10 Things You Need to Know About Kettlebells - Part 1

They say first impressions last the longest. In the case of kettlebells, my first impression was way off. I was formally introduced to kettlebells about three years ago by my colleague Josh Henkin during one of our weekend training sessions. My wife got hooked on them and almost immediately started looking for them on eBay. To say I was a little hesitant about kettlebells would be an understatement. As a matter of fact, when I learned that she had purchased a pair of 12 kg kettlebells, I believe my comment was something like, "You can do the exact same thing with dumbbells."

My how things have changed. I now have at least 10 kettlebells in my facility and will probably add a few more in the relatively near future. I also drag around another six or so in my truck for my outdoor fitness camps. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I have gone and drunk the proverbial kool-aid.

No, what actually happened was I realized two things.

1. All of the best coaches that I know use them for many different types of clients. Whether they're coaching for athletic development, fat-loss, powerlifting or hypertrophy, you will likely see kettlebells being used during some portion of a training day. There must be some merit to the implement if all those guys use them with their clients.

2. As a coach and businessman, I can't afford to ignore such a versatile implement. I have a limited amount of square footage and a limited budget so it is important for me to invest in equipment that I can get a lot out of in a small amount of space.

In other words, kettlebells are just too big a deal and too good a tool to ignore. Whether you are a fitness competitor or a powerlifter, there are many reasons you should at least consider kettlebells. These are my top 10:

1. Pound for pound they are the best piece of home equipment you can purchase. Not nearly as expensive, and they take up a helluva a lot less space than the "clothes hanger" err... treadmill many of you have. For a modest investment, you can get a kettlebell, an instructional DVD, and probably one or two sessions with a local instructor - a much more effective start to a fitness program than "some assembly required."

2. Price Point - They say duplication is the highest form of flattery. Well, that must be true in the case of kettlebells. It used to be that you could only get kettlebells at Dragon Door. Now there are no fewer than a half-dozen other distributors out there. Are they all the same quality bell? No, but if you do a little research and ask around, you can find out who is selling the best bell at the best price.

3. Instant Feedback Loop - One of the keys to coaching is having the client/athlete understand the difference between proper and improper technique. With the kettlebell, drills such as cleans and snatches provide clients/athletes with instant feedback. The way the kettlebell falls gives them a not so subtle reminder of their improper technique, and after a workout or two, they won't have any trouble with the technique at all.

4. Teach Olympic Lifts Fast - The bane of teaching Olympic lifting has always been that the lifts are difficult to teach. Kettlebells make an excellent segue. Not only can you teach variants of the Olympic lifts but things can be taken back a notch farther. One of the first things you learn, even in the most basic kettlebell drills, is hip drive.

5. Great for Fat-Loss - I don't know if there is a better, more easily learned drill than a two-handed kettlebell swing. There are so many different complexes available that the opportunities for ass-kicking fat-loss work are endless. If you could do only one drill, this is it because what you need for fat-loss is to move a load for as long as possible. That's exactly what kettlebells allow you to do and you can add some speed as well.

To Read the Anderson Training Systems Weekly Blog go to: http://troyats.blogspot.com/

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Destroy Fear With An Attitude Of Gratitude

Its completely reasonable that occasionally youll be afraid when you ride. After all, youre dealing with a reactive (reactive means bolt, spin, buck, shy, or rear!) animal that outweighs you by a lot! But you can destroy those fears by adopting an attitude of gratitude.

The first thing you need to remember is that ninety-nine percent of the things you fear never come to pass. So why waste all that energy worrying about things that will probably never happen. Mark Twain summed it up when he said. I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.

So dont focus on what youre afraid of. Destroy your fear by focusing on what youre grateful for. Are you afraid of getting bucked off your horse? Be grateful that you get to spend time outdoors with beautiful animals. Are you afraid youll bomb at a competition? Be grateful youre strong and healthy enough to compete. Are you afraid of getting sick? Be grateful youre not blind or crippled. Are you afraid of becoming blind or crippled? Be grateful that you have a sharp mind. Are you afraid youre not smart enough? Be grateful you have a loving heart. Maybe you dont like your job? Be grateful you have work so you can pay your bills (...and then go about finding your passion so you can do what you love and love what you do!).

Gratitude actually attracts more of the things you appreciate and value into your life. Do what Oprah does. Start a gratitude journal. Everyday, jot down five things youre grateful for. If you cant think of five things, at least write down, Im breathing!

If youre having a really bad day, and you ask yourself what youre grateful for, you might end up growling, Nothing! If thats how you feel, ask a better question. Ask, What could I be grateful for? I bet youll come up with all kinds of answers to that question.

Ill get you started. How about:

The kindness of strangers

Your health

Your family

Your horse

Not having to cook tonight (my personal favorite)

Daydreams

Toilets that flush

A cleansing rain

Doing a great job and having your efforts appreciated

Music

The smell of gardenia

Air conditioning

Your favorite song

A nap

Petting a dog

Bright colors

Eating popcorn at the movies

Sunshine

The absence of pain

Electricity

Old friends

White chocolate

Modern appliances

Finding a parking space exactly where you need one

A good book

A hot shower

Savoring the scents of life (flowers, food, the earth, your childs hair, the barn)

The gift of sight

Days off

A gentle breeze

Laughter

Rocking chairs

Restaurants that deliver

Your plane landing safely

Breathing!

Annihilate your fears by nurturing this attitude of gratitude. Suddenly your horses behavior wont seem so scary, the jumps wont seem so big, the course wont seem so overwhelming, and the judges wont seem so threatening.

Are you sick and tired of complicated and confusing training techniques?Are you frustrated by negative emotions like fear and lack of confidence?Would you like to be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach? Learn how by going to: http://janesavoie.com/

To learn more about coping with rider fear, check out The Rider's Inside Edge CD's and It's Not Just About the Ribbons at http://janesavoie.com/shop/index.html

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Build Prosperity and Strong Relationships With L.O.V.E

I had the honour recently of interviewing Evelyn Tian. Evelyn is a Singaporean woman living in Australia. She shared a story that started with volunteering to pack and send envelopes for the 2000 Olympics Committee here in Australia 10 years ago. That simple act of giving lead to an amazing trail of events that lead to her becoming the African Attache for the Olympics and Para-Olympics. This started Evelyn on an incredible journey to Africa for 6 months where she worked with disabled women and children, introducing wheelchair sports and fund raising for home made wheelchairs. She is now working toward helping disabled orphans in Africa.

Evelyn has an amazing ability to extend her networks and offer people the opportunity to share her journey. As she said, many people want to help but just don't know how. One of the biggest things I got from Evelyn's interview was the power of creating strong relationships and actively using your network to achieve huge goals while changing the lives of others for the better. Evelyn now helps individuals develop these strong relationships for personal growth as well as business growth. Here is the framework Evelyn shared with us to develop strong relationships:

L.O.V.E

L is for "Listening": So often we don't take the time to really listen to what people are asking and saying. Concentrate on actively listening for a strong relationship.

O is for "Overlook Little Faults": It is often small things that people do wrong that can really damage a relationship. Do you ever find yourself building resentment over things people have done, or resent yourself because of something you have done wrong? Forgive these things and the loss of resentment will open up real opportunities in a relationship.

V is for "Voice": Speak up and learn to say NO. You will respect yourself more and those you have a relationship with will respect you further as well.

E is for "Effort": This is the difference between people who have great ideas and people who create success. You must make the effort to succeed in life and in your relationships.

I hope Evelyn's story inspires you to look at your relationships, both personal and business and see what changes can be made by approaching your relationships with L.O.V.E.

Janet Beckers is the host and founder of Wonderful Web Women.
An award winning on-line community recognised for generous and honest marketing advice for women on the internet.To learn from the most successful women on the internet through live webinars, masterminds and forums absolutely free, visit http://www.WonderfulWebWomen.com and join today.

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Prince William Follows in Prince Harry's Footsteps

Prince William also goes to Afghanistan - even if only for a few hours. It can't be easy growing up as one of the most famous people in the world. The sons of Princess Dianna - one of the most famous people of the last century, continue to try lead 'normal' lives. For Harry this was to participate in active service in Afghanistan. Not an easy task given just yesterday an Australian solider died, which shows the conflict continues result in death.

Prince Harry - "the spare", was not so expendable that when the media allowed the story to break of his service in Afghanistan he was left there. Rather by the time most people knew he had already left the country. After 10 weeks of service in a warzone he could finally live up to his chosen career of being a soldier. This must of left his brother Prince William feeling frustrated that he to could not follow in active service. However this recently seems to have changed - at least temporarily when he got to fly to Kandahar and spend 3 hours in the "warzone".

It seems quite a gamble for the monarchy to make - I mean what if the plane had been shot down. But at the end of the day Prince William if things go to plan will be a future King of the United Kingdom and as such he will be the 'leader' of the arm forces, if not also an source of inspiration for them. The royal family takes it obligations in regard to the armed services very seriously and they can also be seen at memorial ceremonies. I suppose for the future King the need to ensure his link with the armed services heritage was such that the risk of a flight into a war zone was worth it.

At least when he visited an injured service man or woman he can hold his head up high that he is part of a larger team. If royalty is going to survive then they will need to continue to serve and inspire others, both William and Harry seemed to be doing this very thing and they could well become Britain's greatest asset.

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