Home Aggressive Strength Magazine Issue 164- 4-27-09 

Aggressive Strength Magazine

1. Aggressive Strength Living Article Of The Week

Take Charge Of Your Life 

By Mike Mahler 

I was discovering that life just simply isn’t fair, but the difference emerges among the people that accept that idea--embrace it even--and bask in the unsung glory of knowing that each obstacle overcome along the way only adds to the satisfaction in the end.  Nothing great, after all, was ever accomplished by anyone sulking in his or her misery.

---Adam Shepard, Scratch Beginnings

In his provocative book, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream, Adam Shepard undertakes a year-long experiment to ascertain first-hand the state of the American Dream.  Challenging himself to start with next-to-nothing and--within a year's time--accrue $2500.00 in savings, live in a furnished apartment (solo or with roommate) and possess a vehicle, Adam travels out of state, where he has no contacts, arriving with only $25.00 and the clothes on his back.  Within ten months, Adam has met his stated goals and exceeded his own expectations by saving $5000.00. He achieves this without help from friends, family or the credit card he keeps in his pocket for emergencies.  Further, when applying for jobs, he never discloses he is a college graduate.  A crucial ingredient to Adam’s success is his lack of self-pity: he is instead occupied in taking action to reach his objectives.  This is a trait you will always see with successful people.

Adam’s journey starts in Charleston, South Carolina, where, with $25.00 in his pocket, the first roof over his head is the local homeless shelter.  From this humble base (and with the help of food stamps) he takes on any job offered.  Breaking with the current social norm, Adam cheerfully accepts as fact that when you have nothing, no job is beneath you, and from cleaning up dog crap in backyards in summer heat to every other form of day labor he works from sunrise to sunset.  Adam firmly applies his work ethic to his goal of leaving the shelter as soon as possible. He considers any job better than sitting around and by working an odd assortment of jobs, creates a forward momentum, eventually getting hired by a moving company at a starting rate of $7.00 an hour, which, over time, grows to ten dollars an hour, enabling him to vacate the homeless shelter and progress to a shared apartment.  After observing other shelter residents prematurely leave, only to end up back in the shelter again when hit with unanticipated expenses, Adam pointedly remains at the shelter until he's saved up adequate funds all the while maintaining an extremely frugal life style, scrimping every dollar possible i.e. neither restaurant meals nor vacations, and all clothing purchases are second-hand.  Adam's imperative to leave the homeless shelter is tendered with patience--as well as the sacrifices necessary to ensure that once he gets out he'll stay out.

Adam understands that which many people miss:  forward movement often requires personal sacrifice--or, you can't have it all, all the time.  Such choices may bring about phases in your life which are out of balance, e.g. you might even have to work seven days a week, and not only without a vacation, but going to bed each night wiped out from the day's work, all the while saving every dollar possible and delaying all your favorite gratifications.  However, you'd be surprised what you can make happen in just a year of deliberate and focused work.  Later, once things get going, you can ease up on the reins and into a more balanced--and comfortable--lifestyle.

Adam encounters all sorts of people throughout his journey.  There are some content with living and hanging out at the shelter all day, while others have ended up at the shelter with more ambition, forming determined plans to get back on their feet and depart the shelter circuit.  He notices this second group don't blame anyone else for their circumstances, but accept full accountability, bolster it with a solid work ethic and a vision of where they want to be--and how to get there.

Scratch Beginnings is a rebuttal to (and rejection of) Nickel and Dimed, journalist Barbara Ehrenreich’s undercover investigative account on whether the so-called "working poor" could survive on minimum wage employment.  Over the course of several months, Ehrenreich hired on as waitress, Wal-Mart associate, nursing home assistant, and franchise service house maid, concluding that holding a single minimum wage job was insufficient for reasonable subsistence.  What Barbara failed to realize is that increasing the minimum wage will drive up the price of everything else and people will be right back where they started.  In paying higher wages to workers, employers will, in turn, charge more for products and services. The question is not whether people can subsist on the minimum wage, but why would anyone settle for a subsistence lifestyle?  If you have to start out there, fine, I respect anyone who works over those who would mooch off others.  But why stay at a minimum wage job?  People can do better than that and should strive to do so. In fact, in a labor market, minimum wage jobs are supposed to be terrible--this motivates people to accumulate relevant skills. I worked a few minimum wage jobs in my previous life and never in my mind did I consider staying at any of them.

In our current economic retraction, I hear more bitching from people than ever.  People complain about the difficulties of the job market and how the government isn't helping them enough.  While there may may be some truth to this, I never hear these same people bitching about their own complicity in this mess. This doesn't surprise me, as blaming others, and circumstances, is a common denominator among the unsuccessful.

Find yourself in a predicament?  Instead of blaming others, why not take the time to make an honest self-assessment? If you are willing to be this ruthless with yourself, of understanding why you are where you are at this point in time, then you will be able to move forward from here.  Clarity may not always be pleasant but there is beauty in the truth and, often, dramatic life changes can result.

The single thing you have control over is this: what are you prepared to do now?  Are you content with blaming others, effectively avoiding progression, and ensuring your continuing plummet into mediocrity and irrelevance?  Or are you prepared to take responsibility for your life and focus on your potential?

In my experience, moving forward requires your becoming completely fed up and disgusted with yourself--otherwise it's easier to give up and blame others when things get tough.  People who give up at the first roadblock were never serious about the goal in the first place. Perhaps it sounded good or someone else recommended it to them.  In contrast, when there's a real commitment, roadblocks are simply obstacles to blast though on the way to the goal. They are not only expected but overcome with full force and no regrets.

A good friend of mine always claimed to want his own business but the timing was never right. Then, one day he went to the office and was overcome by nausea. The idea of even one more day at that job caused him to feel sick to his stomach--a sure-fire sign he was ready to move on. The state of being completely fed up with yourself and your circumstances means you are ready to move on and push forward with full commitment. Pursuing a goal with an ambivalent or cavalier attitude is a red flag for ensuing failure.

Occasionally, people tell me that if their entrepreneurial pursuit fails to bear fruit, they'll just return to their old job.  I tell them to give up now, since they lack sincerity in their effort.  At such times, the last thing on your mind should be visions of your plans not working out.  Focus so intently upon what it is you intend to achieve that such thoughts never enter the mind. That sort of negative reality only serves those people who strive for mediocrity, not those who wish to see positive--and dramatic--outcomes to their dreams.

Life seems not always fair, no doubt.  Everyone encounters problems, ranging from the inconvenient to the immense, yet ultimately each of us must take individual charge of our lives.  As long as you remain focused upon what others should be doing for you (i.e. the past), you cannot move forward into the future.  This is the realm of the loser.  Winners are too focused on what they can do--and are too busy doing it--to concern themselves with circumstances.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

***Article Edited by Teresa Blazey: teresa.blazey@gmail.com


2. Kettlebell Training In The Age Of Quarrel 

Click here for more information

 

 


3. Recommended Kettlebell Workshops (Note I am not teaching at these) 

May 9th in San Francisco: OKC Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop With John Buckley click here for more info

May 17th in NYC: KB 40+ Workshop:  Kettlebell Training for Great Fitness Levels, Greater than 40 

For Information:  email Steve Strickman, RKC L2 at stricker1@sprynet.com


4. How to Add Kettlebells to Your Training Program, Part 1  

By Mike Mahler

As kettlebell training becomes more popular, trainees are getting confused about how to effectively add kettlebell training to their regimens. Some people might enjoy kettlebell-only or kettlebell-focused programs, while others won't want to quit their current program but instead enhance them by introducing kettlebell movements. Kettlebells are excellent weight training tools and also useful for work capacity and structural integrity. In this article, I'll cover using kettlebells as weight-training tools, along with other training tools for size and strength training--which is the way to go to for fat loss. In Part 2, the focus will be on how to add kettlebell training in timed sets for structural integrity, work capacity, and muscular endurance.

When using kettlebells for weight-training, for a comprehensive and balanced program, you must cover the following five categories:

1.    Upper Body Press

2.    Upper Body Pull

3.    Lower Body Press

4.    Lower Body Pull

5.    Core

Upper Body Press Exercises 

Barbell Military Press

Barbell Incline Press

Barbell Bench Press

Handstand Push-Up

Push-Up

Barbell Push-Press

Lifeline TNT Cable Military Press

Lifeline Power Push-up

Upper Body Kettlebell Press Exercises 

Double KB Military Press

One-Arm KB Military Press

Alternating KB Military Press

KB Clean and Military Press

KB Push-Press

One-Arm KB Floor Press

Double KB Floor Press

Upper Body Pull Exercises

Pull-Up

Chin-Up

Barbell Bent-Over Row

Upper Body Kettlebell Pull Exercises

One-Arm KB Bent-Over Row

Alternating KB Bent-Over Row

Double KB Bent-over Row

Renegade Row

Alternating Renegade Row

Lower Body Press

Barbell Squat

Barbell Front Squat

Hack Squat

Elevated Trapbar Deadlift (stand on a solid box or barbell plate to increase the range of motion)

Box Squat

Hindu Squat

One-Legged Squat

Lifeline Portable Power Jumper Squat

Lower Body Kettlebell Press

One-Arm KB Front Squat

Double KB Front Squat

KB Suitcase Squat

KB Suitcase Lunge

Lower Body Pull

Barbell Deadlift

Trapbar Deadlift

Barbell Clean

Barbell Snatch

Lower Body Kettlebell Pull Exercises

One-Arm KB Swing

Double KB Swing

Double KB Clean

One-Arm KB Snatch

Double KB Snatch

Core Exercises 

Ab Wheel Roll-Out (kneeling and standing) 

Hanging Leg Raise

Slow and Controlled Sit-Up/Side Bend 

Reverse Sit-Up

Core Kettlebell Exercises

KB Windmill

KB Turkish Get-Up

KB Side Bend

KB Guard Sit-Up

KB Pass Between the Feet

Once you've constructed your training program to cover these five areas, it's easy to see where kettlebell movements can fit in. Below are two examples of size and strength programs which effectively combine kettlebells with barbell work and body weight training. To cover all the bases, the programs additionally contain a conditioning element. These are not bulking programs wherein the goal is to add as much actual weight as possible, since such programs can end up adding more fat than muscle, which most trainees are trying to avoid! Rather, the objective of these programs is to gradually add solid muscle--gaining five pounds of solid muscle will have a more profound effect on your physique than adding fifteen pounds of mostly fat.

Sample Program "A"

Monday

A1)  Lifeline TNT Cable Military Press 3x5

rest: 60-seconds

A2)  Weighted Chin-Up 3x5 

load: your 8 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do A1 and A2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of A1, rest for a minute, then do a set of A2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Kettlebell Windmill 2x5 each side

  B1)  Elevated Trapbar Deadlift 5x5

load: your 7-9 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

  B2) Double KB Swing 5x5

*swing to chest level

load: your 8-10 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do B1 and B2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of B1, rest for a minute, then do a set of B2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Tuesday

Circuit Training

Double Kettlebell Clean and Push Press 1x10

One-arm Kettlebell Bent-over Row 1x10 each side

Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up 1x5 each side

Double Kettlebell Clean and Front Squat 1x6 (clean before each squat)

One-arm Kettlebell Swing 1x15 each side

Take 30-second breaks between each exercise and 60-second breaks at the end of each round. Do five rounds total.

Thursday

A1) Barbell Clean and Military Press 5x3

load: your 4-6 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

A-2) Weighted Pull-Up 5x3

load: your 5 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do A1 and A2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of A1, rest for a minute, then do a set of A2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Hanging Leg Raise 3x5 each side

load: your 7 rep max

B-1) Double KB Front Squat 5x5

load: your 7-9 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

B-2) Double KB Swing 5x5

*swing to chest level

load: 7-8 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do B1 and B2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of B1, rest for a minute, then do a set of B-2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Friday

Circuit Training

Double KB Clean and Jerk 1x10

Lifeline Power Push-Up 2 Push-Up 1x10

Renegade Row 1x10 each side

Lifeline Power Wheel Roll-Out 1x5

Lifeline Portable Power Jumper Squat 1x10

One-Arm KB Snatch 1x12 each side

Take 30-second breaks in between each exercise and 60-second breaks at the end of each round. Do five rounds.

Sample Program "B"

Monday:

A1) Double KB Clean and Military Press 5x5

load: your 7-9 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

A2) Weighted Pull-Up 5x5

load: your 8 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do A1 and A2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of A1, rest for a minute, then do a set of A2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Lifeline Power Wheel AB Roll-Out 2x10 (from knees or standing, depending on your strength)

B1) Barbell Squat 5x5

load: your 7-9 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

B2) Double KB Swing 5x5

*swing to chest level

load: your 8-10 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do B1 and B2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of B1, rest for a minute, then do a set of B2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Tuesday

Circuit Training

KB One-Arm Clean and Push-Press 1x10

Alternating Renegade Row 1x10

Hindu Squat 1x25

One-Arm Kettlebell Snatch 1x10 each side

Slow and Controlled Sit-Up 1x10 (4 seconds up/4 seconds down)

Take 30-second breaks in between each exercise and 60-second breaks at the end of each round. Do 5 rounds total.

Thursday

A1)  Barbell Incline Press 5x5

load: your 7-9 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

A2)  Weighted Chin-up 5x5

load: your 8 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do A1 and A2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of A1, rest for a minute, then do a set of A2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

KB Turkish Get-Up 3x5 each side

load: a weight you can take to 7 reps

B1) Elevated Trapbar Deadlift 5x5

load: your 7-9 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

B2) Double KB Clean 5x5

load: your 7-8 rep max

rest: 60-seconds

Do B1 and B2 in alternating fashion, i.e., do a set of B1, rest for a minute, then do a set of B2. Continue until all sets have been completed.

Friday

Circuit Training

Explosive Push-Up 1x10 (launching off the floor as high as possible each rep)

Double KB Bent-Over Row 1x10

Double KB Suitcase Squat 1x12

One-Arm KB Swing 1x12 each side

Hanging Leg Raise 1x10

Take 30-second breaks in between each exercise and 60-second breaks at the end of each round. Do five rounds.

Off days, do light exercise, such as walking, swimming, joint mobility training, yoga, tai-chi and chi-kung. These types of exercise help with soreness and workout recovery. If you find that four days is too much training, move Tuesday’s workout to Wednesday and Thursday’s workout to Friday (cutting out the Friday circuit training workout) for three training days. If you're under excess stress or for whatever reason experiencing poor recovery, reduce  training to two days only. For example, do Monday’s workout, then do Tuesday’s workout on Thursday, cutting out all other training. For active recovery on off days, do the suggested light exercises.

If you need some more help with program design, make sure you sign up for my program design services.


5. 50% off sale on Boys are back in town seven hour DVD set 

Ready to develop impressive gains in strength, mobility, internal energy, work capacity, and vitality? Our comprehensive fluff free three disc Kettlebell workshop DVD is exactly what you need to make 2009 your best training year!

Now on sale through May 1, 2009. Purchase today and save 50% 

The Boys - Steve Cotter, Nate Morrison, Steve Maxwell, Mike Mahler

DVD Length: 7 hours and 30 minutes and as a bonus you will get a download link for the bonus report “The Aggressive Strength Solution For Optimizing Hormones And Well Being” when you place your order. 

click here for more info


6. Free Report From Author Joel Marion On How To Cheat Your Way Thin 

My friend Joel Marion author of "The Cheater's Diet" has an outstanding report on how to enjoy your favorite foods and lose weight and why calorie restriction ultimately is counterproductive.  click here to check it out


7.  Above The Tree Line 

By Nate Morrison 
 
If there is one thing I love about mountaineering it is the constant challenge it presents. It’s one of those things that will kill you if you make a bad decision, get arrogant, or simply apply poor judgment. Above the tree line, around 13,000 feet things get really interesting. A blast of wind can knock you over, the temperature drops in minutes and the sun can blind you. And I call this fun?

But the more I get back into climbing, the more I can see the hazards above the tree line as a metaphor for the fitness world. Down low you don’t have a lot to worry about. It’s pretty safe and you can get away with some seriously stupid stuff. But as you climb the mountain you begin to find out a few things about yourself.

A great example in the kettlebell world is what my good friend Steve Cotter went through when he went to Russia to compete. He arrived in Moscow, arguably the best kettlebell lifter in the USA and had his hind end handed to him in a big way. There was no way that he could be competitive on the Olympic level stage using RKC inspired methods of lifting. They are too inefficient and the in the professional world the subtleties are what will kill you fastest. Steve had climbed half way up a mountain without understanding what it took to survive up there. Fortunately some friendly folks gave him a hand and now he is the very definition of high skill on an international stage.

I ask myself frequently about this metaphor. What do you need to know when your life really is on the line?  If we do sets based on reps, we gut it out and meet the reps and quit. But how does that carry over in my military career? If I am running to or away from somewhere, hitting a rep number doesn’t help me. But if I do timed sets I learn to pace, how to recover within movement, and how to manage fatigue. Now that is applicable! But only the guys who hang out above the tree line know this. The people in the deep valley are content with the safety the valley brings them.

The thing about special operators, mountaineers and professional athletes is that they reject the safety of the valley and strike out on their own. They are not happy unless they are pushing the limits where they feel most alive. But these people play by a different set of rules that completely negate the rules used in the deep valley. So which are you? Are you the guy who just keeps doing the same thing in the safety of your valley? Your gym, your protocol, your method, your Party? Or are you climbing the mountain?

For those who want to climb mountains, I sat down and wrote a book that shows you how to get there. I was dragged into it by my close friend Ian Edgar who invented military duffle bag lifting. He called me after leaving Barnes and Noble yelling into the phone about how it was all the same crap. He was referring to every fitness book on the shelf. He demanded that I write something worth buying and using. It was at that moment that I realized what he was saying. Write something for the guys climbing the mountain! Hundreds of people have written books for the valley dwellers. It’s time to address those who dare to challenge the gods!

About the Author

Nathanael Morrison is a 15-year veteran of special operations and is still active in the teams. He is an internationally published fitness author and the world’s foremost authority on military and tactical fitness. Nathanael was one of the key architects of the kettlebell revolution in the Western world. His new book, Military Fitness: A Manual of Special Physical Training is being referred to as the “Supertraining of the military and tactical world”. For more info on Nate's book, go to: http://www.alpinetactical.com/Fitness.html

 


8. Forget The Garbage Protein Bars On The Market Use This Homemade Protein Bar Recipe

Place in a bowl: 

2 scoops of sunwarrior chocolate protein powder (equal to 30 grams of protein) 

2 tablespoons of flaxmeal 

2 tablespoons of almond butter 

1 tablespoon of cinnamon 

1/4 cup of pecans 

1/4-1/2 cup of low sugar almond milk 

1/2 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup (or one teaspoon of stevia) 

Stir it up until it becomes a thick past. Crush it together with your hands and divide into four equal parts. 

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees 

Let it cool and now you are all set to enjoy a healthy protein bar that is superior to all protein bars on the market. This protein bar has a nice balance of protein, fat, carbs, fiber and they actually taste good. 

SUN WARRIOR RICE PROTEIN

Sun Warrior Rice Protein

Finally a protein powder that is organic, tastes great,  and will not cause nausea and have you running to the bathroom with the runs!

“Over the last couple years, Mike has always passed along sound nutritional advice that has positively affected my performance.  Recently, I mentioned that I was having trouble finding a protein powder I was happy with.  Mike recommended Sun Warrior Protein and I have been very satisfied with the results.  It’s a high quality supplement with a good amino acid profile that doesn’t produce many of the negative side effects (ex. bloating) associated with most protein powders.”--Ken Blackburn Director of Operations for the IKFF www.ikff.net 

Click here for more info


9. Fine-tuning the vertical bar path

By Frank DiMeo 

I don't know  how many of you have been frustrated trying to get the maximum vertical acceleration during an explosive lift, only to have the bar travel way too far in front of you.

This has been something I've been working on lately, and have gotten a lot of help from two things:

1) Greg Everett's excellent book, "Olympic Weightlifting"

2) a good video camera

First, you've got to be brutally honest with yourself, before you can do so with others. Be humble enough to see what you are messing up, no matter how much you want to be different than what you see in the video. It is what it is, period! It might be shocking to get a really close look at your own technique, or lack of, on the video. Remember, smashing the video camera won't improve your lifts any, and it could expensive!

Seriously, though, set up the camera where you can get a good side view of your lifts. Hit a few reps, and come back and review them. One thing you might see the bar hitting your quadriceps on the second pull, and being knocked forward. If you're doing this wrong hard enough, your sore quads might give you a hint. Probably, you don't even realize you're doing it. The slightest collision can disrupt a rapidly-accelerating bar's path.

With the bar looping out to the front, other aspects of the lift are deteriorating too. On a clean, it may cause the bar to be received too far forward, being supported by the arms instead of the deltoids, and the lift can fail. On a snatch, it can make it that much more difficult to complete the third pull.

This information is based on my own much-needed corrections, and on Greg Everett's book. He also shows how an  improper starting position can cause the bar to move too far forward, also. Insufficient lay-back during the second pull is yet another cause. There are some very effective ways to correct these movement patterns, here are a few that worked for me.

1) Use less weight, rather than reinforce bad habits which will haunt you later (Question:  Do you want  big lifts or a big ego?)

2) Use assistance exercises, like shrug pulls to improve lay-back

3)  Work with both clean and snatch grips

4) Partial lifts, like rack pulls will improve the strength needed for a good second pull on your lifts

Good information on partial lifts can be found in Mark Rippetoe's book, "Starting Strength", which is another incredibly good resource. Keep in mind, that the basics of the  movements discussed here are common to explosive lifts regardless of the type of implement you are lifting.

Make sure to check out Frank's blog at: http://frankdimeofitnesss.blogspot.com


10. Aggressive Strength Product Recommendations

Ultimate Medical Research's Lean And Fit 

"You weren't kidding. This stuff gives a big energy boost, noticeable to the level of being able to recruit more muscle fiber on demand which really kicks up the intensity. I'm sensitive to any type of energizer, and can get what I need using only a half capsule. They're easily cut in half using a sharp knife, and are quite densely packed with fine powder, so storing a half capsule is easy. And that makes each bottle last twice as long. Gotta love that. Much cheaper than coffee or energy drinks."--Mark Hanington 

This supplement is by far my favorite fat loss and energy product. It does not contain caffeine or any stimulants. Thus no illusions of false energy only to be followed by the inevitable crash and burn. It contains fixated nitrogen which provides a tremendous and steady boost of energy. You will notice a difference from the first dose. That is a certainty. It also contains herbs to free up testosterone such as Avena Sativa and herbs such as DIM and Chrysin to clear harmful estrogens. If you are overweight or over forty it is pretty much a certainty that you have excess estrogen and you need to clear it out to get lean, ripped, and health. This product can help.  This is important for both men and women. Lean and fit also contains Beta-sitsosterol to modify DHT. DHT is seven times more anabolic than testosterone. It is necessary to get erections with ease and for a healthy sex drive. However, too much can be stressful to the prostate (although new studies show that DHT can be beneficial to prostate stress). Finally, lean and fit contains Hoodia to control the appetite. Yes, despite all of the lame hype about Hoodia, the Hoodia in this product does actually help control your appetite. As with all nutrition supplements, clear this with your Doctor before using. 

Contains no gelatin or animal products and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. 

Contains 30 caps per bottle 

Recommended Use: Take 1 cap in the morning to provide an energy boost for the entire day. Then take 1 cap an hour before you workout. I use this protocol personally and have not touched any caffeine products since using lean and fit. 

Regular Price $59.95 Your Price: $44.95 and free shipping (US Orders Only. I do not except any international orders for this product) 

Three Bottle Special: $120.00 and free shipping (US Orders Only. No Canada or any other international orders) 



11. Aggressive Strength Equipment Recommendations

Lifeline USA Kettlebells

Lifeline USA Kettlebells

Lifeline Kettlebell FAQ

Q: I have one Dragondoor bell, can I use a Lifeline USA bell with the DD one for double work?

A: Yes it should not be a problem at all. While the LL bells have slightly thicker handles, the bell is pretty much the same size and will not be an issue.

Q: Can the smaller ladies bells be used for Renegade Row?

A: While the smaller bells look like real kettlebells (no plastic thin handles) I do not recommend anything below 35lbs for Renegade Row. It becomes too much of a stability issue with very light bells.

Q: Do the handles have the slick smooth epoxy coating that DD bells have?

A: Nope, I made a point of having LL avoid the slick handles. They are smooth enough that they will not tear up your hands and rough enough that they will not fly out of your hands on high repetition work.

Q: How big is the 97lb bell?

A: Around the same size as DD's 88lb bell. I love the 97s for double work!

Q: How is the quality?

A: I am very happy with the quality. The bells went though strict quality control measures and passed with flying colors. I could put my reputation behind any bell on the market and chose to do so with the LL bells. I have been training with them for two years and love them. I know you will as well.

More Information



Power Wheel

 

Lifeline USA Power Wheel (The Best Ab Training Tool Period!)

Tired of boring ab workouts that are getting you nowhere? Get a Power Wheel and take your core strength through the roof! This is the ultimate ab wheel and a great device for building a strong mid section. Far more than just another ab wheel, with the Power Wheel, you can do a variety of killer core and upper body exercises.

More Information


The Ultimate Sandbag

The Ultimate Sandbag

This Sandbag is by far the best one on the market. No other model even comes close. No more sand showers with this baby! In addition it has handles on it which come in handy for cleans, presses, and tons of other great exercises. Sandbag training rocks for variety or as a stand alone training system. It hits your body in ways that no other training system can duplicate. If you love kettlebell training, you will love Sandbag training.

More Information


Jungle Gym

Jungle Gym

Do you workout at home? Travel a great deal for work? Do you enjoy bodyweight training? If yes to any of the above you will love the Jungle Gym. Great way to blast the upper body (both pushing and pulling muscles) and work your stabilizer muscles like crazy. Be prepared to shake all over the place when you do pushups with this killer training tool. In addition to being very portable it is inexpensive and like all other Lifeline USA products it is built to last. Get one today.

More Information


TNT Cable

TNT Cable

Lifeline USA's TNT Cable is the ultimate strength enhancement tool for learning forced acceleration. Once you learn forced acceleration you will be able to blast through sticking points and learn what powerlifters call one gear strength. This means slamming a weight up from start to finish in one smooth manner. This is a great product for increasing Military Press strength and allows you to do a ton of exercises that you cannot do with any other implement. Incredible tool for building stabilizer strength and for rehab. Finally, It is a must have for busy travelers and is the ultimate home gym for those on a budget.

More Information


Power Pushup 2

Power Pushup 2

This is the ultimate tool for adding resistance to pushups. It is perfect for people that travel.

More Information


12. Kettlebell Training Information  

One-Arm Kettlebell Snatch

http://www.mikemahler.com/kettlebell_info.html


13. Aggressive Strength Magazine Archives 

http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter


Until next time.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

Feel free to email me with your comments and feedback at mahler25@yahoo.com

Mike Mahler