Top 10 Kettle Bell Exercises (Personal Trainer Beaufort)

Top 10 Kettle Bell Exercises (Personal Trainer Beaufort)

Published by on February 7, 2012 | Leave a response

Hey. What’s going on? It’s Ian Hart, and today, I’m going to go over the top 10 kettle bell exercises that I chose because I like them 🙂 If you have a kettle bell and you are competent with it then you can practice most of these with out a personal trainer of coach. There are few that I would refrain from until you do it with a personal trainer. There’s actually one kettle bell exercise that’s brand new, I just created it a little over a month ago. When I came up with the exercise I thought, this is a great movement with a ton of benefit, surely someone has though of it before me. I scoured the internet and it turns out that I am the first one to debut it on youtube, if I am wrong please let me know. I created it the Earthfit Lab, located in Habersham SC. If you train at EarthFIT then you probably be very familiar with this exercise 🙂

1)The first kettle bell exercises that I’m going to go through are the kettle bell swing variations. If you look at the first video that we have here, you’ll see me start by doing a double arm swing. So both hands are on the kettle bell, and I’m popping the hips keeping my back straight and letting my core and lower body do most of the work. Then I go to a one-arm swing, which is a progression of the double arm swing. And then switching arms is another progression. And then you can actually release the kettle bell in the air and grab it. Another progression is the kettle bell flips. So if you see, I’m flipping it around, and that’s for experienced kettle bell training and you shouldn’t do that unless you have worked with a personal trainer or taken a class. Especially if you can’t do the previous swings. And make sure you know what you’re doing. It can be a little bit dangerous, so have some practice before you go into that.

The next set of exercises that I’m going to show you are

  • the kettle bell clean,
  • the high pull,
  • the high row,
  • and the kettle bell snatch.

Those are the next four exercises in the second video. The first is a recti-linear is a straight clean. So I’m showing you a simple movement where you’re coming straight up from the ground, and then you catch it right about chest level. It is actually a little complicated at first and take some repetitions to get it down pat. The high pull – that’s with one arm it can be done with 2 arms which I also display with such grace :). And then I go into the high row, where you see a sort of swing motion, and almost row the kettle bell back. So that’s with the one arm as well. The next one I’m going to show you is the kettle bell snatch, which is rectilinear, meaning, I’m going straight up into a snatch. And then I show a curvilinear swing; we’re actually swinging it, and then throwing it up into a snatch position. Now those 4 exercises are progressions in the order-shown. You should master one before you move on to the next.

The next set of exercises that I show are a clean to a press. So it’s a combination of two exercises, where I clean it, and then I press. So this is throwing two exercises together which is great to maximize caloric burn and get the heart rate pumping. From there, I go into what I call a power bomb. I’m actually not even sure what this is called in kettle bell terminology. But I have two certifications, and I’ve been doing it for a little over five years now, and I am not sure they ever went over this kettle bell exercise during the certification process. I am not sure where I picked it up from or I would give that personal trainer credit. So then I go into Turkish get-ups. Turkish get-ups are great for core work. I’m showing one variation of this. There’s actually a couple of ways you can do this. And so you’re raising your body up off the ground, keeping your arm locked, your arm close to your head, and then repeat. So that’s great for core. And the last things that I go into is kettle bell lateral swing. This one takes a lot of core integrity and a little bit of skill to make sure that your shoulder isn’t compromise and the kettle bell doesn’t slam on your wrist.

Then, the drum role please… the walking lunge kettle bell swing that was created by myself here in the Habersham EarthFIT location. This exercise takes some serious momentum and flow to make it work but once you get this exercise down it is amazing for stability/balance as well as power and strength focusing on one leg and core.

Ian Hart is a Body-Mind Transformation expert, the creator of EarthFIT Training Systems, co-creator of BACK PAIN RELIEF4LIFE, and founder of BEAUFORTPERSONALTRAINING.COM and MYBACKPAINCOACH.COM. Ian and his team help people get into optimal shape in the safest, fastest and most effective way possible, using cutting edge science.

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Beaufort Personal Trainer Asks: Could You Be Gluten Intolerant?

Published by on January 17, 2012 | Leave a response

With more and more people starting to look after their health and fitness, one thing that they’re starting to do is take note of what their eating each day and how the various foods that they consume influence how their body functions and reacts.

It’s incredibly important that you pay attention to the foods that you put into your diet because not only will these influence your body weight, but your health as well. One issue that is starting to be discussed more and more as people notice the symptoms associated with it is gluten intolerance.

While there are those who cannot tolerate gluten at all, having an ailment known as Celiac’s Disease, other people simply just don’t feel their best when eating gluten-rich foods.

Let’s take a closer look at what gluten intolerance is so that you can see whether this might be something that’s impacting you.

beaufort health and fitness, beaufort personal training, beaufort personal trainer

What Is Gluten Intolerance?

Gluten is a particular type of protein that’s found in wheat and all wheat related foods that many of us people struggle to digest properly. When it’s not fully broken down by the body, that’s when it starts to cause discomfort in the body. And those of us who have health and fitness goals know that having bodily discomfort doesn’t bode well for achieving those goals.

What Are The Symptoms Associated With Gluten Intolerance?

Some of the most common signs that present themselves if your body is struggling to break down gluten include:

  • Abdominal distention (bloating or swelling of the intestine)
  • Abdominal pain and cramping
  • Diarrhea and/or constipation
  • Depression, irritability, and anxiety
  • Fatigue
  • Joint pain
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Teeth and gum problems
  • Vomiting

It’s important to note that the signs and symptoms do tend to vary from individual to individual so you don’t necessarily have to have them all present in order for a problem to be at play.  If you even notice just a few of the symptoms presenting themselves, it may be time to get checked out by a physician to see whether this could be causing issues in your body.

What Do I Do?

beaufort personal training, health and fitness Beaufort, beaufort personal trainerSo what do you do if you think you are suffering from gluten intolerance?  The first step is to cut out all gluten rich foods from your diet.  This includes all wheat and related products such as corn and corn-based foods, pastas, breads, cereals, beer, peanuts and peanut butter, even lactose.

Also make sure that you’re reading ingredient labels on all foods that you consume as many will contain wheat even though you wouldn’t ever think it.  Some sauces, condiments, as well as meats will contain gluten, so you’ll want to stay away from these. Soy sauce is one example. Also stick with grass-fed meats instead of grain-fed.

Instead, focus your carbohydrate intake around fresh fruits and vegetables, quinoa, and potatoes, all of which are safe for those with gluten intolerance to eat.

So if you are always suffering from stomach problems and gas or bloating, you may want to consider whether this could be an option for your Beaufort health and fitness. If it is, it would be a good idea to take steps to control and manage it so that you can look and feel your best.

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3 Signs You Need A Diet Break

Published by on December 14, 2011 | Leave a response

Beaufort Personal Training

One of the biggest mistakes that far too many people are making on their diet program is neglecting to
consider a diet break. You’re seeing good success and as such, the last thing that you want to consider is
stopping.

Or, perhaps you aren’t seeing success – it’s quite the opposite. Try as you might, that weight is just not
coming off. You’re frustrated and wondering if you’ll ever be able to attain that dream body that you
were going for.

Whatever the case may be, often the biggest ways to resolve any dietary problem is to actually take a
break. Constant dieting is going to place stress on the body so whether you’re seeing the effects of it
already in the form of a plateau or you’re moving along great but are on the verge of suffering from the
plateau, a diet break is a must.

Let’s have a look at three signs that indicate that it’s time you took a diet break so that you know
precisely what you should be on the look-out for.
weight loss, diet, fat loss, exercise, health and fitness

1) You Have Non-Stop Hunger

The very first sign to watch for that would indicate that you need to be taking a diet break is if you have
non-stop hunger. When you’ve been on a reduced calorie diet for far too long, the body is going to start
sending out signals that it’s time for you to begin eating more food once again.

This is its way of trying to prevent starvation. Hunger increases dramatically and it’s going to take all the
effort in the world on your part not to eat.

When hunger seems almost too much to bare, that’s a good signal that it might just be time to give in
and take that diet break.

2) Your Energy Level Has Plummeted

The second signal that a diet break is in order is if your energy level has hit a turn for the worse. This is
another defense mechanism that the body has to prevent starvation from occurring. When you’re in
an extremely stressed state due to ongoing dieting attempts, your body will try and make sure you’re as
sedentary as possible as it just doesn’t have energy to spare.

By making you want to do nothing other than lie on the couch and relax, it accomplishes its objective
nicely. Your daily calorie expenditure goes down and the rate of weight loss will decline.

3) You Aren’t Losing Weight

Finally, the last signal that it’s time for a diet break is if you aren’t losing weight. If you seem to be doing
everything right and you are sure that you’re tracking your calories accurately (not sneaking a glass or bottle of wine every night), this is very likely what’s going on.

Your metabolism has slowed down due to that reduced calorie intake and now you’re burning fewer
calories than ever.

With this slowed metabolic rate, fat loss also slows, moving you further away from reaching your goal.

So there you have the main signs that it may just be time to take a break from your diet plan.
Periodically raising your calories up again for a week or so can do just the trick to get you back seeing
the fat loss you’re after and feeling much better as you go about your diet plan.

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Alcohol And Fat Loss – What You Need To Know

Published by on December 5, 2011 | Leave a response

One question that often presents itself to many dieters who are trying to shed the excess weight that has accumulated over time is whether or not alcohol can be included in their diet plan.

Alcohol is something that most adults do like to indulge in from time to time – some more often than others.

weight loss, weight management, health and fitness, fat loss

So what’s the real deal about alcohol and your progress? Is this something that you can make room for in your diet or is it something that you need to give the boot?

Alcohol And Calories

The very first thing that you need to take note of is how many calories are found in alcohol.  Alcohol itself contains seven calories per gram, whereas both proteins and carbs contain just four.  Fat comes in at the highest calorie value per gram at nine, which places alcohol right in the middle.

But what’s often worse is what the alcohol is mixed with.  If you’re drinking your alcohol with high calorie or fat mixers such as cream, sodas, or sugary mixers you could easily end up with a drink that packs in well over 300 calories per serving.

If you take in three or four of these over the course of the night, it’s really going to add up.

Alcohol And Fat Metabolism

The second important thing that you need to note is the impact that alcohol consumption will have on your fat metabolism.  The minute that you put alcohol into your body, all fat burning is going to come to a halt.

Your body views alcohol as a toxin and as such, as soon as it comes in, it’s going to do everything it can to rid itself of this alcohol.  No further fat will be burned off until it’s out of your system.

Only then will you start burning up body fat again.  So if you consume quite a bit of alcohol one night, you can expect to see your rate of fat loss drop off for a more significant period of time.

fat loss, weight loss, health and fitness, weight management

Alcohol And Your Recovery

Finally, the last important thing to note about alcohol consumption is the impact it will have on your recovery rates.

In addition to putting the breaks on all fat burning taking place in the body, the second thing that alcohol is going to put the breaks on is protein synthesis.

This means that no further lean muscle tissue will be built up as long as that alcohol is in the body.

Again, you can imagine what this is going to do to your workout goals.

So as you can see, if you want to be truly successful with your fat loss and workout program, it’s best if you can forgo alcohol for the time being.  One drink every now and then may not hurt all that much, but if you’re taking in any more than this, it will definitely hinder the progress that you see.

 

 

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Back Pain Relief4Life Videos

Back Pain Relief4Life Videos

Published by on November 28, 2011 | Leave a response

back pain relief4life

I was asked to reveal some of my secret techniques for back pain relief and prevention by SELF! Magazine a few months back. There were a few questions that I believe were coming from their audience that they wanted me to cover, so I created a video to answer each topic – all related to back pain. There was such a great response that SELF’s affiliate blogs wanted to jump on board as well, so a couple of the videos were featured in fitsugar and wellandgoodNYC as well. They didn’t feature all of the videos so I am going to feature all of them here today.

Back Pain Relief4Life

The videos cover:

  • Functional exercises
  • Progressive crunches with proper form that assist in Back Pain Relief
  • 2 Simple and easy back pain relief movements
  • 2 Back Pain Relief Stretches
  • Picking up a baby or anything off the floor (SELF!’s target is women with babies apparently)
  • Lastly the roman chair and how it affects the back and back pain in general

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today almost every single American will suffer from back pain at some point in there life. Some will be bed ridden for weeks, others will have a chronic nagging pain that never seems to go away, while another person may have intense shooting pain and spasms that only last a couple of days and then disappear completely.  Either way, none of it is fun. I know from first hand experience and have dealt with all of the above mention and have become a intense student of the back rather than an intense suffer.

What I have found is the best defense is a good offense, which is why we created the Back Pain Relief4Life formula. For the holidays I knew I would be driving about 20 hours to visit friends and I prepared by doing Back Pain Relief4Life. Before I left, I made sure I did the program like it was my medication and as soon as I got back I did it again and I did not have one issue with my back during the whole trip.

The reason is, there is some hardcore science and years of expertise that have been put into the Back Pain Relief4Life formula and it literally is like medication!

So if you or a loved one has had some back pain or you just want to strengthen your core, loosen up your hips, increase your flexibility, or just burn some extra calories, then give the program a shot, so you can live pain free and enjoy life feeling your best.  http://www.backpainrelief4life.com/

Ian Hart is a Body-Mind Transformation expert, the creator of EarthFIT Training Systems, co-creator of BACK PAIN RELIEF4LIFE, and founder of BEAUFORTPERSONALTRAINING.COM and MYBACKPAINCOACH.COM. Ian and his team help people get into optimal shape in the safest, fastest and most effective way possible, using cutting edge science.

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D.O.M.S. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

D.O.M.S. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Published by on November 22, 2011 | Leave a response

D.O.M.S Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness


If someone mentioned the word D.O.M.S where I come from, I would be apt to think of an Italian eatery or pizza shop. In this instance it means Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This is the muscle pain or stiffness that you feel after exercising. It is most prominent the first time you work out or during an initial assessment and it is a completely normal response to exerting yourself beyond what your body is adapted for. In fact it is a part of the adaption process that allows you to become strong, fit and lean and boost your metabolism.
Delayed Onset Muscle soreness
What creates D.O.M.S?

Eccentric movement creates muscle soreness. For example, walking down a lot of stairs… When you walk down the stairs your calf muscles have to decelerate the ankle joint movement as you make each step down the stairs, which can cause micro trauma or small tears in the muscle fibers (which is another way of saying small injuries), thus creating soreness in your calf. Another example of eccentric movement would be the downward potion of the squatting movement or the downward movement of a biceps curl.

Beaufort Personal training

Not only does eccentric movement cause Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, going beyond what your body is adapted for or doing movements that your body is unfamiliar with will also cause D.O.M.S. Another example we come across a lot is when someone is in amazing shape when it comes to running, but as soon that person does some strength training they feel sore, even in their legs. Many times the reply is, I thought my legs were in better shape than that

How do you to decrease D.O.M.S?

You can reduce or prevent extreme delayed onset muscle soreness by progressing your exercise regimen properly. What that means is adding enough stimulus to the body to engender growth and get results but not too much to cause severe soreness and therefore a longer recovery time. And this can take some experimenting; which is why an assessment is so important. Some people have stronger legs and can do more with the lower body than they can with the upper body.

If you do find yourself with D.O.M.S. here are 9 things you can do to increase the rate of recovery:

  • Light jogging and then some light stretching
  • Specific Yoga
  • Massage
  • Our Back Pain Relief4Life Program
  • Icing the muscles before they get sore will increase the speed of recovery
  • Sitting in a hot tub or a sauna for 20 minutes
  • Increase your water and vitamin (especially vitamin C) consumptionDelayed onset Muscle Soreness
  • Consume 300-400 calories of carbohydrate shortly after the training session
  • Taking advil

Ian Hart is a Body-Mind Transformation expert, the creator of EarthFIT Training Systems, co-creator of BACK PAIN RELIEF4LIFE, and founder of BEAUFORTPERSONALTRAINING.COM and MYBACKPAINCOACH.COM. Ian and his team help people get into optimal shape in the safest, fastest and most effective way possible, using cutting edge science.

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This was me during the race after 7 miles and now hitting 52 flights of stairs. I did the stairs 70th fastest out of 944 people and I walked them

Men’s Health Urbanathlon Training Program and 4 Lessons Learned

Published by on November 15, 2011 | Leave a response

Beaufort Boot Camp

Hello EFer,

It is that time of year again when Men’s Health just finished hosting their Urbanathlon. It is once a year and usually has only been in NY and Chi  town, but this year they had it in San Fran as well. Each year the course changes and is different from city to city because it uses each city’s natural landscape and landmarks. It is one of the most grueling races I have ever endured – and I have done a fair amount of races throughout the years but it also could have been because I did something not so smart. I ran the race when I was living in New York and was asked by Men’s Health to create a portion of the program for them, which you can find in the link below. Feel free to use the program that I created as a general fat burning and weight loss program. Pretty much anyone can do the exercises except for maybe #3. Squat Thrust Jumping Pull Up in (which you need to be in decent condition for especially in combination with the program). It also provides you with some good stretches.

 

  • We started in Central Park
  • Ran over to the west side (quick sidebar, as we were running down town on the west side highway bike path, in a throng of close to 1000 people, one fella decided it was a great day and time to do some speed training uptown on his bike, so as he approaches the mass he starts screaming “get out of my way” with out slowing down one bit. Just picture a bike path about 6 feet wide with 1000 people funneling through it and one jerk on a bike coming in the opposite direction at 30 miles an hour screaming “get out of the way”. You can only imagine what happened next. He went full on, front wheel and handle bars straight into the mid section, between the legs of the guy running next to me. Not a pretty sight but also not an abnormal one in NYC.)
  • Ran down the west side 3 miles to the first obstacle course
  • Kept running down the west side highway 2 miles to another obstacle course
  • Ran another 2 miles till we got to 7 World Trade and ran up 52 flights of stairs and back down
  • Then 1 more mile to Battery Park where we had to hop over cabs and walls to get to the finish line
This race was intense and my goal was to win but about a week before the race I got run down and sick. Against my better judgement and the recommendation of my trainer I ran the race anyway. BAD IDEA! I thought I was invincible and it would take a week or two to recover. I ended up with walking pneumonia and it cascaded into a barrage of health problems that lead to months, then years of struggle to a full recovery.
 

EarthFIT Personal training

  1. What I learned is never take your health for granted, it can be gone in a flash. I was in the best shape of my life and I let it all go down the tubes because a silly race.
  2. When you’re sick, take time off to fully recover and do not push through it.
  3. Everything happens for a reason – after this race and becoming sick, it caused me to slow down and appreciate life more. So when you make a mistake learn from it and move on.
  4. Balance is key to health and success. I was non-stop training, working, training, working for about 2 years straight. My body reached a breaking point and it jeopardized everything in my life. A balance between work, training, hobbies and family is a must for true success.

Lady’s Island Personal Trainer

There are many more lessons I learned specifically about nutrition, health and fitness, life and personal training through the whole ordeal but those were the big takeaway lessons that I learned.

This was me during the race after 7 miles and now hitting 52 flights of stairs. I did the stairs 70th fastest out of 944 people

That will just give you an idea of how grueling the race was. I walked the stairs and still finished top 10% and I was sick, what that means is that the rest of the people behind me were crawling or some other variation of both. It is a small photo but if you can look closely you can see in my eyes that I thought I was going to die, haha. It’s funny now, but it was NO JOKE then, I seriously thought I might end up in the hospital. My heart rate reached a max of 204 – I had never seen it past about 193 beats before, even at a full sprint for a mile. My average heart rate through the race was 185 for 120 minutes. Wow! Yea, not so smart to do a race while on antibiotics.

In the end, I highly recommend doing the Urbanathlon if you are into running and obstacle courses and you are not sick :). One thing is for sure: you must prepare for the race, it is not something you can just sign up for and run without knowing what you are getting into. Giving a good 6 months of training would be recommended but if you want to do well, you should start right now!

If you are training at EarthFIT you are already on the right track, all you need to do is supplement your cardio training for the distance of the race and you will have no problem finishing.

Here is a video of the Chicago race that will give you an idea of the fun involved in the whole event.

Ian Hart is a Body-Mind Transformation expert, the creator of EarthFIT Training Systems, co-creator of BACK PAIN RELIEF4LIFE, and founder of BEAUFORTPERSONALTRAINING.COM and MYBACKPAINCOACH.COM. Ian and his team help people get into optimal shape in the safest, fastest and most effective way possible, using cutting edge science.

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EarthFIT Fuel Beaufort SC

(Top 10 Rules For Fitness Results) “EarthFIT FUEL” The Holy Grail Of Nutritional Guides

Published by on November 14, 2011 | Leave a response

EarthFIT Fuel Beaufort SC

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EarthFIT Meal Plan – 3 weeks

Published by on November 11, 2011 | Leave a response

Enjoy!

3-Wk Meal Plan (less cals)

3-Wk Meal Plan (more cals)

 

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I’m On “The Juice”

Published by on November 10, 2011 | Leave a response

I have a confession…

I have been on “the juice” for about 2 months now and I have seen increased energy, strength and an improved overall well being.

No worries about  uncontrollable rages, unsightly acne or shrinking testes.

Because the juice that I’m on is all natural.

At EarthFIT, we always promote increased intake of raw fruits and veggies because of the multitude of benefits it provides.

Juicing allows the intake of nutrients and goodness to be injected into your system like and IV without all the hassle of chewing… plus it taste great!

Who needs chewing anyway, I decided long ago that chewing was just not my style, so naturally, juicing was right up my alley.

Juicing works especially well when you’re not too fond of certain veggies – that you know you should be eating but would normally avoid – by masking it with delicious fruit.

The above video goes over one of the many variations of juicing; and the benefits are endless:

  • Increased weight loss
  • Increased energy
  • Decreased body fat
  • Prevention of acidosis (which causes weight gain and decreased absorption of nutrients as well as a myriad of other problems)
  • Clarity of mind
  • An assortment of much needed vitamins and minerals
If you are interested in buying a top quality juicer, let me know and I can point you in the right direction. Any questions or comments go ahead and leave it below.
Ian Hart is a Body-Mind Transformation expert, the creator of EarthFIT Training Systems, co-creator of BACK PAIN RELIEF4LIFE, and founder of BEAUFORTPERSONALTRAINING.COM and MYBACKPAINCOACH.COM. Ian and his team help people get into optimal shape in the safest, fastest and most effective way possible, using cutting edge science.
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