"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it." - Bruce Lee This photo alone speaks volumes. Somehow I came across it on the web, credit to USAWA. I saw it and immediately thought to myself, HOLY SHYT!!! This Dude is a F**ing TANK! I'm almost tempted to say NOTHING else as the photo speaks for itself about what being STRONG REALLY looks like! Above, The Phantom of the Anvil circa 1918 (notice the … [Read more...]
Strength Training Wisdom from Arthur Saxon & Old School Strength
Words of Wisdom from Arthur Saxon..... "If a man seriously proposes to go in for lifting heavy weights, he should make a point of practicing certain lifts every day. This daily practice is essential to the achievement of any real success." -Arthur Saxon I'd like to share with you some words of wisdom in the ways of old school strength, or what Arthur Saxon coins, "Genuine Strength" Here is my take on old school strength, greatly influenced by Arthur Saxon and George "The Russian … [Read more...]
The TRUTH About Heavy Lifting & Building Muscle
I was scared to go to this one gym. I felt I had to earn my way into training there. I wanted to be at least somewhat respected when I got there. The bodybuilders from that gym were winning all the major bodybuilding shows not just on a state level but also nationally. When I finally made the trek to this gym, the proof was not just what happened on the bodybuilding stage, but in how they ALL trained. They ALL lifted heavy. I saw countless bodybuilders incline bench 315 lbs for 6 - 8 reps. … [Read more...]
Are Box Squats Better Than Olympic Style Squats
The past year or so we've gotten away from box squats at our gym. Is it the BEST answer? In Strength & Performance, there are BETTER answers but not always "the best" answers. I recall having ONE kid, who could box squat over 405. But.... there were flaws. The box was set a bit high as he would squat with guys taller than him. At the time, we had a 50/50 mix of free squats vs box squats. When this kid tried to free squat 315 he got CRUSHED. … [Read more...]
Top 11 Muscle Building Exercises
Here's a list of the Top 11 Muscle Building Exercises that you simply can't go wrong with (minus if you have any injuries, physical limitations, excuses, etc) if you wanna get jacked AND strong. Check em' out and decide how you can put them to use into your current training regime / workouts. My suggestion is to start with some hard work, mixed in with some heavy weight, sweat & consistency. You'll also a see unique video from one of my workouts this week at The Underground Strength … [Read more...]
Dan John Talks Life & Lifting
Above, Dan John's Garage Gym. Every time I read any of Dan John's books, watch his videos or get the opportunity to talk training and life with him, I walk away smarter. I've been following Dan's articles and reading his books, watching his DVDs for close to a decade now. Check out our latest conversation on life and lifting. You will be educated and inspired. And who doesn't need more knowledge and inspiration? Enjoy! … [Read more...]
35 Life & Lifting Lessons
Holy S**t! In a few short weeks I'll be 36. Time goes fast. TOO Fast. Here's some stories and lessons I've learned along the way & hopefully you're not too cool to learn from some of these. Anyway, for no reason whatsoever I thought it would be legit to have a pic of Dr. Ken training with an empty bomb to remind you to push the limits :) … [Read more...]
Are You Stronger Than an Idiot aka Learning From Injuries?
Time to lay down the law on those who listen and especially those who are "good enough" and only listen to a select few. Remember, to achieve greater success you must acquire the mindset of "always a white belt". The Learning NEVER ends. I've been there and done that & it led to a road called injured in a town called weakness. This past week, I cranked 4 workouts this week, ALL of them stronger than the week before. Progress is running smoother than ever. Mind you, I NEVER … [Read more...]
When Giants Roamed the Earth
Original Article by Jeff Everson Excerpt from the book 'Forgotten Secrets of The Culver City Westside Barbell Club' by Dave Yarnell. Before the last epoch of the Cenozoic era, some 65 million years ago, great beasts roamed the earth. These ponderous dinosaurs weighed as much as 100 tons and were over 120 feet long. Some had teeth the size of a child. Most had brains the size of an egg. The dinosaurs died out and were replaced by a higher form of life. Likewise, at one point in time (the late … [Read more...]
Fighting Against the Norms of Being Strong, Slow & Weak
I gotta address something ASAP, this is becoming a BIGGER and BIGGER problem. I'm sure this will anger many and then we'll have a few that can argue against this but it's time to unleash some TRUTH. It's starting to piss me off because we have all these "strong" people who can't perform in the "Real World". I'm done with simply chasing a bigger bench, squat and deadlift and you need to end that route as well unless you're a powerlifter and willing to live with the pain that comes with … [Read more...]