Yesterday I told you about my 500 Kettlebell Protocol, the system I recommend for anyone who wants to drop a clothing size, lose 8 to 10 pounds, or just get in great shape for the rest of the summer. Quick recap on the three parts. Part 1 is the kettlebell workout. You do three kettlebell sessions a week, each one designed to burn around 500 calories. Part 2 is your off days. On those days, you do some kind of low-impact cardio, walking, rucking, hiking, sprinting, or biking, again aiming for...
6 days ago • 1 min read
I was chatting with a client at my studio this morning after a kettlebell workout. He told me his goal was to drop about 10 pounds over the next month or so to get ready for some things coming up at the end of the summer. I recommended my “500 Kettlebell” protocol. In a nutshell, here’s what it looks like: 1. Do high-output KB workouts that burn 500 calories (give or take), 3 times per week. The KB class he had just done would qualify. A home-based KB workout (like the progressive programming...
7 days ago • 1 min read
German Volume Training – also known as GVT – has a reputation for adding rapid muscle to lifters. It’s the fastest way I’ve ever personally added mass in my 30+ years of lifting. However, for people working out at home and with limited time, it has limitations. It’s typically done with barbell moves and machines that most people don’t have access to or the knowledge/desire to use properly. That is, until now. We’ve put a twist on the traditional GVT and slightly tweaked the protocol so you...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Hey, how's it going? I think you mentioned at some point that you were interested in building strength with kettlebells, so I wanted to send this your way! I just put out a new 6-week kettlebell strength plan. If you've ever heard of German Volume Training, this is basically the kettlebell version of it: -> new 6-week KB Strength program GVT is one of the most well-known and, honestly, most effective protocols out there for building strength and muscle. I remember doing it for the first time...
9 days ago • 1 min read
A few people on this plan have told me they dropped a pound or two a week without changing what they eat: Have you ever watched how people eat at an ultra-distance event? I ran a 25k a few years ago, right after I moved to the KC area. (25k isn’t really ultra distance, it’s a bit more than a half marathon, about 15.5 miles, but it was part of an event where some folks were doing two laps for a 50k.) I couldn’t believe how people were eating. Oreos, soup, pasta, pizza, fries, mashed potatoes,...
13 days ago • 1 min read
I was chatting with a client the other day, and he asked if you can really get strong and lean with just bodyweight training. I told him to think about military boot camp. Recruits transform their bodies in about 8 to 10 weeks, and most of that work is bodyweight and calisthenics: push-ups, pull-ups, squats, plus a lot of running and rucking. I took that same principle and expanded it into a full training system, with workouts built for fat loss, pull-up strength, push-up strength,...
14 days ago • 2 min read
So many guys these days are getting their T levels checked and hearing the same thing: “You’re low; you might want to consider testosterone replacement therapy.” And look, I’m not against TRT. For guys who truly have low testosterone, it can be life-changing. But here’s what I am against: jumping the gun before you’ve tried to fix it naturally first. Because once you’re on TRT, you’re on medication. It invites other issues. It’s hard to get off. That’s a road you want to think carefully about...
17 days ago • 2 min read
Have you seen my new Sober Warrior newsletter? If you’re… — Training hard but waking up foggy— Eating clean but still stuck with stubborn fat— Recovering slower than you used to… and “one or two drinks” have quietly turned into most nights You might really dig this week’s post: -> SOBER WARRIOR - Alcohol's impact on weight loss goals If this doesn’t apply to you and you’re only here for the kettlebell content — all good. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. — Forest...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Yesterday I told you a little about how my body took quite the beating after 15+ years of football, and how I’ve been focused in recent years on yoga, mobility training, and “pre-hab” – type corrective exercise. Well, I’ve got a Disney trip coming up where I’ll be logging 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day for the better part of a week. My knees are already saying “oh boy.” So I’m being proactive. Here’s what I’m doing: a daily 5 to 10-minute mobility and strengthening routine targeted specifically...
20 days ago • 1 min read