The Five Pillars of Kettlebell Training

If you have been to my kettlebells class, you have probably heard me going on about the 5 basic elements which need to be included in a balanced workout regime. Kettlebell guru (and someone who inspires me) Mike Mahler refers to these as the 5 pillars of kettlebell training. 

I did a few classes based on this concept a couple of weeks ago and I thought it would be good to share it with those who may be interested in deciding what exercises to do when training on their own with a kettlebell.

In order to get the most from your kettlebell training, you need to base your training around a big compound movements (those involving more than one joint). You can then add other movements for variety but it is important to include all of the following to your training schedule at some point during the week...

Low pull,

Squat,  

Push,

Pull,

Core.

In their most basic form, these movements, are simple to master and once you have perfected them, there are a lot of variations you can do to keep your training challenging and interesting. 

Low Pull:

Low pull movements are swing style exercises where the kettlebell is driven from a low position between the legs out to the front of the body using the power of the hips and hamstrings. These movements are the base around which most kettlebell workouts are built. Swings focus on the posterior kinetic chain (hamstrings, gluteus, lower and middle back), an area which is vital for athletic performance and where most people have strength imbalances. They also provide and amazing high intensity cardiovascular workout and a tough challenge for the core.

Varieties and progressions of the basic swing are single hand swings, hand to hand swings and one of my favourites, snatches.

Squat:

Squats work the biggest and strongest muscles in the body with a big emphasis being on the quads, glutes and core. In kettlebell training, the aim is to get your squat deep which helps to improve strength through a full range of motion and works the muscles of the legs to their full potential.

There are several ways in which you can use the kettlebell for squats. You can rack it in the middle of the chest while holding the bell in both hands, you can rack it with one hand on one side of the chest to work the core harder or for a more advanced option, you can lock out the arm with the bell held high to make it really challenging.

Push:

Push exercises include clean & press, shoulder presses, floor presses, press ups with hands on kettlebells and variations of these. These exercises are great for developing strength in the upper body, especially through the shoulder joint. In press movements, the arm is locked out in a similar manner to power training.

The clean and press is one of the important movements used in kettlebell competition and is described by top trainer Steve Cotter as the movement he would choose if he was only allowed to do one kettlebell exercise.

Pull:

Pulls are often neglected but extremely important movements in kettlebell training and should really be considered when planning a session for a well balanced workout. They are essential for developing back strength as well as improving strength in the arms and improving grip. 

Rowing exercises such as single arm rows, double arm bent over rows and the awesome renegade rows are great examples of kettlebell pull exercises.

Core:

I am not a fan of lying on the ground and doing loads of crunch type exercises to work my core, and that is why I really love kettlebell core training.

Although the core is engaged in many kettlebell movements, there are some which focus on this area more than others. The master of these is the Turkish get-up and it's variations. This movement uses the abdominal muscles to help actively move the body and stabilise it while progressing from a lying position to standing with the kettlebell locked out above the head. 'Get-ups' utilise virtually every muscle in the body as well as the core, making them one of the most important kettlebell drills.

The other big core movement with kettlebells is the windmill, which targets the obliques. Like the Turkish get-up, windmills work a large number of muscles at the same time which mimics the way which the body works when away from the gym. More advanced progressions from the windmill include the side press and bent press (which we will look at in the future).

There are other more traditional abdominal training movements where kettlebells can be used such as Russian twists, up and over sit ups and side bends to name but a few. If you want a strong core, grab a kettlebell.

Every kettlebell movement will fall into one of the 5 categories mentioned above. It is really important when planning a workout to identify which movements fall into which categories so that you can plan a balanced session. 

If you need more information regarding kettlebell training, contact Steve Hope for a consultation or come along to a class.

Guildford Classes

Great news to all of you who live in Guildford!

The new Fitness Bug Kettlebell Class starts on Easter Monday 01/04/13 at 7:00pm and will run at the same time every Monday evening after that...

This is a great opportunity to work off all of that chocolate and those hot cross buns... but more importantly it is the chance to change your body forever.

The classes will be held in the amazing Ministry Studios, a purpose built dance, exercise and recording studio complex in the heart of Guildford. (Check out their Facebook Page)

For more information please contact Steve or message us from our Facebook Page.

Classes available on a first come, first served basis... so just pitch up and play!

See you all in the class!!!

Press!

I know that this is a couple of weeks late, but I though that I would share it.

Fitness Bug Training was featured in the local 'Star Courier' paper which has a wide circulation in the Surrey-Hampshire Borders area. The purpose this article was to promote the Tuesday evening class at Yateley Village Hall and to let people have a little insight into KETTLEBELLS.

If you live in this area or know someone who does and you want to come and try out a life changing form of training, make your way over to Yateley Village Hall on Tuesday evening and join the happy lot of KETTLEBELLERS. Classes are £5 per head... that's great value!

See you in the class!

Master Classes

For those of you who are maybe considering coming to a KETTLEBELLS CLASS but are not sure if it is for you, here is your opportunity to try a class for free at Guildford Spectrum. 

I am giving 3 Master Classes in March!

The classes are free but the spaces are limited and you do need to book through Spectrum in advance...

If you need more information, please email me...

See you all at the class!!!

Is My Gym Membership Holding Me Back?

First of all, let me say that I am a great believer in gyms. Millions of people go there every day and many change their lives dramatically through their decision to exercise and improve their bodies, increase their confidence and enhance their overall well being. 

There are, however, a lot of people who join up to the gym with good intentions and never end up going, never even walk through the door, or who start off really motivated but soon give up. Most of these people never bother to cancel their membership or they are tied into long contracts which they are obliged to keep going even though they are not using the services.  That can add up to a large amount of money each month, a shiny new club in my town charges a monthly fee of about £130 for the full package.

So, should you havehave a gym membership...?

For those who are getting the most from your memberships and are constantly improving year in and year out by using the gym, I say carry on with what you are doing if you are happy with it and the system is working for you. For those who are either no longer using your membership, who are under utilising it or who have reached a stale training plateau (most gym members fall into one of these categories), you need to reevaluate your reasons for joining and make the decision to either keep burning your money or look for some other way of motivating yourself and achieving the goals you had when joining.

I was trying to convince a colleague of mine to come and try my Tuesday evening kettlebells class. She explained to me that although it sounded interesting, she already has a membership somewhere else and doesn't want to spend more money on the additional class (fair enough). When I asked her what she does at her current gym, she told me that she attends 2 classes per week. She doesn't use the gym or any of the other facilities that she is paying for. The classes which she does a the same ones that she has been doing for years and although she enjoys them, she still wants to improve her physique. By doing exactly the same training that she has been doing for years, this is not going to happen. 

The solution to the problem which my colleague and many others like her face is to stop paying for the facilities which you are not using and change to a pay as you go option where you just pay for the classes which you do. You wouldn't pay for everything on the menu at a restaurant just because they offer it, you just pay for what you eat. Why should the gym be any different? Most leisure centres and some gyms offer a pay as you go service and if you are not sure, it is well worth asking and negotiating. The money you save here will free you to try out other classes or activities away from the gym, give you a fresh approach to training and help you to see more results and all for a similar price to what you are paying for your all you can eat gym membership (or maybe even less). 

There are a lot of amazing independant classes, courses and bootcamps out there such as the Fitness Bug Kettlebell Classes who guarantee results, guarantee life changing experiences, guarantee something different and will treat you like an individual and not just another nameless faceless member at the buffet of exercise choices.

The fitness industry is changing... get the most from it!

Steve

Is My Coffee Making Me Fat?

Fact... I love coffee!

I realised that I was probably drinking too much of the stuff when my seventh or eighth cup of coffee was the one I had right before bed. I would sip my way through a nice cup and then drift off into a lovely restful sleep despite the fact that there was caffeine coursing through my veins. It seemed that I had become resistant and decided to cut my consumption drastically.

As a drinker of black coffee without sugar, I am a rather boring person to take to a coffee shop where the variety of drinks of offer is baffling, intriguing and tempting. On the other hand, maybe I am doing slightly less damage to myself with my black coffee than if I was to sample some of the other offerings on the menu.

Here are a few facts regarding the 'nutritional' qualities of coffee based on information taken from some popular high street coffee shop chains. Check dow the list for your favourite and be surprised as to just how much extra your daily mug is giving you.

LATTE
What is it: 1-2 shots of espresso with steamed milk.
Calories: Small, 200; large, 341.
Fat: Small, 10.6g (6.6 saturated); large, 17.9g (11.2 saturated).
Verdict: Surprisingly unhealthy. A large latte contains almost one third of the daily recommended fat intake for women.

CAPPUCINO
What is it: A mix of steamed and foamed milk added to an espresso shot.
Calories: Small, 122; large, 207.
Fat: Small, 6.4g (4g saturated); large, 10.7g (6.7g saturated).
Verdict: Better than lattes. But hardly healthy...

AMERICANO
What is it: 2-3 espresso shots topped with water, and optional milk.
Calories: Small, 11; large, 23 (more with milk and sugar).
Fat: None (unless you add milk).
Verdict: Most people add milk which will add calories and fat. A few studies suggest that a high intake of caffeine promotes the leeching of calcium from bones, but the National Osteoporosis Foundation says adding milk will offset any such risk.

ESPRESSO
What is it: Coffee and water.
Calories: Single, 6; double, 11.
Verdict: If you don't add sugar (10 calories per sachet), this is the lowest-calorie coffee. Consuming more than 5-6 cups a day is not recommended by doctors or nutritionists.

HOT CHOCOLATE
What is it: Chocolate drunk with whole milk, often topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 357; large, 549.
Fat: Small, 18.7g (10.7g saturated); large, 27g (15.2g).
Verdict: A large cup has the calories and fat content of three hot dogs, according to the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. Worse is a large, white, hot chocolate containing a whopping 719 calories and 33.4g of fat. Be wary of fast-food chains that make hot chocolates not with milk, but with a mix of sugar and non-dairy creamer (containing the unhealthy partially hydrogenated soybean oil and more sugar).

MOCHA
What is it: Three-quarters steamed milk, 3-4 pumps of chocolate sauce and 2-3 shots of espresso topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 255; large, 484.
Fat: Small, 9.3g (5.4g saturated); large, 25.3g (14.3g saturated).
Verdict: Very fatty. This is sweetened with a massive 41g of sugar in a large cup. Things could be worse: a large white chocolate mocha with whipped cream contains 628 calories and 28.9g of fat. 

CHAI TEA LATTE
What is it: A spiced tea mixed with whole milk and honey.
Calories: Small, 210; large, 362.
Fat: Small, 5.3g (3.3g saturated); large, 9.2g (5.7 saturated).
Verdict: Though it sounds healthier than coffee (tea has antioxidants), whole milk and honey up the calories and fat.

Six ways to make it a little bit healthier

• Ask for skimmed, non-fat milk (known as a 'skinny'). 
• Skip the whip: Whipped cream adds 80-120 calories and 7g of saturated fat.
• Ask for sugar-free syrups made with artificial sweeteners. Or even better, learn to appreciate the taste of coffee without the sugar.
• Low-fat milky drinks are a good choice as they contribute around 200mg of calcium to the recommended daily total of 800-1,000mg. The best sources include a skimmed milk latte (320mg of calcium) and a skimmed café mocha (277mg calcium).
• Avoid adding sugary toppings to your coffee. Chocolate and caramel add between 6 and 15 calories.
• Use an app such as 'My Fitness Pal' to check the contents of your drink before ordering.

It's not all bad news

Coffee has been shown to have several health benefits. Caffeine is thought to prevent memory loss in old age and can cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers in the Netherlands analysed cognitive decline in elderly men and found it to be four times greater in non-coffee drinkers than in those who drank three cups a day. 

I've forgotten what I was saying... Better up the kettle on.

References

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-451815/Dont-latte-fatty--awful-truth-daily-caffeine-hit.html#axzz2JsgGFkfT

Take Ownership of Your Body

I recently read an article which highlighted the fact that The Health Survey for England has identified the following 7 established risk factors of ill health in England:

• Smoking
• Binge drinking
• Low fruit and vegetable consumption
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Raised cholesterol

A worrying fact is that over a third of the population have three or more of these risk factors. 

The article where I read this is called Why Are We So Unhealthy. In it they blame everything and everyone but the people themselves for the increase in unhealthy lifestyles. This angered me because the truth is if you want to make a change to your body and lead a healthy and fulfilling life, the responsibility lies with you, not the government or supermarket or the NHS. You need to 'take ownership of your body' in the same way that you would with any other aspect of your life. I do realise that there are social factors involved too, but the ultimate choice of how you choose to behave is still yours.

Taking responsibility for the first three factors in the above list is self explanatory, it is a matter of 'do' or 'don't, there is a black and white choice to make. The last four are a little bit more tricky, but a good way to manage these (as highlighted in the article) is through physical activity. 

Basic physical activity such as getting up and going for a walk is a good starting point for those who don't usually do any exercise at all, but for those of us who are already active, what does taking 'ownership' mean?

I don't believe that just turning up at the gym and going through the motions of a workout is really taking ownership of your body. I say this because I have previously had PT clients who have thought that they would see results simply because they were paying me money and turning up for their training sessions. They failed to understand that although I could provide them with the tools and motivation to reach their goals, they needed to put in the effort, they ultimately had to take control of their well being.

For gym users, especially those who have been training for a long time, one of the ways of taking ownership is by honestly reviewing what you are doing and making changes where necessary. The following 6 questions are a good starting point:

1. Am I working with a structured routine that is based on my needs and goals?
2. Is the intensity of my workout correct for someone with my ability?
3. Am I working on my weaknesses as well as my strengths?
4. Does my workout include those all important elements... 'mobility' and 'flexibility'?
5. Is there enough variety in my training. Have I included some classes or new techniques in my routine?
6. Am I keeping a record of my progress?

I believe that taking ownership means paying attention to detail and putting yourself in charge of every aspect of what you do. Once you start doing this for your training, this mindset will transfer into other aspects of your life!

Steve

White Board for Week Starting 21 January 2013!

Have a look at the kettlebell whiteboard for this week...

(this will be subject to change...)

Which kettlebell should I be lifting?

Correct weight selection for kettlebell training is important, especially when first starting out in the wonderful world of kettlebells. In my experience as a trainer, those who have never done any weight training in the past generally gravitate towards the smallest bells while more experienced weight lifters are sometimes shocked that the weights are not as big as those found in a 'normal' gym. 

The generally recommended starting kettlebell weights are 8kg for a woman and 16kg for a man. However, for the kind of high volume training which done in a group kettlebell class, these weights might not always be appropriate for new participants. I therefore have the following suggestions:

In group kettlebell classes, my advice is to choose a weight that you believe is going to challenge you but still allows you to carry out the exercises correctly and safely. For your first couple of training sessions you might not want to work with the most challenging weight and may you instead choose to focus on learning and perfecting great technique with slightly less resistance. Your strength will quickly increase and your chosen weight will need to go up (to at least those recommended) in order to maintain the desired intensity. 

This lighter weight approach is good when learning moves such as presses, squats or windmills where lower weights will not damage your technique. For swings, however, it is possible to choose too small a weight and this needs to be recognised by all new kettlebellers. 

A swing weight needs to be heavy enough to force you to move the kettlebell using the power generated by the hips. When a small weight is used for swings, it can turn the move into a front raise where the shoulders perform the lift and the ballistic nature of the exercise is lost. Swinging with an underweight kettlebell can make you favour the lower back to generate the drive instead of the hips, which can lead to injury. When a heavier weight is used, it is more natural for the hips to take over the motion and for the move to become a strong and forceful, cardiovascular exercise.

To summarise: 

Lifts require a weight that is heavy enough to challenge but light enough to encourage good technique.

Swings require a weight that is heavy enough to challenge but not so light that it compromises form and safety.

Speak to your instructor before starting to ensure you have the correct kettlebell.

Well chosen weights = great results!

5 Simple Rules for Fat Loss

"I really want to lose weight and make a difference to my body! 

And I really want the results to last!"

If the above statement applies to you, then here are 5 simple rules to help make this a reality.

Number 1: Throw Away the Scales!

Although monitoring your weight can be a good way to measure progress, I believe that it is given far too much importance by society, by magazines, on tv and even in the supermarket. We obsess with the scales and weigh ourselves when we wake up, before our workout, after our workout, before we go to bed and at weight loss groups where we stress if we have put on an extra pound during the week. The truth is that our weight is always going to fluctuate slightly due to reasons which could be related to hormonal changes, illness or stress levels amongst other things.

Once you have disposed of the scales, replace them with that really lovely pair of jeans or dress or suit in the back of your wardrobe that no longer fits. Try it on and be honest about how it feels, make a mental note of the way it fits or doesn't fit, maybe even take a photograph of yourself wearing it (don't even look at the photo for now... It's for future reference). This might be a really difficult and emotional thing to do, but it is the first step to making a positive change. 

Put the item back in the cupboard, circle a date in your diary for 4 weeks time when you will next try it on and then another date for 4 weeks after that.

Number 2: Set Process Goals! 

Process goals are all about doing! They are the steps that you are going to take in order to achieve your ultimate 'outcome goal'. Examples would be making sure you attend your weekly kettlebell class, or ensuring that you walk a certain distance every day, or maintaining your pledge to eat a good healthy breakfast every day!

Each time you achieve one of these process goals, you are one step closer to reaching your outcome goal as well as giving you shorter term goals to aim for. 

It makes sense to sit down with a trainer or someone else who you trust and set out your overall outcome goal and a series of process goals needed to achieve it. Keep a good record of this to see how you are progressing.

Number 3: Lift Bigger Weights!

 Weight training needs to be a challenge...

Lifting decent weights correctly will increase your resting metabolic rate, strengthen muscles and bones and change the shape of your body for the better. 

I'm happy to inform you ladies (and sorry to break the news to you gents) that weight training will NOT make you look like a bodybuilder! 

Female PT clients have informed me in the past that they build muscles very easily and therefore want to avoid weight training. I have had to explain to them that this is not true due to he small amount of testosterone in the female body which makes muscle building extremely difficult even for women want to achieve this. If it was easy to increase muscle mass from weight training, all the men in the gym would look like Arnold Schwarzenegger... but they don't despite having testosterone levels that are 7-8 times higher than women.

What a well designed weight training routine will do for you is turn your body into a calorie burning machine!

Number 4: Higher Intensity Training! 

There is an old fashioned idea, which I believe is mostly promoted by those who sell heart rate monitors, that working out for a long time at a slow steady heart rate in the so called 'fat burning zone' is the most effective way to lose weight (fat). The truth is that although a higher percentage of the calories burned at this intensity may be in the form of fat, the overall amount of calories burned is a lot lower. 

Higher intensity workouts such as interval training and HIIT will burn a much greater number of calories per workout than steady pace training. These kind of sessions are better for improving muscle tone, strength and power with the added advantage of much shorter workouts. A 45 minute high intensity workout is far more productive than plodding away on the treadmill for 2 hours in the 'fat burning zone'.

Number 5: Eat Clean! 

I have saved the most important for last...

Without going into very complicated technicalities of nutrition and amounts of carbs, protein and fats you need, the best nutritional advice for anyone who wants to improve their body is to 'eat clean'. 

This simply means...

• Prepare your meals from scratch and avoid processed foods. 

• Stay away from anything which calls itself a 'diet,' especially those which make you cut out a food group. 

• Cut down alcohol (it is full of calories and not much else). 

• Watch your portion sizes... Avoid overeating! 

• Give yourself a treat day once a week and be really strict with yourself the rest of the time.

These 5 rules may go against what you have traditionally been told. My aim is to get you to stop the cycle of doing the things that you have always done, where you always end up getting nowhere, falling off the wagon, feeling demoralised and then starting the whole thing again only to repeat the process. I want you to make these 5 simple changes which you can maintain for life!