In the videos above you saw me struggling out an ugly 505 deadlift!
That’s ANNOYING to be shaking that little weight up.If it was 600 + lbs then I wouldn’t be so upset.
You see Dillon, weighing 165 lbs deadlifting 455 lbs easily, his best deadlift is closer to 550 lbs, note his body structure, perfect for the deadlift, the long arms and big hands is what is known as a knuckle dragger. The kid is a BEAST….. gotta respect that!
Lesson Learned: Someone needs to get stronger. That person is ME. Period.
What about you? Satisfied with your strength and gains? Hopefully not.
Now, on to our next video. We have Mark Bell talking about the ferocious intensity when training with powerlifting legend, Chuck Vogelpohl.
Sounds like Chuck would hit his heavy work and then get busy attacking supplemental work in a circuit fashion. I also heard Chuck did LOTS of “warming up” prior to his actual workout: LOTS of ab and lat work, sled drags, reverse hypers and more.
Can one actually be strong AND in shape? Absolutely. Believe it or not, this was more of the case back in the 70s and prior. Nowadays, too many powerlifters or strength fanatics believe they need to pack on the pounds, unfortunately, these pounds come in the way of useless fat.
If you’re like me, and need to crunch strength, power and conditioning into one workout, try the following set up for your next few workouts, go ahead test drive it:
1) warm up with a variety of movement, soft tissue work, some abs and calisthenics
2) Hit the Heavy S**T First – don’t be afraid to sneak in some pull ups and ring push ups or abs between sets
3) Perform your supplemental work in circuit fashion but still HEAVY. You can see this in action during my leg workout in this video.
4) Finish with sprints of any type. For me, I go to the parking lot next to my gym and perform sprints and acceleration drills.
This is a killer way to get in there, kick ass and take names and finish off with more soft tissue / recovery work.
Don’t complicate the workout, don’t look for fancy or make excuses.
The road to becoming a BEAST is not an easy road. I’m still travelin’, how about you?
Please leave your comments below.
Peace!
–Z–
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Filed under Articles, Q & A, Strength Building, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts, muscle building by on Feb 28th, 2011. 6 Comments. 
I still remember that short yet powerful poem staring at me in front of the squat rack at Diamond Gym. It reminded me to add weight, get an extra rep and do what others would NOT want to do. I first saw that poem when I was 17, over half my lifetime ago yet I still remember that poem like it was this morning.
There are those that will
and those that won’t
Those that do
and those that don’t
I remember going through some extremely hellish workouts, especially on leg day, back when I was a bodybuilder. I was preparing to compete and I was told that it wasn’t possible to win being drug free.
I had a different idea. I decided that if I could outwork my competitors I would win. That’s the ONE thing I had going for me, KNOWING that I could make any training partner throw up, quit, whine and cry.
I remember my training partner throwing up during every leg workout. Whenever he thought he was done he wasn’t done. I learned this through wrestling. I learned from my Gymnastics Coach, a former collegiate All American wrestler that the body can handle 20 X greater than what our mind thinks it can handle.
Heck, at least that’s what he told us, and I believed him!
My mind became trained to chasing the pain. Of course, many years later, I am MUCH smarter with my training, but, I still understand the need for intensity and the need to DO work.
In the video below you’ll see one of the best wrestlers in the country going through the last round during a hellish circuit. As each set went on the fatigue began to set in. This is where many drop and question if they can or can not do the work.
This is when you gotta dig deep and understand that temporary pain is better than giving up. The footage above was caught during the final round of 5 rounds, non stop, NO rest between each round. The med ball push up complex started getting brutal by round 3 and 4, round 5 was hellish.
It’s amazing how the mind can try to steer your body one way or another. Even if you don’t wrestle or are not one of the best wrestlers in the country, can you use a circuit like the one in this video?
YES. Start your workout with a main lift, something for strength or speed. Then, attack the circuit, but for starters, rest 60-90 seconds after each round. Each week reduce rest between each round of the circuit until you can do 2 rounds in a row, then 3, 4 and finally all 5 rounds without rest.
No one ever said you gotta spend all day training. Your mental toughness will help push the pace of this workout.
In the end, how weak or strong you are is totally up to you.
Comments / Questions? Let’s hear em’…. drop em’ below!
Looking forward to your comments.
In Strength,
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
Underground Strength Coach Certification / Austin, TX
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Filed under Strength Building, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, muscle building by on Feb 11th, 2011. 4 Comments.
I’ve been following some of the workouts from SEAL Fit this past week and adapting them slightly to my own according to injuries and my infancy to the program. My volume is WAY less than they recommend, and those LONG distance ruck walks seem nuts but I’ll get into some of their methods more and more with each passing week.
Once the rain stops here in The Dirty Jer-Z I’m gonna ride my mountain bike to Uncle Mike’s gym, crank a workout then ride home, it will be a solid initial test with regards to a workout with more volume and conditioning mixed in.
Check the vid below of round 1 from a SEAL Fit workout. I finished 4 rounds in 17 min. 26 sec. I later realized I did not include the burpees, which is fine as my shoulder is still on the mend. The workout called for 7 rounds, and I’ll be building up to that as well 
As you can see, I am rarely, if ever, satisfied with my success, I always want more.
Check the video below, and you’ll see I subbed lateral wall walks for handstand push ups and double squats for the barbell thruster. Only my first set was Kettlebell Thrusters. In 2 weeks or less my shoulder will be fully ready to crank and I’ll be getting back to more overhead work.
Don’t worry, I will still have my strength focused days but even on those days, I will push the pace along with moving heavy weights. I’ve always been into the faster paced workouts and prefer incomplete recovery as opposed to sitting around in between sets.
We’ve got 2 weeks to go till I crank the 1 mile town race, should be interesting.
ALL my workouts are currently centered around competing in some way, shape or form. I love it. I feel young again, reminds me of wrestling and the ability to be able to go through hellish workouts without getting my ass whooped is something I want in my hands AGAIN.
Although I am VERY far from being in the condition I want to be, I feel better than I have in a LOOOOONG time. Gotta keep kickin’ ass. Keep the goal in my mind and do all the things I MUST do, not just what I WANT to do.
My nutrition is tighter than ever, lots of fruits and veggies and less calories.
Question for You: What competition have you signed up for that is coming in the near future? If not, go find something and step up to the plate. Drop a comment and share your upcoming competition.
In Strength,
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
Zach’s Tough Minded Business Journal
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Filed under Articles, Kick Ass Life, Strength Building, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts by on Nov 4th, 2010. 16 Comments.
Martin gave me a little taste of a simple Hurricane Workout as his fighters were close to fight night.
I test drove 1 round of the Hurricane and it was rough, even with the light weights.
Running on a treadmill felt a bit awkward as I am used to hills, streets, grass and trails.
Look how calm these guys stay during the intense training and watch me get my ass kicked
Many have asked about Martin’s protocols for training MMA fighters and other combat athletes. Obviously, to describe it in a Blog post is impossible.
Those who are serious and hungry to learn will invest in his books, listed below.
Drop a comment below with your questions and thoughts, looking forward to hearing about your training experiences.
Lead from the FRONT.
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
June, Underground Strength Coach Certification
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Filed under Articles, Q & A, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts by on Apr 13th, 2010. 11 Comments.
Many people equate circuit training with light weights, conditioning or fat loss.
Not so. my bruddahs. I use circuits frequently AND with heavy weights with my own workouts, and they DO pack on muscle and strength. BUT, you gotta prepare for the pain, because this style of training can get brutal as each set continues…..
The fast pace does boost conditioning as well, which I love, but, take a look at how I crank a circuit below with HEAVY weights.
I wanna hear your thoughts on circuit training with HEAVY weights when you’re done watching.
Notice I didn’t mess around with light, sissy type weights. I ain’t got time for training if it isn’t gonna produce results for me.
I was performing the military press with 150 lbs.
Deadlifting with 365 lbs.
Still…..NOT heavy enough, plenty of room to improve.
Sprinting….well, that’s NO joke when you haul ass, it’s an amazing way to improve conditioning, add leg muscle and improve lower body speed and power.
As the years pass on I see less and less information available on training like a REAL Man. I cringe as more and more magazines hit the book shelves showing useless training with people standing or sitting on balance discs and stability balls.
The departure from heavy, kick ass lifting has sent many men into a testosterone devoid body and a weaker mind. The mind and body are meant to be challenged, and, a stronger mind and body make YOU a much more effective, successful person both in AND out of the weight room.
Question for You: What style of training do you use to push your mind and body to the next level? How are you constantly challenging yourself to “Man the F**K UP”?
In Strength,
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
Underground Inner Circle 30 Day Trial
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Filed under Articles, Strength Building, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts, muscle building by on Sep 11th, 2009. 39 Comments.
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