I just dropped two new training videos and I wanted to break down WHY I train this way, who it's for, and what it's going to do for you.

The videos below were performed in the same training session.

Below, The Kettlebell Chain. 

Use 3 kettlebells minimum here or get as many as 10 kettlebells!  

Below, The Chain performed with Fatbells and a thick grip Dumbbell:

Athletes who are barbell centric in their training should use more bells and bodyweight, as explained below:

Bells combined with bodyweight is excellent, whether it's for athletes or adults, strong is strong!

As you can see via my videos, I have been doing a lot more bells and bodyweight training. This is done more so lately as I took a break from Squats and Deads.

Bet on Yourself.

Excerpt from IRON Journeys II - foreword written by BOSS LIGHTNING.

IRON JOURNEYS II - HERE on Amazon

Why Kettlebells, Fat Bells and Thick Grip Dumbbells

Every couple months, I step away from the barbell and go back to bells and bodyweight. Not because barbell training is bad, I love barbell training, LOVE it. These tools build something to supplement barbell work and to attack the "in between muscles" as Marty Gallagher describes my training: grip strength, joint resilience and total body control under load.

Fatbells and thick grip dumbbells force your hands, wrists and forearms to work overtime. You can't cheat the grip. And when the grip goes, everything else follows. Strong hands build a strong body. A strong man has a strong grip and a strong back.

Kettlebells give you power and conditioning in the same tool. Swings, get ups, cleans, snatches and of course the chain or any other type of complex. You're building strength, power and your engine / GPP all at once.

The Benefit For Busy Men and Dads

You don't have 2 hours to train. You've got a family, a job, a life. This is where bells and bodyweight training wins. You can get a brutal, effective session done in 20 to 30 minutes with minimal equipment and zero wasted time.

This isn't about chasing numbers on a barbell anymore. It's about staying strong, staying healthy, and being able to get on the floor and play with your kids without your body falling apart. That's the whole idea behind Dad STRONG. Training that keeps you dangerous AND keeps you around.

The Benefit For Combat Athletes: Wrestlers and Football Players

For wrestlers, BJJ guys and football players, grip strength and grip endurance are crucial but even more important, is full body strength, power and durability. YES, DURABILITY. 

I see way too many injuries in combat athletes and it's a combination of overuse coupled with horrible strength training (poor technique, poor exercise selection, etc).

Thick grip work and Fatbells build the kind unique strength that compliments barbell work and wrestling / football. The body must learn to work as a unit and that is what the bells do.

Kettlebell complexes build the power endurance combat athletes need. Short bursts, repeated over and over, under fatigue. That's wrestling. That's a football game. Train that quality and you show up with the advantage when the competition keeps doing the same training as everyone else. 

Donnie "Super D" Thompson

Donnie Thompson, aka Super D, the man behind the Fatbells, Fatpad and many other training tools and methods has been an inspiration going back to our early days on EliteFTS and exchanging emails from the early 2000s.

Donnie became the first man to total 3,000 lbs in powerlifting (at age 46!!!), and instead of resting on that, he turned around and built tools and systems to help the rest of us train smarter and stay healthy longer. His "Circle of Strength" work with the bells is a big part of what pushed me to keep building sessions like the ones in these videos. 

Where To Take This Next

If you're a Dad who wants to stay strong, capable and pain free for your family, this is exactly what we build inside Dad STRONG - 7 days FREE Intro HERE. These are short, simple / minimalist style workouts for the busy Dad, although there ate Coaches out there using Dad STRONG for in season athlete training.

If you're an athlete or coach who wants to build real strength and power without excuses, Gladiator STRONG is where you need to be. GS is more advanced, more volume and is not for the excuse makers. It is baed on how I personally train as well as how we train our athletes at The Underground Strength Gym.

Get to WORK.

Live the Code 365, 

ZACH EVEN - ESH