Coming Soon: Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp in Brentwood

Exciting news! Matt McBryde, RKC has launched a new website Tennessee Kettllebell, and will be beginning kettlebell classes for the Brentwood/Cool Springs area in February.

Location: Crievewood Baptist Recreation Center, 480 Hogan Road, Nashville TN

Times: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night classes at 5:30pm beginning Feb 23rd
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday morning classes at 6am beginning Feb 24th.

I'll have more about it up on the Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp site soon. If you have questions email me irontamerdave@hotmail.com.

Jan 28th & 29th Class

Metro schools are closed but the roads are clear, we are ON for class tonight and tomorrow.

AM folks-if it is slick in the morning and school is closed, stay home.

7 MORE Tips to Save Thousands of Calories on Super Bowl Sunday

1.) Eat Naked: Replace all buns or breading for sandwiches with a lettuce wrap alternative to cut calories, stabilize blood sugar, and boost fiber and micronutrient intake.

2.) Hydrate: Drink at least two to four cups of water before eating AND one to two cups every 15-30 minutes after you start eating.

3.) Eliminate Empty Liquid Calories: Minimize or eliminate all fruit juices, regular sodas, and alcohol. Opt for water, tea, or low calorie/carb beverages in moderation to leave more room for whole food choices that have more nutritional value and better fill you up.

4.) Eat some protien and vegetables before the party. Don't let low blood sugar levels that come from not eating for hours before the party let you give in to massive junk food cravings.

5.) Replace All White with Brown (Or Better Yet... Green!): Be sure to use the whole grain alternatives for any starch you serve at your party (e.g. chips, tortillas, breads, rice, pasta). Whole grains have more vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber which means they won’t have as negative of an impact on your blood sugar compared to its white counterparts. However, if you want to be a nutritional boy or girl scout, go one step further by replacing all brown with green in the form of green veggies (see “Eat Naked” above).

6.) Focus on eating lean proteins and fruits and veggies first. Use these in unlimited amounts as needed to fill you up and best prevent the typical party “killshot” of high carb and high fat meals like thick crust pizza.

7.) Don't eat directly out of the bag or community bowl. Put your food on a smaller plate while limiting yourself to a pre-set plate total (e.g. four plate maximum during a three-hour football game).

Enjoy the game!

Nashville Bootcamp Instructor Shares Strategies to Save Hundreds of Calories on Superbowl Sunday

If you have been reading my rants for a while you know that I often mention how people will begin a new year with the best intentions, then by mid-February they are right back in the same habits that got them overweight, out of shape and miserable in the first place. Super Bowl Sunday is usually the time the derailing begins. You’ve been pounding away for a few weeks, starting to see some results and figure “Hey, I deserve to take a little break.) This is the beginning of the end for 90% of the people who jump on the wagon every New Year’s Day.

Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner and now is the to start prepping for the buffet of goodies for your football party. Since you have been rocking so hard since January 1st, here is an idea: why not make a few tweaks to some of your favorite party food recipes to make them healthier for the kickoff? Keep that momentum rolling in your favor.

The following list has both approved food choices and/or healthier substitutes for traditional party foods. Use this list to satisfy your taste buds while saving at least hundreds if not thousands of calories in the process. This doesn’t just apply to football parties: If you use these strategies consistently for parties and social gatherings over the course of the year, you’ll finish this year leaner and stronger than ever.

Section I- Appetizers

· Naked Sandwiches (preferably bun-less, only use whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
· Super Salad Bowl (use unlimited veggies and meats, dip dressing on the side or use low calorie substitutes)
· Tuna or Chicken Salad
· Nut Butter on Celery Sticks
· Raw Mixed Nuts (no sugar, low in salt)
· Cheese, Eggs, and Meat Tray
· Raw Veggies (use dip sparingly)
· Grilled/Sauteed Veggies (use extra virgin olive or coconut oil)
· Buffalo Chicken Bites (skinless, no breading, use low calorie buffalo sauce sparingly)
· Pasta Salad (use whole grain pasta and go easy on the dressings, choosing marina based sauces over creamier versions)

Section II- Accessories

· Natural Whole Grain Tortillas
· Natural Baked Chips
· Sugar-free Green Tea (or other low calorie/carb beverages)
· Water
· Natural Salsa
· Guacamole
· Salad Dressings: Vinegars of choice (apple cider, red wine, balsamic, etc.)
· Other Low Calorie Condiments of Choice: mustard, hot sauce, horseradish, etc.

Section III- Main Courses

· Burger salad - Simply cook up a bunch of seasoned lean beef or turkey (I like taco seasoning) and put it on your favorite salad base ( Mine is spinach)
· Rotisserie Chicken (choose “plain” and remove skin and dab off any grease as needed with paper towel)
· Chili (with or without beans, use extra lean turkey or beef)

Section IV- Desserts
· Fruit salad
· Prograde Cravers (100% organic chocolate snacks bars)

Stay on track!

Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp workout of the week

Everyone in class has been kicking MAJOR ass this week.

Earlier this week everyone went though a variation of this circuit:

Alternating KB floor press- :45 work/:20 rest/rotate

Deck Squat -:45 work/:20 rest/rotate

Pushup to elbow plank- :45 work/:20 rest/rotate

Brief rest

Swings (or deadlifts) in the Circle of Pain-:20 work/:20 rest for 12 minutes, weights ranging from 16kg to 48kg.

Thank you for all your hard work and have a great weekend!

The best lower body exercise YOUR personal trainer doesn't know about.

As you might imagine, I get this kind of question a lot: “What is the best exercise for ______” fill in the blank. A common area of concern (especially among women) is the lower body, specifically the butt and thighs. Today I’m going to share the absolute best lower body exercise in existence . It’s called the Kettlebell Swing.

Before we get further into this, please remember that individual body part training and spot reduction on certain areas of the body is a waste of time. We do full body training, meaning that we train the upper body, lower body, cardio and core during every single workout, much of the time in the same exercise.

We do this to maximally stimulate lean muscle gain and metabolism which causes total body fat burning, effectively eliminating the body fat that is hiding those stubborn areas that people are having trouble seeing.

Add this kind of training to a diet high in lean protein, fiber, and green veggies and low in unnatural fats, refined sugars and starches to get rid of get rid of your gut, jiggly arms, and the junk in the trunk. The way you lose fat is genetically predetermined. You can do crunches and walk on the treadmill all day, but if you really want results you have to put in the effort, both in your training and in your eating habits.

Ask a bunch of personal trainers for their opinion and you'll get a bunch of different answers. The surprising thing is that the very best hip and thigh exercise on the planet is one that 99% of the personal trainers don't even know about!

So, on to the main event: the world’s greatest lower body exercise, the Kettlebell Swing. If your butt is too big, KBs will help firm it up and give it better shape. If you have no butt, the swing will build one for you.

See the video below for a demo of the 2-hand kettlebell swing:

Important points about the Kettlebell Swing:

• The power comes from the hips not the arms or lower back. Move explosively.
• Keep you back flat thoughout the entire movement.
• Hike the kettlebell behind you to load the glutes.
• To get full hip extension at the top, keep the heels on the ground, pull up the kneecaps and squeeze the cheeks together.

Come join us at the Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp and see for yourself.

Friday Jan. 16th 6 am Class

Normally if Metro Davidson County schools are closed for bad weather we do not meet. However, since there is no snow in the forecast-we will meet in the morning! See you there.

The Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp Roadmap contest has begun!

We are live and underway!
Lots of food logs and goal questions coming at me from everyone. A lot of people also wanting to know "what do I win?"

I put a lot of thought into that and came up with the obvious: A kettlebell. If you win, you'll get a shiny new kettlebell of your choice up to 24kg. Also the winner will recieve a month's supply of Prograde supplements and a massage therapy gift certificate from Balance Bodywork.

Let's get to it!

Resolution to Results: Part Two and Three

Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it?

So we figured out the obvious: you want to look better and maximize your sexy! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:

1.) Scale Weight: Anyone who knows me knows that this is by far the LEAST important goal, but it gives a number that’s easy to track. Body fat percentage is a much better method of tracking progress, but it is too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to take your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every week or two. Some people do better with tracking their weight every month. There are a lot of variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), so the less frequently you do this the better.

If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.

2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you are on track. It’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? You can also one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. It is very powerful to literally be able to feel yourself comfortably get into clothes that use almost rip when you put on.

3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess it than pictures? I cannot over-emphasize how important this is. Taking a before picture is YOU telling the whole world "I am ready to change and ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes". Take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer.

Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. Take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until the goal is met.

Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?We know what you want to accomplish, now it’s time to plan and prepare for obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done.

The big thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up IF you prioritize. Think back to WHY you wanted to do this in the first place. Remember what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.

Another one is boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this habit. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is like drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating. One way to keep it in check is to plan your meals and follow you plan. If you didn't plan it, don't eat it.

At the end of the day, the key is to be honest about potential roadblocks so you can plan and prepare for them. That’s where social support and accountability come into play. My clients who have had the HUGE success have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.

From Resolution to RESULTS

Since the beginning of the Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp, I have helped a LOT of people improve health, performance, and body composition faster than they believed possible. I know how to help people lose ugly, unwanted body fat and get stronger than they ever believed they could. At the risk of sounding cocky, I know how to do it faster than anyone else in Nashville.

Our kettlebell-based rapid fat loss training and nutrition system is, in a word, superior. Following Pavel's example, I have done (and continue to do) the countless hours of research and trial and error and I have had hundreds of people as real world case studies to prove that our system works better than anything else. Period.

But, anyone who knows my approach knows that there is something more powerful; something that has to in place before you can even begin to think about following a fitness program. Today I am going to share some of that with you.

Let me ask you something. What do you think is the real secret behind my client success? Your answer may be the Nashville Kettlebell training and nutrition system, but that's not it.

Yes, it is an incredibly effective program. Unfortunately it is completely useless if someone is unwilling to begin it AND follow it to the letter. Does that make sense?

Does it make sense that the most important component of changing your body is finding the motivation to achieve your goals?

I am going to literally walk you through a powerful three-step goal achievement process that is so important to weight loss success that I now require it for any new client to be considered for joining our program.

Before I get into actual process, I need to get something off of my chest that may piss some people off. I know a lot of people think goal setting is just a silly, useless, touchy-feely thing. I want you to notice something about these people. Usually, they are miserable and haven't achieved anything in their own lives.

If YOU are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss book or pill and keep complaining about how you have "tried everything and nothing works". I can't do anything for you. I can only help people who want to improve.

Successful in every arena-fitness, business, sports, music, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly what they want and why they want it. This involves planning for possible roadblocks they will encounter in their path to success. This is what you will learn today.

Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?
It’s time to get serious. In almost every initial consult I do, when I ask "why have you contacted me today" here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:

“Well, I just want to get healthy and lose weight I guess.”

Nope. That ain't gonna work. Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but WHY? What is it that’s going to get them out of bed at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because honestly this just isn’t a very powerful motivator.

I believe that just about every body (including YOU) wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve your appearance is the most powerful motivator there is. This shouldn’t be such a big surprise since we are instinctually programmed to procreate.

So, I dig and find out the real reason why the new client want to do this; I find their past or pain and then look at their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to wear for years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships.

Then there is the ever-popular big event with a built-in deadline. Wanting to get as lean as possible to rock that little black dress at the class reunion. Get off the plane in to visit family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or looking AWESOME in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people fired up and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own real clients.

So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, the rest starts to fall into place.

Stay tuned for steps two and three.....

Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp Roadmap and Contest

Next week the Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp will begin a contest. While the people who devote themselves to this contest will no doubt lose bodyfat and get stronger, feel better and look better naked, this contest is not like the "Biggest Loser" shows or the transformation contests you see in magazines.

This contest will be judged on WHAT you do, not how you wind up looking.

The focus will be on changing the behaviors that got you out of shape to begin with. I'll be handing out hard copy of the following Roadmap in class this week to everyone. I'll make a post about prizes later this week, I am still working out a few details . The contest winner will be the person with the highest score at on April 10th, 2009.

Nashville Kettlebell Success Road Map 101

Outlined here is a strategically designed to-do list combined with a scoring system to give you regular feedback on your progress at completing a variety of activities. This has been specifically designed for maximum impact on your fat loss and fitness efforts.

There are 101 possible weekly points. You should strive to score 101 and definitely no less than 90 each and every week if you are truly committed to reaching your goals, winning the contest and becoming a success story.

There are two different categories: Daily Activities and Weekly Activities.

You simply do the activities and then write down the point value for each activity. The closer you get to a perfect score each week, the faster you’ll reach your goals.Imagine you were planning a long cross-country drive. You would need to know three things:
1. Where are you going?
2. How do you get there?
3. Are you on the right course?

Consider this list your road map. Just as you would use a map to plan the route, you can use this information to see where you are going, how far you have come and to make sure you are still on the right road to get there. If you get off track on your long drive, you immediately consult the map and get back on the right road.

Daily Activities

1. Eat every 2 to 4 hours or 5-6 small meals throughout the day.In order to keep your metabolism burning strong you must feed the machine that is your body. One way to do this is to eat several small meals at regular intervals throughout the day.

Skipping meals or not eating enough will not keep your metabolism burning high and will compromise your fat loss efforts. Make sure you eat!Daily points: 1 point for each day you eat at least 5 small meals

2. Consume some protein and vegetable every time you eat. Vegetables, proteins and fruit are the most important parts of your nutrition plan. The nutrient density of veggies and the thermic effect (the amount of energy required for digestion) that protein offers you is vital to keeping your metabolism running high. The thermic effect of veggies are nothing to scoff at either, some are almost equal to proteins. Eat some fruit too, but focus on vegetables since they contain less sugar.

Daily points: 1 point for each day you eat a protein AND a vegetable with each meal.

3. Get at least 3 training sessions every week. The simplest way to do this is just come to class and do the work! Our kettlebell workouts use full-body movements and are performed with minimal rest.

Swing and snatch interval training is the time efficient cardio of choice for successful fat loss clients. In study after study measuring fat loss, interval training has destroyed long steady state cardio, burning up to NINE times more bodyfat. Put them together and you have a very powerful method for shedding excess body fat and getting strong.

But what about the bootcamp off-weeks? The off weeks are designed in part to give you some recovery. Get in some physical activity like walking, swimming, playing a sport, a yoga class, etc. a couple time during that week. If we have an extra class, try to be there.
Daily points: 3 points for every day you come to class and complete an optimized kettlebell workout session.

4. Review your goals EVERY day. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this. This is the fuel that keeps the entire process moving. The more often you read your goals the more often they will be in the forefront of your mind and will dictate all of your actions.

Even more powerful than that is to write and read an affirmation as if it has already happened. This will program your mind to believe it has already happened. How can you fail at something that has already happened? The best time to do this is just after you wake up and just before you go to sleep. Visualize how you will look, feel and perform as you drift of into dream land….
Daily points: 1 point for every day you review your goals

5. Log food into a food journal to check progress.
Immediate feedback is very beneficial. Seeing any errors make helps you make corrections quickly so that you can get the most out of your actions. Using a food journal gives you immediate feedback as to where you need help and where you are doing well.

I recommend http://www.fitday.com/. Once you create a free account there, you will make it public and email it to me, so that I can see what is going on and we can make any necessary changes.

You won't have to wonder if you are doing well and are on track, it will tell you in black and white.

Daily points: 2 points for every day you log your food intake in a food journal.

6. Have a multivitamin every day

Taking a multivitamin will greatly increase your chances for success. Your diet will almost never cover all the bases that your body needs for optimal health, especially if you are restricting calorie intake. Take a quality multivitamin that is whole food based and digests well within the body. This will ensure that all of your bases are covered.

The best supplements I have found are made by a company called Prograde. They are only available through fitness professionals. HERE is the link to use to check out their products.

Daily points: 1 point for every day you consume a multivitamin

Weekly Activities

1. Plan Meals for the Week. Planning is vital to your success. It gives you direction (like a roadmap) so you just follow it without thinking. Take an hour one day a week and plan your meals for the entire week (usually before going grocery shopping), and you will stay consistent much more often than if you decide to 'wing it' with your planning. The old saying is true: If you fail to plan then plan to fail.

Weekly points: 10 points for each week you plan your meals for the week

2. Cook food in bulk and package for quick preparation. Planning to have meals is great but if you are in a rush and “don't feel like cooking” then you will turn to quicker, less healthy alternatives. Take one or two hours out of your Sunday and cook, chop, and package your planned meals for the week (done after grocery shopping). When all of your food is cooked and prepared, you are truly organized:) And it won't matter if you are in a hurry or not, the food will be ready and will take 1/2 the time (or less) to get it prepared or packed.

Weekly points: 10 points for every week you cook your meals ahead of time

3. Set a personal record in your workout
Each week find a place in your workout to set a personal best. It might be a heavier weight, more reps in a given time frame, etc. It doesn't matter as much as doing something this week that you couldn’t get last week.

Find one thing each week to set a personal best at and go after it. This will help you improve your performance, calorie output, and keep the program exciting and effective. Most importantly, it will give you an immediate, tangible result and feeling of accomplishment each week when you know you did something today that you could not do last week
Weekly points: 5 points for each week you make an attempt to set a personal best. 10 points when you hit it.

4. Try a new healthy food. Food variety is important for the same reasons that exercise variety is. You create excitement mentally and you will get nutrients from a different source of food. You may love spinach if you have never tried it before.

Weekly points: 10 points for each week you try a new healthy food

5. Talk to someone about your goals and using your support system. A support system is an important part of your plan for success. You don’t have to do this alone! By telling someone about your goals, you are verbally declaring yourself responsible for achieving that goal. Accountability can help dramatically when times get tough.

Choose wisely though! The people you tell should be those that will help you stay accountable through tough times and will be a positive influence on you when you succeed. Someone who says, 'Aw, its ok, you have been so good, just have this piece of pie. You can get back on track tomorrow', is NOT someone you can rely on.

I recommend you take advantage of our private Ning site. Everyone on the site is either in the Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp class or invited by me to be a part of the community. Email me if you haven't joined yet.

Weekly points: 10 points for each week you log on to the Ning site and talk about your goals.

There you have it. The Nashville Kettlebell Success Roadmap 101. Following these guidelines and using a point system to give you immediate feedback on how you are doing gives you an additional sense of accountability and puts the responsibility in your hands to either succeed or not. Make today better than yesterday. Let's rock.