To Chop Fat, Magnify Muscle

and

7 Frightful Kettlebell Complexes

--FROM HELL-to Chop

Fat, Magnify Muscle, the Flesh!

and Strengthen

A Fiendish Bestowal of Enlightenment by Pat Flynn

Dear friend, If you are in the business of, or are seriously interested in the business of chopping fat and multiplying muscle, this free expository may be the most significant 25 pages of your life. While I am often one for witticism, this, I assure you, is no joke. You see, I am in the business of chopping fat and multiplying muscle. Have been for some time. And for me, business is good. But then again, if everyone were to implement the strategies I am about to bestow upon you, the business of strong and sexy, if you will, would be much easier. However, but a few are as dedicated to practical considerations as I. And even fewer still can handle the rigors of what lies ahead. And what do I have to offer to support my verisimilitude? Who am I, and why ought you lend me your ear? If youll permit me, Id like to offer a more personal account in lieu of the pretentious thirdperson biography. Come hither, and out of respect for brevity, Ill provide you with brief itemized account of my experiences:

About Pat Flynn

1. Born 1989. Big toe came out first. 2. Most of my childhood was spent in a bat cape. Pants were an optional luxury. (still are)

3. I was a terribly noisy toddler with a tendency to bite people. (still do) 4. Fast forward to the dark and nebulous years of middle school, where I experimented heavily with addictive substances. Namely chocolate bars and pixie stix. Remarkably, I avoided death. But not girth. 5. By the age of 12, I was a full blown porker. Unacceptable. It was time for a change. 6. Mom said dont eat fat. Adhering to the Momma Knows Best principle, I had a threemonth stint with low-fat animal crackers. The good kind. Not surprisingly, I expanded. Geometrically. 7. Fat, angry, and strung out on adorable comestibles, I sought proper tutelage. (sorry, Mom) 8. By happenstance, I took up martial arts. I began to lose weight and even learned how to beat someone up with a stick. 9. Relentlessly, I continued to pursue pragmatics. 10. Following some sagely advice, I sought out the kettlebell. Hitting 5% body-fat for the first time in my life convinced me that swings melt fat like raw meat on a hot grill. 11. I soon became the youngest to ever be numbered amongst the ranks of certified Russian Kettlebell Instructors. 12. I started the Chronicles of Strength my sophomore year in college. By my senior year, it was a top 500 blog in health and wellness. I talk mostly on how to chop fat, multiply muscle, and live the good life. 13. I also co-own Killing It With Kettlebells. We teach other fitness professionals how to kill it in the fitness biz with kettlebell bootcamps. 14. I like beer, wine, and exotic cheeses. Exotic cats are cool, too. But my girlfriend tells me Im not allowed to have anymore. 15. I do not claim to be smarter than anyone else. I just study more, which is how Ive come to know a thing or two about effective fat loss and strength training. 16. My daughter, Lola, has four legs and drools a lot. She is both wonderful and good.

17. Contrary to popular belief, I actually DONT wear Axe Body Spray. 18. Aerobics are yawn. 19. I shop at Costco on Friday nights around 8pm. Through extensive testing, I have found it to be the best time to go. 20. I am the author of The Birth of a Hero, a metabolic conditioning eBook of considerable repute. 21. You can email me anytime at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength, shoot me a message on Facebook, or Tweet at me. Im very nice, and Id really like to get to know you better. Unless youre not nice.

Whats Going on Here?

We will begin by defining a few terms. I wish us to be one mind, sharing but a single thought. This meeting of the minds is requisite for you to understand (and for me to justify) why I am about to put you through what is arguably the most fiendish instrument of torture to ever bedevil the days of man. I assume that you seek the elimination ofor more preferably, the rapid elimination of unsightly body fat. In addition, I also assume that you seek the proliferation ofor more preferably the rapid proliferationof tasteful muscle mass. If indeed my assumptions are on point, then you must first understand that such goals are an end to which there are many means. Surely any nincompoop with enough tenacity could dig a hole with a spoon, as Tim Robbins demonstrated in the Shawshank Redemption. Most, however, are smart enough to exploit a shovel when possible. Sadly, such logic is commonly absent amongst those who wish to demolish fat and construct muscle. The widespread use of a treadmill is evidence of said folly. I hope by this illustration you see how there are more or less effective means to any given end. Just as there are shortcuts for digging a hole, I need you to understand that there are also shortcuts to sexy! And it is to that end that I wish to provide you with the most effective means!

However, such an accelerated toll road demands a premium fee. To understand this is to know what it means to say this program is not for the weak of heart, the fragile by nature, or the proverbial sissy pants. Indeed, that which promenades below is analogous to only what can be experienced in the 7 th ring of hell. If youve yet to experience such heavenly bliss, youre in for a painful awakening. I intend not to frighten you, nor do I wish to discourage your pursuits! I only mean to say that temerity alone will not suffice. However, add toughness to temerity, and you have yourself a potent tonic for physical excellence! Coming back around again, this accelerated toll road that I speak of is metabolic conditioning; more specifically, metabolic conditioning via kettlebell complex training.

What Is Metabolic Conditioning

(NOTE: The following is an excerpt from my Birth of a Hero eBook) The term Metabolic Conditioning refers to the simultaneous engagement of multiple muscle groups and energy systems (phosphagenic, glycolytic, and oxidative) through the combination strength efforts and elevated cardiovascular stress. If I could, I would make that verbose forkful a bit more digestible, but I believe its crucial that we come to terms on this. The definition (not to be confused with the termwhich is particular to me) of metabolic conditioning is to increases the efficiency of our energy systems, of which, there are three: [Note: All three of the human energy systems supply ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which you can think of as our "energy currency". The energy systems differ only in the manner in which they produce ATP and the speed at which they supply it.] 1. Phosphagen (ATP/PC) - The most short-term and high-intensity exercises pull first from the phosphagen energy system. Example activities that only take a few seconds but require large amounts of ATP very quickly include swinging a baseball bat or a performing a high jump. On a molecular level this results in the lending of a PC (phosphocreatine) molecule to ADP (adenosine diphosphate) to produce ATP. Since our bodies (muscle cells) store limited amounts of PC at any given time, the total amount of ATP we can rapidly produce is inherently very limited.

2.Glycolysis - Once your CP stores are depleted your body turns to the breakdown of glycogen or glucose (carbohydrates) to produce additional ATP. This is still anaerobic, like the phosphagen energy system, implying the process does not require oxygen. Glycolysis produces ATP rapidly, but not as rapidly as the phosphagen system. Lactic acid-buildup is a byproduct of glycolysis. To understand this is to know why you experience a burning sensation on the latter reps of prolonged strength efforts. 3.Oxidative (aerobic) - This is the most complex energy system and opts for fat as the primary fuel source (fatty acid oxidation). Any sort of traditional endurance event takes advantage of the oxidative energy system.

Why Metabolic Conditioning

(Note the following is an excerpt from my Birth of a Hero eBook) This activity, this whole-hearted journey into the lungs of hell if you will, is first and foremost, a source of unusual delight! The adrenaline surge of a deviously designed kettlebell complex is similar in experience to that of a high-speed thrill ride. To be frank, there is no reason, even if it were all that were available, that I would never wait in line for Goofys Playhouse at Disney Land. Because it sucks. I, like most blessed with some form of attention disorder, suffer from a low adherence to uninteresting and unchallenging exercise regimens. To be frank once more, I need an exercise regimen with a higher level of excitement than what can be had romping through an over inflated ball pit with the pre-pubescent. I would like to believe that you are reading this book because you have a similar issue. To this confession however, the critic may pose the question of effectiveness. What good is having fun, if there is no other benefit to be had, aside from the short-lived euphoria of a mental lollypop and swampy undergarments? To this shitweasel, I would say touch! Indeed, fun at the expense of effectiveness would be an unwise transaction, but to assert mutually exclusivity between fun and effectiveness is purely speculative (due to the subjective nature of fun) in all cases, and what is more, downright wrong in this particular instance. Before further elaboration, another question must be posed: to what end is metcon effective?

Reason #1: Fat Loss I could have listed the most observable benefit last, to mask my vanity, but why bother? I will be the first to tell you, and one of the few to admit, that having six pack abs really does make everything better. Those that profess otherwise are, on the aggregate, havent had the abs to know what its like. But please do not misconstrue this point as pure egotism! I am of the belief that so long as it is accomplished without the use of dangerous fat loss pills or special vitamins, a well-defined set of six pack abs is merely an exogenous reflection of internal vitality! To elaborate, many ducks must be lined up to carve out big blocky abs. One must be proficiently skilled in the arts of exercise, stress control, and nutrition to achieve such an enviable attribute. To understand this is to know that the benefits of sporting six-pack abs stretch far beyond turning heads at the beach. With few exceptions, stand-out abs and overall vitality tend to be mutually inclusive! This is what it means to say that six pack abs are a reflection of good health! It is proven in scientific circles that the effects of aerobic activity on body fat are often immaterial and insignificant on their own. However, metabolic conditioning, or high intensity intermittent exercise, has been shown to accelerate fatty acid oxidation along with an abundance of other metabolic benefits to be discussed presently. One study in particular, found that HIIE when compared to steady state aerobic activity resulted in a greater loss of subcutaneous body fat.1 I believe to reference this is to only illuminate the obvious, but a necessary nuisance nonetheless. Yet another study, performed on a group of forty-five women, reaffirms the effectiveness of HIIE for fat loss (the HIIE group experienced significant reductions in fat mass, particularly abdominal fat), but also highlights the ineffectiveness of steady state aerobic exercise (the steady-state group experienced no significant change in fat mass).2 But to cite only effectiveness is to sell the true magic of metabolic conditioning short. A study conducted on eight men and nine women compared the effects of a 20-week endurance training program to that of a 15-week high intensity exercise regimen. As you might by now suspect, the group subjected to a high intensity training regimen experienced a more pronounced reduction in subcutaneous adiposity compared with the ET program (mea ning
1 2

http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/Class/IPHY3700_Greene/TIPS/exIntesity/Tremblay.pdf http://www.scopus.com/record/display.url?eid=2-s2.0-42149157695&origin=inward&txGid=vOtya0EzjXzgi52WL_IW4-%3a2

they went to a state of being less fat).3 What is more interesting, however, is that the mean energy expenditure for the endurance training group was higher (120.4 megajoules) than the group subjected to a high-intensity regimen (57.9 megajoules). This is to say that high intensity exercise is not only more effective than steady state aerobic training for fat loss, but also significantly more efficient.

Reason #2: Enhanced Athletic Performance With the exception of all that is super-lame, any competitive sport involves unpredictable locomotion (human movement) in terms of duration, type, and intensity. Athletes must run, jump, sprint, crawl, throw, punch, grapple, skip, and perform other etceteras of movement that demand the recruitment of multiple muscle groups and the fulfillment of ATP (our energy currency) from various energy systems. Would it not then seem obvious, that as we increase the efficiency at which said energy is supplied through those various metabolic pathways that our potential athletic performance would inherently increase in turn? The answer, of course, is yes. To understand this is to realize that most competitive sports, in themselves, are a form of metabolic conditioning. So if A equals B, then B, therefore, must also equal A. To increase one is to increase the other, assuming, of course, that technical skill is held constant. Acknowledging that a sport is a form of metabolic conditioning, logic then indicates that as I become better at sport, I therefore have enhanced my conditioning. The reverse is also true, again to the extent that skill is held constant, that as I increase my metabolically conditioning, I will fare better at sport. To understand this is to answer a question well-matched for the common nit-wit: If two wrestlers are pitted against one another, each equally skilled in technique, but one better conditioned and stronger than the other, who will win? There are of course, exceptions to this rule, namely sports that require little in terms of physical exertion. I confess, I perceive no possibility as to how metabolic conditioning will enhance the performance of those involved in the sport of NASCAR. One particular study, conducted on 35 elite-level rugby players, is evidence of all that is aforementioned. 9-Weeks of metabolic conditioning improved markers of cardiovascular
3

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0026049594902593

capacity.4 What is most notable is that these athletes are elite performers, so it is reasonable to assume that they all possess, to some degree, a higher level of metabolic competency than the untrained individual. It requires little effectiveness to increase the capacity of an untrained and/or sedentary person (often referred to as the newbie effect). It is far more respectable, and significant, to improve the capacity of elite-level athleteswhich is what we have here. To further support this assertion, I reference The Scientific Basis for High-Intensity Interval Training which states It seems that, for athletes who are already trained, improvements in endurance performance can be achieved only through high-intensity interval training (HIIT).5 So to improve endurance, it seems like, from both an anecdotal and objective viewpoint, that more endurance work (increasing aerobic volume) is an ineffective approach, whereas metabolic conditioning has been proven to yield tremendous utility. To understand this is to know why sprint work will, in all likelihood, increase a marathon runners performance, but endurance work will, in all likelihood, not increase a sprinters performance. Evidence in support of this is yet another study, where the performance of a 40km time trial increased significantly amongst a group of highly trained cyclists (with a background of moderate-intensity endurance training) after they were subjected to 4-weeks of high intensity interval training.6 As the clich goes, the proof will always be in the pudding, so if you are an athlete, I urge you to test these assertions, and see to it that if you are ever bested in sport, it is from a lack of technical skill, and never from a lack of superior conditioning. Reason #3: Increased Lean Muscle Mass I believe the premise that lifting heavy things increases muscle size and strength is so evident that it requires no citation or reference other than common experience. But to pander the seemingly sexual obsession of the academic, a study conducted on eleven sedentary men compared the effects of heavy lifting to light lifting for muscle hypertrophy. As you may have gambled, a light load proved to be inferior in evoking adaptive changes in muscle size and contractile strength than a heavy load.7 Remarkable, I know.

4 5

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2004/08000/askill_based_conditioning_games_approach_to.17.aspx http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/adis/smd/2002/00000032/00000001/art00003 6 http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/8933495 7 http://jap.physiology.org/content/105/5/1454.abstract

Various methods and manners of mechanical loading have been proven effective for muscle hypertrophy (the increase of muscle size), but it is evident, and hopefully by now self-evident, that to get a muscle to grow in size and strength, it must be exposed, in some way, to a considerable load. To understand this is to know that if you lift Barbie weights you will never look like Ken. Metabolic conditioning is but one of these manners and methods. It is, if you will, a tool, and a multifaceted one at that. The critic may attempt to persuade you that, in most instances, it is not the tool that matters, but rather, how you yield it. Their ignorance is far reaching. And annoying. To assert that the selection of a tool is insignificant, is to say that both a spoon and a shovel are equally effective for digging the whole, so long as you are skilled in the art of digging a hole with a spoon. The real scoop (bad pun), is that some tools are downright more effective than other tools for getting the job done. Hanging off a parallel branch of analogy, one could liken metabolic conditioning, or what is more, kettlebell complex training, to the Swiss Army Knife. The tool that does it all, and if well employed, does it all quite well. Admittedly, metabolic conditioning may not be any more effective than the time-tested traditionalists approach to increased muscle mass (namely bodybuilding), but it is most certainly, more efficient, and like a luxury box seat at a sporting event or rock concert, carries along with it an assortment of additional, unique, and often times hidden benefits that cannot be reaped from lowbrow exercise routines. Indeed even the research supports my claims. A study conducted on ten male volunteers found that low intensity forms of anaerobic exercise had no significant impact on circulating growth hormone (a necessary hormone for the construction of muscle mass), whereas only ten minutes of high intensity anaerobic efforts significantly and consistently elevated peak growth hormone circulation.8 Metabolic conditioning is indeed both effectual and expedient for the construction of lean muscle mass. Arguably, metabolic conditioning offers the highest muscle yield on time and effort invested.

Reason #4: Mental Fortitude In middle school I played basketball.

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/75/1/157.short

Ill pause, so that you may laugh that one out. Anyways, my team possessed what I would say to be an average amount of talent. My ranking amongst the roster, admittedly, heavily pulled the talent mean down. And if it were a calculus class, graded on a curve, my presence would have been more welcome than it was. Then again, I fare better at derivatives then I do hoops, so I reckon my previous point to be nullified. Even as a wishful preteen, I did not play with the high hopes that I someday would share the court with the likes of LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. I believe it important to dream big, but equally important is it to recognize reality. Nor did I play to rank myself amongst notable company. My presence on the team fooled no one into believing me a basketball player any more than my karaoke performances ever have anyone of the idea that I am to be the next national heartthrob of teenage mademoiselles. I did not play for fame, glory, or riches. Again, Im well-grounded in reality. I did not play for the love of the game, the coach, or the teammates. The game itself bores me; the coach was a jerk, and the teammates nincompoops. I did not play because mommy wanted me to, or to make daddy proud. My mom was the first to poke fun at the inappropriateness of my decision, and my dad never hesitant to point out the incompatibility of me and a basketball court. I did not play to win a fair maidens heart. Girls had germs back then. Still do. I played for two reasons, of which are similar in nature, to what has compelled me to do what I do now. The first and foremost reason was that even while I reviled the sport, I respected the practice. Cancel that, I loved the practice. Our coach, a red-bearded man, pale like a lamp shade and girthy as such, knew little of effective physical conditioning. His approach was that of the traditionalist history teacher turned basketball coach. Unremittingly, he ran us into the ground. Now this, I loved! Certainly, it was my abnormal love affair with the infliction of sprints, push-ups, burpees, and other etceteras (a passion shared by no other), that garnered me a position on the team. I made the cut (believe it or not there actually was one), not because of talent, but staying power. Many times the coach tried to break me, physically and emotionally, hoping that I would optout on my own. I offered no such courtesy. Like an annoying gnat at a barbeque, I kept coming back again and again and again.

After two years on the team, I learned little of basketball, but much in the ways of toughness. As testimony, at the time of obtainment, I was the youngest of any individual to ever be numbered amongst the ranks of certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructors, under Pavel Tsatsouline. I attribute my success not to favorable genetics (aside from my pretty feet, I have none), but to my mental resilience and adherence to a tough training program. What I have learned, is that toughness, like strength, and like movement, is a skill. As I mentioned in the preface, one develops a skill by operating according to a particular set of rules. There is no other way to adhere to these rules, or to learn to implement them to the degree of mastery, than by operating (or in a more lay sense by doing). To understand this is to know what it means when I say that if you want to get tough, then you must practice the art of being tough. The rule is that you have to train under conditions which aim to break you. And you must not break. And to that point, I pose the question of how fares your mental toughness? My mentor, Brian Petty RKC, would have told you that kettlebell training is the closest you will get to mimicking the stresses of a fight. He is uniquely qualified to make such a claim. And as a lifelong martial artist, I attest. Many times I have been bested in my sport of Tae Kwon Do. But never, since training with kettlebells, has it been on the grounds of conditioning or mental fortitude. People will beat you in sport because they are better than you, more skilled than you. That is inevitable. In fact, a well-rounded ass-kicking is often the best way to learn. But never, under any circumstances, let someone beat you because they are tougher than you or better conditioned than you. Like a punch slipped into the ribs of an oblivious recipient, this program hits in a hard and unpleasant manner. Arguably, you may find these complexes to rank highly, if not highest, amongst the most ill-reputed physical efforts of your life. Because it is colored in toughness, The Birth of a Hero, over time, will fortify a nervous heart and pull inner resilience out of obscurity. It will stiffen vigor, as well as bellies, but never will it not cater to the whims of a sissy.

What Are Complexes?

(NOTE: The following is an excerpt from my Birth of a Hero eBook) For our purposes, complexes (specifically kettlebell complexes) are compound exercises to be performed successively and uninterruptedly. Compound exercises call upon the coordinated action of multiple muscle groups to move multiple joints through a range of motion simultaneously. To perform them successively and uninterruptedly means to string these exercises and execute them without the luxury of rest. Complexes can be performed with almost any implement or no implement at all. The kettlebell, however, lends itself uniquely to complex training. The compact nature of the implement, along with its offset center of gravity, encourages one to flow seamlessly from movement to movement, uninterruptedly. As the saying goes, you cant swing a barbell between your legs.

Are You Ready?

Enough verbosity. Its time to strap it on and do work. Below are seven handpicked kettlebell complexes from my Birth of a Hero eBook. You may either implement them into your current routine or perform them ad libitum. The other, and debatably the wisest choice, would be to utilize them in conjunction with my Birth of a Hero eBook, which I will continue to plug relentlessly and unapologetically. I hope you enjoy my selection for you this evening.

Complex #1: The Great Destroyer

10 Double Swing 10 Double Snatch 10 Front Squat 10 Clean and Press 10 Push Up on the Bells

Complex #2: Destroy Yourself

5 military press, holding the top portion of the final press for 30 seconds 5 front squats, holding the rack position of the final squat for 30 seconds

Complex #3: Sequential Dismay

A reverse Fibonacci sequence of: 8 double cleans 5 front squats 5 double cleans 3 front squats 3 double cleans 2 front squats 2 double cleans 1 front squat 1 double cleans 1 front squat

Complex #4: Hang Em High

3 one-arm swings 3 snatches 6 one-arm swings 6 snatches 9 one-arm swings 9 snatches Repeat on other arm

Complex #5: Fresh Off the Yacht

Complete all exercises on right side and then on left: 5 one-arm swings 5 cleans 5 snatches 5 jerks 5 reverse lunges

Complex #6: The Flynn Man-Maker REMIXED

Layer 1-double snatch, renegade row Layer 2-double snatch, double press, renegade row Layer 3-double snatch, press, squat, renegade row Layer 4-double snatch, press, squat, clean, renegade row Layer 5-double snatch, press, squat, clean, swing, renegade row

Complex #7: What Goes Up

5 snatch-to-overhead lunges

Where Do We Go From Here?

Just how book that does not challenge you intellectually is not worth reading, a program that does not challenge you physically is not worth following. To be challenged is to want to quit. And to succeed is to not. Whereas a well-designed and challenging book bestows a higher level of enlightenment, a welldesigned and challenging program bestows a higher level of physical excellence. To say it another way, the finest steel is forged in the hottest furnace. Do not waste your energies pointlessly. So with that in mind, I present you with:

5 Logical Reasons to Start The Birth of a Hero Program Right Now!

1. Subtract Fat The Birth of a Hero is the only fitness program proven to make fat cells pop like bubble wrap through the unique combination of metabolic conditioning, kettlebell complex training, and micro-fasting. Burn more fat than jogging 67 miles a weekor swimming for two hours a day! 2. Multiply Muscle Kettlebell complex training demands heavy strength efforts through the simultaneous engagement of multiple muscle groups. This inimitable superstimulus creates the perfect storm for rapid muscular development.

3. Add Functional Brawns Its cool to look the part. But even cooler to play the part. Discover how to get super strong AND super hard with the Lazy Mans Guide to Functional Brawns (found only inside The Birth of a Hero) 4. Divide Your Abs Discover how to magnify your abdominal muscle definition without ever having to do a single sit-up! Cut abs hard enough to turn heads at the beach and frighten small children with The Nincompoops Guide to Big Blocky Abs (found only inside The Birth of a Hero). 5. Exponentially Increase Your Resilience Forge a physique able to withstand all odds and repel the hardest hits as far as practicable. Develop true grit and the mental toughness of Rocky Balboa.

A Proper Send Off

Do not tread these waters lightly. Ill be the first to admit that when ensnared in the jaws of the Great Destroyer, nothing feels longer than that prison. And to prevail, you must engage this nightmarish hellscape with the audacity of a famished lion and perform with the tenacity of such. Please feel free to drop me a note anytime at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com And please lift responsibly,
Pat Flynn

PS If you are relatively new to the Chronicles Of Strength universe, here are a few additional posts and resources to strengthen the flesh and stir the mind: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The Ultimate No BS Kettlebell Technique Lifting Guide FREE Kettlebell Swing eBook 5 Principles for Physical Excellence and Tranquility of Mind The Truth About Working Out Fasted 21Tips for a Leaner, Happier, Healthier Life

PPS Check out our SuperHero Development Program

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