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...]
Kickin’ Ass & Takin’ Names at Age 35!!
You just saw a little insight into some training that I've been going through over the past 2 weeks. You'll see a mixture of: - Strongman Training / Atlas Stone Lifting - Old School / Golden Era Bodybuilding - Speed Training via Box Jumps, Speed Deadlifts + bands with varied stances - Kettlebell training via high rep swings Training is feeling overall pretty darn good minus the shoulder, so, I am laying low on overhead pressing and full range benching. When I perform dumbbell and barbell … [Read more...]
Lessons & Inspiration from 2 Men Who Know About RAW Strength
I have an inspiring message for you, or, shall I say, lessons I've learned from 2 Men that TRULY inspire me in the world of strength, muscle building and athletic performance. These men BOTH walk the talk and have been around the iron game much, much longer than I have. Some of this might be the reminder you need to return to the basics and escape the fads and gimmicks. Sometimes I seriously wonder if I was born in the wrong era. I wonder why I stand alone or stick out like a sore thumb … [Read more...]
Old School Strength Training Rules, Period!
Today I was about to close up shop at the gym until an old friend strolled in to wish me a happy birthday. Johnny and I competed against each other in the 1995 Teenage Mr. NJ! That was a loooong time ago. We both competed in the middleweight division which means we were under 176 lbs! Johnny showed up today weighing 250 and looking lean and mean. Me? I think I'm hovering near 220. We spoke about his current regime of heavy squats, heavy deads, heavy military pressing, 120 lb dumbbell hammer … [Read more...]