Last night I was so tired when I was done training my athletes at The Underground I was ready to just call it a night and drive home. Certainly, back when I was a teenager or early 20s, training at 9 PM was easy. I had all the energy in the world, granted, I wasn't a family man or running multiple businesses either. But at the end of the night, I knew I just couldn't quit. I had to go hard and dig deep. Times like these reveal and test your character. It's been a LONG week with my son, … [Read more...]
Bodybuilding with Sandbags
I love training with Sandbags. They are simple and brutal. Overall, they are an all in one gym and you can mimic a lot of barbell lifts with the sandbag along with old fashioned farm boy work; carry, throw, loading on platforms, etc. Of course, thanks to the sensitivity of the internet, there are coaches who are crying over who started to train with sandbags first. Or, they think they invented this or that exercise. They can finally SHUT UP, that would be great. Before any of us were … [Read more...]
REAL World Strength vs Pretty Boy Bodybuilding
Interesting story from today while training a crew of mean and hungry wrestlers and gridiron gladiators.... 2 high school kids stopped by the gym. 1 of them looked to be 220 lbs of drugged up muscle. He was arrogant and delusional at the same time so it struck a chord with me. He was telling me how he was going to enter MMA and it kind of broke my heart. I had seen this kid maybe 3 years ago and he was 130 lbs. It broke my heart to see he took the path of chemical enhancement when he was … [Read more...]
Lessons & Inspiration from 2 Men Who Know About RAW Strength
I have an inspiring message for you, or, shall I say, lessons I've learned from 2 Men that TRULY 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, much longer than I have. Some of this might be the reminder you need to return to the basics and escape the fads and gimmicks. 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 … [Read more...]
Underground Strength Show Ep. 104: Inspiration from Dr. Ken
I'm a BIG fan of the good ol' days when strength was a priority. When strength is your goal you have no problems putting on size. Squats were ass to grass and deadlifts were common place. Today, everyone says they have "bulging discs" and have more excuses than ever before. The bodybuilders of The Golden Era didn't just look strong, they were strong. They walked the talk. It wasn't chemical warfare back then, it was HARD WORK. I snagged myself a dozen or so old school bodybuilding … [Read more...]
Coach Ethan Reeve Interview
"All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think, because thinking is such hard work." ~ Thomas J. Watson Wow, look what I dug up! Years ago, I had the opportunity to e mail Coach Ethan Reeve, one of my mentors, and he dished out some of the most insanely powerful training information. Here it is, once again, for your reading pleasure. Grab some coffee … [Read more...]
Underground Strength Show # 62 & 63: Rusty Iron, NO Rules Workouts & Mental Toughness
Training doesn't have to be perfect for it to work. Often times, the imperfections are better because they train the mind AND the body as one. They force you to cope with the "resistance" that is more than just the weights. My methods are NOT perfect, they have flaws, but guess what, so does every program. The flaws are beautiful. The challenges are to be wished for. Be grateful for the tough times for anything worth achieving is worth fighting for. Sometimes you just gotta attack your … [Read more...]
How to Use HEAVY Bodyweight Training & Pulling Power for Brute Strength
I recall having a phone call with Joe DeFranco and he was telling me how one of his Coaches / former athletes, Mike Guadango, was regularly doing heavy, HEAVY 1 rep sets for pull ups. Mike was also performing heavy recline rows with over 100 lbs on a weight vest for sets of 1 - 3 reps. It got me thinking differently about my Bodyweight training and I began looking to turn my Bodyweight training into a system, just like Westside Barbell implements the Conjugate System, with days focused on … [Read more...]
Bodybuilding with Russian Kettlebells
This is an old school video of me attacking a bodybuilding / strength style workout, but using Kettlebells instead of traditional free weights. I remember feeling bored with my workouts and I wanted to switch things up and shock my body and my mind. Whatever training tool I use, I attack it, plain and simple. The lesson to be learned here is.... … [Read more...]
15 Minute Muscle Building Workouts
I was in a bit of a rush Friday before clients were heading in to The Underground Strength Gym and I was finishing up some work on the Blog. Not to worry, as I knew I could crank out some brutal work for myself with limited time. Hey, 15 minutes sounds like nothing but when you're as insanely busy as I am, it works when you need it to work, and, you learn to cut out the crap and focus on the meat and potatoes. Getting stronger in both the physical and mental state is what I TRULY love. … [Read more...]