A Little Bit From Kelly Matthews

I’m originally from the Boston area but I moved to Austin, Texas this January (I love it!). I grew up a very active kid and ended up focusing on soccer in high school and then went on to play Division 1 at Northeastern University--the third of my siblings to do so. I got my personal training certification shortly after graduating and started my first training job at Equinox Sports Club. I spent almost 7 years with Equinox before making the decision to start my own business. Since then I’ve been working virtually and growing my online business while enjoying lovely Austin, playing futsal, raising a dog and a kitten and swinging lots of kettlebells.

My work has changed so much in the last year! I was training exclusively in-person for a really long time and like many other trainers, I quickly pivoted to virtual training when the pandemic hit. I thought I would hate it, but I actually loved having the ability to still connect...

The Kettlebell is a dynamic exercise that will build a stronger, more powerful athlete. With great power comes....you know where I’m going.

The responsibility lies on your shoulders to make sure you make the most from the movement without injuring yourself or your client. Here are three common mistakes that most new trainees make with kettlebell swings and how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Lacking stability in your feet.

Whether you’re swinging from a bilateral stance or performing walking swings, staggered swings, etc. you want to make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground. As the weight is moving it’s constantly trying to move your center of gravity with it. This is why it’s important to use shoes that are thin enough to create a strong connection between your feet and the floor. Practice rooting your  entire foot and toes into the ground before you do anything ballistic. Feel the connection throughout your lower limbs all the way...

How To Gauge Intensity for Your Workouts

By: Aaron Guyett

Intensity is this ambiguous term for most of us...but we can help you gauge it for progress.

Intensity is usually correlated with weight or perceived exertion, and it can be very helpful to know when to ramp up or lower down the intensity for your fitness results.

What weight should I use for what intensity?

Light weight will usually result in low intensity, which can be helpful if you are trying to grow your muscular endurance or aerobic efficiency, however it will not help with you booty gains, muscular gains, or improving your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn at rest).

Choose your weight, exertion, and intensity based on your programming, and if you aren’t sure how to program to create a certain results, check out our programs here:

Workout Plans or Memberships Here

Strength and conditioning workouts for combat athletes have unique requirements. They should build the fighter’s strength in multiple planes and positions with an emphasis on grip and core strength, shoulder stability, and overall body awareness. Here are five movements that will strengthen you from head to toe, build your rotational power, increase your hip speed, and help you crush your enemies. Assuming you know how to fight. 

1. Staggered Alternating Rotational Swing 

Learning how to build power from the staggered position will carry over into just about every sport. Combine this with the benefits of the swing which include building glute and core strength, hip speed and power. The added benefit of the rotation will help transfer rotational power which is crucial for every type of combat athlete. 

2. Deadstart Rotational Clean

Being able to pull explosively from an off-set position rotationally will come in handy in...

In this week's edition of On the Line, Tommy sits down with Jackass and Wildboyz star "Partyboy" Chris Pontius. Some of the topics discussed...

-Upcoming NEW film Jackass 4.

-Will this years Shark Week be the BEST EVER?

-Chris's mishap at the Mexican border.

-How did Chris became the g-string guy?

-What stunts he refused to do or never materialized the way they expected.

You can watch an extended 11 minute version of this video on our YouTube, or you can watch the FULL 30 minute exclusive interview by subscribing to our membership!!

YouTube- https://youtu.be/pJi4rCbWx6s

Full 30 minute interview: https://www.living.fit/kettlebell-workout-plans-and-memberships

When you’re a high-level athlete where a fraction of difference in your performance can be the difference between silver and gold your training needs to match with incredible specificity and consistent intensity. For the rest of us, it’s important to assess why we're working out and what results we’re looking for. In this world of fitness it’s common for people to draw lines in the sand and designate something as a waste of time. Slow, low intensity cardio, walking, flow, kettlebells, isolation exercises, HIIT, and the list goes on. 

What about if you can get better results doing something else? What if all the research indicates that type X cardio will give you what you want at a faster rate than type Y? Most people will go all in at least for a little while. What’s more important is which cardio or type of training will get you results even if it takes a little longer IF it’s something you enjoy and will actually be...

The kettlebell snatch is a powerful movement that builds full body strength and power. Once you’ve mastered the basics it’s time to get some rotation in! Here are three variations that will give you a new movement to master as well as build rotational power. 

For each of these variations it’s crucial to have the “float” at the top to allow for the bell to finish in the overhead position without slamming on your forearm. Regardless of what orientation or degree of rotation you’re in, maintain enough tension throughout your torso and during the movement itself to avoid putting too much pressure on your lower back. 

 1. Deadstart Rotational Snatch

This variation will require the least amount of coordination since you’ll be moving the bell vertically and across the body. There is no drop in the variation so you’ll only be getting the concentric pull.

2. Half Rotational Snatch

This variation will have the bell...

Battle Ropes are already intensity in ten cities, but if you are ready to level up with them...check these 5 Variations to Intensify your battle rope training: 

1. Tall Kneeling - This position allows you to understand how much your legs give you power, even if you are just doing an “upper body exercise” like the alternating waves or lateral waves. The tall kneeling still allows you to use your hips and torso to generate force for and through your upper body and arms.
2. Half-Kneeling Right - I choose half-kneeling if I am trying to “turn-on” one of my glutes or get more muscular activation through one glute at a time. This will help force unilateral engagement and activation.
3. Half-Kneeling Left - Don’t forget to use both sides, unless there is a radical asymmetry in your musculature and engagement...no one wants to walk in circles from too much engagement on one side over the other.
4. Seated - If you thought your abs and upper back were...

• James Herrera Bio
• https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/JamesHerrera
  
  
  
• David Veros Bio

David Veros served in the US Air Force from 2004 through 2012 where after multiple deployments to Iraq he sustained injuries, both physically and mentally.  These injuries, PTSD and TBI, took their toll and he was medically retired in 2012.  David is a Purple Heart recipient, Air Force Combat Action Medal, Air Force Accommodation Medal, and Air Force Achievement with Valor device to name a few.  In 2018 David participated in the Wounded Warrior Project Physical Health and Wellness Coaching Program.  Through this program David has lost weight, gained flexibility, and improved his confidence. 

Currently David is a Warrior Support Specialist for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Resource Center. He has worked at WWP for over six years supporting our nations warriors and their families. The WWP Resource Center connects individuals with resources as applicable....

Alright, so let’s say you only have a kettlebell and a battle rope...how do you get a good workout?

We talk through a few methods to think about getting the most bang for your time, when you want to get a great workout at the local park with just a kettlebell and a battle rope.

Aaron breaks down battle rope set-ups, and then they jump right into the workout.

Think about a basic full body workout:

1. Starting with Power, Speed, and Explosive work at the beginning - Marcus and Aaron also break down sets, reps, movement pattern development, and planes of motion.
1. Battle Rope Rainbows
2. Split Jerks
2. Strength is next ***And then this is where your video stops if you watched this on social media or you are watching this on our blog. To get a longer version, but not the full version, subscribe to our Reading and Demonstrations with just your email address. If you want the full versions of all or our video breakdowns and Living.Fit Show, subscribe to one of our memberships...