376 Mike Salemi: The Truth About Kettlebells, Strength, & Spiritual Growth

When you look at movement via energy centers in the body, you're not only utilizing it to create awareness but also breath, pumping, and to get stagnant energy to move. When we're sitting down all day, especially if your posture is poor, you're physically and emotionally going to be more likely to be stagnant. Any exercise is medicine and with more or less good technique, there's really no bad exercise; there's only wrongly prescribed exercise. If you understand some movement principles, any movement can be an energizing activity. - Mike Salemi

 

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Wellness Force Radio Episode 376

World-Renowned Human Performance Presenter, Division 1 Strength & Conditioning Coach, Kambo Facilitator, and Creator of the digital Kettlebell Lifestyle program, Mike Salemi, unpacks the concept of movement as medicine, how to cultivate body awareness, his advice for starting a brand new fitness program, and how our physical health impacts our emotional, spiritual, and mental wellbeing.

 

Get 15% off of Kettlebell Lifestyle with the code
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How can cultivating movement awareness help us heal?

 

Listen as Mike shares why movement is medicine, the power of trusting the wellness journey, and how breathwork strengthens both the mind and body.

 

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Listen To Episode 376 As Mike Salemi Uncovers:

 

[1:30] Movement Is Medicine

• Mike Salemi
• 274 Mike Salemi
• Kettlebell Lifestyle
• What's new for Mike since he last came on Wellness Force for episode 274 - The Journey To Strength.
• Why it seems like more and more wellness leaders are leaving California for Texas.
• The impact of COVID-19 on his professional coaching career as he's had to pivot and adapt with it.
• How he's brought his kettlebell programs including his latest, Kettlebell Lifestyle, to people online in 2020.
• Why we're at a time where we need movement as medicine more than ever in our world.
• Paul Chek | All Is God: Three Part Series
• His experience working with and studying from experts and masters of their craft like Paul Chek.
• What his program, Kettlebell Lifestyle, will teach you as you continue to practice it.
• The importance of learning the principles of our body's physiology and utilizing that knowledge to help us use movement as medicine.
• 086 Mark Divine

 

[14:00] Cultivating Body Awareness

• What advice he can give to someone beginning a new fitness program and how to cultivate greater body awareness.
• Why you will learn so much about yourself, your mind, and what you're capable of when you push your body and you are a lot stronger than you think you are.
• The various rites of passage that exist in other parts of the world that call for great athletic ability yet we lack this in the US.
• Why most people stay in a competitive phase for their workouts like P90X or CrossFit but you have to constantly ramp up to that level of fitness which can take its toll on the body.
• Breaking down the four phases of the Kettlebell Lifestyle.
• What most people don't know about the kettlebell swing including why it's not a good movement for everyone to start off with.
• The power of micro-movements to build up to macro movements.
• Why awareness is the biggest factor in and outside of the gym that will create the prerequisites for change anywhere.

 

[21:00] How Breathwork Strengthens The Body And Mind

• How physical movements can also help our emotional wellbeing.
• breathwork.io
• How improved breathwork can lead to greater posture and physical movement.
• 358 Dr. Belisa Vranich
• His morning routine to help you warm and open up the body first thing when you wake.
• Why the spine is everything to him when training and strengthening the body.
• How just his 10 minute morning routine can be a total game-changer for anyone from workout beginners to people with big fitness goals.
• Why movement is so much more than building our muscle mass but also acts as a form of medicine to heal us.
• Soltara Healing Center Ayahuasca Retreats In Costa Rica
• 212 Conner Moore
• Why our emotional and physical health is more likely to be stagnant the more we sit all day and especially if our posture is poor.
• His intention practice go-to when working out especially during pushing and pulling exercises.

 

[30:00] Staying True To Your Heart's Intention

• Real-time feedback on emotional health he has received from people in 20+ countries on his Kettlebell Lifestyle program.
• The importance of taking any fitness program including Kettlebell Lifestyle and making it individualized for you and your wellness journey.
• Why micro-movements and stretches have so many beautiful benefits especially when we're intentional with them.
• What motivates him to continue to do this great work for the health and wellness community.
• Master The Kettlebell
• 306 Dr. Nick Berry
• Labels people place on Mike and what they soon realize after talking to him or listening to what he has to say about wellness.
• The fact that we're all evolving especially if we're aligned with our heart.
• What his experience has been like serving Kambo in ceremony and why it's been such an honor for him.

 

[44:00] Is Kettlebell Right For You?

• Unpacking who is right for kettlebell movements and what to know before you begin one.
• How he designed his Kettlebell Lifestyle program to help people know where to start and guide them along the process.
• Why he designed the program for someone who has had very little to no resistance or kettlebell training.
• How you can tweak the Kettlebell Lifestyle program to fit your needs and ability.
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
• Kettlebell Lifestyles Master group
• How he's been able to connect with people from all over the world with his program.
• Who else is a part of helping guide you during the Kettlebell Lifestyle program other than just Mike as Course Contributors.
• What most people get wrong about using kettlebells and what he wants them to know.
• Why even just mentally preparing yourself to approach the weight of the kettlebell with respect is an important practice.

 

[1:01:00] Trusting The Wellness Process

• The importance of just trusting the process, being patient, having an open mind, and giving your all to a fitness program.
• How being in lockdown has greatly impacted people's fitness and health goals because they couldn't go to the gym.
• Why starting over with a clean slate can be scary but it's also something beautiful and such a blessing throughout your life and health journey.
• His three greatest core values in life which also act as his guiding posts: Freedom, Health, and Service.
• The intention he has to help people create more freedom during their mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical journeys.
• How his definition of wellness has changed since he was last on Wellness Force.
• breathwork.io
• M21 Wellness Guide
• Wellness Force Community

 

Power Quotes From The Show

Step Up Your Fitness Game With Posture & Breathwork

 

"The Kettlebell Lifestyle program isn't just a reflection of how I teach but of my life. So, every single morning there's a new routine you do that's under 10 minutes long that incorporates what I call core temperature warm-ups to prepare the body and then we move directly to a few mobility exercises primarily focused on the spine. For me, the spine is a priority over everything when it comes to training. Then from there, we do typically two to four breathing exercises and you're done. Depending on where you are at in your wellness journey just doing the 10 minute morning routine changes the game for some people."  - Mike Salemi

 

Why Awareness Is The No. 1 Catalyst For Change

 

"A kettlebell swing is not by any means the first place I would start someone. So often times I have to tell someone to focus on where they are at and re-establish from there with good positioning. Honestly, the number one thing as it relates to coaching movement in the gym and outside are micro movements. Micro movements create macro movements. The ability to just make these small fine attunements in awareness is the biggest thing in and out of the gym that is going to create the prerequisites for change." - Mike Salemi

 

How Emotion Impacts The Physical Body

 

 

"Just how someone is feeling will impact their posture. Honestly, there may be no amount of rows or static wall leans for the neck posture if you're not dealing with some of the things in your life or are not aware of them and what are closing down your heart center. It's going to be hard to open up or at least maintain that position when you're unconscious. Looking at the emotional components, from there it's about opening up what's in the front of the body and starting to strengthen from an endurance perspective everything that's on the body." - Mike Salemi

 

Links From Today's Show 

• 274 Mike Salemi
• Kettlebell Lifestyle
• Paul Chek | All Is God: Three Part Series
• 086 Mark Divine
• 358 Dr. Belisa Vranich
• Soltara Healing Center Ayahuasca Retreats In Costa Rica
• 212 Conner Moore
• Master The Kettlebell
• 306 Dr. Nick Berry
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
• Kettlebell Lifestyles Master group
• Leave Wellness Force a review on iTunes
• breathwork.io
• M21 Wellness Guide
• Wellness Force Community
• Mike Salemi
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube 
  • Twitter

 

About Mike Salemi

Mike Salemi specializes in human performance and is a sought after international presenter in the field of health and fitness.

 

Mike has a diverse background in strength and conditioning and has competed over the course of 15+ years at an elite level in Powerlifting and Kettlebell Sport. Through his own path of resolving sport-related injuries, Mike understands the importance of integrating the body, mind, and spirit as a means to foster high performance for the long term. His motivation is to help athletes, fitness professionals, and coaches discover their own potential from the inside-out.

 

Mike's Coaching Journey

 

Professionally, Mike has served as a Division 1 strength and conditioning coach for Santa Clara University, as well as been the trainer to elite athletes across a wide range of sports.

 

His focus is teaching educational workshops, certifications, and creating programs on unconventional training that build more balance athletes.

 

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