The 3 Major Kettlebell Exercises

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THE 3 BIG KETTLEBELL EXERCISES. You should first know that you don’t actually “need” any equipment for strengthening the body. Our own body weight is enough. However, equipment can make things a bit more fun and challenging. My favorite piece of equipment is a single Kettlebell. In fact, this is what I use most often and have for the better part of a decade. There are many exercises that can be done using a single Kettlebell. However, there are 3 big ones that I see as essential. 1) Swing 2) Goblet Squat 3) Turkish Getup. In fact, these 3 make up the main components of the HKC Certification (Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge). I use some version of these with almost every client I work with and have for many years. These may look easy but regular practice is absolutely essential to get the most from them and prevent injury. Kettlebells may not be for everyone but you’ll never know if you never try. If you do decide to give it a go, start slow and light. Build stronger over time. Perfect form and smooth-graceful movement should always be the goal. #kettlebells #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 28, 2019 at 8:43am PDT

Strength Training requires at least 3 Exercises

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EVERY ADULT NEEDS TO DO STRENGTH TRAINING AT LEAST 1 DAY A WEEK. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Workouts don’t need to be longer than 30-45minutes max. 5-10minutes of a really good exercise done really well could do the trick (think Deadlift, Heavy carries, Kettlebell Swings, Heavy Squats, Turkish Getup, Squat to Row). For health, 1 workout a week can work. For health and to look better, 2-3 days a week is better. Oh yeah, don’t forget Diet, which is THE most important factor in approving appearance. You can never out-exercise a bad diet and too many liquid calories. How many exercises, and which ones? Regardless of how often you Strength Train, each workout must include a Lower Body Leg/Hip Exercise, an Upper Body Push and an Upper Body Pull. There are a ton of choices. Keep it simple. You can do more but I would limit it to a total of 6 exercises. Try to find exercises that involve the entire body while targeting the specific areas I just mentioned. How many sets and reps? I personally like 2-3 sets per exercise. For reps, l like 15 reps some days, 10 reps on other days and a heavy 5 reps on days I feel rested. Any rep range will work so long as you challenge yourself without beating yourself up or allowing form to degrade. Variety is nice. The secret to getting results is NOT missing workouts, walking a lot each day, proper rest and above average diet/nutrition. Never forget that. Get to it! #blueskystrongbox #strengthtrainingathome #strengthtraining #resistancetraining #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox #johntylerhighschool #cujonation

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 7, 2019 at 10:39am PDT

Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4/7/8 Breathing Method

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Dr Andrew Weil’ 4/7/8 breathing method. Read this. Zoom in. In fact, do a screen grab THEN zoom in on your phone. This page gives the details straight from the source. Use it. I hope it helps. I use it regularly. #bssbbooks #drandrewweil #478breathing #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #relaxationtechniques #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:52am PDT

Use the 4/7/8 to win the war against Stress.

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LEARN TO BALANCE OUT STRESS WITH THE 4/7/8 BREATHING METHOD. This is borrowed from Dr. Andrew Weil MD. He recommended this as a way to relax both the mind and the body. If practiced regularly it may do much more. Modern living can be very stressful and busy. Add to that something like regular intense exercise (also a form of stress even though it’s considered good), the body may need focused relaxation to balance out everything. This is where breathing/relaxation techniques can be helpful. The 4/7/8 method is easy. Get into a relaxed position. Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind the top front teeth. Keep it there the entire time. Next, inhale 4 seconds through the nose. It’s ok if this is challenged. Do what you can. After the inhale try to hold that breath for 7 seconds. Again, do what you can. Finally, exhale very slowly through pursed lips for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 times total. The main idea is exhale longer than you inhale and to relax while doing it. This is great to do upon waking or to help you relax before sleep. It could be done anytime. I prefer to do it after a workout or if I wake up restless during the night. For you science-minded individuals, this is said to help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and quiet down the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). It takes less than 90 seconds. I I think it’s worth trying. I will also post a photo in my very next post from the book I first found this in. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #drandrewweil #478breathing #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:44am PDT

Books on Injuries, Prevention of Injuries

 

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The body has an amazing ability to heal…if/when we let it. Ultimately, the responsibility rests in our own hands. There is an abundance of information out there dedicated to improving health. Much of it is free. I like books. I own many. These are a few that I own that have helped my own movement and body work. Knowledge is key. I was told a long time ago: ask better questions and you’ll find better answers. When it comes to health and quality of life, being lazy should never be an option. Seek help when needed. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 5, 2019 at 7:30am PDT

Part 2: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

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PART 2 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. Just because a medical professional “cleared” you does not mean all problems are over. At some point, all medical/therapy roads come to an end. When they do, then what? Ask a lot of questions. Anything you can think of. Most importantly, find out what things you should probably limit, avoid or NOT DO in the future. But after that, most likely, you’ll be on your own. Discomfort, pain and things-in-general “not feeling the same” might be a reality. Do everything you can not to take pain killers unless you really need them or your doctor has had a long conversation with you about the option. The most important thing now is to get back to as normal of a life as possible. With regards to movement and exercise, you will need to start VERY slow and experiment with everything. You may be surprised at what you CAN do but also what you CAN’T do, at least not yet. Remember, first make sure there aren’t things you shouldn’t be doing. Besides that, always listen to your body. Start LIGHT, SIMPLE AND SLOW. Learn to move well using only your bodyweight. If using some form of external/manual resistance, start with very light weights, simple movements (that you understand), and can perform near-perfect form. Lastly, make sure to start by moving SLOW. If something hurts, see if you can safely modify or maybe try doing something different. There might very well be some things that you won’t be able to do. It’s ok. Learn to work around them. There are many options. Research. Explore. Don’t be too cautious but also don’t be reckless. Use that beautiful brain! #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 2, 2019 at 8:46am PDT

Part 1: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

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PART 1 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. I’ve recently had some questions about these. It should go without saying that that I can only say so much in a 1 minute video. I plan to do more videos on this topic in the weeks to come. First & Foremost, always use your brain and learn to listen to your body. There is a difference between Pain & Uncomfortableness. Uncomfortableness with exercise is normal and should be expected, within reason. Pain is typically something to be avoided. NOTHING SHOULD EVER HURT. If you suspect something serious, go get it checked out by a medical professional. It may be nothing but it’s best to find out exactly what you’re dealing with. It may be an easy fix. It may be something that requires learning how to work around. Not knowing is a bad option. With that said, some pain and suffering is unavoidable. This is life. Expect delays. Expect hurdles. Expect random injuries at some point. Think about this: If you don’t move much, you’re more likely to get hurt. If you move often, you’re also more likely to get hurt. Just do something about it if or when it happens. Use the opportunity to learn more about your body and the healing process. Appreciate the process. PREVENTION: Always warm-up before activity by moving your entire body carefully through various ranges of motion. Go as slow as needed to wake up the body and get the blood moving. Make sure to breathe deeply throughout all activities. Be especially careful if exercising first thing after waking and in cold environments. Avoid going too heavy or too hard on any exercise until you really know what you’re doing. Then, even then, exercise caution. Rest and recover sufficiently before exercising again. Use caution when exercising in hot environments. Make sure you are adequately hydrated. If you do have an old injury, pay close attention to how it feels and how it responds to whatever it is you’re doing. #sportsinjuries #musclesoreness #recoveryworkouts #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 26, 2019 at 9:24am PDT

Inspiration from Centenarians

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This inspires. 100+ years young. Look at them go. #seniorsprinters #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 22, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

…more thoughts on Resting Heart Rate & Heart Rate Zone training

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You don’t need to own a heart rate monitor to exercise effectively. That is a myth. With that said, I do think monitoring heart rate has value. Just know that you can absolutely gauge most any exercise of any type by the way you feel while doing it. This is often referred as the Talk Test. If you can easily talk, the exercise is considered lower-intensity. If you can’t, it’s more intense. Obviously, there is plenty of room in between. Don’t make the mistake of thinking all exercise need be intense to be effective. It’s not just about burning as many calories in one session as possible, it’s also about sustainability. In other words, can you repeat this for a long time to come without quitting? The average person quits exercise within the first six months. I would argue that the average American needs more lower-intensity exercise… done more often. I’m talking about something like dedicated Walking most days of the week. It’s great if someone does some form of really intense exercise once or twice a week (if they are healthy enough to to so) but not if the other 5 days are all rest days. Move more often, even if it’s low-intensity. Adequate DAILY movement is always the correct choice. Our bodies were made to move. Walking is the best choice, that is why we have legs. Aim for a goal of lowering your resting heart rate by the end of the year. (For healthy heart rate zones, Google: “karvonen formula calculator”). If you really want to do higher-intensity (HIIT) exercise, try getting your resting heart rate UNDER 60 before doing so if possible. Consult with a medical professional if you have any specific concerns or conditions. #bssbbooks #restingheartrate #walkingasexercise #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 8, 2019 at 7:34am PDT

Standards & Limitations

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STANDARDS & LIMITATIONS. We need both. In fact, I believe we need to include both Minimum AND Maximum standard limitations to help keep us in the “sweet-spot” of success. We see it all our lives. We either do too much or we do too little. The magic, the “good”stuff, lies somewhere in the pocket of the vast middle. We each have to find a perfect balance and vigilantly work to keep it there. This could apply to anything. The main idea is to make it easy. Make it repeatable. Keep it simple. That’s why I prefer both a High & Low threshold. Most of us are more familiar with what too little looks like. Too much might not be as common but it’s just as disastrous. Remember to be reasonable. Burn-out is very high when the flames burn too hot. My best advice is to seek balance and consistency. Find your greatness. Don’t wait forever. Tomorrow was never promised. What real reason could you have to not start today? #bssbbooks #motivation #healthandfitness #healthylifestyle #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jul 22, 2019 at 10:51am PDT