I was skeptical at first, but eventually I gave the Son of Grok’s Breakfast Sandwich a try.
In 4 days I’ve had this 3 times.
Read the instructions carefully. The coconut flour can be made easily enough by taking coconut flakes and processing them into flour. All you need is 1/2 cup for one sandwich. At least it worked well for me.
Amazingly simple. Amazingly tasty. Amazingly Primal!
What’s your favorite way to start the day? Let’s hear it in the comments section!
Almost a month ago I introduced a concept new to this blog called Intermittent Fasting. I meant to bring that back up sooner than today, so my apologies. But at long last, I’m writing about I.F. (intermittent fasting) for those curious about this approach to health.
For the purposes of this post, I’m calling Intermittent Fasting a “Primal” tool. Grok the Caveman did not have it like we do today. Grok had to hunt for 
food and I’m sure there were times he simply had nothing in the cave’s fridge for the family to enjoy. For us today, food is highly accessible and almost too much so. Many weight loss or fitness plans of the past would have you believe you must eat multiple meals to keep the metabolism amped up, etc. Research is now showing that to be untrue.
I.F. is simply this: skipping a meal or meals within a 24-36 hour window. There is question over the length and its legitimacy, so I’m sticking with 24 hours presently as the maximum time frame. So, why would you want to skip a meal? Won’t that hurt me or cause my body to go into “starvation mode?” Great questions, so let’s dig in.
Many people attempt dieting by lowering their calories more and more. The body, after a period of time, realizes the energy levels can’t be sustained with lower calories, and it shuts metabolism down to conserve energy. Sally Sue wants to lose weight, figures less calories will do the trick, but yet she doesn’t realize the body’s survival mechanisms. Weeks go by and she finds herself hungry and at the same weight. So what does she do? She lowers her calories more. Her energy is drained, she’s eating a grain of rice for lunch and soon she simply quits.
Intermittent Fasting is different from this model. IF is about skipping meals for up to a day and then resuming your normal eating plan the following day. There are many advantages to losing weight with this method, assuming you’re eating Primal and well in the first place. When you eat the Primal way, with low carbs, high fats and moderate protein, you teach the body to sustain itself because you have moderated insulin production and increased fat metabolism. Your energy is more stable as is your blood sugar and you have smaller hunger cravings. Your body then will use its own fat as energy stores found in your body’s cells. It’s a beautiful thing!
As with drugs, we can become addicted to food. Fasting allows you to push away that habit. And the benefits are many, including lowered blood pressure, body fat reduction and the ability for the body to repair tissues that are too busy otherwise when you are always eating. Certainly it is worth mentioning the economic component – fasting can help you cut your grocery bill by 15% a week!
If you want to get started fasting, I recommend doing it in stages. First time around, simply skip a meal. If you’re not feeling hungry, take advantage of that opportunity and simply stay busy and don’t eat. When you feel comfortable with that, go for a longer period of time like 12 hours. Timing is everything, so think through it in the beginning stages. We sleep 8 hours, so you could eat at 6 PM and then don’t eat again until 6 AM. Easy enough, huh? Then as you get better into eating primal and your energy levels are complete, try for 18 or 24 hours. If you know that the following day is going to be crazy busy, then eat well the night before. Don’t go overboard, but eat to satiety. Then, the next day, wrap yourself up in your work – and before you know it your productivity is through the roof, you’ve achieved so much and you never missed not eating.
Knowing your body has the ability to survive longer without food is not only empowering, it’s also the break your body needs once in awhile. And the pay back, the reduction in bodyfat, is kinda nice. Not to mention the reduction in your groceries.
Today I feel like singing and dancing! I don’t think my co-workers would appreciate it nor would my self-esteem (I’m pretty bad at doing both). My heart is skipping a few beats and I’m a happy clam! Call me a Health Geek, but I just got my Lipid Panel results back and I have rock solid proof that Primal living is working for me! No more worries for this guy – I have discovered the Fountain of Youth and it’s not as far away as you might think.
First, here are my results (OOPS! After I originally posted this table, I realized I input the wrong blood pressure. It should be 119/79; not 140/79):
OK, so what do these numbers mean?
Total Cholesterol measures all the cholesterol in your body. Bear in mind your body needs cholesterol for many functions and if it doesn’t get enough, it can produce its own. Although I was slightly above “Recommended” levels, the nurse explained this was because my HDL’s were so high.
HDL Cholesterol refers to the good cholesterol which helps keep your arteries clog free (the nurse/technician was impressed with this number for me)
TC/HDL Ratio refers to exactly that - a ratio of total cholesterol to good cholesterol – the lower the better
LDL – refers to the low-density lipoproteins or bad cholesterol ; too much can build up plaque on our artery walls making them less flexible and narrow. No bueno. (The device used to measure LDL couldn’t pick up a significant enough number to register)
Triglycerides – are the form fat takes as it travels to the body’s tissues via the bloodstream. A high carb diet gives a higher number. (More impressive comments from the nurse/tech)
Blood Glucose – the amount of glucose in the blood; the more you exercise the lower this number goes (I’m struck why this came out higher than recommended considering the other numbers were so good – still researching this one…)
BMI – Body Mass Index indicates a correlation between you weight and height. It’s not foolproof since an individual with a lot of muscle mass could actually have a high BMI, but its widely accepted in the Conventional Widsom world (doesn’t make it right, but it just is)
Blood Pressure checked in at 119/79, so that is still doing well for me since last time it was 120/80. Six months ago it was 140/90 if that tells you anything.
THE THANK-YOU DEPARTMENT
Again, call me a Health Geek or what have you, but as you get to 40 and beyond, health becomes very important to you. Even more so when you have kids at a late age like I did. My goal all along with my exercise and health has been to enable me to be around for them as long as I can. My changed habits are paying off and credit deserves to be distributed to the following:
P90X/Tony Horton/BeachBody – I need to thank you for getting me back in to working out/resistance training and starting me back on the road to healthier eating. Kudos for a great program!
Mark Sisson, author of Primal Blueprint and the MarksDailyApple.com community – The incredible amount of knowledge and success I have picked up from these areas of Mark’s have been nothing short of a Godsend to me. I have closely followed the suggestions he has provided and the evidence speaks for itself.
Thanks to these great resources and a strong WHY, I aim to achieve my goal and will be around this world a little longer.
What’s stopping you from enjoying a success in health? My great news is nothing special to many others because it can easily be had with a sensible diet and workout program. Today is the day to start. Get going!
Just because it’s there.
That’s what prompted me to start the 100 Pushups Program and iPhone App a few weeks ago. I continue to celebrate my fitness by engaging in challenges I’ve never done before. Doing one hundred pushups seemed like a decent challenge – non-stop pushups that is…
So far I’ve almost completed a total of 1,200 pushups after 12 separate occasions. The program typically has you doing a variable number of pushups with a 60-120 second rest period. Tonight’s sets included doing 25-50 pushups that then totalled my new high – 163 pushups in ten minutes.
I’m sore. I’m proud. But most of all, I’m encouraging all of you – give it a shot. I’m no one special. I just try. And I hope you’ll try this or some other challenge to see what you can accomplish in your own life. You’ll never know what you can achieve until you’ve attempted it.
It’s been awhile since I blogged about the greatness of P90X. Well, I’m not done yet. Here are Jerry’s comments. He talks about the legendary workout program and then Kenny Anderson, one of the commentators mentions its Yoga Night for him. Watch the fun!
Working out demands focus, strength and more focus. One slip and
disaster can strike. Still, I like to laugh. Attending any gym (or even watching family members at home) can bring out a few chuckles. I’ll never forget the stud at my old gym who “squealed” during a bench press. Then there was the time this guy was squatting. As he was coming down with the weight, he huffed, puffed and emitted a ferocious fart heard throughout the gym. Ah…good times….
So when I did some research on anything funny related to kettlebells – I came up short. Really short. Try to find any humor, even on YouTube, and all you’ll find is this guy:
Let’s face it – that’s not funny. The guy’s just flat out wasted from his 155 pushes and nearly crushed his tootsies. So, enough with all the seriousness! I’m needing your help, so whether you work out with kettlebells or not, please jump in and add to the list. I call it the “UnOffical List of Alterative Uses for the Kettlebell.” Most of these may not be funny, but use your creativity and let’s see what you come up with as well.
- Makes a fine doorstop or paper weight
- Doubles as an iron (provided the coals are stoked)
- Cuts in half the time it takes to demolish your drywall or next do it yourself home project
- Great hitching post for your cat or small dog (and even large dogs)
- Leave one in the backyard for whenyou’re locked out of the house (smashes a deck door in no time)
- Assists in the preparation of lettuce…
- Handy by the grill for when you want to flatten the hamburger and get ALL the fat out (what’s up with THOSE people?)
- Will keep a door propped open, but will definitely keep a door shut for those Do Not Disturbed evens you crave (those with kids will know what I’m talking about!)
- Do you like Mashed or Smashed Potatos?….
- Need an excuse to call in ill – drop any kettlebell on one’s foot for an immediate trip to the Emergency Room.
- Seeking vengeance on an ex? Works great on most cars, trucks and fingers.
YOUR TURN! What do ya got?
Bodyweight and home-based exercise programs are the solution for staying fit in 2010. With a 
recovering economy, these programs keep you close to home and save you money as well as time. Kettlebells fit great within any program because they work out your muscles in an unorthodox manner forcing your body to adapt in ways different than using dumbbells or barbells. In addition, they are portable, so you can take them to the park, to the pool, to the beach, or wherever you may be heading. And, if you’re flying on Southwest Airlines, “Bags are Free.” Take them on your trip while providing the ground crew a workout as well when they lift your luggage.
This post is part 2 of an interview with Forest Vance, certified kettlebell instructor. You can check out Part 1 HERE. So without further ado, here is that interview with Forest:
Enter the Kettlebell, along with your philosophy, Forest, explains the practice of good form. Unlike other exercises, when you train with kettlebells there seems to be a certain technique that you must practice before you can start the exercises. Doing the snatch or clean, what do you recommend to people so they don’t bang their forearms?
Good question. So without shamelessly self-promoting my stuff, I think a much more time-effective answer to this question would be for me to refer to a couple of videos on this topic that I think are really good. The first video I did myself and can be found here:
It goes over three tips to help improve the kettlebell clean, and it’s gotten a good response so far – and I just posted it about a week ago. Here’s another one that I find particularly helpful for refining the snatch:
For the benefit of the readers, what size kettlebell should they start with? Is the goal to gain strength and go heavier at some point? If so, how long should that process take for a person who uses kettlebells weekly?
I find that a 12k is a pretty good starting weight for the average woman and a 16k is a pretty good starting weight for the average man. If you’re really strong, obviously you could kick the weight up from there and you could also scale it down if you’re just getting into working out – but I find most people who start training with kettlebells tend to have a pretty solid fitness background going into it. Maybe it’s the higher intensity of kettlebell training that attracts this demographic.
As far as gaining strength, I think that’s going to vary person to person depending on what their goals are. Obviously if you’re trying to get stronger and potentially add some muscle, then you absolutely need to work towards using some heavier weights at some point. But even if your goals are just fat loss or general fitness, heavier training at least occasionally will still benefit you – you’ll be able to handle bigger weights, get more work done, and burn more fat during your workouts if you’re stronger. I think it was strength coach Eric Cressey who said that ’strength is the base on which all else is built’, and I think there’s a lot of truth to that. On a related note, I have so many women I’ve trained that have been afraid to train heavy all their life, and when they’ve finally incorporated some heavy training into their routines – and I’m talking 5 rep range when I say heavy – all other aspects of their fitness improved, because that’s what they were missing to take things to the next level. And the amount of time it takes to gain strength is an individual thing too – it depends on so many factors it’s really hard to say how long it should take for you to get stronger.
The majority of kettlebell workouts suggest a time frame of around 30 minutes. What is your opinion on length and goal of a KB workout?
I think 30 minutes is more than enough if you’ve got a plan and you’re focused. You need to have an idea of what you’re going to do going in, though – not just throw some random exercises together and call it a kettlebell workout.
There are many manufacturers of kettlebells. What should one look for or stay away from when it comes to making the purchase of a good kettlebell?
Dragon Door ‘bells are my personal favorite – I’ve personally used only four or five different brands, though. I think, to be honest, it doesn’t make a lot of difference if you’re just doing basic stuff like swings or get ups with your kettlebells, but when you start getting more into kb training and doing cleans and snatches and stuff like that, the quality makes a big difference. A smoother handle and a more balanced ‘bell makes a lot of difference at that point. And if you’re a trainer like me and use the kettlebells multiple times per day, the cheap ones with a plastic covering wear down a lot quicker. So again, it depends on your goals and what you’re planning on doing with the kettlebells.
Cardio is taking a big hit in the fitness world these days. What is your philosophy about cardio work?
Well, to start, I don’t really like the word cardio 
But seriously, I think it again, depends on one’s goals. For most folks, research shows us that interval cardio is superior to steady state in a lot of ways – for changing body composition, for improving performance – so I think that’s the best approach for 90% of people. I still think that for endurance athletes, if their sport is long-distance, they need to do at least some of this type of LSD (long slow distance) work in their training. I know of some people out that are taking things to the extreme and training ultra-distance competitors on almost exclusively interval work, and while I think it’s a novel idea, I don’t think I’m sold on it quite yet. So unless you’re training for a triathlon or marathon or some type of endurance event, I’d recommend sticking to interval training. And using kettlbells for that is perfect!
How can a kettlebell be used to bring out your abs?
The cool thing about kettlebell training is that your abs get worked in almost every movement you do with a kettlebell. So train hard with your kettlebells and focus on your diet and you’ll have abs in no time
My thanks again to Forest Vance for granting the interview and helping to broaden our knowledge of using kettlebells. As I mentioned in the last post, Forest is currently offering a special deal. Check out Forest’s Quick Start Guide if you want great instructional knowledge on using a kettlebell. The guide, normally $19.95, is now being sold for only $9.95 and he is including some mp3’s along with a bonus workout. This is a great value and I encourage you to check it out. My preliminary look at the Guide showed some great info. Click HERE for more info. This offer expires THIS Friday, February 5. I hope you’ll check it out. Not only is there great info on many kettlebell exercises, there are also some great workouts that Forest has included as well.
Want to win a FREE copy of Forest’s Quick Start Guide? Simply post a comment or question by this Wednesday at midnight. Then, on Thursday I’ll announce the randomly drawn winner.
OK, for those new to the blog, you may be asking, “Hey, Jeff! What’s a Primal Meal?”
Good question – a Primal meal is one that adheres to the guidelines set forth in the book, Primal Blueprint and on the site, MarksDailyApple.com. My original review of the book, which you can view HERE, covered the basics which spanned 
much more than just the food intake. But when it comes to food, eating Primal really goes against the grain(pardon the pun), so to speak. For us Primal folk – everything goes against the grain because eating Primal avoids eating grains period. Does that have your attention? Eating Primal means that you are eating specifically to avoid any insulin response. Grains, whether whole or not, are carbs regardless. And as we know from studies, the Paleolithic folks never really ate grains and they did just fine, despite the attack here and there of the occasional saber-toothed tiger or wooly mammoth. My own e-book which you can download on the right is NOT primal, sadly enough. But I do keep it up for those new to P90X or other weight loss programs. It has a few recipes that help people stick their foot into the pool. Going Primal, however, helps you when you are ready to jump into the deep end!
What we do eat in the Primal way is protein from animal or fish (and its fat), veggies and salads, nuts, seeds, healthy fats and oils, a smidgeon of dairy (organic hopefully) and fruits. Most health folks are at first taken aback by the consumption of fats. But as research has shown, many studies on eating fats are flawed and are often in concert with the overconsumption of carbs. The simple act of eating animal fat is exactly how they did it 10,000 years ago – and it’s what many enjoy these days as well.
In no particular order, these are my favorite Primal Meals:
Primal Jambalaya – whether you’re from New Orleans or not, this recipe is incredible combining chicken, shrimp, Andouille sausage, peppers, onions, chicken stock and spices. Best of all, you replace the rice normally served with this dish by food processing some cauliflower. The texture and taste are amazing and this dish tops my list.
Primal Meatballs – who doesn’t love meatballs? With sweet sausage and bison/beef, along with onions, eggs and spices, this recipe is polished off by frying them in bacon fat. Yep, I said bacon fat. Primal to the hilt and full of protein.
Smothered Primal Pork Chops with Mushrooms – the great thing about being Primal is the amazing camaraderie and kinship you develop with other tribesmen. This recipe comes from kettlebell instructor Sandy Sommers and you come away from the table filling full, satisfied and anxious to have this dish again.
Primal Pumpkin Treat – this is an original recipe that I developed. You can fix this a few different ways, but I usually combine canned pumpkin, whey protein, nutmeg, cinnamon and then you can use either heavy cream or coconut milk or cream. Either way its a delicious and very filling breakfast or snack.
Coconut Shrimp – my entire life I’ve attempted to boycott coconut until I recently learned how healthy it is in terms of its fat content. Now I can’t get enough! This recipe has a batter consisting of almond meal/flour and egg. Almond meal is basically ground almond. Then you fry the shrimp in coconut oil, a very flavorful and healthy saturated fat that is totally primal and totally awesome.
Bacon and Eggs and Berries – my basic breakfast each morning is the traditional favorite my Grandmother used to make for us when I was little. Who knew Grandma’s cooking was inherently healthy? I fry up my bacon, use the bacon fat to saute my veggies and then I throw in some Omega 3 eggs (usually 3 or 4). Yum! Then, depending on the day I’ll enjoy some berries (blue, rasp or straw) along with some heavy cream. Incredibly filling and totally takes out the need for a mid-morning snack.
OK, that’s enough for now, but I hope it goes to show you how liberating eating Primal can be. Using almond meal, you can even eat pizza and the crust texture is amazing – but that’s another post…
Suffice it to say that eating Primal has definite advantages. Not only are you eating the way your body was designed to eat, you are eating foods that provide major satiety and satisfaction. Your taste buds will thank you and your body will thank you since these foods assist in the reduction of body fat. Since early December I have dropped my bodyfat a few points. Who doesn’t want that?
And, for other Primal recipes or tidbits, use the #Primal hashtag on Twitter. Folks like @CastleGrok post their own tried and true recipes that I enjoy taste testing from time to time. Others include Son of Grok, Girl Gone Primal, and a jillion I don’t have room to list. Who knew eating so well could do your body a favor?
The more you learn about him, the more you like. In a potentially multi-part series, I’ll be providing my interview with Forest Vance, Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor.
Forest Vance, M.S., Certified Personal Trainer and RKC, is a Sacramento based trainer dedicated to utilizing 
his experience and knowledge to get his clients results! He holds a Master of Science in Human Movement from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona, in addition to being a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and American College of Sports Medicine. He also is a Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist and Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He has about five years of experience as a personal trainer and fitness manager and has serviced more than five thousand career training sessions, successfully working with a wide variety of clientele. He also has experience as a high school, college and pro athlete, being a three-time All-American football player at the University of California, Davis and being on the opening day training camp rosters of the Green Bay Packers (2004) and Kansas City Chiefs (2005). Forest currently trains clients in group and one-on-one sessions in the Sacramento, CA area.
I first took notice of Vance during my ongoing research about kettlebells. His site, KettlebellBasics.net recently kicked off and he has posted numerous videos to help people learn how to use kettlebells correctly. Without further ado, here is my interview with Forest.
Forest, your site is new but extremely helpful for folks new to kettlebells and those still practicing. How did your site come about?
I had been blogging away for about a year or so and was having some reasonable success, but my blog was really covering a more broad spectrum of fitness-related stuff. I really like kettlebells and had gotten RKC certified earlier in the year and kept getting a lot of kettlebell-specific questions from readers, so I figured, hey, why not start a blog dedicated to kettlebells only?
The web is full of so-called fitness “experts,” so I’m glad to see you are RKC certified by the likes of the Kettlebell Godfather, Pavel Tsatsouline. How did you first learn about kettlebells and who became your kettlebell mentor?
I actually started experimenting with some of the WOD’s (Workout of the Day) from CrossFit.com and a few of them included kettlebell swings – that was my initial experience with KB’s. I picked up ‘Enter the Kettlebell’ by Pavel (who is my ‘KB Mentor’, by the way) and was totally hooked. I actually switched to training exclusively with kettlebells and saw some of the best conditioning gains of my entire life, which is actually saying a lot because I trained in some pretty high tech facilities in my football days. So I’m totally sold on the power of these simple tools.
I think this is great news because so many people think they have to go to a gym for a great workout, but I know from personal and limited experience a lone kettlebell can do wonders. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working with KB’s?
The RKC system and the focus on the basics really has taught me a lot. I was one of those trainers that was guilty of trying to come up with really crazy exercises for my clients at one point – and I started to realize that whether you’re training with kettlebells or dumbells or barbells or whatever, that the focus on how you do the movements is really the most important thing. Doing the basics 100% right combined with some smart programming is a sure-fire recipe for success.
I can relate to the crazy exercises. I always am on the lookout for the next big thing but often find if you stick to the basics and perfect the form, the results will follow. What’s your favorite routine/exercise with KB’s?
The swing has got to be the king of KB exercises. It’s great because it works almost all of your major muscle groups at once, and you get a killer conditioning and strength training workout almost simultaneously. The classic ‘Man Maker’ from Enter the Kettlebell is one of my favorites, where you just alternate swings with jogging or jumping rope for a continuous 12 minutes. It’s so simple yet oh-so-brutal
I’m actually reading ‘Enter the Kettlebell’ in my off time and you’re right – it sounds pretty simple. But we’re talking a kettlebell and looks can be deceiving. It’s interesting how Pavel does not throw a bunch at you in his book, but does as you suggest, getting things right without the crazy exercises. What would you recommend to someone just interested or starting out with KB’s?
Well, I wasted time when I first started and kept getting little injuries because I wasn’t doing the movements properly. So I would recommend ponying up and paying for some good instruction first and foremost – there’s no replacement for it and it gets you where you want to be so much faster. If that’s not possible for whatever reason, then getting a good guide to the basics and really studying closely would be the way to go. Video is another really helpful way to learn.
In addition to KB’s, what other workouts do you incorporate into your weekly schedule?
At the moment I’m incorporating my KB training into a body part split – type workout, actually – which is working out pretty well. So on a back and bicep day, for example, I do heavy double swings and renegade rows along with pull ups and curls, that kind of thing. I’ve never structured my training this way but it’s a nice change of pace.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about various ways people can eat right for a healthier lifestyle. Proper nutrition is ultimately very important for a great workout and overall health. What guidelines do you follow regarding nutrition? I’m actually a big fan of the Zone diet – I follow that structure probably 90% of the time. The block system works really well for keeping track of portions and making sure I’m balancing my meals properly.
What are your goals for 2010? I’m really focused on growing my business, so from a personal fitness standpoint, just to maintain where I’m at honestly. I always wouldn’t mind losing a little body fat – but I’ve lost about 60 pounds since my football days, so I have to work pretty hard to just maintain where I’m at.
Thanks for taking the time for this interview, Forest.
You bet, Jeff, any time.
So, there you have a basic overview/interview with certified kettlebell instuctor, Forest Vance. I plan to follow up with Forest in the next few days with some more questions. So I would invite you to post your questions as well in the comment section for Forest so I can compile and pass them on.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
Check out Forest’s Quick Start Guide if you want great instructional knowledge on using a kettlebell. I’ll be posting a review of the guide in the days to come. In the meantime, Vance is offering a special if you order in the next week. The guide, normally $19.95, is now being sold for only $9.95 and he is including some mp3’s along with a bonus workout. This is a great value and I encourage you to check it out. My preliminary look at the Guide showed some great info. Click HERE for more info.
Mark Sisson at MarksDailyApple.com issued a challenge to its users early January. Come up with how you will be more Primal in 2010 with your resolutions for 2010 and put it on video by January 15, 2010. The winner got a trunkload of goodies including some grass fed beef, a mobile pull-up bar, vitamins, customized protein bars, and much more. Unfortunately I did not get to see my name announced as the winner, but just the same it was nice to see this compilation of people who are in the midst of being Primal. You may see someone much like yourself in this collage. Trying to stay healthy – it’s universal.
