Three Tips To Improve Your Kettlebell Clean

I was in the middle of a kettlebell clean and press workout (the ETK Rite of Passage to be exact) the other day and something dawned on me: it took me literally thousands of reps to really master the kettlebell clean. One of the issues was that I waited too long to get proper
coaching on the movement - so that's a testament to get with a Certified Russian Kettlebell
Instructor in your area if want to learn how to do things right.

I find that it's the little cues and coaching points that make all the difference when teaching clients - whether it's how to train with kettlebells or how to perform a squat or a push-up. So here are three of those cues I often use when teaching the kettlebell clean:

1. Refine your arc

The arc of the clean is much closer to the body than that of a swing. Think of zipping up a
jacket as you bring the 'bell up the front of your body.

2. Get the hip drive 'just right'

To get the arc right, you'll also need to generate just the right amount of power with the
hips: too much and you'll end up banging your wrist, too little and the movement ends up more
like a cheat curl. You just gotta practice this.

3. Upper cut your hand around the 'bell

Instead of letting the kettlebell come around your forarm, you should think about quickly
getting your hand around the it as it comes up your body.

I hope these three tips help you refine one of the trickiest basic kettlebell exercises, the
kettlebell clean. Keep training hard and good luck!

If you're still new to kettlebell training and need some help learning and/or refining the basic drills, check out the new KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide on kettlebellbasics.net. It breaks down the swing, the squat, the get up, the clean and press, and the snatch into detail and helps you incorporate these movements into your existing routine to put you on the fast track to reaching your fitness goals!

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To kick off our online training program at thefitnessmonster.com, we're doing a pilot program: five slots will be opened up at a 50% discount for one month ($49 for the first five individuals - standard pricing of $99 a month moving forward). This will include individualized program design, meal planning, and most importantly feedback on what's working and what's not. You'll also get a free copy of the No Gym? No Excuse! training manual when you sign up.

There are several reasons why online training is superior to doing a program you get from a book, magazine, or somewhere else online - most importantly, an individualized program can be based on the equipment you have available, the amount of time you have to train, and your own specific recovery ability. You also will be required to keep a training journal, which adds a huge element of accountability - another thing you won't get from a 'cookie-cutter' program you find somewhere else.

You'll submit a training log and nutrition journal once a week, and you'll be given an opportunity to ask any questions you'd like about any aspect of the training program. If you're not familiar with any given exercise, I'll supply you with the pictures and/or videos that you need to bring you up to speed.

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Win A Free Copy Of The KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide

Quick reminder that I'm giving away two free copies of our new kettlebell training manual over on kettlebellbasics.net - it'll literally take you three or four minutes to enter. What do you have to lose? Head over and check it out by clicking HERE!

Online Personal Fitness Training: Pros and Cons

Online training seems to be getting more popular all the time - and as a seasoned 'real-life' trainer and coach, I'd like to provide a little input as to what I think of it's value. I'll give you my opinion of a few of the pros - and the cons - of online personal fitness training.

If you're the self - motivated type, but you want a truly individualized program based on your specific goals, your individual recovery ability, the amount of time you have and the equipment you have available, then online personal training is probably a good option for you. You won't have someone there with you every step of the way, but you'll typically have a totally customized plan and you'll be able to get feedback on what's working and what's not. This is something you simply can't get from a program you find in a book, in a magazine, or on the internet. Another plus is that online personal fitness training is significantly less costly than the 'old-school' in-person variety.

On the flip side, if you're looking for a personal trainer to hold you accountable to being at a physical location (i.e. the gym) a certain number of times per week, online training probably isn't for you. A training journal that's sent in for review, say, once a week can help, but for pure accountability, a trainer waiting for you at the gym can't be beat.

Online personal fitness training has pros and cons associated with it. A lot depends on who you are and the type of training you'll do well with. If you are interested in going this route, picking a trainer who has a proven track record of results and has the credentials to back it up is really important. We're rolling out an online training program at forestvancetraining.com - stay tuned for details in the very near future! In the meantime, make sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay posted on all the latest - drop your name and email in the box in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Back Exercises You Can Do Without Weights

If you know what you're doing, you can get a great workout with your own body weight almost anywhere. Pretty cool, really - I guess knowledge is power, as they say. However, one body part that's pretty tough to hit without any equipment at all is your back - especially if you don't have a chin up bar or anything to do your pulling on. Being recently faced with this problem myself, I thought I'd come up with a few exercises to help you solve this problem next time you find yourself at home or on the road in a hotel room and in need of a decent back workout:

1. Wall Slides

These are killer for the muscles in the middle of your back like the middle and lower traps. Simply stand with your back against a wall, making sure that your heels, calves, glutes, lower back, shoulders, and back of your head touch the wall behind you. Now, put your arms up against the wall in a 'v' like you're stickin' em up. Slide the hands up and down the wall, making sure to keep the back of the elbow and the back of the hand in contact with the wall at all times.

2. Bent Over Rows

You'll need a couple of dumbells or kettlebells for this one (fine, so I lied - you do need a little equipment - but you can always go prison-style and use water filled bags if you really don't have any weights). Grab one weight in each hand, bend over by pushing your hips backwards and hinging at the hip joint. Imagine you're punching your butt through the wall behind you. Your back should be perfectly flat. Now, row the weights up towards your abdomen. Squeeze the shoulder blades together. That's one rep.

3. Cobras

Lay on the ground face first. Pick a point in front of you about three inches in front of your face. Your arms should be straight and the palms facing down towards the ground. Pick the chest up off the ground only and the thumbs should rotate up towards the celing.

Wall slides, bent rows and cobras are three killer back exercises that you can do pretty much anywhere you are. Hopefully these exercises add to your arsenal - and you'll never have an excuse to miss a back workout again!

Myth Buster: Fat Burning Foods

Is there actually such a thing as a 'fat burning' or 'negative calorie' food? I'll talk about exactly what a fat burning food is and if you can actually use this principle to reach your weight loss goals.

A fat burning food is loosely defined as a food that ultilizes more energy being processed by the body than it does contain energy in itself. Foods that are high in protein and fiber are the type of foods that would theoretically fall into this category, as protein and fiber take more energy to process by the body than do foods coming primarily from carbohydrate or fat. Some spicy foods could fit into this category, too, as they contain a substance called capsaicin that could elevate your metabolic rate slightly.

So is it enough to make a difference? In short, no. The difference is so small that you're much better off focusing on the basics - like controlling your portion sizes, balancing your foods the right way, and eating multiple small meals throughout the day.

In summary, the concept of 'fat burning' or 'negative calorie' foods doesn't hold much truth. Dail in the basics, stay focused, and you'll be at your fitness goals in no time. Good luck!

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more free tips like these - just drop your name and email into the box in the upper right hand corner of the screen!

Green Bulge Review

Looking for a killer creatine product? Green Bulge by Controlled Labs is one of my personal favorites. It's a creatine supplement that comes in pill form and is very effective for building size and strength.

According to bodybuilding.com, Green Bulge "combines Magnesium Creatine Chelate (MCC), a patented form of creatine, with Dicreatine Malate (2CM) to deliver synergistic benefits." It's a lot more advanced than your old school creatine powder - and it works a lot better.

This product starts to work very quickly. I notice an increased pump when working out and an ability to eek out a few extra reps at the end of my sets within a couple of days of starting to take it.

I personally like the pill form - it's more convenient that having to mix something up. If you like a drink-type of creatine pre-workout supplement, check out this recent review I did of Jacked3d

by USP labs. Green Bulge is also different than Jacked3d in that it doesn't contain any kind of stimulant - a pro or con depending on how you look at it.

Another great thing about this product is the price - if you order from bodybuilding.com, it ends up being about 30 bucks with shipping - about as cheap as you'll find for a month's worth of a quality creatine product.

This product probably isn't for you if you're trying to lose fat or aren't that interested in gaining muscle. It's a mass gain supplement for sure. Also, some people, as I said, might not like taking pills. It's ultimately up to you to decide on what type of creatine supplement will work best for you.

Green Bulge is all-in-all a great creatine supplement. I highly recommend it if you're trying to gain size and strength. It works fast and comes in a convenient pill form. Although it might not be the absolute best creatine product for everyone, I think this is a product you can feel good about ordering. Click the link below to order Green Bulge from bodybuilding.com today!

Controlled Labs Green Bulge, 150 Capsules

Workouts To Lose Weight Quick

So you're feeling a little guilty about the few pounds you put on over the holidays and you need a plan to help you lose weight quick. Don't worry - I'm going to share a few things with you today to help you lose weight fast. These are structuring your workout for maximum efficiency, focusing on 'bang for your buck' exercises, and pairing exercises together during your workouts.

First, your workout should be structured so that you burn as many calories as possible in the amount of time you have available. Weight loss boils down to taking in less calories then you expend, after all. In order to burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time, we're going to focus on exercises that give you lots of 'bang for your buck': we'll pick exercises that work lots of muscle groups at once. If our goal is fast weight loss, a circuit like this would be great:



Exercises like concentration curls, on the other hand, would be out. These are called 'isolation' exercises - fine for bodybuilding, but probably not the best or most productive choice for fast weight loss:



Finally, 'pair' your exercises together during your workouts. For example, you might pick a lower body exercise, like squats, and alternate between that and an upper body exercise, like push ups. This is much more time efficient - and not to mention just plain tougher - than the traditional do a set, rest, do a set, etc. type of set up.

These are just a few tips to help you structure your workouts to lose weight quick. Putting this information together to build a workout that's designed with you and your specific goals in mind is critical. If you'd like a free seven day workout plan and some quick and easy meal and snack ideas to give you more structure and help you move towards your goals faster and more efficiently, visit nogymnoexcuse.com and sign up - and good luck with your weight loss efforts in the new year!

Free KB Training Video - Common KB Technique Problems and How To Fix Them

If you're relatively new to KB training, odds are that your form isn't 100% on point yet. I've created a free 11 minute video that goes over common problems with the swing, the snatch, and the clean - and how to fix them.

Technique is super important when it comes to getting the most out of your kettlebell training; to check the new video out, click HERE.

Looking forward to a great 2010!