Coach Ethan Reeve told me how he would never stop a kid from doing extra work if they wanted to. The last thing you want to tell a kid who wants to keep working hard is, "Slow down Johnny, take it easy." Hey, if someone wants to work harder and wants that edge, let them go for it. At The USC Gymnasium, we've got a young Football Player / Wrestler who ALWAYS does extra work on his own at the end of the workout. He loves to get a 100 lb sandbag on his back. He carries it around the … [Read more...]
Q & A on Squats
Zach, Question on squats. How often do you include squats in your workout? What kind of squats do you use (zercher, front, breathing, etc.)? Thanks! Jeff ANSWER I personally do squats at least every other week. Usually I alternate deadlifts and squats, but, it's not absolute. There are times where I squat several weeks in a row. I use MANY different squat variations, all of which you'll see outlined through various articles at http://UndergroundStrengthCoach.com There are times where I … [Read more...]
Stay Away from Egos and Assholes
One thing I have learned greatly through the years is that people with egos and attitude problems need to be eliminated from your circle of influence. They're no good for you and they want to bring you down. They also have that "Holier than Thou" attitude where they talk about how great they are, how great their information is, what they say and do is the best, etc, etc. These people can literally brain wash you. Once you begin thinking you are THE Ultimate ________ (fill in blank) you are … [Read more...]
The Guru Who Never Was
This oughtta piss some people off :) I am a student first, teacher second. My primary goal is to learn more and more so I can pass on the knowledge to those who want to learn. Still, I receive some funny e mails from people who claim to be "experts" because they were using stones, or sandbags and kettlebells before anyone else was. I must laugh at this egotistical behavior, but it's also why we have a rule at The Underground web site: No Assholes, No Egos. Some people feel the odd need to … [Read more...]
Where Are all the Seats?
There are NO chairs at my seminars because they are hands on. Yes, you MUST learn by getting your "feet wet" or your "hands dirty" - watching and listening to lecture never cuts it. On April 5th I'll be presenting a seminar with my close friends on how to use Russian Kettlebells, strongman implements, bodyweight drills, program design, and how to use barbells and dumbbells for immediate gains in strength, power and conditioning. My bottom line is this: I do not give information that will … [Read more...]
Eagles Fly Alone
Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the chaos of "life", so you make things easier on yourself and begin following everyone else. Or, maybe that's not so easy. What sparked this topic today on an early Sunday morning? Most notably, I see a handful of law enforcement personnel training at the gym next door: alternate dumbbell curls with light weights, incline smith machine presses, lat pulldowns...the typical wimpy stuff. Then, we have a few who train at The Underground in Edison, NJ. The … [Read more...]
I Beg for Fancy
Above, 1 arm high pulls with a 150 lb Globe dumbbell. Strength training seems to teeter totter between ultra basic to ultra fancy and then back to ultra basic. Fancy never worked too good, yet people cry and moan when they see the basics are encouraged. They then claim they were the originators of these basics whether it's with a barbell, a sandbag a stone or a variation of certain bodyweight exercises. I have books from the 1800's with all of this information. It is powerful, powerful … [Read more...]
Break the Rules for BIG Strength
We haven't been following a ton of rules here at The Underground. This is a BIG reason why our clients are developing in strength and muscle so quickly. Compare our style of training with the typical program that has light dumbbell curls, lat pull downs, crunches and calf raises to someone flipping tires, hoisting heavy barbells overhead, deadlifting and squatting hundreds of pounds - it's no secret why the old school program works better than today's "powder puff" workouts. Sometimes all … [Read more...]
I’m in the UK and I LOVE it!
You can see my latest article in newsstands now, in Fighters Only Magazine, a UK based magazine but it hits world wide newsstands. I LOVE the UK combat athletes. My first ever interview on the web was from a UK based web site, and I noticed one thing about these UK fighters: They LOVE hard training. I have never received whining, cry baby e mails from UK fighters either. They are HUGE supporters of my Underground Training and Products as well. I won't tell you what's inside this … [Read more...]
The Magic of Simplicity in Strength & Conditioning Programs
Have you ever heard of Herschel Walker? If you've read my Blog for the past year, you certainly have. Pull ups, push ups, sit ups - hundreds and even thousands of reps every day..... Sprinting with a tire and rope strapped around his waist.... Hill Sprints... Throw in some power cleans... … [Read more...]