It was September of 1994. I was training at a now defunct gym, it was hardcore, called Dynamic Fitness. Such a shame that it went down the tubes….

My friend and aspiring pro bodybuilder was there catching a workout and I told him of my plans to compete in a bodybuilding show for 1995. He said “Train with me, I’m doing the Jersey in April and we can train together”.

I was psyched! Andy was a freak. He was also a former wrestler and we had the same mind set when training: It was ALL out War!

I told him I’ll ask my Mom (hey, I was only 18, ha ha) and see if she can handle cooking 6 meals a day for me. She gave me the green light and it was ON!

I immediately cut out all bread, milk and dairy and it was 6 months out! I wrote down everything I ate, started doing cardio in the early mornings and my training with Andy in the evenings after school was done. I was a Sophomore in College at the time and also coaching Wrestling!

Once you make a decision, you gotta go ALL out on it. I did exactly that.

Andy and I trained like mad men possessed! It was WAR….

Who would be the last man standing?

Heck, who could let alone STAND after a workout, especially leg workouts.

I remember Andy throwing up during a shoulders and tris workout.

We pushed the intensity and refused to finish a set unless it was a balls out effort.

Is this the smartest way to train? NO. I didn’t know any better back in 1994 and 1995, and on the flip side, I was a straight up PSYCHO when I trained.

I was also natural, and I knew that if I was going to compete as a natural bodybuilder, I was gonna have to crush the opposition with my work ethic.

Leg workouts sent my training partners running to vomit every single time.

Heavy squats, heavy leg presses, leg extensions with drop sets and high reps….. It was brutality and we loved having others join us for workouts because our only goal was to CRUSH them and make them quit.

There was NO time to rest, only time to get stronger and bigger.

The gym we trained at was serious. The music was blaring loud and we could barely hear what others were saying, which was great, as it discouraged talking.

The members only understood TWO things:

- train hard

- train heavy

Some of the physiques in that gym still blow me away today. It ALL came through gut busting hard work, intensity, commitment and desire to transform your body into something others only dreamed of.

It was my only time that made me feel like this was THE Golden Era!

After workouts we hung out in the locker room and the older guys told stories of the Freaks from the 80’s were stronger than many geared up powerlifters of todays era.

Deadlifts, Squats, Benching, Clean and Press, Barbell and Dumbbell Rows, Weighted Chins and Dips….. these were all common place at the gym, and ALL HEAVY.

Dumbbells ran up to 180 lbs and YES they got used for dumbbell benching, shrugs and rows.

Cheat Curls with 225 lbs

Flat Benching with 315 lbs and heavier was common place.

Squats with over 405 lbs was a common thing as well.

Rack pulls were being performed on an OLD, York isometric rack – I had never seen these before, but the guys doing them had BIG traps and jacked up backs!

The Days of Thunder continue today at my Underground Strength Gym in Good Ol’ Edison, NJ.

It also looks like my old training partner is coming back.

Stay tuned for more….. this could get scarey….in a GOOD way

Peace!

–Z–

PS: Hardcore Gyms are rare and tough to find. But you and some buddies can create your own hardcore dungeon in a garage or basement, OR, 5 or more of you can pool together and rent a storage garage.

PPS: I suggest you follow The BEAST Program as well. Click HERE to become a BEAST.

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No Rules.

No cry babies or whiners.

This is how I get Hybrid and BEAST at the same time. Check it kids….

I love training this way.

Nobody ever said I should or could, I just followed my heart and gut instincts.

Back when I was bodybuilding, I would sometimes superset squats with 315-365 lbs and leg presses with 7 – 9 plates on each side. It was crazy but damn was it fun.

Deadlifts and Zerchers offer more of a “REAL World / Functional Strength” type workout compared bodybuilder leg presses.

This is what you gotta do if you wanna be a BEAST.

And you CAN become a BEAST yourself, because in a few short days I’m opening up the gates to THE 12 month program guaranteed to transform you into a BEAST.

Stay tuned!

Peace!

–Z–

Coming Soon…..

To a BEAST Near YOU!!

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Above, Sergio Oliva, a BIG proponent of The Bench Press

The Bench Press sucks.

Squats also suck.

They suck if you perform them wrong, OR, perform them too often.

Overuse injuries occur, unless, that is, you know how to build up all the support muscles and switch the angles at which you train to build up your bench and all your other pushing muscles.

You’re about to learn the secrets of getting a BIG Bench Press, but even more importantly, all the things you do to improve your bench press, are going to transform your upper body into a steel forged power pressin’ machine.

You see, in real life, pushing power from ALL angles is critical.

This is exactly why I personally execute, as well as my clients, push and press and throw objects from various angles. We throw kettlebells and stones, press sandbags, barbells, dumbbells, odd objects and more.

Pressing / Pushing power is not to be taken lightly, and one of the BIGGEST, yet most underlooked benefit of having a BIG Bench Press is what it does for confidence.

Don’t be misled by the fallacy that only powerlifters should bench press.

Powerlifter or not, you can learn from powerlifters who understand the application offorce.  

Check out this video below and drop a comment with your thoughts, questions or anything that you want to share.

Notice how we bench with thick bars, incline press with awkward heavy dumbbells (130 lbs each hand!) and do thick bar military pressing. Those were Football players and Basketball players pressing away.

If you have a BIG Bench, post a comment and let us know why.

If your Bench sucks, post a comment and let us know why.

More to come manana bruddahs!

Peace!

–Coach Z–

PS: Check this out!!

My Buddy & professional powerlifter, AJ Roberts, compiled his BEST secrets for your Big Bench Course HERE.

If you snag a copy from HERE, forward me your receipt because we’re gonna hook you guys with a FREE teleseminar, Thursday night!

We’ll be talking powerlifting for athletes, powerlifting combined with Underground for athletic development and packing on rugged muscle, the bench press and how to jack it up and bust through your plateaus, and of course anything you want us to chat about regarding training. You can ask us any questions you want!

It’s going to be a freaking awesome teleseminar, I am psyched and can’t wait to unleash everything you want to know about, NO Holds Barred! 

Click HERE to get your Big Bench Course and get in on The FREE Teleseminar this Thursday.

Get Your Course NOW and Get in on Our Teleseminar!

PPS: You will also get a killer Bonus from me, The Sandbag Assault Course. This course alone will mold you into a Beast.

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Amazing strength and muscle can be developed in a garage, basement or in your own lil’ corner of that fancy commercial gym.

Check out some workout footage from http://UndergroundMuscleBuilding.com

This program would be SICK if you and a few other iron lover friends jumped in on the program TOGETHER, this is when the training can get REALLY intense, just as Arnold did when he was training and competing in Gold’s Venice, he always sought out the best training partners.

If you want a blue print on packing on muscle and raw strength, an A – Z blue print, then stop the guess work and go straight to the answer.

You’re either serious or you’re not.

Which are you?

In Strength,

–Z–

Underground Approved! ==> Click HERE

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You hear that tune in the background of this video?

Watch the video and read on, I’m gonna tell you about a dream and how you can achieve your dreams as well, but first, let go of your fear….

Can you FEEL the energy from that video or what baby!?!?!

That was the latest Underground Strength Coach Certification and it rocked the freakin house SON!

Now, onto that story I was gonna tell you about…

It sounds corny, but hang tight with me, it’s the truth.

When I was 11 or 12, before I even started lifting weights, my older brother was HUGE into working out. His entire bedroom had barbells and dumbbells, you know the fancy ones with the spin collars??

Read the rest of this entry »

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Body for Life Champion, Joel Marion, stopped by The Underground Strength Gym last week to get in a quick workout after he slept 3 hours the night before and worked 12 + hours that day, then took the 1 hour drive north to hit up the Underground!

Nice dedication!

Joel unleashed some killer nutrition info that you guys will dig, so stay tuned for that mid week.

Check the video….

Body for Life was created back in the early 90’s when I was a competitive bodybuilder by Bill Phillips. Man, I used to watch the VHS tape over and over again and get insanely fired up to hit the gym. Bill was “selling” the VHS but he actually donated 100% of the proceeds to The Make a Wish Foundation.

I remember asking my Dad to write a check out so I could get the VHS tape of all the Body for Life winners and man did that tape pump me up.

So, to say it was an honor to have a Body for Life Champion wanting to visit The Underground Strength Gym to train here and share his nutrition tips is an understatement!

Joel and I were super busy, and he was exhausted from working on his upcoming Nutrition Course, so we cranked a short and aggressive workout.

I used an old school bodybuilding technique which I read in Arnold’s Encyclopedia decades ago (yes, I did say decades ago!!).

The technique is called running the rack, but, I broke it up a bit to show Joel the ropes and allow us to move some heavier weights. Normally I would start light and just keep on running up he rack to my heaviest weight and then run all the way down the rack. This works great if you’re a busy person or on a time crunch! 

Let me know what you thoughts of this workout Joel and I did (more to come) AND, I wanna hear if you were like me, one of the dudes who snagged The Body for Life VHS back in the early 90’s. How did that tape make you feel? How did it motivate you?

Looking forward to hearing your comments!

Kill it!

–Coach Z–

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Just a quick heads up as I received a few e mails asking me about this.

I have a fr.ee E Course awaiting you at the bottom of every Blog post (including this one)

Even if you have been a subscriber to The Underground E Journal you can re-enter your name and e mail addy and you will be taken to a special page to claim your FREE gift.

This is for you regardless of how long or short you’ve been part of The Underground Journal.

So if you don’t have your course on ‘Freak Strength’ you wanna check it out asap by signing up below.

Also, many of you know I am a BIG believer in training with sandbags.

I created a course using sandbags exclusively which you can add to your current training
regime or just go buck wild and go sandbags and nothing else!

This course is called ‘The Underground Sandbag Assault’ and gives you my favorite exercises using sandbags as well as 11 workouts for you to follow which I guarantee will jack you up in strength, rock hard muscle and the development of your grip strength like never before.

Heck, if you combine the Underground Sandbag Course and The FREAK Strength Course you are going to be a deadly freaking weapon!

Only members of The Underground Strength Coach web site get this special added Gift – in addition to the many other perks of being a VIP member

==> http://www.undergroundstrengthcoach.com/public/10.cfm

Take action – that’s what separates the REAL go getters and the also rans in this world!

Kill it!

–Z–

Fr.ee Gift # 1: FREAK Strength Training Course

==> Simply enter your name & e mail address below this post

Fr.ee Gift # 2: The Underground Sandbag Assault

==> http://www.undergroundstrengthcoach.com/public/10.cfm

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The people who are crying over who started to train with sandbags first can finally SHUT UP!!

Before any of us were BORN athletes, strongmen and military were using sandbags.

I have books from the early 1900’s and late 1800’s showing this.

The cool thing about sandbags is you can use them for strength, power, adding muscle / bodybuilding and / or general physical conditioning.

There are NO rules and they are easy as heck to make!

Try doing this workout for a nice mix of strength AND bodybuilding training:

1A) Sandbag clean & press 5 x 5 reps

1B) mixed grip pull ups 5 x submax reps (leave 1 – 2 reps in the tank)

2A) Sandbag on shoulder step up 3 x 8 ea. leg

2B) push ups on rings 3 x max reps

3A) overhead sandbag carry 2 x 100′

3B) zercher sandbag carry 2 x 100′

That workout oughtta rock you BIG time and you can add this as a training day in addition to any of the training you do, regardless of your focus being bodybuilding, powerlifting or just pure strength training.

Give it a go and kill it!

–Z–

PS: Want more workouts just like what I showed you? Check out the Brand New Underground Sandbag Assault Course HERE!

PPS: Get your Underground Sandbags HERE

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So, the last video really had your emotions stirred up. Some were pissed off that I was pissed at a kid who was once natural went the drug route and talked a BIG game with nothing to back it up.

When I’m asked to describe my own workouts, they tend to be coined as something called Power-Bodybuilding.

We are ALL “bodybuilders” – we build our body, period.

Here is a recent workout of my very own, check it out:

1) Zercher Squat 5 x 1 – 5 reps

2A) Double Kettlebell Clean & Press 4 x 5

2B) Mixed Grip Pull Ups 4 x max reps

3A) Grip work using Rolling Thunder, Hex Dumbbell Holds & Captains of Crush for 6 sets total

3B) abdominal work using gymnastics rings for stability and various angles of planks.

4) Sled / Prowler work: 4 x 200′

Tell us about a recent favorite workout of yours and what your goals are.

Looking forward to seeing and sharing some kick ass workouts!

Kill it!

–Coach Z–

PS: I have a FREE training manual for you HERE. You definitely wanna check this out!

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Interesting story from today while training a crew of mean and hungry wrestlers and gridiron gladiators….

Watch the video below and see what I mean

I don’t fear the pretty boy bodybuilders who wear tank tops, spike their hair and barely break a sweat when pumping away on their cables and machines.

I do NOT want to mean the guys I train in a dark alley if you catch my drift.

If you want to build a Gladiator’s physique, or maybe you want to dominate your sport, or maybe you just want to walk tall and have the confidence knowing you’re a Gladiator, then you MUST stay away from today’s fancified, pussified training methods.

I don’t care how many drugs a guy takes to look jacked, he ain’t shit once it’s “Go Time”.

Would love to hear your comments on this video.

Looking forward to your replies.

Kill it!

–Coach Z–

PS: Every athlete would benefit from the Underground Sandbag Course. Check it out Here (where you can also get it for Free).

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