I need to tell you something right now. You have a huge hole on your fitness program; it's costing you pounds on your lifts and inches off your arms. This missing link is affecting your sports performance; your golf game, your bat control, your mat control and slows you down in everything you do. There is no need to leave anything on the table, the time to reclaim what is yours is now!
I'm talking about grip and wrist strength. When was the last time you trained your fingers, thumb, hands, and wrist? Oh and before you say you squeezed a tennis ball last week, I mean real grip training- pinch lifting plates, crushing grippers, thick handle work, levering, tearing, bending. The kind of training that builds thick steel tendons in the hands and dense muscle tissue throughout the entire lower arm. Haven't lately? I understand. Grip training has unfortunately become a lost science in the modern fitness world. It's not the easiest information to find, even now in the age of information. You see most trainers, even the very top fitness authorities just don't know that much about hand and wrist strength. To learn about hand and wrist strength I am going to send you to meet my friend Adam T Glass. Adam is a competitive grip athlete and performing strongman. He is kind of out there. He doesn't just lift weights like you and I, he bends steel bars with his hands, he rips decks of cards and phone books in half in a second. He twists horseshoes and lifts up hundreds of pounds with one finger. Adam owns the world record in the 2" vertical bar deadlift with a 353 lbs pull at a body weight of 204lbs. He has closed the Ironmind Captain of Crush #3 (for many reps) and bent the famous Ironmind Red Nail. Not only all of that, but Adam has been acknowledged not only for his hand and wrist strength, but also for his teaching skills. Look at your arms right now and imagine how they would look with an additional inch on them.
Adam has prepared several free videos for you on his page www.IndustrialStrengthGrip.com where he is going to teach you some things and inspire you to get started. Below is probably my favorite video of him tearing a phone book.....a whopping 7 full seconds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nHq46PhJ4&NR=1
Just an extra 5-10 minutes per workout and you can add inches to your arms. Go there and sign up, get the free videos, and get started.
=> http://www.industrialstrengthgrip.com/?AFFID=38886
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
How times have changed
Since my last post on July 21st, I cannot even begin to tell you how much my training has changed. After having a way too busy first half of the summer and struggling to make gains, Adam T Glass of Grip N Rip fame opened a gym 7 miles from my house on August 1st. The gym is appropriately named The Movement Minneapolis http://www.movementminneapolis.com/
Having ATG at your disposal results in phenomenal changes to your lifts and physique. In one month's time, my deadlift increased from 365 with a belt to 405 sans a belt! And the beauty of it all the next day I really wasn't that sore, and had no low back pain at all. How did I do this? By working in a variety of movements that tested well for me. The gym movement protocol says that all movements that test well are corrective exercise. Believe me, everyone needs some correction. Especially you desk jockeys stuck in your cube farm all day shortening your spine and tightening your hip flexors.
After the initial Gym Movement workshop I had to write up what I needed to do to reach my goals. Among the list of items included more bodyweight movements, including the animal frolics, bands, chains, sledgehammers et al. Lifting at a home gym is great, but you need more space to really do the things I needed. In short, I needed to work my parasympathetic system more - in other words my light duty and novel work. Not just lifting heavy in a single plane of motion.
I encourage anyone to stop down at the gym and check it out. You will see the results of the people that work out there - and that my friends is the only thing you are looking for...RESULTS.
Having ATG at your disposal results in phenomenal changes to your lifts and physique. In one month's time, my deadlift increased from 365 with a belt to 405 sans a belt! And the beauty of it all the next day I really wasn't that sore, and had no low back pain at all. How did I do this? By working in a variety of movements that tested well for me. The gym movement protocol says that all movements that test well are corrective exercise. Believe me, everyone needs some correction. Especially you desk jockeys stuck in your cube farm all day shortening your spine and tightening your hip flexors.
After the initial Gym Movement workshop I had to write up what I needed to do to reach my goals. Among the list of items included more bodyweight movements, including the animal frolics, bands, chains, sledgehammers et al. Lifting at a home gym is great, but you need more space to really do the things I needed. In short, I needed to work my parasympathetic system more - in other words my light duty and novel work. Not just lifting heavy in a single plane of motion.
I encourage anyone to stop down at the gym and check it out. You will see the results of the people that work out there - and that my friends is the only thing you are looking for...RESULTS.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Pain is not the answer
I got this video from a website I visit frequently. After watching this, I may never visit the site again! What a complete joke.....do enjoy it though!!!!!!!LOL
http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7E208362CF5BD3C1BCAB9ADCCED1629B
http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7E208362CF5BD3C1BCAB9ADCCED1629B
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Use your instincts to break PRs
Had another great weekend at a family reunion up in the big town of Euclid MN, about 4.5 hours away. Had a few beers, got terrible sleep in the hotel but somehow or another, PRs are continuing to fall.
Recent PRs busted up:
Chinup intensity - 10 reps
Chinup volume - 35 reps
Close grip bench - 215
Conventional DL volume - 8,260 (375 matrix)
Conventional DL density - 236
What I'm saying is that you need to be flexible (and smart) to continue to break PRs. I had two workouts last week that were interrupted by relatives dropping by. No worries - I broke volume PRs both days. Tired from a big weekend? Break volume and density records in the DL. Tonight was the best conventional has tested in a looong time. Why tonight? I have absolutely no idea. All day long I could just feel I was due because I had been increasing intensity, volume, and density in both the thick bar DL and the Trap Bar (Conventional did not test well at any point in the last few weeks). In fact, I had not gone over 315 for about a month. Tonight I did 345 for 3 singles intermixed with a lot of volume. I was very happy about this, and you will too if you LISTEN to your body and ROLLLLL with it. GM rocks!
Recent PRs busted up:
Chinup intensity - 10 reps
Chinup volume - 35 reps
Close grip bench - 215
Conventional DL volume - 8,260 (375 matrix)
Conventional DL density - 236
What I'm saying is that you need to be flexible (and smart) to continue to break PRs. I had two workouts last week that were interrupted by relatives dropping by. No worries - I broke volume PRs both days. Tired from a big weekend? Break volume and density records in the DL. Tonight was the best conventional has tested in a looong time. Why tonight? I have absolutely no idea. All day long I could just feel I was due because I had been increasing intensity, volume, and density in both the thick bar DL and the Trap Bar (Conventional did not test well at any point in the last few weeks). In fact, I had not gone over 315 for about a month. Tonight I did 345 for 3 singles intermixed with a lot of volume. I was very happy about this, and you will too if you LISTEN to your body and ROLLLLL with it. GM rocks!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Grip N Rip DVDs for Sale!
I have now become a Grip N Rip affiliate! What does that mean for you? It means you can buy this outstanding product right off my blog. I can preach for a long time on the Gym Movement protocol but it is important that you hear it from the people who invented it - Frankie Faires, Brad Nelson and Adam T Glass! These two DVDs are amazing and will bring together all the things I have been talking about. My infamous saying? TEST IT!!!!!!!!!!
Just click on this link to get yours:
http://www.grip-rip.com/?AFFID=38886
You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it!
Brad
Just click on this link to get yours:
http://www.grip-rip.com/?AFFID=38886
You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it!
Brad
Monday, July 5, 2010
Happy July 4th: Training & Fireworks
Happy July 4th to all! I hope people think about what the day really means, as independence is something we all take for granted. Whether or not you believe we should be in wars across the world doesn't matter, people are risking their life for YOUR freedom. Enough said.
As for the title of this blog, I wanted to use fireworks as an analogy for training. Don't you hate when your firecracker is a dud? You wait for the boom and instead you get nothing. Sounds like training to me. Why? Because adaptation (either good OR bad) is occurring everytime you workout. It's either a dud workout or one that is going to get you closer to your goals.
But now when I look at it, maybe this analogy isn't that great. If your training is a dud you would be simply wasting your time. However, if you do exercises that your body hates, you not only waste your time but you also go BACKWARDS. So, the Russian adage of two steps forward and one step back is a waste of time! Yes, it is true. Make Gym Movement your protocol and see continued progress...ALWAYS.
Case in point, just got back from a great camping trip of three 85 and sunny days. Got the full wealth of Vitamin D, that is for sure. They say August has the lowest incidence of illness - something to do with the sunshine and Vitamin D? Further research required.
Training today: Felt that I didn't drink enough water over the holiday and it had a slight impact. Nonetheless, PRs were dropping (as expected)!
Bench: Got the 255 Matrix for the first time in probably two years and a total volume of 6,490 for a PR.
LCCJ: Got 17 with double 36s for a PR. Was gassed and only did 2x5 after that.
Hammers: 3 sets with double 35# dumbells: 8,5,3. The 8 was a PR
Plate curl: 10# got 7 on each arm for another PR
As for the title of this blog, I wanted to use fireworks as an analogy for training. Don't you hate when your firecracker is a dud? You wait for the boom and instead you get nothing. Sounds like training to me. Why? Because adaptation (either good OR bad) is occurring everytime you workout. It's either a dud workout or one that is going to get you closer to your goals.
But now when I look at it, maybe this analogy isn't that great. If your training is a dud you would be simply wasting your time. However, if you do exercises that your body hates, you not only waste your time but you also go BACKWARDS. So, the Russian adage of two steps forward and one step back is a waste of time! Yes, it is true. Make Gym Movement your protocol and see continued progress...ALWAYS.
Case in point, just got back from a great camping trip of three 85 and sunny days. Got the full wealth of Vitamin D, that is for sure. They say August has the lowest incidence of illness - something to do with the sunshine and Vitamin D? Further research required.
Training today: Felt that I didn't drink enough water over the holiday and it had a slight impact. Nonetheless, PRs were dropping (as expected)!
Bench: Got the 255 Matrix for the first time in probably two years and a total volume of 6,490 for a PR.
LCCJ: Got 17 with double 36s for a PR. Was gassed and only did 2x5 after that.
Hammers: 3 sets with double 35# dumbells: 8,5,3. The 8 was a PR
Plate curl: 10# got 7 on each arm for another PR
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Biofeedback part 78
Biofeedback just cannot be stopped. Did a volume PR on bench on Monday - big surprise that any upper body exercise today went lousy? My chest, shoulders and triceps were toast but I thought hey, I need to do snatches. The 24K felt like the 40K so I aborted. And yes, it tested BAD. Went to chinups, tested OK and got a PR of 9 so I was happy with that. But basically, upper body work seemed difficult today. So lower body it is.
Double OH deadlift on the thick bar: 150x1, 220x1 (HEAVY). Since 220 felt tough, I went 4x5 with 150 for a volume PR and density PR.
Goblet squat: Bulldog for 10 reps! Previous record was 6 - nice!
EZ curl bar: narrow and wide tested fine. 3x5 at 65# in 3 minutes.
Going to Jellystone in Warrens WI for vacation. Have a great 4th everyone!!!!!
Double OH deadlift on the thick bar: 150x1, 220x1 (HEAVY). Since 220 felt tough, I went 4x5 with 150 for a volume PR and density PR.
Goblet squat: Bulldog for 10 reps! Previous record was 6 - nice!
EZ curl bar: narrow and wide tested fine. 3x5 at 65# in 3 minutes.
Going to Jellystone in Warrens WI for vacation. Have a great 4th everyone!!!!!
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