Is it about free weights vs strongman lifting / odd object training?

Or is it bodyweight vs kettlebells?

Which one is the end all, be all, A # 1, Numero Uno, BEST Workout?

Or….

Are they ALL flawed, NONE of them actually perfect when left alone, yet better when we……

- When you approach the bar for a deadlift, set your back, keep it tight, grip it and rip it.

- When you set your back for a sandbag clean & press, set your back, keep it tight, grip it and rip it….

- When you set your back for the power snatch, set your back, keep it tight, grip it and rip it…….

- When you do your push ups, squeeze the floor with your fingers, tighten & brace your abs, use your legs, tuck the elbows…

- When you set up for the bench press, squeeze the bar, tuck your elbows, press your legs into the ground….

Should you use one lifting style over the other? Which style gives the BEST workout?

Or, should you stop discriminating?

Maybe….. You Should you STOP trying to be a scientist and start being a F**ing LIFTER??!!

FACT: EVERY workout is flawed.

Deal with it…. Get over it… STOP reading so much and start training MORE.

When we train athletes & adults at The Underground Strength Gym, we blend the many training methods and tools together. That’s how The Underground originated in the early part of 2002 or so. We would lift stones, barbells, dumbbells, flipped tractor tires at the tire yard, hit playground workouts….

We did it BEFORE it was a popular fad. Back when we did it, 99% of “functional training” required you to train on one leg, on a balance disc using a $10,000 “functional trainer” cable apparatus.

I am NOT a fad follower, I do what WORKS. period.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The quick lifts and kettlebells develop athleticism.

The bodyweight exercises & gymnastics training develops stability, strength, power and body kinesthetics.

The powerlifts develop BRUTE STRENGTH.

The odd objects develop brute strength, power and equally of importance, mental toughness.

Learning one style of training carries over to the others, blending them together requires an open mind and a willingness to learn along with a desire to become the best YOU can become.

The blending of these styles of training teaches You to understand how to set your back, you understand how to align your knees, keep your abs tight, tuck your elbows in….

You can cry till your blue in the face searching for the perfect reason why, the perfect workout and the perfect set – rep schemes…. let me know when you find it… while you’re searching for the holy grail of workouts and awaiting for the moons to align, Underground Strength Nation will be getting STRONGER, TOUGHER and HEALTHIER.

Stronger Than Yesterday!

–Z–

PS: Always remember these words, from a poem that rested directly in front of our eyes on the squat rack at Diamond Gym…. I question, WHO are YOU?

“There are those that do

and those that don’t

Those that will

and those that won’t.”

Many TALK About Training Like a “BEAST”, Far & Few Actually DO It!

Click HERE For Details on ‘The BEAST Training Files’

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Here’s your Underground Strength Workout for Monday….. or, if you’re gonna sneak in a workout today, this one can get done pretty fast, so crank it out before family festivities begin.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Add weight as the sets go on while keeping rest between each round minimal or even zero for at least a few sets.

10 Rounds

1A) Double Jumps x 2 (over hurdles, boxes, benches, etc)

1B) Snatch from Floor x 2

1C) Squats x 2 (use any back squat variation: sandbag, barbell, specialty bar, etc)

Doing this workout for time is optional. I prefer NOT doing it for time and focusing more on moving maximum weight with the best technique I’ve got, especially if you’re practicing snatch technique as I am.

Post your weights used in the comments and if you go for time, post your time for “10 rounds” as well.

Below are videos of our Football guys using just the jumps and squats as part of their lower body day. Adding the snatches will change this workout BIG time. The blend of jumps, olympic lifting + power lifting will make these 10 rounds feel brutal.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Get after it

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Underground Strength Cert in Washington

30 Day Trial Underground Inner Circle

Underground Strength System E Course

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Team Underground – I would LOVE any olympic lifting training tips you can drop below pertaining to my technique on this olympic lift in the video below.

HUGE thanks in advance, I am learning some NEW stuff and LOVING it. It’s a challenge to say the least! Please see my video below…..

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Just drop your comments below, you can even throw in a link to a video if it will help.

HUGE thanks, Undergrounders!

MUCH respect

–Z–

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It’s easy to drop excuses when things aren’t set up your way. But I prefer to bag the excuses and get s**t done. This week has been a week of strength, a week of heavy lifting: olympic lifting, stone lifting, powerlifting….

Check out this Friday Finisher at The Underground Home Gym…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rather than making excuses for all the stuff that was in the way inside my home gym, I said screw it and took the barbell out in the backyard.

My workout was fast & furious, simple and effective, inspired by the latest CrossFit workout posted for The CrossFit Games…..like this:

1) Pull Ups On Monkey Bars from Rogue Fitness: 30 reps with 3 different grips, 10 reps in a row, 30 second rest between sets.

2) Snatched the barbell and overhead walked 50′ to the backyard.

- Then, proceeded with snatches: 8, 8, 7, 7 reps

- Rested under 60 sec. between sets

- Overhead walked the barbell back to the garage as a finisher again.

Check out some other HEAVY workouts from this week:

Wednesday Training:

1A) Atlas stone shouldering: 4, 4, 2, 2

1B) ring push ups + 20 lb chains: 4 x 10 reps

2) Back Extensions + 60 lbs 4 x 10

3) Burpees 2 x 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 reps

Thursday Workout:

1A) Thick Bar Military Press 6 x 3 – 6 reps (last set hit 220 x 3 with push prress)

1B) 1 Arm Rows 6 x 6 reps (last 3 sets with 150 lb globe dumbbell)

2) Snatches (from floor & hang): 10 x 2 – 5 reps

3) Deadlifts: 5 x 1 – 5 reps

4) Burpees 4 x 12 reps

Check out some deadlift video footage below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you don’t have a home gym set up of some sort, I highly suggest doing so (click HERE to see where I purchase my home gym equipment).

There are times when you can’t get to the gym, life happens, but excuses need to be crushed.

If all you have is a barbell, then get after it. Maybe just a kettlebell. Maybe just a set of rings…. maybe NOTHING. Then the world is your gym, using stones, bodyweight and anything else that you can pick up, carry, clean and press, throw, etc.

Time for me to head to Atlantic City.

We’ve got 13 wrestlers from The Underground Strength Gym who qualified for the states, a large central NJ newspaper did a story on The Underground and our wrestlers. Check the story HERE, it was an emotional series of interviews for me.

Have an awesome weekend!

Drop a comment with how you train at home or outdoors when “Life Happens.” Looking forward to seeing your comments!

If you dig this article, please hit the facebook “LIKE” button and share with your friends. I’m always honored when you guys show the love!

Peace

–Z–

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With our upcoming seminar, ‘Training for GOLD!’ (Details HERE), Jason C. Brown and I will be covering a myriad of a training methods, principles, tools and program design methods.

Before I get into the details and reveal these 3 videos below with GSP in action, a NJ MMA Fighter & Martin Rooney, I will tell you a shortened version of a story I revealed during this past weekend’s USC Cert.

I spoke about when I trained Football players & Wrestlers from my garage using odd objects, backyard training, training with sleds, sprints, playground workouts, truck pushing, etc down on a field…. NONE of our athletes EVER got hurt, either in lifting OR during competition.

Then, when I opened The Underground Strength Gym in a warehouse, I no longer had access to training on the field, performing hill sprints, jumping and climbing on, over and around playground equipment…. the workouts became VERY strength focused. It was then I realized we were building strong, slow and useless athletes…. as well as seeing the bigger guys getting injured.

I remember the moment as if it was yesterday, I said to myself, “That’s it…. I’m gonna start training ALL our athletes like full blown athletes….. like wrestlers…. NO matter how big or small they are, we’re gonna start using a longer warm up, more bodyweight exercises, the pace will be fast and furious and everyone will develop mental toughness….”

As soon as I made the change to train everyone for athleticism, which in essence is an optimal blend of strength, speed / explosive power, conditioning, mental toughness, agility…. the results of our athletes when competing went through the roof and the injuries went waaaaaaay down.

Watch these 3 videos carefully, and you will see that training for overall athleticism is THE ticket. You will also get a deeper understanding as to why I use cross training for ALL my athletes as well as why our Football players get trained like our wrestlers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Many may argue this point, but as you heard Martin Rooney, his NFL players, MMA Fighters, etc ALL do the same warm up which in and of itself is a workout!

Whether you compete in combat sports or not, do NOT miss THIS seminar.

Details HERE, space is extremely limited

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It’s GREAT to be Strong.

It’s GREAT to be Conditioned…..

But it’s BEST when you have BOTH Strength AND Conditioning.

If I can pit one example of this I’ll use my friend, Jim Wendler, shown in videos below. He keeps everything simple.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jim’s strength work is centered around his 5 3 1 program.

Jim’s conditioning is centered around hill sprints and prowler sprints. He punishes himself on these 2 conditioning methods.

I’ve found that when you’re in shape, you get stronger much easier and vice versa.

If you pay NO attention to conditioning and only attend to strength you will:

- increase chances of injury

- carry around excess body fat

- your intense strength workouts will fatigue you too quickly, not allowing you to get the most bang for your buck, tiring yourself out before it’s time to crank your assistance work

If you pay NO attention to strength & only focus on met-cons and conditioning work you will:

- Feel like sh*t when a heavy bar is thrown on your back or in your hands

- Heavy lifting will fatigue you too quickly and likely increase chances of injury under heavy lifting as your tendons / ligaments have not been prepped for heavy loads & straining

Click here to view the embedded video.

Note: Jim doesn’t drop the 150 lb dumbbells. Why are people unable to do this with only 50 lb dumbbells, let alone the 150s!?

Here are 3 Ways to Blend Strength AND Conditioning:

1) Start with 1 strength lift in a 5 x 5 or 5 3 1 format, followed by a circuit of your assistance work.

Example:

1) Zercher Squats 5 3 1 Style

2A) Glute Ham Raise 4 x 10 – 15 reps

2B) Double Kettlebell Cleans 4 x 6 reps

2C) Lunge Jumps 4 x 6 / 6

3) Ab Circuit x 4 exercises x 15 reps each

2) Perform your normal workout & finish with 10 minutes of sprint intervals

Example:

Perform your upper, lower or full body workout

Set the clock for 10 minutes and perform as many short sprints as possible in that 10 minute time period. You can time them for 15/15 or 30/30 if this time of work:rest is feasible. If not, perform a hard sprint, then rest 30 seconds and repeat until 10 minutes is over and done with

3) Lift one day, condition the next……

Example:

- Train upper body one day, hit sprints via run, bike or swim the next day

- Train lower body the following day, condition the next day.

After 3 -4 days of training in a row take a day off.

If you’re like me and have exercise ADD then condition through a variety of methods. I like being outside so being in the ocean, mtn biking, running with my dog, battling ropes, runs, etc ALL give me lots of joy.

The key is this, and, “this” was inspired to me by Warrior Man’s video below. NEVER allow yourself to fall “out of shape”. If you’re not sure and you’re asking yourself if you’re “in shape”, then you’re out of shape. Period.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am on a mission to push my conditioning to greater levels.I’m NOT satisfied. I love feeling like I got my ass kicked after a workout but I also HATE it because I want to be BETTER.

Drop a comment below and tell Underground Strength Nation what YOUR mission is.

Peace

–Z–

PS: TWO Underground seminars around the corner:

- USC Cert in Austin, TX

- Combat Seminar with Jason C Brown & I – Training for GOLD

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In case you missed Part I, click HERE

For Dan’s latest book that kicks ass, click HERE

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s how we can keep this video interview series with Dan John rolling:

- Drop a question for Dan regarding training and we’ll set up another Underground QnA for you guys. Just leave your question in the comments section, I’ll collect and compile the questions and when we get enough questions we’ll get more gold from Dan John. I SERIOUSLY wish this type of access was available for myself when I started training and I cherish the ability to do so NOW!

Drop a question for Dan John below.

Make sure you read up on his latest book, co authored with Pavel. This book is BadAss – check it HERE

Peace

–Z–

Every month, members of Underground Strength Nation get an exclusive interview with a Strength Coach, an exercise of the month with video instructional and a Live QnA Teleseminar with myself & other members of USN.

If you’re serious about old school strength & muscle building click HERE

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After training for 21 + years, there is one thing about me that will simply NEVER die.

I’m ALL about the iron.

It doesn’t matter what shape or size the weights are, I don’t discriminate, I just love to lift. I get better with age, and the reason being is because I ALWAYS Lift and I ALWAYS Learn.

Here’s a few lessons that have stuck with me for a loooong time, you’ll see who influenced me and who I learned them from as well. More to come in Part II.

1) Deep Squats: Ya gotta respect the photo above, DEEP squatting. Reminds me of when I was training for bodybuilding at age 19. I used to squat super close but didn’t go down all the way. I was at Diamond Gym and a trainer there named Tony called me out. He made me widen up my stance as shown in the photo above and wouldn’t let me go heavier than 135 until I sank down, ass to the grass.

He told me this is how power lifters and olympic lifters train, allowing them to pack on thick, dense muscle to their quads, hams and glutes. He was right.

2) Lift Heavy in the 1 – 5 Rep Range: We hear so much confusion about how to pack on muscle and gets strong it gets confusing. Granted, there are MANY ways to get stronger, bigger, faster, leaner and meaner….

At Joe DeFranco’s house, we were going through his book shelf and looking at the training books and old DVDs he had. Joe had been heavily influenced from some old VHS tapes that his Dad, George, bought for him. They were olympic lifting tapes, with the lifters being extremely strong and powerful, doing lots of sets in the 1 – 3 rep range.

3) Heal Your Body: It’s actually not as hard to become stronger and bigger as it is to heal yourself when injured. Injuries affect you mentally AND physically. Jonny Hinds has influenced me BIG time in learning Eischens Yoga to heal injuries. When you compete as an athlete, lift heavy or perform explosive movements you are bound to get injured someday, some how. We’ve been using Eischens Yoga to heal our wrestlers and football players as well as myself. Check it out HERE.

Below, you’ll see a quick warm up, some heavy Kettlebell Snatches. Part II to come soon.

This is minimalist training at it’s best. I attack 2 heavy lifts in a workout and anything after that is icing on the cake. Weekends get short, hard runs to keep the cardio going as well as quick bursts of calisthenics.

Check the videos….

Thanks to the power of video editing the top of my lifts got cut off, check the 88lb snatches below. Time to get 10 reps, 5 reps ain’t gonna cut it. 5 reps = average.

Part II coming soon.

Question for You: How have you changed your workouts lately and what is the latest thing you’ve learned with regards to lifting.

Drop a comment below, looking forward!

Peace!

–Z–

Recommended Resources:

Underground Inner Circle 30 Day Trial

Underground Strength Coach Cert – Last Chance for 2010!

Underground Kettlebells

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Mike Medrano was BIG time impressive while training and he unleashed some awesome info about his own life through cross training and how he trained The Yeshiva Wrestling team to national victory through the use of bodyweight workouts.

Pay attention, because Mike drops GOLD!

I also peaked through Martin’s NEW book and the info is mind boggling.

I am fired up just thinking about getting the book in the mail, which you can get on pre order HERE, for 50% off. It’s valued, in my opinion, at least 100 times more than the asking price of $19 and change

Comments on cross training and the above videos, please add your thoughts below.

Lead from the FRONT!

–Z–

Reccomended Resources:

Training for Warriors Books and Videos

Underground Strength Coach Certification

Kettlebells for Combat DVD Kit

Training for Warriors Road Trip and The Books!

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Matty Wichlinski calls this a Freestyle Fighter Barbell Complex.

Matty and I tore up a 1 Day Underground Strength Coach Cert this past Saturday at his gym.

The night before we had some good grub, GREAT conversations and a few brews

I even witnessed a dude get caught stealing liquor from a 7-11. Yep, in the “South” people are buying beer, wine and all types of liquor from 7-11. Strange.

Check out Matty in action below, the Dude is a straight up BEAST!

If you missed The Va Beach Underground Strength Coach Cert, you missed the best damn training and business methods you ever came across.

Lead from the FRONT.

–Z–

PS: Wanna become a BEAST? It ain’t gonna happen training like any ol’ normal workout has you training. It takes something completely different. Click HERE for The BEAST Program.

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