3 Steps to Increase Your Cardiovascular Capacity!

I want you to imagine being in the best shape of your life. Do you ever think about what steps you should take to ensure the achievement of this goal? If so then you are in the right place. Implement the following 3 steps to take your cardiovascular fitness to a whole new level.

Step 1: Train For Strength And Power: This, believe it or not, is a huge way to improve your cardio. If I have said it once I've said it a thousand times, strength is THE necessary characteristic for you to accomplish any physical task! So by that notion the stronger you are then the fitter you can be. This makes perfect sense. Train your body to be stronger from head to toe!

Step 2: Train With High Intensity: This is real cardio! I don't care if you are training with weights, doing calisthenics, or executing plyometrics you have to train with a high level of intensity. Cardio, in my opinion, is not getting on the treadmill for 2 hours. You do all of that running and you get nowhere. However, executing a hundred burpees or swinging a kettlebell for a couple of hundred reps will take your fitness level to all new heights!

Step 3: Be Mobile: In your strength and fitness training program you should be creative and incorporate whole-body movements in nearly everything you do. For optimal cardiovascular fitness, weight-loss, and fat-loss you must have a program that is creative and dynamic in nature. Even if you are looking to modify your weight-training or strength training program you must incorporate lifts that integrate many muscles at once and yield a high level of exertion. Lifts such as deadlifts, squats, cleans. sandbags, and kettlebells all fall within the context of being mobile.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Kettlebells For the Teenage Youth Athlete!

Whether you are a youth athlete reading this or you are the parent of a youth teenage athlete you need to consider kettlebells. I have spent a lot of time training athletes at all levels of play from youth all the way to the pros. I notice that starting a strength and conditioning program with youngsters all has to do with technique. I am always sure to teach good habits early with the young athletes because they are still growing and laying the foundation for their athletic careers.

I have found that kettlebells are a great device to help the young athlete to develop great core strength and total body control in order to transition them into the all out strength programs they will face throughout high school, college, and beyond. Now having said this I'm not saying that kettlebells are good for athletes at the youth age only. As a matter of fact, they should be included as a major portion of all strength and conditioning programs at all levels in my professional opinion.

The bottom line is that if you are going to include this ancient device into your program or your child's program make sure that they are getting sound training and competent advice. It is a free-weight and should be respected! To make it easier for you I have many more free accessible articles available to you with tons of additional information on kettlebells.

Please consider training with this awesome tool. You will not be disappointed in the results you will see from using this gruesome iron tool!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

What is Strength?

For ages strength has been an attractive quality that people are drawn to. I want to pose the question though, what is strength? If you have read some of my other material you know that I have defined strength as your body's ability to produce muscular tension! This tension is what gives a person the ability to lift a weight, to run, to jump, to bend nails, or to grow and develop big muscles. So with all of these examples of human strength what is considered strength?

Well the truth is that there are many ways to display strength and performance. If you look at Olympic weightlifting a lot of the competitors are lifting very heavy weights. The amazing thing is that the "big men" lift a huge amount of weight, but so do the smaller female and male competitors. As a matter of fact, body-weight to weight lifted ratio is greater with smaller female competitors than with larger male competitors! So this raises another question. Does size equate to strength? The fact is that pound for pound the smaller female lifter is stronger than the bigger male competitor. The perception is that people generally equate strength to size. Size is relative.

So if size is relative then what about big bodybuilders? Well, bodybuilders don't train for strength. Relative to their size bodybuilders aren't that strong. Their goal is to build and to get their muscles as big as possible. This also takes strength, but it is for a different purpose. For hundreds of years we have looked at strongmen and their huge muscles. The bigger and stronger the better! This is certainly the mindset in obtaining an optimal level of athleticism in today's culture.

The bottom line is that there are many forms and types of strength for humans to drive towards. Whether you have the ability to bend nails, lift hundreds of pounds above your head, or to be the biggest man around there is one common trait that can be found in all of these people. The one common factor is their mental strength! The best of the best have been proven to have an extraordinary amount of mental focus when lifting that heavy weight. So is the brain power the ultimate key to strength? Draw your own conclusions and compare this to your own fitness and strength program!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

A Truly Fit Woman Trains Like a Man!

Ladies, if you want to get into real shape then you have got to train like a man. Now before you accuse me of trying to sound sexist I actually heard that from a female client of mine. Believe me, she is as fit as they come. The only way for you to get true results is to change your attitude on what your fitness should be.

The truth is that in my career some of the fittest and most beautiful women that I have seen have all trained with the intensity of a powerfully motivated guy! I've got to admit that I love the quote from my client. I want to be clear that I am not trying to pick on all of you ladies. I'm not even saying that every woman has that "girly" mindset when it comes to working out, but I think you can agree that a lot of girls do. Remember that the female body develops muscle in a vastly different way than the male body. Women don't have near as much of the muscle building hormones such as testosterone like guys do. Your muscles tend to look longer and sleeker rather than hard and large! This is why training with olympic lifting, kettlebells, and other hard-hitting intense methods of strength training work so well. Don't forget that fat-loss and weight-loss are achieved by training through intense bodily movements just like you would get from training with kettlebells, performing olympic lifts, and plyometric-based drills. This intensity is what stimulates your nervous system and forces your body to increase it's production of those muscle building hormones that give you those sleek looking muscles.

Ladies, the old mindsets on women's fitness are changing. Well, I don't know how much the "girly" mindset on fitness is changing with women, but I promise you that I am doing my part to help make the change! Train hard ladies and enjoy.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

The Power of the Kettlebell - A Description of This Awesome Strength and Conditioning Device!

You may have already heard about the infamous strength training device called the kettlebell. However, as much as I use this tool and teach people I am amazed at how many people are oblivious as to what this strength training tool actually is. I work very hard to break down false barriers about exercise and fitness and the kettlebell is an awesome tool that I love to use to help me do this outside of just being a hand held weight.

If you have not seen this particular device of fat destruction and muscle construction, as I like to describe it, then it basically resembles an iron cannonball with a handle attached to it. The very design is unique because no matter how you hold the bell it is always pulling away from your center of gravity. You constantly have to wrestle with this iron ball just to keep it near your body. This act of fighting against the pull away is what makes this device so special. I also tell people that it is a fantastic tool that forces us to utilize nearly every muscle in our body to stabilize and move the weight. The type of artistic and dynamic movement that goes into lifting this weight is highly beneficial for us and really gives us a crash course in the true function and mechanical capability of our bodies. Nothing that you will ever do will compare to working out with the kettlebell. It will undoubtedly take your workouts and strength to all new heights!

So if you want to know more about this gruesome device then I can help you out. There are plenty more free articles that I have written for you to access right here. Start learning to train with this powerful hand held gym right now!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Recording Your Progress - 2 Methods to Help Keep You Motivated in Your Quest For the Perfect Body!

Do you always find yourself struggling to remember what you did your last workout session or what you had planned to do for your current training session? If so then you need to take the time to start documenting your workouts and tracking your progress. There are actually a couple of interesting ways to do this. I have included 2 methods in the following article.

1. The Journal: Now this may sound like the most common, but when I say journal I don't solely mean the old fashioned little booklet that you can carry around in your back pocket to and from the gym. This is ok to use, but I am referencing a somewhat more modern style of journal. In today's crazy world of busy moms and dads chasing the almighty dollar and juggling a handful of kids around there seems to always be a since of urgency. Often times this urgency can breed a state of "forgetfulness." People, whether they like it or not, need to be reminded of certain things. This is where your awesome PC, laptop, or business computer can come in handy. Set up a journal of your workouts with your strength and fitness regimen on the calendar. Use the calendar to set yourself up email alerts on a regular basis reminding you of the particular exercises and drills you need to accomplish from week to week. You see by doing this on a calendar you are not only logging your past workouts, but are pushing yourself to progress to all of the future workouts. Plus you won't forget your workouts or lose track of them during times of urgency!

2. The Video: Now this is another great method to utilize in this modern era of technology. If you want to really get motivated then video a particular workout that you feel you are good at. Yes, I said a workout that you feel you are good at. You may be surprised at how far behind you really are, or you may be enthused about how far ahead you look! Either way you are getting major feedback on your strength and fitness training program. You can also use this tool to critique your form and technique on more advanced lifts. This is a great way to keep you motivated and to log a concrete visual measure of your ability!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Kettlebells For the Teenage Youth Athlete!

Whether you are a youth athlete reading this or you are the parent of a youth teenage athlete you need to consider kettlebells. I have spent a lot of time training athletes at all levels of play from youth all the way to the pros. I notice that starting a strength and conditioning program with youngsters all has to do with technique. I am always sure to teach good habits early with the young athletes because they are still growing and laying the foundation for their athletic careers.

I have found that kettlebells are a great device to help the young athlete to develop great core strength and total body control in order to transition them into the all out strength programs they will face throughout high school, college, and beyond. Now having said this I'm not saying that kettlebells are good for athletes at the youth age only. As a matter of fact, they should be included as a major portion of all strength and conditioning programs at all levels in my professional opinion.

The bottom line is that if you are going to include this ancient device into your program or your child's program make sure that they are getting sound training and competent advice. It is a free-weight and should be respected! To make it easier for you I have many more free accessible articles available to you with tons of additional information on kettlebells.

Please consider training with this awesome tool. You will not be disappointed in the results you will see from using this gruesome iron tool!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

A Method to Strength!

Lets look at your strength. What areas of your personal program do you want to improve on in terms of your strength? For instance, do you want to increase one repetition maximum bench-press, the same with your squat, or perhaps you want to improve the number of push-ups that you can do. All of these are examples of strength and strength endurance!

If you want to improve any one particular thing it all has to do with manipulating the reps and the load. For example, lets say that you want to improve your one repetition maximum in the back-squat. For the sake of argument lets say that you can only do 150 pounds on the squat for a single rep. To get stronger you will want to get used to handling a slightly lighter load for about 3 to 5 reps.

So instead of going for broke with trying to lift the 150 lbs. then you simply lighten the load to around 125 or 130 lbs. to execute for 3 to 5 reps. Keep practicing with this weight until you can eventually do more reps. As you progress to being able to do 8 to 10 reps then increase the weight! Now go back to executing this new heavier load for 3 to 5 reps until you once again work up to 8 to 10 reps. You get where I'm going with this, right? By using this method to strength you will see your core strength, fitness, and overall power improve from manipulating the load!

Take the time to practice in order to get stronger. Remember that it isn't always about the weight as much as it is about proper technique. The simple movements and a sound technique can get you big strength gains!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Summer Conditioning - 2 Tips to Apply to Your Summer Workouts to Guarantee Success!

Summer is often the time of year when everyone wants to look and feel their best. However, in order to look and feel your best you often have to go through intense pain to get the MOST out of being fit. You know where I stand on training with intensity. If not, then to quickly let you know where I stand on this matter intense training is the biggest guarantee that you will get the body you desire for the summer or any other time of year for that matter. Tune in on the following 2 tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Summer Mornings: If you live in an area like me here in Georgia then you know it gets hot in the Summer. Summer-time is no joke with temperatures soaring into the high 90's on a regular basis along with high humidity. This makes for miserable training conditions especially if you like to workout outdoors. The best solution to this problem is to get up and get it done in the morning. You can spike your metabolism quicker in the morning anyway. So why not go ahead and get the most out of your workout while there is still dew on the ground?

2. Condition on The Beach: Don't let the fact that you are on vacation stop you from being productive in your Summer workouts. Since most of us like to go to the beach to get away in the first place then why not utilize the awesome resistance of that giant sand pit along the coast as a top-notch training ground. Running or kettlebell training in the sand is a great way to get into peak physical conditioning.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Losing Your Waist!

Ladies, if you are looking to lose the extra inches off of your waist and hips then you should know that this article is for you. Take a minute to read the following formula that I have put together to help you cut the inches off of your midsection as quickly as possible. I have used the following 2 exercises to get many of my clients into shape over the past several years!

Sandbag Throws: I have written a few articles on this particular unorthodox style of training. It is something that resembles construction work more than a workout. That doesn't matter though because this is highly effective. All you need to do is find a sandbag. You can get these in a variety of places. There are some types you can find at hardware stores, Home Depot, Lowes, and you can outright order them online specifically as workout devices. All you need to do is get into an open area to workout with the bag like your front or back yard. From here you just want to practice squatting down to pick up the bag to throw it. Throw it like a push-pass above your head and let it fall to the ground. Repeat this 15 to 20 times with a 25 to 35 lb bag! Don't worry about what the neighbors are thinking. After they see your results they'll soon want to join you.

Seated Reach Arounds: This is a rather simple looking exercise for the waist, but trust me looks can be deceiving. All you want to do is sit on the ground with your legs together and slightly bend at the knees. Lean back until you feel your abs tighten. From here simply hold your hands out in front of you with your arms bent. Your hands should stay at a parallel angle to each other and slowly rotate your trunk to one side and try to place both of your palms on the ground. Alternate sides attempting to execute up to 10 on each side. Your waistline will shrink away!

Use both of these drills in conjunction with one another to promote the weight-loss and fat-loss you are wanting so badly!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Our Fat Country - A Logical Look at How Illogical Our Health and Fitness Industry Works!

I want to start by asking you a question. Is the United States currently one of the fattest, if not the fattest nation on earth? If you don't know the answer to this then I'll answer it for you. The answer is yes. This statistic amazes me especially when we look at the fact that the health club industry has evolved into a multi-billion dollar business! Why does this not make sense? We are at the top of the globe when it comes to spending money to be fit and healthy, yet we are the furthest thing from it.

I am a trainer and strength and conditioning specialist with many years of experience in the business and I have a clear understanding as to why the statistic mentioned above is so ridiculous. The truth is that health clubs don't care about your health as much as they care about their bottom line, the almighty dollar. Now I'm not condemning anyone for making money, because I am as much of a capitalist as the next guy. However, the country has suffered from the lack of effort from the so-called "health and fitness club industry," by them not selling you the product that you would expect to pay for.

Another statistic is that of all gym club memberships only about 25-30% of people actually use them. I have seen this throughout my entire career. The worse part is that of the remaining 25-30% of members only about 2-3% actually know what the hell they are doing as far as engaging in an effective weight-loss and fitness training program. Clubs are bigger, flashier, and spend more money on their space and equipment than your results! Because of this you can't generally find any well-informed competently certified trainers either. The clubs have killed the motivation of any qualified or intelligent trainer to stick around because they don't make any money. The average trainer these days makes between 21k to 25k. All of the dollars are focused on paying for the ridiculous overhead of space and equipment to set around to initially impress those 70% of the members who only show up long enough to pay the money only to not ever walk back into the building.

Consider the facts. Have you noticed these trends? If you are going to engage in a serious weight-loss and fitness training program then seek out those in the health and fitness business that will sale you results, not memberships!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

The Truth About Your Body's Potential!

Imagine being able to have almost super-human strength! Thats right, I said super-human. Now when I say super-human I certainly don't mean being able to punch a runaway train in the nose to stop it dead in it's tracks like Will Smith did in the movie Hancock, but I am still talking impressive feats of strength. For instance, you may have heard of a world strongman who happens to be from my small hometown in Toccoa, Georgia by the name of Paul Anderson. Paul Anderson is probably the closest man to super-human, in terms of strength, that ever walked the planet.

Paul Anderson understood the truth and potential behind the human body's function. Winning Olympic gold in 1956 Paul even impressed the Soviets in the face of the cold war with his demonstration of overwhelming power in the Olympic weightlifting event. He went on to perform exhibitions across the nation with his favorite lift, the back squat. He had a squatting ability that is still unmatched today by performing his favorite lift with well over 900 lbs. for 10 repetitions! Now that isn't Hancock or Superman, but you've got to admit its close.

So why am I telling you all of this about Paul Anderson. Well you see the key to strength is all about training movement and variation in order to stimulate the nervous system. I think that a lot of people don't think of strength and fitness in terms of conditioning themselves systemically, but instead they want to fatigue the muscle to complete failure. The truth is that if you want to improve your strength in something you have to practice and practice often. The key is to not train the muscle to absolute failure, but to challenge the muscle with intense weight and vary the intensity and volume each training day. Olympic lifting, kettlebell training, squatting, deadlifting, or just improving the number of push-ups you can do at once all have to be practiced frequently. Many articles and right out of textbooks on Paul Anderson reported that he would squat 3 to 5 times a week depending on what he was doing in his training at the time. This is the perfect example of strength training to achieve unlimited strength and power!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Kettlebell Impact! The 2 For 1 Workout

So what does the phrase 2 for 1 mean? Well its pretty simple actually. It basically means that you can get 2 services or 2 products of some kind for the price of one. Well this is basically what the kettlebell does for your personal strength and fitness program. You can get the benefits of bone crushing strength, as well as, the cardiovascular conditioning of a horse in one single workout! You are getting the benefits of both fitness characteristics at the same time.

The beauty of the kettlebell is that it is all about helping you to obtain massive results in many areas of your physiology. By using this device competently you can achieve amazing resiliency which is a trait that is essential in making your body tough. You are able to withstand more punishment of any kind with a reduced risk of inheriting an injury. Your muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments become stronger. This is where training with kettlebells goes far beyond the workout that you can achieve in some health club on a machine. The nice shiny machine in the health club is pretty to look at, but you don't get the body of a Greek God or Goddess by taking that route. The truth is that the iron bell actually gives you more than a 2 for 1 kind of a deal as it relates to your health and fitness. You actually obtain all qualities that relate to fitness from this killer device. In other words, you gain in multiple areas of your physical capabilities concerning strength, cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, resiliency, lean muscle mass, and overall athletic performance.

This awesome deal is much more than a 2 for 1 kind of a deal. It is more like a 6 for 1 kind of a deal! I think you get what I am saying. Don't sell yourself short. If you allow yourself the time to learn and utilize the resources around you then you can gain the benefits of all of these physical traits that were mentioned.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

A Mission to Fitness - 2 Drills That Combine Both Intense Cardio and Serious Strength!

Imagine having the body of your dreams. What would you do? What you show it off to friends more often? Would you even show it off to total strangers more often? These are legitimate questions and I'm willing to bet you have asked them to yourself before. Remember that anything worth achieving takes some time and sacrifice. However, it doesn't require as much time and sacrifice as you would think. The key is to maintain consistency forever. This doesn't mean your results will take forever to obtain, but you have to have that mindset in order live the lifestyle to make your goals possible. Start by incorporating these 2 intense drills into your personal program.

1. Sandbag Hill Runs: For the following drill you will need to have 2 obvious things to make it work. You will need a hefty sandbag and a good hill to run up. To begin the drill simply start at the base of the hill. To make the hill runs challenging you will have to dictate your intensity based on the grade and distance of the hill, as well as, the weight of the sandbag. If you have a steady grade or incline of 10 to 20 degrees and at least a 50 lb sandbag then you will have yourself quite a workout. Just try to fairly gauge your intensity and make sure you stay strict on your rest time. This drill is great for building your core strength and cardiovascular fitness.

2. Dragging The Sandbag Uphill: For this drill you can certainly use the same hill. I would recommend a grassy hill for this particular exercise to preserve the quality of your sandbag. For this drill once again start at the base of the hill. This is certainly a drill that is great for developing quality leg strength and total conditioning. Grab one end of the bag and back pedal up the hill while dragging the bag in front of you. If the bag isn't long enough then you can always pay a visit to the local hardware store for some rope to tie around the bag to give yourself a little something extra to hold onto. Your strength and conditioning program will soar to all new heights with these two drills!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

The Fountain of Youth! The Benefits of an Effective Strength Program For Older Adults

If you are familiar with my opinion on strength training, fitness training, and exercise then you know I'm going to absolutely push this on you in this article. I never let up and I'm not going to start now. If you are an older adult then you need to read what I have to say here.

To begin, age is really only a number. I understand that there are physiological explanations of "getting older" that are unavoidable. However, many of these ailments, diseases, and disorders that eventually catch up to us later in life can and have been shown to be slowed down with the aid of exercise. Strength training for older adults is way UNDER-RATED! It should be your mission to put doctors out of business due to good health. The upside to strength training in both men and women are almost overwhelming. Increased bone density, lower blood-pressure, lower cholesterol, joint stability, flexibility, and balance are just a few examples of many that you gain from a proper and effective program design! Would you rather be laid up in some bed, in a wheelchair, or feeling pain all the time? I don't know about you, but I would rather live to 75 years of age feeling like I'm 25, rather living to a 100 feeling like I'm 200 years old. As far as I know we only get one body at birth so we should make the most of it.

With all the problems in the healthcare system today and always worrying about the cost of medicine I think the best solution is to eliminate the need for it. Effective strength training and a personal program design to make you sweat is the answer. You are not going to find the "Fountain of Youth" in a medicine bottle.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

The Kettlebell - A Force to Reckon With in Women's Fitness!

I have worked with women athletes and former female athletes who all agree that the kettlebell is the most hard-hitting and biggest results producing device in the fitness industry. Of course, these are women that really know how to get after it when they are working out. As a professional I am even impressed with a woman that can handle the dynamic intensity of the kettlebell.

The kettlebell is no doubt a tool of results when you talk about getting in shape. However, you must know that getting results still boil down to intensity! Bell or no bell your mindset and approach to training will breed you the results of the killer body that you desire. The good news is that the kettlebell makes the intensity part a lot easier because of the dynamic style of training that is required to work with this device.

Ladies this is your fitness key to success. You want to challenge yourself, but you also need to be competent about what is required in handling this ancient tool. Take the time to read up on my other articles and learn about what is needed for you to get that body you want to show off, but most importantly that is healthy! Ladies your body is a big deal. With this device you can not only look great, but you can certainly reduce the risk of a lot of potential health problems that tend to target women later in life. Start getting your fat-loss program in gear now with kettlebell training!

Remember that even though there is a bit of a learning curve it will be well worth it! Anything that is good or great always involves some invested time and effort!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at :http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Kettlebell Training For the Soccer Athlete!

To many times I have heard about the amount of endurance required to play the game of soccer. I admit that being from the southeastern part of the U.S. I never saw as much of the sport growing up. This has certainly changed since my earlier high school days. Anyway, I do recognize that there is a huge requirement for cardiovascular conditioning in order to compete in the sport effectively. However, the one trait that I have noticed as being overlooked across the soccer community is the strength variable. Now I'm not saying every soccer player ignores the importance of strength training, but I do think that there is still an old mindset out there concerning the fear of "bulking" up which may compromise a player's performance.

The key to not "bulking up" and to develop a high level of athletic performance involves the effective design of a strength program. Kettlebells are a tremendous tool that I utilize with all of my athletes to develop every area of athletic performance ranging from speed, power, endurance, flexibility, and resiliency without the barrier of big muscles to get in the way. With the proper implementation of this ancient strength and conditioning device the soccer player can gain the superior strength and, at the same time, drastically enhance his or her cardiovascular fitness! The secret of the kettlebell lies in it's design.

The bell is basically a cannonball with a metal handle attached to it. When holding it you will quickly find that it is constantly pulling away from your body or center of gravity. This "pulling away" causes your body to counter-react to the resistance thereby making you stronger without you even realizing it! The strength variable is an important variable that the soccer player cannot afford to overlook. The beauty with this device is that you are getting a 5 to 1 deal by enhancing all variables across the spectrum of athletic performance ranging from strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, and resiliency!

If you are a soccer player and you want to improve your game then stop wasting time! The kettlebell is the ultimate option for you to step up your game.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Improving Your Swimming on Land - 2 Land-Based Drills the Swimmer Can Do to Have Power in the Water!

I want to first grab your attention by saying that strength is the necessary trait for you to perform ANY task! Yes, swimming qualifies as a task. In order to develop strength you have to tension the body. This comes by adding some resistance to the body by you either adding an additional load such as free-weights or by you utilizing your own body-weight. Well, you may be thinking how is this done. I am giving you 2 drills that you can learn and implement with an awesome body-tensing tool known as the kettlebell!

1. The Double-Arm Swing: This is the base lift of the kettlebell. You perform this drill by picking up the weighted bell from between your feet with your stance being slightly wider than shoulder width distance apart in length. From here you will want to keep your shoulders back and your arms straight. Simply "hike" the bell between your legs much like you would do with a football. As you perform a quarter squat to swing the bell back between your legs, then continuously and rapidly snap the hips forward causing the bell to build momentum and swing up to your chest level. From here keep swinging the bell back and forth for the desired number of reps. You will build a tremendous amount of core power, hip power, and shoulder strength by including this lift into your program. All of these muscles are necessary for your success in the water!

2. The Staggered Bell Push-Up: This a simple lift to explain, but executing it is another story. Above I explained the "swing" which is more of a "pull" related movement. Now I am going to give you a "push" related movement to execute. For this exercise simply lay the kettlebell on a flat surface (the floor) and make sure the handle is pointing back at you. Next, simply get into an upright push-up position placing one hand on the round sphere of the bell and one hand on the ground. Make sure your hands are only about shoulder width distance apart. Make certain that your body is straight and rigid. From here execute about 10 to 15 good push-ups and then walk laterally over the kettlebell to place the other hand on it to perform the same drill on the other side. You will quickly feel the benefit of this upper-body and core blasting exercise!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

The Power of the Barbell - Elite Strength Training For the Serious Athlete!

There is no doubt that a lot of us have limited resources and time with the fast-paced lives that many of us lead in today's world. Perhaps you are an athlete, but you feel that your strength level has suffered lately due to the lack of time to get to a gym. No worries because your answer is here. I run into people all of the time that have an old barbell set that does nothing but collect dust in their garage or basement. This simple set of weights is all you need for a killer strength program.

To start, get that barbell and weight set out into an open area to where you can put it to use and knock off the dust! Don't worry about a lack of equipment, because being innovative and training on your feet is the best way to get into athletic shape! The only other thing that you might want to invest in is a good rubber mat that is thick enough to protect your flooring from the banging weights.

I would recommend that you work on a simple program by combining as many push/pull combinations with the barbell as you can think of. All you have to do is to be effective by combining the two movements back to back. For instance, you may want to do a set of cleans and follow up this set by including a set of push jerks. This is a great push/pull combo. It gets your body working in an athletically explosive manner which is essential for optimal fitness, core strength, and power. By combining the push/pull method you will also properly develop more balance in strength and a symmetrically developed body.

Remember that you don't have to have a ton of equipment to be effective. Olympic lifting, deadlifts, and squats all serve as highly effective lifts that are sure to keep you sharp. Feel free to continue reading more of my articles to get additional ideas on training.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

The Strength and Conditioning Professional - The Ingredient For a Successful Program!

This is a different era in sports and athletic competition. I am from the state of Georgia and here football is KING! From the great University of Georgia who has come on the collegiate scene as one of the premiere programs in college football today all the way down to the high schools and youth leagues around the state. The one thing they all have in common is a formula for turning out both top-notch football programs and players. I am here to fill you in on one of the main ingredients to this success.

To have a successful program we can all agree that it takes a team effort. It takes not only the coaches and players to be on task from week to week, but it also takes the support of the parents and boosters. Basically, saying parents and boosters is another way of saying generous donators. So having all of this help what more can a program have to set itself apart from the competition? Well, it has been my experience that the most successful programs have the availability of a well-structured strength and conditioning program. More and more programs are hiring on certified strength and conditioning specialist like myself to either come in as an outsourced independent contractor or as their own full time strength and conditioning coach. I have had the opportunity to be this particular professional at all levels in the state of Georgia.

I have seen teams that went from being mediocre to being teams that are in the hunt for a regional title all within a year by implementing the help of a strength and conditioning coach or professional. This is certainly a key ingredient for total success. Since the arrival of Coach Mark Richt and head strength and conditioning coach Dave Van Halanger at the University of Georgia they have been one of only two teams to have 10 win seasons over the past 6 years! During my time there I witnessed several athletes set strength records in the squat, bench-press, and vertical jump at the school in 2002 and 2003, and the records still stand.

Now I'm not telling you this because I want to brag about the UGA football program. I am simply stating facts that support the very point that I am trying to get across about the importance of having a strength and conditioning professional in your community's programs. If you don't have one then there is always money that can be raised to find a competent motivating young professional to come in and make things happen!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Progressional Planning - You Must Plan to Progress in Life and Your Strength Program is No Different

I want to explain the importance of progressional planning. If you have ever started a construction project, worked on a car, or watched a baby go from crawling to walking then you just observed the development of progress over time in each of these examples. There is a certain order of things that have to be done before you move on to other things and this is what I am talking about.

In a fitness program progression is the most important variable especially when trying to strengthen weak or imbalanced areas of the body. If I am approaching starting a strength program then I should address my goals first. Once I establish my goals then I should plan accordingly and this is how I move forward. For instance, if a certain individual wants to increase his bench-press then there are certain things they should master depending on their skill level. If this particular person has never worked out and is incapable of even stabilizing the barbell to press it then they are probably not even able to execute a push-up with their own body-weight. So instead of jumping to the barbell, they should master the almighty push-up first. As a general rule of thumb it is my professional opinion that everyone should be able to handle an array of body-weight exercises before ever moving to load there body with additional weights. If you are addressing weak imbalances and asymmetries then certain exercises that involve isolation of that side of the body are necessary to equalize the strength and transfer of it within the working mechanics of the body.

The bottom line is to plan smartly when either beginning or if you are in need of reworking your current program. The more effective your strength and fitness program is then it will produce greater results for you like weight-loss, fat-loss, and overall fitness.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Carbs - The Truth About This Nutrient Outcast!

All I hear about these days is that if you want to lose weight you need to get rid of the carbs! This is a ridiculous mindset that has warped the American public and we are still the fattest nation around. So it appears that whatever most of us thought we new about carbs or nutrition doesn't seem to be so accurate.

The truth is that carbs provide us with the necessary energy that we need to accomplish most physical tasks. They are simply a need for the human body in order to function properly from day to day. Now when I say function I mean that in order for us to do work, workout, or keep our metabolism in check we have to have carbs to function. Eliminating or attempting to eliminate this essential nutrient will only screw up the normal function and balance of our bodies.

Now, at the same time, I think that we are lacking common sense. When I say carbs are necessary I don't mean to go out to the nearest Italian restaurant and place a family order of pasta to down all by yourself. Don't be ridiculous. It is sad that I even have to say that, but that is the mindset of a lot of people and they constantly wonder why they have a weight problem. Just like anything else the carbs that you ingest should be monitored. Just like you would monitor how much junk food you would feed your own kid you should monitor what carbs you put into your body.

The biggest thing is to just do what you think is healthy. Get rid of the sweets, sodas, and junk food. Also manage how much of and when you eat complex carbs or starches like pastas, potatoes, and breads. These complex carbs are good, but your body takes longer to burn these off. Because of this it is better to eat these earlier in the day.

Make the simple adjustments for big results. Remember that old habits die hard. So go out and start good habits!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Exercise - The Importance and Efficiency of Intensity!

Fitness is something that seems to rank right up there with entertainment these days. Everywhere I look I see magazines, books, internet, and TV pitching some gimmicky fitness product with the promise of huge results. People spend the money for every new thing that hits the screen to be "on top" of the latest fitness craze.

The fitness world is a world of image that people usually end up spending more for in plastic surgeries and a so-called "magical pills" rather than in the price of sweat and tears. I usually put my beginning clients through a workout that last only about 15 minutes and they feel more than they ever felt putting in 2 hours at the gym. You see the point that I'm making is that the 15 minutes of misery is much more beneficial than a lackadaisical hour of leisure time on the treadmill. The key to constructing a hard body takes sacrifice and that is accomplished through INTENSITY.

You absolutely must achieve a level of increased physical exertion in order to build lean muscle mass, superior cardiovascular conditioning, and a jet-engine like metabolism. It is just fine if your workouts last only 5 minutes as long as that five minutes is all that you can handle at the time. Keep pushing and you can get up to the full 15 minutes, right? Many studies have shown that the human bodys' level of growth hormone peak around 40 to 45 minutes of intense training anyway. Don't think of this as bad news because that little study just extinguished the excuse of not having enough time to workout.

Intensity is the answer to all of your fitness questions. You get more in less time and you don't have to train as frequently. So go get fired up and drive yourself to get REAL results!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Your Body - The Real Weight Room!

I would say that your own body is the best weight-room or gym around. It amazes me that most people don't get the concept of progression. Time and time again I see people that can bench-press a pretty good amount of weight but lack the ability to execute one correct form push-up. Their logic is backwards.

I would like to start by saying that if you are not capable of performing some basic body-weight exercises such as push-ups, squats, and planks then you have no business adding an additional load to the body like the act of lifting weights! You see these are all forms of resistance. Whether you are lifting your own body-weight or you are throwing weights around in the gym you are simply adding resistance to the muscle causing it to tense up. This tensing up or tension is what builds strength. You have to progress in order to gain optimal function and overall development of strength.

When you engage in such exercise that involve your own body-weight such as push-ups you will find that they can be pretty challenging. You can get a heck of a workout by participating in this age-old movement and others that are like it with just your own resistance. My opinion is that if you cannot execute these movements by using your own resistance effectively then you lack development in your stabilizing muscles and overall core strength.

Make sure that you understand how to progress in a fitness and exercise program before you start. Always have a plan before blindly throwing yourself into something hoping that it will all just automatically happen. Learn and practice these movements flawlessly and then move on to more difficult and challenging workouts.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Kettlebell Force - The Strength and Conditioning Professional's Best Friend!

I have been a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) for many years and have trained athletes in all types of sports. I have to say that I wished that I had been introduced to kettlebells the day I started my career. However, the good news is that this ancient device has been a best friend of mine and has pushed my clients, family, friends, and myself to all new levels of strength and fitness that I never thought possible. If you are a strength professional read on to learn how this device will make your life a whole lot easier.

To start, I can say that over the many years of my career I have trained people in powerlifting, olympic lifting, and designed athletic performance programs for an array of sports teams. The kettlebell has made this job of mine much easier since I have included it into my primary method of training. I think that you can agree that the objective to develop total athleticism today involves building the athlete to be bigger, faster, and stronger.

The beauty of the kettlebell is that the method of training with it can involve both big power building movements, as well as, obtaining overall tremendous conditioning. Kettlebell training is certainly a "hybrid" type of exercise that can combine all the movements and produce all the benefits that are necessary for optimal athletic performance. If you are a strength coach or strength professional then trust me you don't need your job to be anymore difficult than it already is.

If you are for making your job easier then you need to take the time to get familiar with the dynamic form of training that is involved with kettlebells. As a strength and conditioning professional it should be part of your duty in the first place. I'll even make it easy for you by letting you know that you can access all of my articles for free so you have all the information you will need on training with the ancient device. Train hard and enjoy!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Sandbag Glory - 2 Great Drills You Can Implement With Sandbags For Great Core Strength!

Imagine training with simple movements that provide you with big results! This very style of training should be the way you workout in the first place in my opinion, however with the addition of a sandbag you can create an entire workout by utilizing the resistance of a simple piece of equipment. You can get sandbags online that are specifically made for training, or if you want to really be hardcore you can get the flood-stoppers from Home Depot! Either way you will get a heck of a workout.

1. The Clean: This is probably a familiar lift to you with equipment such as kettlebells, barbells, and dumbells. The lift is executed much in the same exact way with the sandbag. Cleaning the sandbag is a great way to develop your core strength and overall body power. To make this more enjoyable you can train with the bag outdoors. To clean the bag all you do is perform a normal squat and reach down to pick the bag up. Pick it up in a straight line from between your legs and catch it right at chest level. Once you complete the lift simply drop the bag and repeat the movement. The bags can come in a variety of weights. Start with a 50 lb bag and as you get better try to move up to a 70 lb.

2. The Clean And Throw: This lift is executed in the same exact fashion as the ordinary clean mentioned above. The only difference with this lift is that when you catch the bag at chest level you will want to perform a push press or jerk to explosively throw the bag vertically above your head. Don't be a knucklehead and try to catch it. Simply let it fall to the ground and repeat the lift again. This sandbag training is great for your core strength, fitness, and overall conditioning. You will be shocked at the result you can get from such a simple concept of training!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Movement Based Exercise - Put a Creative Spin on Your Fitness Program

I want to say that a key element in the very thing that I like to refer to as my "strength culture" concerns the application of utilizing body movements within an effective strength and conditioning program. True fitness can be obtained from the art of moving the body and having the individual learn how to control their own resistance or an applied load through a series of movements. Being creative is a requirement when trying to formulate a workout that is both effective and challenging.

A good example of adding this additional creative "spin" to a workout can be through something as simple as a squat. Most anyone can execute an ordinary free standing squat. Now to progress this specific exercise to something of a more challenging nature one can attempt to squat by adding an additional weight or load. Most people would think of doing something like a traditional barbell back squat. For me I would like to take a different and more "creative" route by including a kettlebell. You can perform a variation of the front squat by performing a kettlebell clean first and then squatting with the weight in hand. Now this is a fairly dynamic spin on the squat, but if I really wanted to add to the exercise I would perform a clean, then press the bell overhead, and then squat with the kettlebell above my head! This is truly a dynamic way to force more body control and overall stability.

Take the time to learn new movements! Learn to focus on being dynamic in your strength training and you will obtain huge results. Feel free to search more of my articles on the explanation of my "strength culture."

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Goals - To Achieve Them You Have to Set Them in the Fitness World and in Life!

It doesn't matter if you are talking about life in general or your personal fitness and strength program, you must have goals set in order to have any measurement of achievement. Too many times I have asked people that have started a workout program what there goals are and they generally don't have anything in mind. Its almost as if they haven't thought about it until I asked them the question. With my experience with training athletes it has been easy because they all pretty much want to be bigger, faster, and stronger.

I have got to level with you when it comes to people that have success in fitness, life, family, and everything else. All of these people have set forth not just goals, but specific ones when it comes to making things happen. I like the idea of SPECIFIC goals when making achievement.

For instance, if you want to lose weight then don't just say I want to lose weight. Instead say that you want to lose 20 lbs and accomplish a certain feat of strength like being able to do 50 form perfect push-ups at one time all within a specified time frame. This detailed oriented goal setting is a great way to drive you to progress so you are not just wasting your time blindly going through the motions. Your weight-loss goals and strength goals will come much sooner and you will feel your behavior is reinforced by taking these steps.

Stop wasting your time! Give yourself a specific goal. Do this along with following a detailed competent plan and watch your fitness, weight-loss, and strength training goals become a reality!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!