Pat Damiano

Coach, kettlebell lifter, soon to be dad. Reflections on training, discipline, life seasons, mindset, and what truly matters when you’re trying to show up daily

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Free 20 Kettlebell Complexes that...

Give you guidance and direction with kettlebells so you don't have to do any thinking or guesswork.

👉🏻 https://t.co/PMsZi0VtoX

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Forget ego lifts, endless hours in the gym, and the conventional “traditional” approach.

These complexes are all about functional fitness – focusing on practical and sustainable strength.

Helping you build real-world strength, move better, feel stronger, and confidently take on whatever life throws your way – all without the need for a gym!

👉🏻 Join over 27,000 people who are using them on a daily basis! - https://t.co/zpPxAJZiYB

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

The Calisthenics Rule of 10

How do I get my first pull-up?

How do I get better Pushups?

How can I add calisthenics into my training?

After getting these questions almost daily from clients in my program Project Bellplex, from people all over social media…

And then practicing myself…

I have come up with a very simple and effective way to get better at these exercises that I’m calling the "Calisthenics Rule of 10".

This rule really just applies to the upper body "Big 3" of calisthenics which is pull-ups, pushups & dips.

The rule is very simple and straight forward.

For each of the exercises, you do 10 sets a week.

So throughout your week of training you do at least 10 sets of dips, 10 sets of pushups & 10 sets of pull-ups.

The way I personally do it most weeks is by doing two days of 5 sets for each.

So for example:

- Monday = 5 sets of Dips & Pull-ups
- Tuesday = 5 sets of Pushups
- Thursday = 5 sets of Pushups + Pull-ups
- Saturday = 5 sets of Dips

There isn't anything overly structured, organized or programmed with this.

I am just looking to check off the boxes each week of getting in 10 sets of each exercise however I need to.

And the breakdown may look different every week.

Now there is one giant missing piece to this equation still…

How many reps??

This part is even simpler… Every set, every single one — you do as many reps as you can.

With maybe leaving 1 or 2 in the tank so you don't hit a complete brick wall.

This doesn't really work that well if you're only doing a couple reps each set so if you need a band for pull-ups/dips or to elevate your hands on a bench for pushups please do so.

Rough rule of thumb is you should be doing 5+ pull-ups/dips & 8+ pushups.

Anyways… we do as many as we can for 3 reasons:

1.) Simple for everyone

I’ve spent the majority of my time in the fitness industry programming and writing workouts for thousands of people to all be able to do no matter their level of fitness.

And that has lead me to this philosophy and why I know it works for everyone.

If say do as many as you can each set – then each person is being challenged to their own abilities.

So everyone is pushing, challenging themselves and getting a similar stimulus out of the exercise - this is why everyone in Project Bellplex increases their calisthenics so much!

2.) Want more? Do more!

Most people are looking to increase the amount of reps they can do with these exercises in one set.

And the best way I have found is to increase the max amount of reps you can do…is by always doing as many as you can.

This allows you to practice the exercises as well as build up the endurance needed for higher rep sets

3.) Muscle building

This is a byproduct, not the goal...but not a bad byproduct to have lol

Here we are unintentionally adapting the bodybuilding philosophy of training until failure or very close to it.

As we’ve already gone over it is a great way to improve your ability to do these exercises but ALSO leads to muscle growth by the nature of how it’s being done.

Calisthenics are simple, not easy.

They take time to get better at but I think a lot of people overcomplicate how to actually improve with them.

Do them consistently, and push yourself with challenging sets…it’s a simple equation

That is all for today.

Chat Soon.

-PD

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

"Do it For Your Son"

People love to ask the question "what is you why?"

You hear people ask this a lot when they have a goal or set out on a new personal or professional development endeavor.

Fitness, business, relationship.

What is your why? What is the deep reasoning behind doing what you are doing.

What keeps you going to achieve said goal?

I've been in the fitness industry for over 15 years now so I've heard one specific answer thousands of time...

"My kids are my why"

- Want to be able to play with them
- Want to be healthy for them so they're around longer
- Want to be a role model

I always respected the answer but could never truly relate...

Until now.

Now although my son isn't here yet, I'm finding myself saying something a lot throughout the day and my workouts.

I'm on a mission to Dial In Until Delivery so my nutrition and workouts are more locked in right now

So when I want to eat that cookie? Or skip a set in my workout? Or when I want to stop my run early?

"Do it for your son"

My "why" has completely changed & it's never been stronger.

I want to instill in him hard work, discipline and being someone who does what they say they are going to do.

Even when it's inconvenient, difficult and most importantly...when no one else is watching.

And if I want him to do all that... I have to do it myself.

This little dude is pushing me in ways I didn't think were possible and he's not eve here yet.

Thank you buddy...you're not even here yet and you're already making daddy better 🩵

So... what is your why? Do you have one?

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Are kettlebells Gimmicky?

Can you actually build muscle using them?

Do they REALLY work for the average person?

These are questions I get from people almost daily who are sick & tired of their current workouts but are skeptical, and don't want to just jump into anything without doing their due diligence.

1.) Are they gimmicky or "just the hot new trend" — Kettlebells have been around for quite some time in the fitness world... even longer than dumbbells *gasp*

What's happening now is that they are picking up steam because more very knowledgeable trainers are getting into them and learning how to use them.

People (both trainers and clients) are getting more and more into moving well, mobility, functional fitness and a little less obsessed with only building muscle and max strength in the gym

So no...they're not gimmicky. They're just being more brought into the light and they are here to stay.

2.) Can you really build muscle? I'll be answering this one until the day I die. And have many times over so I'll try and try make this brief.

Train hard, do compound movements, continue to increase reps or weight over time and eat the right amount of protein.

You do that you will absolutely gain muscle using kettlebells.

In fact...if you follow that equation and you will gain muscle lifting literally anything.

*Quick caveat I will always touch on with this topic. If the only thing you care about is building as much muscle as possible then KBs aren't for you.

Can you build muscle using them? Yes. Are they the best thing to use if all you care about if becoming a giant poofy bodybuilder who can't wipe his own ass? No.

3.) Do they REALLY work for the average person?

There is over 1,100 "regular" people, parents and grandparents seeing amazing results with in my program Project Bellplex on a daily basis with just kettlebells in their basement, living room, garage, backyard or kids play room.

There is definitely more of a learning curve with kettlebells than with something like bench pressing and bicep curls, but the average person can and does learn them quickly.

In fact, they work better than anything for the average person because the average person is time crunched and looking for overall fitness.

Nothing gives you a full body, strength and conditioning workout like kettlebells. And you only need a few of them tucked away in the corner of your home to have a full gym setup.

If this helped you go from skeptic to believer...

Or even if you're still a little skeptical, but now more intrigued...

Then I’m happy to have you here and reading!

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Every. Single. Gym.

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

“Hey Pat, how do I balance 4 kettlebell workouts a week, Jiu-Jitsu 3x a week, running 2x a week and playing pickleball 2x?”

(with a wife, 3 kids and a full time job).

Me: "Ummm…"

I have conversations like this w/ people in my community Project Bellplex from time to time.

I think we know that most could use more activity…

But some people… are doing too much (or trying to).

There is a lot of information being thrown around and most of it is good advice.

Try BJJ. Get in your stretching. Zone 2 cardio. Strength training. Pilates. 10k steps. Rucking. etc.

All great stuff… But how do you balance doing all of them?

You don't.

Your body is eventually going to break down and you are either going to get injured or start to take steps backward.

And what comes next is even worse.

You’ll start to think that you failed.

And that something is wrong with you for not being able to handle 4 hard lifts a week, BJJ 3x a week, 3 runs a week and 10k steps a day.

There’s nothing wrong with you… you’re just not meant to handle all that…

Not just physically...but with your current life schedule it's just not realistic.

And that’s ok.

And the fitness douche-fluencer telling you they do all of that stuff is a liar or 25 and single...

Stop trying to be them.

You can & should go through seasons of life where certain things are going to take a back seat…

Really focused on building muscle?
Your cardio & mobility is going to suffer a little.

Training for a marathon?
Your strength will likely decrease.

Starting BJJ 3x/week?
You’ll likely be doing less intense workouts.

And all of that… is ok.

Spend periods of time where you really focus on 1–2 things, because that’s how you get really good.

But if you try to do everything you are going to feel physically & mentally burnt out and likely not get that good at anything.

And then you'll think you failed...

Which is the most damaging piece.

That is all for today.

Chat Soon,

-PD

P.S. To the person reading this that IS doing all of that stuff...amazing. Keep it up as long as you can.

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

No Time? No Excuse

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Here's your next workout:

👉🏻 https://t.co/jLqyEgFFVw

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Stop doing a bunch of random workouts you found on YouTube and Instagram....

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

New fitness challenge.

Go on a walk without a weighted vest.

Go at a chill pace.

And idk…maybe just enjoy being on a walk instead of turning everything into “how can I make this harder and more of a workout”

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Try this single kettlebell complexes

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

If you struggle to hit your daily protein goal then this one is for you.

I think by now the importance of protein has been shoved down your throat by me and everyone else in the fitness space.

You already know it's important.

But you're still struggling to hit your daily goal.

That's because hitting your daily goal is hard!

If you put a normal portion of chicken/beef/fish/turkey in your meal 3x a day you're looking at 30-40g for each meal, which gets you to 90-120g total.

Which for many of you reading this is still not enough for an ideal daily intake.

Ok so how the hell do we get more protein in throughout the day?

See everyone always talks about how to get in 30-40g at a time...which is great...but here I want to talk about how to get in 10-15g with a snack or extra in a meal.

So here's 4 ways to get in juuust a little extra protein throughout the day to help you take some steps to getting closer to your goal.

1.) Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt - 15g of protein. 0 fat. 0 sugar...and as someone who usually doesn't do the best with dairy I can handle this one. It taste great and here's tons of flavors. I can add this as a little dessert to any meal or as a standalone snack to get in a quick and easy 15 grams.

(Oikos also makes a "power" yogurt that has 20 grams of protein...but it has whey protein added to it, so if you don't do well with whey just be aware)

2.) Meat Sticks - Lately I've started picking up some Chomps meat sticks at Trader Joe's because they are right there at the checkout aisle. They're pretty damn good and a very easy 10g of protein (for only 100 calories). Like the yogurt, no added sugar, which is huge for me. I'll have 1 or 2 of those while grocery shopping and pick up some more for the week for a quick 10-20g snack when needed.

There's other meat stick out there that fit this criteria...these are just the ones I've been getting since they're at TJs where I shop, and I like them.

3.) 1.5 oz of meat - this one isn't as fun as the others but it's just something I don't see a lot of people doing or talking about. I eat scrambled eggs every day and the easiest way ever for me to get just 10ish extra grams of protein is by adding 1.5oz of whatever leftover meat I have to that. Toss it right in and scrambled it all together. It's so simple and easy. Or if you got a salad from somewhere for lunch, add more of your own meat to the top for some extra protein - because I'm sure they didn't give you enough.

(I'm not talking about bringing extra meat to a restaurant lol that'd be ridiculous - but maybe if you got one to go and brought it back to the office)

Hitting our daily protein goal is very hard...I know.

And usually what I hear from people is that getting in good protein with their actual meals isn't hard.

It's how to get in protein around those meals...to get the extra 40ish grams a day (depending on the person and their needs) that can sometimes be harder.

So I hope these tips right here can help you out in your protein journey.

If you do any of these...or have any other protein snacks you want to share, reply back to this and let me know what they are!

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Become a F***ing Legend

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

I don't have kids (yet)...but I know for a fact I can teach you this one lesson about them.

Before I was "the kettlebell guy" I was actually "the guy who trains kids"

At least in my local area.

From 2018-2022 I'd say at least 60% of my clients were kids between the ages of 10-18.

Depending on how long you've been around you may remember my war on cereal on Instagram from back then lol.

Anyway...

I trained A LOT of boys and girls of all different ages, sizes, sports, skill levels, genetics and so on.

Which means I talked to A LOT of different parents.

Parents that all wanted nothing but the best for their kids.

But unfortunately a lot of parents that didn't necessarily show their kids the way...

I'll never forget having a conversation with a dad who's kid was a little undersized, so they were trying to get him to workout and eat more.

And the kid "just didn't care and didn't want to no matter what I say to him" - says the dad.

The dad who...well...to be nice...let's just say he could use a few kettlebell swings and salads himself.

Now if you don't want me to be nice...the dad hadn't seen the inside of the gym in who knows how long and his diet probably consisted of beers, burgers and whatever he could get his hands on for each meal.

So yea...no shit your kid isn't listening to what you have to say about his diet and workouts.

Why would he?!

Kids don't listen...they watch.

Want your kid to read more? Let them see you reading.

Want your kid to put their phone down? You put yours down.

Want your kid to workout and eat healthier? Let them see YOU prioritizing your fitness and nutrition.

I know for a fact every parent reading this would do anything for their kids.

And wants their kid to be happy and healthy.

Well..how about they learn it from YOU.

YOU get happy and healthy and show your kid how powerful, fulfilling and beneficial it is.

Taking care of yourself, eating healthy food and carving out time to workout is NOT selfish.

It's necessary for you AND your kids.

Pave the way mom and dad.

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

All aboard the Kettlebell train!🚂

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

If you're busy with parenthood and struggling with consistency in your workouts...

You're not alone.

And there is nothing wrong with you.

You just don't have the right systems in place with where your life is now.

You're still trying to do things how you used to do them:

- Communing to the gym
- Hour long workouts 5-6x a week
- Complicated routines with 10 different pieces of equipment.
- Thinking of all your own workouts.

All of that get results, and likely did you for you in the past, I'm not denying that.

But you don't need that to see great progress.

And quite frankly your schedule just can't handle that anymore.

A few kettlebells and your bodyweight.

24-40 minutes a day. 3-4x a week.

All done from home.

When you do that...amazing things can happen...

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

Stop letting Chat GBT write your workouts....

You know they're not good.

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

One of the reasons the over 1,100 people on my program Project Bellplex stay consistent with their workouts week after week...

And actually see results...

Is because they're not constantly relying on motivation to get them through their workouts.

Relying on motivation to drag through a 45 minute workout every day is a recipe for falling off for most people.

But there's a way around it...and it's what we do in Project Bellplex.

And why everyone only needs half a second of motivation to get in their full workout...

Follow Along Workouts.

Whether it's 5am and dark in your garage gym...

Or your kids absolutely drained all the energy out of you...

Or you just finished a long shift as a shift worker...

All you need is half a second of motivation to Just. Press. Play.

Once you press play you're locked and loaded for the entire workout.

No more relying on motivation to get through an entire workout when it's "one of those days" or "I just really don't want to"

With follow alongs you're going to get in your full workout, you're not going to have to think of anything, you're going to push harder than you usually do and there is going to be no wasted time.

In. Focused work. Out.

And on with the rest of your busy day.

Don't believe me?

Try this week of free training - https://t.co/OIQCLdunXq

[Pat Damiano @PatDamiano_]

You know kettlebells can be great for time efficient and functional strength...

But you're not really sure what do with them in your workouts...

Let me help you get things started with my 20 best kettlebell complexes!

They'll keep you from doing so much guesswork and give you direction!

👉🏻 Join over 27,000 people using them on a daily basis! - https://t.co/zpPxAJYL93