Monday:

• 15 minutes of work on the elliptical machine
• medicine ball twist – 2x up and down length of basketball court
• medicine ball squat – ball at small of back – 10 reps
• boxing workout – five or six 1 minute "rounds" hitting hand pads or heavy bag
• tricep pulldowns – 3 sets
• BOSU balance workout – 3 sets
• exercise bike warm down and protein drink

Tuesday:

• 15 minutes of work on elliptical machine to warm up
• medicine ball twist – 2x up and down length of basketball court
• medicine ball squat – ball at small of back – 10 reps
• boxing workout – five or six 1 minute "rounds" hitting hand pads or heavy bag
• kettlebell exercises – swings, lifts, balance ball
• exercise bike warm down and protein drink

Wednesday:

• 15 minutes of work on elliptical machine to warm up
• medicine ball twist – 2x up and down length of basketball court
• medicine ball squat – ball at small of back – 10 reps
• various stretching exercises
• leg press exercises
• exercise bike warm down and protein drink

Thursday:

• 15 minutes of work on elliptical machine to warm up
• medicine ball twist – 2x up and down length of basketball court
• medicine ball squat – ball at small of back – 10 reps
• boxing workout – five or six 1 minute "rounds" hitting hand pads or heavy bag
• bench press exercises
• exercise bike warm down and protein drink

Friday:

• 15 minutes of work on elliptical machine to warm up
• medicine ball twist – 2x up and down length of basketball court
• medicine ball squat – ball at small of back – 10 reps
• boxing workout – five or six 1 minute "rounds" hitting hand pads or heavy bag
• tricep pulldown routine + leg work
• exercise bike warm down and protein drink

Further, there is a bit of  a fear factor with free weights  – you know that if you drop them you could embarass yourself, hurt yourself or your workout partner.  In my experience, you are much more attuned to your limits when you use free weights.

I find that I get a lot out of decline bench workouts.  A decline bench is like a regular weight bench except that the head of the bench sits at a 45 degree angle – in other words, your head and arms are inclined below your feet.  For me, this type of workout fits my body type and I feel that it puts less stress on my shoulder joints.

At some point, I will do my own video, but for now, here is an example of a decline bench exercise that is done effectively.  You can use a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells with a decline bench.

You can find other examples of decline bench exercises on YouTube although many of them feature blaring music and gym rats who are lifting 400 lbs.  You don't need a lot of weight – lift what you can do comfortably and handle 10 to 15 reps for 3 sets before you move up in weight.

Bionic brand gloves give a very nice grip when they are new, but they are relatively thin and in my experience, break down a little too easily.

My new favorite are weightlifting gloves made by GoFit, called GoFit DTAC.

I got these at Buy.com for about $22 (including shipping) and I have been using them for just over 2 months.  I am very impressed with both the grip and the durability.  I put a lot of stress on my gloves, using them for kettlebells, weight bench training, rope pulldowns and even pushups.  So far these are the best gloves I have every used.

The gloves come with an exercise CD that is fairly generic but if you are looking for durable, functional workout gloves, give the GoFit DTAC gloves a try.

As I understand Brian's logic, weight training breaks down muscle fiber, thereby creating a need for a protein source to rebuild the muscle.  Cardio exercise, by contrast, draws on glucose or stored energy.

Brian suggests that after weight training I should immediately sip a high protein drink to feed stressed muscle tissue.  With the body supplied with protein, cardio exercise will tend to draw on glucose (if available) or on stored fat cells.

Michael Siegel suggests a further refinement of Brian's technique as set out at the RealAge website – according to an article entitled "Give Your Workout a Break," the rate at which the body burns fuel can be enhanced by engaging in two 30 minute cardio sessions broken up by a 20 minute gap. 

Michael and I have implemented Brian's tip about the order of our workout and about the use of a high protein drink immediately after the weight training.  I definitely feel less drained after a hard workout and I don't tire as easily later in the day.  I suppose that I might also notice more weight loss if I stopped eating so much, but, after all, Rome was not built in a day.

When, for example you initially grip a kettlebell placed on the floor, you hold it by a handle.   As you  begin lifting the kettlebell, you are engaged in a pulling motion.  As you raise the kettlebell, its center of gravity relative to your body begins to shift and at approximately shoulder height, the pull on your bicep, tricep and shoulder muscles becomes a pushing motion.

The effect of this change in the center of gravity in this sample exercise is to engage stabilizing muscles at multiple points in and around your arm and core.  By contrast, a standard biceps curl engages only those stabilizing muscles necessary to support your arm in a single plane of motion.

While kettlebells offer advantages over dumbbells, both are far superior to using exercise machines commonly found in exercise gyms.  This past Thursday, my regular workout partner, Michael, and I conducted an experiment to examine this difference.  The exercise we selected was an overhead triceps curl.  Our regular triceps exercise involves lying on an exercise ball with arms extended overhead, grabbing a 70lb. weight and raising 45 degrees until the weight is directly overhead.  My maximum for this exercise is currently 70 lbs. and Michael's is 75.

We decided to test our capacity on a pulldown machine, which triggers approximately the same muscles.  Each of us was able to comfortably pull down close to 150 lbs.  The reason – the pulldown machine does not engage any stabilizing muscles and requires movement in only one plane.  All muscle energy can be focused on one controlled movement.  This machine might be helpful building bulk, but I suspect that it would not be helpful creating strength.

Our next step is to substitute a kettlebell for the dumbbell in our exercise ball routine.  I would imagine that the center of gravity weight shift will occur at about a 20 degrees angle of lift.

Everyone who is involved in a strength training program agrees that good strength training equipment is worth its weight in gold. Are kettlebells good strength training equipment? The answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Are Kettlebells Good Strength Training Equipment For All Sports?

It is important to thoroughly understand the purpose of a kettlebell. A kettlebell is aptly named. It is a cast iron weight that looks like a cannonball that has a handle on top. It was originally developed in Russia and is considered one of the most effective training tools available on the market.

It is for use by people serious about developing muscle strength. Answering the question "Are kettlebells good strength training equipment?" leads to a list of the advantages to using them in a fitness program.

• Can be used for proper muscle development for any sport or athletic activity
• Combines development of strength and flexibility
• Provides overall muscle development
• Improves grip strength
• Improves fat to lean mass ratio
• Defines physique
• Expands stamina

There are obviously many benefits to using kettlebells by competitors in training. But there are many people equally serious about muscle development who never join a competition or participate in athletics on a regular basis.

But when we ask the question again, "Are kettlebells good strength training equipment?" the answer does not change. They can be used in any serious fitness program that focuses on strength training.

Are Kettlebells Good Strength Training Equipment for John Doe?

Kettlebells come in various weight sizes. Like any program that uses weights, you build your muscle strength through practice, repetitions and regular effort. Kettlebells are perfect for the person who wants to seriously train, but not invest a lot of money and space on equipment.

The iron weights replace a variety of traditional exercise equipment including dumbbells, medicine balls and grip devices. It also offers overall body fitness that benefits anyone interested in good health. Are kettlebells good strength training equipment? Judge for yourself!

• Improves back strength
• Strengthens shoulders
• Reduces chances of injury through development of joint flexibility
• Strengthens arms and grip

The benefits of training with kettlebells apply to anyone who needs muscle strength, flexibility and endurance. Now ask yourself, "Are kettlebells good strength training equipment?" and see if you don't agree they are a remarkable and effective tool.

Are Kettlebells Good Strength Training for Jane Doe?

You know that kettlebells are great weight training equipment for men. But are kettlebells good strength training equipment for women? The answer is "yes" again. Women get just as much benefit from using kettlebells as men. The only difference is that they normally start training with a smaller weight.

There are kits and videos and manuals available for purchase that explain how to get the most benefit from training with kettlebells. Using Russian kettlebells you can develop the physique you have always wanted. The answer is always a yes when asking, "Are kettlebells good strength training equipment?"