Where did the 5 x 5 program originate from? Well, it's been around for DECADES. To my knowledge, Reg Park started the 5 x 5 program. As 1 of the strongest bodybuilders ever, and, a man who could bench 500 lbs, I actually NEVER recall reading about 5 x 5 in my teen years. And I read EVERY bodybuilding magazine and a TON of bodybuilding books. I WISH I came across this program in my high school years. I was too busy doing pump up bull shyt. Although I DO recall a kid I used to lift with … [Read more...]
245 | Josh Rondeau on Old School Strength & Lifters of the Golden Era
Photo Cred: StartingStrength.com STRONG Life Podcast ep. 245 with Josh Rondeau. What a GREAT time this was hamming it up talking about old school strength with Josh. We bounce around a bit, of course, but you'll be inspired and educated to get after it, as always! In the video of this episode, you will see a tour of Josh's Garage Gym so make sure you check that out, especially if you're considering training people from your garage. Here's just SOME of the topics we discussed: … [Read more...]
Safety Squat Bar VS The Straight Bar Squat for Athletes: Strength & Shoulder Health + 3 Week Squat Cycle
Above, Mark Chaillet Squats - Photo from Purposeful Primitive / Marty Gallagher After a recent squat workout with the athletes at The Underground Strength Gym, I began having a more serious conversation in my own mind regarding the use of the conjugate method, more specifically, how often to switch the safety squat bar vs the straight bar for squats with athletes, specifically, high school athletes. I share my thoughts in the videos below and in conversation form which you can also see … [Read more...]
196 | Zach Goes on The Barbell Logic Podcast
STRONG Life Podcast ep. 196 with the crew from The Barbell Logic Podcast. I had a blast chatting it up with Scott & Matt as we chatted about life and lifting. Matt Reynolds has been on The STRONG Life Podcast before and we're working together on my quest to hook grip Deadlift 500 lbs. Here's just some of the topics we talk about in this episode: … [Read more...]
Minimalist Training, Social Media Posts for Likes vs Impact & Training to be Dangerous
In this live Instagram I chat about the following: Minimalist Training, Social Media Posts for Likes vs Impact & Training to be Dangerous. With my hectic schedule it reminded me of my mid 20s when I went on a 2x week training program while going through grad school (1 hr commute each way), teaching full time, coaching wrestling and not wanting to give up my membership at Diamond Gym. Enjoy the show...... … [Read more...]
5 REAL World Speed & Agility Games
Walter Payton running his infamous hill. Photo Cred: https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180618/through-the-film-magnifier-vintage-suburban-photos Speed & Agility. This phrase has been misused and abused beyond recognition and it IS needed because kids are not outside playing. The local Basketball court in my town has been empty since I moved here 9 years ago. NEVER have I seen a pick up game of Basketball at this court. Here and there some kids are shooting around but nothing … [Read more...]
6 Random Thoughts on Bill Starr, Consistency, Being ‘Too Busy”, Strength vs Speed, What It Takes & The Future of Gyms
Image belongs to http://StartingStrength.com Here we go. A brain dump of some random topics and thoughts running through my head that I wanted to share with you. 6 Random Thoughts on Bill Starr, Consistency, Being 'Too Busy", Strength vs Speed, What It Takes & The Future of Gyms. I've been writing every morning, waking up at 5 AM as I upgrade and update The Original Underground Strength Manual. The next version is going to be The Underground Strength & Sports Performance … [Read more...]
STRONG Life Ep. 129 | AN IRON WILL & Why We Must Fight Comfort
STRONG Life Podcast ep. 129 is a short and powerful episode. I dive into an excerpt from the book, An Iron Will and dissect how we can apply this excerpt to our day to day life. I also discuss a recent article written by Jim Steel, all about simplicity and how we must fight the conformity of being OWNED by technology. Deep down, I don't enjoy technology. As much as technology gives us all these advances in the world, it has broken down many barriers. For example, the 9-5 work day … [Read more...]
STOP Looking For A Substitute
This blog post will make me sound like a cranky old guy talking about "back in the day" but the truth is, even though I am 40 now, I remember feeling this way when I was 30. The photo above is from our forum for Garage Gym Gladiators. Matthew got me fired up because he did what I want everyone to do: FIND A WAY. You can find a way or you can find an excuse. You can have excuses or you can have results but you can not have both. When you see a training program that requires sleds, you don't … [Read more...]
Iron Roots Podcast Ep. 1 | 5 X 5 Strength Training + The Power of Push Ups
Here's your Underground Strength Challenge for this month along with Iron Roots Podcast episode 1 where I dive into the History behind the 5 x 5 strength training program! It's ALL about the basics in this one, post your comments, weights used, etc in the comments section. I also added The Iron Roots Podcast episode on where The 5 x 5 Strength Training system originated with Reg Park as well as the way Bill Starr implemented 5 x 5 in his book, The Strongest Shall Survive! … [Read more...]