Health & Fitness

fitnesstrainer magazine may/june 2019

Incorporating Kettlebells into Group Class Programing

Read Andrea's article in the May/June 2019 issue of Fitness Trainer magazine: Incorporating Kettlebells into Group Class Programing From General Physical Preparedness to Cueing BY ANDREA DUCANE Some newly certified personal trainers are apprehensive when it comes to programing and leading group fitness classes. Even trainers with more experience can find it daunting faced with a mixed level group class. I’m going to give some straightforward tips on designing effective classes for mixed level classes, as well as how to easily integrate kettlebells into... Read Full Article Online

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A Conversation With Andrea DuCane | Winter Garden Yoga, Brian Friedman

*Audio and Video Version* "The First Lady of Kettlebell", Andrea DuCane and Brian Friedman present a podcast that is truly a cut above the rest. This episode contains a complete collection of insider's perspective that's a gold mine of information. Whether you’re a yoga person, a kettlebell athlete, or a person of a certain age, it's a sure thing ... you'll benefit from checking this out! Andrea has worked with clients of all levels from all over the world. For decades, Ms. DuCane has been at the forefront of the fitness industry. She's carefully sifted through what works ... and more...

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Training Special Populations

Why focus on Special Populations? Let’s discuss the unglamorous fitness market of Special Populations (SP). This large group includes: seniors, de-conditioned, post re-hab and pregnant women. For the purpose of this article I will focus on seniors and de-conditioned populations. Many of us have lots of clients that fit into this category. That’s why it is important to realize we are much more than a personal trainer, we are the first line of defense against life’s effects and lifestyle choices. Our success working with this SP is the ability to safelyand effectivelylead them to a place of health and fitness.I believe the...

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A Sensible Approach To RKC Prep

What’s the first thing you think of when preparing for the RKC? Most people instantly think of the dreadedSNATCH Test! It’s understandable—after all, the RKC Snatch Test is a test of a candidate’s conditioning, and how well they’ve trained to complete 100 snatches within 5 minutes with the appropriate kettlebell for their weight class. It is meant to be a challenge. Everyone will agree, you have to earn your RKC—it’s not just given away to anyone who attends an RKC workshop. So, it’s no surprise that most of the questions and information out there about preparing for an RKC workshop are focused on how to successfully...

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Why the Single-Leg Dead Lift Should Be One Of Your Go-To Leg Exercises

Why do I love single-leg deadlifts so much?  Well, for one thing nothing works the butt and legs quite like it.  Add the extra benefit to the back, core, lower legs and feet and you have a full body exercise.  As Gray Cook likes to say, “Maintain your squat and TRAIN your deadlift” – especially the single-leg deadlift. I have to share with you a personal story; I’ve had four Patellar dislocations. Yes, FOUR! The first one happened after a two-hour ballet/pointe class. The second happened in the middle of a jazz dance class. The third happened when my tango...

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The Importance of Movement: Simple Strategies To Add It To Your Life

I just had an eye opening experience that gave me a new appreciation for the importance of creating an ageless body. I recently had minor surgery, and for about 3 days afterwards I moved like a very elderly person. Needing help to get up and down the stairs and in and out of chairs. I thought, so this is what it’s like to not have the strength or mobility to live a “normal” life. Thank goodness this was only temporary, but for many people it’s their life. I truly believe we have the ability to control much the aging process. There...

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Abs: So Many Ways To Train Them – myths and truths

In the pursuit of getting a “six pack” or even flat abs, I’d like to touch on a couple of myths and provide some sound information. First of all, getting a six pack requires more than just abdominal crunches or planks. The most important element to getting a six-pack is diet. Yes, I know, no one wants to hear it. We all want to believe “spot reducing or target training” alone with give us those washboard abs. It just ain’t going to happen without a proper, low carb and calorie restricted diet. So if a six-pack is at the top of...

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The Problem With Knees (Or “why” the knees give us problems?)

Ask anyone over the age of 30 if they have ever had knee problems and the likely answer will be yes. Knee pain is one of the most common complaints among all age groups, athletes and fitness/lifestyle backgrounds. One of the reasons for the vulnerability of the knee, is the way the knee is designed. It’s a hinge joint held together only by ligaments that connect the femor (thighbone) to the tibia and fibula of the lower leg. These lower bones connect the knee to the ankle and the femor connects the knee to the hip. There is...

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Health & Fitness Q&A With Andrea

It is wonderful getting so much feedback from people asking all sorts of questions. I always enjoy the opportunity to share experience and knowledge with so many great people. We are all on the same journey; we just sometimes take different paths. So the first question I’m going to address is a question from LH: “One question that I have for you is…although I do have a six pack, I seem to have extra baggage in my lower tummy. I do quite a bit of ab workouts and think that I eat fairly well/healthy. It seems like a never-ending battle. Are there...

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Shape Really Does Matter: How body types affect your or your clients’ training

I remember early in my Kettlebell teaching career, I made the comment in class to “rest your elbow on your hip bone”. A couple of people in the class looked at me funny and then proceeded to slouch down with a flexed spine. I looked at them and realized it was literally impossible for them to touch their elbow to their hipbone without sacrificing their back. I have a relatively short torso in relation to my legs and arm length so it was easy for me to do that while keeping my core and back braced and strong. But someone...

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