I was deadlifting at the gym last week and was feeling strong. It was Week 3 of a 4 week program, so I was stoked and ready to break a PR or 2.

 After an extensive warm-up of foam rolling, static stretching, glute & ab activation and various hip mobility exercises and 5 minutes of jumping rope, I hit the lifting platform.

 First up was some power cleans (which I have been doing for the past few weeks because I’ve been focusing on getting my vertical jump numbers up).  I warmed up thoroughly on those and finished 3 working sets of 3 reps each.

 Now onto the main lift - deadlifts.  Working my way up from the weight that I was cleaning, I got to 225lbs and pulled it of the floor and felt a sharp pain on my left side as I was locking out.  Immediately, I dropped the weight (luckily with a lifting platform and bumper plates you’re actually encouraged to drop the weight at the gym I train at).

 I walked around holding my butt assessing the situation. I couldn’t lean forward, I could hardly twist at my waist and I definitely couldn’t bend over.  I’m famous for doing stupid things in my life and in my younger more ego driven days I would have just tried to "work through" the pain. Now at 33, all I could think about was "how am I going to lift my kids on and off the merry-go-round tomorrow" as we were scheduled to take an annual amusement park trip the next day.

 So I got changed, hopped on my bike and very gingerly rode home.

 After getting home I booked an early AM appointment with my chiropractor.

When I got to his place the next morning he said I had strained my glute medius ( the muscle right on top of the thick part of your butt).  So in the middle of his living room, with my pants down, he stuck 3 acupuncture needles in my glute.

 One of his 3 young sons came downstairs and then quickly ran back up saying "Mom, check it out!  There’s a man in our living room with 3 needles in his butt!" … not one of my most glorious moments.

Regardless, he did an amazing job of acupuncture, nerve stimulation and then some ART (which is a form of soft tissue work) to help me get somewhat functional. He also said to lay off the weights for week and wait until the glute is fully functional again before I start squatting and deadlifting.  

He also said to try to get some blood in the area by doing some higher rep/sub-maximal work like riding your bike.  To speed up recovery.

So I asked myself… What can I do that’s high rep with a submaximal load that will flood my injured area with blood so that recovery will speed up?

KETTLEBELL SWINGS!

Well that’s what I did the following week. Lots of upper body work and a bunch of kettlebell swings with a very light weight (16kg).

Here’s what my "rehab" program looked like for the week…

1. Foam rolling & trigger point work with a tennis ball.

2. Static stretching for my glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings, lats & pecs.

3. Activation work for my glutes, abs & upper back.

4. Then I did a simple circuit that looked something like this (although it varied from day to day)…

-1-leg split squat (with one hand on my VMO & the other on my glute)

-chin-ups

-push-ups

-KB Swing or KB 1-arm Snatches w/16kg kettlebell

I did a few rounds of that (3 to 5 rounds) and then I finished with…

-plank x 2 minutes

-side plank x 1 minute per side

-hip bridge x 2 minutes

-prone cobra x 2 minutes

I think the key to the program above was 1) I kept it simple and 2) I used a KB that was relatively easy.  Remember, the goal of the program was to help me recover from pulling/straining my glute. So using a submaximal weight was exactly what I needed. I just had to flood the area with blood to accelerate healing (blood transports the bad stuff out and brings the good stuff into the affected area).

The result… I went back to the gym yesterday and cleaned and deadlifted with no issues. In fact, I was able to pick up exactly where I left off without having to drop the weight. And then I finished the workout with Chin-Ups and TGUs.

Can I attribute being fully recovered to the kettlebell swings?  Probably not. Having a great chiropractor, taking some time off lifting heavy, applying a topical all-natural ointment (Traumeel) and riding my bike helped too, I’m sure.

But being able to still workout (and doing it intelligently) while I was injured made a HUGE difference in my recovery and allowed me to maintain momentum towards getting great results.

-Chris, CSCS, CTT

 
That’s a common question that I get from pretty much everyone new to kettlebell training.

The answer, I’m sure to your surprise, is YES.  

Yes, you can hurt your back training with KBs…

…but you can also hurt your back doing traditional weight training.

You can hurt your back bending over to tie your shoes.

You can hurt your back twisting the wrong way when you put your 2-year-old in her car seat.

The point is that it isn’t a kettlebell that will hurt your back.  

It’s years and years of stress that’s been put on your back because of de-conditioning, lack of hip or thoracic (upper back) mobility, improper training practices, decades of poor posture or just weakness of the muscles supporting your spine.

Don’t blame the kettlebell (or the barbell, car seat, or your new pair of Nikes).

Fortunately, there are solutions and ways to prevent back pain. Some of the more common ones are…

• understanding the real functioning of your abdominal and low back muscles
• making sure your butt (glutes) work properly
• increasing the mobility in your hips and upper back
• learning how to brace when you’re exercising
• knowing what movements put the most stress on your spine and avoiding them if possible
• monitoring your diet for foods that could be inflaming your gut and turning your abdominal muscles "off" (and believe it or not, that’s a big one!)

There’s been a lot of "research proven" methods out there to help you with your back pain, but more often than not, these methods fall short.

And my confidence in the medical community really starts to wain when I see a new client with back issues get prescribed some kind of pain killing pill to get rid of his back pain…

...Pills just hide the symptom, they don’t get rid of the problem.

So when I wrote my article last week on whether or not your Abs Can Handle Kettlebell Training, I looked at the research done my Dr. Stuart McGill to get my information.  

And when one of his students, Eric Wong (a Certified Kinesiologist who also happens to be a trusted colleague & friend of mine), came out with the exact guide that helped him get over 10 years of back pain, I had to get myself a copy to review.

If you have a history of back pain or want to know how to make your back "bulletproof", then I strongly suggest you pick-up a copy of Eric’s Bulletproof Back System HERE.

Eric’s putting on a 50% off promo sale until Friday, April 16th @ midnight.

=>Get started with the BULLETPROOF BACK SYSTEM here

Don’t let back pain limit your training or your life.

To your health,

Chris Lopez, CSCS, CTT

 This post was written by Chris Lopez. Follow him on Twitter, friend him on Facebook or check out his Tumblr feed.

I came across THIS article in a back issue of MacLeans Magazine over the weekend while at a friend’s house.

It talks about the research done by Dr. Stuart McGill, who in my opinion, is the #1 spine and low back researcher in word (he also happens to be Canadian).

Dr. McGill has written 2 books and has done numerous workshops on his findings of the importance of proper core training and low back injury and health.  Having done several of Dr. McGill’s workshops and visiting him in his laboratory a few years back, I know that he is the real deal.  

His big claim to fame among the general population is being known as "The Man Who Wants To Kill Crunches".

Because of McGill, I’ve renounced crunches, sit-ups and pretty much any exercise that involves you flexing your spine (or rounding your back).  In the TT KB Revolution Programs you won’t find any weighted sit-ups, side bends or stiff-legged dead lifts that require you to hunch over.

Your spine only has a finite number of flexions in it before you end up blowing a disc or seriously injuring yourself. If you couple that with adding resistance (like holding a 45lb plate on your chest while you’re anchored down and doing full sit-ups), you’re just asking for trouble.

I wrote a post a couple of weeks back and showed you the perfect ab circuit complement to your Kettlebell Training, but what if you’re just getting started with Kettlebells?

The main point to understand before even thinking about swinging or snatching or even picking-up (literally) a kettlebell is that your spine must remain TIGHT.  And by tight I mean that your back shouldn’t round when you pick-up a KB or hunch on the down-swing of a 1 or 2 arm KB swing.

So if you’re just starting out, then the "Core Support" program that accompanies your TT Kettlebell Revolution Manual is what you should master.

In that program you learn how to "separate" your breathing from your brace so that you can maintain tight abs for an extended period of time.  

You’ll learn the specific bench marks that I’ve set for you to reach in order for you to progress with more ab training.

And finally, you’ll understand why your 6-pack looks the way it does and why your abs were never meant to bring your torso into hips.

Unlike traditional isolated ab training, the Core Support program works your torso as a single unit - BECAUSE THAT’S HOW YOUR BODY FUNCTIONS IN LIFE (as a unit and not as bunch of little isolated muscles).

So work hard on learning how to keep your spine stable and your abs tight and you will get that much more from your kettlebell training - not only because kettlebell training burns fat and builds muscle better than any workout you’ll find in a bodybuilding magazine, but because you’ll stay healthy and injury free with no back pain which will allow you to be consistent with your workouts and your results.

Chris Lopez, CSCS, CTT

 Before we get to Episode 3, here’s a quick Life Lesson that can be applied to the Pistol Series of videos…

PROGRESS SLOWLY!

I won’t turn this into a rant, but I see this type of thing every day.  It’s like our society is plagued with individuals who want things YESTERDAY and can’t understand why they don’t see immediate results. Maybe it’s a product of the information age where you can get any product you want at the click of a button.

People have to realize that that kind of attitude doesn’t work with exercise, health, strength or fat loss.

THERE IS NO INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

It took a lot of hard work when I was young to be able to do my first pistol and even now, I am STILL working on improving my form and strength with this exercise.

If you have never done a bodyweight squat below parallel before, then don’t expect to be able to do a pistol within a couple of weeks!  Heck, don’t even try it!  (Because you can really mess up your knees).

Do your soft tissue/foam rolling work and your mobility work CONSISTENTLY.

PRACTICE getting below parallel on your 2-leg bodyweight squats until you can do about 2 sets of 30-40 reps without discomfort.

Then progress to single leg variations like the ones outlined in Episode 2 of How to do a Pistol using the same rep recommendations above (2 sets of 15-20 per leg with no discomfort).

THEN try some pistols or some pistol variations (like the 2 I show you in the video below)…

Progress slowly and work hard and you will get there.

Train Smart,

Chris Lopez

Craig Ballantyne here with a guest post for KettlebellWorkouts.com…

I love training outside with kettlebells. In fact, I go almost all winter long without using kettlebells because I just don’t like using them inside.

But this weekend it was about 50 degrees out on Saturday (about 10 degrees Celcius) and that was warm enough for me and my dog to head outside for a kettlebell-bodyweight circuit.

And I have one each of the 35, 44, 53, and 70lb kettlebells out at the farm that I was able to use…although to be honest I didn’t even bring out the 70 from it’s hiding spot…soon, but not yet.

My first circuit was a COMBO of BODYWEIGHT and KETTLEBELLS and I built the specific warm-up into the circuit:

1) Prisoner Squat
2) Kettlebell Swing
3) Decline Pushup
4) Kettlebell Snatch
5) Kettlebell Lunge
6) Grasshopper Pushup
7) Kettlebell 1-arm Swing
Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

(NOTE: I tried doing some sprints but when I’m working out with the dog he always tries to jump on me when I’m running and it breaks out into a 5-minute dog wrestling match…so I stuck to the kettlebells while he barked at another dog a mile away…)

Then I moved into a KETTLEBELLS-ONLY circuit:

1) Kettlebell Snatch
2) Kettlebell Renegade Row
3) Kettlebell 1-arm Overhead Press
4) Kettlebell Row
5) Kettlebell Swing
Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

That was all I did…a tough workout for me, but I’m no Marine…so for all those advanced readers, you can probably do more…but I’m just getting the "rust off" right now.

Should be snatching that 70lb kettlebell for 15-20 reps by early June.

NOTE: If you are a BEGINNER or INTERMEDIATE, please start with an easier workout from Chris Lopez’s Kettlebell fat loss workouts here:

=> http://kettlebellworkouts.com/fatloss/

Your friend,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, Turbulence Training

PS - For more kettlebell workouts…

…keep an eye on the blog for new stuff for Chris. And if you don’t have his complete kettlebell manual to take you through the spring and the summer, head over to this website to get it at the new price:

=> http://kettlebellworkouts.com/fatloss/

To your success!

This past weekend was exciting. I’m a HUGE college basketball fan.

In my opinion, there is no other sport more pure, more passionate and more exciting than NCAA college basketball in March.  This is especially true with the lower ranked teams who end up beating one of the national "powerhouses" in a one-and-done format.

 These underdog or "Cinderella" teams usually come out of nowhere to literally SHOCK one of the major schools.

 Cases in point…

 -Murray State sticking it to Vanderbilt in a buzzer beating jumper

-Cornell, from the Ivy league, making to the Sweet 16

-Northern Iowa knocking off the Kansas Jayhawks, the overall #1 seed in the tournament

Guys play their guts out and leave it all on the floor because they know that somebody has to go home when the last buzzer sounds.  

You see emotions run wild - tears & sweat, joy & anger and most importantly UNMEASURABLE INTENSITY.

The best part is that I’m watching this year’s tourney with absolutely no allegiance to any team because my favourite team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, didn’t make this year’s tournament (don’t worry, I’m over it now - I just want Duke to lose).

This means that I’m able to enjoy each and every game that I get the opportunity to watch without having to be stressed out by whether or not my team wins or loses.

So in honour of those Cinderella teams, for their hard work, passion and relentless abandon, here is a kettlebell circuit for you to do this week.

I’ve named it the "Leave it on the Floor" Circuit because that’s what you’ll do. You’ll pour everything you have into 4-6 minutes of intense, sweat-inducing Kettlebell and bodyweight exercises to help you overcome the mountain standing in your way… and yes, there are Mountain Climbers in this circuit.

Win-or-Go-Home, baby!

The "Leave it on the Floor" Circuit

KB Snatch x 15 per arm (alternating arms every 5 reps) 

KB Goblet Squats x 30

Push-Ups x 20

Mountain Climbers x 30

(rest 45-60s if necessary)

KB Snatch x 10 per arm (alternating arms every 5 reps)

KB Goblet Squats x 25

Push-Ups x 15

Mountain Climbers x 20

(rest 45-60s if necessary)

 KB Snatch x 5 per arm

KB Goblet Squats x 20

Push-Ups x 10

Mountain Climbers x 10

(rest 45-60s if necessary)

2-Arm KB Swings x 75 (done in as few sets as possible)

Enjoy the madness,

Chris Lopez, CSCS, CTT

So I’m hoping that you put those foam rolling and mobility exercises to good use.

Remember, you have to be able to get below parallel with 2 legs before you can even think about performing a TRUE PISTOL.

I’ve also received a lot of questions about anterior knee pain and balance when you’re doing a pistol, so rest assured, I will tackle both those issues in one of the following episodes of the How to Do A Pistol video series.

For now, watch Episode 2 below as I show you 4 variations of single-leg exercises that you must be doing correctly before really getting your butt-to-the-ground on a one leg squat.

-Chris Lopez

As the weather here in Toronto starts to slowly becomes spring-like, more and more people seem to be coming out of hibernation and getting outside.

I haven’t been doing any Kettlebell Training outdoors in my backyard yet, but as soon as things start to dry up, I’ll be out there swinging and snatching. It will be good to get out of the gym and back into the sun and nice weather for some outdoor workouts.

In addition to my Kettlebell Workouts, there are a couple of other things that I like to do to AMPLIFY fat loss for the summer.

Believe me, if you do your TT Kettlebell Revolution Workouts properly, you’ll lose fat, but for those like me who just love to be outside and be active, then here are 3 more ways to amplify your fat loss results while you’re on your TT KB Revolution Workouts…

1. Run Hills (or do some type of interval training) - The TT KB Revolution Workouts is the ultimate in home-based fat loss programming. But if you’re looking to take fat loss to the next level or if you’re looking for a change or if you’ve hit a rut, then add some interval training into your life!  

Nothing is better than running hills!  

I recommend running hills on your off-days once or twice per week.  Get a good warm-up in and then start with 8 sprints. Add an additional sprint every 2 workouts until you’re able to do 20. Once you hit the 20 mark, go back to 8 sprints per workout and my Sprint/Swing Session a try…

Start with a good dynamic warm-up. 

Sprint up the hill.

Then do 25 KB Swings.

Walk down the hill and repeat adding an additional sprint/swing combo every 2 workouts.

2. Commute to Work Using a Bicycle or by Walking - So most of you know that I’m not a big fan of cardio workouts, but I do condone the use of cardio when there is a purpose (like going from Point A to Point B).  If you live in an urban area or if you live less than 20km away from where you work, then why not consider riding your bike to work?

In the spring, summer and fall, my wife and I have an agreement that she take the kids to school so that I can get on my bike and ride to work.

This has been a great way for me to get additional activity into my day, has allowed me to save a ton of money on gas & parking and allows me to get outside and enjoy the good weather (although I still do ride if it’s raining or on the odd occasion in the early-spring, snowing).

3. Get a dog - This is just a general observation but, people who own dogs look healthier, leaner and more fit than those who don’t.  

Could it be because of the extra time they spend walking their dogs?

Or could it be the stress relieving companionship that dog owners share with their pets?

Who knows?  It’s just something I’ve noticed over the past few years trying to be observant.

But if getting a dog will force you to get outside and enjoy some sunlight, fresh air and the benefits of vitamin D then why not?

I don’t consider myself a dog person, but my kids have been bugging me to get one.  So I’ve done my research, and I’ve come to the conclusion that when my son is a little older (3 or 4 maybe), and when we get a bit more room (like a bigger yard), we’re going to get a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy.

So what other ways do you increase your activity level when the weather is good?  How do you amp up your fat loss?

Leave a comment and let me know and I’ll be sure to include them on another list!

-Chris Lopez

Here are a few questions that I pulled out of the mailbag this week…

 Q: Hey Chris, I see you use a mixture of Competition K/B’s and ‘Classic’ style ones. Can you comment on which you consider the best for training? I am reading contradictory info on the net and getting confused about what I should buy.
-Craig

A: Hi Craig, I’ve been messing around with both Classic KBs and Competition KBs a lot over the past year to see which ones I like better.  The main difference between the 2 is that Classic KBs will increase in size as the weight of them increases (a 4kg KB is tiny, a 48kg is HUGE), whereas Competition KBs stay consistent in sizing.

I’ve noticed that the handles on the competition bells are relatively thinner than the ones on the classic bells - which is something to consider if you have small hands. Although I prefer the larger handle because I like the grip strength element that they provide.

The main advantage to the competition bells is that you don’t have to adjust your technique to accomodate for a different sized/weighted bell.

As far as what I prefer for myself… I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to training (and life) - I enjoy old school music, living minimally and old school training. The classic bells are all I need and get a real weathered look to them after a lot of use.  So I’m a Classic KB guy 100% (I gave those comp bells back to the friend that I borrowed them from).

Bottom line - if you’re a beginner/intermediate KB lifter, I’d go with the classic style KBs. If you think KB lifting is something that you may want to continue and start competing in (yes, they have competitions for that), then get the Competition style KBs.

I hope that helps.

-Chris

Q: Chris, I can’t do a pistol squat.  I can only get down to a certain point even when I squat with 2 feet on the ground (I feel like my body can’t get any lower). Does that mean that all is lost for me? I don’t have a history of knee issues, but I’ve just been told that squatting below parallel is bad for your knees.  Any advice?

-Jason, United Kingdom

A: Hi Jason, thanks for the question. I think the first step is getting you to squat below parallel with 2 feet on the ground.  In my experience, that can usually be accomplished by doing some soft tissue & mobility work for your upper back, hips and ankles followed by some flexibility for hamstrings.  

As far as squatting below parallel being bad for your knees is concerned … I think it’s a load of crap.

Humans were physiologically constructed to squat below parallel (how do you think people went to the bathroom before toilets were invented?).

I’m not an orthopaedic surgeon or a doctor, and I think those are the people you see AFTER you’ve tried everything. As an advocate for preventative measures, I’ve been able to get a lot of people with "knee issues" squatting below parallel by just using a tennis ball, a foam roller and a giant elastic band with absolutely no knee pain whatsoever.

Check out Episode 1 of my "How to Do A Pistol" video series below to see some of the tricks that I have used with my clients to get them to 1) start squatting below parallel and 2) get them to do their first Pistol …

Have a great weekend!

-Chris, CSCS, CTT

As part of my constant effort to improve and stay updated in my field, I make it a priority to catch up on what my fellow strength & conditioning and respected fitness colleagues are doing and researching on a regular basis. Each week, I have a list of websites that I visit, online journals that I read and blogs that I peruse.

One of the sites that is on my weekly list is T-Muscle.com (formerly T-Nation.com). Amongst all the bodybuilding articles that don’t interest me that much anymore, you’ll always find gems and cutting edge material from big-time experts in strength and conditioning. 

Despite the name of the site (with the "T" meaning Testosterone), the fact of the matter is that some of the brightest coaches and authors write articles for T-Muscle. So when guys like Mike Boyle, Dan John, Alwyn Cosgrove or Mike Roussell write something, I’m definitely reading it.

Eric Cressey is one of those guys that I’ve been following and reading for a few years.  Last week he wrote an article entitled "What I Learned in 2009" and is a synopsis of some of the most important things that he has learned and began to implement into his practice over the past year.

The point that really struck a chord with me was point # 4…

DO MORE GROUND-TO-STANDING TRANSITIONS

Cressey went on to talk about a rehab specialist from the Czech Republic (Dr. Pavel Kolar) and the research he has done in developmental kinesiology.  Looking back at early motor development - where babies learn how to roll over, get on all 4s, then crawl, then stand and finally walk - Dr. Kolar suggested that we can look at this "ground to standing" development to help us re-establish proper functioning.

So what does this all mean for "regular people" like you and me?

It means that incorporating Turkish Get Ups (or "TGUs") into your regular kettlebell training practice could be beneficial in preventing injury or correcting imbalance. 

Exercises like TGUs or lunges where your back knee slightly touches the ground can help your nervous system "re-learn" some of the the developmental fundamentals that you may have lost because of injury or years and years of bad training technique.

In fact, because of this article and minimal research that I have done on Dr. Kolar’s work, I now have my clients and young athletes doing sprints where they start on their back and are required to turn over and go right into acceleration…kind of like the stuff we did during "old school" PE class.

The bottom line is that as good an exercise as we once believed Turkish Get-Ups to be, this is now more evidence that it could be one of the best exercises that you can do not only to lose fat and build muscle, but to stay healthy and mobile for years and years to come.

If you don’t know how to do a TGU, then check out the video below and let me know if you have any questions…

If you can’t view the video below, then you can see it HERE…

=>Watch the Turkish Get-Up Demo Video

-Chris Lopez, CSCS, CTT

P.S. Turkish Get-Ups are a staple exercise in the TT Kettlebell Revolution Fat Loss Workouts. Click HERE to learn how to use TGUs in your fat loss program…

=>Get Started with the TT Kettlebell Revolution Fat Loss Workouts