Todays Workout - A Bit of Everything

10 Sandbag Deadlifts,
10 Sandbag Thrusters,
10 Push Ups,
10 Sandbag High Pulls.

As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes.

Record your score.

Train hard!

Todays Workout - Pushin'

Get over the holiday with this simple but challenging workout.

100 Skips,
20 Sandbag Thrusters.

5 rounds as fast as possible.

Record your time.

Train hard!

How to make an injury not suck

If you are like most people, you are, unfortunately, likely to encounter an injury or major setback even if you live within your comfort zone. I can tell you this from my own personal experience since I've had my share of injures and setbacks. I wouldn't attribute any of these to being negligent with my training regimen, but, rather, to mere life circumstances. The reality is that we don't control everything around us. Although I've had the bad fortune of having had many bodily challenges including two Cesarean sections, a torn ACL, a broken foot (twice), a fractured hand, a torn wrist ligament (twice), and two head injuries (that must explain a lot about me... LOL), I have had the good fortune of recovering from all of them relatively quickly. Luckily the training I do helped me rehab these injuries and keep me sane while recovering. These setbacks occurred from life events that were not training related. In fact, if I hadn't been so strong from my training, these injuries would have truly sucked. 

The major question is, how can we learn from our injuries? How can we get stronger regardless of our new limitations?

First off, focus on what you can do. This allows you to get extremely creative. Your mind set will shift from the negative to the positive as soon as you focus on the can do's. For example rather than dwelling on the fact that your knee is inflamed and now you have to stay away from squats of all kinds for a while, focus, instead, on all the amazing things you can improve. For example, it's time to get those pull-up numbers up. Or maybe one leg push-ups? You'd be best off going to someone who specializes in working around injuries to provide a fulfilling workout and to someone who has experience along with a good track record rehabilitating injuries.

Learn something new. After I tore my ACL I had to stop Krav Maga right away. However, instead of crying about it, I decided to research and learn how to rehabilitate my knee injury without following the commonly suggested ACL reconstructive surgery. Not everyone will nerd out like I did, after all this is my profession.

Pick up a new hobby that enhances and exercises your mind. Spending time releasing tension in a different way from what you are used to can be a good change of pace for your psyche. Great options if your'e body needs to rest are: learning a new language, playing an instrument, taking an art class, sewing, and baking; the sky is truly the limit. Get your creative juices flowing stronger than ever and you won't be sorry. 

Spend time helping someone else. Rather than sitting on the couch, feeling sorry for yourself, do your best to inspire or help someone in need. Helping others is the best way to get out of your own head. It's very easy to become self absorbed and play "the poor me" record during this time. Do yourself a favor and make a list of the positives. Then share this information with a good friend. Once you put a smile on someone else's face, you will find that you already feel stronger and studies show that a strong mind will promote faster healing!

Adjust your goals. Goal setting is key for recovering from an injury. When I tore my ACL, I worked on my pull-ups which became super strong. I don't think my pull-ups would be as polished as they are now if I hadn't gone through an ACL tear. Another example is that when I had a fracture in my hand, my one leg squats, which were very weak at the time, became very strong. I also became very empathetic to people with weak and painful wrists. This led to my coming up with all kinds of great ways to do push-ups with neutral wrists due to wrist and hand injuries of my own. As a coach, experiencing an array of injuries allows me to know first hand what it takes to get yourself through and to be empathetic to others. What a gift I tell myself! At the time I may have spoken some words that I wouldn't have said in front of my kids, but now I look at each of my injuries as a blessing in disguise. As a gift that was given to me to give me a lesson. To educate myself and pay it forward time after time. I have to admit that each injury I've had has had a positive ending. We obviously can't say this for all injuries.

Hopefully this blog post sheds some light on how to make an injury not suck so much! 
Now focus on being patient, allowing your set back or injury to heal properly, while strengthening other areas!

Feel free to share how you came back stronger in the comments below. 


Happy Training! 

Todays Workout - Skipping Around

200 Skips,
20 Sandbag Back Squats,
200 Skips,
20 Sandbag Overhead Presses,
200 Skips,
20 Sandbag Back Squats,
200 Skips,
20 Sandbag Overhead Presses,
200 Skips,
20 Sandbag Back Squats,
200 Skips,
20 Sandbag Overhead Presses.

Complete as fast as you can.

Record your time.

Train hard!

Sandbag Fitness sale - get up to 50% off some cool sandbag-swag

Click here to check out the sale

How can you say no to young-Matt?!

Todays Workout - A little bit of everything!

100 Skips,
10 Push Ups,
10 Sandbag Deadlifts,
5 Pull Ups,
5 Toes-to-Bar.

Complete 10 rounds as fast as possible.

Record your score.

Train hard!

Optimizing Muscle Building and Diet - A Guest Post by Examine.Com

I regularly get emails from people asking about specific dietary practices when trying to build muscle. Well, I asked the guys at Examine.Com to share their most current knowledge on the topic - here it is!

Optimizing Muscle Building and Diet

To ensure optimum muscle growth, a caloric excess is vital. Theoretically, it is possible to build muscle on a mild caloric deficit, but an excess makes the process go much smoother. It doesn�t matter where your calories come from, assuming you�ve hit your protein targets, but �healthier� food tends to be the better option.

Protein targets are in the range of 1.5-2.2g per kilogram of bodyweight (.7-1g per pound) for non-obese people. If you are obese, calculate your protein needs based on your height, while substituting an overweight or normal BMI to avoid the overconsumption of protein. Too much protein isn�t a bad thing from a health standpoint, but it is unnecessary.

Pre-workout nutrition

Regardless of what you eat during the day, you should aim to exert maximal power during your workout. A pre-workout meal, snack or supplement protocol is essential for hitting that max.

When determining your ideal pre-workout nutrition, keep in mind:

• Carbohydrates, protein and creatine should be present in your blood, in elevated levels, during your workout.
• Take care to avoid upsetting your stomach or inducing nausea, as this will impede your workout.

Fatty acids are not an important part of pre-workout nutrition. If you have stomach issues, take care to determine the best way to consume protein before your workout. Everyone is different, but a good way to determine your ideal protocol is:

1. Take about half of your sugar before your workout (Gatorade is a great option), and sip on the rest during your workout.
2. If sugar didn�t cause any stomach issues, add a little bit of protein (about 6-12 grams) to your pre-workout mix. If Gatorade and protein taste awful to you, consider swapping it for table sugar or blending fruit into the protein.
3. If step 2 causes stomach problems, consider experimenting with isolated BCAAs or hydrolyzed protein sources. They are easier to digest.
4. Once you have a mixture of glucose and amino acids that works for you, use the same mix for a week and track your performance. If performance is good, increase your dosage and continue tracking your performance.
5. Eventually, increasing your dosage will not improve your workouts or your recovery. When that happens, record your ideal mix. Congratulations, you have determined your ideal pre-workout shake.

The average person will have an optimal shake of 80g of carbohydrates and 20g of amino acids, meant for an hour-long workout. Find out what works for you!

................................

If you want to learn more about supplementation and stay up to date with the very latest research then I can highly recommend the Examine.Com Supplement Goals Reference Guide - a huge, evidence based reference that tells you exactly what the research says about hundreds of supplements. And all this without any marketing hype or spin. Plus, until Midnight Friday you can get it for $10 off. 

Click here to find out more

MY STRENGTH IS OUTTA CONTROL AND I�M HARDLY TRYING

BY LAUREN BROOKS, SENIOR SFG

Over the last few months I have performed some lifts that I previously didn�t think could be done by a gal my size. After exchanging some emails with Pavel, he has asked me to write about how I made this happen. I was very honest with him and told him that I didn�t train for it or even try very hard. In fact, the path I took was quite boring. Then I remembered I�m writing for a population that likes �boring� programs. Not boring in our eyes, but it would be as boring as it comes for the mainstream fitness buff.

I discovered that strength can work in very mysterious ways. Living with toxic stress and/or poisonous people can weigh you down in all aspects of life. There�s only so much one body and mind can take. I�ve found for both my students and me, stress takes your strength away and makes all lifts feel heavy. You find yourself training harder during the times you are stressed and risk getting weaker or injured in the process. Letting go of the energy vampires and truly owning the path you take in life is much easier said than done. If everyone could take charge of their own life, we�d have a lot of powerful happy people. Personally I�ve released some very heavy things from my life over the last year. I will admit, it was the hardest thing I�ve ever done. On the flip side, once I got through the thick of it and began to have clarity, it allowed me to conquer almost anything that came my way.

Back to physical strength: I currently weigh between 112 and 114 pounds. In the last several months, with minimal training, I achieved a 62 pound Get Up, 13 Ring Pull-ups, 140 pound Single Leg Dead Lifts and a Ring Pull-up with 53 pounds hanging from my feet. So how did this happen?  ....

VIEW ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

Todays Workout - Stir It Up

5 Heavy Sandbag Thrusters,
5 Chin Ups,
5 Heavy Sandbag Cleans,
5 Box Jumps.

5 rounds as fast as possible.

Record your time.

Train hard!

And here's some fantastic 80's pop:

Todays Workout - Grip It

100 Skips
10 Chin Ups
10 Heavy Sandbag Overhead Presses
10 Toes-to-Bar

5 rounds as fast as possible.

Record your time.

Train hard!

Stronger and Better after 50 thanks to Kettlebells!

Martha at 53 years old shares her motivating story of what it takes to be strong and feel good in your 50's. I met Martha through the private Be SLAM group we have for all the people using the program.  When she volunteered to share with us her success with the program and DVD's, I asked her if she can submit some pictures.  I'm blown away by her beauty within and out.  What an amazing role model that can inspire us all.  Thank you Martha for sharing and in response your last line, you are most welcome!

"At 53, I like this better and stronger version of myself!" says Martha

Kettlebells have truly changed my life and I'm excited to share my fitness journey with you. My interest in kettlebells and training with Lauren was a very happy accident. About 2 years ago was looking to try something new in fitness. I was always pretty active but was growing a little bored with traditional weight training.

As a cyclist I was looking for a full-body workout that would be less time-consuming than riding. I also wanted to gain strength, get toned and lose a few lbs. In 2011, I asked for and received a kettlebell as a gift for Christmas. I didn't really know how to work out with it, so I searched online for kettlebell DVDs, and I stumbled on Lauren's website. After reading some very positive reviews I ordered her DVD, "The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells." I was very impressed with Lauren and her workouts, in addition to her choice of Robin Duncan as her workout partner. Robin was also beautiful, strong, and looked incredible for a woman of ANY age (she also happened to be in her fifties as I am). So Robin (and of course, Lauren) became my new fitness role models!

I also ordered Lauren's other DVDs and enjoyed working with them for another year or so, but what really took my training to the next level was joining the 12-week workout program Be SLAM. Prior to that I was never one to follow programs or schedules, but joining Be SLAM showed me I could push past self-made boundaries and get even stronger.
  
Through the encouragement of the other ladies on the Be SLAM facebook page and working at my own pace, I was able to increase my weights and move up gradually. Everyone in the group was so positive and helpful and we really encouraged each other, which was a huge motivating factor. The other women were great teachers too, since they had tons of experience to share. During the program I saw tremendous strength gains and also body composition changes that I didn't think were possible 'for someone my age. I was also inspired to clean up my diet and get honest with myself about what I was actually putting in my mouth! I still enjoy an occasional treat but I try to eat mainly fresh, unprocessed whole foods with a focus on vegetables, lean proteins, and good fats. The combination of consistent good eating and kettlebell training is a real powerhouse combination in getting lean and maintaining it! 
 

I am still a work in progress, but I'm interested to see where this kettlebell journey takes me. I also continue to cycle, ski, hike, and do anything outdoors. I really enjoy the quick, hard-hitting, no-nonsense kettlebell workouts, and getting my strength back has been a real confidence-booster. At 53, I like this better and stronger version of myself! Thank you so much Lauren, for designing these great programs that are truly life changing. Keep the great workouts coming!!

p.s. To continue her training Martha is now participating in the new online streaming classes which has courses for beginners to advanced levels. You can learn more about Lauren's Playground here. 

Todays Workout - High Rep Heartache

100 Sandbag Back Squats, 100 Press/Push Ups, 100 Sandbag High Pulls, 100 Sandbag Push Press, 100 Sandbag Shoulder Cleans. Complete any way you can.

Record your time.

Train hard!

24kg weighted Ring Pull-up at 113lb bodyweight

13 Ring Pull-ups after Friday the 13th - Lauren Brooks

On The Edge Fitness KETTLEBELL STORE is Now Ready!

Kettlebells For Everyone

Purchase any kettlebell or kettlebell package today and receive $5 off with on any or our results driven kettlebell DVDs and our effective  Be SLAM (Be Strong Like A Mother) program!

These kettlebells have been tested by all private members in my classes, training sessions and me.  After spending 9 years trying and testing different types of kettlebells we have all come to an agreement that these kettlebells are the winner.  

Not sure where to begin?  

Click here and I'll show you

Shopping for a Kettlebell

Finding the right kettlebell can be very confusing. Knowing what sizes to purchase and brands to invest in can be very overwhelming. Generally when just beginning your journey you can purchase just one kettlebell. There is no pressure to rush and order several at a time. Developing strength will be an organic process when done correctly. You will know when you are ready to incorporate a heavier kettlebell into your program.

At the very minimum this is what I recommend:

• Women � 8kg (18lb) kettlebell
• Men � 16kg (35lb) kettlebell

In a perfect world it�s nice to have options for the different exercises. If you have the funds to invest in several at a time then this is what I�d recommend for the average male and female:

You can view some of the packages I have put together for both men and female here. 

• Women � 8kg, 12kg, 16kg Kettlebell package
• Mens � 16kg, 20kg, 24kg Kettlebell Package

Russian Kettlebell Metrixx E-Coat

These classic Russian Kettlebells Metrixx series have a perfect shape that allows you to put your hand through to have the handle rest on the base of your hand without bending your wrist back. These bells are similar to the classic style bell that I began my kettlebell journey. The Metrixx coat kettlebells have a very nice non slip grip with a resilient finish. The main difference is the affordable price and perfectly flat handmachined flat bottom. These bells are made with single cast moldings wth superior consistency and quality.

8 kg Russian Kettlebell

This size is the most popular starting weight for females new to kettlebell training. The majority of females do very well with starting with an 8kg bell. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats, but this bell will be your friend for a bit longer when performing exercises such as Cleans, Presses, Get Ups and High Pulls.

10kg Russian Kettlebell

This size is the perfect in between bell from a traditional starter 8kg to the next level 12kg kettlebell.

12kg Russian Kettlebell

This size is the most popular starting weight for stronger females newer to kettlebell training. The majority of females do very well with starting with an 8kg bell, but quickly begin swinging a 12kg. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats, but this bell will be your friend for a bit longer when performing exercises such as Cleans, Presses, Get Ups and High Pulls.

14kg Russian Kettlebell

This size is quickly becoming the most popular for stronger females that are ready to take kettlebell training to the next level.  The perfect bell to help you get to the 16kg press or 16kg snatches that you've been going after!

16kg Russian Kettlebell

This size is the most popular starting weight for males new to kettlebell training. The majority of men do very well with starting with a 16kg bell. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats.

Paradigm Pro Competition Series

About Competition Kettlebells. Great advantage of competition kettlebells is the handle size stays the same. Perfect for people with smaller hands. Perfect for doing push-ups on and renegage rows even for the 8kg bells.

These classic Russian Kettlebells Metrixx series have a perfect shape that allows you to put your hand through to have the handle rest on the base of your hand without bending your wrist back. These bells are similar to the classic style bell that I began my kettlebell journey. The Metrixx coat kettlebells have a very nice non slip grip with a resilient finish. The main difference is the affordable price and perfectly flat handmachined flat bottom. These bells are made with single cast moldings with superior consistency and quality.

Due to the fact that Competition (Pro Grade) kettlebells are made from steel, and not cast iron, they are more durable. This is not to say that the cast iron russian kettlebells will fall apart, it just means that steel is stronger than cast iron and therefore more durable.

Pro Grade handles are slightly slimmer than with traditional cast iron kettlebells. The handles are specifically designed to prevent lateral slipping and minimize fatigue with high repetition sets.

The smaller handle size of competition kettlebells allows many women with small hands to workout with more weight since the handle size does not get thicker as the weight increases.

Pro Grade Competition Kettlebells look �fat� compared to cast iron bells. They have a larger mass in the ball of the bell, imparting different, and many think, better ballistic properties due to this larger center mass.

8 kg (18lb) Competition Kettlebell

This size is the most popular starting weight for females new to kettlebell training. The majority of females do very well with starting with an 8kg bell. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats, but this bell will be your friend for a bit longer when performing exercises such as Cleans, Presses, Get Ups and High Pulls.

12kg Competition or Pro Grade Kettlebell

This size is the most popular starting weight for stronger females newer to kettlebell training. The majority of females do very well with starting with an 8kg bell, but quickly begin swinging a 12kg. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats, but this bell will be your friend for a bit longer when performing exercises such as Cleans, Presses, Get Ups and High Pulls.

16kg Competition or Pro Grade Kettlebell

This size is the most popular starting weight for males new to kettlebell training. The majority of men do very well with starting with a 16kg bell. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats.

• Gravity Cast To Precise Weight Specifications.
• Bare metal handles that are ready for chalking! No paint stripping needed.
• 100% Steel construction & color-coded for easy identification.
• Regulation 33mm Handle.
• A superior professional grade competition kettlebell.

Premium Cast Iron Kettlebells

Premium Cast Iron

About the Premium Cast Kettlebells:

• Classic, Durable, Cast Iron Russian Kettlebells.
• �Gravity Cast� Molding With No Welds, Weak Spots, Seams or Burrs.
• Hammer Tone Coating.
• Thick, Smooth, Handles Optimized to Prevent Chafing.
• �Machined� bases that are Perfectly Flat.
• Used by all branches of the United States Armed Forces, MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA.
• Good for many exercises such as halos and arm bars.

4kg Premium Cast

Perfect starter bell for anyone who may be a little intimidated with starting their kettlebell journey. Small size bell and easy to manage. Perfect for rehab or pregnancy. Great practice bell for learning new exercises such as Get Ups.

6kg Premium Cast

Beginner bell for anyone who may be a little intimidated with starting their kettlebell journey. Also great for learning exercises such as Get Ups, Cleans, Presses and Snatches. Small size bell and easy to manage. Perfect for rehab or pregnancy.

8 kg Premium Cast

This size is the most popular starting weight for females new to kettlebell training. The majority of females do very well with starting with an 8kg bell. You will quickly move up to a heavier bell for swings and squats, but this bell will be your friend for a bit longer when performing exercises such as Cleans, Presses, Get Ups and High Pulls.

Todays Workout - If It Bleeds We Can Kill It

Huge apologies for the gap between posts here on Sandbag Fitness - work and other projects have been stupidly busy. I've still been training though and I hope you have too.

5 Heavy Sandbag Thrusters
50m Sandbag Load Carry
10 Heavy Sandbag Shoulders

Repeat for as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

28kg Get Up vs. 116lb Lauren Brooks

Turkish Get Up - One of the best kettlebell exercises for your entire body!

If you want to learn the beginning of a Turkish Get Up, grab your copy of The Kettlebell Body� today.

Or you can see our FREE Get Up TUTORIAL STEP 1 HERE

Straight to the Bar Gymchat

The guys over at Straight to the Bar kindly invited me to one of their Gymchats yesterday. Check it out:

You can also take a look at the recent article I wrote for them about Sandbag Training Protocols here:

Sandbag Training Protocols

Todays Workout - Heatwave

It's hot here. Really bloody hot. Especially when you train in what is essentially a metal box during the hottest part of the day.

10 Heavy Sandbag Bear Hug Squats
10 Sandbag High Pulls

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Record your score.

Train hard!