Keith here. Has everyone missed me? This is week 3 of our Kettlebell instructions. To see what you missed in Week 1 go here or Week 2 go here. This week we are moving on to Kettlebell Snatches.
The kettlebell snatch is a fluid in motion and vicious in the force it generates, even with a light bell. The snatch will help you create a stronger back and hips that are resistant to injury. That sounds good right? Simply stated, a snatch is a swing that starts with a clean and ends with the end of a press (arm extended with the bell). BUT…you are not PRESSING it, you are not CLEANING it, and you are not SWINGING it. You are SNATCHING it. Ready to see?
1 Kettlebell Snatch
2 Kettlebell Snatch
In the beginning when you are learning kettlebell snatches, try doing sets of five or lower. This will allow you to improve your form before going all out with higher repetitions. Once you get the technique down try the following routines:
Beginner
Day
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Break
Monday
One-arm snatches
3
15
60
Wednesday
One-arm snatches
1
25
90
Friday
One-arm snatches
2
15
60
Advanced
Day
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Break
Monday
One-arm snatches
2
25
60
Wednesday
One-arm snatches
5
10
30
Friday
One-arm snatches
3
15
30
Challenge: Try incorporating kettlebell snatches into your workout this week. C’mon step out of that comfort zone!!!
Happy March 1st everyone! Today has started out pretty fabulous for me already! Love my Mondays! I did manage a 15 miler this morning and now I am ready to refuel and get back into the swing of things. But first I have to share some awesome recipes with you guys. I woke up on Sunday morning ready to bake and cook. And bake and cook I did!! First, I made Keith gluten-free brownies from his favorite mix, Namaste. I make a few substitutions. Instead of adding 3/4 cup oil I always use either unsweetened applesauce or apple butter. They are still fabulous and you won’t miss anything but the extra fat grams….promise! 🙂
A few weeks ago the movie, Waitress was on TV (love that movie BTW) and ever since then I have been wanting to make a pie. So for dinner I tried my hand at chicken pot pie! It as so good. Keith loved it and declared it worthy of cookbook number 2 (to be released sometime this coming year!)
CHICKEN POT PIE
2 pounds chicken, cooked and chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 (10.75 oz) 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
1/4 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 ready to bake pie crusts (I used the low-fat Pillsbury Pet-Ritz Pie Crusts)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and pour into pie shell. Cover with second pie shell and seal the edges closed. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake 30-45 minutes until golden brown.
Serves: 6
Per Serving: 399.7 Calories; 12.7g Fat (4.5g saturated fat); 78.5mg Cholesterol; 1295.5mg Sodium; 32.8g Carbohydrates; 3.1g Sugar; 35.4g Protein
** T0 make this even more low-fat don’t use the bottom crust. Simple fill a pie plate with mixture and the put a crust over the top of the pie plate. Cut slits to allow the steam to escape and follow directions above. This will change the nutrition facts to (per serving): 293.7 Calories; 7.4g Fat (2.5g saturated fat); 78.5mg Cholesterol; 1199.2mg Sodium; 20.8g Carbohydrates; 1.8g Sugar; 34.1g Protein
You guys know that I love fun random trivia facts. So to help brighten your Monday, I will leave you with some more useless information a la Kelly:
Diet Coke was only invented in 1982
A skunk’s smell can be detected by a human a mile away
When snakes are born with two heads, they fight each other for food
American car horns beep in the tone of F
Flying from London to New York by Concord, due to the time zones crossed, you can arrive 2 hours before you leave
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV
The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache
Do you have a random piece of useless information to share?
Keith here guys! Today I want to talk Kettlebells! Have you seen these lurking around your gym lately?
Kettlebells
Kettlebells have been around since the early 1700’s and started in Russia. Russians used these cannonball shaped weights to train their armed forces and their Olympians. Kettlebells made their debut in the United State in the early 1900’s especially after seeing the Russian success. Kettlebells have become more popular in recent years due to the resurgence of Russian Kettlebell Certification (RKC) training by Pavel Tsatsouline.
Kettlebells can be used as a workout alone or substituted for dumbbells and barbells in traditional strength training workouts. To begin, just try adding in 1 or 2 movements into your already established strength circuit or using them as a cardio interval at the end of your circuit. Kettlebells force you to use your body’s momentum in a series of fast swings, jerks, and cleans. The core is always engaged and the workout is usually high repetition. This is ensures your strength training workout is also a cardio workout (second only to cross-country skiing in caloric burn according to recent studies) Kettlebell workouts have shown to be effective in burning fat, building muscle, and increasing strength and stamina. Sound like something you want to a part of? I would strongly suggest that if you are brand new to kettlebell you should meet with a trainer for the first few times to get comfortable with the movements and ensure proper form!
The first basic kettlebell movement is called a Swing. It is the foundation for all other kettlebell movements. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Stand straight with your legs shoulder width apart.
Step 2: Lean forward at your waist slightly and bend your knees so as to go into a semi-squat. Keep your back arched and head facing forward steadily.
Step 3: Let you arms hang loosely and raise the weight with both hands over your head and inhale. Then, swing the weight with both hands in between the legs towards the back of you while exhaling. Move the kettlebell using power thrusts from the hip, thigh, and lower back muscles. A powerful hip snap on every rep is a must.
Step 4: Complete 5 to 10 sets of 20 to 50 reps of kettlebell swings with a minute pause between each set of repetitions. With heavier weights, inhale on the swing between your legs and exhale when you raise it above your head.
For a visual here is my YouTube video:
Once you have mastered the Basic Swing there are 2 progressions that you can try:
Progression 1: A Two-Arm Swing. Here you do the same movement but with 2 lighter kettlebells. Make sure you hold the handle in the center and really focus on balancing your weight on both side. Need a visual? Okay.
Progression 2: Alternating One-Arm Swing. Here you are using one kettlebell and switching hands mid-air at the top of the trust. In my video I switch on every 5th repetition but you can switch on every one or every other one…it is entirely up to you.
As always shoot me an email (via Kelly) or leave a comment if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them for you! My last tip: REMEMBER TO BREATH! (exhale on the trust) See you next Wednesday!
Challenge: Try the basic swing movements this week. Next week we will move on to cleans and jerks!
According to The New York Times, the F.D.A. is addressing an issue that the serving sizes provided on packaged foods are NOT realistic. Many people don’t realize that the “serving size” on the nutritional info panel is usually MUCH smaller than what they serve themselves. Example: Many of the soups on the market today are billed as “Heart Healthy” and claim to have a reasonable amount of salt per serving. But a shopper has to examine the label closely to understand that a serving is only 1/2 the can! A full can may contain close to half the daily salt allowance recommended. Or let’s consider the humble chip: most potato or corn chip bags today show a one-ounce serving size, containing a tolerable 150 calories, or so. But for some brands, like Tostitos Hint of Lime, one ounce can be just six chips. How many people usually stop at 6 chips? But FDA officials are noting one potential problem: Would larger serving sizes on labels encourage people to eat more? That’s definitely a valid point, but if most people are eating that much anyway, wouldn’t it be beneficial for them to see the real nutritionals?
I have been wanting to make spaghetti squash for a while now and I finally did for dinner last night. I topped mine with sautéed spinach, marinara sauce, and eggplant meatballs. It was so yummy!
HOW TO COOK SPAGHETTI SQUASH
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise.
3. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds in each half.
4. Bake the halves, face down, on a lightly oiled tray for about 30-35 minutes, or until the skin side of the squash can be pierced with a fork .
5. Allow to cool for 20-25 minutes, then use a fork to scrape out (length-wise) the “spaghetti” strands from the skin.
6. Eat immediately, or spaghetti squash keeps well in the refrigerator to be re-heated in the microwave later! ENJOY!
HEALTHY LIVING WITH KELLY 
