Five Steps to Take in Order to Guarantee Weight-Loss!

I have included in this article 5 steps that you can take in order to guarantee your success in losing weight. If you are not accustomed to being active and living a healthy lifestyle then this article should be very valuable to you.

Step 1: Get off the couch: If you want to start losing weight you must become physically active. With this particular step don't worry about workout structure and equipment just get up and move around. Walk around your living room, around your house, or around the block if you can. This is much more productive than sitting on the couch doing nothing drowning in sea of cheetos.

Step 2: Trade those cheetos for an apple: Start making better nutritional choices. Put down the bag of cheetos and eat an apple instead. Instead of polishing off that bottle of coke drink a tall glass of ice water. Simple choices like this will drastically improve your weight-loss progress. To lose the fat you must eat healthier.

Step 3: Pick up something and move it: Once you get into the habit of actually moving around then you can start implementing very basic forms of resistance training. An easy way to start is to throw yourself into doing something productive such as yard or house work. Very basic methods of strength training can be accomplished by moving a wheel barrel or carrying bags of fertilizer across the yard. It doesn't have to be fancy to be effective.

Step 4: Join a fitness group: Studies have shown that people enjoy participating in group activities in a lot of cases, especially when it comes to exercise. If you are sweating and in pain next to a friend that is going through the same thing you are less likely to give up. Find a friend or friends to join in some sort of physical activity.

Step 5: Make progress: In order to be successful in any weight-loss, fat-loss, or exercise program you must grow and learn more effective methods to continue making progress. Don't just keep doing the same things. Remember that once you have made the decision to train your body with a purpose then you must have a purpose! Don't just go through the motions get better. Whether you are working on your cardiovascular training, strength, or overall fitness you only get out of it what you put into it. That's life my friends!

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!

Questions and Answers on Fitness Are Here!

Whether you care to take a look at some of these questions or not I will strongly encourage you to do so. I always get asked questions that have to do with training and how people should be training for optimal fitness, weight-loss, and fat-loss. Take a look at these to see if any of them sound familiar to you.

Question: Why do you primarily train your whole body?
Answer: I use my body training like this because that it is what it is designed to do. Our bodies are designed to do work. I am just simulating a very intensified environment of functional life experience. This is how I know I will be in the best shape and reduce the risk of injury regardless of what I am doing. Also, it is my job because I am a strength and conditioning specialist and professional trainer.

Question: Can you train the same muscle groups more than once a week?
Answer: Yes, you can train your muscles most everyday of the week, as long as, you are not tearing the muscle down to failure every time and vary the intensity of what you are doing. The key is to train your nervous system by taxing your body systemically (as a whole) rather than training a specific muscle to absolute failure.

Question: Well I just want to look good. Can't I just do that by using the machines?
Answer: Yes, to a point. However, as you intensify your workout you will produce bigger and faster results that will stay with you more as you get older. So you can look somewhat good now, but you have the option of looking great now and looking great 20 years from now also! Not only do you look great by utilizing your body as a whole, but you will feel as good as you look!

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!

Forging a Body of Steel - 2 Sound Reasons the Kettlebell Helps You Turn Your Body Into Steel!

I have found that since I have included the iron cannonball into my program that my strength and conditioning levels have soared. I am able to lift more weight, do more work, and do it a lot! The reason for this can be primarily summed up in two explanations. Take a moment to read and learn these so you can include this tool into your program for you to forge a body of steel!

1. The Design: The first characteristic of the bell that makes it so effective lies in it's design. The unique round design with the handle makes it difficult to hold. When lifting the bell and attempting to hold it you will find that it always wants to pull away from you body or center of gravity. This pulling away of the weight is what causes your body to counter-react in order to keep it stable. The process of your body having to counter-react is where you draw strength from handling the device without you even realizing it. So when you initiate more advanced lifts this "pulling away" factor is amplified even more, therefore amplifying your strength.

2. The Dynamic: The second characteristic of the bell that makes it such a dominant strength training device is in the way you train with it. The method or style of training is very dynamic. Training with the kettlebell is very much an art form in and of itself. It teaches us how to truly utilize the way we move our bodies. Our bodies are machines that are designed for three dimensional movement. When training with the kettlebell you will find that the way you train with this device is through the three dimensional movement of resisted type lifts. Not only do you gain strength from this, but this is where you gain the superior fitness, as well as, cardiovascular 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!

The Importance of Strength Training For Women!

I find that women today are hung up on doing the "aerobic" workout rather than engaging in something that really gets them results. Now before you get angry with me I pick on the guys too, its just that I am specifically focusing in on you for this particular article. I believe in tough love. Now hopefully I have not angered you to the point that you have stopped reading this article. Now, that we are over the insensitivity lets focus on the matter at hand.

To begin, you have to have a strength training program in place in order to get the results you desire. Not only do you need a strength program, but your strength and conditioning program should be one in the same. If you want top-notch results you have to have an effective and well planned strength program that you can implement in order to get the benefits of building lean muscle mass. This in turn will kick your metabolism into high gear! This is where you shed the inches like crazy in get a super fit body. Its all about total-body fitness and not an entire 30 minute class devoted to abs! Workout to make yourself sweat, to breathe hard, and do it while handling some sort of resistance. This is where your strength training comes in. Strength training can come in many forms. It doesn't necessarily just mean weightlifting. Although weightlifting is a form of strength training. It can be a highly effective program designed around utilizing nothing more than your own body-weight. Women that are getting the killer body are getting the killer strength training programs! This is a fact. Don't shortchange yourself.

The bottom line is that you have to step up your program. There is a bit of a learning curve involved in anything with value. Take the time to learn and implement an effective strength training program. Like I said this can be an awesome program with just your body-weight, it can be done with weights, or other very dynamic devices like the kettlebell.

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!

Field Conditioning - 2 Drills For You to Implement on the Football Field For Optimal Conditioning!

To start, I want to point out that this particular program is highly effective in getting athletes in shape for the upcoming season of their sport. This is also ideal for the general population as well so long as the individual is advanced enough to attempt the following 2 drills.

1. Squat Jumps Into Sprints: To start this particular drill all you will need is about 30 yards of flat running space. Mark off 30 yards of running room and stand at one end. From here perform 10 continuous squat jumps. Now when you are doing the squat jumps make sure that your form and technique is flawless. Be conscious of your hip and arm action and make sure you are getting low enough into your squats. Once you have completed the 10 squat jumps then explode off of the line into a full sprint for the full 30 yards! This is a great drill for you to improve your conditioning and overall cardiovascular fitness.

2. Squat Thrusts Into Sprints: For this drill you will require the same setup of the 30 yards of running room as mentioned above. From here simply execute 10 squat thrust at the line. Make sure you place your hands flat on the ground in front of you and extend your body fully when performing each repetition. Once you have completed the 10 squat thrust then explode off of the line to sprint the full 30 yards. Perform the desired number of repetitions, but only permit yourself about 45 seconds rest between each set. This drill is tremendous for developing your core strength, cardiovascular fitness, and linear speed. Execute each repetition with a high level of intensity!

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!

Fitness Training - The Gruesome 10 - Time Efficient Training For the Busy Mom and Dad

I have talked to many moms and dads that spend the better part of their day working, picking up kids from school, running errands, preparing meals, and doing yard work. This sounds like the life of a typical functioning family that generally takes on the attitude that working out and being fit is an impossibility. I'm here to put that mindset to rest!

I want to talk about scheduling a workout in what I like to call the "gruesome 10!" Most people live a busy lifestyle of work, kids, chores, and fast-paced weekends. Working out is not an option to these moms and dads because they don't have the time to get to a gym or to buy equipment to stock up in the garage. Still there is no reason why a fit lifestyle couldn't be accomplished in their hectic schedules. I would like to introduce the "gruesome 10" philosophy. The "10" stands for 10 minutes and the "gruesome" stands for miserable, heart pounding, shaky arms, and shaky legs due to all out shock! The entire workout is only 10 minutes and the results are tremendous.

You are probably wondering "how does this work?" The gruesome 10 is a workout that needs to be completed when it needs to be completed! In other words, there is not a necessary schedule of a time and place, but only when there is 10 minutes of uninterrupted "go time" available. Keep the format simple, but continuous. The 10 can also mean the number of exercises and rep count. Combine 10 different body weight exercises into a giant circuit. Each exercise is 10 reps. You can go from 10 push-ups to 10 squats to 10 crunches and on and on. The key is to not stop until the 10 exercises are completed or your 10 minutes are up.

The objective here is to ramp up the intensity level. There is no equipment, no kids, no wife, no husband, instead there is just that high-paced 10 minutes of strength and 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!

The Best Way For a Beginner to Structure an Exercise Program!

First of all, when you are beginning a program it is obvious that you probably have a set of personal goals in mind. In my opinion the goals of beginners should all be about the same! You want to be as fit and healthy as you can possibly be, right? I think that I am probably pretty close to being right on target. Anyway, we can probably agree that the best way to get to where you want to go is to have a well thought out and well structured plan. However, sometimes the best way to structure a plan for a beginner is to just get active and stay active often.

The way we go about worrying how much time we should put into structuring a nutrition plan, resistance training program, and cardiovascular plan can be over-thought in a lot of cases! Sometimes the best plan of action is to just have a good variety of physical interests. You may want to go cycling one day, hiking one day, and lift weights for a day. A lot of the time it can be just as beneficial to keep a sort of chaotic variation of many different things rather than putting too much effort into figuring out sets, reps, and counting calories in a diet. In time you will learn how to FINE-TUNE your personal fitness and strength program. By keeping your beginner workout program set to a variety of different things you will quickly start to see results in fat and weight-loss!

Just remember to get started doing something and put forth nothing less than an intense and relentless effort! If you are just going to go through the motions and have a going halfway attitude about it then don't expect to grow from it. It is ok to be a beginner, but you don't want to stay one!

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!

Volleyball and Plyometrics, a Necessary Combination!

Plyometrics are a form of training that is used in order to create forceful muscular power by initiating movements that stimulate and keep your nervous system sharp. Movements such as jumping and bounding off of the ground to increase performance are what plyometrics are good for. This is why plyometrics should be the meat and potatoes of every volleyball player's game!

I think that you can agree that playing volleyball is hard enough without having the leg power and core strength to endure long tournaments and hard fought games! Not being powerful enough to attack the net to drive home the winning point should be the last thing you need to worry about when you are playing a game. Volleyball players have to work on athletic performance just like any other athlete. The quicker and more powerful the player the better he or she will be at playing the game. If you are a volleyball player looking to improve your game then you should incorporate various plyometric drills such as squat jumps and hurdle bounding drills into your practice and training time. This will certainly do the trick in helping you to develop that athletic edge you need to stay on top of your game!

When incorporating plyometric drills into your training program you develop an array of attributes that will improve your game. You will certainly build on improving your athleticism, but you will also drastically reduce the risk of injury and speed up your recovery between those physically challenging games and tournaments. Give it a try and train hard my friends!

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 Hard Stomach - 2 Exercises For Women to Get a Hard Flat Stomach!

The key to losing your belly involves you speeding up your body's metabolism to burn fat. This does not mean that old fashioned crunches are going to do the trick. As a matter of fact there is really no need to even do crunches when you are participating in movements that stimulate your core and whole body movements that REALLY get you the stomach you desire! Check out the following 2 exercises below that will help you to speed up your metabolism and strengthen your core more than any crunch you have ever attempted.

1. Walkout Planks: If you are serious about shrinking your waistline then this is a great drill to incorporate into your personal program. To start, you will want to stand with your feet about shoulder width distance apart in length. From here simply squat down and place your hands on the ground in front of you. Once your hands are on the ground then you will want to walk with your hands out until your body is fully extended and you are in an upright push-up position. Make sure your feet stay in the same position.

Once extended lower yourself down onto your forearms placing your body into an extended plank position. From here simply push yourself back up into an upright push-up position and walk back with your hands until you are back to a standing position. All of this equates to a single repetition! Attempt to do 10 to 15 of these in a row to start and you will quickly see just how effective this stomach exercise can be.

2. Walkout Push-Ups: This drill is executed the same exact way as the walkout planks with the exception that you will execute a push-up instead of lowering your body into a plank position. Once again, if you are looking to speed up the fat-loss and weight-loss process then try executing 10 to 15 of these in a row with about 45 seconds rest between each set!

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!

Hitting Power - 2 Kettlebell Drills to Help the Baseball Player Develop Into a Major Slugger!

There is no arguing that one of baseball's biggest attractions is "the long ball." That's right, hitting home runs is exciting. Even though this is an exciting part of the game there is a lot that goes into being able to do it. It takes technique, bat speed, and power. As a strength and conditioning specialist I have included 2 hard-hitting drills, no pun intended, in this article to help you to achieve these necessary traits. Kettlebells are a great way for a baseball player to develop incredible power and tremendous bat speed.

1. The Double-Arm Swing: For this drill you will only need a single kettlebell that is of moderately heavy weight. To begin, set the bell between your feet and make sure that your feet are about shoulder width distance apart in length. From here perform a proper form squat and pick the bell up. Allow it to hang at your groin. The next step you have to perform is a technique known as the hip snap. The hip snap is executed by you flexing and extending at both your hips and knees in order to create enough momentum to swing the bell up from between your legs up to your chest level. Make sure that you keep your arms straight and your shoulders retracted. Lock out at the top of each swing. The hip motion is great for developing those muscles and your core which are the source of your hitting power! Attempt 30 to 50 of these in a row with a moderately heavy bell.

2. Kettlebell Push-Up Rows (aka Man-Makers): For this drill you will need the availability of a pair of kettlebells of equal weight. You will want to get into an upright push-up position while stabilizing your body on the kettlebells. Make sure that your hands and the bells are shoulder width distance apart in length. Grip each handle of the kettlebell firmly in the palms of your hands. Your hands should be in a mid-pronated position or your palms should be facing towards each other. Stabilize and control your body. Make sure you maintain good rigidity from your shoulders all the way to your feet. Your feet can be shoulder width apart. From here simply execute a push-up off of the bells and when you ascend simply row one kettlebell to your rib cage picking it up off of the ground. Set it back down and perform another push-up to execute another row on the opposite side. This is a highly effective strength training drill for baseball players. You further develop incredible core strength and power to help prep you for the long ball! Train hard and enjoy my friends.

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!

Unique Cardio - So Difficult Even a Caveman Might Not Do It!

If you are looking to step up your cardiovascular workout with a touch of unique style then you will love this article. First of all, the type of cardiovascular training that I am referring to will involve nothing more than your front yard or the availability of an open flat space and a few other items. No treadmill is necessary here!

To begin, you will need 3 items. You will need some markers such as cones or water bottles (4 markers to be exact), 2 five gallon buckets of water (both of these count as a single item), and yourself. Simple enough, right? To start the drill simply place your markers in a straight line allowing for 15 yards of distance between each marker. The first marker is your starting point. Place one of the 5 gallon buckets of water at the second marker and the second five gallon bucket of water at the third marker. The fourth and final marker is your finishing point. The total measure of distance from the first marker to the fourth and final marker is 60 yards! Now with all of this set up you are ready to engage in a serious conditioning drill that is sure to challenge your cardiovascular training like nothing else.

Start out at the first marker on the ground in a position to do a bear crawl. From the starting point to the first marker you will bear crawl only using the muscles in your upper-body to move yourself forward to the first marker. Once you reach the first marker with the 5 gallon bucket of water immediately jump up and pick up the 5 gallon bucket of water with both hands allowing the bucket to hang in front of your body. You will have to sort of straddle and walk to keep the bucket in front of you. This is much more difficult because it slows you down forcing you to use more muscles to stabilize the water. Next, progress to the second bucket of water and obviously you will pick up both by grabbing one in each hand. From here simply walk to the end at the finishing marker. Once finished put everything back into place and repeat the process. This fitness and conditioning drill would certainly even challenge a caveman! Give it a try.

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!

Explosive Cardio!

If you are looking for a way to gain superior cardiovascular fitness then you have got to attempt the following workout. The old mindset of "cardio" being thought of as only "aerobic in nature" is thrown out the window right here my friends. Keep reading to learn what I am talking about.

First of all, if you want to achieve REAL cardiovascular fitness then you have got to ramp up your intensity. Cardiovascular training doesn't only consist of "aerobic" training. Forget about the treadmill or elliptical trainer here my friends. For this workout you will need 2 items. You will need a set of stairs or bleachers and a single kettlebell of moderately heavy resistance. Start out the drill on flat ground with the kettlebell. Squat and pick up the bell with both hands. Next perform a series of double-arm overhead swings for 30 repetitions. As soon as you are finished set the kettlebell down and sprint up the flight of stairs or bleachers. Try to sprint a height of about 2 to 3 stories if possible. If the bleachers or stairs you are using are less than the recommended height then sprint more times. Learn to manage with what you have. This is a great kettlebell cardio workout. By combining both of these drills you stand to make some serious gains in your cardiovascular fitness.

Trust me, if you want to step up your cardiovascular conditioning then you have got to step up your cardiovascular exercise! Train hard and give it a try!

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!