Josh Hillis' Fat Loss and Fitness

Ketherine Heigl and Kettlebell Workouts

Katherine Heigl now does her workouts with kettlebells.   Some other celebrities that use kettlebells include Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Kim Cattrall, Kim Basinger. 

Yes it's true, kettlebells have been stolen from the Russian Special Forces, and are now being used to make hot women even hotter.

Mathew McConaughey works out with kettlebells, and the dude is solid muscle. 

He's proof that kettlebells aren't only for girls.

Have Fun Working Out Again

Katherine Heigl said: "I was probably in the best shape of my life for Knocked Up but I hated going to the gym...   I've now found a woman who teaches kettlebell classes. It's a mix of cardio and weight training but I only do it for 20 minutes twice a week and it's changed my body shape."

Many of my clients are amazed at how powerfully you can get results with kettlebell training, in a very small amount of workout time. 

The workouts don't look like much, but when you do them, it almost feels like too much.  The stimulus is very, very powerful.

Also, kettlebell training is fun.  And if it's fun, you'll do it more often and you'll bring a different intensity to it.

Katherine Heigl takes her kettlebell classes at the beach.  With summertime coming, it's great to be able to take a kettlebell to the beach or the park, and do a full body workout outside. 

If You Need To Take Your Clothes Off, Train With Kettlebells

UK's Red Magazine Asked Katherine about the last time she worked out: "Three days ago, I did kettlebells - I think everyone should do them. They are a great Russian secret. Normally, on Grey's, I'm in scrubs, so I don't have to worry about working out, because they hide everything. That leads you into some kind of false laziness, so then, when I have scenes where I have to take my clothes off, I'm like, 'Oh crap, I've got to get in shape!"'

I have all of my clients start off with the kettlebell swing.  We do the kettlebell swing with anything we can get are hands on - ideally kettlebells, but gripper plates or dumbbells work just fine.

Here is the "swing tools" video again, in case you missed it the first time.

I would go so far as to say that the kettlebell swing is the most powerful fat loss movement there is.

Once you get a good feel for the swing, you can move on to cleans and snatches and all kinds of fun stuff.  Eventually even kettlebell juggling.

Try doing that with your BowFlex.

All of the different kettlebell moves - swings, snatches, all of the different juggling moves - the swing is the foundation of them all.  The more advanced moves aren't more effective than swings.  The advanced moves are just more fun.  And fun makes a big difference.

Katherine Heigl said that she was in the best shape of her life before Knocked Up and she hated going to the gym.  Now, with kettlebells, she's in even better shape, and she loves working out with them.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds and currently finishing up his second book Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss.

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

Besides being a level 2 certified kettlebell instructor (RKC2), Josh is an assistant coach at the RKC Instructor Certification in October.

"When we say Hillis...we mean awesome.  And when we say awesome...we mean Hillis!!!" - David Whitley, Senior RKC

© Joshua Hillis 2008

The Biggest Mistake That "Bootcamp" Fitness Programs Make

The biggest mistake that I see "bootcamp" fitness programs make is that that's the only thing that they do.

They only do high intensity circuits.  Nothing else.

Your Workout Program Has To Change

If your TV only had one channel, you'd be bored to tears.

If you only had day time, it would be hard to sleep.  If you only had night time, it would be hard to snowboard.

Your workout program has to change.  It has to change like seasons.

The technical term that most trainers use is "periodization".  A fat loss program is more effective when it has the proper periodization.  I prefer the analogy of seasons.

You can't argue with the seasons.  Likewise, you can't argue with how your workout program has to change.

Your sets and reps have to change every 3-6 weeks. 

If you're doing high intensity circuits, you should cycle off of that every 3-6 weeks.  High intensity circuits should be a phase, not what you do forever.

The Stubborn Seven Pounds has two phases.  They aren't "beginning" and "advanced", it's more like "winter" and "summer".  And, much like winter and summer, you could repeat them as a cycle.

My next book, Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss, has eight phases.  It's a more sophisticated cycle.  It's more fun. It's also coming very, very soon.  I know, people keep asking "When?" All I can say is that it will be very soon.  It will come with 24 videos, and right now I'm filming 3 videos per week to try and get it complete.

All Great Workout Programs...

All great fitness programs have phases or cycles.  All great trainers take their clients through different cycles or phases.  That's what makes great workout programs instead of just great workouts.

In fact, the way I know a trainer is good or not - are they talking about "workouts" or are they talking about "programs"?

It's one of the reasons that people with trainers get better results than people who don't have trainers.  All great trainers take their clients through different phases, whether it's Harley Pasternak, Alwyn Cosgrove, Gunnar Peterson, P90X, Holly Rigsby, Craig Ballantyne, Valerie Waters...  or of course Josh Hillis.

Just remember these 2.5 rules about workout programs:

1.) Intelligently changing your workouts will get you better results from your workouts.

2.) Planning to push your workouts hard sometimes and then back off other times will get you better results from your workouts.

2.5) You just can't push the same way, the same sets and reps, the same intensity all the time.  If you want the highest level of results possible, it's gotta change.

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Josh News:

I have a problem with over committing myself.  I'm taking too many courses and certifications this year. 

I'm addicted to learning about fitness.  When I found this whole Z-Health thing, I found an entire course of study I'd never even considered before.  I felt like - "I need to know EVERYTHING yesterday!"

And I'm addicted to writing books.  I'm finishing up one book, and I have three more already outlined.  I feel guilty for not having all of them written already.

But there's a cost to that.  People ask me, "What did you do this weekend?"  And I'm like "Ummmm...  worked on my book."  I've gotten so caught up in needed to learn everything now, and create everything now, that I'm missing out on normal chill time and hanging out.  I'm out of balance.  And I'm frustrated.

So I'm really taking on that there is nothing to do, and no where to get.

I don't need to know everything right this minute, I can take a leisurely amount of time to learn the things I'm committed to learning.  I don't need to be stressed out and down on myself that I don't know everything already, because I'm on track to learn it.  On top of that, there's nothing missing right now - I'm already really good at what I do.

In reality, I've hit all of the career benchmarks that I used to think would be the "end all be all ultimate for my career".  And it just made me feel like I had to do more.  So I'm going to enjoy being exactly where I'm at.

So right now I'm cutting projects, I'm keeping the certifications/seminars that I have scheduled for this year (four), but I'm committed to not adding anything new.  In terms of books, I have one more I need to write...  but it's short!  And I won't start until October.

It's opened up for me to be able to kick back and chill with my wife, and not have to think about business.

Instead of signing up for a another seminar (which I had planned to do), my wife and I just bought tickets to The Mile High Music Festival, with Tom Petty, Dave Matthews, The Flobots, and Michael Franti with Spearhead.

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By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is currently finishing up his second book Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis

© Joshua Hillis 2008

Does Every Workout Need to Kill You?

I get this question from time to time.

And I've been thinking about it a lot, considering the videos that I've been posting lately.

The answer is:

No, every workout doesn't need to kill you.

And

No.  Every workout does not need to be high intensity.

I've been posting videos of some of the high intensity, time based workouts that I do with my clients, and in my book The Stubborn Seven Pounds.

First off - we only do these workouts about half of the time.  The reason I video those workouts is because those workouts make for cool looking videos.

Even when we do high intensity, time based circuit workouts - most of them should be done at  80-90% intensity.

Your form should not break down.

I talked about it before on this post: How To Increase Intensity And Not Get Hurt

You only go all out when you have a "test".

Remember this rule:

As long as you are getting stronger, lifting heavier, or doing more rounds than you have in the past, you're making progress.

Some workouts you really kick some ass and push it. 

Some days you just survive for time. 

Some days you hit personal records, but it doesn't feel super hard. 

You'll have all those days, and it's all ok.

All you need to focus on is getting stronger, and eating things a caveman could hunt or gather. 

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Josh News:

I had my first session with my new personal trainer today. 

I know some people think it's funny when trainers have trainers.  But I figure it like this - if Tiger Woods has golf coaches, then I can have a personal trainer.

We're doing some really crazy drills working on how my vision has effected my movement patterns.  It's really wild stuff, and I'm totally stoked.

Three things I always enjoy:
1.) Teaching about fitness.
2.) Learning about fitness.
3.) Working on my own fitness.

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By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is currently finishing up his second book Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis

© Joshua Hillis 2008

Dumbbell Swings, Kettlebell Swings, Gripper Plate Swings - One awesome fat loss exercise, three different tools

My clients do swings almost every workout.

It's just like how my clients do some form of squat almost every workout.

They're essential movements for fat loss.

Swings were, until very recently, always considered to be a "kettlebell exercise".

Kettlebells have brought the power of explosive full body movements back to modern workout programs.  People tend to attach workout ideas to tools.  But the tool is less important than the movement.

But swings can actually be done with anything.

You could do swings with a rock if you could get a decent grip on it.

Most people are going to start doing swings with dumbbells, just because dumbbells are handy.

If you can get your hands on a gripper plate to do swings with, that's a significant step up.

Evenutally you'll want to invest in a kettlebell or two.  Or if you're like me, you'll get addicted to kettlebells and buy 16 of them. 

But if you've never done swings before, start with a gripper plate.

I start most of my female clients with a 25lb gripper plate.  I start my guy clients with a 35lb gripper plate.

Five Tips on Doing Swings Correctly

1.) Make sure the power in your swings come from your hips.  It should be all glutes and hamstrings.

2.) If your lower back feels bad-sore the next day, you probably did swings incorrectly.  If your butt and hamstrings feel sore, you've done them right.

3.) The hardest part, really, and what you always need to be practicing in your swings, is to not use your arms at all.  The best way to do that is to forget about "making the weight go up", and just try to snap your hips hard.

4.) You should snap your hips with power, like jumping, hitting a baseball, a tennis serve, or throwing a punch.

5.) Until you've gotten good at them, treat doing swings like practice.  When your form breaks down, stop and rest.

By Josh Hillis

Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds: Take Your Body from Good to Rockstar, and the upcoming Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss.

Josh is a fat loss expert, personal trainer, and kettlebell instructor in Denver, Colorado.
 

© Joshua Hillis 2008

This Blew My Mind

Clearly the United States is getting fatter.  And fatter.  Every year.

Two kinds of people come to my blog - the people that are part of these statistics, and the people that aren't.

If you're going to the gym, lifting weights, and doing cardio - with consistency - even if you're doing a workout program that really sucks, this probably isn't you.

If you are keeping an honest food log, then there is NO WAY that this is you.

The United States is getting fatter and fatter.  There is a total disconnect between food and body.

Food is fuel.

You can look at food as entertainment, or you can look at food as fuel for the high performance, rockstar hot body that you want.

Everything you eat is either taking you closer to your goals, or away from your goals.

Everything you are eating is taking you one step closer to being Princess Leia...

Or it's taking you one step closer to being Jabba.

And don't kid yourself.  You already know exactly which foods are which.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis

© Joshua Hillis 2008

Doing the Work: Gold is tempered through fire

Ok the theme for January was keeping it simple.  The problem with simple is that simple isn't easy.

When we keep it simple, we're left with the hard part:
Doing the work.

We pretend like we don't know what to do, because what we need to do is hard.

We pretend it's complicated.  It's not complicated, it's hard. 

Most of the time the game is not figuring out what to do. 

The real game is doing what we know to do.

You gotta want it. 

You've got to want it enough to do it.

It doesn't take a million hours in the gym.  Or in the kitchen.

But the things you do you've got to do them in a way that's going to produce results.

It's about intention.  Fire.  Passion.  Put in your blood, sweat and tears, and make it mean something.

Workout like you're transforming you're  there to transform your body.  And eat like you are fueling that transformation.

People only resist doing the work because they don't connect it to the results.

People hate doing squats.  I tell you, if you knew how good they are for your results, you'd beg to get under the bar.

It's the basics that are the most brutal and effective.

I tell you, when you are eating like Jessica Biel or Kelly Ripa, you'll have a body like Jessica Biel or Kelly Ripa.

If you do the right things, you'll see results.  And the results will get addictive.

It starts to become like a video game.  If you can lose 2lbs of fat this week, you'll want to lose 2lbs again next week.

Doing the work starts to get fun.

Getting consistant results is fun.

Fun and effective is even better than easy.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

© Joshua Hillis 2008

 

Working Out Should Be This Fun

Every time I hear this I'm rolling on the floor laughing.

Ok, I'm a big Kanye West fan.

What I love about this remix he did is 'cause he's just having fun and being himself.

This isn't going to sell him a million more records.

This isn't going to be his next big hit.

He's just playing.

He's just having fun.

Famous throwing coach Dan John once said:

"People think that creating world class athletes takes work. 
Actually, it takes play."

How many of your workouts do you play?

Do you enjoy your workout program?

If you are bored with your workouts, you aren't going to attack them with the intensity required to really make a change in the way your body looks and feels.

Some people love the way I put together workouts for my clients and in my books.  Some people, believe it or not, actually prefer the way other people put together their workouts. 

The important thing is to find a program that works, and that you enjoy.

In December I was doing a workout program by a very well known muscle gain expert.  Someone who is truly truly known for producing results.  Problem was, I didn't enjoy it the same way I've enjoyed other routines.  Next thing I knew I was missing workouts.

So I switched to Pavel's Kettlebell Fast Tens program.   I love it, it's just my style, and I'm on top of my workouts like never before.

On top of that, I give myself a play day.

My play day is pull ups and dips.  I love pull ups. 

And when I got micro-tears in a tendon in my elbow last year, I had to take some time off of my favorite movement.

Now that I can do 'em again, I make a point to do a workout with pull ups and dips at least once per week, just because it makes me happy.

Which workouts make you happy? 

Make a point to do a workout you absolutely love, at least once per week.

Life's too short not to have fun.

If you get bored with your workout program, find one that suits you better.
(assuming you don't just have workout ADD, and you've given it at least 4 weeks)

The more fun you have, the more intensity you'll bring to your workouts, and the more often you'll make it to the gym.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds and Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps fit women lose stubborn fat.

© Joshua Hillis 2008

Fighter Workout Challenge - Wham, Bam, Thank You M'am

As I posted two weeks ago, I'm really into fitness challenges. 

They're just straight up fun.

For those that haven't seen it, here is the Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss Challenge.

You'll notice it's significantly shorter than other popular fitness challenges like The 300 Workout or Craig Ballantyne's new Bodyweight 500.

The Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss Challenge is only 5 minutes long.

My approach to fitness is very much "Wham, bam, thank you, m'am."

It's short, sweet (or brutal), and to the point.

Longer Fitness Challenges Are Not Harder or Better

Sure, jogging one mile is not hard.

Running a mile in less than 4 minutes is superhumanly hard.

I always say it's intensity that's king.

What we want is for our workouts to be shorter, harder, and faster.

And because of that, here's how I have been scoring it the challenge:

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss Challenge

5 minutes only

1 minute swings
1 minute pushups
1 minute swings
1 minute pushups
1 minute swings

(total reps pushups + total reps swings ) x the weight of the dumbbell or kettlebell that was used for the swings.

As a girl, if you're using a 35lb dumbbell or kettlebell you're going to score much higher than a girl using a 25lb dumbbell or kettlebell.

For a dude, if you use a 70 pound dumbbell or kettlebell, then no one using a 35 or 50 pound dumbbell or kettlebell can possibly compete with you. 

The Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss Challenge is completely different from every other fitness challenge because it directly rewards power.

I posted this video a couple months ago showing what the workout looked like.  I just finalized the scoring three weeks ago, as I'm finishing up the final touches on my upcoming Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss book.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps people lose stubborn fat.

© Joshua Hillis 2008

The New 300: Craig Ballantyne's Bodyweight 500 Workout

This time last year, everyone (especially me) was talking about the now legendary "300 Workout".  This year Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training, has put together a new challenge for 2008.

The Bodyweight 500 (Can you beat 27 minutes?)

50 Prisoner Squats
50 Pushups
25 Jumps
25 Stability Ball Leg Curls
50 Stability Ball Jackknifes
50 Step-ups (25 reps per side)
25 Pull-ups (NO substitutions)
50 Forward Lunges (25 reps per side)
50 Close-grip Pushups
50 Inverted Rows
50 Squats
25 Chin-ups (NO substitutions)

The 300 Workout vs The Bodyweight 500

The Bodyweight 500 is a pretty wicked physical test. 

The first thing you'll notice is that it has 200 more reps that 300 had.  That doesn't mean it's necessarily that much harder.  It's just different.  300 was a savage fitness test, and so is the bodyweight 500.

One of the big advantages of the Bodyweight 500 is that you don't need a ton of gear to do it.  Doing The 300  Workout requires about 10 minutes of setting up the barbell, finding a place to rack the bar for floor wipers, gathering together all of the kettlebells, boxes to jump on, ect. 

For the Bodyweight 500 all you'll need is a stability ball and bar to do pullups and inverted rows on.

The Bodyweight 500 is every bit as savage a test as The 300 Workout. 

It's just different.

The Four Week Program Workouts

Craig and I agree on a lot about fitness and fat loss, and his new Bodyweight 500 Four Week Program has everything I like in a workout program. 

It's packed full of my favorite kinds of workouts - supersets of big movements and interval training. 

So the workouts in the program are straight up Turbulence Training - intense combinations of awesome full body moves prisoner squats, dumbbell bench press, pullups, with some moves that are newer to TT like dumbbell swings and renegade rows.

It's worth noting that the workouts are different from the test.  The workouts are Turbulence Training supersets.   The Bodyweight 500 is a fitness test.

As my mentor Pavel so eloquently put it - testing and training are different things.

Fitness Tests

The best reason to do hardcore fitness tests like The 300 Workout and The Bodyweight 500 is that they are so much freakin fun.

That is, if you're crazy like I am. 

If you're the kind of person that likes to really kick some ass in the gym, you'll love this workout.

And it gives you a clear picture of if your fitness level is improving.  If you repeat the workout a month later, you can see if you can do it faster. 

You wouldn't want to do the BW500 every day.  Try once a month.  You could alternate between the BW500 one month and 300 the next month.  Watch your scores (and your fitness, and your intestinal fortitude) improve over time.

When I ran track, the ultimate was always race day.  That's what we trained for.  The all out, balls to the wall test - racing the clock.  That was the juice.  That's why I got up in the morning.  To see what I was made of.  To see how bad I wanted it that day.  To see how well I'd trained.

I just have this deep inner need to push myself.  And something that I'm always stoked about is testing myself.

That's the same reason I like fitness tests like these.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds and the upcoming Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss.

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

Josh ran a 4:22 mile, back in the day when he was a runner.

© Joshua Hillis 2007

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss video demo!

The workout is 3 rounds.

Each round is five minutes long:
1.) One minute kettlebell swings
2.) One minute pushups
3.) One minute kettlebell swings
4.) One minute pushups
5.) One minute kettlebell swings

After each round, rest for 3 minutes.

If you don't have a kettlebell, you can use a dumbbell or gripper plate.

Kendra is using a 36lb kettlebell, which is pretty advanced for a woman. 

Most of women start off with a 26lb kettlebell.  Or if you're like 5 feet tall, an 18lb kettlebell.

Most guys start off with a 36lb kettlebell.  Guys should be looking to work up to a 53lb kettlebell.  Advanced kettlebell lifters will use a 70lb kettlebell.

Pushups should fit your ability level.  Here are pushup variations, from easiest to hardest:
1.) Knee pushups
2.) Pushups with hands elevated (table height)
3.) Pushups with hands elevated (low bench)
4.) Pushups
5.) Pushups with elbows tucked in to (but not touching) sides
6.) Pushups with feet elevated
7.) Pushups with hands on a stability ball
8.) Handstand Pushups - you know, if you're a gymnast or Spartan Warrior or something

Keep track of your total reps per round, the weight of the kettlebell/dumbbell you use, and what kind of pushups you did.

Ideally, you should be in the 15-25 reps range, for each exercise, for each minute.  Adjust your pushup type and kettlebell weight accordingly.

This is the kind of workout I used to do back when I was doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  For those that don't know, I met my wife back in 2005 when I went to study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Rio De Janeiro.  I make no claims to be good at Jiu Jitsu, I'm still a white belt.  But it was fun to do, fun to train for, and even the conditioning workouts I did (similar to this workout) were fun. 

I've been amazed at how effective these workouts have been, with some adaptation, for my fat loss clients.

Lots and lots of stuff to look forward to!

I'm finishing up the Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss Ultimate 16 week Program just in time for New Years.

I'm going to give away six free Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss at www.fw4fl.com, starting in a few days.

Stay tuned for one of the biggest giveaways in the fitness industry, including a free 4 week program from me.  I'll keep you posted.

I'm stoked, I'm attending a really big fitness/online conference this week.  I'll be interviewing some fat loss experts and posting that on the blog in the coming weeks.

I'm gearing up for a big 2008.  You can expect more products coming down the pike.  You'll get to see what I've been up to lately - the workouts that have been getting my clients even better results.  The new ways I look at teaching nutrition for fat loss.  And there will be a lot more media on this blog - audio and video, along with more of the fitness and fat loss articles that you came here for in the first place.

By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds and Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss

Josh is one of the five fat loss experts in The Ultimate Fat Loss Answers

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps fit women lose stubborn fat.

Josh has been featured in The Denver Post and USA Today.

© Joshua Hillis 2007