Below is a lil’ compilation of various Football / Gridiron Gladiator Workouts.

From myself to my bruddah Joey DeFranco and Duane Carlisle.

Duane Carlisle is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for The San Francisco 49ers.

Years ago, Duane had several locations of his OWN in NJ, not too far from Edison. I would listen to countless audio interviews with Duane, especially his speed, agility and conditioning work as my expertise was in getting them Strong as Hell.

Duane has given an inside look as to how he trains Football players with regards to Strength, Speed / Agility & Conditioning. You can pick it up HERE. If you snag Duane’s Total Football Training, e mail me your receipt and I’ll send you The BEAST Strength Program).

Check these Videos of Gridiron Gladiators in Training, Jerzee Style.

Now that you’re blood is pumpin’ it’s time for you to rip through some heavy weights and run some hills!

Lead from the FRONT

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Duane Carlisle’s Total Football Training

Joe DeFranco’s Super Strength

Underground Strength Inner Circle 30 Day Trial

Tweet This Post

Complexes are downright brutal. I use them with barbells, dumbbells, sandbags and kettlebells.

You can use them with stones as well. The bottom line is don’t be afraid to go heavy with complexes either.

They put on muscle AND improve conditioning, but, most people fear them because they are NASTY once you get going with them. Your muscles feel like they’re going to explode and your grip gets a helluva workout from the constant movement of the barbell in your hands.

Check out this video of some Dumbbell Complexes adding The Grip 4orce to make it even more challenging.

At least once a week you should be tossing in some form of a complex using any of the training tools:

Tweet This Post

It was a Friday morning and I was supposed to train 4 wrestlers inside a wrestling club where I’ve got a small Underground Strength Club going down.

The doors were locked. It was time for Plan B.

This is what I thrive on: shitty conditions, no equipment, no gym….. this is how I began and this is where I was, all over again, 8 years later. I was in my element and a day like this brought me back to my roots.

You gotta go back to your roots no matter what you do or where you are in life. It reminds you to remain humble and focus on what is important.

Time to use the Black Berry. Google local elementary schools with hopes that they haven’t pussified themselves and torn down all playgrounds, monkey bars and anything else Underground. Nowadays, a kid falls off the monkey bars the school board get scared and tears down ALL playground equipment.

NO playing! NO running! NO climbing! NO living??!!!

Lucky for me, the cards were in my favor because this playground was OLD school and looked like old world Russia and something Fedor would be caught training at.

There was sand for wrestling on, poles for climbing and pushing and tables for jumping and press.

Hells Yea, this is MY world. OUR world. The world of Underground.

In this video you’ll see two Division 1 wrestlers and 2 high school wrestlers, one of which is an undefeated state champ as a pure freshman and a youth national champ. I FEAR these kids and that’s exactly what’s supposed to happen when trained properly.

Check these Animals in Training below….

Tweet This Post

I’ve always been a BIG fan of Grip Strength and the countless benefits that come with bone crushing hand strength and jacked up forearms.

Check out this grip strength workout where I finished my upper body workout with.

And, below that video is a throwback, Episode 71 from The Underground Strength Show.

Here is what I want YOU to do.

Drop a comment with your favorite grip exercises or grip workout.

By the time we have a good 40 or 50 comments you will have a BOAT load of grip strength, hand strength and forearm exercises / workouts for you to add to your grip strength training arsenal.

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Grip Experts – the compilation of information inside of this manual is BadAss.

Lead from the FRONT

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Underground Kettlebells

Underground Inner Circle

Grip Experts

Sandbag Assault Workouts

Tweet This Post

When I first heard about Density Workouts is when Coach Ethan Reeve was describing his very own workouts from when he was a college wrestler back in the 70s. He would crank intense workouts for 20 minutes, going for maximum rounds.

The workouts would give an ass whoopin’ to ALL of us.

The Rutgers Wrestling Team is learning ALL about these Density Workouts as we crank many of our workouts based on time. It forces you to push the pace, minimize rest and in turn, mental toughness improves along with strength endurance, power endurance and muscle density.

No wimps allowed.

Below, I cranked 10 minutes of speed benching combined with mixed pulling, much of which was rope pull ups to improve grip strength.

With Density work you do not have to perform an entire workout based on time.

It can be portions of the workout.

You choose. Get UNDER the bar, in the trenches, live and learn.

Lead from the FRONT

–Z–

PS: I’ll be doing Part II of The Coach Reeve Audio Interview for The Underground Inner Circle this week.

Don’t miss it!

Recommended Resources:

Underground Inner Circle

Underground Strength System / Coach Ethan Reeve Audio Interrogation

Tweet This Post

I had a kick ass workout last night. This is Part I, stay tuned for Part II.

But check it out, movin’ some heavy weight and plenty more to come!

Got questions, thoughts or comments?

Drop a comment below and let’s hear it!

Looking forward to your comments!

Lead from the FRONT!

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

The Underground Strength System

Underground Strength Coach 30 Day Trial

The Underground Biz Journal

THE Kick Ass Seminar

Tweet This Post

Kettlebells are ONE tool I use. One of MANY. So, before you have a nervous breakdown about me praising Kettlebells go ahead and take a deep breath and pay attention.

If you’ve been reading and watching my Blog for even just a short while, you KNOW I am a ‘Soul Lifter’ and love to lift ALL objects, including my own body.

But, Kettlebells are one of my favorite tools, they are extremely versatile AND mobile (and hostile

I use Kettlebells for strength, adding muscle, improving conditioning, speed, power and overall athleticism. They are a PIECE of the puzzle.

Below, broken down, step by step, is one of my top 3 Kettlebell exercises. Check it out and then read on to learn how to properly and most effectively implement this bad boy…

Here are a few ways to incorporate the Kettlebell Turkish Get Up

1) Perform these as a warm up for 5 minutes, in an up – down ladder format: 1 rep each side, 2 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep and repeat until 5 minutes is over.

2) Combine The Kettlebell Turkish Get Up with my other 2 favorite Kettlebell exercises, the snatch and the clean and press. Here is how you can perform this combo:

A) Perform the Turkish Get Up until standing

B) Perform 1 snatch + 1 clean & press

C) Lower yourself down and switch hands when on your back

D) Perform the Turkish Get Up until upright

E) Perform 1 snatch + 1 clean & press

F) Repeat for time or desired reps.

If you want fancy go elsewhere.

Results must be your focus here.

Hitting Turkish Get Ups, Snatches and the Clean & Press can AND will transform you into a Bad Mother F**er. IF you work hard enough

Lead from the FRONT.

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Get Your Underground Kettlebells HERE

Kettlebell Training for Combat Athletes

Kettlebell Workouts for the Hardcore Strength & Conditioning Fanatic

Tweet This Post

Before the internet, the world of strength and serious bodybuilding was in it’s very own little world.

A small culture of people who shocked the rest of the world for doing what they did:

- Lifting HEAVY and straining the body

- Eating like Gladiators

- Transforming their body / Growing Muscles that stretched shirts

- The ability to perform feats of strength

Well, after this weekend’s USC Cert, we had a few guys in attendance who were in their 20s and they had never seen the movie,’Pumping Iron’ with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I spoke of Franco Columbo deadlifting a small car (in the video below) and how the bodybuilders from back in the 70s were more of a hyrbid power-bodybuilder because they lifted so heavy.

They also were BIG proponents of bodyweight exercises performed in high volume and / or with LOTS of added weight.

Arnold would perform back workouts by performing mixed grip pull ups until he could NO longer hold onto the bar!

Other times it would 5 sets each of chin ups, behind the neck chin ups and close grip chin ups.

When is the last time you saw anyone cranking out 15 sets of pull ups?

There is a man who I would consider “Strong as Hell” by the name of Marvin Eder, who was known for his astonishing strength back in the 50s and 60s and still, TODAY is known around the world in the circles of strength and bodybuilding, NOT just his astonishing strength in exercises such as dips and chins, but his strength in the powerlifts and the military press.

He weighed under 200 lbs yet would perform parallel bar dips with 2 men, each hanging from his legs.

His workouts motivate me to consider 100 dips my warm up, NOT a workout.

Marvin could also squat 500 plus pounds for 10 deep reps and had a bench press over 500 lbs as well.

This reminds me: I am NOT strong enough and have LOTS of work to do ahead of me.

What about you, are you strong enough yet?

Are you satisfied with your strength in the below movements?

- Squat

- Deadlift

- Strict Press

- Dips

- Chin Ups

I’m gonna be hitting a playground workout shortly, and at The Underground Strength Gym later tonight I’ll be squatting and deadlifting.

Today’s Morning workout will be tons of push ups, pull ups and dips.

Evening has Squats and Deads on the agenda.

I’m pretty fired up, motivated MORE than ever to be stronger than ever. I’m ALWAYS chasing the pain AND new found levels of strength.

In life, you gotta have BIG things to go after, BIG goals to attack. Starting my day at The Underground at 3 o’clock I’ll be training Rutgers Wrestling Team today as well.

I am excited to see the damage they’re going to be dishing out on their competition as they get stronger and more exposive training at The Underground Strength Gym, and, we’ll be blasting their conditioning levels
to a whole new level.

Once again….

All this talk of Marvin Eder and the men of amazing strength reminds me:

I am NOT strong enough and have LOTS of work to do ahead of me.

What about you, are you strong enough yet?

Lead from the front.

–Z–

PS: One of THE most impressive and influential books I have ever come across in the world of developing FREAK Strength has to be the one I picked up from Marty Gallagher, below, GET it HERE.

Of course, only if you’re NOT strong enough.

This Book blew me away.

Time to train!

PPS: Here are a few of my Critical Web Sites for SERIOUS Lifters and Coaches:

Underground Business Journal

http://GetWrestlingStrength.com

http://UndergroundStrengthCoach.com

Tweet This Post

Years ago, when I was training wrestlers from my backyard, garage and at beat up, run down playgrounds, something inspired me to step it up a notch. Ironically, it came from a tire yard in Edison, NJ that I would drive by on a regular basis.

Finally, I stopped in the office if the tire yard to see if I could get behind their massive fences and get some training in.

Watch the video below and you’ll see exactly how The Underground Strength Gym began to come to fruition.

That day inspired me BIG time and it was a regular weekend for me to show up at the tire yard with some coffee and bagels for the guys in exchange for them to pull down a tractor tire or two for me.

This gave me a solid 45 minute workout which consisted of calisthenics as a warm up and then rep after rep of tire flips. My first few workouts at the tire yard left me aching for days, but it was a good ache

During the week I trained with powerlifting, Russian Kettlebells, sled dragging, truck pushing, bodyweight workouts and golden era type bodybuilding workouts.

The workouts took place in my garage, backyard or those run down playground I speak of so often. I didn’t make excuses for not having the right equipment or the right facility to train out of.

I created a Blog loooong ago, it still stands, heck, you can even go back and see some REALLY old Underground Workouts dating back to 2005 by clicking HERE.

I found a way to create success and to this day that is something I am always able to do. NO excuses, just going out and making it happen, whatever it is I want it to be, it happens.

In life, that’s the way YOU must roll. If not, you simply become the hunted, which I have spoken about so very often through my e mails. I prefer to be the Hunter, how about you?

Excuses are for the weak.

If you want to kick ass in training or start your own business or improve your life, it’s time to stop whining and start doing.

Lead from the FRONT.

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Zach’s Tough Minded Business Newsletter

Underground Strength Coach 30 Day Trial

Tweet This Post

I have a SERIOUS passion for all types of lifting, but, I especially LOVE throwing weights overhead, ALL types of weights. Remember, I’m a SOUL Lifter, rules need NOT apply.

Check out this medley of overhead lifting in the Underground Video Below…..

There are certain lifts that are just a sure fire way for packing on muscle and developing Brute Strength.

Lifting weights overhead via the press, snatch, clean & press and even THROWING weights overhead will get the job done. Some of the objects were lighter and some of them were heavier.

If you’re a beginner I suggest you only hit one overhead lift but if you’re more advanced and have spent plenty of time under the bar, go ahead, see what it’s like to be a BEAST and lift like a SOUL Lifter.

Time for me to get back to WORK!

The Kick Ass & Take Names Project is on the way Boys & Girls….. The world will NEVER be the same.

Lead from the FRONT!

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Man of Steel Challenge

The BEAST Strength Program

Get Wrestling Strength

Tweet This Post