Smitty of the Diesel Crew joins us to talk about single leg training, kettlebells, grip training and much more!

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Show notes will be up soon. Sorry for the delay!

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The cast talks about lifting’s effect on bio mechanics, an EPIC discussion about tightening your nutrition, shoulder injuries, and much more!

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FitCast News

• Perform Better Recap
• Going to PB Chicago
• KevinLarrabee.com Blog Updates
• Guest Requests Needed

Mailbag

• Hey Fitcast

  Just thought I’d share a good book to help people understand studies and publications in an easy to understand book. The book is called Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. I’m listening to the audiobook version and it’s quite informative and teaches people how to critically examine trials and studies.

  Jin

• Hey Lee, Kevin, and all the fine people at the Fitcast,

  I have a question for the show. I started a 3×5 lifting program last fall, and have experienced good results, and I have put on about 13 new lbs. of muscle (in the upper body, chest, lats, but also glutes, hamstrings and even my calves). I’m very happy about that. As you well know, all that squatting puts a lot of stress on the legs, so I have eased off my running quite a bit (used to run about 15-20 miles a week before 3×5). I do run nowadays, between 3-5 miles a week. My question, however, is this: Is it possible the new muscle mass (especially in the glutes and hamstrings) could change my running biomoechanics? I do find I am sore in new spots after running (I have been virtually injury free my whole running life), and I am not sure what I should do about it. The soreness is mostly on the outside of my knees, or sometimes slightly behind the kneee, where the joint would be. I am very focused on preventing injury, so backing off running is no problem. I doubt I have to cut it out altogether, though. As I also increase the intensity of my 3×5, will this mean this kind of cardio is off limits? What would you recommend?  -Cesar

• Hey guys!

  I have has 3 shoulder dislocations and a stabilisation operation after playing rugby in Ireland. I did this by falling directly onto my elbow rather than in a major contact situation. The operation was 1 1/2 years ago and I have not yet returned to rugby. Would you have any specific exercises or protocols that you would recommend to give the best possible chance of returning to the sport and remaining injury free?? I have the usual internal/external rotation stuff but to me it doesnt seem as if it is enough or that I am doing it enough times per week. Any suggestions are very much appreciated ! I have read that shoulder stability is as much to do with scapular stability as the shoulder joint itself and that by putting weight directly through the shoulder is useful. I currently do the regular gym stuff as the operation was so long ago and have recently started learning Olympic lifting techniques so I dont think shoulder mobility is as much an issue as shoulder stability.

  Thanks again
  Kris

• Hi FitCast crew.

  My question is regarding the weight gain that I’ve experienced lately. I’m 19 years old, 5′9″, and my weight right now is at 150 lbs. I’ve been following Alwyn’s New Rules of Lifting Program for almost 6 weeks, and have made my diet a 3 day low-1 day high calorie intake which I’ve done already for 2-3 weeks to lose some weight.  My diet consists of sweet potatoes, oatmeal, fruits like apples and oranges, lean meats like chicken breast or fish, skim or soy milk, and nuts or peanut butter; sometimes, I would eat more nuts or peanut butter on my high calorie days without counting portions just because they are more calorie dense and satisfying than eating more veggies.

  What I soon found out was that as the weights that I lifted in my workout increased, so as my body weight did. It only got worse and made me frustrated when I found out that I still don’t see 4 or 6-pack abs popping out (seems to me like flabs than abs, especially when I sit) and that my body fat hasn’t changed or has increased a bit, despite the fact that I do interval training on a treadmill every Saturday.

  Am I doing it wrong guys? I mean, why do I still gain weight even though my diet is always in check and my calories slightly reduced at just 1800-2000 calories? Hope you can help me with this. Thanks

  Francis

Martin Rooney joins Kevin to talk about training around the world and MMA Training. Kevin and Jon open up the mailbag to talk about sets and reps, injuries, and more. And PJ Striet talks about the fitness industry with Kevin.

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FitCast News

• 4-Year Anniversary
• Perform Better Summit Interviews
• T-Shirts!

Martin Rooney Interview (Check out Martin’s NEW BOOK)

• Long time fan from your time at Elite Fitness. I preordered your book and can’t wait to wait to get it.My question is about your various Warrior Challenges. My training is strength focused and I have been using the 5/3/1 program for some time now with great success. Where do you suggest one puts the various Warrior Challenges into an existing program? At the beginning of a session kinda’ smokes the rest of the workout, but if you wait until the end of a session, you can’t do the challenge justice.Thanks Martin.– Dave
• Mr. Rooney,

  Greetings from Finland and thanks for your great seminar over here during last fall!

  Question: Based on your excursions around the globe, what is the one main thing you´ve learned from  overseas that you could take back to the States to help your athletes get better results?

  Also,  on the same token  what one thing you would take from the North-American training systems to improve European training system?

  Thank you in advance and looking forward to see you in 4 weeks!

  Joni

  Helsinki, Finland
  

• I live in the UK, I am a 37 year old female and have just started kickboxing and love it. What would be some good conditioning exercises? I do 2 kickboxing classes a week, and 2 boxercise classes. Should I do some running, and general conditioning like body weight squats, sit ups etc, and what do you think of skipping as a conditional tool. thanks -Clair
• The last time I saw you in person as well as in your book you talked alot about how the culture of Martial Arts as a whole has a risk of fading away in the new evolution of Mixed Marial Arts.  Alot of focus on fighting and conditioning but not a lot of focus on things like Tradition, Honor, Self Respect and other things covered through the various martial art systems metioned in your book Ultimate Warrior Work outs.  My Question is what are some things that people or trainers can do to instill these values in a mixed martial arts world or enviroment so as to not lose sight of what MMA is truely rooted in.
  Second and thirdly.. Do you use the TRX either in your warrior progams or in other programs at the Parisi Speed School and Third I am still a bit gimpy from an  injury to my Antior Shoulder and Biceps tendon it was mostly a strain and not a tear are there any particular exercises that should be renforced not just to my injury but for others to increase overall shoulder health?
  Thanks So Much,
  Brian Sargent

Mailbag

• Hello Kevin, Leigh, and Dr. Fass,This question is directed towards Dr. Fass, but I would welcome anyones input. I have developed an annoying dull pain in my right shoulder that feels similar to a bruise. My shoulder is more agrivated on some days and better on others, So the severity of the pain is very inconsistant. Some days I hardly hurt at all, and some days the pain will increase throughout the day. The soreness is located mostly around the anterior part of the delts, but the soreness is not superficial. It actually fells very deep within the shoulder joint . I can actually locate the agrevated sore spot with my thumb within a slender strip of the anterior delts. The problem is my range of motion is affected by this irritation. Placing my right hand accross my chest, and onto my left shoulder intensifies the pain to a sharp piercing type that is pretty intense. If I leave my right hand on my left shoulder and begin to raise my elbow, the pain gets even worse. Reaching behind my back also agrevates it to a lessor degree. I have a very wide shoulder base for my height. I continue to do my daily P90X workouts as best I can. I take some Naproxen Sodium sometimes, and that really seems to help. The arm circles and other shoulder warmups that are part of P90X seem to help my shoulder feel better durring the workout, but sometimes pull ups and pushups seem to make it pretty sore the next day.What do you think the cause of this could be? Do you think I may have some kind of impingement? Is it possible their could be some muscle pinching between the Coracoid process causing internal bruising? Why would it be worse some days than others? Could I be sleeping on it wrong?The Fitcast may very well be the best thing about itunes. Don’t change a thing!!Jody

  P.S. I’ve experienced almost exactly the same thing with my left shoulder in the past, but eventually it got better, and I have no problem with it now. The right shoulder has been like this for a while now though, and I starting to wonder whats going on here. I want to graduate to more compound movements, and heaver lifts in the future, so I need to get a handle on this.

• Hi Fitcasters,I’m a 25 year old male, 6′1, 190 lbs. and in the 12-15% bf range. I’ve lifted weights regularly for the past 5 years, I put on about 20 lbs of fairly lean bulk in that timeframe.My goal is gain mass while maintaining current bf levels. However, I have much less time to devote to working out due to work and family obligations. I have a gym in the basement that I can do almost every exercise in but in the interest of time I’ve simply developed a push/pull program that I do 4 times a week in the morning before work. I do flat bench, overhead presses and squats on push day and bent-over rows, chins and deadlifts on pull days. I usually do 3 sets of 8 for upper body exercises and 3 sets of 10 for lower body exercises. And from week to week will increase weight or reps when possible and mix in a few variations of these exercises.My question is, are these 6 exercises giving me the most bang for the buck? And am I getting enough volume here to make any reasonable gains over time? I understand I can’t expect the same results that I earned when I was putting more time into my workouts, but I’d like to maximize what I am doing these 45 min sessions 4 times a week before work. Over the past few months I haven’t noticed any siginificant gains in size or strength.Thanks, keep up the awesome work!

  Mark

• Hey Kevin,
  I have a suggestion for your site. I am fairly well versed in fitness and nutrition but occasionally you or one of your guests will mention terms that I was not familiar with. I typically listen to the show on my ipod while working the assembly line at the local auto factory and will google what I can remember when I get home. I thought it would be kind of convenient and informative to all the listeners if you could post a “Glossary of Terms” with a brief definition on your website. It could include equipment, exercises, stretches, human anatomy, supplements and nutrition, etc. I realize you are quite busy and this could take a while, but it could be a work in progress and you might enlist the help of Jon and Leigh. Anyway, just a thought. Love the show. Can’t get enough.

  Regards,
  Jerry from Nashville

• Hello, I am a somewhat new listener, and I haven’t managed to listen to all the old podcasts yet, so I am sorry if this question has already been asked. I work on my feet for nine hours straight, 5 or 6 days a week. Usually by the time I get off work and am ready to train, my feet are very sore, and my knees, hips, and lower back will also be a little stiff and sore. I thought my body would adjust, but after a month at this job, I am still tired and sore by the time I leave work. It makes it difficult to work as hard as I would like to in the gym. What would you suggest for this? Are there certain shoes, exercises, or stretches you would recommend? I’m sure anyone who works in a retail job or restaurant can relate, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!-Matt
  Gaithersburg, MD
• What up!
  I am a NASM certified PT who loves writing programs, but always gets into a “brain freeze” whenever I think about developing a workout for myself. Being fitness professionals, do you write your own personal programs, or do you look to others for your own workouts? Are there any resources you frequently use for what you do for yourself?
  Thanks guys, the podcast is invaluable.

  Jarid

[Editors Note: Yes folks, that is some mean looking French Toast. Kim earned it! As you can see by the pictures, she continues to kick major ass with the nutrition and training. Just goes to show you what amazing results you can get with hard work and a (dare I say) great training and nutrition program. Which reminds me...I am going to be taking on two more distance coaching clients. If you are interested head over to the details page: Kevin's Online Personal Training.]

Hi Everyone,

So people have just been starting to get pictures to me from my shower two weeks ago, and I have to say that I actually look forward to seeing them!  Before I lost this weight, I didn’t like looking at the pictures because I didn’t like how I looked.  But now I am much happier with myself.  J   I am including a picture of me with my infamous French toast.  Look how happy I am!  It’s ridiculous!

I also had my first dress fitting last week and the dress that had previously fit me perfectly (this winter) now falls off of me.  My seamstress had the dress pinned all over the place for all of the places she needs to take it in.  It was one of those days when I really got to see all of my success over the months at one time.

Kevin continues to work me to the bone (in a good way) each time I see him.  Recently I have been able to dead lift 165 lbs, and bench 95lbs.  This is something that I am very proud of.  In the beginning I didn’t like to dead lift, but now I see it as a challenge for me.  Can I do all the sets with textbook form?  How much will I be able to lift today?  I also like how it works so much of my body.

I am just amazed at how much stronger I am now.  Strength-wise I am the strongest that I have EVER been. I am not the skinniest that I have ever been, but if I keep plugging away at it, and stop having slip-ups in my diet I’m 100% sure that I could get there.

Todd Durkin of Fitness Quest 10 comes on to talk about fat loss circuits, motivating yourself and becoming better everyday. We also open up the mailbag to answer questions about the TRX, lifting fast, fasting and more!

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NEWS

• Todd Durkin Interview coming up
• Brian St. Pierre, Martin Rooney,
• Crossfit
• Blogs at KevinLarrabee.com/Distance Coaching
• New Website Layout
• VOICEMAILS: 978-633-3488 or send an mp3 to questions@thefitcast.com

• I really like the podcast but I have a request. I am a runner-biker first and weight lifter second. I enjoy all the weight talk but would love to have an actual runner-biker-triathlete on the show… someone who trains for running but lifts weights to stay fit. Not someone who lifts first and runs a little to stay in shape. The general impression I get from the show is that you all hate running and don’t suggest anybody do it so it would be great to hear a more balanced approach. Just a thought – maybe I am way off. Thanks for all the good work.  -Lori
• Hey Fitcast Crew!I’m sure this has been asked before, and if so, maybe you could refer me to the episode number that dealt with it so as not to duplicate a question, but it’s about the TRX.  I’m a student, and in the next year will be moving from my apartment, to my mother’s basement in another city, and then back to either an apartment or shared townhouse with some roommates next year.Does the TRX system require much setup or space? I know I could probably just go to the their website to see it, but I would like to know from first-hand experience how easy/difficult it is to set up, or travel with, especially for someone like me who doesn’t have long-term accommodations for the next few years.Thanks a bunch!!Lynda
• What up Kev et al,
  Just wondering what your guys’ thoughts are on lifting with slow and controlled reps vs. explosive / fast lifts.  Is it as simple as one being better for fat loss and the other better for muscle hypertrophy?  To make the question more specific, I just got done with losing weight (about 80lbs) and now I’m looking to stay as lean as I can in more of a maintenance type routine.  I’ve been reading articles and blogs that extol the physiological virtues of both lifting styles.  Any suggestions / thoughts on them would be a huge help.

  -Anthony

• Hello,
  I wanted to get the good Doctor’s opinion on a weird hip popping that I’ve recently noticed. It started when I went for a weekend run and ran 8 miles – a new personal record. My previous max was 6 so it was a bit of a push. Didn’t feel much while I was running but the next day my left hip was killing me. I limped around for 2 days and slowly started doing non-impact work (strength training, elliptical, bike etc). It got better, but since then I’ve noticed it popping occasionally but particularly when I do one legged deadlifts. If I put a few fingers on the hip joint and bend forward, I can feel the joint click or pop when I straighten back up. What did I do and how can I make it better? It doesn’t hurt but it doesn’t seem right.
  Thanks for your opinion! -Katherine
• I wondered what your opinions/experiences or those of your guests/co-hosts were on the effectiveness of intermittent fasting and fasted workouts for lean muscle gains? I’ve been reading this blog: http://leangains.com/ which charts his own success with an 8 hour feeding/16 hour fast approach.
  Any comments? -Tim
• Hey guys,Sorry about my last email, i didn’t realize that i hadn’t really asked anything until you read it out. My apologies.John was right, I don’t tend to have pain with my patella tendon when jogging or cycling however if i hit a steep hill when cycling or jog on more than one occasion a week I tend to tweak it and it’ll hurt the next couple of days from basic movements (i.e. walking upstairs/standing sitting etc)Essentially I’d like to know what exercises, cardio workouts I can do to maintain/possibly improve my strength and loose the fat (which is my primary goal at the moment) without aggravating any of those injuries?Also what I can do to strengthen those areas to hopefully reduce the chance of tweaking in the future?And finally, do you think the P90X routine is a good way to go to reduce fat and build muscle, especially considering my condition?

  Take care,

  Lee

• Whatup Dr Fass?!
  I’ve got a question that I’m still getting my head around as a reasonably green outdoor personal trainer with a bodybuilding background who was not at all prepared for the amount of clients I would sign with injuries and zero athletic history.

  “As an outdoor trainer you’re applying the principals of bodybuilding and aerobics i.e. the foundation of modern popular exercise, to an environment with an unstable base and expecting people with a catalogue of pre-existing ailments who have commonly never exercised in their lives to manipulate an unstable load (as in their own body weight, sandbags, ropes, kettlebells etc). How do you do this effectively without causing injury?”
  Thanks Doc,
  Geoff
  Sydney, Australia

• Hey guys! Love the podcasts and I tell everyone about them. I even taught my personal trainer a few tips that I learned from you.Here’s my question: My thyroid is normal, I’m not anemic or depressed but I’m tired all the frickin’ time. I wake up at 6am (in bed usually around 10-10:30pm), work out at the gym around 10am for an hour, and by noon all I want to do is nap for 2-3 hours. Which, being a nanny as a job, allows me to do that. Because I’m so tired, I’m also irritable and can cry easily. However, being a full-time nanny has caused me much stress in the past 9 months.Also, this summer my husband and I are leaving to spend a year backpacking across Europe and Asia and I don’t want to be dog tired the whole time.Me Facts: I eat pretty healthfully-mostly lean meats/eggs/ fruits/ veggies/nuts. I’m lactose and gluten intolerant but I’ll eat rice and GF cereal now and again. However, I do know that as healthy as I eat, I don’t eat enough, roughly 1200-1400 cal. a day, and I’ve been doing that for years. Could that be a cause? Could I be overtraining my system? My workouts consist of 20min high intensity on the elliptical, a day of heavy lower body lifting, a day of heavy upper body, yoga once a week and now I’ve started walking an hour a day at 4.0mph. I work out btw 5-6 days a week.
  I’m 27, 5′6, roughly 155lbs and 24% body fat.

  Any help you can shed on my issue would be great. thanks guys!
  Liz
  PS-Kevin, you’re not a bitch

• What up Kev, John and Leigh,
  First of all I’ve been following you guys for a few months and bothering both Kevin and Leigh almost daily with questions, interesting articles or just plain silly stuff on facebook. I’m getting back into personal training after years of doing research for my PhD. My question to you all is this: How important do you think it is for a Personal Trainer to “look” the part? Do you think it depends on the clientèle? I feel that some people may want their trainers to be the rock-hard, 6-pack ab variety, while others may want someone less intimidating. I’ve seen trainers in all shapes and sizes and quite frankly its difficult for me to listen to one who is carrying extra tires around with them, and NOT for exercise! Of course we should do the kind of training that gives us the bodies we want, but do you think we should take that into consideration when choosing clients or a specific location to work? Also, how much of your personal routine do you think is wise to share with your clients or the public, especially when they ask “when will I look like you”? One last for one for Leigh, any advice on getting the guys to respect you being a small blonde female?
  Keep having fun. You’ve inspired and guided me so much.
  Live and love life
  Krista

[Editor's Note: Kim continues to DOMINATE! She is making some fantastic body composition changes and has not questioned any of the guidelines or fudge the calories she has been counting (no pun intended). She just had her wedding shower this past weekend and she treated herself to some French toast that was, "made especially," for her. I am 100% cool with that. You know why? She has been busting her ass and she deserves it. AND, she was right back on track after that meal! Now on to Kim's Blog]

_____________________________________________________________________

I’m going to call this entry “The Rededication.”  Since the last time I wrote I kind have got off track on my eating.  I had a slice of pizza, and I indulged in many other things that I really shouldn’t have.  I also kind of stopped tracking my food for a few of those days.  Thanks to the workouts that I kept up with, I didn’t gain any weight during this time.  But I definitely didn’t loose any either.  I am holding firm at a daily weight of 145. I really want to see what else I can do.  I have come so far, and I’m still getting a lot of compliments, but I know that I can do better.

So as of just a couple of days ago I rededicated myself.  I am reining the eating back in, sticking to the approved amounts and items.  I need to get back to the routine.  So for the past couple of days I have been good.  I am really wanting to get this back in control so that I can loose some more.  I saw Kevin tonight and he had me doing some reverse lunges with a bunch of weight.  I will hurt tomorrow.  Also, earlier this week we were doing kettle bell swats with extending the weight out in front of me at the bottom of each.  I don’t know what the technical name for it is – but I will tell you this – there is nothing that has made my core this sore in a long time.

I want to thank Kevin for cheering me on to get back on track and for pushing me this week.  I needed that encouragement to get back on the horse.  Also, thank you for the ass-kicking workouts this week.  I cannot wait to meet back up next week for some more sessions!

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Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Steve Cotter, 

Dr. Jonathan Fass, and Leigh Peele

NEWS

• Interview with Steve Cotter coming up
• John Berardi
• Todd Durkin
• Blog Contest
• Green’s Plus Bar
• Cool stuff in the works

Mailbag

• (For Kevin) Hey everyone, I’m sorta new to the fitcast, still havent caught up on all the past episodes so this question may have been answered. I know it was asked before but not really answered maybe a year ago. A listener wrote in asking whether it was better to lift post or pre run, he was 135 lbs and 5′5″ or something close to that. You all told him to quit running and pick up some weights as he was underweight. Thats all fine and good, but even though I have a similar body size, my goals are slightly different so I thought I would ask again. I am female, 5′5″ 135 lbs and a regular runner. I do a long run on Saturdays, cross training twice a week, and do high intensity interval runs or speedwork runs twice a week. The only time I have to lift is on those weekday running days. Is it better to do so before or after my runs? During racing season I want to increase my speed/distance/efficiency, while during the winter my goal is to lose fat and increase muscle. Is there a benefit in lifting pre or post run or am I completely overthinking this? This seems to be one of those topics where the answer changes every other day, so any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Again, love the fitcast, thanks for all the great info!
• Hi Guys and Leah.  Just wondering if there are any foods you could recommend for keeping energy levels up throughout the day.  I work in a very dimly lit office space with little air movement and zero daylight.  I find myself growing extremely lethargic in the afternoons and it’s making it very difficult for me to get any work done.  Any suggestions as to what kind of foods I should be eating or as a last resort what kind of supplements I should be taking to keep energy levels spiked throughout the day?  Thanks in advance, I could add the obligatory “Keep up the great work, I really enjoy the show” but that goes without saying.  (Thanks always for the entertainment and the countless epic fails) -Robert
• Hey Guys,First of all thanks for being awesome! You guys have helped me lose 16 pounds already . My questions is about plant proteins vs meat proteins. I have been slowly changing my diet towards a vegetarian style rather than conventional meat eating style. I was curious though if plant proteins are a valid source compared to meat. I have heard that plant proteins do not contain all the Essential Amino Acids that meat proteins do. I was curious about your thoughts on this and If a vegetarian diet is a feasible diet for muscle building.
  Thanks again!
  Sincerely,
  Sean
• @Urraca Hemp protein: what’s the real deal?
• One thing that I have to ask deals with diets. Everyone generally know what they SHOULD be eating but no one actually DOES what they’re suposed to…What strategies would you suggest to get clients to be compliant to their meal plans? I murder my personal training clients in the gym only to have them go home and eat the garbage that has them at 30+% body fat.What do you tell your clients to get them to “buy in” to the new lifestyle of eating clean? Thanks. -Kris

Steve Cotter Interview

• How did you get into kettlebell training originally?
• What runs through your head when you see kettlebells being used on The Biggest Loser?
• TGU Progression
• Please describe the differences and similarities between the different kettlebell certifications. -Ruben
• The question I have for Steve Cotter is, what is the difference in muscular development using Kettlebell programs compared to lifting weights. -Roger
• How do you balance your professional life and personal life? I am a successful trainer in Michigan running 6 bootcamps a week and training 55 – 60 additional hours.

  Thanks, love the show!

  Jimi

• what is really the difference between kettlebells and dumbbells, and would you be able to get the same benefits from using DBs instead of KBs for exercises, and why? Is the difference significant? -Clement
• If you could only do three exercises with a client, what would they be? -Ben
• I’m a 26yr old female who has about 5 kilos (11 pounds) to lose, but also want to tone up my arms and mid-section. I am highly active (cardio and weights at the gym 2x week, Dragonboat training 3x week, 30min jog 4 x week) and have also recently purchased some kettlebells – a 4kg (8.8 pound) and 8kg (17.6 pound). I know that tightening up my diet will help me shed the last 10 pounds, as I have already lost 66 pounds over the last few years (and most importantly kept it off).
  My question is – how can I best incorporate Kettlebell training into my routine to help me with toning up my arms and mid-section, and maybe with shifting a bit of the weight? I know that kettlebells also incorporate legs a lot and this is a bonus, but my legs are already quite muscular and I this isn’t really my focus. Can you recommend any good dvds that I can use to train with? I don’t feel that I get as much from reading books and looking at pictures as I do when I am watching someone ‘live’. I also just want to mention that I don’t think kettlebell training has really taken off in Australia like it has in the US, as a) they are not readily available to buy in most sports stores, and b) most of my friends have never even heard of them. Any information you could give me would be appreciated, it’s not often a gal like me would get the opportunity to ask a question of someone as highly regarded as you! -Emma
• My question is for Steve.  A year and a half ago I had arthroscopic surgery to relieve arthritis in my right AC joint.  I am showing the same symptoms in my left AC joint and 2 months of rehab is not working.  I just received a cortisone shot from my orthopedist and we both agreed that I could work out on my own.  I own (1) 25lb, (2) 35lb, and (1) 53lb kettlebell, but I am not opposed to buying lighter ones for rehab purposes.  How can I use kettlebells to safely strengthen my shoulders and also maintain my physique? (Since starting treatment on my AC joint my weight has started to increase). My current routine includes Pullups, dumbell Rows, resistance band exercises for my shoulders, and interval sprinting.  Bench pressing and dips seem to aggravate both shoulders.  The only KB movement I still use is the 2 arm swing, but I am sure there others that would not aggravate my condition.  My therapist has cautioned me not to do overhead pressing and did not like my description of the Turkish Get-up, as he said it would put too much pressure on top of the joint.

  Thanks and keep up the good work!

  Scott

• If one has a piriformis problem (causes sciatic pain), is doing kettlebells going to help or hurt? I really want to learn and I am trying to get to an RKC training to learn proper form but there are none in my area and I will have to travel some distance to attend one, but wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be wasting my time since I have this issue with my piriformis. Thanks  so much!! And youve probably heard this a million times, but that video of you doing the pistol squats on and off the table with the KB’s is one of the most amazing videos I’ve ever seen!! -Missy
• How to stop the back of my wrist getting sore, feels like the KB keeps banging into it -Nadine
• Is using the Lebert Equalizer bars or the TRX good ways to build strength for Pistol Squats? (self-spotting using the EQ bars and holding on to the TRX handles while performing the movement) If not, what do you recommend to build our strength up for it? -Billy