own whilst in the middle of death by kettlbell!) I realised I had my work cut out to get through it! 5 s rest is basically no rest...

But get through I did and I just had to post! Give it a go now, only 15 mins and think of the metabolic boost it'll give you for your Saturday night fun!

Kettlebell Article in The Times on Saturday!

2008-08-18T02:07:00.000-07:00

Kettlebells are getting more and more press these days - if you are an avid 'Heat' or 'Closer' reader you will no doubt have seen some reference to various celebs using kettlebells - last year it was all about Geri (check out those abs!).

I was pleased to see an article about them and less 'conventional' training methods in The Times at the weekend. I am sure traditional gym training is on the decline and it won't be long before we're all training in the way we were born to move!

Loads of Hollywood celebrities have have all been 'spied' using kettlebells: J Lo, Katherine Heigl, Penelope Cruz, Kim Cattrall, Matthew McConaughey, Kim Basinger amongst others.

Celebrity trainers are notoriously secretive about their training methods and celebrities all like to spout the party line: 'I don't diet - I even eat cheeseburgers! I do extra cardio and crunches when I need to get in shape for a movie'. Hopefully you are discerning and well educated enough to realise this is a load of rubbish - unfortunately many of the poor people tied to the cross trainer and ab curl machines in the gym are more gullible!

You do not get a hot Hollywood body without hard work! In fairness, this does not mean what we usually think it means - hours and hours of work. It means intense sessions with plenty of recovery and a nutritious but 'calorie conscious' diet.

Intensity is the key to fitness - our bodies adapt to the demands imposed on them and it is this adaptation that equals increased fitness. If we overload our bodies the shape and form will change accordingly. This will give us a higher capacity for future work and also increase our metabolism so we burn more calories after the exercise is over - in the short term as well as in the long term if we 'replace' fat weight with lean muscle weight (looking smaller as we do so as muscle is of course denser).

Celebrities don't have time for hours and hours of cardio at the times they most need it - so they use time efficient and effective proven methods. Kettlebells are of course one of the best tools you could possibly have for time efficient, full body blasting workouts. You can hide in your dressing room for a workout and then tell everyone you haven't had to work out to look as great as you do and no-one would be any the wiser!

Nutrition really is key too, though. If you are currently eating at a maintenance level then adding intense workouts alone may be enough to shift the few pounds. But most people are putting on weight - so you will need to tweak the nutrition to at least a maintenance level as well as adding intense workouts if you want to shift the bulge - we can't expect to eat all we like and be in great shape!

The fitter we get the more healthier foods appeal, so usually this is not such a hardship. And we notice how much better we feel with maximum nutrition.

I don't consider food as 'fuel' in the traditional and boring 'energy' sense (as Michael Phelps must do to to get 12,000 cals in a day!) but rather as nutrition. I want to have as much goodness as possible without too many calories, so load up on veggies and lean protein, with the addition of good fats (nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, krill oil) and good carbs. I limit carbs personally, sticking to mostly lower sugar fruits & starchy veggies to get my daily intake to about 100g, if I'm having more carbs I'll have oats, quinoa or sweet potatoes (and of course odd treat such as a glass or two of wine and some super dark chocolate!).

It is a simple equation - and it is NOT: cheeseburgers + cardio + crunches = Hollywood Bod!

Rather it is: INTENSE EXERCISE + NUTRITIOUS (+ delicious) EATING + REST AND RECOVERY = Hollywood Body + Supreme Energy + A Sense of Wellbeing + Great Skin / Hair / Nails + so much more....

Kettlebell V Treadmill

2008-08-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

Cardio must be done at the gym, right? Or pounding the pavements outside in the cold and rain, or by lapping the pool for hours on end?

Well, no, not at all! Especially when you have a kettlebell or two to hand!

Cardiovascular activity is anything that involves elevating the heart rate to get it working harder than usual, and will involve movement of the major limbs in order to elicit an elevated heart rate response.

We all think of the obvious forms of cardio, but even weight training can have a cardiovascular benefit when the exercises are performed with minimal rest in between. I'm sure you've heard of circuit training, but when it comes to performing cardio outside of a circuit class we all tend to migrate to the 'usuals'.

I think a lot of this is down to gyms! We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves, so we 'follow the herd' and do what everyone else is doing, and what will keep us as invisible as possible. Jumping jacks, skipping, burpees etc are all just a little too, well, different, to feel comfortable doing in public.

Even if we exercise at home, it still feels a bit strange jumping around not moving anywhere, so we might go for a run instead. Ironically going nowhere in another sense...

The bodyweight exercises mentioned above are all excellent cardio conditioning exercises, and are actually more intense so can be performed in an interval training format - eg 1 minute on and 1 off - which gives you a far better fat burning and metabolism boosting workout than the equivalent time spent on a steady plod on the treadmill! You get much more high intensity work in, and it is intensity, not time spent exercising, that is the key to increased fitness and a boosted metabolism (which means increased fat loss!).

Kettlebells are also a perfect way to get cardiovascular conditioning without even having to move from the spot you are in - if you are ever asked what you would take onto your desert island, make sure it's a kettlebell (you'll then look super hot when you find the local talent too!).

Swings are the basic kettlebell dynamic (hence cardiovascular) exercise, and involve your entire body. You simply (there is specific technique involved so not that simple to start with) swing the kettlebell backwards and forwards, bending at the knees and hips as you lower the kettlebell and driving the legs and hips up to raise the kettlebell, using momentum from the power of your legs and hips, rather than the strength of your arms.

If you doubt whether this can match plodding away on a treadmill, I recommend you give it a go! I did 25 swings with a 16kg kettlebell yesterday in between each set of resistance exercises (a total of 23 sets of 25 swings!) and in around 30 mins I had had a heart-pounding, metabolism boosting, endorphin rushing workout that was hard but enjoyable and immensely satisfying!

Compare that to jogging on a treadmill watch GMTV.... In fact, maybe don't even try! In my view there is no contest, and once you've given it a go you'll surely be hooked too!

Kettlebell Workout of the Day

2008-08-06T05:23:00.001-07:00

A super-set kettlebell workout - give it a go! Took me about 50-55 mins, not including stretching at the end....

I do suggest you only try this if you know what the exercises are of course! If not, I'll soon be posting some YouTube clips to help you out!

Superset 1 - repeat 3 times:

One handed swings: 14kg x 10 each side (ES)
Split Jerk: 14kg x 5 ES

Superset 2 - repeat 3 times:

Power snatch: 14kg x 5 ES
Squat clean: 14 kg x 5 ES

Superset 3 - repeat 3 times:

Suitcase Deadlift: 14kg x 10 ES
Walking Lunge: 14 & 11kg x 8 steps each way

Superset 4 - repeat 3 times:

Prayer squat: 11kg x 5 ES
One-arm shoulder / military press: 11kg x 8 ES

Practice:

One handed spins - 11kg

CORE (1 set of each):

Turkish Get Up: 11kg x 5 ES
Windmill: 11kg x 10 ES
KB Crunch: 16 kg x 20
KB Russian Twist: 20 kg x 20 ES
KB V Sit: 16 kg x 20
KB Bottoms Up Plank: 16 kg x 60 s

What's So Good About Kettlebells Anyway?

2008-07-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is what I asked myself for quite a long time before I 'saw the light'! I was based in a gym and saw one of the other trainers using kettlebells with his clients and to be perfectly honest I thought it was all a bit of hype. The exercises looked dangerous and the clients were all getting bruised! I was sceptical at best...

Even when I finally got him to give me a 'taster' session I wasn't completely convinced, I had a decent enough workout but just didn't get what the big deal was.

I can't even remember what sparked the mental shift from cynic to evangelist. One minute I'm happy with my dumbells, the next I'm raving to all who would listen about a shiny round chunk of iron!

I bought a few DVDs and a couple of kettlebells and the addiction came pretty quick - the sheer versatility of the kettlebell intrigued me. I always thought 'anything you can do with a kettlebell you can do with a dumbell' but how wrong I was!

The shape of the kettlebell and the way the weight is held means that performing what would be a simple dumbell exercise becomes a whole new experience as there is an additional stability factor to consider.

The fact that the bell is designed to be swung is what really makes it stand out from the crowd, though. As soon as you add in the classic kettlebell exercises, like the swing and the snatch, the power of the kettlebell to transform your body and workouts becomes clear. You can get a killer cardio workout, while loading all your 'behind' muscles (back, butt, hamstrings...) that are usually underworked in most people. The era of the cross trainer was clearly over - cardio was just never going to be the same again...

Any exercise you can do with a dumbell you can do with a kettlebell, sometimes feeling more comfortable and sometimes being a hell of a lot harder (DB renegade rows vs KB renegade rows?). You can use your kettlebell as a piece of cardio equipment or as an extreme strength tool. You can use your kettlebell to increase mobility and stability and even rehabilitate.

And they look so good, all in a line in the garage, smugly reminding you that you never need to pay gym membership again!

Quick Saturday Evening Workout

2008-07-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

With half an hour to spare before going out I decided to squeeze in a quick dose of interval training and yoga (full body training days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the remaining days are for intervals and yoga only, or windsurfing, surfing, mountain biking etc...).

Not wanting to think too much about things I kept it nice and simple - using 2 handed swings only. But what a killer workout - thanks to Mr Tabata's interval protocol:

20 s swings, 10 s rest, repeat....

I did this a total of 30 rounds, so 15 minutes in total and it really does prove that you can get an amazing workout into a very short period of time!

I followed it with David Swenson's 15 minute ashtanga yoga routine - basically 5 sun salutations A and 5 Bs followed by a forward bend, twist, boat and backbend (and the all important shavasana, or relaxation pose!)

30 mins to energise and calm, invigorate and destress!

Who says they don't have time to be fit and healthy? With kettlebells you really don't need a lot of time....

Kettlebells For Women

2008-07-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Kettlebells are the perfect tool for creating a lean, sculpted, feminine physique!

In fact, I'm off to go train with them now - will post more when I get back...