I still remember that guy, even though I met him when I was only 14 years old, a freshman in high school with dreams of being bigger and stronger than everyone else. Back then, the YMCA was ending the era of "old school". Believe it or not, The Metuchen Y was very much like the Y that Golden Era greats trained out of like Dave Draper did when he was a Jersey boy. The plates were all YORK barbell, the squat rack was the rarely seen today York Isometric Rack. No machines except the cable … [Read more...]
Search Results for: strong and useless
Agile, Mobile and Hostile
Your Mission: Agile, Mobile & Hostile.... The REAL Men HAD it back in the day, The Golden Era & Old School times... Why were the Agile, Mobile & Hostile? How did they achieve the ultimate in performance AND appearance? Their approach was simple yet challenging.... They concentrated on a blend of strength, muscle building, raw power and athleticism. It wasn't enough to be able to squat, bench or deadlift heavy. NO, Sir, these men blended gymnastics, strongman training, feats of … [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...]
5 Training & Coaching Lessons (How Things Have Changed Since 2010)
5 Training / Coaching Lessons that have evolved for me since 2010. When they say "Kids haven't changed, adults have changed......" Well, that's NOT the whole truth. Everyone has changed. Technology has changed people. And the BIG change is this: Regardless of age, technology has removed a LOT of the work involved. Everything is easier to gain access to. But, the beautiful thing is this: RESULTS still and always will require intelligent, hard, consistent effort. With … [Read more...]
Art of Coaching: How & Why Strength & Conditioning Is MUCH More Than Sets & Reps
I've watched the worst movers in the weight room achieve some of the highest levels of success in their chosen sport. I've watched the highest achievers in high school struggle at the D1 Level and give up altogether. I've watched the strongest & toughest guys in the weight room demonstrate the least grit & toughness in their sport. These stories of irony go on and on. They are ironic only when you are new to training athletes. Once you've coached for a while, you see how … [Read more...]
The Problem With Strength Training Advice On The Internet
Here's a little news flash that will hurt many people's feelings: Just because you see it on YouTube doesn't mean it's what ALWAYS happens in that person's training. Just because the guy behind the camera is ripped doesn't mean he knows more about training than the other Coach. The internet has given us opportunity to learn as much as we want, not all of it good and not all of it accurate. The opposite holds true as well, there is some amazing and powerful information out there that was once … [Read more...]
The BIG Reasons Behind Bodyweight Training for Athletes
Yesterday I exchanged text messages with a friend of mine who has been lifting for 20+ years. He was talking about how he can relate to everything I went through as we've been both training hard and heavy for well over 2 decades. The nagging injuries, the strange pains in our feet, injuries from simple daily tasks like walking down the stairs in the morning. Today, we laugh at these injuries because back in the day we would NEVER have guessed that being so strong could contribute to … [Read more...]
The Power Of Calisthenics & Convict Conditioning Inspiration
Above, Kyle and Cory Markovitch who train at The Underground Strength Gym hit the 1,000 Pul Up Club before Wrestling Season ended. GREAT kids with GREAT work ethic! BOTH were state qualifiers during their time as NJ High School Wrestlers for Cranford High School. __________ The power behind bodyweight training is tremendous. Not enough athletes and coaches give bodyweight training enough respect. It hit me the hardest as to WHY it's so important when I had a Football Player unable to do … [Read more...]
4 Tips for Men Over 40: Nutrition & Strength Lessons from The Silver Era of Bodybuilding
Below is a sample from my morning email that I send from The STRONG Life Newsletter. Greetings fellow Gladiator, I only write to you because I know you are someone who understands and wants to know how to obtain and achieve the value of timeless health, strength and vitality. In a world full of trends, fads and gimmicks, there's something to be said about the power of classic practices that have stood the test of time. https://zacheven-esh.com/strong-lean-men-over-35/ Today, we're … [Read more...]
Training Around Injuries + My Full Meniscus Repair
I've been around athletes for 25+ years now. Even dating back to my knee injuries in high school, I learned that it is always better to work around an injury rather than sit home on the couch and sulk. The year was 1993 and I was a senior in high school. During practice my R knee swelled up to the size of a softball. I limped to the team locker room and took off my knee pad. My Coach came in a few minutes after to check on me and caught me crying. I wasn't crying from pain. I was crying … [Read more...]