Latest news with #DanJohn
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
An expert trainer says ‘this is the best thing you can do with kettlebells' to build full-body strength and muscle
If my work can persuade one person to train with kettlebells, I'll consider that a job well done as a fitness writer. While I firmly believe there is no one piece of equipment that's necessary to further your fitness, a kettlebell can help you move the dial forward in more areas than most. Strength? Definitely. Muscle? Absolutely. You can also make significant improvements to your mobility, stability, coordination, cardiorespiratory fitness and more with the help of the humble kettlebell. And once you're ready to expand your training horizons, you can simply add a second one into the equation. In fact, pressing two of them overhead is the 'best thing you can do with kettlebells', according to leading strength coach and kettlebell expert Dan John. And that's not the only benefit to dual-wielding. 'One of the big advantages of using doubles is that, while doubles are heavier, they're actually easier for most people,' he tells me. 'Outside of the two-handed swing and the goblet squat, generally two-handed work is easier because you don't have those asymmetries to fight through.' Below, John explains where to start when training with two kettlebells. He also discusses the many benefits this can bring, and his favourite double kettlebell workout to try. The best double kettlebell workout: The Armour Building Complex Using two equally weighted kettlebells, complete the sequence below without putting the weights down: Double kettlebell clean x2 Double kettlebell press x1 Double kettlebell front squat x3 This is the best, and arguably most versatile, double kettlebell workout in John's armoury. You can use heavy kettlebells to target strength gains, pick up moderate kettlebells and complete the complex each minute for 10 minutes for more of a muscle-building hit, or set a 20-minute timer and complete as many rounds as you can with lighter weights to set your heart, lungs and muscles alight. John created the workout for athletes, beta testing earlier versions on American football players in an attempt to replicate the rigours of game-day. The aim was to provide a test that developed solidity and strength throughout the entire body, and in the Armour Building Complex he found just that. 'You can call the area from your neck to your knees whatever you want,' John says. 'Lots of people call it the core, but saying 'the core' is like saying 'doing cardio' – it's an overused term. 'The three words I use for this area are armour, anaconda and arrow. Spine expert Dr Stuart McGill uses the word stone, so I sometimes like to think about these as 'the three As of building the stone'.' Armour involves packing on muscle, anaconda describes the development internal pressure for stability, and arrow refers to the ability to move powerfully. The first of these is what gives this workout its name, but the session will help you develop all three. Benefits of training with double kettlebells The first difference of double kettlebell training is that, unless you drop the weight of your kettlebells significantly, you'll likely be lifting a heavier load. But this aside, John says the practice is easier than training with a single kettlebell because your movements are symmetrical. 'Some people say that singles are better, but the issue with asymmetrical work for a lot of people is that most of them, and certainly Americans, come in [to kettlebell training] pretty beat-up at a certain age. 'We have a lot of collision sports here, and we do a lot of throwing sports, so most of the people I work with walk into the gym with asymmetrical issues. Lower back problems, a dominant shoulder – it's almost a given.' For this reason, John says double kettlebell training is easier, and even safer, than chucking a single weight around for most people. How to start double kettlebell training While John says double kettlebell training tends to be easier and safer than a session with a single weight, there are still some fundamentals to wrap your head and hands around. Below, he explains how to get started, and dives into the three fundamental exercises you should learn first. Starting position Place the kettlebells a couple of feet in front of you and arrange them so the handles are angled inwards to form a V-shape. 'When the bells are on the ground, the V is to me,' John says. 'By doing this, you allow your shoulders to move into a much more protected state.' From here, you can hinge at the hips then, keeping your 'eyes on the horizon', pull the kettlebells back between your thighs to initiate a swing. The kettlebell swing marks the starting point of many other double kettlebell exercises such as the clean and snatch, so it's worth perfecting this first. Learning the double kettlebell clean Start with two kettlebells on the ground two feet in front of you, handles angled slightly towards you to form a V. Assume a stance slightly wider than shoulder width. With soft knees, hinge at the hips to bend over and grab a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip. Keeping your spine long, arms straight and eyes forward, pull the kettlebells back between your thighs. From here, squeeze your glutes to explosively drive your hips forward. As you do this, stand up straight and allow the momentum from your hip drive to arc the kettlebells up to the front rack position – elbows at your sides pointing down, thumbs against your chest, 'bells between the fronts of your shoulders and forearms. Allow the kettlebells to fall away from your body, curving back between your thighs, then repeat. The double kettlebell clean involves taking the kettlebell from a swing to a front rack position, where it's nestled between the front of the shoulder and the forearm. 'Mastering the double kettlebell clean should be your first order of business,' John says. 'The biggest issue is that most people drop the 'bells straight down [from the front rack position], get into a minor traffic accident with every rep, then hike them back up. 'You don't drop the weights, you swing into each and every rep. It should be a hinge, then a clean.' John also says it's important to create a good front rack position to catch the kettlebells at the shoulder. 'I like the thumbs to be on the chest and the elbows to be touching your sides as appropriate – obviously you will have some people who are naturally winging out.' Keeping the elbows low, he says, will encourage you to transition into a swing for the next rep, rather than dropping the weight straight down. Learning the double kettlebell press Clean two kettlebells into the front rack position. Drive your fists to the sky until your arms are fully extended overhead, biceps by your ears. Your wrist will rotate inwards slightly as you do this, ending with your palm facing forward, and the kettlebells should follow a shallow J-shape when viewed head on. Control the weights back down to the front rack position then repeat. 'Once you've learned the kettlebell clean, you set the stage for what I think is the best thing kettlebells do: the double kettlebell press family,' John says. 'There's the double kettlebell press and its cousin the seesaw press [where you press each kettlebell overhead alternately, lowering one as you drive the other upwards]. I think these are the two best things you can do with kettlebells. It's a whole body exercise, and it's exhausting.' With the press, when you have both kettlebells in the front rack position, John recommends taking a moment and 'squeezing everything down to engage that anaconda strength'. Learning the double kettlebell front squat Clean two kettlebells into the front rack position. Create tension throughout your body then, keeping your chest up, push your hips back slightly to initiate the squat. From here, bend your knees and lower your hips as far as you can while keeping your chest up. Drive through your feet to return to the starting position. 'When I'm working with athletes, I used to spend a lot more time with the barbell front squat, but now I spend more time with this exercise because the double kettlebell front squat feels more like sports,' John says. 'There's no rest on any rep in a double kettlebell front squat.' In other words, even when you're standing tall, your whole body has to hold enough tension to resist the pull of the kettlebells and keep you upright. Then, as you descend, you face the challenge of maintaining this tension while using your legs to lower the weight before driving it back upwards. With a series of simple movements you can hit every area of your body and with a very affordable piece of kit too. Double kettlebell training offers a raft of benefits and with this guide, it's easy to start nailing the movements, wherever you choose to train.
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
This is the best thing you can do with kettlebells to build full-body strength, according to expert trainer Dan John
If my work can persuade one person to train with kettlebells, I'll consider that a job well done as a fitness writer. While I firmly believe there is no one piece of equipment that's necessary to further your fitness, a kettlebell can help you move the dial forward in more areas than most. Strength? Definitely. Muscle? Absolutely. You can also make significant improvements to your mobility, stability, coordination, cardiorespiratory fitness and more with the help of the humble kettlebell. And once you're ready to expand your training horizons, you can simply add a second one into the equation. In fact, pressing two of them overhead is the 'best thing you can do with kettlebells', according to leading strength coach and kettlebell expert Dan John. And that's not the only benefit to dual-wielding. 'One of the big advantages of using doubles is that, while doubles are heavier, they're actually easier for most people,' he tells me. 'Outside of the two-handed swing and the goblet squat, generally two-handed work is easier because you don't have those asymmetries to fight through.' Below, John explains where to start when training with two kettlebells. He also discusses the many benefits this can bring, and his favourite double kettlebell workout to try. The best double kettlebell workout: The Armour Building Complex Using two equally weighted kettlebells, complete the sequence below without putting the weights down: Double kettlebell clean x2 Double kettlebell press x1 Double kettlebell front squat x3 This is the best, and arguably most versatile, double kettlebell workout in John's armoury. You can use heavy kettlebells to target strength gains, pick up moderate kettlebells and complete the complex each minute for 10 minutes for more of a muscle-building hit, or set a 20-minute timer and complete as many rounds as you can with lighter weights to set your heart, lungs and muscles alight. John created the workout for athletes, beta testing earlier versions on American football players in an attempt to replicate the rigours of game-day. The aim was to provide a test that developed solidity and strength throughout the entire body, and in the Armour Building Complex he found just that. 'You can call the area from your neck to your knees whatever you want,' John says. 'Lots of people call it the core, but saying 'the core' is like saying 'doing cardio' – it's an overused term. 'The three words I use for this area are armour, anaconda and arrow. Spine expert Dr Stuart McGill uses the word stone, so I sometimes like to think about these as 'the three As of building the stone'.' Armour involves packing on muscle, anaconda describes the development internal pressure for stability, and arrow refers to the ability to move powerfully. The first of these is what gives this workout its name, but the session will help you develop all three. Benefits of training with double kettlebells The first difference of double kettlebell training is that, unless you drop the weight of your kettlebells significantly, you'll likely be lifting a heavier load. But this aside, John says the practice is easier than training with a single kettlebell because your movements are symmetrical. 'Some people say that singles are better, but the issue with asymmetrical work for a lot of people is that most of them, and certainly Americans, come in [to kettlebell training] pretty beat-up at a certain age. 'We have a lot of collision sports here, and we do a lot of throwing sports, so most of the people I work with walk into the gym with asymmetrical issues. Lower back problems, a dominant shoulder – it's almost a given.' For this reason, John says double kettlebell training is easier, and even safer, than chucking a single weight around for most people. How to start double kettlebell training While John says double kettlebell training tends to be easier and safer than a session with a single weight, there are still some fundamentals to wrap your head and hands around. Below, he explains how to get started, and dives into the three fundamental exercises you should learn first. Starting position Place the kettlebells a couple of feet in front of you and arrange them so the handles are angled inwards to form a V-shape. 'When the bells are on the ground, the V is to me,' John says. 'By doing this, you allow your shoulders to move into a much more protected state.' From here, you can hinge at the hips then, keeping your 'eyes on the horizon', pull the kettlebells back between your thighs to initiate a swing. The kettlebell swing marks the starting point of many other double kettlebell exercises such as the clean and snatch, so it's worth perfecting this first. Learning the double kettlebell clean Start with two kettlebells on the ground two feet in front of you, handles angled slightly towards you to form a V. Assume a stance slightly wider than shoulder width. With soft knees, hinge at the hips to bend over and grab a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip. Keeping your spine long, arms straight and eyes forward, pull the kettlebells back between your thighs. From here, squeeze your glutes to explosively drive your hips forward. As you do this, stand up straight and allow the momentum from your hip drive to arc the kettlebells up to the front rack position – elbows at your sides pointing down, thumbs against your chest, 'bells between the fronts of your shoulders and forearms. Allow the kettlebells to fall away from your body, curving back between your thighs, then repeat. The double kettlebell clean involves taking the kettlebell from a swing to a front rack position, where it's nestled between the front of the shoulder and the forearm. 'Mastering the double kettlebell clean should be your first order of business,' John says. 'The biggest issue is that most people drop the 'bells straight down [from the front rack position], get into a minor traffic accident with every rep, then hike them back up. 'You don't drop the weights, you swing into each and every rep. It should be a hinge, then a clean.' John also says it's important to create a good front rack position to catch the kettlebells at the shoulder. 'I like the thumbs to be on the chest and the elbows to be touching your sides as appropriate – obviously you will have some people who are naturally winging out.' Keeping the elbows low, he says, will encourage you to transition into a swing for the next rep, rather than dropping the weight straight down. Learning the double kettlebell press Clean two kettlebells into the front rack position. Drive your fists to the sky until your arms are fully extended overhead, biceps by your ears. Your wrist will rotate inwards slightly as you do this, ending with your palm facing forward, and the kettlebells should follow a shallow J-shape when viewed head on. Control the weights back down to the front rack position then repeat. 'Once you've learned the kettlebell clean, you set the stage for what I think is the best thing kettlebells do: the double kettlebell press family,' John says. 'There's the double kettlebell press and its cousin the seesaw press [where you press each kettlebell overhead alternately, lowering one as you drive the other upwards]. I think these are the two best things you can do with kettlebells. It's a whole body exercise, and it's exhausting.' With the press, when you have both kettlebells in the front rack position, John recommends taking a moment and 'squeezing everything down to engage that anaconda strength'. Clean two kettlebells into the front rack position. Create tension throughout your body then, keeping your chest up, push your hips back slightly to initiate the squat. From here, bend your knees and lower your hips as far as you can while keeping your chest up. Drive through your feet to return to the starting position. 'When I'm working with athletes, I used to spend a lot more time with the barbell front squat, but now I spend more time with this exercise because the double kettlebell front squat feels more like sports,' John says. 'There's no rest on any rep in a double kettlebell front squat.' In other words, even when you're standing tall, your whole body has to hold enough tension to resist the pull of the kettlebells and keep you upright. Then, as you descend, you face the challenge of maintaining this tension while using your legs to lower the weight before driving it back upwards. With a series of simple movements you can hit every area of your body and with a very affordable piece of kit too. Double kettlebell training offers a raft of benefits and with this guide, it's easy to start nailing the movements, wherever you choose to train.
The Independent
19-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The three short weekly workouts that can transform your fitness
You could run this workout programme for the rest of your life and make very, very good progress,' esteemed strength coach Dan John tells me. With a tagline like this, you might expect a convoluted plan that prescribes hours in the gym each day, but John's offering is refreshingly accessible. There are only three workouts per week, each taking roughly 10 minutes, and you only need a single kettlebell to get them done. This is his speciality: cutting through the (considerable) noise in the fitness space to deliver uncomplicated, efficient and devilishly effective ways to train. And he has a sterling CV to justify his confident opening gambit. 'I've been lifting weights since 1965, coaching since 1979, I just broke the national record for the clean and jerk in my age group, I'm stronger than anybody you know, and I'm 68,' John says. He can also count Arnold Schwarzenegger among his admirers, with the bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician praising John's work in his daily Pump Club newsletter. Now you're aware of his credentials, it's time to dig into the nitty gritty of the plan itself. It was devised in a recent chat with The Independent, with the goal of helping people lose weight, boost strength and build a fit, functional body for the longhaul. Here's how to do it. The workouts John's foundational training principle is that 'the body is one piece', and all its requisite parts don't work in isolation, but instead are intrinsically linked. For this reason, there's not a 'leg day' or 'chest day' in sight in this workout programme – 'I call this Frankenstein's monster training, and it's a horrible way for 99 per cent of your readers to train,' he explains. Instead, he targets 'movements, not muscles', and the workouts below cover all five of his fundamental human movements: push, pull, hinge, squat and loaded carry. Complete five rounds of the sequence below. Rest as needed. Kettlebell overhead press (right hand) x2 Kettlebell overhead press (left hand) x2 Kettlebell overhead press (right hand) x3 Kettlebell overhead press (left hand) x3 Kettlebell overhead press (right hand) x5 Kettlebell overhead press (left hand) x5 Wednesday: SparHawk Complete the sequence below, decreasing the number of goblet squats by one with each passing round. You should also switch the hand you use for the suitcase carry each round. Rest as needed. The aim is to hold on to the kettlebell for the entire workout. Saturday: The Humane Burpee Complete 10 rounds of the circuit below (each round, perform one less goblet squat and one less press-up). Rest as needed. The aim is to move quickly and smoothly through the movements, only putting the kettlebell down when transitioning to the press-up. Kettlebell swing x15 Goblet squat x10 Press-up x10 Adjustments 'One of the problems with the fitness industry is that we make everything very top-down,' John says. 'There's this idea that, if you don't do a workout exactly as written, it will fail. 'I think it's important to use self-regulation and think for yourself when it comes to reps, sets and rest.' Above, you can find the framework for three effective workouts that will strengthen your entire body. But you can still tweak them to suit your needs. If you only have a light kettlebell, increase the target number of reps per set – doubling them can be a fun way to go. If you only have a heavy kettlebell, pare down the number of reps. 'Rest when you're tired,' John advises, but still try to get your hands back on the kettlebell as quickly as possible – challenge tends to lead to change, as far as the human body is concerned. 'And if something feels too heavy and it's not safe, stop,' he adds. Likewise, if something feels too easy, it's unlikely to provide the stimulus you need to see progress, so tinker with the variables available to make it harder. How to use this workout plan long-term The key to getting plenty of mileage out of this programme is progression. The workouts have to be adapted in line with your increasing fitness levels if you want to see continued improvements. However, don't expect one 10-minute workout to have a transformative effect – that's not how exercise works. 'If my client is in bad shape, I tell them, 'It took you 40 years to get in this shape, and you expect me to turn it around in a day or two? Come on!',' John says. 'But that's what people think. 'It's all about progression in my world – progressive resistance exercise. You can't go from zero to hero in one day. It takes months, years even.' There are a few easy ways to progress the workouts above. You can increase the weight you're using, increase the target number of repetitions or perform the workouts faster to increase the intensity – provided you're able to maintain sound technique, of course. You can also change the total number of rounds. For example, you might do six rounds rather than five of the pressing workout, or complete SparHawk once through, rest for a few minutes, then repeat it, trying to beat your first time. If you can very gradually increase the intensity of these workouts, week on week, fitness progress is sure to follow. The low-hanging fitness fruit that will make all the difference One of the most common misconceptions about workout programmes is that your exercise time is the sole determinant of their success. If you want results – think weight management, muscle growth, increased strength, improved mobility and better heart health – then what you do away from your weight-training sessions will have the most sway. Nutrition, recovery and general activity levels play integral roles, and John has a few golden rules he follows to make sure he's nailing each one. Walking 'The only cardio I recommend for my fat loss clients is walking, and that's it,' John says. 'I also recommend always walking after your workouts.' He says 'there's nothing purely scientific' about the lauded 10,000 steps per day goal. The same applies to drinking eight glasses of water each day or settling in for eight hours of sleep each night. But that doesn't mean these things aren't going to benefit you, making them decent goals to gun for. Hitting 10,000 steps per day doesn't mean you need to set aside 90 minutes to rack up the miles, however. Simply make active choices where possible, such as picking a parking space slightly further from the supermarket or swapping escalators for stairs on the Tube, and watch your daily total soar. 'I keep a very inexpensive pedometer in my pocket,' says John. 'I'll easily get 500 to 1,000 steps just walking around the gym during my morning workout. Then I walk after the workout, and that gives me another 3,000, so I'm on a good amount before I have my first meal. 'On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, when you're not lifting, those are the 'must' days to get the walking in.' Nutrition Your approach to nutrition will depend on your fitness goals. However, the underlying principle remains the same. 'It's calories in and calories out,' says John. 'I do think the gut microbiome is an important thing for body fat; I do think the insulin matrix is an important thing for body fat; I also think ultra-processed foods are a nightmare for body composition. Having said that, calories in and calories out is the deciding factor.' Put simply, if you eat more calories than you burn each day (a calorie surplus) then you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you expend (a calorie deficit) then you will lose weight. Those prioritising muscle growth and strength gains will likely want to prioritise protein and eat at calorie maintenance or a calorie surplus to support their training efforts. However, weight loss is the world's most common fitness goal, and a calorie deficit is needed to achieve this. There are many ways to go about this, as detailed by fat loss expert Ben Carpenter in his interview with The Independent. But John favours fasting – abstaining from eating for part of each day or week. By providing yourself with less time to eat each day, most people end up eating less overall. 'My daughter makes fun of me, because I'm 68 and I like to eat dinner at 4pm or 5pm,' he says. 'What they don't understand is that, if I'm finished with dinner at 5pm, by the time midnight has come around, I've fasted for seven hours. If I wake up at seven in the morning, that's a 14-hour fast if I eat right away, and I generally don't. 'This way, the only time you need self-discipline is [after dinner]. So eat a filling dinner, fill yourself up, and if you're going to snack, snack during the dinner.' He also recommends focusing on nutrient-rich, 'calorically cheap' foods to make achieving a calorie deficit easier. 'I went on a date the other night, and the menus in America now often show the calories in each meal. I had steak, potatoes and asparagus and it was 730 calories. At the place down the hall, the regular french fries were 1,000 calories. 'That's why I think it's worth counting your calories at dinner a few times, and you will be shocked to see that what we would consider 'good' food – veggies, potatoes and meat – can actually make for a very good, calorically cheap meal.' Summary Time is the biggest barrier to exercise for most people. A lack of motivation is often cited as another key hurdle. This minimalist plan is designed to overcome as many of these obstacles as possible, providing a workout programme you can do at home using just a single kettlebell, all while committing to just three short weekly workouts. If you can do this consistently, and progress the difficulty of the workouts gradually over time, you can see some impressive results such as improved heart and lung health, strength, body composition and mobility, as well as increases in bone density and tissue strength which will leave you far less vulnerable to injury. But these results are dependent on what you do away from your workouts. 'You have to emphasise the sleep, the water, the steps and the nutrition,' John advises. Aim for eight hours' kip each night, or as much high-quality sleep as you can; shoot for 10,000 steps per day, or as many as you are able to squeeze into a busy routine; eat nutrient-rich foods in amounts that fit your fitness goals; complete the three weekly workouts above. Do these four things and you have all the ingredients of a recipe for success.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Exeter back John agrees new contract
Exeter back Dan John has agreed a new contract with the Premiership club. The 23-year-old former Wales youth international has played 19 times for the Chiefs in all competitions. He has also spent time on dual registration at Championship side Cornish Pirates. Injuries have restricted John to just two appearances this season - one in the league and one in the Premiership Rugby Cup. "Dan really started to impress towards the tail end of last season," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport. "When we've been looking to introduce him into the team and him having opportunities he's actually picked up a couple of niggling injuries over the course of the season. "He's still a guy we see fitting into our back three, he gives us some strength in depth there going forward. "He's a young player who we feel is still improving, so all of those things are good indicators for us that it would be good to keep him around, "I think he's becomes EQP (an English-qualified player) at some stage this season as well, which is obviously another benefit to us, so there's lots of reasons for us to keep working with him and for him to be an ambitious part of plans going forward."
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Exeter back John agrees new contract
Exeter back Dan John has agreed a new contract with the Premiership 23-year-old former Wales youth international has played 19 times for the Chiefs in all has also spent time on dual registration at Championship side Cornish Pirates. Injuries have restricted John to just two appearances this season - one in the league and one in the Premiership Rugby Cup. "Dan really started to impress towards the tail end of last season," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport."When we've been looking to introduce him into the team and him having opportunities he's actually picked up a couple of niggling injuries over the course of the season."He's still a guy we see fitting into our back three, he gives us some strength in depth there going forward."He's a young player who we feel is still improving, so all of those things are good indicators for us that it would be good to keep him around,"I think he's becomes EQP (an English-qualified player) at some stage this season as well, which is obviously another benefit to us, so there's lots of reasons for us to keep working with him and for him to be an ambitious part of plans going forward."
