‘Cardio Without Machines’ Workout Video From Land – Park Sacramento Boot Camp Instructor Forest Vance

I’ll admit it: I hate doing cardio.

If you’re the rare breed who actually enjoys pounding away on the treadmill for 45 minutes, more power to you! Keep doing what’s working for ‘ya.
But if you’re like me, you probably don’t like doing cardio much, either. Unfortunately, and especially if your goal is fat loss, you gotta do it.
Here’s the thing, though: There is an easier way. You don’t have to do cardio in a ‘traditional’ fashion to work your heart and lose body fat. I don’t – and I still manage to maintain a (near) single-digit body fat level all year round.
For one, as long as your heart rate gets up and stays there for an extended period of time, that’s cardio – in other words, combining body weight or weight training moves into a non-stop circuit is just as much of a cardio workout as is 45 minutes of eliptical time.
Also, research proves again and again that interval training (high-intensity, ‘burst’ cardio workouts like the one demoed in the video below) is actually superior to traditional, steady-state cardio (where you maintain the same low-to-medium intensity for the whole workout) for fat loss.
I made a video for you that shows how to get a great cardio workout without any machines at all … all you’ll need is your own body weight and a single kettlebell. I hope it helps you add some variety to your cardio routine! And feel free let me know what you think:

P.S. This workout that is a lot like ones we do in our Land Park – Sacramento Fitness/Kettlebell Boot Camps … if you’re interested in a complimentary ‘Test A Trainer’ session to try out a workout and see if it’s right for you (or know anyone who might be), contact me here or call (916) 273 9366. Thanks!

Intro to Kettlebells and The Kettlebell Swing

Want to know more about kettlebells? Check out this video – Sr. RKC David Whitley and RKC Matt McBryde talk about the history of the kettlebell and give some basic instruction on how to do the Kettlebell Swing:

And don’t forget: My new Sacramento kettlebell boot camp starts next Wednesday, December 1st at 5:45 pm. If you’re interested in a complimentary ‘Test A Trainer’ kettlebell session to see if it’s right for you and your fitness goals, contact me (soon, as I have limited spots in the boot camp) by clicking below:

Thanksgiving Week Group Training/ Boot Camp Schedule

Here’s next week’s group training/boot camp schedule – I’ve bolded changes to normal training times:

Monday 11/22

615am, 915am – Anytime Fitness Group Training
630pm – Land Park Boot Camp

Tuesday 11/23

6am, 9am – Land Park Boot Camp
630pm – Land Park Boot Camp

Wednesday 11/24

615am, 915am – Anytime Fitness Group Training
530pm – Land Park Boot Camp

Thursday 11/25 (Thanksgiving Day)

8am – Land Park Boot Camp

Friday 11/26

915am – Anytime Fitness Group Training

Saturday 11/27

9am – Land Park Boot Camp

And don’t forget – December 1st at 5:45 pm we’ll be having the first weekly kettlebell boot camp at the Land Park personal training studio – contact me by clicking here for details and/or to sign up!

Could Your Bathroom Scale Be Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Efforts?

Relying on the scale as your only measure of progress is a big mistake

Imagine this:
You just started a new personal training program. You’ve been following the diet your trainer has recommended, you’ve been working out a consistent four to five times per week and most importantly, you’re starting to embrace the new fitness-conscious person you’re quickly becoming.
About a month into the program, it’s time to do your first set of re-measurements – and you’re excited to see your progress!

You were expecting to lose six or eight pounds in the first month (after all, that’s typical for diets you’ve gone on in the past) … but the scale only shows a two pound difference! How could that be?! Before your trainer even starts to take your body fat, you’re feeling discouraged …

But here’s the thing: You shouldn’t. If the #1 factor you pay attention to when you start a fat loss program is your weight, you’re making a big mistake.

We’ve been conditioned to ‘live and die’ by the scale; that is, it’s the almost universal way to measure progress on any kind of fat loss program.

However, measuring your progress only by the scale is a bad way to do things. For one, muscle gain can equal weight gain – which is actually good, because more lean mass means an accelerated metabolism and more fat loss in the long run. But in the short term, it can be deceiving.

Scale weight also doesn’t take into account how much strength you’ve gained, how you’ve improved your cardio conditioning, how you look in the mirror, how you fit into your clothes, or a whole list of other benefits that come from regular, intense, and intelligently designed workouts.

Now don’t get me wrong: We do monthly weigh-ins with all of our clients – and it is a measure of progress. It’s just a mistake to go only by the scale when measuring results.

If you’re one of those folks that gets wrapped up in scale weight when dieting and trying to lose fat – and you get discouraged when weight loss doesn’t happen as quickly as you’d like – hopefully this post has made you think a bit. Keep training hard – and let me know what you think in the comments section below!

P.S. We do monthly body fat testing and circumference measurements as part of all of our Sacramento, CA – based fitness boot camps and personal training programs. For more info – or even if you’d just like to get your body fat tested – contact me here.

P.S.S. Have you signed up for my weekly newsletter yet? You’ll get a free copy of my ‘Top 10 Fat Loss Myths’ report just for signing up – and you can do that by clicking here.

Kettlebells For Time Saving Holiday Workouts (plus sample routine)

Kettlebells are one of the best training tools around for time-saving holiday workouts


Something I hear from clients all the time is this:

‘If I can’t get a full (45-60 minute) workout in, it’s pointless – so I just don’t do anything.’

But here’s the thing: Something is always better than nothing. And almost everyone has an extra fifteen or twenty minutes in their day – it’s just a matter of priorities. Skip this week’s episode of Dancing With The Stars or The Jersey Shore for gosh sake and get a quick workout in 🙂

All that being said, the holiday season usually ends up being an extra busy time of year – and sticking to your normal workout routine can be especially tough. But the last thing you want is to lose any of the fitness you’ve worked so hard for all year long. So if you’re equiped with some time saving strategies to keep you on track, you’ll be prepared to maintain (or even improve) your fitness level over the next couple of months.

Knowing how to properly train with kettlebells is a great way to be prepared for life’s busy times – with a few basic exercises, you can train all of your major muscle groups and get an ‘all-in-one’ cardio, strength and core workout in literally 15-20 minutes.

For example, here’s a kettlebell and body weight circuit (from diet and exercise expert Craig Ballentyne) that uses a few basic exercises, hits all of your major muscle groups and gives you an awesome cardio, resistance training, and core workout in about 15-20 minutes:

To summarize this workout, you would do:

20 KB Squats
20 Extended Push Ups
20 KB Swings
20 Walking Lunges
10 KB High Pulls (each side)
20 Mountain Climbers
20 1 Arm Swings (each side)
20 Close Grip Push Ups
10 KB One Arm Rows (each side)
20 Stability Ball Leg Curls

And complete the circuit three times.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a time-effective way to keep in shape this holiday season, consider learning how to train with kettlebells. They’re a great way to get a total-body workout in a very short period of time and keep your workouts going strong when your life gets extra busy. And happy holidays!

Forest

P.S. To learn how to use kettlebells properly (because just doing a little reading and watching a couple of videos is, to be honest, a pretty poor – and unsafe – way to learn how to train with kettlebells), check out my kettlebell workshop this weekend! I have two spots left as of the writing of this email. I also know from past experience that I tend to get a lot of last minute sign ups in events like this, and as I’m sending an email out to almost 400 Sacramento-area folks today regarding this event, I’m expecting it to be sold out by the end of the day today. So if you want a spot, sign up ASAP!!

Here’s the link to do so:

Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop

November Challenge Workout Results

If you missed it, here’s November’s Challenge Workout one more time:

Note: There are two versions of this workout to choose from – Version B is simply tougher than Version A. Pick the workout that’s appropriate for your current fitness level.

Version A

10 Squat Jumps
20 Knee Push Ups
30 Lunges (30 steps total, 15 each leg)
40 Mountain Climbers
50 Kettlebell Swings (12k/16k)

Version B

10 18 inch Box Jumps
20 Standard Push Ups
30 Lunges (30 steps total, 15 each leg)
40 Mountain Climbers
50 Kettlebell Swings (20k/24k)

Complete circuit three times for time

And the results:

Version A:

AT 10:15
SG 12:17

Version B:

AG 11:20
KG 13:16
VB 14:01
BG 14:04
PH 14:28
ES 14:38
CK 14:52
LE 15:10
SS 15:48
VL 16:05
PP 16:30
SK 17:16
AS 18:18
SM 19:27
RR 20:09
NP 20:16

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Want updates on every challenge workout delivered straight to your email inbox? How about a totally FREE fast fat loss meal plan? Just sign up for my weekly newsletter by clicking here

November Challenge: Kettlebell and Body Weight 300 v2

This month’s challenge workout was inspired by the original ‘300’ workout, created for the cast of the movie 300 by trainer Mark Twight

It’s time again for the monthly challenge workout from Forest Vance Training, Inc.!

The original kettlebell and body weight 300 workout I posted a little over a year ago on my fitnessmonster.com blog has been one of my most popular and most viewed posts ever … so, for this month’s challenge workout, I’ve put together a new, updated version of the Kettlebell and Body Weight 300 workout:
Note: There are two versions of this workout to choose from – Version B is simply tougher than Version A. Pick the workout that’s appropriate for your current fitness level.

Version A

10 Squat Jumps
20 Knee Push Ups
30 Lunges (30 steps total, 15 each leg)
40 Mountain Climbers
50 Kettlebell Swings (12k/16k)
Version B
10 18 inch Box Jumps
20 Standard Push Ups
30 Lunges (30 steps total, 15 each leg)
40 Mountain Climbers
50 Kettlebell Swings (20k/24k)

Complete circuit three times for time

Good luck and train hard!! Results will be posted at the end of the week.

P.S. Still thinking about signing up for the Kettlebells For Fat Loss Workshop on Saturday, November 13th at my Land Park – Sacramento area personal training studio? Act now before it’s too late!
I will be starting a wait list for this workshop when all 10 spots are reserved and paid for, as there are typically one or two last minute cancellations … but if you want to guarantee a spot, make sure to sign up ASAP – just click the link below to go to the sign up page: