Exercise Breakdown: Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Kettlebells are great for upper body workouts, but what about legs?  Can you really get a good lower body workout with kettlebells? 

Well folks, my legs are telling me today that you can.

Let me introduce you to the Kettlebell Goblet Squat:

It's a simple exercise that's very similar to the front squat.  Just like regular squats, this is a compound exercise.  However, in my opinion, the kettlebell goblet squat offers some advantages.

My motivation and how I use it

Image from Flickr, by Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha

I'm 39 years old.  To most folks, that doesn't mean a whole lot.  For them, it just means that I'm older than a 38 year old, but younger than a 40 year old.  It's not like the age of 38 means anything special.

It's also the age that terrifies me.

Over a decade ago, my uncle - a man who was more like my brother than an uncle - dropped dead at the age of 39.  He wasn't the first family member to die at that magic age either.  He was just the latest in a long line of folks to die at 39.  Of course, good healthy doesn't exactly run in my family either.

So, despite rationality, I'm terrified of being 39. 

Four secrets to not getting sidetracked

Image from Flickr, by redjar

When you're fat and trying to become awesome, you try and do everything you can to stay on track.  Unfortunate, that's not always as easy as it sounds.  Real life can get in the way.  It's happened to me, and I suspect that most folks who have tried to go from fat to awesome have had it happen to them too.

However, the secret to avoiding it is to know what to look out for.

So, without further ado, here are four secrets to not getting sidetracked on the way to your fitness goals.

Understanding 'can't' and why it's meaningless

Image from Flickr, by tropical.pete

 

You've heard it.  You've most likely said it.  "I can't."  We've all done it.  I know I have.

It's also one of the most meaningless words in the English language.

When you say "can't", 99 times out of 100, what you mean is that on some level, you lack the will to actually do something.  I used to think that one exception to this rule was saying that a person with no legs couldn't walk.  Recent history has shown me otherwise.  Oscar Pistorius, despite his more recent troubles, proved that "can't" is rarely as applicable as people want to pretend.

Exercise Breakdown: Kettlebell Swing

The Kettlebell swing is one of the first kettlebell exercises someone should learn if they're going to actually use a kettlebell.  The kettlebell swing serves as the basis for several other exercises and, frankly, it makes a hell of a warm up if nothing else.

First, let's take a look at the swing and how it's done, then we can get into some of what I've learned about this exercise from doing it.

Yes, this is a woman.  Guys, get over it.  The exercise is no different, and frankly this is a pretty good video.  Now, for some things I've experienced.

Three tricks for making your food tasier

Image from Flickr, by jpockele

Has one of the problems with eating healthy been the bland taste you associate with healthy foods?  If so, you're so not alone on that one.  The truth is, there's a reason the phrase "if it tastes good, spit it out," has been used so often to describe advice on eating healthy.  For years and years, that was the rule of thumb.  There's a reason the health care system calls a no salt diet a "bland" diet.

It doesn't have to be that way though.  There are a ton of things that you can do to season up a chicken breast so that it isn't so boring.  Here are a few tips that may help you actually enjoy eating healthier.

Beware the 'All Natural' Label

This is termed "All Natural", but is it healthy? (Image from Flickr, by dvs)

How many times has someone tried to argue that something is healthy because it's "all natural"?  Has that happened to you?  I've had this discussion a million times, and when you're talking about eating real foods, one would think the "all natural" label would be a welcome sight.

For me, it's not.