Kettlebell Construction - 2 Kettlebell Drills to Help You Build the Perfect Body!

If you are going to construct the perfect body you need a sound plan and some good tools. Well, if you had to pick only one tool then the only tool you would need for your hard-body construction project is the kettlebell. With all of my years of experience and studying the human body the one device that has stood out to impress me more than anything happens to be the oldest device. The kettlebell has been around for centuries and strongmen and olympians have understood it's powerful contribution to human performance and all out strength for a long time! It has a legacy of constructing and forging body's that consist of the greatest characteristics of total lean muscle mass and pure athleticism. Check out the following 2 drills that you can use in your own strength and conditioning program in order to follow in the legacy of the kettlebell!

1. The One-Arm Turkish Get-Up: This particular drill is a bit complex and should only be attempted by an experienced kettlebell man or woman! This drill has a few variations. For the sake of this article I am addressing the single-arm single-leg turkish get-up. To begin, lie on the ground face up. Make sure that your right leg is bent and your left is straight. Reach over and pick up the kettlebell with your right arm and press it straight up until your arm is locked out and is perpendicular to the floor. From here you need to begin a gradual roll with your body to your left until you have popped up onto your left elbow. The right arm must stay locked out with the kettlebell above your head throughout this entire drill. Once on your left elbow again pop yourself up from being on your left elbow to being on your left hand.

So now your left arm is supporting your weight while you are in a seated position. Your right leg should still be bent with your foot flat on the ground. From here your left and right shoulders should be locked into the sockets. Next, push off of your right leg raising your hips and butt off of the ground. Your left leg should be straight. Next, in one single smooth move, swoop your left leg back towards you and underneath your body until your weight is on your left knee and left hand. From here push yourself up with your left hand and now with only one knee on the ground simply stand up. Remember throughout all of this your right hand is above your head with the kettlebell the entire time! Once you stand then simply reverse the entire process EXACTLY to return to the floor!

2. Single-Arm Swing: Ok the one-arm turkish get-up is essentially a big "push" so now I'm going to talk about a big "pull." To perform the single-arm swing simply start by standing with your feet about shoulder width distance apart. The bell should be directly between your feet. Reach down and pick up the bell. You should be standing completely straight. Next, you will want to execute the hip snap in order to build the momentum necessary to swing the bell back and forth between your legs. This is done by flexing and extending at your hips and knees smoothly and continuously.

Make sure that your grip is on the bell firmly with your palm and not your fingers. As you swing the bell up you will only want to bring it to your chest level. At the top of the swing your palm should be facing down and as the bell descends between your legs you will want your hand to rotate "thumbs down." Give these drills a try and watch your strength and fitness program grow into the perfect hard-body construction project!

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!

Am I Kettlebell Material?

One of the common questions that I get on a day to day basis is; "Am I kettlebell material?" This is a good question and for all of you wondering I am going to provide a logical answer. The answer is a definite YES, as long as, you fall under a certain amount of criteria that I will lay before you in this article.

First of all, you must be open to changing your mindset from a bodybuilding one to a fitness and performance mindset. This is what is involved when training with kettlebells. This type of workout is a very intense style of training which integrates many muscles at once in order to promote significant fat-loss and terrific total-body performance. You must also have patience and be willing to listen attentively and learn new techniques that actually include you having to have an understanding of your own body. This is what makes you better than anyone else in terms of being fit when using the bell rather than using just about any other piece of equipment or training tactic.

You must also be willing to practice the same techniques sometimes over and over to get the correct pattern to ensure the execution of a proper lift. This will improve your form and reduce the risk of you injuring yourself. If you are considering kettlebells and you really want to make the leap then tell yourself that you are kettlebell material, as long as, you are willing to follow the criteria that I have outlined for you here.

Remember to practice flawlessly and often my friends. To be the best you have to put in the time!

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!

Volleyball Spiking Supremacy - 2 Kettlebell Drills to Get the Volleyball Player Spiking Power!

If you are a serious volleyball player you know that there is no move on the court better than the infamous spike! Spiking the ball is like putting the nail in the coffin. You attack the net and blast the ball down on the opposing team leaving no promise of a return volley! However, in order to execute this particular move you have to have a sufficient amount of athleticism to pull it off. If you are interested in helping your own game to develop this sort of spiking supremacy I have included 2 kettlebell drills here that will help you to do just that.

1. Full Range Kettlebell Swings: For this particular drill you will need the availability of a single kettlebell of moderate resistance. The objective is to perform a swinging motion by initiating the hip snap in order to create enough force to swing the kettlebell in a full range arc from between your legs all the way up to above your head! The hip snap is carried out by smoothly and continuously flexing and extending at both your knees and hip. This back and forth motion will allow you to carry out the full motion of the full range swing. This is great for developing superior hip power and leg explosiveness which are necessary traits for attacking the net for an effective spike.

2. The Kettlebell Snatch: For this particular drill you will also need a single bell of moderate resistance. In order to properly perform this drill you have to first be familiar with performing the single-arm kettlebell swing and high pull. Once you are capable of both of these particular kettlebell lifts you will be able to effectively perform the overhead snatch. The snatch is performed by you pulling the bell up from between your legs driving your elbow up and back beside your head. The movement should almost mimic the same motion as pulling back on a bow. Once the bell is elevated to a lateral position next to your head you then vertically punch your palm above your head locking out both your elbow and shoulder. The bell should not "bang" your wrist. It should smoothly transition over your wrist and lay on the back of your forearm. This is a fantastic strength and power drill that radically resembles the movement involved in an actual "spiking motion!" If you get good at these I promise your volleyball game will drastically improve.

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!

Training With Kettlebells - The Benefits of This Ancient, But Hugely Dynamic Method of Training!

Being a strength and conditioning specialist and having years of experience with training athletes and hardcore fitness enthusiast I have a real understanding of how the body works. You see your body is simply a machine that consists of levers and pulleys that produce a series of actions that we define as human movement. I like to use the term "Human Dynamic" to describe this art of movement.

In order for you to get a grasp of what I am talking about as far as the human dynamic you have to train with a kettlebell. This is an ancient form of training that has always been years ahead of it's own time! In order to be truly fit you must try to optimally improve on many characteristics that make up what we consider as overall fitness. Traits such as flexibility, strength, cardiovascular conditioning, resiliency, stamina, and athletic performance all encompass this level of human ability we call fitness. The special design of the bell and the learned technique of such lifts like the swing, the overhead snatch, and the one-arm turkish getup all create a series of natural and basic movements that the human body is meant to perform. The bell makes these movements even more beneficial because they are performed with the added resistance of the kettlebell.

In order to improve your fitness you have to move your body. With the kettlebell there is no better way to move and, at the same time, apply a weighted resistance. The benefits of using this device are off the chart! If you haven't started then you need to start your kettlebell training 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!

The Kettlebell - My First Experience With This Tool of Fat Destruction and Muscle Construction

I have about as much of a qualified past as anyone when it comes to me lending my two-cents about anything that pertains to fitness or strength training. I am an ex-athlete and have always been very active in terms of training my body to pass the "eyeball test" ,as well as, being able to perform. I had the fortunate opportunity to serve on the football strength and conditioning staff at UGA under an outstanding program with great overall leadership. No, that is not a dig at other programs outside of UGA, but it is the truth.

With my athletic background I have always considered myself to be fairly fit and strong, but that was all quickly progressed even further when I got introduced to the kettlebell. The first one that I ever purchased was a 20kg (44lbs). I quickly learned how to execute the infamous "swing." I have always been able to execute Olympic style lifts but with the bell I had to continue to use my hips to snap and generate momentum to keep the bell moving. I quickly realized how exhausting this single lift was in my first attempt. From here it was all big progress!

I quickly moved on to the 24kg (53lbs) and further executed more intense lifts like the single-arm overhead snatch. My heart felt like it would beat out of my chest after executing 20-30 reps of these at one time. The conditioning was almost overwhelming and so was my excitement. I got even more fired up when I started doing one-arm push-ups and eventually one-arm one-legged push-ups! Now like athletes my body has a lot to do with my work, but I had not done things like this since I was in high school. Even being a strength specialist I still got impressed with this device quicker than anything else I have ever included in my personal programs.

Just like you it was all new to me at one time. I really wished that I could have had access to this gruesome tool when I was a teenager.

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 - 2 Great Lifts to Increase Your Lat Strength!

The kettlebell as you may or may not know is the ultimate hand held gym. You can use this fitness tool to manipulate your body in many ways to get specific results that you desire. For instance, you can develop superhuman lat-strength with this device with the following 2 kettlebell routines.

1. High-Load Windmills-You may be familiar with the traditional stretch of windmills to target flexibility of the shoulders, hips, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. To do this correctly proper technique must first be learned, but the same stretch can be intensified with the kettlebell in the hand that is above the head while you are basically bent over to one side. The normal windmill is executed by starting with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width. Next, for the sake of argument, we'll assume you are doing the right side. The bell is pressed with the right arm above the head with your left arm tucked behind your back. Then you angle both feet diagonally with your toes pointing left or away from your right. Keep the right arm with the bell locked throughout the entire movement. Next you push your hips back favored towards the right and lower your torso to the left keeping your right leg straight. The movement should go down with a great stretch in the right side of your body before coming up. As you ascend in the movement you will feel the lats engage with the weight of the bell. Regularly implement this kettlebell training drill for great lat strength.

2. Loaded Lat-Press-The benefits of kettlebell training continue with this lift. It is performed exactly as the windmill is described above with the exception of you starting the bend of the torso with the bell being held in the "clean" position. As you bend allow the bell in your right hand to somewhat retract your shoulder-blade. You want to simultaneously press the bell as you are descending in the movement. Once the shoulder is locked out then simply stand back into it as you did with the windmill exercise. You will develop tremendous lat-strength by including this in your fitness training 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!

Mega Fitness With Kettlebells!

If you are looking for a way to get on the fast track to achieving big time results then stop wasting time and start taking action right here. If you implement the following 2 kettlebell drills into your personal program you will quickly achieve a superior level of both fitness and strength!

1. Kettlebell Squat Jump Cycles: For this particular drill you will need a pair of kettlebells of light to moderate resistance. Make sure that you start on flat ground. Start the drill by standing with your feet about shoulder width distance apart. Hold a kettlebell in each hand at your sides. Next perform a series of continuous squats. Perform 5 repetitions of squats in continuous motion and then on the sixth one cycle into immediately doing a series of squat jumps for 5 repetitions. Once you complete the 5 jumps immediately cycle back to doing 5 squats again. Keep transitioning back and forth between these movements until you complete 30 repetitions! You will achieve a high level of both cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.

2. Dual Kettlebell Clean And Squats: For this drill you will need a pair of relatively heavy kettlebells of equal weight. Start by setting the bells on the ground between your feet. Make sure that your feet are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Squat down and clean the bells to your chest. Perform deep squats for a series of 5 repetitions. Once you reach the 5th rep simply set the bells back on the ground and immediately clean them to your chest to do 5 more deep front loaded squats! Repeat this 3 times and watch your body achieve a mega level of fitness. Give it a try and train hard.

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!