Everything is just a tool. The barbell will always be the King of the weight room, but man do I LOVE heavy dumbbell work.
Heavy sandbag training is awesome as well.
Explosive bodyweight drills can't be denied either.
Check out one of our athletes, CJ Hart, 16 years young, a Football Player and Wrestler.
Box Squat 385 x 2 (barefoot)
130 lb Sandbag Clean & Press x 6 easy reps
Pull Ups on Steel Beam for the added grip strength challenge
I have mentioned many times before about those early garage gym workouts where all I owned was a gun rack, 300 lb olympic set and a set of 50 and 100 lb dumbbells.
I packed on muscle and strength like never before.
You will too. Soon I'll show you how 🙂
Tell me about your workouts using different tools.
What's your favorite training tool and why?
Kill it!
--Coach Z--
PS: I have 2 spots left for my April 25 & 26 USC Cert - Sign Up HERE before it's too late
PPS: Lost Secrets of Strength Seminar w/Joe DeFranco and myself is more than 1/2 way full. 7 spots left. Sign up for Lost Secrets of Strength Seminar HERE
16 Responses
I would have to say tires! Man since I began changing my routine to incorporate tires and other strongman items! I have two of them and I usually do them in a medley followed by some dumbbell farmers. Here’s a vid of me back in Jan. after recovering from the flu and bronchitis!
woops…heres the link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEEptjcuOsA
That is crazy, I’m so pumped right now. Zach I would like your help on some advice/routine.
I want to improve my rolling thunder dead lift, It is weak I can only pick up 115lbs that way. I can tell you when I first started I was doing 90lbs on it max. My dead lift has improved but now I need to start gaining more on it. any advice.
your work here is incredible, keep up the great job
Phil
a few things bro to improve your RT DL:
– try performing heavy RT lifts for just a 1 – 2 second hold. Always work your weak side first!
– Strengthen your wrists / flexion to improve this area with the following movements:
– rolling thunder pull ups
– wrist curls w/thick bar, dumbbells, barbells
– wrist roller w/thick PVC Pipe
Let me know how this works for you bruddah!
–Z–
My favorite tool right now is a fat barbell. I love doing all sorts of pulling and DL’ing with it..it fries my grip. I also now have fat pull up bar that makes things interesting.
Nothing like a little DMX to get you going w/ the box squats!
Coach Z,
Always great stuff coming from the Underground! Keep it coming and thanks for your passion Dude.
I don’t remember you using box squats before??? Have you converted or did I just miss it before?
Al – we regularly use box squats brother
A HUGE misconception is that we don’t touch barbells or dumbbells
truth be told, we tear it up BIG time using barbells and dumbbells
squats are a BIG part of our program brother!
At the gym I go to we have a keg filled with sand. They say its weighs 150lbs,which I have not been able to verify.
But I do know that doing squats,cleans,standing presses,static holds,and walking with it on each shoulder is not easy.Thats enough to tell me it works.
Seriously works the core too. Leave the crunches to the undedicated!
KETTLEBELL !!!!
Snatch, Turkish get up, Windmill, Clean n’ Press (single or Double), Heavy swing or Front Squat, Bottom Up Clean n’ Press, Overhead Squat, etc.
best training tool for strength and conditionning at my opinion
I’d have to say my favourite tools right now are my sandbags, rings and 2″ manila rope. Can’t get enough of my rack and weights either though.
Keep up the good work!
I love this! Great ideas all!
I have to say mine are probably anything with the bar.
Putting together my sandbag so will be trying that soon.
Yesterday night i had a great workout,,flat bench 225 for ten,275 for six,295 for five,then 355 for two.last set was 275 for ten,,,after that flat dumbell presses,palms facing in,with 100’s 3 sets of ten,off two pull ups with a weight vest,,25 ponds,3 sets 0f 6 t8 eight reps elbows fully extended when i reach bottom of the movement,none of that,,elbows half cocked bs,,,then 3 sets of 12 dips with weight vest on,head up ,and locking out on top of the movement..i really want to feel it in my tris.then 3 sets 0f shrugs for 5 or 6.with 315.bringing traps straight up and down,,that was it for the weights,then i decided to go commando,,and run 3.5 miles at 9min twenty second a pace mile..usually i do i rep maximums with heavier weight vest consisting of a 100 lbs sometimes all get anywhere from 1 to 4 on pull ups,and 3 to five with dips,,this method alone has made me a lot lot stronger,,and i never skip it,,its a main stay in my routine,i love it.
CJ is a seriously strong young man. I expect big things
from that kid. That is some big time strength for a 16
year old!
Favourite – homemade sandbag. Struggling to stabilize and press overhead always leaves me grinning and in good mood. Warm up is usually hitting 50lb bag with fast combinations, finding attitude after hitting the bag has significant benefit in lifting.