For various reasons, I don't much care for kipping pull ups.

For one, there are a lot more effective ways to get strong(er) at pull ups if that is your goal. There are only two ways to increase intramuscular tension. You can lift more weight. Or you can lift with greater acceleration. This does not mean "make it seem like you are lifting with greater acceleration by utilizing momentum."

---Think about it - the guy who can bang out even one pull up with 100lbs tied around his waist will likely have no problem performing a set of kipping pull ups. The opposite will rarely hold true, meaning the guy who can perform kipping pull ups will have a hell of a time trying to chin 100lbs!

Get Stronger Instead!!

Secondly - I don't often see people performing kipping pull ups with much regard to shoulder position, and rather they tend to load and hang off their passive structures. This will surely agitate those who have "less than fortunately" shaped acromions (about 1/3 of the population). When performing a pull up, once should always begin with strong and forceful scapular movement (retraction and depression). I rarely see this occur with kipping pull ups.

Finally - if you are hanging out of a window and clinging on for dear life, are you really going to have room to kip? Not likely...

Either way, this is not really a post to "bash" the kipping pull up (no need to beat a dead horse).If kipping pull ups are your thing, and you have no trouble doing them, then by all means continue on good sirs!

Instead, I simply want to offer an alternative.

The plyo-pull up.

The premise is simple. Just pull with enough speed to get some air.

Simple doesn't always mean easy... and this will take some working up to. One of the best ways to work up to this is to focus on accelerating as quickly as possible with each and every pull up you perform. Also, start performing weighted pull ups asap!

You can clap mid-air, or perhaps perform a bar transfer as you will see in the video below. Either way, plyo pull ups are a great way to develop explosive pulling power, grip strength, and for overcoming your fear of heights/flying (well, er, kinda...)

Pair plyo pull ups with heavy single arm military presses and you have yourself one fantastic upper body strength pairing. Enjoy and don't forget to drop your comments below!

_
Funky looking animal-like movements are not just for show or silliness. When done properly, these type of exercises are not only a pronounced expression of one’s mobility and strength, but are remarkably beneficial for proprioception and promoting neurological stimulation, and can provide one hell of a strength/endurance/cardiovascular/and mobility workout.



The Scorpion Push Up – This is one of my all time favorite push up variations ( I am a scorpio so perhaps I’m a bit biased), as it requires an plentiful amount of mobility, stability, and upper body strength to perform properly. It has a strong T-spine rotational component and blends in extension and hip mobility for boot. It can be performed as a standalone movement or you can work in some locomotion andstart  slunking around with it. I like that work – “slunking”. A prime illustration of one exercise that blends strength, mobility, stability, balance, and grace.



Hops – Hops an expedient and convenient method to train power production and reduction, and as you will see in the video below, we spend a lot of time in the bottom squat position – which can be rather therapeutical for the low back and knees. Just be aware of knee position, keeping an eye out particularly for any sort of valgus (inward bowing) force on the knee. As you land, check your knee position. Are you stable? Or are your knees bowing wildly? Knee stability is a requisite for this movement.



Duck Walks – These will pump your quads up to the size of a graf zeppelin, especially if performed with a weighted vest. Again, great for opening up the hips and developing stability in the ankle, but as with the hops, always be sure to maintain proper knee positioning.



Monkey Work – Pull ups. What needs to be said that hasn’t already been said about pull ups?  Just be sure that you begin each pull up with forceful scapula retraction and depression (pulling the shoulder blades back together and down), strong glute and core engagement, and forcefully trying to externally rotate the shoulders (think you are trying to bend the pull up bar in half). I promise these tips will immediately amplify your pull up strength. We worked some Gi pull up variations for grip strength as well as some heavy weighted pull ups. It was a good day.

These are but a few of the nearly endless selection of animal inspired bodyweight movements. I encourage you to experiment with these, as I believe you be pleasantly surprised with the carry-over they provide, especially for the improvements in mobility and body awareness.

The kettlebell swing isn’t immune from boredom anymore than any other exercise out there. But the kettlebell swing is superior for cardiovascular conditioning, power production, and proprioception than many other exercises out there, so it’s worth keeping the swing around for as long as possible.

But sometimes things just get boring. And the tough and determined will trudge through regardless. But why should you have to when there are a million ways to cook and season the swing to keep things interesting.

Last week we showed you all our roundabout method. Today, we present “race up swing mountain”.

The premise is simple:

You will need a partner (or get creative with an imaginary one)

One partner works at a time (the old “I go, you go” routine)

Start with one rep each. Then perform two reps each. Then three, and four, and so on and so forth.

See how “high up” the mountain you can get within a certain amount of time.

Som and I put ten minutes on the clock and got up to sixteen swings each with a 28kg kettlebell. If it were a video game, I’d say we got to level sixteen, which doesn’t sound half bad. But then again what would I know, except that it was a fantastic way to get in our swing conditioning for the day, and yielded not a boring second. For more routines like these and full programs, check out our eBook bundle package.

I encourage you all to share your favorite ways to cook the swing in the comment section below!

_  I was once told that snatching fitness is snatching fitness. I disagree wholeheartedly. The kettlebell snatch is a technique, even more so it is an expression of one’s strength and conditioning. Sure, you can condition yourself with the kettlebell snatch to complete the five minute kettlebell snatch test (100 reps in less than five minutes: males must use a 53lb kettlebell and females must use a 35lb kettlebell), but why use a spoon to dig a whole when you can use a shovel, or better yet a back-hoe.



I have never prepped myself or any of my clients for the snatch test with endless amount of snatching or swings. Again, I approach the snatch (specifically the snatch test) as an expression of how well I have been able to condition those who I am working with.

My approach is simple and I feel that most will be able to see how beautifully logical by the end of this post. And as I have always claimed, the proof is in the pudding.




Tonight, we eat pudding...

In Hell!

Alright, maybe not that extreme...




For strength purposes, I stick with the big lifts. Heavy front squats, deadlifts, etc. Think of it this way.. Would it be easier for someone who can snatch the beast (106lb) kettlebell for even one rep to complete the snatch test, then it would be for someone who can snatch the 24kg (53lb) kettlebell for ten reps? My money is on the beast snatcher. Stronger is always stronger.



For cardiovascular purposes, I opt for metabolic conditioning via kettlebell complexes (check out my metabolic conditioning eBook for tons of prime examples). This way one improves the efficiency of all of their metabolic pathways/energy systems.



You think the snatch test is bad now? Spend a few weeks working sets of the MahFahKa or Great Destroyer Complex and you may even wish to start utilizing the snatch test as your daily warm up.



Haha very funny right?

But really.

I’m not kidding.



So if you want to destroy the snatch test, first get stronger. Lift heavy weight. Then subject yourself to heavy metabolic conditioning to develop iron lung stamina. Finally, perfect your kettlebell snatch technique. Add all of the aforementioned elements together and you have one hell of a proven formula to dominate the snatch test.



Each of the people below, including myself, have gone from having zero kettlebell experience, to crushing the snatch test within 3 months  utilizing this approach.

Expect more soon.

Enjoy! And don't forget to post your questions and comments below!

_  Before we get started I must harp on one absolutely crucial piece to the six-pack ab success puzzle. This piece is the foundation upon which ALL success is built, inside and outside of the gym. Without realizing the importance of what I’m going to tell you, then you will surely find yourself on a systematic decline towards inevitable failure.

What I’m talking about is behavioral change. As with any and all endeavors in life, “trying” is simply not enough. It never was. To me, when someone says “I’ll try”, they are telling me that they will make an attempt until things become difficult and then retrograde to what they know to be safe and/or easy. If you truly want six-pack abs, then trying will not suffice. You have to DO. What I want to help you understand is that you have commit one hundred percent to success, otherwise the only outcome will be failure. Micro (and sometimes macro) failures will happen along the way, but it is how you handle those failures that will dictate whether or not your final destination is success or square one.

Secondly, excuses and success are entirely incompatible. Mutually exclusive, if you will. The number one thing you can do before beginning is agree to take FULL responsibility for yourself.

Do these things, and nothing will be able to stop you.

Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Getting shredded (without the use of “special vitamins”) sucks! It’s one of the most difficult and trying tasks you will ever put yourself through, I can promise you that much.

But with just about anything else in life, the greater the risk, the greater the potential reward. Getting shredded sucks. But being shredded is awesome.

So if you are unable to fully commit to what I am about to lay out for you, then there is no reason for you to continue wasting your time reading through this post.  Put your computer away now and retreat to your box of devil dogs or whatever your current poison may be.

But if you are ready to make the necessary behavioral changes to ensure your success, then what I’m going to tell you will essentially pave the path to six-pack abs for you. But again, I can only show you the way; it is still all on you to take the journey.

Shredded, sinewy abs are forged in both the kitchen and the gym. Of this, there is no disputation. I have never witnessed anybody out-train a poor diet, at least not to the point of garnering an envious six-pack.

So let’s start in the kitchen and clear up some common misconceptions about eating for six-pack abs.

1.       It’s not all about calories in vs. calories out. There is some truth to the law of thermodynamics, but what we need to realize is that contrary to popular belief humans are NOT machines! If only it were as simple as humans operating “as a function of x or y” then six-pack abs would no longer be desirable because they would no longer be a rarity! This is simply not the case. We are rather adaptive organisms. We respond to stimuli and each of us possibly a bit differently than others. And while calories certainly will play a role in your ultimate success, we now need to consider a few other crucial elements to successfully stripping away body fat.

a.       Thyroid Output – As I stated above, humans are adaptive organisms. This is why diets that rely solely on caloric deficits FAIL because we are able to adapt to them! Our bodies don’t actually want to be shredded! They want to retain some fat as a safety measure. What happens is that eventually there will be a significant metabolic downshift to accommodate for the lack of calories coming in. Specifically this happens when our thyroid begins to produces less of t-3 (triodothyronine) and t-4 (thyroxine) hormones. These hormones are crucial for dictating your basal metabolic rate and play a large role in protein synthesis as well. So what really stinks about cutting calories is that the long-run success rate is very low because of how our bodies adapt to the caloric deficit by actually LOWERING our basal metabolic rate so that we burn less calories throughout the day. Bummer.

b.      Leptin – This hormone is commonly referred to as the “anti-starvation” hormone. Most leptin receptors lie within the hypothalamus, but there are many more throughout the body.  That’s not all that important. What is important is that when leptin levels are high, there is no shortage of leptin binding to their receptors, which tells the brain that you are not starving, food intake is wholly sufficient, and there is little need to store or hold onto body fat. Unfortunately, leptin levels are usually only this high when you are eating often and/or eating a lot which is also not so conducive to fat-burning with all that insulin floating around. Now, when you restrict calories, leptin levels drop – often substantially within the first 72 hours. This is less than desired because now our brain is being sent signals that we are somewhat starving and our body is now more apt to store body fat.

c.       Insulin – Insulin is a transport hormone. It shuttles nutrients to cells. These cells could either be fat cells or they could be muscle cells (I’ll teach you how to make insulin work for your muscle cells later on…). Insulin to a certain degree is also inhibitory of natural growth hormone, meaning the more you spike your insulin through the consumption of food (specifically carbohydrates), the more you inhibit the release of natural growth hormone, which again is a favorable hormone for fat loss. More on the role of hormones and how to optimize them for fat-burning later…

2.       Fat is not the enemy. It never has been. Not at least until the creation of man-made fats such as hydrogenated oils. Read my ketogenic blog post to learn about how a high fat diet can actually make you the leanest you’ve ever been.

3.       Carbs are only partly the enemy. It’s a give-and-take relationship. Too many carbs can and will make you fat. Yet you need carbohydrates to fuel your anaerobic endeavors. I’ll tell you my secret for proper carb selection below…

 

So it seems as if we are stuck between a rock and a sucky place. We need a caloric (even more so a

carbohydrate deficit) deficit to shed body fat, yet we need a caloric (again more so a carbohydrate

surplus) to ensure hormonal optimization conducive to fat loss.

 

So what’s the solution?

 

Concentrated Carb Dosing and My Binge and Purge Manifesto

 

It’s really not all that complicated. Here are three simple rules to follow:

 

1.       Consume less than 100 grams of carbs a day, and target your carbohydrate consumption around your workouts. Meaning, consume slow-digesting and preferably complex/fibrous carbohydrates anywhere between one-and-a-half to two hours before your workout, and immediately post-workout consume quickly digesting (preferably glucose-containing) carbohydrates. This protocol ensures that you control your insulin levels throughout the day and only peak them at the most opportune time, which is immediately after working out! Your muscle cells have priority post-workout, so an insulin spike brought about through the consumption of quickly digesting carb sources (such as vitargo or waxy maize) upon completion of your workout will ensure that the nutrients are shuttled to your muscle cells rather than your fat cells. Awesome. Furthermore, keeping carbohydrate intake relatively low throughout the rest of the day will lay the foundation for a fat-burning environment and the release of natural growth hormone.

2.       One day a week you get to binge. Eat as much as you want. Eat whatever you want. You heard me right. Eat like a pig to shed body fat! Heresy? Sure sounds like it, but let me explain…The goal here is to hit the “reset” button on your metabolism. A huge caloric (especially carbohydrate) surplus can elevate leptin levels and boost t-3 and t-4 hormone output for up to 72 hours. So through the means of a once-a-week binge, we are boosting our basal metabolic rate to ensure that our body does not adapt to our caloric (carbohydrate) deficit that we put ourselves in throughout the week. This is precisely the premise behind my Metabolic Reset eBook (one of four eBooks included in our bundle package). Check it out for the full protocol and meal planning guide.

3.       The day after you binge, you fast. That’s 16 to 24 hours of consuming nothing but water. Now when I first present this idea to people, they are always quite skeptical. “Isn’t that just starving yourself?” is a typical response I get. Let me be very clear; fasting is NOT starving yourself. Fasting is actually one of the most healthful and wholesome activities that you can do for yourself, not only to shed body fat, but to ensure long-term health and longevity. There is no greater detox than a water fast. Think of it as a purification process because when you fast, that’s exactly what’s going on. Your body finally has a chance to rid itself of all the toxins and chemicals that you bring in from eating, and your digestive system finally gets a chance to rest! Furthermore, fasting has been proven to increase lipolysis (that’s fat burning), boost natural growth hormone, and even aid in the prevention and warding off of cancer-causing free radicals. If you want even more of the super scientificals of fasting and learn how to implement the perfect fast to shed body fat, again check out our eBook bundle package.  I’ll repeat, fasting is not starving yourself. A twenty- four hour fast is a wholesome purification process that I recommend each and every healthy person seeking to optimize their health and wellbeing.  I’m not going to lie, however; fasting is tough. You will get hungry. Embrace it! Over time, you will notice it becomes easier, and I will even bet that you’ll begin to enjoy your fasted state – as you will feel more alert and lively! This is due to the nervous system shift that takes place from your parasympathetic nervous system (the one you put yourself in when you eat food and your body is ready for rest and recuperation) to your sympathetic nervous system (which is your alert and lively  “fight or flight” nervous system). That’s right when you are fasted, you are going to enter into a sympathetic nervous system, which will have you feeling attentive and “on the hunt” as Ori Hoffmeckler describes it in his book entitled The Warrior Diet (yet another fantastic read for anyone interested in the benefits of fasting).

Three simple rules. But simple does not mean easy. It takes discipline to follow my Binge and Purge Manifesto, but the results will speak for themselves. Be sure to head over to ABS-SCIENCE.COM and pick up the updated copy of my Metabolic Reset eBook and/or eBook bundle package.

Now let’s get out of the kitchen and head to the gym…

I’m going to lay it out right now; traditional “cardio” training is absolutely NOT the most effective type of exercise for fat loss. As a matter of fact, I would rank jogging (or trudging as most people seem to do) on a treadmill at the bottom of the barrel for effective fat loss training. After all, it’s called “the treadmill to nowhere” for a reason…

If you want to look like an athlete, then you have to train like an athlete.

Meaning you are going to have to pick heavy things up, put them back down, and bust your ass sideways, if you want to make any sort of tangible progress.

Enter metabolic conditioning.

Metabolic conditioning, or “metcon”, has actually been around since the 1960s, I have an extensive blog post on it here! Check it out.

As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to hacking off body fat at an unprecedented rate, I will return to metcon again and again before just about anything else. It’s THAT effective.

Metabolic conditioning, specifically through the use of kettlebell complexes, creates an incredible amount of systemic fatigue and stress on the system. The greater the stress, the greater the potential adaptation, and the faster your body fat melts off. This is quite evidence-based, both anecdotally and objectively.

Metabolic Conditioning = Moderate to Heavy Strength Efforts + Elevated Cardiovascular Stress

Metabolic conditioning work is often short, intense, and unforgiving. Make no mistake, this type of conditioning will test your merit and humble even the most able-bodied athletes. Embrace the pain. Focus on it, and maintain poise under the pressure. DO NOT allow form to falter under fatigue at any costs!

The beauty of kettlebell complexes for metcon work is that they allow you to switch between muscle groups and energy systems so that you do not smoke any muscle group too much at one time, yet keep the system (lungs, heart, kidneys, etc.) working and under prolonged stress.

I could continue to type the hype of metcon until my fingers fall off, but I’d rather you try it for yourself. You’ll be a believer soon enough. And you’ll thank me later…

Oh, and one last thing…

Once the body fat is off, then it’s time to start carving out those abs. I have also included a variety of videos highlighting my personal favorite ab-ripping exercises for developing both a chiseled midsection, as well as a strong and functional core.

You can’t ever say that I don’t give out milk for free. This blog post is one of my greatest compilations of complex and core-strengthening work to date. But if you want to learn how to put it all together (which at the end of the day is the most valuable component), then check out my Metabolic Conditioning eBook or the ABS-SCIENCE eBook bundle package. You won’t regret it. As a matter of fact, I promise you that it will be one of the best investments you have ever made in yourself.

And now for your viewing pleasure… (or pain)…

Post any comments or questions you have below! Enjoy!

Friendly Friends,

We all know that abs are forged as equally in the kitchen as they are the gym. Which is why it is imperative that you implement the Metabolic Reset Protocol along with your FVT or metabolic conditioning program.

But that's not to say that all core exercises are created equal, as this is simply not the case!

The selection process was not easy. But what I have come up with are what I believe some of the most tried and true movements for not only carving out a ripped midsection, but developing a strong and functional core as well.

Let them harp on flexion all they want! I don't subscribe to the notion that lumbar flexion is "bad" for us. Indeed there are plenty of better alternatives than performing flexion work from a position in which your sacrum is locked (ie the ostracized crunch or sit up), the likes of which you will see below. 

The problem isn't with training flexion and linear ab movements (which are the most tried and true way for developing a chiseled mid-section), but rather with ONLY training flexion and linear ab movements.

As I have discussed before the primary purpose of our core first and foremost is "anti" everything. Anti-flexion, anti-extension, and anti-rotation. Most humans need more core stability not mobility! -- I can't say I know anybody who lacks mobility in their lumbar region...

That's why in this video you will see traditional linear ab work, rotational ab work, but also all of the "anti" work as well.

From hanging leg raises, to windshield wipers, to rack hold - you wanted the best, you got the best!

Oh, and for idea's on implementation, check out the entire day devoted to core training in our Force Velocity Training eBook

Friends,

Battered forearms and torn callouses are about as fun as a day at the DMV and equally as painful. The clean is called the clean for a reason, because it should be performed in a...er...um.."clean" manner! Fluid and without beating your forearms into a swollen and black and blue catastrophe.

Below are a few tips extracted from my Introduction to Kettlebell and Barbell Strength Training eBook to help you improve your kettlebell clean technique. Apply liberally and enjoy! Post any questions you have below!

 - Pat

Friendly Friends,

Don't let exotic getaways frighten you...

Even in a far away land without barbells, kettlebells, or even pull up bars, there are numerous ways that one can keep their strength and conditioning up to par.

So the next time you feel like passing up the opportunity to forgo a week or two on a beautiful tropical island for fear that you will grow soft, weak, and ultimately undesirable, please take the time to remember this post and reconsider your position.

How to Stay Strong:

Without formal equipment one must learn to improvise. Our primary weapon at our disposal will be calisthenics (aka bodyweight exercises). Most people can rep push ups, lunges, bodyweight squats, etc, so in order to maintain strength, or perhaps even grow stronger we must make things a bit more challenging.

Enter the pistol squat, the one arm push up, and the one arm row. One lower body, unilateral knee dominant movement, and one upper body unilateral pushing and pulling movement.

How you want to structure these three exercises are up to you. You can practice single rep sets. You can perform ladders. Or perhaps even construct yourself a circuit.

When I found my self in Key West this past week, I experimented with each. My favorite concoction came to be a single rep strength circuit combining all three of the aforementioned bodyweight movements. Perform one pistol squat (L+R), one one arm push up (L+R), and one one arm bodyweight row (L+R). Cycle through the circuit for as long as your heart desires (I performed about 15 rounds).

I then got even craftier and secured my towel around one of the support beams on the ceiling of my rented house and performed towel pull ups, hanging leg raises, and windshield wipers.


How to Stay Conditioned:

Sprints, however you want to cook them. I opted for about 20-40 minutes of interval running every other day.


Here are some highlights. Enjoy!

Friends,

Coming hot off the heels of my last post on how to perform a better push up, I will now share with you all my tips on performing a better (and stronger) plank.

First, I want everyone to realize a few things in regards to developing a strong core:

1. The primary purpose of our core is stability. That means our core (rectus abdominus, obliques, erector spinae, glutes, etc, are first and foremost designed for anti-flexion, anti-extension, and anti-rotation. Therefore, this is how you should approach your core training ==> with priority your "anti" exercises

2. The four-point plank is one of the simplest yet most effective core stability exercises that I know. When done properly, it is a fantastic anti-extension movement, and when one progresses to a three point (and eventually two point plank) it becomes both a challenge anti-extension movement as well as a formidable anti-rotational movement.

3. Until you can hold and maintain a solid plank with appropriate posture, stop training flexion! Meaning, until you can perform a proper plank, and feel strong in a plank position, stop performing lumbar flexion based ab exercises (crunches, sit ups, etc) until you are able to do so! The reason is this: too many people are already hypermobile in their lumbar regions to begin with - when it comes to the core we need STABILITY over MOBILITY. Americans in particular spend way too much time in flexion as it is (we are constantly hunched over, I even just caught myself slouching as I type this)!

Here is the video for how to perform a better plank. Enjoy!