Above, Greg Leistner squats 500 lbs for reps as Dad, Dr. Ken spots
Sometimes you feel the need to kick your own ass…. At least I feel that way. I hope I am the norm and NOT the exception.
I gotta make sure I still have that mental edge and pushing yourself into new territories of pain through training, especially high rep squats, will push you over the edge, trust me 
High rep squats are like the ‘Man UP Medicine” – something about squats that cures almost everything in a WEAK Man.
I don’t recommend doing these very often, maybe every 6 – 8 weeks. The first time I began experimenting with high rep squats was after reading about a guy named Vic Richards, he would squat for 1 – 2 hours, set after set. Sometimes reps were in the 20 – 30 range, other times, ALL heavy singles.
I was 14 or 15 and about to go to Israel for a month, so, without access to a gym, I decided I’d make up for lost time BEFORE I got to Israel, I must have squatted for an hour at least, totaling over 40 sets of squats. It’s good to be young and dumb…. sometimes
Then, in my early 20s, my squat strength was at an ALL time high, sometimes squatting 495 for several reps. So, I decided one day to hit 315 for a minimum of 20 reps, I think I got 22 reps, that was FUN
The next challenge was to get 225 for 50 reps. I got to 45 or 46 and did a few forced reps to get me over the hump to hit 50 reps.
I then read about Dr. Ken’s son, Kevin Tolbert, squatting 600 lbs for some 20 or 30 reps! The video doesn’t exist but after seeing DR. Ken weighing 165 lbs and squatting 400 + lbs for 20 + reps, I don’t doubt his adopted son, Kevin, was able to tear through 600. I was quick to remind myself, I am NOT strong enough, and, neither are you.
High rep squats WILL pack on serious muscle onto your legs, BUT, as an athlete, I would never recommend these to you. Even though you see high rep squats touted as THE way to train in the small community of HIT lifters, I found these to be beyond brutal on the nervous system, especially as you get into your 30s and beyond.
I became reignited with fire to crank these again after Dan John incorporated them into his latest book, ‘Mass Made Simple’.
High rep squats will render you immobile for at least 2 – 3 days with serious soreness. Trust me, I am posting this article on a Friday and the video was filmed on Monday
As an athlete, I believe in submax effort on the squats, leaving a rep or 2 in the tank (sometimes more), this way you are training for speed and strength and NOT training with higher reps and grinding the reps out which leads to excess muscle soreness.
ANYTHING that inhibits your ability to train in your sport and become better at your sport skill is NOT conducive to your training. This set of high rep squats was more of a mental challenge for me than anything else. It was a mental test, to make sure I could endure pain and push through the pain barrier.
The last time I performed this weight was for 35 reps, the next time I’ll go straight to 50 reps as this leg soreness is BRUTAL the first 2 days. The way to get rid of the soreness is through light sled drags, foam rolling and regular movement to feed blood into the muscles.
What is my original motivation for high rep squats?
The inspirational vid below goes back to my early teens, check it below…..
I also remembered the story of Casey Viator going through his Arthur Jones, HIT leg workout of leg extensions, leg presses and 500 lb squats! I would read that story over and over again as a kid, so when I squatted, the picture was engraved in my mind like a movie.
Training for me goes beyond just the physical, I ALWAYS say this and of course the metrosexuals NEVER understand what it means to push the body to the limits and beyond.
I will ALWAYS need an ass kicking of some sort on a regular basis to remind myself what it means to train like a BEAST and keep that mental edge.
Question for You: What was the last workout you did that pushed your mind and body to the limit or near the limit? Drop a comment below.
In Strength,
–Z–
Recommended Resources:
Underground Inner Circle 30 Day Trial
Filed under Articles, Strength Building, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts, muscle building by on Mar 25th, 2011. 23 Comments. 
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 run into the guys I train in a dark alley if you catch my drift. They have become BEASTS and they are ready to bang heads in the REAL world…. their training has served a purpose beyond just “looking good” or getting 6 pick abs.
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.
Peace
–Z–
Train to Look Strong AND BE Strong…. It’s the ONLY Way to Walk the Talk.
Click HERE to Find out How
Filed under Announcements, Articles, Strength Building, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts, muscle building, old school strength by on Mar 27th, 2009. 45 Comments.
Recently a gentleman stopped by my gym to gift me with some very, very, very rare gifts.
This shocked me BIG time….
This gentleman, named John, stopped by my Underground Strength Gym unannounced. Normally, I am not a fan of unannounced visitors as they want to talk and take me away from the # 1 focus I have, training my athletes.
John was DIFFERENT. He waited until ALL training was done for the night before he introduced himself to me.
John watches my Underground Strength Show, a BIG Fan, he reads the newsletters and loves what I’m doing. He loves seeing a young guy bringing back the old school ways of lifting when men trained like REAL men.
He was in the area, visiting a nursing home and some family.
He knew I was in Edison and took a chance of stopping by – I think he feared I would attack if he stopped by unannounced – ha ha.
Am I really that scary??
John is a teacher and a Church Pastor – trust me, I felt very odd and I immediately apologized for my cursing on my videos
I told John I cursed from excitement, and hoped he would understand
John had seen my videos and newsletters on how the strongmen of old influenced me so much, and John had a VERY rare gift stashed away in his attic:
1) ALL The Dino Files from Brooks Kubik. I’m tlaking about the ORIGINAL Dino Files, NOT the re-published Dino Files.
2) VHS tapes of Dr. Ken Leistner - these are tapes with rare footage of Dr. Ken training himself, training D1 Football Teams and training along side his training partners behind his gym on a day called the “4th of July Training Massacre” – this was Brutal! Dudes were throwing up in between sets of doing farmer walks with empty missiles, barbells on their backs, squats & MORE craziness.
He showed up with them in a gift bag, the kind you would give a family member for their baby on a birthday….
Covered in a light dust, there were 3 binders, filled tightly with page after page of old school training, a combination of Underground Strength Training and old school bodybuilding – in my opinion, an amazing combo, deadly for those who stand in your way
After John left I did some research on him. Found a few interesting things….
I found out he was quite the BEAST on the Football field in college and turned down going into the NFL to become a Pastor in his Church! I saw his name sprinkled on a few web sites where men spoke of him as “One of the strongest guys you’ve never heard about….” -
One day I plan to have my gym a place not just for people to train, but also a place for strength fanatics to hang out at. Perhaps with a library of books, DVDs and VHS tapes. A movie room where the old films can be viewed.
This is the type of place I would have LIVED in when I was younger as I used to do my homework at the gym, just so I could be around the weights and hear the sounds of plates clanking together or heavy barbells / dumbbells being dropped to the floor!
They did this back in the day, when bodybuilders of the Golden Era owned supplement shops, the muscle building and strength fanatics would gather in the back of the store, watch bodybuilding shows, read books and magazines, share stories and training methods – all while pounding down their favorite protein shakes.
Sounds like heaven to me
I’ll fill the back room with my library of strength books, videos, memorabilia and more.
I can see it now…
Tales of bodybuilding and Tales of The Underground:
- talks of sandbag training and heavy barbell workouts
- dumbbells and tires
- kettlebells and gymnastics
- ropes and rings
More to come, more to come…
In Strength,
– Z –
Recommended Resources:
The Underground Inner Circle 30 Day Trial
Filed under Articles, Kick Ass Life, Strength Building, Success, muscle building by on Mar 19th, 2009. 2 Comments.
I have a cool message for you, or, shall I say, lessons I’ve learned from 2 Dudes that inspire me in the world of strength, muscle building and athletic performance. These men BOTH walk the talk and have been around the iron game much longer than I have.
Sometimes I seriously wonder if I was born in the wrong era. I wonder why I stand alone or stick out like a sore thumb when I’m the only guy who wants to wrap his hands around old school York dumbbells that were made before I was born. When I wrap my hands around these old weights I wonder who did so before me, I wonder how they trained, how much they squatted and what kind of atmosphere was going on in their gym or garage as they lifted these heavy weights.
They sure as heck didn’t have to worry about guys checking out their hair in the mirror, popping zits and reading the paper in between sets…. or maybe they did?
I recall talking with Coach Ethan Reeve on the phone one day (which ALWAYS fires me up to train). Yep, the same dude who has the most popular audio interrogation inside The Underground Strength System. We were speaking about experimenting with our training and all the different ways once can gain strength, power, add muscle and develop conditioning.
Of course, we agreed that there is more than just ONE way to make it happen. MORE than just one way to get powerful results and the men who have proved this through time over and over again, centuries old, are proof positive.
Above, Bob People’s Gym, aka The Dungeon.
Coach Reeve and I agreed that if all we had were kettlebells, then we would make our athletes crazy strong using just the ketlebells.
Or just the sandbags…..
Or just a barbell……
Or just strongman equipment…..
Coach Reeve is spot on…… it’s about the attitude you bring to the workout, NOT the equipment you have. This is why the strength and the physiques from the 50s – 70s were far more impressive than the majority of what we see today.
Heck, take a look at the “barrel bar” that Bob Peoples used to fill with stones for his deadlifts. Notice his “power rack” is a self made, backyard edition. No band pegs…. No squat suit…. NO training partner.
Hmmmm….. Food for thought.
There are many ways to get the job done. Which had Coach Reeve and I talking about Dr. Ken who you saw in recent episodes of The Underground Strength Show. Check one episode below…..
Heck, Dr. Ken was (and still does) train high level athletes, like NFL dudes, using freakin’ missiles!
Dr. Ken was also using steal beams with handles welded on them for deadlifts, farmer walks, one handed deadlifts plus all types of carries.
Come on, think about it – does it REALLY matter what tools you use if you’re trying to get stronger? Aside from machines….. Weight is weight!
Now, if you can organize these tools into an effective program rather than some random recipe of anything and everything, you’ll get yourself some kick ass results beyond what would happen if all you did was “train hard”. But, let there be NO mistake about it, hard work is the MAIN ingredient in the “kitchen”. Without, nothing happens.
QOD (Question of the Day): What odd objects do you use when training and how do you put them together to make some kick ass, Underground workouts? Drop a comment and let us know!
Peace
– Z –
PS: Every month NEW updates get added to Underground Strength Nation…. a lifetime membership for only ONE payment? Only an idiot would pass that up
Click HERE and become a member, I can’t say it any other way. Get IN or get OUT of the way.
Filed under Announcements, Articles, Calendar, Strength Building, Success, Underground Strength Show, Videos, Zach's Workouts, muscle building, old school strength by on Feb 18th, 2009. 22 Comments.
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