Check out Underground Strength Coach, Matty Wichlinski, making a homemade Sandbag. I'm gonna crank a few of these myself and get our athletes squatting, lunging, jumping and throwing them. Check it & let me know your thoughts below :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il8rU0H-9ps You know I love sandbag training and sandbags were actually my first substitute for a barbell. I didn't have the cash for a barbell and making a sandbag ran me under $30, so I made a 50 and a 100 lb bag and … [Read more...]
The Busy Man Bodybuilding Workout
Time is something I have TRULY began to respect, for 2 BIG reasons: 1) My kids 2) Being an entrepreneur In fact most people are today are more time conscious than ever before. Think about it. We barely call people in comparison to texting them. Technology has tricked many into being busy vs being productive UNLESS you know how to CONTROL your time. As a Parent, I see just how fast time goes. And, the ONE thing about time, something many do not grasp is the fact that you can NEVER … [Read more...]
Strongman Training for SERIOUS Muscle & Strength
I love the barbell and all free weights. But there is something powerful, beyond the strength benefits, about training with odd objects. The mental toughness, the commitment to finish the struggling rep and the attitude required to fight through is unique to strongman training and odd objects. That being said. Not everyone is ready for this style of training. I explain below.... … [Read more...]
TEST Your Muscles & Grip Strength with Strongman Training & Arm Wrestling
Above, The Manasquan Underground Strength Gym. I have mentioned this before, and in my last post, where many of you commented on your favorite exercises being "Ground Based". We're on the same page. I've been on the other side of the map myself, when I was a high school wrestler, using every machine in the gym, lying down, sitting down, smith machines, etc. That training had me looking like a fitness model and performing sub par. There are tremendous strength benefits that come from … [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...]
Develop Full Body Strength with Farmer Walk Variations
I'm a BIG believer in carrying heavy objects of all kinds. It requires you to perform an explosive power clean or a Deadlift at the beginning of every set. Then, you must wrestle the object into position which works the "in between muscles" as my friend Marty Gallagher describes it. Carrying the objects in different positions force your trunk to work in a rotational and stability manner which is excellent for sports preparation. … [Read more...]
REAL World Strength vs Pretty Boy Bodybuilding
It was the Fall of 2007...... Interesting story from today while training a crew of wrestlers and football players.... Two high school kids stopped by the gym while we were outside flipping tires, pulling and pushing sleds, carrying kegs, sandbags and Kettlebells. One of them looked to be 220 lbs of drugged up muscle. How do I know? Because this same kid attended a speed & strength camp that I ran 3 years prior when he was a freshman weighing 130 lbs. Three Years later, he's 220 and … [Read more...]
Old School Muscle | 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...]
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! MANY Years ago, I had the opportunity to e mail Coach Ethan Reeve, one of my mentors, and he dished out some of the most powerful training information as exchanged emails. Here it is, once again, for your reading … [Read more...]
Episode # 67: Coach Ethan Reeve Inspired Workout
Keeping the same theme: Attacking training with heavy basics. Heavy Basics keeps you honest and brings the results. Here we go.... A training session inspired by Coach Ethan Reeve. I get fired up when I train so hopefully you can relate to the passion. My alter ego kicks in once the music is blasting and the weights are clanging...... … [Read more...]