Lose Stubborn Fat!

Words Are Powerful Fat Loss Tools

Definition of Train (v):

To give the discipline and instruction, drill, practice, etc., designed to impart proficiency or efficiency.

Def of Develop (v):

To bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state. To cause to grow or expand

Definition of Accountable (adj):

Subject to the obligation to report, or explain, something; responsible; answerable. Capable of being explained.

Seminar Notes - Bodyweight Workouts / Home Workouts

I did a seminar on bodyweight workouts and home workouts at Botha Chiropractic (where I get my chiropractic work).

I thought I'd post my notes for the seminar.  Obviously it isn't going to be written with the same style as an article, but I thought you might get a kick out of it.

Some of the formatting got a little weird re-pasting it in here, but it's close enough.  Enjoy!

1. Prepare Logistics / Props
2. Introduction:
   
3. 1. Scan
   2. Who here is working out pretty regularly?  (thank you) Who here is working out a little right now, but not as much as you want? (thank you) or you've worked out in the past and you are looking to get back into it? (thank you) Who here has never worked out?
   3. My name, welcome, name of talk (Workouts You Can Do At Home)
   4. Acknowledge and thank  - it means a lot to me, and it tells me a lot about who you are, that you would spend your monday night talking about fitness.
      
   5. You're going to find out how to do killer fat loss workouts at home, with minimal equipment
      
   6. Fat Loss Expert, USA Today, The Denver Post, author of The Stubborn Seven Pounds, Level 2 Kettlebell Trainer, Assistant Instructor at Kettlebell Trainer Certification, NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist, Z-Health Movement Reeducation Specialist and Inegrative Movement Specialist
      
   7. I'm kind of a goof ball when I do speeches, I'm super interactive and stuff, I'll ask leading questions and I'll want you to answer and it's going to be really interactive.  I'm going to ask you guys to go with it - it's going to makes it a really fun seminar and everyone learns more.
   8. Also - I'm not going to do questions at the end - so if you have a question in the middle, just raise your hand and we'll answer it right in the middle.

2.) Partner Share: For what GOAL is food more important than workouts?

Class Share: For what GOAL is food more important than workouts?

3.) Partner Share: for what GOAL are workouts more important than food?

Class share: For what GOAL are workouts more important than food?

A - When the food is already dialed in, or when you are already at your goal weight.
B - Workouts are about getting lean instead of skinny fat
C - Workouts are about being healthy (bones and heart)
D - Workouts are about your ability to move and play

**** can workouts make it easier to lose scale weight?  In the long run, yes.  The more muscle you have, the easier it is to lean up.  That's why guys lose fat faster and easier than girls - more muscle.

4.) Strength training is more important than cardio

Cardio burns calories, it doesn't burn enough.  It's more effective to eat better.

Strength training changes your shape.  It tightens things up.  It fixes "skinny fat"

5.) Big Workout Movements vs. Small workout movements.  Biggest and most intense movements produce the most fat loss.

Class share: Who wants to guess?  What could I mean by small movements?  Examples?

Class share: Examples of big movements

demo curls vs. burpees
curls/crunches/tri extension - nothing wrong, but not going to be huge fat burners

6.) Four Movements We Need: Push, Pull, Squat and Hip Extension

Everybody Mime that with me:  PUSH - PULL - SQUAT - HIP EXTENSION x 2

Ok, practice with your partner:

Give them a high five if they've got it

7.) Home Workout Level One - Push and Squat

You don't need anything with you to push or squat

8.) Push Workshop - The Basic Pushup

Q - How do we make it easier?  Go three levels deep

Exercise - Work Up to Your Hardest Pushup Variation:
Everyone stop at the hardest one that you can do perfectly.  If you can't do it *perfectly* then step it back to the one before it.

How do I define perfect:

1.) Dynamic Posture - Long Spine
2.) Balanced Tension and Relaxation (no face/neck tension)
3.) No "Startle" - No shoulders up and forward, head forward, no pain
4.) Breathe.  Sometimes I have my advanced, healthy, lifters hold their breath on super heavy lifts. 

demonstrate all - class does the hardest they can work up to (everyone does all bold)

Wall Pushup x 5
Bench Pushup x 5
Knee Pushup Hold For Time x 30 seconds
Knee Pushup x 5
Full Pushup Hold For Time x 30 seconds
Full Pushup x 5
One Leg Pushup x 5L+5R
Spiderman Pushup x 5L+5R

One Arm Wall Pushup x 5L+5R
One Arm Knee Pushup Hold x 15 seconds L 15 Seconds R
One Arm Knee Pushup x 5L+5R
One Arm Pushup Hold For Time 30 seconds L+R
One Arm Pushups

****I'll show people after
Wall Walk Ups
Wall Walk Ups to Hold
Wall Walk Ups to Handstand Pushups 1/2 ROM
Wall Walk Ups to Handstand Pushups

9.) Squat Workshop - How To Do It Right

1 - Face The Wall Squat (basic) - Everyone Try

knees too forward or too soon = knee pain
back rounded forward =  pain
hips back, less pressure on knees
back arched = not going to get hurt

2 - Bone Rhythm Squat (advanced) - Bring Up Two or Three Volunteers

long spine = optimal

knees and hips at the same time = optimal

We're going to play the same game with squats that we played with pushups - the hardest you can do perfect

Q- Class Share: How do I define perfect:

1.) Dynamic Posture - Long Spine
2.) Balanced Tension and Relaxation (no face/neck tension)
3.) No "Startle" - No shoulders up and forward, head forward, no pain
4.) Breathe.  Sometimes I have my advanced, young, healthy, lifters hold their breath on super heavy lifts.  Today no one holds their breath.

Progression: Work Up To Your Hardest Squat Variation

demonstrate all - class does the hardest they can work up to (everyone does all bold)

Hip Bridge Hold x 30 seconds
Hip Bridge for Reps x 5
1/4 Squat x 5
Standing Lunge x 5L+5R
Walking Lunge or Reverse Lunge x 5L+5R
1/2 Squat or Powerlifter Squat x 5

Split Squat x 5 (parnters)
Single Leg Hip Bridge x 5L+5R
Partner Airborne Lunge x 5L+5R
Airborne Lunge x 5L+5R
Partner 1/2 ROM Pistols x 5L+5R
Partner Full ROM Pistols x 5L+5R
1/2 ROM Pistols x 5L+5R
Full ROM Pistols x 5L+5R

PUSHING AND PULLING YOU CAN ALWAYS DO W/O EQUIPMENT

I'm just going to jam through these next two, the ones that require equipment and demonstrate them with a few people

If you really want to learn it - volunteer for the demo

10.) The Pair to Pushing - Pulling

1 - Bring Up a Volunteer - Band Rows
2 - Bring Up a Volunteer - Kettlebell Bent Over Rows

Both you can do at home with limited equipment

11.) The Pair to Squatting - Kettlebell Swings

1 - Bring Up Someone from Denver Kettlebell Boot Camp to demonstrate
2 - Major benefit of Kettlebell Swings - They burn 20.2 calories per minute, which is completely off the charts.
3 - Teach a couple people the swing

You've got those four movements.  Those are the tools you are going to use to build all of your fat loss workouts.

Conclusion - Re-Cap:

We've got four movements for fat loss

If you don't have any equipment, you can always do two

Now you know the harder variations

Thank You for having me, thank you for listening - I have one more final bonus for anyone that wants to say

FINAL BONUS #1: All of the progressions are going up on my blog tonight.

FINAL BONUS #2: 4 minute cardio workout

The Tabata Interval - Quick Cardio

Beginner 20/10 x 8 lunges / bridge

Intermediate 20/10 x 8 lunges / squats

Advanced 20/10 x 8 split squats / squats

Jillian Micheals *NEW* Kettlebell Swing Super Fail

Look, I tried to be nice.

This is getting ridiculous.

Jillian's new video is a perfect example of what not to do.

In fact, I recommend everyone take a look at this, so that you don't ever do it.

If I was trying to hurt someone with a kettlebell, I would make them do this:

 

In the first part of the video it's clear that she's been working on her form.  It's at least 30% better than it was before.

Jillian said that she was having some CrossFitters teach her how to use kettlebells.  Looks like that didn't work out.

Now, it's not good enough that she should be making videos.  In fact, if my swing form looked like hers, I'd make sure I only did it in a dark room with no one around.

But at the end of the video, at 2:15, she invents the "Reach Back Swing" - which is the dumbest thing I have ever seen in the history of the fitness industry.

In fact, if I was trying to hurt someone, that's how I would do it:

Forward Spinal Flexion + Load (Weight) + Explosive
= Back injury

I don't even partially understand how she could think this is a good idea.  I don't know how anyone who has ever trained a client would think that this is smart.

It's beyond thoughtless, and I believe that it's this kind of complete and utter disregard for people's safety, and complete lack of education on the trainers part, that gives the entire personal training industry a bad name.

Now before someone jumps in and says "Hey wait a minute, I do strongman and the way we lift atlas stones is round backed and..."

Look, I'm not an idiot, I know that a high level athlete *can* work up to lifting pretty heavy with a round back, if they are really smart about it, and their sport depends on them being able to do it. 

But I don't round back lift, and my clients don't, and there is no reason EVER for a fat loss client to do explosive, loaded, round back lifting.

To recommend it on a beginner video is criminal, it's negligent, and it shows an extremely low level of knowledge on Jillian's part.

Look.  I'm normally not this negative, but now Jillian has really, truly, pissed me off.

If you want to know how to learn how to lift kettlebells correctly, watch this video:

http://www.joshhilliscoachingclub.com/kettlebellswingv.html

If you want the advanced swing lesson, see this video:

http://joshsgarage.typepad.com/articles/2010/02/the-advanced-kettlebell-swing.html

And you'll notice in that second video - Keira clearly demonstrates what Jillian is doing is THE WRONG THING TO DO.

The Advanced Kettlebell Swing

Ok so after the American Council on Exercise research, we know that the kettlebell swing actually IS the best fat loss movement there is.

But we've been doing it wrong for years.

My friend Keira Newton, RKC II and Z-Health Level 2, were talking about how all of the videos on YouTube about the swing, even the "good" ones, are demonstrating the *old* swing.

So I asked her to do a video....

Lets take a look:

Back in 2004 when I first got certified as an RKC Kettlebell Instructor, doing swings with hyperextension (arching the back and neck really really hard) was considered the correct way to do swings.

In the last two years, Z-Health has had a major effect on the way that the kettlebell community lifts, and we've switched to kettlebell swings with a totally neutral spine (including neck). Swing with a neutral, long spine, are safer, stronger, and more powerful.

Lets take the swing apart, and look at the different ways people screw up swings.

First, the worst possible way to screw it up:

Too Much Rounding Forward - The Bad Swing

The back is intollerant to too much forward flexion with weight, this is a back injury waiting to happen.

If someone is totally untrained (hasn't lifted weights before) this is the most common thing for a person to do.

Because someone isn't good at folding at their hips, they just fold at their back instead.

Out of all the things you can do lifting, this is definitely the worst and most dangerous.

Too Much Arching - The Old Swing

This is the "Old" Swing.  Sometimes I call it the "Level One" Swing or the "Beginner Swing".  Sometimes I just call it "2004"

This is preferable to "The Bad Swing", but it's not the best.

Like I said, this was the original RKC Swing. Back in the day, this is how it was done.

I taught this as the way to do swings for years.  You're probably not going to get injured doing swings like this.  But it's not optimal.

The hyperextension (over arching) of the back and neck causes compression. 

That compression can lead to pain, and you'll definitely lose strength and power.

You really want to be doing swings with a neutral spine.

Perfect Neutral - The Advanced Kettlebell Swing

The Best Kettlebell Swing - Neutral Spine, Long Spine

The best way to think about it is "getting taller" or "lengthening" from your tailbone up through the top of your head.

The kettlebell swing really is like a moving plank. 

When you get good at this swing, you'll be shocked at how much more powerful you feel. 

And if you've had any little tweaks doing the swing, or if it ever hurt in your neck or upper back, you'll probably find that it goes away with this swing.

For my clients that have been doing kettlebell swings with me for years and years (and originally learned the "old" swing) I call this the "advanced" swing.

Thanks Keira!

I want to thank Keira Newton, RKC II, Z-Health Level 2 for doing this video for us.  She's the owner of Dynamic Kettlebells in Santa Fe New Mexico.  She's a friend of mine, and she's one of the best Kettlebell Instructors and Z-Health practitioners there is.

Kettlebell Workouts Burn 20.2 Calories Per Minute

The reason we talk about kettlebell swings here on the Lose Stubborn Fat! blog is because they are the best fat burning workout there is.  

If you missed the article where I talked about the American Council on Exercise doing a study on kettlebell swings and fat burning, here is the short version: Kettlebell workouts burn 20.2 calories per minute, that's double spinning (9.8 calories per minute) and that's double traditional boot camp workouts (9.9 calories per minute).

Kettlebell workouts are the best fat burning workout there is.

You Still Don't Want To "Out Work" Your Diet

That doesn't mean that if you do kettlebell swings you can eat crap.

What it means is that you should eat an awesome diet AND do workouts that burn fat.

Hands down, the absolute fastest and most powerful way to lean up is to combine a great diet with awesome workouts.  This combination wins every time.

My friend Mike Geary, author of The Fat Burning Kitchen is doing a 3 day sale for his 34rth birthday.  If you don't already have a killer eating clean type diet, you should totally get Fat Burning Kitchen while it's on sale for his birthday.

 

Have Someone Watch Your Swing

Make sure you have someone watch you doing swings.

Most people who think that they are doing "neutral spine" are actually eating rounding forward too much  or arching back too much.

Usually, if someone hasn't worked out a lot, or has never had anyone coach them, they're round forward too much.

But it's the people who've had trainers for years that have the hardest time not arching back too much.

Either have a friend watch your swings, or have someone video you doing swings.  It will make all the difference.

Josh Hillis

Why Does Endurance Training Make Some People Skinny Fat, And Others Ultra Lean?

I'm sure you know some marathon runners who are skinny fat, and some who are super lean.

Same thing for triathletes, some are skinny fat and some are super lean.

Kara Goucher, middle distance and long distance runner

It's no accident.  All of the lean endurance athletes are training one way, and all of the skinny fat endurance athletes are training completely differently.

 
What Skinny Fat Endurance Athletes Do

They do moderate to low intensity training all the time. 

Like "jogging".  If they bike or swim, then they do the biking or swimming equivalent of jogging.

After they've run one distance, and survived,
they start to train for one that's longer.

In other words, if they survive a 5k, they start training for a 10k.  If they manage to limp through a 10k, they start training for a half marathon, if they survive the half marathon, they train for a marathon.

Could be the same thing with triathlons.  If they survive a super sprint tri then they start training for a sprint tri.  If they survive the sprint, they start training for a standard, then a half ironman, then an ironman.

Contrast That With What Super Lean Endurance Athletes Do

Super lean endurance athletes focus on performance.

If they run a distance, they're training to run that distance again faster.

They have a structured training week hitting different adaptations from long low intensity endurance training, to high intensity speed work, to moderate intensity tempo work.  Maybe even hill training.

Instead of trying to survive distances, super lean endurance athletes are trying to better their performance at distances.

If You Suck, You're Going To Be Fat, And Probably Injured

Skinny fat endurance athletes suck.

And then if they live through sucking at one distance, they move up to another distance that they suck at.

If you suck at the 5k, and decide to do a 10k,
you're just increasing the beating that your body takes.

The hormonal response to sucking is drastically different than the hormonal response to performing at a high capacity.

You're gonna start running worse.  Movement quality will nosedive.

You actually get less and less efficient every race. 

This is the path to pain, injury, and fatness.

Stop sucking at longer distances.

It All Comes Down To One Word: Performance

If your focus is performance, your training is going to shift drastically.

If you want to run faster, you're going to have to do some sort of speed or tempo work.

If you want to swim faster, you're going to have to work on your stroke.  You're going to have to become a better, more efficient swimmer.

Same can be said for running - if your stride gets more efficient, you'll run faster.

If you get more powerful and more graceful
at your endurance sport, you'll be leaner.

Desiree Flicker, triathlete

The Path To Awesomeness: Better Instead of More

Instead of running that 10k, run a faster 5k.

Get a book with a 5k training program, and follow the program.

Better yet, you could even get a running coach.

Eat enough food to support your training, but not enough food to support body fat.

Join a club where the athletes have goals of running faster.

Run a 5k every month.  See if you're getting faster.  If you aren't getting faster, re-evaluate your training program and diet.

I'm using running as an example, but it could just as well be biking or triathlons.

If you want to get lean with endurance training,
you have to start treating it like a sport.

Erin Densham, triathlete

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Endurance Training and Fat Loss is Simple:

Endurance Race Survivor = Skinny Fat

Endurance Race Competitor = Rockstar Lean

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