We are living through some dangerous, crazy times. NEVER did I imagine I would see civilians shooting each other in the streets. NEVER did I imagine such divide in our country here in The United States. It's NOT just enough to be able to lift heavy, run fast and know how to use your hands in combat (boxing, muay thai, jiu jitsu, wrestling, etc). Now we need to know how to handle ourselves with guns. How to handle others with guns. How to grow our own food (gardening, raising … [Read more...]
STRONG Life Ep. 230 | Shelton Stevens on Tactical / Military Physical Preparation
STRONG Life Podcast ep. 230 with Shelton Stevens. Shelton is currently a Strength & Performance Coach for Army Special Forces with a strong history of coaching at the collegiate level. In this episode we discuss the training required for active duty Military (primarily spec ops), those prepping for Military or Police Academy and the finer details of training that you don't find elsewhere. From Strength training to program design, from adapting to various personalities to training in … [Read more...]
STRONG Life Podcast Ep. 229 | Dr. Doug Kechijian on Military Training + Training as We “Get Older”
Photo Cred: AirForeTimes.com STRONG Life Podcast Ep. 229 with my friend and trusted source for all things health & performance, Dr. Doug Kechijian. Dug and I met about 10 years ago (2010 I believe) at the Original Underground Strength Gym back when Brian Macknezie was running the CrossFit Endurance Seminar, which was awesome, by the way! In this episode, Doug and I discuss Military Training (both pre selection and post selection) & Training as We "Get Older". Doug had received a … [Read more...]
Ep. 226 | Josh Bryant & Zach talk Calisthenics, Tactical Training, Martial Arts + CRAZY Gym Stories
Here we GO! STRONG Life Podcast ep. 226 with my buddy, Josh Bryant. With COVID-19 locking down the entire world, and gym goers struggling along with the zoom workout bunnies, guys like myself and Josh Bryant are TRAINING. This style of training is another day at the office for us. Bodyweight Bodybuilding was created in 2010, maybe 2009 and it's been 1 of the most effective & popular courses I've released. This style of training, whether it was all bodyweight training or building my … [Read more...]
QnA: Training for Law Enforcement, Thoughts on Distance Running & Strength Coach Business Success Tips
I crushed a GREAT question last night on my Instagram which led to a few more questions. Here is the question from our friend and his name kept anonymous: Hey Zach, Question for you- I’m going to be honest... this is a tough email to write and it’s a long time coming. I’ve been stuck in a training rut for a long freaking time and I’ve reached out to some other people and nobody can seem to help. I know you’ve been building badasses at your facilities and you know what’s up in the … [Read more...]
“Might As Well Be A Savage” & Thoughts On “Training For Life”
One thing you'll notice about this generation of bodybuilders, LEOs and even athletes..... They are NOT built with that look of strength. They are too concerned with details that don't matter. They want the perfect training program where everything looks perfect. Side raises instead of Military Press. Glute Med isolation instead of SQUATS. Pec Deck instead of Weighted Dips. I recall seeing State Troopers who were 6 ft plus on the regular and looking like they could destroy you with … [Read more...]
Grease The Groove (GTG) For Greater Strength [Training for Life]
Grease The Groove is a technique I learned many years ago when reading a book from Pavel, Power To The People. Essentially, you perform an exercise of choice several times a day, several times a week (4-7 x week), each and every set performed when you are fresh without going to muscular fatigue. Usually, this works best when performing the practice exercise for anywhere from 2 - 4 weeks. There are several ways to apply Grease The groove (GTG) for maximum effect. … [Read more...]