All you need is a barbell, a pull up bar and the desire to eat big and lift big. But, if you're like me, you may have quite the infatuation with the "Golden Era" of bodybuilding and the olden days of strength training. This is why I am always on the hunt for training tools that have history behind them. My latest toy is a 125 lb Anvil, which was a popular strongman implement used for gripping. George Jowett actually grasped a 168 lb Anvil by the horn, and then cleaned & pressed … [Read more...]
I Thought You Needed This..
The squat has been the lift that has been responsible for developing all around strength. When you squat heavy and low, you work your quads, hams, glutes and entire back side like nothing else. The squat has that amazing effect on the rest of the body where it tightens up your abs, making them strong and sturdy, it adds muscle to the upper body and stokes your metabolism. If you haven't been squatting, then what the hell have you been doing? Check our latest article on Rack Training at The … [Read more...]
Breakfast before the Storm
My Breakfast before the Storm: 4 whole eggs 4 egg shites 2 bananas 2 clementines 1 cup of coffee I tend to alternate coffee and green tea through several week cycles. This is what my body is telling me and I go with it. I stray away from dairy products as much as possible except the eggs. I used to do the ol' bodybuilder breakfast of 8 egg whites and one yolk, but after 7 or 8 years of the same thing, I decided to add more yolks to my breakfast and I feel stronger. And this did … [Read more...]
The “GO Factor”
Today I met up with my close friends and Awesome Coaches, Pamela MacElree and Jason C. Brown. They both walk the walk and know how to train hard. They also LOVE to train hard.This was the first time they stopped by my gym and Pam immediately deadlifted the 150 lb. old school globe dumbbell, and yes, one handed. I know a lot of guys who couldn't do this, and I'm not talking about guys who sit home and watch TV all night, I'm talking guys who actually work out. Problem is, many people work out … [Read more...]
The Farm Boys I Met Years Ago…
Wow, today's workout was bad ass. It was a mix of indoor and outdoor training. The cold weather really hits the lungs and I miss that feeling which I experienced back in the day of my nightly winter runs during wrestling season. That was in the early 90's, and that was also when Rocky IV was already out, why didn't more of us learn from that movie? The way he trained with stones, chopped wood, pushed sleds, ran through snowy mountains and performed pull ups on the wooden beams was … [Read more...]
How The Viking, Jon Pall Sigmarsson Inspires The Underground Strength Gym
I have recently watched the documentary on The Viking, Jon Pall Sigmarsson. It's an amazing tribute to one of the most dominant World's Strongest Man Champions. What a pure beast this man was. He unfortunately passed at the young age of 32. To see Jon Pall's evolution of training and various forms of strength competition was incredibly inspiring, and you can bet that tomorrow, at My Gym, The Underground Strength Gym, I will be attacking some serious strongman work using Stones, Sandbags … [Read more...]
Old School vs New School!
It's the famous saying, "What's old is new again." I never invented the training with odd objects, or anything else I have done or am using. There have certainly been new ways in program design and physiological feedback thanks to state of the art equipment, but the boat most people have missed is consistency, effort and regularity of the basics and progressive overload. The design of the program is key, because when it organized optimally (notice I never said perfectly as there is no such … [Read more...]
Stone Training Q & A
Here's a question I received regarding Stone Training.... Zach, I'm a football coach at Lompoc High School and have been using some of your techniques for the past year and it's incretible. I have one question though how do i get a round stone that i've heard you talk about. I have been able to get tires, we have made sand bags from your article, bet i haven't found a round stone. Could you please help. Thanks Robin ANSWER: Robin, The round stone I have is called an Atlas stone, you will … [Read more...]
Strength Secrets You Need to Know
There are a few covets I follow when training myself and especially when training others. Follow these and they will dramatically help your gain more muscle and strength. These are super simple yet often overlooked. 1. Train by "feel" - if you feel strong then take advantage and go hard and heavy. If you feel weak, then back off and go lighter, roll out and stretch extra after the session, and reduce overall volume of workout. 2. Use a variety of training tools. Kettlebells, barbells, … [Read more...]
A Barbell and 2 Milk Crates | Minimalist Strength Training Tips
What can you do using a barbell and 2 milk crates? The Answer: A LOT! And, you can get strong as all hell! Trust me, I've been there...it's how I trained in my Dad's garage for a year and I piled on strength and muscle faster than ever before. I loved it. I cranked the music and had barely any equipment: - Pair of 50 & 100 lb dumbbells - 300 lb Barbell set - Squat Stand - Flat Utility Bench It's the training template I included in The Russian Lion Power Course. It's … [Read more...]