About Kettlebell Krusher
Launched in 2018, Kettlebell Krusher started out as a blog & resource to learn about all things relating to kettlebells. However, the central theme of the site was more focused on my own personal journey than anything else. Now, several years later, that focus has changed drastically.
Throughout this short time I’ve interacted with trainers, doctors, athletes, and other fitness enthusiasts who have that same passion for kettlebells. The information and insight they’ve provided is something that I enjoy sharing with readers here. As a web designer in the U.S., I’m used to seeing visiting traffic from America mostly. My initial goal was to spread the word about the benefits of kettlebell training to others in my home country. After seeing traffic to Kettlebell Krusher span across entire continents, the goal is now to enlighten the world!
Although kettlebells have certainly risen in popularity over the last few years, they’re still not fully appreciated. I remain committed to compiling and sharing amazing stories, workouts, tips, and other news to help bring awareness. I have much to learn myself but have experienced the benefits that exercising with kettlebells offer.
Below is my personal story on the impact that they’ve had on my life. When I set out to lose weight little did I know that I would gain strength, mobility, flexibility, and mental clarity. I’m hoping that I can convince all of you to give kettlebell training a chance as well.
My Kettlebell Story
How I Lost Over 60 Pounds in Less Than a Year
Hello, my name is Ryan Faucher. One thing I’d like to make clear immediately is that I am a kettlebell enthusiast and not a trainer. What does that mean? Well, I’m dedicated to improving my body by using kettlebells. I do my best to exercise with kettlebells the proper way. However, I’m still learning the correct technique for these various exercises and by no means claim that I’m better suited to learn from than a certified kettlebell instructor.
My goal with Kettlebell Krusher is to inspire others to reach and strive for their own personal health goals through the use of kettlebells. As the owner of the web design and SEO agency Precise Online Management, my work life doesn’t involve much physical activity. I know that many people are probably in a similar situation. If you’re one of those people, and time is precious, please keep reading.
Realizing I Needed a Lifestyle Change
When I was younger (including the late twenties), I was able to eat and drink large amounts of junk food without consequences to my body. I was fortunate to have a high metabolism and also work in more physically demanding jobs. Although I probably wasn’t the healthiest on the inside, at least appearance-wise, my body was average.
Everything seemed fine until I hit my thirties and started my web design career full-time. This led to a very sedentary lifestyle. I knew that my metabolism had slowed down, but that didn’t stop my bad eating habits.
As my weight kept increasing, clothing that was once loose, became tighter and tighter. Health problems like sleep apnea and chronic fatigue started to become very apparent. I was heading down a dangerous path which potentially could lead to fatal health issues. Still, any attempt to diet or exercise was made with a half-hearted effort. I was stuck in a rut, depressed but unwilling to do anything about it.
Finding the Motivation to Commit to Healthy Living
Back in 2014, I met the love of my life. Four years later I married her! We were both unhappy with our weight, but it took a huge event like our wedding to seriously start planning and enacting a weight loss plan.
A couple of months after proposing in November of 2017, we started our goal of losing as much weight as possible for our wedding date (November of 2018). This included changing our diet for which we decided to go the paleo route. Simply committing to this diet was a huge help and several pounds were lost rather quickly. However, we knew that more needed to be done and after much research, we found our exercise strategy.
Enter the Kettlebell
Why use kettlebells as the exercise equipment of choice? Many reasons are listed in the kettlebell guide I’ve posted. The gist of it is you can get a full-body workout in a short amount of time. That’s not to say it is easy but much more realistic to stay committed to.
Our kettlebell workout plan consisted of performing kettlebell exercises for just 20 minutes every workday (Monday – Friday). The weekends were our off days. As I alluded to before, the time spent using kettlebells was challenging but offered the best results in such a short amount of time.
In case you’re wondering, we started off doing sets of popular exercises as shown by Stack 52 kettlebell exercise cards and poster. We’d shuffle the cards and flip them over until 20 minutes surpassed. It’s a fun way to get a random workout every time!
After getting used to basic exercises, we’d then start to incorporate more intricate kettlebell workouts that we discovered online. This included workouts defined as kettlebell flows. Such workouts chain kettlebell exercises together into one seamless routine with no rest or stopping between the sequence of exercises. This maximizes the time spent and energy burned to create an efficient workout.
The Results
As each month passed, the pounds kept dropping off for both my fiancée and I. Sure, there were plateaus here and there but we both supported one another to stay on track for the big day. We had our “cheat” days for dieting once in awhile to keep our sanity. However, there was never a period where we went off the rails as they say.
In the span of about 10 months, by following this diet and exercise plan, I went from 265 lbs. to 195 lbs. As a guy who is 5’7″, my goal weight is around 165-170 lbs. Although still 30 lbs. away from this goal at the date of the wedding, I’d say the commitment we made paid off.
It’s not polite to share a ladies weight, but my no