There's a lot of chatter going on regarding training athletes for speed and strength. Some coaches feel we're not doing enough speed / sprint work. Others realize that MANY athletes are too weak to sprint properly. And, have we forgotten? We need athletes to be TOUGH. Give kids an opportunity to train on their own in a weight room today and you'll see some benching and lots of "chest work" and of course, lots of curls. NO back training. NO DEEP Squats. Farmer … [Read more...]
Iron Roots Podcast Ep. 3 | Training for Life | Dr. Ken
Here we go! Iron Roots Podcast, Episode 3. In this episode of Iron Roots, I talk about someone I NEVER met, yet he was a mentor to me from all of his writings & videos I had come across through the years. I am talking about none other than Dr. Ken Leistner. Dig in and enjoy the show! … [Read more...]
The BEST Workout
Is it about free weights vs strongman lifting / odd object training? Or is it bodyweight vs kettlebells? Which one is the end all, be all, A # 1, Numero Uno, BEST Workout? Or.... Are they ALL flawed, NONE of them actually perfect when left alone, yet better when we...... … [Read more...]
High Rep Squats to Man UP!
Above, Greg Leistner squats 500 lbs for reps as Dad, Dr. Ken spots Sometimes you feel the need to kick your own ass.... At least I feel that way. I hope I am the norm and NOT the exception. I gotta make sure I still have that mental edge and pushing yourself into new territories of pain through training, especially high rep squats, will push you over the edge, trust me :) High rep squats are like the 'Man UP Medicine" - something about squats that cures almost everything in a WEAK Man. … [Read more...]
5 Reasons You Need to Jack Up Your Guns
Don't think you need to train your arms? HA! Guess again! You NEED to build powerful arms, and, this means that sometimes you gotta specialize and WORK them directly. All this talk of people saying you don't need direct arm work because all the upper body pushing and pulling will suffice are dead wrong. Experts claiming that "training arms isn't functional" are WRONG. Now, don't be an extremist and avoid rope climbs, pull ups, heavy rowing, etc. You STILL gotta rock those movements, but, … [Read more...]
Underground Strength Show Ep. 104: Inspiration from Dr. Ken
I'm a BIG fan of the good ol' days when strength was a priority. When strength is your goal you have no problems putting on size. Squats were ass to grass and deadlifts were common place. Today, everyone says they have "bulging discs" and have more excuses than ever before. The bodybuilders of The Golden Era didn't just look strong, they were strong. They walked the talk. It wasn't chemical warfare back then, it was HARD WORK. I snagged myself a dozen or so old school bodybuilding … [Read more...]
Why I HAD to get an Anvil!
I saw a ton of posts at Dave Draper's awesome site dedicated to Dr.Ken and many spoke about his son, Kevin. They posted this pic and it motivated the heck out of me to get me an anvil. I am loving the anvil, I'll be posting pics, articles and videos of anvil training at http://UndergroundStrengthCoach.com You tell me, does Kevin look like a BEAST or what?!?! If the pic above doesn't motivate you, check your pulse. In Strength, Zach Even - Esh P.S. - The snow is coming down HARD … [Read more...]