Russian Kettlebells seem like they are only for the hardcore, but they are fantastic training tools that can help to reshape your physique and rev up your metabolism. Even if you are just a beginner.

A kettlebell is a cast iron weights that looks like a cannon ball with a handle.  Known as a “girya,” kettlebells have been a traditional Russian tool for extreme all-around fitness since the beginning of the 1700’s.

In this century, Russian Master of Sport Pavel Tsatsouline has been the number one proponent of bringing this old school method of training back to the masses.  Another great read is Pavel’s “purposely primitive” approach to strength training as detailed in his book “Power to the People: Russian Strength Secrets for Every American.”

Back to the kettlebells.  The giryas come in all sizes big and small, starting with a 4kg (9 lb/.25 poods) cutie and going all the way up to a 40kg (88 lb/2.5 poods) behemoth.   The benefits of kettlebell training are many.  Used properly, kettlebell exercises will push you to higher levels of all-around fitness and make you more capable; ramp up your metabolism without the bother of the time-wasting pursuits of diet and aerobics; increase endurance; and develop a killer combination of strength-with-flexibility.

All this, plus train your body in a functional manner with the most portable and versatile equipment available.

The giryas offer a great change of pace and break up the monotony of a regular training regime featuring traditional equipment.   The backbone of training with kettlebells is the two handed swing, but you can also perform hang cleans and snatches.  You can squat with them, military press them, throw them and anything else that you can think of.  There’s no limit to what you can do with a girya.

However, you must have an open mind and a commitment to hard work to get the most out of this style of training. And if you are a golfer, I guarantee that if used properly, training with a kettlebell will add more distance to your drives than any other method of training.

Everyone should buy Pavel’s instructional DVD “The Russian Kettlebell Challenge and/or “From Russia With Tough Love: The Women’s Guide To Kettlebell Training.” Women who are beginners should start with a pair of 4kg/8 lbs kettlebells, women who are currently training with weights and men who are beginners a pair of 6kg/13 lbs kettlebells and men who are currently training with weights a pair of 12kg/26 lbs kettlebells.   You can add to your collection as you improve your technique, strength and conditioning. Kettlebells are one of the best fitness investments that you can make.

Recently elliptical machines have been giving treadmills a run for the money in the category of “Most Popular Piece of Cardio Equipment,” as the elliptical allows people to get a good cardio workout with a minimum of impact on their joints.

If you are trying to decide which piece of equipment would be best for you, here are some factors to consider.

There’s no question that the ease of use associated with ellipticals – I think they provide an easier form of exercise – accounts for their ever-growing popularity.  However, ellipticals are also quieter and have fewer moving parts than do treadmills.

Even the best and quietest of treadmills will make a lot of noise when it’s in your home. In my facility we have both treads and ellipticals, the ellipticals require far less regular maintenance and over the past 6 years we have never had to repair our ellipticals but have had to do so several times with our treadmills. This isn’t to say that treadmills are unreliable, but with fewer moving parts and less impact on the machine, elliptical trainers are less likely to break down.

If you’re looking to push yourself, treadmills can provide a more intense workout than elliptical machines.  The results from a few studies seem to indicate that with regard to oxygen consumption, heart rate and calorie expenditure ellipticals can offer every bit the workout that treadmills do.  However, since people hold on during an elliptical training session they are not balancing and stabilizing themselves.

Developing and maintaining balance and stability is of vital importance to people of all ages.   When holding on, the machine provides balance and stability.  When working out on a treadmill and not holding on balance and stability are being improved.  Since most of us don’t hold on to anything as we go about our daily routine, this one difference makes the treadmill a better workout.  People who suffer from diminished capacity need to walk on a treadmill – even if they have to hold on – in order to develop balance and stability.

The Bottom Line: Even though they are noisy and take up more space, the treadmill is the way to go if you really want to push yourself during your workouts.  If you want a machine that you can put pretty much anywhere in your home and will give you a good low-impact workout, than the elliptical machine is for you.

There’s a workout program that you can fit in the palm of your hand, use every week, take with you everywhere that you go, that can adapt to any kind of exercises and will provide you with a challenging workout that changes every time you exercise.

Interested?  Then come on in and read more…

In this day and age of high-tech exercise equipment and complicated, “cutting edge” training philosophies, I find a great deal of comfort and get a great deal of challenge from old school training methods.  You’ve probably caught a hint of this fondness for the simpler methods of weight training and exercise if you’ve visited our site before and read my items about kettlebells, dumbbells and Converse All-Stars.

However, this little, perfect workout program represents the most bare boned of training programs.  I call it “The Deck of Cards” because I actually use a deck of cards to design my workouts.

Yes folks, in that little stack of 54 plastic coated paper cards you can find the most tortuous, maniacal, evil workouts known to man.  The random power of the cards can create workouts that will try to break your will, get your muscles shaking, heart pumping, lungs burning and have you soaked in your own sweat.

Are you curious?  Am I mad?  Quite possibly.

Using the deck of cards to guide you through a workout is an illustration of how beautiful and challenging a simple workout can be. No machines, no gym, no strength coach, no wrist wraps or weight belts or fancy sneakers or Under Armor. No changing weights or checking your pulse.  All you need is a deck of cards, your body and a clock to keep time.  And if you’re feeling old school, go shoeless.

There are many ways to craft your training session with the cards, but for now I will favor you with the most basic method of using the deck, and my personal favorite.  So here goes….

In this routine you will perform no exercises other than body weight squats and push ups.  If you flip a red card do the amount of push ups equal to the face value of the card, while a black card will compel you to pop a squat similarly.  Face cards will require more effort as Jacks count as 11, Queens as 12 and Kings as 13.  Aces count as 15 and for those bold enough to include the Jokers in the deck, they will oblige you to perform 20 reps each of squats and push ups.

If you can get through the entire, Joker-laden deck these rectangular bringers of havoc will have pushed you to perform 230 repetitions of each exercise.  I will tell you that once you try to get through “the Deck” you will never be the same again and will never look the same way at a deck of cards.

For noobs, finishing the deck in 30 minutes is quite an accomplishment, with 40 minutes being more likely.  For starters, I recommend giving 20 cards a shot and see how long this takes.  But for the brave (foolish?) who are willing to dive in 100% my advice is to take about 15-20 seconds between cards and 60-90 seconds rest after every 10 cards.  This plan might take you a little longer, but you’ll have a better shot at finishing the deck with proper form.

And just as an FYI, the fastest time I’m aware of for finishing the deck is 11:45.

As we move forward, I’ll tell you about other ways to use the deck to create great workouts, but for now give this simple plan a shot.  I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

A study published in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine weight training can help minimize the effects of lymphedema, a build up of fluids that causes painful swelling in the arms and/or hands. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that regular weight training exercises actually helped minimize this painful swelling and allowed women to cope better with the ramifications from radiation therapy and the removal of lymph nodes.

The findings of this study serve to counter the prevailing wisdom that breast cancer survivors should avoid performing any activity that involves lifting with the affected arm, and even avoid activities like golf and tennis.

Over the course of 13-weeks 141 breast cancer survivors participated in weight training classes two times per week, for 90-minute sessions.  In addition to lifting weights the subjects wore a custom-fitted compression garment – similar to a tight Under Armor shirt – and followed a progressive program that added weight and repetitions.  The subjects continued to exercise on their own for the next 39 weeks.

After a year the researchers found that the women who lifted weights suffered 50% fewer lymphedema flare-ups, reported fewer symptoms and increased their strength.  In addition, the group of women who lifted weights made 60% fewer visits to doctors and physical therapist for lymphedema-related issues.

It’s important to note that the researchers advise breast cancer survivors to seek out the guidance from certified personal trainers and fitness professionals, follow a program that starts slow and progresses gradually and wear a properly fitting compression garment while exercising.

The researchers also looked at whether weight training can prevent a first incidence of lymphedema and will release the results of this part of the study in the near future.

This is yet another feather in the cap of weight training and exercise.  As time goes on, it is clear that weight training and exercise in general, are the best way to insure good health.  From all of the research that has been done on the subject, there is not a segment of the population, young or old, fit or infirm that will not benefit from participating in a regular exercise program and exercise will do more for health and well being than any other intervention, including diet.

Level 2 of the HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com Conditioning Gauntlet can serve as a real challenge for even the fittest women.

Last month I posted an item detailing the first level of a conditioning test that I use with both my athletes and regular clients. If you’ve tried it and aced it, or looked at it and thought it was too easy for you, level 2 of the gauntlet is worth of your consideration.

Regular visitors to the site should know I don’t believe in using the scale as a measure of a person’s fitness and don’t care how much someone weighs. Weight loss is a bogus way to measure “improvements” in a person’s fitness level.

For professional or college athletes, competitive weekend warriors or gym rats performance and capability is what rules the day and is all that matters when measuring the success of a fitness program.

The “Conditioning Gauntlet” I use with my clients and kids on my team is split into 2 sections; the section one consists of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, 60-yard shuttle runs and the broad jump, the section two consists of the split jerk, squat, military press, dead lift and snatch.

I use different guidelines for men and women, and there are 2 levels for each section that reflect difficulty and conditioning level.

Here’s level 2 of the HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com Conditioning Gauntlet for women.

• Pull-ups – 1 set of 7 repetitions
• Push-ups – 1 set of 40 repetitions
• Sit-ups – 1 set of 65 repetitions
• Broad jump – 7 feet, 8 inches (best of 3 jumps)
• 60-yard shuttle runs – complete 12 in 14 seconds (or under) each taking 46 seconds rest in between shuttles

No doubt about it, if you are able to perform any of these tasks you are in very good shape.  However, anyone woman, of any age, who can complete these tasks consecutively, is in phenomenal shape, and can be considered a stud!

If you’ve taken a shot at the first level you know how you need to prepare; allow plenty of time for a general warm up, do an abbreviated set of each “event” and give yourself no more than 3-minutes in between exercises.

And please do not try to complete this test if you haven’t completed the first level of the gauntlet and until you have actually worked on these events.  The shuttle runs aren’t for newbies – even for people who do regular cardiovascular exercise.  Unless you’ve worked on running full-effort shuttles you should not try this test.

The HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com Conditioning Gauntlet provides an accurate measure of your fitness level and if you can complete this test – regardless of what the scale says – you are in top-level shape.

Pilates, like any other exercise style should be undertaken carefully and slowly.  Those who are just starting out should seek the best Pilates exercises for beginners because these exercises will be geared toward strengthening the body in order to perform more complicated routines.  The Pilates workout for beginners gives you a strong foundation for what will become a total body workout adding both strength and flexibility in the way only Pilates can.

Pilates for beginners takes a little preparation.  You should wear the proper clothing.  Pilates clothing should (like other exercise clothing) be loose but not easily shifted to avoid clumping, it should breathe to allow the heat from your body to escape, and most of all be comfortable.

It should be said that there is a general falsehood in exercises circles that Pilates is only for women.  Nothing could be further from the truth and many men are taking up Pilates for the beneficial strengthening aspects that also provide maximum flexibility and movement.  Pilates is great for athletes who need to be able to move while being strong and powerful.  The deliberate, slow full-range motion of Pilates gives the body strength without bulk.  The best Pilates for beginners will help individuals understand how Pilates works while still giving good results without over straining the muscles.

Some beginners believe Pilates is similar or interchangeable with yoga practices.  This is not true.  Both disciplines have a basis in the belief that strength without flexibility is bad, they go about their individual practices in much different methods that only appear similar on the surface.  The biggest difference between the two is the focus.  Yoga’s main principle is stretching the body and creating strength from balance and lengthening the muscles, where Pilates focus is strength that is obtained by creating a balance in the body, which in turn just happens to create a long, flexible structure.  For that reason Pilates is even better for athletes than most yoga, although both are wonderfully complementary practices.

Pilates for beginner exercises will develop core muscles that the user will be surprised to learn they even possess.  Such a strengthening of these muscles is what gives Pilates the great reputation for being such a tummy firmer.  In fact, any man looking to develop that much sought after six-pack will be surprised to see how fast Pilates for beginners will produce the desired effect. 

I’d like to thank MsFitOnline for allowing my “Biggest Loser” video blog (Vlog) entry to appear on her site.

MizFitOnline is one of the most influential fitness bloggers on the Internet and last week I was lucky enough to have her appear as a guest video blogger on HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com.

In what can be filed under the heading of, “One Good Turn Deserves Another,” MizFitOnline was good enough to feature my video blog on the problems that I have with “The Biggest Loser” on her site, MizFitOnline.com.

Regular readers to the site know that I think “The Biggest Loser” represents all that is bad with the fitness business and how personal trainers are portrayed.  Check it out.

Try to complete the first level of the HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com Conditioning Gauntlet.

I don’t believe in using the scale as a measure of a person’s fitness.  I don’t care how much someone weighs and don’t view weight loss as being an improvement to a person’s fitness level.  Performance and capability is what rules the day and is all that matters when measuring the success of a fitness program.

Over 20 years as a personal trainer and coach I have developed a “Conditioning Gauntlet” that I use with my clients and kids that I coach.  The Gauntlet is split into 2 sections; the first section consists of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, 60-yard shuttle runs and the broad jump, the second section consists of the split jerk, squat, military press, dead lift and snatch.

I use different guidelines for men and women, and there are 2 levels for each section that reflect difficulty and conditioning level.

Here’s level 1 of the first section of the HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com Conditioning Gauntlet for women.

• Pull-ups – 1 set of 3 repetitions
• Push-ups – 1 set of 25 repetitions
• Sit-ups – 1 set of 45 repetitions
• Broad jump – 7 feet (best of 3 jumps)
• 60-yard shuttle runs – complete 8 in 14 seconds (or under) each taking 46 seconds rest in between shuttles

Being able to perform any one of these tasks means you’re probably in pretty good shape, especially the shuttle runs.  However, any woman - of any age - who can complete these tasks consecutively is in very good shape.

When attempting to complete the Gauntlet allow plenty of time for a general warm up and do an abbreviated set of each “event,” and give yourself no more than 3-minutes in between exercises.  A word to the wise; don’t try to complete this test until you have actually worked on these events.  The shuttle run portion of the Gauntlet is extremely difficult – even for people who are in pretty good cardiovascular shape – and unless you’ve taken time and worked up to the 8 shuttles you will struggle mightily.

The HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com Conditioning Gauntlet provides an accurate measure of your fitness level and any woman who can complete this test – regardless of what the scale says – is in very good shape.

This week I’m honored to have as my guest video blogger MizFitOnline, one of the most influential bloggers on the Internet.

This topic wasn’t originally my plan for today’s Monday Facetime—-but I couldn’t get your comments on this post out of my head.

I was touched, saddened, heartened, inspired and, honestly, shocked  by the stories you shared.

The comment-snippets below sparked the above Facetime.

I’d be honored if you’d make the time to share your thoughts so we can compile an uplifting commentversation thread.

Last week’s comments (while entirely what I’d asked for and quite powerful) verged on sad.

I know we may not come up with one answer (as per the last comment below) but at least we’ll have a start.

I would love a tip post, Miz. How I can not duplicate in my children how I feel.

what I want my daughter to take into the rest of her life is that healthy and strong is beautiful. DD should find an activity she’s good at and enjoys, and then get out there and kick butt… .

I wanted to share that in your video when you said that your daughter would be enough just being who she is I cried a little. That’s all I ever wanted.

I think you may be correct that there is no one answer—-Id love to try and find one. Will you address this again?