“What size kettlebell should I get?”

This question pops up every single week so hopefully this will shed some light! 

The weight you choose will always be dependent on your goal. If you’re fairly well-versed with the technique of the exercise you’re doing then the weight will be determined by the rep range you’re working in. If you’re new to kettlebells then there’s a learning curve you’ll want to master before selecting the right weight for the rep range. It’s going to be more about perfecting the technique.

As a general rule err on the side of caution and start light. The focus should be on getting used to the uniqueness of the weight from the position of the rack to the overhead position and handling the bell. Once that’s been achieved then we can start moving (slowly) with the bell. From there we can add some speed based on the movement you're performing. 

If you’re wondering on...

By: Aaron Guyett, Education Director

How much do you bench?

I can remember this being repeated over and over and over when I was in high school, and there was a good side to this and a bad side to this being such an important thing for many young men...and still is very important for many circles and groups of both men and women.

Excessive movement training is overtraining, whether it is bench press, burpees, kettlebell swings or jumping jacks, especially if you are not incorporating optimum recovery and mobility.

Bench press can add strength, size, and muscle, specifically to your arms, chest and upper body, and there can be great carry over into sports and athletic pursuits. It also can create injury or mobility limitations if not programmed correctly.

We typically recommend dynamic mobility with a warm-up and a more static mobility with your cool down with every workout session. We also recommend doing twice as much pull strength training as your push strength...

Jumping into a workout without some kind of warmup is about as smart as starting your car and then hitting the pedal to the medal. When it comes to warming up there are many ways to give it a go. From some light calisthenics, to steady state cardio, to warm up sets before big lifts, but our favorite is joint mobility training. 

Mobility training through dynamic joint mobility drills or using a more in depth system such as FRC will prepare and lubricate the joints before putting them through the rigors of strength training. 

Mobility drills allow you to assess where your body is at the given time so you have a map to move through. It’s not just about your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It’s also about your nervous system so putting each joint complex through the ranges you feel comfortable with will allow you to push harder through your session or scale back where you should. 

It’s important to find the capacity that you have so that you...

Dumbbells vs Kettlebells….

This question pops up all the time from well-intentioned, inquisitive trainees to the person trying to downplay the benefits of the kettlebell. The answer is pretty simple; use both. There...article over. However, if you’d like to know a little more why, then keep reading.

Let’s start with the anatomical differences. The most obvious one being that the kettlebell has a handle with the weight at the end. This creates an unbalanced nature to even simple exercises like squats and presses. Since the weight isn’t balanced on both sides like a dumbbell this creates extra tension pulling in one direction that creates a greater need for stability. This is why the first time you grab a kettlebell of the same size of a dumbbell it feels significantly heavier and more awkward. 

This has it’s pros and cons. Pros being that it creates a slightly different training stimulus. The con being that while the bell is in the racked...

Pre workout coffee intake can increase fat burning during exercise. BUT before you fill up your cup for your next workout, keep reading because there are a couple important considerations you should pay attention to.

Coffee is an antioxidant and has compounds that are beneficial for your health and reduce the risk of certain diseases.. On top of that, a recent study just came out shedding light on how caffeine intake of 3mg/kg pre exercise can increase fat oxidation during exercise. 

While all of this is great, there are a few individual circumstances where coffee may not be beneficial. For example, caffeine interferes with estrogen metabolism, so if you have high estrogen levels you may need to cut back on the caffeine. You may also need to cut back if you experience anxiousness, jitters or...hate to say it, but if you rely on caffeine to get you going in the morning/throughout the day, it may be a good idea to slowly decrease the amount you’re consuming.

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...

By Aaron Guyett

Besides guru being a very fun and weird word to say...Marcus, Julia, and Aaron breakdown gurus and guruship on The Living.Fit Show.

What is a guru?

Think top of the mountain-style mentorship in any area or aspect of your life. This person has experience and education that can help you in your journey.

The Problem with Gurus

If someone is faking it, then they can really mislead and misinform you in their mentorship.

Find out more about gurus, the problem of gurus, and who the Living.Fit Master Coaches’ gurus are on this Living.Fit Show, and laugh a lot with the Master Coaches, too!

Check out more interviews and articles from Marcus Martinez and Aaron Guyett in the blog, or get full versions by subscribing to our membership here:  https://www.living.fit/kettlebell-workout-plans-and-memberships

Dennis Dunphy Bio:

Dennis’s first endeavor as a fitness professional began in 1999 at 24 Hour Fitness and soon after started his own training business. Many of his clients are 40+ who experience physical issues and pain, and his greatest reward comes from helping others improve physically and mentally. His journey has led to an ever-increasing knowledge of the human body and how all the body’s systems work in unison, which led him to co-create Stick Mobility in 2015 to help others achieve better movement and health.

What I do, how I do it, why I do it.

My life has always been fueled by sports and human movement. It’s something that I’ve always been passionate about. Sports were always present year round whether it was hockey, baseball, football, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, or horseback riding. Games of chess, bowling, horse shoes, or billiards were always in my wheelhouse. I have noticed this variety has carried over to my career as a movement...

By: Aaron Guyett

Obviously there have been some significant changes in the fitness industry, so we decided to talk about it.

In this video, Julia talks through her online only business and how it thrived, while Aaron and Marcus talk through how their level 4 groups helped each other navigate the changes and succeed during the volatile changes for in-person fitness in 2020 and 2021.

If you found this helpful and you are looking to join the combined Level 4 group that is comprised of trainers, gym owners, fitness managers, education directors, and more, check it out here: Combined Level 4

What you get with Level 4

In-person access to research-based educators that successfully grew and sold their personal training companies and fitness gyms. And combined have over 35 years of experience in the fitness industry.

You also get support and encouragement from like-minded fitness operators. Level 4 members are gym owners, fitness managers, personal trainers, education...

PJ Nestler is a human performance specialist, international speaker, educator, and coach with extensive experience preparing the world’s top athletes for competition. In his 14+ years in the industry, Coach PJ has trained hundreds of athletes from the UFC, NFL, and NHL. 

He is highly sought after as an expert speaker and consultant in the areas of performance breathing, combat athlete preparation, mindset, and recovery working with US Military Tier 1 & 2 Special Operations groups, professional sports teams, and executives around the world.

In his current role as the Vice President of Performance at FitLab Inc, he is responsible for building education curriculums and translating the world’s best training systems from iconic athletes into authentic and exciting consumer experiences.

Check out more interviews and articles from Marcus Martinez and Aaron Guyett in the blog, or get full versions by subscribing to our membership here:  ...