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5 Ways To Easily​ Add Protein Everyday​

5 Ways To Easily​ Add Protein Everyday​

by | Oct 9, 2022 | Blog, Diet

If you want the best and fastest possible weight loss and fat loss results, you need to focus on two things when it comes to your nutrition…

1. Creating that small calorie deficit
2. Increasing your protein

Often creating that deficit is the easier part of the equation for most of us. We simple cut something out or shrink one of our portions a bit.

Increasing protein on the other hand can feel oddly overwhelming, especially when it requires us to adjust other things as well to create that calorie deficit.

But increasing protein is more key than we realize.

Studies have shown that when it comes to fat loss, this macro really is essential, leading to not only faster results but more muscle mass retention and fewer metabolic adaptation, which also ultimately makes it easier to not only lose fat but keep it off.

How many carbs and how much fat you consume can even vary and fluctuate and still work for weight loss if protein is kept higher. Although you may find that you have macro ratios that work better for you based on a variety of factors from activity level to genetics and age.

But studies have even shown that the macro ratio used for weight loss with higher protein, regardless of where carbs and fats fall, always leads to better fat loss and body recomposition results!

And while we may want to strategically adjust carbs and fats to match our activity levels and lifestyle, if tracking macros and tweaking them all at once is overwhelming, the key is just to start with a protein target.

So if you’re starting to adjust your diet and struggling to increase your protein, think about just small changes of even 10 grams a day.

And here are 5 tips to help you increase your protein without feeling like you’re having to fully overhaul your diet.

Because small changes add up!

 

5 Tips To Increase Your Protein:

#1: Tweak your current portions.

Often we think dramatic changes over small adjustments.

We feel like we have to create completely different meals. Or we just turn only to supplements.

Or we even focus on trying to find ways to force protein into meals we don’t generally eat a lot at – like making super protein packed snacks or desserts.

But instead of trying to make big changes, think about how you can adjust what you’re currently doing with as small a change as possible.

If you’re eating 3 ounces of a protein at a meal, try just increasing that portion to 4.

That little adjustment can add up!

And it doesn’t even have to be adding an ounce more ground beef to your burrito bowl or chicken to your salad.

It could be another ounce of any other type of protein as well that you add on!

#2: Find quick go-to options out.

Often if we are constantly on the go, it can feel hard to get in protein quickly.

It’s why planning ahead to start can be key and it can be helpful to look at the options you do have out at restaurants or easy to grab and go from a grocery store.

These quick protein-centric meals and snacks can help us stay consistent and bump our daily protein intake so it doesn’t feel like we are trying to play “catch up” at dinner.

Take a look around your grocery store and log in a few options to see how they can impact your day.

Things like jerky, hard boiled eggs, shrimp cocktail, and Greek yogurt are all great go-to options.

You can often even find pre-cooked, very simple chicken that you can even re-heat or eat cold…whether you chow it down on it’s on or add it to a wrap or salad packet you pick up.

There are even great options at many fast food restaurants. While maybe not our ideal because of the food “quality,” they can help us maintain a balance overall and stay on track.

Places like Chick-fil-a with their grilled chicken nuggets are a great option.

And often even restaurants like Chipotle allow you to adjust the portion size to match your needs and goals.

Take some time though, as annoying as it may be, to research a few dining out options close to you. It can help you during those times you’re in a pinch or even don’t feel like cooking!

#3: Think swaps! Use those “complementary proteins.”

So not only do we often just need to swap the cut of meat to adjust for the amount of protein vs fat that we are consuming, but we can make even little swaps to the veggies and other carbs we include that can really boost our protein intake over the course of a day.

Often we don’t know how to cut down on the fat in our diet while bumping protein when it can be as simple as eating a chicken breast over a chicken thigh.

And if we want to include red meat, maybe we just change the cut of steak, or even go with 90% lean ground beef over 85%.

Or maybe you don’t like leaner ground beef or chicken breast. Maybe instead you keep that same cut of meat and swap half the portion for shrimp or a white fish with less fat.

Maybe doing that surf and turf combo is all you need to bump the protein while lowering the fat you’re consuming.

Or maybe in your morning omelet you cut back on the full eggs and include some egg whites.

Or we choose to include low fat or fat free greek yogurt over full fat.

Small changes like that can pay off.

So can potentially adjusting the types of carbs or veggies we use to get more amino acids over the day, including more spinach in our salads or mushrooms in our casseroles or broccoli in our stir fries.

Maybe you focus your carb sources more on quinoa over rice or buckwheat pasta over regular pasta.

Maybe we even swap in plant based sources of protein like tofu or tempeh or seitan instead of adding more meat. Or add in edamame to a seafood poke bowl.

We can even include nutritional yeast in a smoothie, sprinkled on salad or added into a sauce to add a cheesy flavor!

Small little swaps add up and can even help us find meals we enjoy more, make us feel fueled and full as we work toward our weight loss goals!

#4: Don’t fear supplements.

While supplements are supplemental and we want to focus our diet on whole, natural foods, we also have to recognize that we make changes when the PAIN of staying stuck outweighs the PAIN of change.

So even if we want to lose weight and fat, if it feels too overwhelming to get started adjusting our diet, there is a good chance, we will never make the changes we need.

Starting out, to make things easier, you may find you do add in a whey or other protein supplement as a snack to quickly and easily bump your protein 20-30 grams per day.

You can include protein powders in baked goods, oatmeals, smoothies or a simple shake.

It can even be good as something to keep in your purse, desk or backpack to mix quickly with a milk or water when you’re on the go!

You could even stir it into a quick microwaved oatmeal to add a protein boost and even some extra flavor!

#5: Mix and match!

Often we get stuck thinking more of the single protein source we already have in a meal, instead of mixing and matching protein sources to increase our protein without it feeling like we’re just eating pounds of the same thing.

For fried rice with chicken, try adding in egg whites for a little texture and a protein boost.

For a little extra protein in a pasta or enchilada bake, think some cottage cheese or greek yogurt with your ground beef.

Even swap the type of pasta you’re using. There are some great edamame, chickpea or even buckwheat options that could give you a boost.

For a stir fry, think shrimp and chicken. Or add in edamame. Diversify those protein sources in your dishes to make things tasty while helping you achieve results.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match protein sources and even try and include more than one in meals! It can be a great way to reduce your fat or carbs while increasing your protein to create the calorie intake you need.

SUMMARY:

Small changes really add up. Think about how you can use these 5 tips to make small changes to your daily meals and even weekly averages.

You can then choose even just one small swap to start with.

Planning ahead and even experimenting with how these things can make an impact can help you when you are pressed for time and on the go.

So list out some ways you can use these 5 tips in your daily life to see results!

Ready to dial in your macros and see the results you deserve?

Learn more about my Metabolic Shred!

 

FHP 440 – Are You Truly Ready To Make A Change?

FHP 440 – Are You Truly Ready To Make A Change?

by | Oct 4, 2022 | podcast

I think sometimes we WANT a change.

We WANT a new and better result…

But we aren’t truly READY to do what it takes to make a change.

And so we will never succeed no matter how motivated we are.

Now you may be thinking how can I be motivated but not ready?

Because motivation is the DESIRE to do something.

Being truly READY to make a change means you’re in the headspace to make sacrifices. You’re capable of doing the hard.

You’re ready to embrace things that make you question what you’ve always done and challenge you to get outside your comfort zone.

Ready is about more than wishing or hoping for a change…it means you’re prepared to do the hard to get the result.

And all too often the reason we buy a program and never start despite being motivated is because we aren’t ready for the challenge of change.

Because change is hard.

Now if you’re thinking….

“I’m motivated so how do I know if I’m ready?”

I wanted to share some tips I’ve found helpful for clients to take that motivation and let it propel them into being ready to do what is necessary to get results.

Tips To Help You Be READY To Make A Change:

#1: Does the pain of staying stuck outweigh the pain of change?

It’s “painful” not being at your goal. It’s sucky to be unhappy.

BUT it is also super uncomfortable to make a change.

In order to actually want to move forward, it has to be less painful to make a change than to stay stuck.

Now motivation makes you WANT that change, but being ready means when actually faced with the hard you still want to confront it.

So right now make a list of the challenges you will face with making a change to reach your goals.

You may find your motivation starts to fade as you confront the challenges. You may find you’re like…

“Well that sucks!”

But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed.

It just means you may have to ADJUST how you approach making changes to reduce the pain.

Sometimes less is more.

As tempting as it can be to “go all in” that may be creating a pain that is stopping you from truly being ready.

So reduce that pain.

Focus on one or two changes over ten.

Focus on small swaps, little tweaks.

But reduce that pain so you are READY to take that step forward, even if it is smaller than originally planned.

That will help you build momentum to make more changes!

#2: Ask yourself why you TRULY don’t want to stay stuck….

The more reasons WHY you have to do something, the more you’ll be willing to embrace the discomfort of change.

But you don’t only want to list out why you want the change, you want to list out why you don’t want to stay stuck.

This helps create more pain in staying where you are….so you’re more ready to embrace the pain of change.

Also, it’s very hard to feel the value in something we haven’t yet gotten…in something we’ve never attained.

It’s why it is so hard at times to stay focused on our long-term goal over immediate gratification.

You know how that gratification will make you feel RIGHT NOW.

You don’t fully know how you’ll feel with the end result…and you also know RIGHT NOW it won’t help.

So knowing how much our immediate, current feelings can power our actions, we can often really embrace and focus on the WHYs we have to remove our current negative feelings.

The more we embrace feeling how much we don’t like our current position….How little value you feel in staying stuck….

The more we can use that pain as a positive to make us ready for the change.

#3: Realize it is your choice…

Often the more we feel obligated to do something, the more we feel forced or restricted, the less we want to do it and the more we even think about what we can’t or aren’t supposed to do.

If you see making a change as an obligation, as you’re restricted from doing something else, you’re probably going to rebel very quickly.

Instead you want to embrace the changes as your choice. You want to realize you are choosing to pursue this goal.

You even want to see habit changes as what you will GET out of them over what you are removing or cutting out.

No you’re not going to like everything you do to make a change and create a new lifestyle to reach a new goal, but even the sacrifices you make are your CHOICE.

Sure something outside of your control may happen, but even then realize that you get to CHOOSE your response.

At any point you can choose to default back into what is comfortable and easy and hasn’t helped you reach your goals or you can choose to embrace the hard and keep moving forward.

But give yourself the power.

Realize that you aren’t restricting or obligated…you WANT these changes.

This will help you be ready for the ups and downs and even the difficult decisions that will come your way.

SUMMARY:

Getting started making a change is the hardest part and part of that is because we aren’t really fully ready to make a change.

We aren’t prepared for the “hard” that we will encounter.

Instead of letting your motivation fade, instead of buying that program you never start, consider what will help you get ready to actually move forward.

Consider what has held you back in the past. Realize what you need to do to move forward.

And then truly recognize that it is your choice to decide that the pain of staying stuck is worse than the pain of doing something new and challenging where you could risk failure!

Only once we find a way to embrace the pain of change can we actually get moving forward toward our goals!

The Muscle Gaining Mistake EVERYONE Makes (And What To Do Instead)

The Muscle Gaining Mistake EVERYONE Makes (And What To Do Instead)

by | Oct 2, 2022 | Blog, Diet

You’ve lost the weight you wanted to lose. But now, you want to gain a bit more muscle while maintaining your fat loss.

You’ve got your workouts all set, you’ve adjusted your macros, you’ve increased your calories…

You’re feeling good.

You’ve felt yourself even starting to get stronger this first week.

Then…you step on the scale.

DUN DUN DUUUUUN…

You’ve gained weight!

You feel yourself starting to freak out and you want to instantly slash your calories and change everything.

But DON’T!

You’ll only sabotage yourself.

This is why it may be key you STOP weighing yourself if you want to focus on building muscle.

 

Back Away From The Scale:

When you’ve worked hard to get leaner, to lose weight, it can be a mental battle to see that scale start to go the other direction.

But it most likely will.

This isn’t even due to pounds of muscle piling on OR fat immediately being gained.

Changes simply don’t happen overnight.

And especially the more training experience you have, the slower you’re going to pack on those muscle pounds!

Often this scale fluctuation up at the start of your muscle gaining phase is simply due to you coming out of a deficit and even increasing your carb intake.

Full glycogen stores mean also water weight being gained.

And this will cause a quick increase on the scale.

With every gram of glycogen stored comes 3-4grams of water weight.

Basically this means when you CUT carbs, you can deplete your glycogen stores to lose up to 6.6lbs or about 3kg pretty instantly.

And you can also GAIN as much just as quickly.

Not to mention with the hard training sessions, you may find that inflammation within your body increases – again leading to weight gain.

So if you want to truly focus on building muscle, you need to put away your scale for a bit.

Not to mention, you may want to even consider a slight diet break after a fat loss phase to really create that new set point and have your body fully adapt to your new leanness level so you feel more confident in maintaining your results before you move into that muscle building phase.

So…If You Can’t Use The Scale, How Can You Make Sure It’s Muscle And Not Fat?

When your focus shifts to building muscle, you want to have ways of actually measuring how much muscle you’re building.

The hard part about measuring body comp is, many more accurate tests aren’t easily available and are super expensive making it harder to do consistently OR they are less accurate home handheld devices super impacted by hydration levels even.

Every tool has its downsides. And while you can make things work by using tools repeatedly to at least see progress from previous measurements even if the measurement isn’t the same as a reading by another tool, two very simple ways to also track at home are…

– Progress Pictures
– Measurements

Progress pictures are a great way to see changes in body recomp over time. Just make sure to take them from multiple angles as you may be making strides, but in areas you don’t see or care about first.

And when you do take pictures, take them first thing in the morning, ideally in the exact same place. This way lighting is consistent so you can’t feel like you look worse or better just because the light has changed. And you haven’t consumed anything to impact how you look.

Note that even pictures will change at times DAILY due to muscle tissue damage and inflammation. After a hard arm workout, you may find your arms aren’t as defined the next day.

It’s key with EVERY measurement we watch trends.

Another great way to track progress is with measurements.

I recommend taking measurements of the areas you want to grow BUT also the areas that are lean that you want to stay lean.

By comparing lean area measurements over time, you can watch for fat being gained, while you can also track growth in the areas you are working to build muscle.

Just make sure you’re consistent in where you are measuring and when you are measuring.

Just like the scale, how we look in our photos and even our measurements can change over the course of the day with food consumption and training!

Whatever tools you do decide to use to measure, make sure to use them consistently and track trends over time, not getting discouraged with slow results or ups and downs.

Slow results are truly REAL results.

SUMMARY:

It’s key we realize that the scale doesn’t show the full picture.

And even seeing a gain over time on the scale can mean better body composition.

If you gain two pounds of muscle and even lose a pound of fat, you’ll see that scale increase despite a fantastic improvement in your body recomp and even fat being lost while you’ve gained muscle.

So if you want to truly focus on building muscle, it may be time to ditch the scale and really stay focused on those daily habits, progress pictures and measurements.

Remember if you’re tracking what you’re doing, you should be able to trust in the process as you have a clear picture of what you’re doing to adjust over time!

If you’re looking to learn how to fuel according to YOUR needs and goals, check out my Macro Hacks!

–> Learn More About The Macro Hacks

FHP 439 – Tracking IS NOT Restrictive

FHP 439 – Tracking IS NOT Restrictive

by | Sep 26, 2022 | podcast

One size doesn’t fit all and tracking isn’t right for everyone.

And even those that do track won’t use this tool in the exact same way or even forever.

Heck, I was a person AGAINST tracking for a very long time.

I made all the excuses about why not to do it.

And I never saw the results I wanted.

Until I decided to try to see opportunity in a different perspective.

Until I decided to be open to something new and uncomfortable.

I like to really highlight the purpose of any tools we may choose, or not choose to use.

I want us to truly understand them. Because that gives us power.

I think when we don’t understand a tool and its purpose…we don’t properly use them or even know when they aren’t right for us.

I also want to discuss tracking being restrictive because I’m a big believer in NOT giving tools power over us.

When we say we can’t track because it makes us obsessed or judgmental…or it’s too restrictive, we are giving the tracker POWER.

And in trying to avoid something, we are almost giving it as much thought and attention as we do if we just do it.

If you think about it…we can oddly obsess just as much in avoiding as we can in implementing.

That tool still has power even in our avoidance of it.

And that’s not to say we may not choose to avoid using it BUT I think the more we can put everything in its place and realize we are fully in control of our implementation the strong and more in control of our life we become.

So now is tracking restrictive?

The short answer is no.

Your tracker isn’t judging. It isn’t telling you to cut anything out. It isn’t telling you to do or feel anything.

It is merely showing you what you’ve done.

YOU are the one then judging.

And I think the more we realize that we are the one giving this tool power, the better off we will be.

I also think it is key we understand WHY we’ve come to feel that tracking is restrictive.

I find it is often because of how we’ve used the tool in the past.

We did it on some severe calorie counting diet where we felt forced to cut out everything we loved, felt overwhelmed with making changes and then felt hungry all of the time.

Often it is these other things and the program/habits we were implementing that then made us have this perception of tracking.

But tracking your food isn’t just about cutting things out. It isn’t just about weight loss.

And if you had started with tracking because of another goal, you may not feel that it is restrictive.

But it’s not too late to ever change that mindset.

#1: Try just tracking what you’re currently doing. Use it its a chance to LEARN about your diet and portions. Don’t make changes.

#2: Realize there are other goals that tracking could be key for…

– Finding out food sensitivities
– Fueling your race so you have enough energy to not poop out at the last mile
– Making sure you’re addressing menopausal symptoms.
– Making sure you’re eating enough to build muscle
– Finding out emotional eating triggers
– Heck even making sure you aren’t RESTRICTING TOO MUCH AND EATING TOO LITTE

Yup…even with trying to lose weight, I find that there are times with tracking a client realizes they are UNDER fueling.

They were restricting too much out of fear because they didn’t have a clear vision of what they were doing.

Honestly, there are so many ways to become obsessive…

– Over training
– Having to burn a certain amount of calories on your watch
– Only eating certain foods
– Not eating certain foods
– Only eating at certain times of day
– Not eating at specific times of day…

The point is it all relates back to our perspective and perception of our habits and how they make us feel.

And while you may decide something isn’t right for you…don’t give it control.

Learn how to implement it and see the VALUE it could have so you can reap the rewards then move forward better.

The more we fear something, the more control it has over us even if we don’t do it.

So as much as I know we can feel tracking is restrictive, we can fear becoming obsessive, realize you give the tool the power.

Take back that power and see it as a chance to make sure you’re fueling according to your needs and goals.

Try just tracking what you’re currently eating. Assess WHY YOU JUDGE or when you feel yourself starting to judge.

Then deal with that judgement.

Ask yourself why you feel guilty for eating a food?

Assess the emotions if you start to feel restricted…even assess if you’re trying to do too much.

Give yourself clear guidelines and find ways to seeing the value.

Sure you may not do it forever, but see it as the tool it is…a guide to better fuel yourself according to whatever goals you have!

10 Kettlebell Exercises For A Total Body Workout

10 Kettlebell Exercises For A Total Body Workout

by | Sep 25, 2022 | Blog, Exercises, Kettlebells

There are so many ways to create progression in our workouts that aren’t just about increasing loads.

One simple way to create a new challenge may be by mixing up the tools you use for the same basic moves.

Another could be by making slight changes to the postures and loading placements during those basic movements like rows or squats or presses.

So if you’ve been looking to vary those basics exercises to keep challenging yourself, try using kettlebells with these amazing moves!

Exercise #1: Push Up To Dip

This is a super challenging push up variation that really targets those triceps as well as your abs.

And if you do struggle with wrist pain during push ups, you may find the neutral wrist positioning of these push ups off the kettlebells helpful.

Just be conscious of the dip if you do have previous shoulder injuries and make sure you can truly control the range of motion before progressing.

To do this move, you’ll perform two push ups off the kettlebells, dropping your chest to the handles. Focus on driving back through your heels while making sure your hands are just outside your chest.

After two push ups, push up to the top and press down into the kettlebells to lift your legs and swing them through and forward.

With your legs straight in front of you and your butt back right in front or between the kettlebells, perform two full dips. Drop your butt straight down toward the ground. Just make sure you don’t swing too far forward or you’ll put more strain on your shoulder.

Do two dips then swing back through and repeat.

To modify, you can go down to your knees for the push ups and bend your knees on the dips. You still want that full range of motion though on the push up, dropping your chest to the kettlebells and bending your elbows to 90 degrees on the dips.

You can also modify by walking through and starting with even 1 of each over two of both.

Exercise #2: Figure 8s

This rotational move is a great way to challenge your core and strengthen those glutes while getting your blood pumping.

It can be great to include in more of a metabolic conditioning workout and used during interval circuits.

It is also a variation on that basic kettlebell swing.

To do this move, you will hold a kettlebell handle in one hand and swing the kb across your chest so that the bottom of the kb is resting on your other hand up at your opposite shoulder.

The weight should be right in against your body.

You will then hinge over, slightly squatting as you do, to be able to swing the weight down in front and under your thigh to grab it with your other hand behind your leg.

You will rotate your torso as you do. You’ll switch hands, grabbing the kettlebell with the other hand behind your leg to then bring it up and around and across your body toward your other shoulder.

Make sure to squeeze your glutes at the top.

You will feel even your biceps working as you perform that curl across your chest, but you don’t want it to just be an arm move. Focus on those glutes propelling the weight weight up and across.

Start light and make sure you are truly controlling the rotation of your torso to reach under your leg so you don’t overload your lower back or start to round.

Exercise #3: Bottoms Up Carry

Carries are a great way to build functional full body strength whether you do farmers carries, racked carries or overhead carries.

You can do them as bilateral movements, carrying a weight on both sides, or as unilateral carries to work each side independently and even strengthen your core to fight rotation.

And a great way to vary your carries and improve your grip strength and shoulder stability, using the slightly awkward weight of the kettlebell, is by including a bottoms up variation.

You can perform the bottoms up carry as a unilateral or bilateral movement.

And you can start with the carry at your shoulder or even progress overhead as you feel ready and want to increase the instability.

This move though is deceptively hard.

Make sure you start light and really focus on all of your fingers gripping the kettlebell handle hard!

If you haven’t done a bottoms up carry before, definitely start with the weight at your shoulder and really engage your upper back, unshrugging that shoulder so it feels locked into place and stabilized.

If you move to the overhead variation, walk slowly to start and make sure to brace your abs!

Exercise #4: Lunge with Pass Under

While adding loads to lunges can for sure progress the movement, also having to hold and stabilize as you change your loading placement can provide a new stability challenge and force you to spend more time under tension. And that’s why the Lunge with Pass Under can be a great option. Not only does this move challenge your legs, but it also is a great way to improve that core stability.

To do this move you will start by holding a kettlebell in one hand. I usually like to start with it on the side I plan to lunge forward on.

Sink into that front lunge and holding with your knee hovering about an inch off the ground, pass the kettlebell under that front leg into your other hand.

Then drive back up to standing in one solid push back.

Lunge forward on the other side to then pass the kettlebell back under.

This move is a great way to really help you focus on keeping your weight centered even as you lunge forward.

Too often all of our weight ends up going forward in front lunges which prevents us from using that front glute as efficiently as possible and can also be why we end up with knee aches and pains.

To vary this move, you can also perform reverse lunges instead of front lunges.

And to modify, you can always perform a split squat with pass under or even start by not sinking as low in the lunge.

Exercise #5: Renegade Rows

If you’re looking to work your entire core and your back and really build your anti-rotational core strength and shoulder stability, Renegade Rows are a must-do move.

By staying focused on preventing rotation, you’ll even really feel your glutes working which will only also improve your hip stability.

With the Renegade Rows, just note the kettlebells do create a bit more instability than dumbbells so make sure to move slowly as you perform this exercise.

You don’t want to rush if you feel yourself losing balance. And you want to make sure you aren’t rushing and rotating.

Really fight to keep everything square to the ground as you alternate rows from that plank position.

Think about engaging your upper back to unshrug your shoulders and press hard down into the kettlebell to stabilize as you row the weight up.

Focus on your back powering that row.

And don’t forget to drive back through your heels so your weight isn’t all shifted forward as you squeeze your glutes.

Spreading your feet wider apart will help you stabilize to fight that rotation.

To modify, you can even perform an incline variation, rowing just on one side so you don’t have the added challenge as you stabilize while alternating rows.

Exercise #6: KB Swings

I honestly feel no kettlebell exercise list is complete without the swing as it is such a staple movement.

I think this explosive hip hinge movement is so key I even push clients who don’t have kettlebells to do it with a dumbbell or pair of dumbbells as the skier swing.

When I use the swing with clients the focus is on the hinge hinge and not performing an overhead swing as I want to train that quick hip hinge movement pattern and proper loading.

Being able to hip hinge correctly is key to help us avoid lower back injuries especially.

When you do the kettlebell swing, focus on pushing your butt back as if trying to touch a wall behind you. You aren’t squatting with this movement although your knees will soften so you can hinge correctly.

And then really push the ground away as you use those glutes to propel the kettlebell up to come up to standing.

Squeeze your glutes hard as you stand tall and don’t lean back, arching your lower back.

Do not worry or focus on how high the kettlebell goes. Too often this focus on the height of the swing leads to us pulling with our arms.

And then do not hinge back over until the kettlebell descends and your forearms connect with your hips. You don’t want to hinge before “catching” the weight to push your hips back. Hinging over while the weight is still far away from you can cause your weight to shift forward and lead to you overloading your lower back.

Almost think of it as you waiting for the kettlebell to open the “door” and your hinge as the door opening.

To vary this move, you may perform a single arm swing or even skier swing with the weights outside.

If you’re struggling with the hip hinge movement, consider a band hinge to help you learn to properly load those glutes and not just lean or round forward.

Exercise #7: Unilateral Chest Press

When we think about the bench press, we think most often about using dumbbells and barbells.

But the kettlebell can actually be a great way to work our chest, shoulders and triceps while adding a level of instability.

And I love even using the kettlebell during a unilateral chest press to even challenge your core more.

To do this move, you’ll have the kettlebell resting on your forearm and hand at your chest. Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground and you’re bracing your abs to fight the rotation.

Press the kettlebell up and toward the ceiling even coming slightly toward the center of your chest as you press to get a little extra pec focused work.

The lower back down. Move slowly because the kettlebell adds more instability than you realize.

And if you don’t have a bench, you can always do this move as a floor press. You’ll be surprised by how unstable just using the kettlebell can make you feel with such a traditional movement.

Exercise #8: Squat, Catch And Press

If you’re looking for a great variation of the squat to press, try the Squat, Catch and Press.

This is a great full-body exercise to include even during your conditioning work as it will really get your blood pumping.

You may even see different versions of this movement done based on whether you want it to be a bit more leg intensive or cardio.

Start with the weight held in both hands hanging toward the ground.

Squat down sinking the weight to touch the ground. Then quickly drive up to standing and, as you do, pull the weight up toward your chest, allowing your hands to slide down the horns of the kettlebell toward where the handle connects to the base.

From here press the weight overhead.

Do this all quickly without really pausing in any position.

Then lower the weight to your chest before allowing your hands to slide to the top of the handle as you sink back into that squat.

You may also find you like to perform this move with more a squat or leg emphasis, sinking into a deeper squat while holding the kettlebell in that goblet position at your chest before coming out of that deeper squat to press overhead.

Exercise #9: Rotational Row

You really can work your entire body using kettlebells. And if you want to vary up your back rows, you can always include a rotational kettlebell row.

This is not only a great unilateral back exercise to work each side independently but also a great core move, working those obliques as well.

This rotational row works your back through protraction to full retraction. Just make sure you can actually control the row with your back and don’t end up shrugging as you go from the shoulder blade being pulled forward to pulled toward your spine.

Start in a staggered stance with the weight in the opposite hand from the foot that is forward. Hold the weight in that opposite hand hanging down toward your heel of your front foot.

While you want to allow your shoulder blade to protract or come forward around your ribs as you allow the weight to hang, almost as if you are slightly reaching for the ground, you don’t want to lose tension on your core or round over.

Then drive the elbow back toward the ceiling as you slightly rotate open, pulling the handle up toward your chest.

Do not shrug your shoulder or let your shoulder round forward to make the movement bigger. Focus on a slight rotation through your torso as you pull your shoulder blade toward your spine.

If you struggle with bracing your core as you focus on the row, consider trying a variation off a bench so your hand and knee are on the bench to help you stabilize and brace.

Exercise #10: Halos

Halos are another must do move to improve your shoulder mobility and stability.

And while they can be done with a plate weight or dumbbell, the instability of the kettlebell is a great way to really progress this exercise, especially when the focus is on improve your stability and range of motion.

You can do this movement from a variety of postures as well.

I love the kneeling or even seated variation of this exercise to not only really focus on that shoulder mobility but take out the capacity to really cheat and seek out mobility from other areas. These variations are also more core intensive which can help prevent you from getting ego in adding weight.

It is key with halos, no matter which posture you select, that you focus on not moving your head but instead circling the weight around your head through the fullest range of motion you can. You want to keep the weight in tight though and not just make a circle over your head.

As you pull the weight around each time and back forward, focus on even feeling the side of your back powering that pull forward.

If you do this move kneeling, focus on really squeezing your glutes. You can also vary your stance with, bringing your knees together to make it harder to stabilize.

SUMMARY:

You can combine these moves to match your needs and goals, whether you want an upper body, lower body or full body routine. You may find you use multiple in the same workout or just even use one, swapping it in for a current move in your routine.

Just remember to pick moves based on your needs and goals! We want to include exercises with a purpose!

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