Calisthenics. Bodyweight Training. Bodyweight Bodybuilding. Regardless of your age, calisthenics are for YOU. Working with athletes every day, I am constantly reminding them that 100 push ups a day is NORMAL ACTIVITY. It is truly disappointing and frustrating to see high school athletes unable to do proper push ups. I have seen MANY teenagers struggle to perform 2 or 3 perfect reps in the push up. Pull Ups? These are where we can really see who is strong. Fat people can not do … [Read more...]
Building Muscle is NOT As Complicated as the “Gurus” Say
I am fired up as I write this. After 3 weeks on crutches, I finally was able to return to my high school to coach the athletes. I am also back at The Underground Strength Gym coaching. After training the Football team, I spoke to the guys about how I was proud of their efforts. We crushed a training session and then I left it on them to hit hill sprints. "Train as hard as you want to Win" is a phrase I often use. It puts the responsibility on them to do the work. Being a bit limited with … [Read more...]
1967 Mental Toughness Tips from Golden Era Bodybuilding
It's amazing that even in a 1967 Golden Era Bodybuilding Magazine (Muscle Builder) that people were talking about "This generation has gotten soft". This article was called Mom-ism May be the Reason Why You are NOT a Champion. As a parent myself, it is a reminder that the easy life and giving your kids everything you didn't have is NOT helping our kids. In fact, it only hurts them. This is also why I HATE when people send me gifts. Call me crazy but I want to EARN it. I want to BUY it. … [Read more...]
Can You Build Muscle In Your 40s (And Older)? 25 Tips from Experience, The Classic & Golden Era of Bodybuilding
Can you build muscle? Can you do it naturally? What about when you "get older"? Your 30s, 40s and 50s? I am not sure why we begin to think it's all over in our 30s and 40s. I have a funny feeling the internet confused you with the never ending BS and the fact that I am saying, YES, You CAN build muscle & strength as you "get older", the internet will now sue me! I just saw a photo of Sly training hard at my buddy Gunnar Peterson's gym. Sly is 70! So, with Sly being almost twice … [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...]
Dumbbell Complex Conditioning for ANIMALS
Complexes are downright brutal. I use them with barbells, dumbbells, sandbags and kettlebells. You can use them with stones as well. The bottom line is don't be afraid to go heavy with complexes either. They put on muscle AND improve conditioning, but, most people fear them because they are NASTY once you get going with them. Your muscles feel like they're going to explode and your grip gets a helluva workout from the constant movement of the barbell in your hands. Check out this video of … [Read more...]