Kettlebell Workouts with Master Geoff Neupert

I receive a lot of questions from guys asking me if they can or if they should add Pull Ups or Chin Ups to their kettlebell programs. (For the record, so we’re on the same page here: Pull Ups palms face away from you, Chin Ups palms face toward you.) My responses are usually one of the following : 1- Based upon the program, there’s usually no need to . What most guys don’t know, is that based upon the original kettlebell research by Voropayev (see Pavel’s, The Russian Kettlebell Challenge), the “kettlebell only” group improved their calisthenics numbers - including Pull Ups - by “just” doing kettlebell work. “Wait - they didn’t do any calisthenics - like Pull Ups at all??” Apparently. That was one of the initial attractions of the kettlebell: Instead of spending a ton of time doing 55-11 different exercises, you could just do a few and see superior results to traditional training / programming. And many guys who take the time to learn proper kettlebell technique report the same thing f...

Let me ask you a question: What do you think you’d look like and how do you think you’d perform if you could Snatch a 32kg KB for 10 sets of 10+10 (10 each side)? 200 reps. What if you could do it in 10 minutes? How about a 40kg? Even a 48Kg? And why would you even consider engaging a such a challenge? Well, over the last 25+ years, “Snatch Tamers” report the following from having a Big, Strong Kettlebell Snatch: [+] Increased VO2Max numbers (without the knee and joint damage often experienced from long distance running) [+] Doing more Pull Ups (without doing Pull Ups) [+] Bigger Deadlift numbers (without practicing the Deadlift) Pavel reported in the original Russian Kettlebell Challenge book that Soviet experiments by Voropayev on soldiers and athletes reported running faster, longer, lifting heavier, and smoking their calisthenics tests from a steady diet of Snatches and Clean + Jerks. In fact, Derek Toshner, StongFirst Master Instructor and Multi-Time Tactical Strength Challenge Ch...

If I told you by making one simple change in your life, you could see the following: [+] Faster strength gains - your KBs start feeling lighter and you’re lifting heavier bells [+] More muscle mass - tighter shirt sleeves and shoulders [+] Decreased body fat - looser pants [+] More energy - say goodbye to the 2pm crash and the need for coffee or an energy drink [+] Less stress, anxiety, and even negative thoughts - and more peace [+] Less hunger - and less desire for junk food and other cravings [+] Less decision fatigue and feeling overwhelmed and more calm, collected, coolheadedness Would you make it? And no, it’s not taking the latest “magic supplement.” And no, it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, financially, it costs you zero. What is this Deep Magic? SLEEP. Now before you brush me off and say you don’t need more sleep, here’s what the research says happens to you when you get less than 7 hours of sleep each night. Whether you know it or not, like it or not, or agree wi...

👉 Kettlebell HARD! - https://cart.chasingstrength.com/hard3b There are many different ways to build muscle. Recently, we’ve been discussing how to build muscle with kettlebells. And that’s because most “ex-spurts” and “gym bros” think the barbell or machine training is the “best” way to build muscle. But the reality is, the “best way” - the MOST EFFECTIVE way to build muscle is… And really let this sink in here - DEPENDENT UPON YOU. [+] Your training background. [+] Your injury history and the physical limitations you bring to the table. [+] Your current fitness level. [+] Your access to kettlebells or other tools. [+] Your ability to perform any and all kettlebell exercises / lifts safely. [+] Your time you have available to train. And here’s the most important point of all: This “Most Effective” will change as you progress through the seasons of your life. For example, when you’re in your late teens and in college or the military, you can train A LOT. And usually eat and recover A L...

If you need a proven Clean + Press program, follow Wendell’s footsteps and grab your copy of ‘THE GIANT’ here. https://chasingstrength.com/kettlebells/giant/ And if you aren’t sure about how to get the most leg work out of either your Cleans, or your Presses, or both? Make sure you grab ‘THE GIANT’ - Premium, which comes with Deep Dive ‘How To’ videos. And if you absolutely insist on including Squats with your Clean + Presses? Use Kettlebell MAXIMORUM. https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettlebell-maximorum-e/ This was the gist of an email I go the other day from Wendell, in which he asked the following: “Hi there!  I recently purchased The Giant.  Could you advise me on how legs will benefit on the program without doing extra leg work?” So, here’s the deal about how the Clean + Press works your legs. 1- The Posterior Chain, Part 1 - Knee Rehab This is something I rarely see anyone speak about. Sure, people talk about KBs working the posterior chain -  The muscles responsible...

There are FIVE (5) things we can learn from NFL hopeful training style: 1- Build in your recovery: No recovery, no results. Period. End of story. (Use this program for yours if you’re banged up.) 2- Do direct abdominal work: For most of us, “just kettlebells" is not enough. Almost ALL of us need pelvic / core stabilization work. And almost ALL of us could use some direct core strength work. If college athletes need it, how much more so the rest of us? 2-3 times per week is enough. I recommend you systematize your abdominal work / core training. 3- Work your legs - if you can: These guys work their legs - A LOT. Many guys in their 40s and beyond have knee and hip problems. So, Squats and Lunges might be out of the question, unless you too undertake specific restoration work. (See #1.) Which you should, since leg strength and circumference are key indicators of longevity. I recommend starting by adding in the Goblet Squat, then move on to the Double Kettlebell Front Squat. 4- Work y...

There was a fascinating research study I ran across about a decade ago that corroborated what I was seeing with my athletes back in the late 90s and with my post-rehab clients since then. In 2015, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld and his colleagues discovered that “Low Load” (LL) training of 3 sets of 25-35 reps produced equivalent muscle thickness as “High Load” (HL) training of 3 sets of 81-12 reps. So that’s the first and very painful way - [1] Perform 3 sets of 25-35 reps per exercise - approaching failure. Incidentally, I tested this out back around 2010-11 with Double Clean + Presses with a pair of 16s for a training cycle. It was very painful. (I personally HATE high reps - LOL.) Yet, I noticed significant growth, until I didn’t, which took about 3 weeks. Then it tapered off and I started to fatten up - probably because I’m not “wired” for that style of training and my cortisol levels skyrocketed. But if you trend toward endurance or enjoy that style of training, it might work really well fo...

Ever wonder about this? I used to. And I USED to have a DEFINITIVE answer. But now, my answer has changed - somewhat. One thing’s for sure, it’s most certainly not the Swing. It’s not that I’m hating on the Swing, it’s just that it doesn’t create enough tension in the body - which is one of the key mechanisms of muscle growth. It doesn’t use enough muscle, especially in the upper body. So, if you’re setting out to build muscle using the Swing, you’d be better off watching paint dry. What should you use instead? Any exercise that moves that - 1- Maximizes a muscle or particular muscle group through a full range of motion 2- Maximizes the loading / load (stress) placed on said muscle group(s) So, generally speaking, for the upper body we have the Military Press or Push Press.  These can be single or double. SMP =  Single Military Press, SPP =  Single Push Press, DMP =  Double Military Press, DPP =  Double Push Press Double kettlebell work demands more output from ...

We’ve been talking lately about how important getting stronger and building muscle is for those of us 40 and older. (Let’s face it - it’s critically important regardless of your age.) But actually, there’s one thing that’s MORE important. Before we discuss it, let me just tell you that I had to learn this the hard way. When I was younger, I was a knucklehead. I prided myself on “working hard.” Regardless of the long-term effects. I pushed myself so hard in my lifting that I literally broke. Multiple times. And that was when I learned that “masking the pain” in the short term only created more pain in the long run. And it’s the long run - the Long Game - that we should (in my humble opinion) should be focused on. So that’s why we need to focus on JOINT HEALTH first and foremost. Even BEFORE strength and muscle. Because if you have joints that produce active pain (and inflammation), then your body will shut down the neural drive to the muscles around those joints. And that means that you...