The Kettlebell - A Hell of a Tool and One Hell of a Workout!

What am I talking about? I'm talking about one hell of a workout device, thats what I'm talking about. The kettlebell is one hard-hitting strength and conditioning device that is taking the fitness world by storm. Being a strength and conditioning specialist I have a real understanding of the true function of the human body and I will tell you that the kettlebell is nothing short of being the ultimate workout when properly applied to your strength and fitness program!

This ancient device has been around and used by strongmen and athletes for over three centuries. It is such a "hybrid" structured workout that you can achieve many levels of strength and fitness ranging from endurance, strength, recovery, flexibility, and resiliency when using this iron cannonball. I would highly recommend that you take the time to do your homework on this ancient art form of strength training. I would describe kettlebell training as weightlifting and skill combined. The truth is that you have to learn about the rich dynamic that is involved with it if you are serious about achieving an optimal level of fitness and overall body development. The bell can provide you with all of the factors that you desire from a well-planned exercise and fitness program.

Don't shortchange yourself. Kick your workouts into high gear and get absolutely REAL results. If I have said it once I've said it a hundred times, anything that is worth anything takes time. Once you take the time to learn about the bell you will not be disappointed. Give it a try and let me know about your experience!

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 Way You Should Train - The Key is to Focus on Training Movements and Not Isolating Muscles!

Are you confused about what exercises to do in terms of working out and learning what is effective? The truth is that our bodies are designed to do work. We physiologically consists of a bunch of levers and pulleys that come in the form of ligaments, tendons, bones, and muscles. All of the parts work together in the dynamic spectrum of movement to do work! Your body is the most fascinating and amazing machine on the entire planet.

So when it comes to our strength and fitness training program, I always reference the true nature of the function of our bodies to prospecting clients and ignorant people. The key is to forget about doing arm curls and leg extensions. We never execute those isolated type movements in normal everyday life in the first place, so why should we now? To build a top-notch hard body we should be concerned about "doing work" related movements! Day to day activities consist of us having to squat to pick up objects to move them. Usually we have to squat, bend, and move in ways that are challenging, yet natural to the relative operation of our bodies. This is how you should structure your personal fitness and strength program. We should always concentrate on training "movements" rather than training "isolated muscle groups." Remember to just simply include the two basic human movements in your fitness and strength program. The two movements that I am referring to are the push and pull combinations. I have written quite a few articles that are based around training these specific types of movements, and it works.

Take the time to learn and be creative with your personal program. Remember to focus on the training movements rather than trying to isolate body parts.

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 Endurance Athlete's Formula For Success!

To start, I want to make my point clear when it comes to human performance. I have mentioned in previous articles of mine the fact that you should think of fitness as a broad spectrum of many traits. For instance, total fitness or even athletic fitness consist of many variables that range from endurance, strength, flexibility, stamina, recovery, resiliency, and overall performance. Now certainly there are events like those that you endurance athletes compete in that consist of you having to have a significant amount of the trait of endurance! This is true, however, I have found that a lot of endurance athletes overemphasize their training by ONLY practicing their specific event in order to condition themselves for the actual event.

This general mindset basically stems from the fact that the athlete believes his or her performance will be compromised if they attempt to include any other variance of training into their personal program. This is a false belief. The fact is that if you are a marathon runner you know that you cannot condition your body by only practicing running a marathon, as your training, before you run your actual marathon event. This would be impossible and unproductive. Once again, fitness consist of a broad spectrum of traits that you must try to improve on in order to have a successfully fit and fine-tuned body. The athlete should work on developing and implementing a proper strength and conditioning program that will help to optimize all of the variables of fitness with slightly more emphasis placed on building endurance. The key here though is to not think that even more time should be spent on the other variables in addition to the miles you are running or cycling. As a matter of fact, you don't have to spend as much time running, if you are a marathon runner, as you think you do. A well planned and competent strength and conditioning program will help you to develop an exceptionally high level of performance when race day comes! There have been many studies done on this and many winners to show for it. The proof is in the pudding!

So when it comes to your endurance training think about every trait of your performance. Every trait across the fitness spectrum should be improved. You will get a tremendous amount of cardiovascular conditioning from both your actual even practice time, as well as, your strength and conditioning sessions!

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!

Iron Will - An Insight Into the Power of Mental Toughness!

There is an intangible trait that I notice in all of my best athletes and clients that far outweighs pure talent. It isn't something that I can document on paper or critique on a video, but it is there. The amazing thing is that you can only see it when situations in training or competing become difficult. This trait to which I am referring is what I like to call "Iron Will," otherwise known as mental toughness!

Sports psychologist have studied this very phenomenon and determined that not everyone is blessed with this particular trait, and it generally separates the great ones from everyone else. "Iron Will" is basically the ability for an athlete, competitor, or hard-driven individual to push on harder and longer than the other guy regardless of the circumstances, the odds, or pain the individual may be experiencing. It is an unrelenting drive to do better and fight harder even in the most dire situations. I have seen this same trait in the most successful athletes and clients that I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 8 years. I will say that the people with "Iron Will" are few and far between. Most of the general population isn't blessed with this powerful trait. Most people don't have that kind of intrinsic motivation to keep pushing on and willing themselves to new heights. Its not a trait that can be taught or learned. I have spent my career trying to improve peoples' individual level of performance and fitness by teaching them, but this is one trait that I can't teach nor can anyone else.

"Iron Will" is certainly the most valuable trait you can have in your strength training and fitness program. If you have the desire it will be much easier for you to obtain your goals.

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!