Marc's post summarizes in a few hundred words what a lot of folks put in entire books.  Take a look.  Also take a look at Mark's blog - MuscleHack.  This week he has an insightful post called "10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 21."   With March Madness in full swing, this must be the month for numbered lists.

On "upper arms" days, we do exercises on both stable and unstable platforms.  Stable platform arm work includes work on the bench press and the pull down machines.  Instability work includes kettlebells, dumbbells and bar bells.

Stable platform work allows for more weight, while unstable platform work tends to be more aerobic and tone oriented.  Of all the unstable platform exercises we do, the kettlebells work the stabalizing muscles and they tend to be much more aerobic.

We have not been focusing as much on the kettlebells lately because our gym (LA Fitness) does not have kettlebells and we have to bring our own.   For whatever reason it seems to take too much effort to schlep in the kettlebells on a freezing cold morning.  In addition, I strained my back back in November and again last week and I have been hesitant to carry the kettlebells in from the car before I am warmed up.  As the weather gets warmer, we'll get back to including the kettlebells at least once a week.

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.

Our routine has been to run through three sets of five exercises.  Most of the exercises involve 20 repetitions of the exercise.   Each set takes about 20 minutes so our routine totals about an hour.   We also include a 20 minute pre-workout stretch and sometimes a 30 minute interval training on the eliptical.  There is still probably too much talking going on, but I always work up a good sweat and the routine is a great start to the day.

Recently we changed things up a bit.  Instead of performing three sets of five exercises, with each a break between each set, we are performing two sets of 10 different exercises with increased reps and increased weight.  I like the new approach as it breaks up the routine and involves more muscle groups.  We tend to alternate between upper body and ab work which enhances the whole body benefit of the kettlebells.  As we get used to the increased weights, I expect that we will move to three sets of the ten exercises.

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Currently Michael, Michele and I are undertaking a kettlebell workout at least two times a week - right now, both Michael and I play in a recreactional basketball league and we have not summoned the willpower or energy to pump kettlebells the day after a basketball game.

I will go into each exercise more specifically in blog posts to come, but for now, here are the six exercises that we have learned from Jeff Hopeck:

1. squat/raise with a single kettlebell
2. bicep raise and balance with two kettlebells
3. kettlebell squat and swing with one kettlebell
4. swing, toss and raise with one kettlebell
5. core leg lift on the mat with two kettlebells
6. reverse lunge with two kettlebells

Our routine is to start with ten repetitions of each exercise, then nine, then eight.  Rest for five minutes, then do seven reps, six reps and five reps.  Take another five minute rest.   Finish with four, three, two and one rep.

We finished up with interval sprints for 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, although there was probably more talking than what would be optimal.

The entire kettlebell portion of the workout takes about an hour and it is exhausting.  I feel that we easily are packing in 2 to 2 1/2 hours of workout into sixty minutes.

Stay tuned for more variations of these exercises and videos. 

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Jeff will be making regular contributions to this blog in weeks to come and he mentioned a less well known component of kettlebell workouts - proper breathing techniques.

Kettlebell exercises have the advantage of compressing several hours worth of traditional exercise into one-half to one-third of the time, but you must incorporate the right breathing into the exercises to maximize your exertion and to avoid injury.  Proper breathing also underlies the aerobic component of kettlebell exercises.

Jeff will be demonstrating some of these breathing techniques in future posts and we are glad to tap into his expertise.

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Michael & Michele demonstrate a squat with Swiss Ball support:

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Kettlebell swing

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Overhead lift

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 1.  Lawnmower pull - stand with feet at shoulder width, kettlebell at rest next to left foot.  With right arm, reach down and across body, grasp kettlebell handle and pull slowly across body.  Make sure to keep stress off lower back by bending at the knees and keeping body weight towards heels.  Pull kettlebell across body and straight up to the right.  Repeat 15 times with the left arm and 15 times with the right.   We did three sets of these, running sprints in between sets.  Note that I started with my right arm because I am left handed - a right hander would start with the left arm.

2.  Standing dip - stand with feet at shoulder width and kettlebell between feet.  Bending at the knees lower body and grasp kettlebell handle, raising to waist.  15 dips constitute a set.  Do three sets total, breaking up each set with a sprint or other exercise.

3.  Upper body raise - stand with feet at shoulder width and kettlebell held in both hands at waist.  Raise arms to chest level keeping elbows extended.  15 raises constitute a set.  Do three sets.  Michael did this exercise with two kettlebells, one in each hand.  Michele and I used only one.

4.  Back dip - stand with feet at shoulder width and kettlebell in hands behind body.  Slowly dip into squatting position.  Note that this exercise was actually quite easy as the weight of the kettlebell held behind the body did not really trigger any stabilizing muscles.  Do three sets of 15 reps.

5.  Standing arm extension - standing with feet at shoulder width, hold the kettlebell at chest level and rotate upwards towards face, taking care not to hit your face with the handle!   Three sets of 15 reps.

6.  Kettlebell planks - start in pushup position with hands on the round part of the bell.  Hold pushup position for 45 seconds.   Secondly, vary position from low to ground, high and middle - 15 seconds each for a total of 60 seconds.

Technorati Tags: kettlebells, stabilizing muscles, planks, low back support, kettle bell

Today we did the following exercises:

1) standing cross arm pull - from a standing position with the kettlebell to the left of my left foot, I reached down (making sure to bend my knees), grabbed the handle with my right hand and pulled diagonally upwards into a full extension on the right.  Then, I returned the kettlebell to the starting position.  Think of the motion you would use in starting a power lawnmower.  I did 12 reps using the right arm and 12 on the left.

2) "stars" with the kettlebell.  I started by lying on my right side on an exercise mat.  With my legs extended and my left foot on top of my right, I balanced and braced myself  using my right arm only.   In my left hand, with left arm extended, I held the 8kg kettlebell over my head.  In theory, I should be able to hold this position for 30 seconds - in reality, today, I held it for less than 15.   I then changed arms and was able to brace with my left, holding the kettlebell in my right hand.  I was able to hold this position for 25 seconds.  Note that I am left handed so my left arm is stronger.

My workout partners Michael and Michele had more success than me - they were both able to hold both the left and right positions for 30 seconds.

3) balance ball with kettlebell.  I started by sitting on the balance ball and slowly rolled the ball to the point where I was parallel to the ground, with the balance ball between my shoulder blades.  I then did three kettlebell exercises.

First, I did a chest press by holding an 8kg kettlebell in each hand and extending straight up for 12 repetitions. 

Second, I did a rounded press starting with the kettlebells at shoulder width and height and, by forming a rounded "C" brought my hands together for 12 repetitions.

Third, I did a press holding the kettlebells at waist level for 12 repetitions.

We did three sets of each of these exercises with minimal rest in between.

Our final kettlebell exercise was aerobic and took place in the basketball gym.  First each of us did two sprints across the gym diagonally.  Next we did two sets of  "suicide"s.  Our final "suicide" was a kettlebell haul - run to the free throw line, leave the kettlebell and run back.   Next, run to pick up the kettlebell and bring it to midcourt, leave it and run back.  Next, run to pick up the kettlebell and haul it to the far free throw line, leave it and back.  Next, run to pick up the kettlebell run to the end line, leave it and back.  And finally, run to pick up the kettlebell, and run with it back to the base line.

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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.

You really have to know what you are doing when you start kettlebell training. If you do it incorrectly, you can easily injure your lungs. Once you master the techniques, the wrist action of kettlebell exercises will help you develop strong tendons and ligaments in your wrists, elbows and shoulders and thus will increase the strength of your arms.

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Triathletes are a special population due to the fact they are training for three events simultaneously, i.e. swimming, biking, and running.  Efficiency is of the utmost importance, especially for Ironman competitors, 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run ALL IN ONE DAY!!  Thus, there are many problems these athletes run into throughout the course of their training programs.  The most common issues are over-training, weak core, tight hip flexors, tight low back, and stress fractures mainly in the lower leg and small bones of the feet.
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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.

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I like to incorporate about 5 exercises into my complexes. Any more than that and you might start to forget what’s next in the sequence. Here’s an example of a killer barbell complex that really gets me fired up:

Example Barbell Complex

1. high pull from floor (explosive deadlift right into upright row in one motion);

2. barbell back to thighs, then hang clean (explosively pull bar from knees and “catch” the bar at shoulders);

3. barbell back to floor, then clean & jerk;

4. barbell back to thighs, bend over, then bent over row;

5. barbell back to thighs, then finish with Romanian deadlift

Use a weight that you can still handle for your weakest lift of the bunch, but keep it heavy enough to challenge you. Try to repeat the sequence 2-3 times without resting… That’s 1 set. You could progress over time on this routine by increasing the amount of times you repeat the sequence in each set, or by adding sets on subsequent workouts before eventually increasing the weight. For example, say you completed the above complex with 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 3 sets in today’s workout. Next time you perform the workout, try to do 155 lbs for 3 sequences per set for 4 sets. Once you successfully complete 5 sets with 155, increase the weight 5 or 10 lbs next time, and drop back to 3 sets. This is a great way to make improvements over time, while cycling your training volume.

Now I’m going to show you a great kettlebell complex that really kicks my butt. I’ve been training with kettlebells for a little over a year now, and can definitely say that they’ve dramatically improved my strength, body composition, and overall physical capabilities. If you’re not familiar with kettlebells, they are an old eastern European training secret that has just started to take the US by storm over the last few years. Many elite athletes are using kettlebells as their preferred training tool for serious results. Learn more info and pick up one of your own body-hardening kettlebells at http://truthaboutabs.com/fitness-products.html. I’d recommend just starting off with one bell and learn all of the single kettlebell drills first, before delving into the double-bell drills. Just one kettlebell coupled with some bodyweight exercises can literally be enough to comprise your own home gym, without any other equipment necessary. Or you can just incorporate kettlebell training into your normal training routine once or twice a week to shake up your routine and stimulate new results.

Example Kettlebell Complex

1. one arm swing

2. one arm snatch, keep the bell over head;

3. one arm overhead squat;

4. bell back down to bottom, then one arm split snatch;

5. bell back down to bottom, then one arm clean & press

As with the barbell complex, repeat the sequence (without rest) 2-3 times with each arm. That’s one set…and one hell of a killer set at that! Try increasing from 3 to 4 to 5 sets on subsequent workouts with a given weight before increasing your sequence reps. If you’re not drenched in sweat with your heart beating out of your chest after that complex, you either went too light, or you are a mutant freak!

Alright, since most people will have easier access to dumbbells instead of kettlebells, now I’ll show you how to compile a good dumbbell complex.

Example Dumbbell Complex

1. upright row with each arm separately, then both together;

2. front lunge with one leg, then the other;

3. back lunge with one leg, then the other;

4. curl to overhead press;

5. keep dumbbells at shoulders and squat

Again, the same type of sequencing and progressions work great with the dumbbell complexes. I think a great strategy is to alternate barbell complexes on one day with kettlebell or dumbbell complexes on alternative training days. For example, you could do barbell complexes Monday, K-bell or D-bell complexes Wednesday, and back to barbell complexes on Friday. Maybe hit some sprints and bodyweight drills on Saturday; then Monday would be K-bell or D-bell complexes again, Wednesday would be barbells again, and so on. Give this program a try for a month (if you dare), and you will be one hardened individual!

For more killer full body training routines and a fully comprehensive nutritional analysis for developing the body you’ve always wanted, check out http://truthaboutabs.com.

Michael Geary is a nationally dual certified personal trainer (NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT), and author of "The Truth about Six Pack Abs" ©2004-2005.

Visit http://truthaboutabs.com/Training-and-Nutrition-Articles.html to receive your own personalized metabolic rate calculator as well as 5 of my secret hard-body workout routines - both FREE, with no purchase necessary.