I want to take a minute to recognize somebody, named Mike Hagios.

I’ve known Mike for over a year now, and I want to give this guy a massive hand.

When I first met him, he was well over 300lbs and he had just recently decided to make changes in his life, his diet, and had just begun lifting seriously.

He just sent me a picture wearing the Diesel 3-Leaf Clover Shirt, and I was truly blown away.

 

It’s been a while since I’d seen him, and when I saw how trim he was looking, I was so proud of him for all of his dedication and hard work.

This dude not only hits the weights, but he routinely swims and has even started practicing jiu jitsu. Plus, he even has a group of people he trains with, and helps them with their training and weight loss goals, too.

On top of how well he’s doing with his diet and training, this fella ALWAYS has a smile on his face, and I’ve never heard him say a single bad word about anybody.

I feel honored that Mike ordered not 1, but 2 of the Diesel 3-Leaf Clover Shirts.

In fact, I’d say that Mike personifies EXACTLY what this shirt is all about.

You see, Mike doesn’t just “wish for weight loss.” He isn’t seeing his results because he’s “lucky.”

Mike goes after it and makes it happen.

Mike doesn’t need luck to reach his goals, because he puts in the work.

The common belief is a 4-leaf clover is good luck, because it’s rare.

Well, I say people like Mike are rare. Most people want everything handed to them, and they’re unwilling to lay it on the line for their goals.

The back of this shirt says “Who Needs Luck?”

Because, who needs to depend on luck, when your MINDSET, your MEALS, and your TRAINING are all where they need to be?

I know there’s a TON of you out there who approach training, eating and life in this manner, and you can show it with this awesome shirt.

Order yours TODAY and show people that with all you do, all your preparation, your discipline and desire, you don’t need luck to reach your goals!

No Luck Needed
Red Print with Black Arm Trim:

Red Clover / Black Trim

Large Red/Black $20.00 USDXL Red/Black $20.00 USD2XL Red/Black $20.00 USD

No Luck Needed
Orange Print with Orange Arm Trim:

Orange Clover / Orange Trim

XS Orange/Orange $20.00 USDSmall Orange/Orange $20.00 USDMedium Orange/Orange $20.00 USDLarge Orange/Orange $20.00 USDXL Orange/Orange $20.00 USD2XL Orange/Orange $20.00 USD

Keep up the good work, Mike! Just a little ways to go until you reach your goal, brother – I know you can do it!

All the best in your training, Diesels!

Jedd

I recently wrote about Slaughter Sets here: Slaughter Sets.

Here is the latest installment in the Slaughter Set Legacy. Try this out if you dare.

Set up your own Slaughter Sets, by following the guidelines here => Diesel Crew Slaughter Sets

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Slaughter Sets – SICKEST PUMP EVER

This article will show you how you can pack a ton of training into a short time, resulting in an amazing pump to your muscles, better muscle gains, and more fun while you train. You will burn more calories in a short time and look forward to training even more because lifting becomes competitive. Enjoy!

I had seen Khali Muscle introduce these ultra-volume workouts where he was doing something like 500 reps, and I wanted to try them THAT DAY.

But I thought, how can you make these work if you have a partner? One dude is going to be standing around for a long time, and that sucks!

I thought about it for a bit, and I figured it out.

We gave the idea a try and it worked awesome. We started calling them Slaughter Sets.

Here is how to set up a Slaughter set with more than one person training, so both or all people get a killer workout WITHOUT having to stand around waiting while the other guy trains his ass off.

How to Set Up Slaughter Sets

Slaughter Sets are comprised of the same number of exercises as the number of people lifting. So, if there are two people, there are two exercises. If there are three people, three drills, etc. We have done these with up to 5 people before and they work great.

The Dictator: Regardless of how many lifters and exercises you have, one of them is called the Dictator. This is because that lifter dictates the speed of the set, because he has to hit 100 reps. Once he hits 100 reps (or whatever desired number you select), you take a short break and switch positions.

An example of a Slaughter Set combination for two people is Push-ups and Barbell Curls. One lifter starts out on Push-ups and goes until he hits 100 reps. He can group the repetitions however he wants to and take as many rest-pauses as he needs.

While he is doing this, the other lifter is performing as many reps as possible in Barbell Curls. He can rest-pause as often as he wants, too.

This can become a competition between the two lifters.

You can time how long it takes each person to finish the repetitions and see who can do it faster. You can also keep track of the number of repetitions each dude gets in the non-Dictator lifts, to see who can get more reps there too.

What you end up with is between 5 and 10 minutes of super-high volume training, unbelievable pumps, and a very competitive atmosphere in the weight room that will bring out the best of you and your partners.

Here are a couple of examples of Slaughter Sets we have done recently:

Slaughter Set 1: Triceps and 2HP

Dictator: Banded Tricep Push-downs
Also Performed: Two Hands Pinch Lifts

Slaughter Set 2: Shoulders and Abdominals

Dictator: Banded Front Raise
Also Performed: Ab Wheel Knee Roll-outs, Band Pull-Aparts

These are just a couple of awesome Slaughter Sets we have done recently that we actually caught on tape, but we’ve done a few more. We even did one combo when we have 5 dudes here.

Freakin’ awesome.

When it is as cold as it is outside, and you don’t want to go for a jog, or pull the sled out in the snow, this is a great way to burn a ton of calories in a really short time, while also getting the benefit of the mean pump.

In short, they will change your life.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Baseball Season Will Be Here Soon – Is Your Grip Ready to Go?
If not, you better get Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball

How to Prepare for Training in Cold Environments

A few weeks back, I put up a post about the Possible Benefits of Training in the Cold.

Shortly after that, there was a request on my friend, Elliott Hulse’s YouTube Channel about how to get better workouts when training in the cold.

Now, Elliott is from Florida and camps out in the Palm Trees with crocodiles, so cold weather training isn’t something that he has to worry about too much.

So I wrote him a quick note and let him know I’d be glad to help him out. So I put together a couple of videos for his channel.

Part 1 – What to Wear for Cold Weather Strength Training

Part 2 – How to Warm-up and Stay Warm for Cold Weather Strength Training

If you have any other tips, please leave a comment below. I don’t want anybody’s workout suffering because of these frigid temperatures.

More Resources on Cold Weather Training / Warming Up Better

Article: Benefits of Cold Weather Training

Killer Conditioning Combo for Cold Weather Training

MAKE it a GREAT Day!

Jedd

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Every morning, I start my day with the same exact routine, whether I am home, in a hotel, or at a friend or family members house.

You see, about 4 years ago, I was having a run of nearly daily headaches.

Every day I went to work, the headache would start about 9 AM.

That meant the daily dose of Tylenol or Advil or some other pain relief pill.

Sometimes it worked a bit, but usually it did nothing.

I knew it wasn’t migraines. I’d had migraines before, and these weren’t that bad. They didn’t stop me in my tracks. They were just that dull, annoying, ache, that never changed, kind of like when the radio dial isn’t quite exactly where it needs to be for the station to come in perfect, and you are stuck with that little bit of static over top of every song that plays.

You know what I mean.

The static where it’s not Ice Ice Baby that’s playing, but Zice Zice Baby.

I knew it wasn’t a sinus infection. I’d had those before, too. I still do to this day. Generally, once in May and once in September my cheeks, forehead, and sinus cavity gets so filled with junk and the tissue so inflamed that every step feels like someone jabbing me in the sinus cavity with a pitchfork. And the only way to sleep is by placing my face on top of my fist so that the skin is pulled off to the side.

And I hadn’t had any head injuries, thank god, so it wasn’t some kind of trauma that had set these things off.

So I began looking at what else could be causing these low-grade daily headaches.

And the hunch that I came to was “maybe I was dehydrated?”

So, the next day, when I got up out of bed, I used the toilet, and I walked straight to the kitchen.

There, I filled up a glass of water, about 12 to 16 ounces, and drank it down. Then, I did it again.

My hunch was that I had somehow gotten myself into a rut of dehydration. I hypothesized that I was going to bed dehydrated, waking up dehydrated, and going through the entire day dehydrated, and this was causing me to have this crazy, nearly hungover, type of headache.

And I was RIGHT.

Once I downed that water, it was like I had hit the re-set button on a bad game of Super Mario and was able to start over from the beginning.

That day at work, it felt awesome to be able to look at other Managers in the eye without having to squint if there was a light behind them. I could sit and have conversations with employees without shuddering in pain if their voice was high pitched. And my workout that night was the best I’d had in a long time.

Every Day Brotherrrrr

So now, every morning, since then, with only a handful of exceptions, I have started the day with the Morning Gulp – 24 to 32 ounces of water, depending on how big the actual glass is, and I always will from now on.

But tomorrow, I am running a new experiment.

You see, my good friend Mark, with whom I train Back and Triceps on Friday mornings, pointed out something that I have been over-looking all year.

The water that I have been pouring down the sink after steaming my vegetables every other day or so, is most likely LOADED with nutrients and vitamins. So, today when I steamed the latest batch, afterwards I poured it into this giant plastic glass, and even though it looks like alien urine, tomorrow, I will be pounding this like a Keystone Pounder instead of just plain water, broccoli stubs and all.

Left-over Water from Steamed
Broccoli, Green Beans, Cauliflower, and Carrots

The idea is that tomorrow I will not only start the day off with a burst of hydration surplus, but also get a shot of vitamins and nutrients along with it.

Can’t wait brother.

Are You Chronically Dehydrated?

A quick google search on dehydration will tell you that an estimated 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

When you consider that it takes only a 1% dehydration level to drastically decrease your mental focus and physical prowess, let alone cause headaches, it is worth it to sacrifice the 30 seconds of your morning in order to jump start your hydration status.

Yep, 30 seconds to fill and chug two glasses of water, first thing in the morning.

Risk of Water Intoxication

Naturally, if you drink too much water, it can reach levels that are considered poisonous, even carrying the names “water poisoning,” “hyperhydration,” and “dilutional hyponatremia.” So, you can’t go overboard here. I am not a doctor and have no idea how to figure out how much is “too much.” So don’t try this until you talk to one about it.

Either way, if you aren’t drinking enough water, you’ll know it when you take a leak throughout the day because your urine will be yellowish, or if you’re really dehydrated, then it will be like neon orange, and you’d better start drinking more water.

Why not get ahead of the curve by drinking it first thing upon waking up?

Start with just one glass.

Give it a try and let me know how you feel by leaving a comment below.

It’s been roughly 6 months since I’ve gotten a legitimate comment on this site. I half wonder if anyone reads this site anymore, since I get no feedback, no props, no complaints, nothing.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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3 Intense Workout Finishers

Mike Whitfield, CTT
Creator of the Workout Finishers 2.0 Follow-Along System

Forget the muscle-draining cardio after your workout. You’re going to rock any of these 3 finishers instead. You’re welcome.

You already know that cardio (even intervals) are boring and they won’t make you look athletic and ripped. You gotta’ hit the musclezzz brotherrr. All you hit with interval training are your legs.

You are in for a treat as I’m going to show you 3 unique “twists” to using finishers after your workouts. But first, what’s the point of using finishers? Well, if you’re stuck on a plateau, want to speed up fat loss or improve your conditioning and overall fitness, then finishers can make a big difference.

You simply “plug in” a finisher after any workout. They take 10 minutes or less.

And if you have a hard time believing you can get great results in just 10 minutes or less, check out this study…

Participants performed a high intensity circuit (as found with finishers) with very brief rest periods using compound movements for only 4 minutes. The participants burned an average of 13.5 calories per minute (some participants burned even more!) and doubling their metabolic rate for at least 30 minutes

AFTER.

“This particular style of interval training has profound effects even on short-term post-exercise metabolism”, says lead researcher Michelle Olson, Ph.D., principle researcher at the Auburn University Montgomery Kinesiology Laboratory. It would take five times the amount of typical cardio exercise to shed the same amount of calories.”

So, now that you are convinced of the power of finishers, let’s talk about 3 variations that rock.

Finisher Approach # 1 – Density

There’s even a variety of approaches within this approach! First, there’s timed sets. This is when you’ll do an exercise for a certain amount of time and you’ll do as many reps as possible.

Another approach using density is when you do a certain number of rounds (supersets or circuits) in a given time frame. The set and rep schemes can be really crazy.

For the Density approach, let’s do the “”Big Switch” Finisher.

“The Big Switch” Finisher

Do the following circuit as many times as possible in 5 minutes, resting only when needed. If your form gets sloppy, you must stop and rest.

• Goblet Switch Lunge (3/side)
• 1-Arm Switch Pushup (3/side)
• Skater Hops (3/side)

Don’t worry, you don’t have to complete the madness on your own. Here’s a follow-along video of me coaching Brian through it (plus you’ll get some substitution exercises):

Finisher Approach # 2 – Gauntlets

Inspired by Craig’s original TT Gauntlet program, this is when you assign an exercise as the “gauntlet” within a circuit. So you’ll perform the gauntlet exercise, followed by a new exercise, then back to the gauntlet exercise, etc. That means you’ll do something like this:

• Alternating Javelin Reverse Lunge
• Close-Grip Pushups
• Alternating Javelin Reverse Lunge
• X-Body Mountain Climbers
• Etc, etc.

See how the Alternating Javelin Reverse Lunge is the “gauntlet” exercise?

By the way, here is how the crazy Javelin Reverse Lunge Works…

Javelin Reverse Lunge

• Stand with your feet just outside shoulder width apart holding a pair of dumbbells.
• Take a big step backwards with one leg and lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Keep your torso upright.
• At the same time press the dumbbell up by extending the arm of the same side you step back with.
• Return to the top by contracting the quadriceps, groin and hip extensors of the lead leg and bring the dumbbell back down under control.

Finisher Approach #3 – Ladders

These can trick you. This is when you do a certain number of reps of each exercise, then in the next round, you do one less rep, etc. Now you can even combine the density approach with a ladder, too. But that’s a post for another day…

For now, let’s do this simple, but effective superset ladder.

“Declined to Gobble” Finisher

Do the following superset resting as little as possible. In the first superset, you’ll complete 8 reps of each exercise. In the next superset, you’ll complete 7 reps of each. Continue in this fashion until you complete 1 rep of each exercise.

• Goblet Bulgarian Squat (8/side…1/side)
• Decline Pushups (8…1)

Here’s how to rock the Goblet Bulgarian Squat…

Goblet Bulgarian Split Squat

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in front of you at chest height.
• Place the instep of one foot on a bench. Step forward with the other foot, taking a slightly larger than normal step.
• Contract your glutes, brace your abs and keep your spine in a neutral position.
• Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
• Keep your upper body upright and your lower back flat.
• Push up to the upright position. Stay in a split-squat stance.
• Perform all reps for one leg and then switch.

Now that’s how you finish ANY workout with an all day energy rush without draining your hard earned muscle.

Mike Whitfield, CTT
Creator, Workout Finishers 2.0 Follow-Along Video System

Get 51 Follow-Along Workout Finisher Videos and bonuses here

Mike Whitfield, CTT, has lost 105 pounds propelling his passion into the fitness industry. His unique approach of using workout finishers has helped thousands of people lose fat with his online and offline programs. He is known across the fitness industry for his effective “workout finishers” and humor. His workouts have been seen in Men’s Health, Turbulence Training, AJC and more.

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Looking for the Ultimate Challenge?
Check out the UTC (Unconventional Training Challenge)

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3 Insane Ways to Finish Your Workouts

This is a guest post by Mike Whitfield, CTT. Through the use of “Metabolic Finishers,” this cat lost 105-lbs of fat. Now, he is helping others do the same with his intense style of training. To find out more, check out: Metabolic Finishers.

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“What’s your reason for using metabolic finishers?”

That was the question I asked my client early last week. It threw him off, too. He could barely get through his next superset of Heavy Goblet Squats and Military Presses as he had a confused look on his face.

“If I didn’t make you do them of course”, I continued.

He replied with, “I don’t want to go home and wonder if I could have done more. I look at a finisher as ringing out a wet washcloth. I want to know that I left everything on the floor and gave it my all.”

Best. Answer. Ever.

And to make it even cooler, he said that bent over with his hands on his knees. He took a big, deep breath. It was time. The metabolic finisher… the grand finale if you will, was ready to be performed.

He proceeded to do the “The Climbing Ladder” Bodyweight Metabolic Finisher. His rest periods were up to him. Finish your next workout on a high with this:

The Climbing Ladder Bodyweight Finisher

Do the following circuit, resting only when needed. In the first circuit, you will perform 6 reps of each exercise. In the next circuit, you will perform 5 reps. Continue in this fashion until you complete 1 rep of each exercise.

1A) Spiderman Climb (6/side, 5/side… down to 1/side)

1B) Jump Squats (6, 5, … down to 1)

1C) X-Body Mountain Climber (6/side, 5/side… down to 1/side)

What a ridiculous, yet insane and effective way to finish off any workout. It’s also a great way to increase core strength and stamina. But the real important thing we learned is that it’s a brilliant title for a finisher. No? You’re right. Let’s move on.

What is a Metabolic Finisher?

Here’s the deal. You want to put on slabs of muscle. But here is what you battle:

1. Putting on fat as you put on muscle

2. Decreasing your conditioning as you are on a muscle-building workout

Having an extra 10 lbs of muscle is awesome, but if you go upstairs and you end up breathless, that’s no fun. That’s where Metabolic Finishers can help you.

A finisher is a combination of metabolically demanding exercises set up in a non-competing manner with very little rest periods.

You end up doing a lot of volume in a little bit of time. They certainly DO NOT replace your workout. They actually enhance YOUR favorite workouts. It’s an easy way to:

1. Improve your conditioning while you put on muscle

2. Keep the fat at bay while putting on muscle mass

Now it’s time to be transparent. If you’re looking for a “fun” way to end your workouts, than finishers are not for you. The elliptical is ready for you while you watch episodes of Matlock (rest in peace Andy Griffith).

But if you’re ready for a mental and physical challenge, while getting the conditioning benefits, than you can use finishers immediately with your workouts.

Let’s get crazy. Here is another insane way to end your next workout:

The “Push to Swing” Workout Finisher

Do the following superset 4 times, resting for 20 seconds between supersets:

1A) Explosive Pushups (hands leaving the ground) (10)

1B) KB or DB Swings (25)

How to Use Metabolic Finishers

Now, it’s time to explain how to use finishers on a muscle-building program:

Rule # 1 – Keep your finishers to a maximum of 3 times per week. This is enough to improve your conditioning and keep your fat at bay while being on a muscle-building program.

Rule # 2 – Make your main program a priority. In other words, don’t come to the gym and skip your workout to get to the finisher. I know you’re excited and you love the challenge it brings but look, here’s the deal – your main strength program is the eggs of an omelet. The salsa and spices are the metabolic finishers. Does that make sense? If not, then just trust me. Your main workout program takes precedence on your finisher.

Rule # 3 – You shouldn’t perform metabolic finishers after a conditioning workout. In other words, if you work out and your workout focuses on conditioning (prowler pushes, battling ropes, etc., etc.), than there is no need to add a finisher. You can easily lead to over-training and your nervous system can only take on so much.

That’s really about it. That’s really the “secret” to keeping fat at bay and improving your conditioning at the same time while you put on lean muscle mass. My favorite part?…

Finishers take just a fraction of the time that cardio takes (including intervals).

That’s why they work so well. The intensity is enough for conditioning improvement, but not too much to make you feel lethargic and slow at your next workout session. That’s worth 6 minutes of your time… or 3 minutes.

3 minutes?

Well, sure. Let me explain:

The “Power of 3” Finisher

Do the following circuit as many times as possible in 3 minutes. Rest only when needed, keeping form a priority of course. Remember, it’s just 3 minutes:

1A) KB Snatch (3/side)

1B) Goblet Squat (3)

1C) Decline Close-Grip Pushups (3)

What a crazy rep and set scheme, right? That’s why I love writing finishers. It can bring a whole new dynamic to your workouts. The next thing you know, you’re addicted to working out again. Get out of that rut and get addicted again.

Finish strong,
Mike Whitfield, CTT
2012 TT Trainer of the Year

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Note from Jedd: I have reviewed this product, and think it is perfect for those who are looking to take off bodyfat, because I have done the same exact type of training. When I was staring carrying a giant sandbag down the beach at 280-lbs, I knew I had to do something and added short bouts of intense training to my day, right before lunch. And they work GREAT.

On top of that, when you consider that Infomercial Fat Loss programs such as P90X and Insanity Workout end up costing you HUNDREDS of dollars, this kind of an investment is nearly unbeatable. And if you have trouble visualizing some of the exercises listed, don’t worry about that, because Mike includes still frames of all the exercises in the ebook. For instance, I wasn’t sure what X-Body Mountain Climbers were, and I could see very easily once I opened the ebook. Get this thing, print it out, and put in the effort, and get to work on Metabolic Finishers. Click the image below…

-Jedd-

For the last few months, I have been telling you about all the Field Running I have been doing wearing chains draped around my neck, ruck sacks, and sandbags over my shoulders in preparation for the Warrior Challenge.

This past weekend, was the Warrior Challenge, and without a doubt, this 45+ minute run and obstacle course on the beaches of the Jersey town of Avon-by-the-Sea was the most difficult physical endeavor I have ever experienced.

Try as I might, all the months of preparation, all of the extra work that I did, and I still wasn’t in the shape I needed to be in.

Not only was this a physical test of my mettle, it was also a learning experience for this type of challenge…a page in my book of notes for future trials such as this.

Let this report be a lesson for you – always attack you challenges head on, and aim to prepare BEYOND what you think is required.

Warrior Challenge Saturday, July, 20, 2013 in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey:

Left: Rob Pilger, Right: Jedd Johnson

Rob was an absolute beast the entire challenge. Can’t wait to hit the challenge with him, Dan Huff, and perhaps Brandan, again next year.

Attack your challenges HEAD ON, DIESELS.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

What is the most common thing people ask me about with their training?

Grip Strength? Nope

Feats of Strength? Nope

Strongman Training? Nope – not even strength training.

It’s this:

Getting into better shape, Losing a few pounds, and Finding the time to train!!!

You’re BUSY, aren’t you?

I know what you are saying => Jobs, kids, classes, babysitters, fund-raisers, church, in-laws…the list goes on and on.

If you constantly feel like you get busier and busier and have less and less time to train, I want you to check out this new book that I put together along with several friends.

Click here => No Gym, No Time, No Problem: Simple Fitness Solutions for Busy People

We tailored this book, ENTIRELY for busy people who want to get back into better shape, without having to join a gym and without having to upset their already hectic schedule.

Look, all of us who put this project together run businesses, LOVE TRAINING.

BUT, we were fed up with people not knowing how to balance all of their many life demands while also getting into better shape, so we put this book together and right now, you can get it on Amazon for dirt cheap.

Just go to this link => No Gym, No Time, No Problem: Simple Fitness Solutions for Busy People.

I know it is going to help you out.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

A few weeks back, I attended the PA Strength and Conditioning Clinic at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. A few weeks prior to that, I had written some of my good friends who attend the clinic each year and told them I was really looking forward to meeting up with them and hitting a good, solid, hard workout.

The reason I did this is because I wanted to just go there and relax and just blow off some steam by putting one another through the ringers, challenging one another in a nice, conventional workout in the gym.

So, Jerry Shreck, from Bucknell and Bobby Fisk, from Hobart, all met up and just threw down for about 2 solid hours of lifting with no real plan except to leave everything we had in the weight room.

Here is what we ended up doing.

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Part I: Overhead Lifting

This portion starts out with some One Arm Snatch and One Arm Clean Clean and Press using Dumbbells. I was really looking forward to seeing how much I could do in these lifts, for two reasons.

First, the heaviest dumbbells I have in my gym is 110-lbs, and I seemed to remember Juniata’s going up to 150. Unfortunately, I remembered wrong, because they only went up to 120’s.

Second, there had been a post on the Gripboard talking about the heaviest One Arm Press people could do with no leg drive and starting with the dumbbell in contact with the shoulder. In training, I had gotten 100-lbs but kept missing with 110, so I was looking forward to seeing what I could.

The Snatches just happened because I figured I might as well start out with at least one fast lift, plus the Snatch takes nothing out of me for the Clean and Press so it ended up making sense.

For the Snatch, I ended up getting 120-lbs right handed. I was happy with this, but I know I could have gotten more, especially after Jerry cued me to keep my back straighter – everything felt more efficient after that and was much easier.

For the Clean and Press, I knocked out 110 without any leg drive whatsoever. On 115, I came very close, but I lost my balance a bit and had to move my feet to keep from falling over, so I can’t count it.

From there, we did some Pressing Ladders, where I started with 85 X 1, then 80 X 2, 75 X 3, 70 X 4, and then tried to reverse it back to 85X 1. I came close but didn’t quite finish it off.

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Part II: Rows and Chest Press

Sadly, this is the part of the workout that really messed Jerry up. He had a pretty significant injury to his left forearm that kept him from hitting the numbers he really wanted to so, I know that he will be going after some payback sometime soon. Maybe we will have to meet up at Bucknell sometime for another encounter.

This video starts of with some Low Cable Rows. We started out with the whole stack, level 20, and we performed 5 reps there, then we would drop one plate off the pin and hit 5 more reps. This is where Bobby jumped in with us and proved that they don’t mess around in their training at Hobart.

I really liked this exchange. It was awesome having a pin-selected stack to work with. At my place, my Low Cable Row machine has an actual loading pin, so if I want to drop weight from it during a set, I have to stand up, walk 4 feet to unload, and then get back in position. Being able to just sit forward and have someone else adjust the pins was awesome.

Next, we hit the Chest Press Machine. We started with the stack again, and then dropped two plate positions, hitting 5 reps at each stop. This machine proved to be fairly surprising in the area of difficulty. It had been a long time since Jerry and I had worked on a machine like this, and the bottom of the movement as well as the lockout were much more difficult than the regular Barbell Bench Press.

With this in mind, it could be a good idea to work some machines in every so often in order to shock the muscles a bit and keep them guessing. As I told Bobby, “It’s a different hard. It can still make you better.”

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Part III: Curls, Upright Rows, Side Laterals, Posterior Flyes

As I was walking around the gym warming up, I saw this freakin’ awesome angled handle barbell. I know Coach Smith from Juniata has all of the best equipment for his football players, so it didn’t surprise me that he’d have a barbell like this. Bobby and I jumped on it right away, throwing a 10-kilo plate on there and performing a few sets of curls. It felt awesome and there was absolutely no stress on the wrists or forearms whatsoever curling with this barbell.

After that we set up a combination for the shoulders. Lift A was Upright Rows, which I haven’t done in years, but have added in a bit recently using only the EZ Curl Bar. I have actually coached people NOT to do Upright Rows in the past, but with the form I use in the video, I think they are much safer than the regular form used with barbells. We combined that with a superset of Side Laterals and Posterior Flyes performed with Chains.

This was an AWESOME burner for the shoulders. What’s great about the chains is they are very light at the bottom and then KILLER HARD at the top. With the lighter resistance at the bottom, they do not strain the rotator cuffs like dumbbells would, and the difficulty only ramps up when you get out of the range where the rotator cuffs are doing all of the work.

I LOVED this workout. The only things that could could have made it any better were if my two regular lifting buddies, Mark Gannon and JT Straussner, would have been there, and if we would have thrown in some Grip at the end. However, I took a 3-week hiatus from Grip Training after nationals, so the only grip I did during that time was holding the weights in my regular Strength and Mass Building lifts.

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I hope you enjoy the videos. If you have any questions about the training, please feel free to leave a comment below, or right on the YouTube video pages.

Also, make sure to subscribe to my channel by clicking here.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Be sure to keep an eye out for more updates from Juniata. I still have a few more training and learning tidbits I will be sharing from my time there. Stay Tuned.

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Start Strongman Training and Take Your Strength to New Levels

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In this video, I cover several small changes I have made to my eating practices that have resulted in some good belly fat reduction. Sorry the video ended up so long, but I really wanted to share everything that has worked so well for me.

Hope this helps you if you are looking to get rid of some winter gut.

Jedd

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Decorate Your Desk DIESEL-Style. Grab a Diesel Design.
Click the Banner Below.

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Hello DIESELS.

Today I have an interview with Michael Krivka, Sr. I first met Michael at my RKC certification in 2010 and then hung with him later on in 2011 at the York Barbell Museum when Slim the Hammerman Farman and the Mighty Adam Joe Greenstein were inducted into their Hall of Fame.
To the right you can see former York Employee, Mike Locondro with his brown jacket towards the left of the photo and then Michael Krivka (black shirt, white sleeve with print) is standing next to Slim “The Hammerman” Farman, on the right (black outfit, white goatee).
Recently, Michael put out a pretty cool ebook, Code Name Indestructible, based around the James Bond movies, so I reached out to him and asked him if he’d be interested in an interview. He agreed, and along the way I found out some pretty cool things about him too.

---

Jedd: Michael, thanks for taking the time to do the interview with me and everyone at DieselCrew.com.

It’s my pleasure Jedd and thanks so much for the opportunity to talk with you and the community at Diesel Strength and Conditioning!
Jedd: First, could you tell us a bit about yourself, your training history, etc.
Michael: I’m a 50 year old Washington, DC native and I’ve been involved in physical training for the better part of my life. I started training in the martial arts when I was thirteen (starting with Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Western Fencing, Judo, Ninjutsu, etc.) and I still teach several times a week. I’ve been a student of Guro Dan Inosanto, Bruce Lee’s training partner, for over 25 years and I’m a full instructor in JKD and the Filipino Martial Arts (Kali, Escrima and Arnis) as well an instructor in Lameco Eskrima.
You know me from the Russian Kettlebell arena where I have been an RKC (Russian Kettlbell Certified) for over a decade. I actually started lifting back when I was in High School to add some mass to my five foot ten inch frame. I graduated from High School at ninety eight pounds (scary isn’t it) and after spending some serious time in the gym working with my college football team I added eighty five pounds to my frame by the time I graduated four years later. To say that I bulked up would be an understatement. People who knew me from High School didn’t recognize me four years later!
I’m also a Crossfit Level I Trainer, CrossFit Kettlebell Trainer, and CrossFit Olympic Lifting Coach.
I know you from the realm of Kettlebell Training. Is this your primary mode of training and what made you transition to it?
I was originally introduced to Kettlebells when I was training in Sambo (Russian Combat Martial Art). I was training at one of the Russian embassies in downtown Washington, DC (with some “secret squirrel-types”) and saw a couple of Kettlebells in the corner of the training hall and asked one of my training partners about them. He showed me a couple things like the Swing, High Pull (one and two hand) and the “Two Hand Snatch” (what we now call the CrossFit or American Swing). I thought they were great because they reinforced the striking and throwing skills that we were practicing in Sambo.
Shorty thereafter a martial arts friend of mine from California mentioned that he had read about Kettlebells in a magazine (Milo) and that he had started training with them. I did a little research on the Internet (thanks Al Gore!) and found that there was going to be a two-day workshop given by Mike Mahler the following weekend so I signed up! I went to the workshop and was immediately floored by what you could do with the Kettlebell. People joke about “drinking the Kool-Aid” but man I was chugging the stuff! I fell in love with Kettlebell training and left on Sunday afternoon with the Kettlebell I was training with all weekend… and I still have it!

Now (over ten years later) I do most of my training with either Kettlebells or body weight with a healthy dose of Barbell work thrown, mostly Deadlifts, Cleans, Military Presses, Jerks and Snatch. I train five to seven days a week doing hybrid Russian Kettlebell and CrossFit workouts, with several martial arts classes thrown in for good measure.
What level of experience do you have as a Kettlebell Instructor or Coach?
Michael: Well, I’m currently an RKC Team Leader but have been an RKC for over a decade. I’ve attended, I think, seven or eight RKC’s, the first and only RKC Convention in Las Vegas (that’s a story for a different time!), the Combat Application Specialist certification (which was the original RKC II), the CK-FMS, and the Body Weight Training Workshop (with Max Shank and Mark Reifkind). I have also been to several non-RKC Kettlebell certifications (not a good idea once you’ve been to an RKC and seen the quality and expertise presented there) as well as CrossFit certifications and mobility/flexibility workshops. As far asexperience outside of certifications and workshops: I’ve been running group workout classes seven days a week for the last five years and prior to that was teaching classes three to five days a week. That doesn’t count the time I put in for my own training and technique development. I can honestly say that I’ve had a Kettlebell in my hands pretty much every day for almost a decade – with the exception of a couple days when I was sick or recovering from surgery! I’m not happy without my daily dose of Iron!
Jedd: For those who may not be familiar, what exactly is the RKC?

The RKC, which stands for Russian Kettlebell Certification, is a three-day certification that exposes you to the seven foundational techniques: the Deadlift, Swing, Squat, Clean, Press, Snatch and Turkish Get-up. Three days of hands-on training, critique and evaluation with some of the top Kettlebell instructors in the world will give you a strong foundation to build upon when you return home. Some people are amazed at the changes in their technical ability and are awestruck by the changes they feel over the course of a weekend. I’ve been to a lot of certifications and I’ve seen some pretty incredible work come out of them. I can honestly say that the RKC experience is the top of the line when it comes to hands-on training. I’ve been to a lot of workshops and certifications in my lifetime, between physical fitness, strength, and martial arts, and nothing (and I do mean NO THING) compares to the level of training you will receive there. Yep, it’s a lot more expensive than other certifications – and it’s worth it!
Jedd: When I saw you at York Barbell in 2011, you were running a Wounded Warrior project centered around Kettlebell Training. Could you tell us a bit more about that: what is it, how you got involved, and do you continue to do so today?

Michael: We were there as part of the events we had scheduled for a charity we started called “Kettlebells for Warriors” whose goal is to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project and other charities that support our returning troops. We started Kettlebells for Warriors after having a discussion with my good friend Mike Locondro about how we felt we could do more to help out those who were returning with Traumatic Brain Injuries, PTSD, loss of limbs, and other physical injuries. It was a great idea but we needed a vehicle to get the process moving and we settled on using the Kettlebell due to it’s universal appeal in the military and elite fitness communities. We’ve been holding events each year and are in the process of re-focusing our fund raising efforts in order to maximize our impact. We are planning on having one large international event in 2013 and several smaller national events that will bring people together to have a great time working out and raising money for a good cause.
Jedd: Recently, you put out a new product called Code Name: Indestructible. Could you tell us about how you went about designing this program?

Michael: Code Name: Indestructible (CNI) was a labor of love! I’ve been a fan of the James Bond movies (and books) my whole life and I’ve seen each and every one of them countless times. A couple years ago I was rummaging around for an idea for a series of workouts and I put together the “Bond Girl” series. Let me tell you – these were crazy workouts! A lot of fun but just complete [email protected]#$es to do – which pretty much fits the Bond Girls themselves! Anyway, along with that series I started playing with the idea of doing a series of workouts based on the movies but never really finished the project. When I started hearing more about the most recent Bond film “Skyfall” I broke out my notes and started looking at finally completing the series. I even went back and watched a bunch of the movies over again to inspire me to create some really challenging workouts that would mirror the physical requirements Bond would need to survive.
Jedd: I can tell you are an amazing James Bond movie buff, due to the name of your ebook, and the workouts that your ebook includes. Could you tell us how you go about constructing workouts?
Michael: I’ve got to tell you that I had to modify some of the original workouts, not because they were too hard (and they were), but because there wasn’t a clear purpose behind the workout. Call it inexperience, but the purpose of the original series was to crush the person without a clear-cut plan or progression. I like to think that I’m a lot smarter now, but I could be wrong! Anyway, I went back and re-constructed some of the workouts and then created brand new ones for the remainder.
I have to say that I have been STRONGLY influenced by the work of Pavel and especially Dan John. I’ve always enjoyed reading Dan’s books, blog and his articles, and I can honestly say that my workouts have become better due to his influence. In particular I have found his breaking down of the basic movement skills into Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, Carry and Other Ground Work (i.e. the Turkish Get-up) to be revolutionary. I tend to look at my clients through this framework and then design workouts around the “holes” they have in their movement patterns. If you look at the workouts in CNI you will see the hand of Dan John in many of them – kind of like Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s multiple appearances as James Bond’s nemesis! BTW – true “Bondphiles” will know what I’m talking about!
Jedd: Right now many people will be committing to bettering their health in various ways. Could your product help these people out?
Michael: That’s a great question Jedd and the answer is: ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY! Along with the James Bond-themed workouts are several chapters on how to properly program the workouts to assure your success. Dan John, who wrote the Preface to CNI, mentioned that you really need to read the first part of the book before you jump into the workouts to get the best results!
I’m a firm believer in having a plan in place in order to succeed, and if you go after a goal without a plan in place, with definitive steps in place, you are not going to succeed. CNI goes into a lot of depth about how you should plan, monitor and review your workouts in order to guarantee you make progress and that you succeed. I think this information is the most important part of the book and that it will most likely get overlooked! The workouts are great and a lot of fun and I’m concerned that people will skip right over the background guidance content and skip right to the workouts!
Jedd: For those who might pick this ebook up, what level of expertise with kettlebells should they have?
Michael: I think a beginner with Kettlebells can get CNI and be able to do all of the workouts. One thing you have to understand about any of the workouts, and my own personal training and teaching strategy, is that you can scale and modify any workout and still keep its effectiveness. Let’s say that one of the workouts has Kettlebell Snatch and Pull-ups in it and you are absolutely horrible at both of them! Do you skip that workout and try to find another one? Nope – scale it! Can you do One-Hand Swings or One-Hand High Pulls? Great! Get rid of the Kettlebell Snatch and do those instead. Can’t do Pull-ups? How about doing Jumping Pull-ups or Ring Rows instead? You’re still going to get an amazing workout and when you finally develop the additional skills (Kettlebell Snatch and Pull-ups) the workout will seem brand new to you.
Jedd: Are the movements in the ebook covered as far as how to do them properly, either by stills or video demonstrations?
Michael: Each workout has a brief review of the skills required to accomplish the “mission” and I try to give succinct pointers on how to do them safely and effectively. I’ve even put in links to techniques that you may not know how to do in several workouts. For the most part, if you don’t know how to do a particular technique, you’ll be able to find a video on YouTube or go to your website for examples of how to do them. Just be sure to check out the credentials of the person who is demoing the technique and stay away from anything associated with Jillian Michaels!
Jedd: I noticed that many of your workouts are not entirely based on using kettlebells alone. What other types of equipment do your workouts include and why?
Michael: While I think the Russian Kettlebell is any amazing tool for building full-body strength and endurance it can’t meet all of your strength and conditioning needs. I think a heavy dose of Body Weight skills (i.e. Push-ups, Pull-ups, Sit-outs, Handstands, Crawling, etc.) along with Olympic and Powerlifting techniques have to be included to add size and strength. I’ve even included my favorite “torture device” the Wheel of Pain (WOP) aka the Ab Wheel in this series. If you’ve never learned how to use this tool properly you are in for a world of hurt!
Jedd: Aside from your expert ability at weaving James Bond themes into your ebook, what else sets this apart from other kettlebell training programs?

Michael: I think there are a lot of things that distinguish this program from others that are on the market right now. First, I’ve actually put people through each and every one of these workouts and get feedback on all of them. These just aren’t products of my imagination – they’ve been field-tested and refined and then tested again. Second, I’m not going to blow smoke up any of your orifices with this program – it’s hard and it’s meant to be. I’m not going “slash inches off of your waistline” or “instantly add twenty pounds to your bench press”. What I am going to do is challenge your athletic ability and make you stronger and more durable. Some of the workouts are going to make you wonder why you’ve been hiding behind a machine for so long and not doing the things that are going to make you healthier and more resilient. Finally, I’ve been around the block a couple times and the people that I respect in the Strength and Conditioning community know me and have looked over this program and have given it “two thumbs up” across the board. I didn’t write CNI to make a fast buck or to create an instant reputation for myself. My reputation and credentials are already in place and I wrote CNI because so many of my friends, colleagues, and clients insisted that I get some of this info on paper and out into the public’s hands.
Jedd: Michael, thanks a lot for all the information today.
Michael: Thanks so much Jedd for giving me the opportunity to share with your readers my thoughts on training and information about Code Name: Indestructible. I hope they enjoyed learning more about it and keep up the amazing work that you are doing at DieselCrew.com!

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Follow the banner below to check out Code Name Indestructible

Hello DIESELS.

Today I have an interview with Michael Krivka, Sr. I first met Michael at my RKC certification in 2010 and then hung with him later on in 2011 at the York Barbell Museum when Slim the Hammerman Farman and the Mighty Adam Joe Greenstein were inducted into their Hall of Fame.

To the right you can see former York Employee, Mike Locondro with his brown jacket towards the left of the photo and then Michael Krivka (black shirt, white sleeve with print) is standing next to Slim “The Hammerman” Farman, on the right (black outfit, white goatee).

Recently, Michael put out a pretty cool ebook, Code Name Indestructible, based around the James Bond movies, so I reached out to him and asked him if he’d be interested in an interview. He agreed, and along the way I found out some pretty cool things about him too.

---

Jedd: Michael, thanks for taking the time to do the interview with me and everyone at DieselCrew.com.

It’s my pleasure Jedd and thanks so much for the opportunity to talk with you and the community at Diesel Strength and Conditioning!

Jedd: First, could you tell us a bit about yourself, your training history, etc.

Michael: I’m a 50 year old Washington, DC native and I’ve been involved in physical training for the better part of my life. I started training in the martial arts when I was thirteen (starting with Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Western Fencing, Judo, Ninjutsu, etc.) and I still teach several times a week. I’ve been a student of Guro Dan Inosanto, Bruce Lee’s training partner, for over 25 years and I’m a full instructor in JKD and the Filipino Martial Arts (Kali, Escrima and Arnis) as well an instructor in Lameco Eskrima.

You know me from the Russian Kettlebell arena where I have been an RKC (Russian Kettlbell Certified) for over a decade. I actually started lifting back when I was in High School to add some mass to my five foot ten inch frame. I graduated from High School at ninety eight pounds (scary isn’t it) and after spending some serious time in the gym working with my college football team I added eighty five pounds to my frame by the time I graduated four years later. To say that I bulked up would be an understatement. People who knew me from High School didn’t recognize me four years later!

I’m also a Crossfit Level I Trainer, CrossFit Kettlebell Trainer, and CrossFit Olympic Lifting Coach.
I know you from the realm of Kettlebell Training. Is this your primary mode of training and what made you transition to it?

I was originally introduced to Kettlebells when I was training in Sambo (Russian Combat Martial Art). I was training at one of the Russian embassies in downtown Washington, DC (with some “secret squirrel-types”) and saw a couple of Kettlebells in the corner of the training hall and asked one of my training partners about them. He showed me a couple things like the Swing, High Pull (one and two hand) and the “Two Hand Snatch” (what we now call the CrossFit or American Swing). I thought they were great because they reinforced the striking and throwing skills that we were practicing in Sambo.

Shorty thereafter a martial arts friend of mine from California mentioned that he had read about Kettlebells in a magazine (Milo) and that he had started training with them. I did a little research on the Internet (thanks Al Gore!) and found that there was going to be a two-day workshop given by Mike Mahler the following weekend so I signed up! I went to the workshop and was immediately floored by what you could do with the Kettlebell. People joke about “drinking the Kool-Aid” but man I was chugging the stuff! I fell in love with Kettlebell training and left on Sunday afternoon with the Kettlebell I was training with all weekend… and I still have it!

Now (over ten years later) I do most of my training with either Kettlebells or body weight with a healthy dose of Barbell work thrown, mostly Deadlifts, Cleans, Military Presses, Jerks and Snatch. I train five to seven days a week doing hybrid Russian Kettlebell and CrossFit workouts, with several martial arts classes thrown in for good measure.

What level of experience do you have as a Kettlebell Instructor or Coach?

Michael: Well, I’m currently an RKC Team Leader but have been an RKC for over a decade. I’ve attended, I think, seven or eight RKC’s, the first and only RKC Convention in Las Vegas (that’s a story for a different time!), the Combat Application Specialist certification (which was the original RKC II), the CK-FMS, and the Body Weight Training Workshop (with Max Shank and Mark Reifkind). I have also been to several non-RKC Kettlebell certifications (not a good idea once you’ve been to an RKC and seen the quality and expertise presented there) as well as CrossFit certifications and mobility/flexibility workshops. As far asexperience outside of certifications and workshops: I’ve been running group workout classes seven days a week for the last five years and prior to that was teaching classes three to five days a week. That doesn’t count the time I put in for my own training and technique development. I can honestly say that I’ve had a Kettlebell in my hands pretty much every day for almost a decade – with the exception of a couple days when I was sick or recovering from surgery! I’m not happy without my daily dose of Iron!

Jedd: For those who may not be familiar, what exactly is the RKC?

The RKC, which stands for Russian Kettlebell Certification, is a three-day certification that exposes you to the seven foundational techniques: the Deadlift, Swing, Squat, Clean, Press, Snatch and Turkish Get-up. Three days of hands-on training, critique and evaluation with some of the top Kettlebell instructors in the world will give you a strong foundation to build upon when you return home. Some people are amazed at the changes in their technical ability and are awestruck by the changes they feel over the course of a weekend. I’ve been to a lot of certifications and I’ve seen some pretty incredible work come out of them. I can honestly say that the RKC experience is the top of the line when it comes to hands-on training. I’ve been to a lot of workshops and certifications in my lifetime, between physical fitness, strength, and martial arts, and nothing (and I do mean NO THING) compares to the level of training you will receive there. Yep, it’s a lot more expensive than other certifications – and it’s worth it!

Jedd: When I saw you at York Barbell in 2011, you were running a Wounded Warrior project centered around Kettlebell Training. Could you tell us a bit more about that: what is it, how you got involved, and do you continue to do so today?

Michael: We were there as part of the events we had scheduled for a charity we started called “Kettlebells for Warriors” whose goal is to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project and other charities that support our returning troops. We started Kettlebells for Warriors after having a discussion with my good friend Mike Locondro about how we felt we could do more to help out those who were returning with Traumatic Brain Injuries, PTSD, loss of limbs, and other physical injuries. It was a great idea but we needed a vehicle to get the process moving and we settled on using the Kettlebell due to it’s universal appeal in the military and elite fitness communities. We’ve been holding events each year and are in the process of re-focusing our fund raising efforts in order to maximize our impact. We are planning on having one large international event in 2013 and several smaller national events that will bring people together to have a great time working out and raising money for a good cause.

Jedd: Recently, you put out a new product called Code Name: Indestructible. Could you tell us about how you went about designing this program?

Michael: Code Name: Indestructible (CNI) was a labor of love! I’ve been a fan of the James Bond movies (and books) my whole life and I’ve seen each and every one of them countless times. A couple years ago I was rummaging around for an idea for a series of workouts and I put together the “Bond Girl” series. Let me tell you – these were crazy workouts! A lot of fun but just complete [email protected]#$es to do – which pretty much fits the Bond Girls themselves! Anyway, along with that series I started playing with the idea of doing a series of workouts based on the movies but never really finished the project. When I started hearing more about the most recent Bond film “Skyfall” I broke out my notes and started looking at finally completing the series. I even went back and watched a bunch of the movies over again to inspire me to create some really challenging workouts that would mirror the physical requirements Bond would need to survive.

Jedd: I can tell you are an amazing James Bond movie buff, due to the name of your ebook, and the workouts that your ebook includes. Could you tell us how you go about constructing workouts?

Michael: I’ve got to tell you that I had to modify some of the original workouts, not because they were too hard (and they were), but because there wasn’t a clear purpose behind the workout. Call it inexperience, but the purpose of the original series was to crush the person without a clear-cut plan or progression. I like to think that I’m a lot smarter now, but I could be wrong! Anyway, I went back and re-constructed some of the workouts and then created brand new ones for the remainder.

I have to say that I have been STRONGLY influenced by the work of Pavel and especially Dan John. I’ve always enjoyed reading Dan’s books, blog and his articles, and I can honestly say that my workouts have become better due to his influence. In particular I have found his breaking down of the basic movement skills into Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, Carry and Other Ground Work (i.e. the Turkish Get-up) to be revolutionary. I tend to look at my clients through this framework and then design workouts around the “holes” they have in their movement patterns. If you look at the workouts in CNI you will see the hand of Dan John in many of them – kind of like Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s multiple appearances as James Bond’s nemesis! BTW – true “Bondphiles” will know what I’m talking about!

Jedd: Right now many people will be committing to bettering their health in various ways. Could your product help these people out?

Michael: That’s a great question Jedd and the answer is: ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY! Along with the James Bond-themed workouts are several chapters on how to properly program the workouts to assure your success. Dan John, who wrote the Preface to CNI, mentioned that you really need to read the first part of the book before you jump into the workouts to get the best results!

I’m a firm believer in having a plan in place in order to succeed, and if you go after a goal without a plan in place, with definitive steps in place, you are not going to succeed. CNI goes into a lot of depth about how you should plan, monitor and review your workouts in order to guarantee you make progress and that you succeed. I think this information is the most important part of the book and that it will most likely get overlooked! The workouts are great and a lot of fun and I’m concerned that people will skip right over the background guidance content and skip right to the workouts!

Jedd: For those who might pick this ebook up, what level of expertise with kettlebells should they have?

Michael: I think a beginner with Kettlebells can get CNI and be able to do all of the workouts. One thing you have to understand about any of the workouts, and my own personal training and teaching strategy, is that you can scale and modify any workout and still keep its effectiveness. Let’s say that one of the workouts has Kettlebell Snatch and Pull-ups in it and you are absolutely horrible at both of them! Do you skip that workout and try to find another one? Nope – scale it! Can you do One-Hand Swings or One-Hand High Pulls? Great! Get rid of the Kettlebell Snatch and do those instead. Can’t do Pull-ups? How about doing Jumping Pull-ups or Ring Rows instead? You’re still going to get an amazing workout and when you finally develop the additional skills (Kettlebell Snatch and Pull-ups) the workout will seem brand new to you.

Jedd: Are the movements in the ebook covered as far as how to do them properly, either by stills or video demonstrations?

Michael: Each workout has a brief review of the skills required to accomplish the “mission” and I try to give succinct pointers on how to do them safely and effectively. I’ve even put in links to techniques that you may not know how to do in several workouts. For the most part, if you don’t know how to do a particular technique, you’ll be able to find a video on YouTube or go to your website for examples of how to do them. Just be sure to check out the credentials of the person who is demoing the technique and stay away from anything associated with Jillian Michaels!

Jedd: I noticed that many of your workouts are not entirely based on using kettlebells alone. What other types of equipment do your workouts include and why?

Michael: While I think the Russian Kettlebell is any amazing tool for building full-body strength and endurance it can’t meet all of your strength and conditioning needs. I think a heavy dose of Body Weight skills (i.e. Push-ups, Pull-ups, Sit-outs, Handstands, Crawling, etc.) along with Olympic and Powerlifting techniques have to be included to add size and strength. I’ve even included my favorite “torture device” the Wheel of Pain (WOP) aka the Ab Wheel in this series. If you’ve never learned how to use this tool properly you are in for a world of hurt!

Jedd: Aside from your expert ability at weaving James Bond themes into your ebook, what else sets this apart from other kettlebell training programs?

Michael: I think there are a lot of things that distinguish this program from others that are on the market right now. First, I’ve actually put people through each and every one of these workouts and get feedback on all of them. These just aren’t products of my imagination – they’ve been field-tested and refined and then tested again. Second, I’m not going to blow smoke up any of your orifices with this program – it’s hard and it’s meant to be. I’m not going “slash inches off of your waistline” or “instantly add twenty pounds to your bench press”. What I am going to do is challenge your athletic ability and make you stronger and more durable. Some of the workouts are going to make you wonder why you’ve been hiding behind a machine for so long and not doing the things that are going to make you healthier and more resilient. Finally, I’ve been around the block a couple times and the people that I respect in the Strength and Conditioning community know me and have looked over this program and have given it “two thumbs up” across the board. I didn’t write CNI to make a fast buck or to create an instant reputation for myself. My reputation and credentials are already in place and I wrote CNI because so many of my friends, colleagues, and clients insisted that I get some of this info on paper and out into the public’s hands.

Jedd: Michael, thanks a lot for all the information today.

Michael: Thanks so much Jedd for giving me the opportunity to share with your readers my thoughts on training and information about Code Name: Indestructible. I hope they enjoyed learning more about it and keep up the amazing work that you are doing at DieselCrew.com!

---

Follow the banner below to check out Code Name Indestructible

Note from Jedd: Many people have wondered whether the Version 2.0 of the Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling covers the basic of kettlebell juggling. It does indeed cover that. Also, several years ago, I put up the following article covering the technique I started with in kettlebell juggling, the Kettlebell forward flip and catch. Check it out below.

Don’t forget – Logan has extended the contest for the free iPad through this weekend, so make sure to try to attain at least Level 1 amongst the Kettlebell Juggling Progression List and Ranking System.

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Photo Source: Niki DeSantis. Athlete: Mike Rankin

If you’ve been around the NET at all, you’ve seen a lot of video clips where people juggle kettlebells.  There are tons of different ways to juggle kettlebells.  I’ve seen guys do it behind their back, going between their legs, and even juggling more than one bell at a time.

While you may also have the goal of mastering the art of kettlebell juggling, it’s important to start out on the right foot or else you could get very frustrated and maybe even injured by improper technique. The way I started out was by performing what I call the Forward Flip and Catch.

In order to get started with kettlebell juggling, it’s important to understand a few simple points.

Juggling Starts With a Swing

In order to juggle a kettlebell, you have to be able to get the kettlebell up near the chest and neck area.  Once the kettlebell is in this position, you have a window of opportunity to impart other forces upon it to make the juggling possible.

If you are dealing with a heavy kettlebell, I’m talking something over 50 lbs, then you need to get your whole body involved to get the kettlebell up high enough.

This should be done by performing a swing.  If you are no good at kettlebell swings, then you should master that movement before moving on to juggling.

The swing looks like this.

The Swing

The bell is projected to this height not just by lifting it with the shoulder and arm, but rather it is propelled to that position by the lower body, especially the power of the hips and glutes.  After the kettlebell is pulled through the legs, the hips are snapped and the bell travels upward in its trajectory. This hip power is also responsible for getting the flip going.

Transition to a High Pull

In the standard Kettlebell Swing, the arm is kept straight.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to express any power into the kettlebell if your arm is straight, so it is necessary to transition the swing into a high pull.

The High Pull is performed slightly different from a barbell high pull, however.  Instead of pulling the bell up in a primarily straight line, the bell comes up in the arc and then is pulled backward for the high pull portion.

It is this slight back pull that brings the bell closer to your body where you can then exert other forces into it and make it flip around so that you can juggle it.

The Thumb Push

In this example, we will perform the Forward Flip. Once the bell reaches it’s highest point, it is time to make it flip.

Hand Radially Deviated as Thumb Pushes the Handle Away

For a Forward Flip, the thumb is the part of your hand that will actually make the kettlebell flip, because it is the last part of the hand that contacts the kettlebell handle.  With this in mind, you can also slightly shift your hand into radial deviation so that you can optimize the positioning of the thumb and propel the bell forward to initiate the flip.

Catching the Bell

It is important to understand that when flipping and juggling kettlebells, the axis about which the kettlebell spins is within the bell and not the handle.  Grasping this concept will allow you to better predict where the handle will be when you go to grab and catch it.

Kettlebell Spinning 180 Degrees on its Axis, Falling Only Inches

As you can see in the series above, the kettlebell spins on an axis near the center. The handle flies forward and down, moving into position for the catch.

If your technique is dialed in you will catch the bell in almost the same exact spot you flipped it.  You can even get your other hand into position beneath the bell ahead of time, as pictured above.

After you try the Forward Flip a few times, you’ll be able to predict where the handle will be.  Once you get the feel you will be able to move your hand to find the kettlebell handle and secure it again in your grasp.

Receiving and Returning the Bell

Once you figure out the tempo of the Swing / High Pull / Flip sequence, you will be able to rip off several Forward Flips in a row.  However, just like any other kettlebell lift, efficiency is important in order to put together a string of Forward Flips.

Many beginner jugglers find it hard to put together Forward Flips in succession because once they catch the bell they fail to maintain an arc in the bell path.  If they try to catch the bell and drop it straight down, they will lose a lot of momentum.  Instead, you should try to catch the bell by the handle and then let the bell pass back down through the legs.  By maintaining this arc, you can more easily explode back into another swing, high pull, and flip.

Putting it All Together

Here is everything put together in action. Notice the path of the bell upwards, the location of my hands, and the quick transition into the next repetition.

Hopefully, the sequences of still shots and the video help you understand the basics of kettlebell juggling.

Once you get that one down, then you can progress from there. Here’s the progression to work on for basic juggling.

• Same Hand Forward Flip and Catch (shown first in video)
• Hand to Hand Forward Flip and Catch (shown at end of video)
• Same Hand Sideways Forward Flip and Catch
• Hand to Hand Sideways Forward Flip and Catch
• Same Hand Backward Flip and Catch
• Hand to Hand Backward Flip and Catch
• Same Hand Sideways Backward Flip and Catch
• Hand to Hand Sideways Backward Flip and Catch

That should get you started! All the best with your juggling.

Jedd

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Learn How to Juggle Kettlebells with The G0-To Resource,
The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling 2.0, from Logan Christopher:

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“How Much Ya Bench?!”

This is a guest post from Chandler Marchman, designer of the SWOLE System: The New Authority for Building Size, Strength, and a Lean Athletic Body

The Bench Press – the one lift in the gym that’s seemed to transcend beyond the realm of just meathead weightlifting enthusiasts, and solidified itself as the official lift that every man must know his number for. So pretty much, if an over eager Man-Crushing beckons the question, we as men must be prepared to respond proudly with a stout number otherwise risk getting asked to turn in our MAN-Card…
But what if you are a competitive Strongman, CrossFitter, or Olympic lifter that holds the Overhead Press in higher regard????
I for one can attest to this dilemma. However, instead of ditching the bench press all together, I have found a simple and extremely effective way to not only do both, but also utilize one of powerlifting’s most prominent training systems to do so. That’s right, for those of you afraid to expose your undying allegiance to the Overhead Press, you no longer have to shamefully explain to people that you prefer a different movement pattern than the King of Meathead lifts…So rejoice, and restore your MAN-Card to its rightful place in your wallet. You no longer have to just do Overhead, you can Bench Press too!!!

The Birth of the SWOLE System

The solution I found to this meathead conundrum was birthed whilst training for my last Strongman Competition in which the pressing portion of the competition would be a certain number of reps on different implements for time. Noting that the weights for this event weren’t my limiting factor, I had to focus my time and effort on developing as much speed overhead as possible.
It wouldn’t be enough to just be able to lift maximal loads overhead, I had to lift them with a relative degree of speed. So taking what I have implemented successfully with my own interpretation of the Westside Method, I simply adopted the same principles utilized to build the bench press, only using the Overhead in its place.
Let’s examine.
If you know the Westside Method and the results this program produces you can expect to produce an athlete that can lift a hell of a lot of weight as fast as greased lighting. Pretty much, their power output rivals that of an angry bear with the munchies going after your picnic basket. Scary…I know…

The Basic Concepts

How are they able to do this? Simple, their training goals (squatting, benching & deadlifting as much as humanly possible) are met by two different methods with two different objectives. The Dynamic Effort Method, which is put in place to increase the rate of force development in each core lift, and the Max Effort Method, which is put in place to be able to continually overcome the maximal load your body is able to lift.
***Because inducing hypertrophy and a greater degree of work capacity are important goals for my athletes and I, we also implement a Repetitive Effort day for our core lifts as well***

Applying Dynamic Effort Training to Overhead Lifts

The objective of the Dynamic Effort Method is to increase the rate of force development in your core lift so that your max effort lifts will have greater bar speed. In order for me to take advantage of this training effect so that I could lift not only heavy weights overhead, but do so with speed, I would focus my efforts on the Strict Press, Push Press and Jerk as my core lifts instead of the Bench Press. I follow the same percentage (40% – 60%), rep (3 reps), and set (8 – 12 sets) range as the Westside Method, just with a different core lift.

Applying Max Effort Training to Overhead Lifts

The same principles apply to my approach to Max Effort Method training days. Three days after my Dynamic Effort Day, I would focus on hitting anywhere from a 1-5 rep max on the SAME core lift I did three days prior (it’s important to note that I’d rotate implements as well as the style of OH lift in order to continuously adapt to different stimuli).
By focusing on developing as much maximal strength as speed, I was able to develop tremendous power output in this movement pattern, insuring that on competition day, those lifting against me would soil themselves in fear! It worked… #Strength,Speed,&Stamina=Dominance
So where does the Bench Press fit in? Well, just like with the Bench Press, I found that focusing your supplemental work on the muscles involved in the core lift itself was the best way to improve the core lift. In this case, conveniently enough, the same muscles that are used in increasing your OH Press are the ones being used in the Bench Press (triceps, shoulders, and upper back to be specific). So my supplemental work was composed greatly of Bench Pressing.

Training Volume Considerations

As far as volume goes, I used the same protocol as that of many powerlifters using the Westside Method. On Dynamic Effort Method training days where the weight is submaximal, my supplemental work (on the Bench Press) would be relatively heavy (3-5 sets of 4-8 reps), whereas on Max Effort days when I’m lifting near maximal weights for my core lift, the supplemental work would be much lighter with far greater volume (3-5 sets of 12-20 reps).
So all I had to do was implement the Bench Press as my supplemental lift and BOOM, I could actively achieve my objective of increasing not only the weight I could put over head as well as how fast I could do it, but also answer the most important question any and every meathead could be faced with… HOW MUCH DO YOU BENCH?

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This has been a guest post by Chandler “MANdler” Marchman, author of SWOLE System: The New Authority for Building Size, Strength, and a Lean Athletic Body

---

NOTE FROM JEDD: I recently met MANdler at a seminar in New Jersey and asked him to tell us a little bit about his program, and this is what he had to say (I had just beaten him in a Hulk Hogan impersonation contest).

Here’s a run-down of what is included in the SWOLE System:

Component 1: The Training Manual
Understand the SWOLE System and how MANdler gets such awesome results with his clients.
Component 2: 12 Week Training Routine
MANdler lays out 3-months worth of programming to turn you into an ass-kicking machine.
Component 3: Exercise Video Database
MANdler shows you exactly how to perform each exercise to ensure proper form and best results.
Component 4: The Diet Manual
Understand how to eat the right way in order to get Swole even faster.
Component 5: Meal Plans
Apply the Swole Methods for quickly and easily with this done-for-you diet plan.
Component 6: Supplements Guide Book
Not all supplements are bad – find out the ones that are worth your money and will help support all your other hard work and discipline.

Common Questions About the SWOLE System

:
Q: What is the SWOLE System and HOW does it work so fast?
A: The SWOLE System is an all-inclusive training packet that focuses on a percentage based scientific approach to training and easy to follow diet guide, that lead to fast and efficient results such as increased size, strength, endurance, and a lean athletic physique.

---

Q: What is included with this training system?
A: Included in this success pack are a done for you 12-Week transformation program, Video tutorials for EVERY exercise, a simple to follow diet guide, as a well as a theory portion that explains WHY the SWOLE System works so well for increased size, strength, power, endurance, and SEX APPEAL (you’ll look good while performing good as well)!!!

---

Q: I’m an athlete that needs to build strength, size and SPEED…will this training system work for me?
A: This system was actually started with athletes in mind. You will build size, strength, endurance and yes, even speed at a ridiculous rate! All things held constant, the athlete with superior strength, speed and conditioning ALWAYS wins. You don’t want to be left behind or face an opponent that has trained with this system. TRUST ME!!!

---

Q: Is there a diet component to this program? How does it work?
A: Yes. It’s one of the most important issues you must address when working towards your goals, and the simple system we use to address WHAT to eat, WHEN to eat, and HOW MUCH to eat, are what make this done for you, “Plug & Chug” diet system SO effective.

---

Q: Will this program work if I’m just trying to get ripped?
A: HELL YEA!!! For many of the weekend warriors at my gym, this is there one and only goal!!! When you focus on the training protocol that we focus on with this training system, it is theoretically IMPOSSIBLE to not decrease your body fat percentage while developing a lean athletic physique.

---

Q: I’m older than a lot of your “success stories” seem to be (in my late 30’s), will this program be suitable for me as well?
A: Absolutely it will work for the older than 30 crowd! Our bodies are meant to adapt to the demands that we place upon them. When we go through this specific, science based training protocol, it’s all the more important that we focus on training efficiency. And that’s the cornerstone of the SWOLE System’s philosophy. Train smarter, not harder. Train optimally, not maximally. When we match our training, our nutrition, and our lifestyle with the proper road map that are dictated by our specific goals, we are guaranteed to have success, REGARDLESS of age!

---

For more information on the SWOLE System, click the image below:

---

---

“How Much Ya Bench?!”

This is a guest post from Chandler Marchman, designer of the SWOLE System: The New Authority for Building Size, Strength, and a Lean Athletic Body

The Bench Press – the one lift in the gym that’s seemed to transcend beyond the realm of just meathead weightlifting enthusiasts, and solidified itself as the official lift that every man must know his number for. So pretty much, if an over eager Man-Crushing beckons the question, we as men must be prepared to respond proudly with a stout number otherwise risk getting asked to turn in our MAN-Card…

But what if you are a competitive Strongman, CrossFitter, or Olympic lifter that holds the Overhead Press in higher regard????

I for one can attest to this dilemma. However, instead of ditching the bench press all together, I have found a simple and extremely effective way to not only do both, but also utilize one of powerlifting’s most prominent training systems to do so. That’s right, for those of you afraid to expose your undying allegiance to the Overhead Press, you no longer have to shamefully explain to people that you prefer a different movement pattern than the King of Meathead lifts…So rejoice, and restore your MAN-Card to its rightful place in your wallet. You no longer have to just do Overhead, you can Bench Press too!!!

The Birth of the SWOLE System

The solution I found to this meathead conundrum was birthed whilst training for my last Strongman Competition in which the pressing portion of the competition would be a certain number of reps on different implements for time. Noting that the weights for this event weren’t my limiting factor, I had to focus my time and effort on developing as much speed overhead as possible.

It wouldn’t be enough to just be able to lift maximal loads overhead, I had to lift them with a relative degree of speed. So taking what I have implemented successfully with my own interpretation of the Westside Method, I simply adopted the same principles utilized to build the bench press, only using the Overhead in its place.

Let’s examine.

If you know the Westside Method and the results this program produces you can expect to produce an athlete that can lift a hell of a lot of weight as fast as greased lighting. Pretty much, their power output rivals that of an angry bear with the munchies going after your picnic basket. Scary…I know…

The Basic Concepts

How are they able to do this? Simple, their training goals (squatting, benching & deadlifting as much as humanly possible) are met by two different methods with two different objectives. The Dynamic Effort Method, which is put in place to increase the rate of force development in each core lift, and the Max Effort Method, which is put in place to be able to continually overcome the maximal load your body is able to lift.

***Because inducing hypertrophy and a greater degree of work capacity are important goals for my athletes and I, we also implement a Repetitive Effort day for our core lifts as well***

Applying Dynamic Effort Training to Overhead Lifts

The objective of the Dynamic Effort Method is to increase the rate of force development in your core lift so that your max effort lifts will have greater bar speed. In order for me to take advantage of this training effect so that I could lift not only heavy weights overhead, but do so with speed, I would focus my efforts on the Strict Press, Push Press and Jerk as my core lifts instead of the Bench Press. I follow the same percentage (40% – 60%), rep (3 reps), and set (8 – 12 sets) range as the Westside Method, just with a different core lift.

Applying Max Effort Training to Overhead Lifts

The same principles apply to my approach to Max Effort Method training days. Three days after my Dynamic Effort Day, I would focus on hitting anywhere from a 1-5 rep max on the SAME core lift I did three days prior (it’s important to note that I’d rotate implements as well as the style of OH lift in order to continuously adapt to different stimuli).

By focusing on developing as much maximal strength as speed, I was able to develop tremendous power output in this movement pattern, insuring that on competition day, those lifting against me would soil themselves in fear! It worked… #Strength,Speed,&Stamina=Dominance

So where does the Bench Press fit in? Well, just like with the Bench Press, I found that focusing your supplemental work on the muscles involved in the core lift itself was the best way to improve the core lift. In this case, conveniently enough, the same muscles that are used in increasing your OH Press are the ones being used in the Bench Press (triceps, shoulders, and upper back to be specific). So my supplemental work was composed greatly of Bench Pressing.

Training Volume Considerations

As far as volume goes, I used the same protocol as that of many powerlifters using the Westside Method. On Dynamic Effort Method training days where the weight is submaximal, my supplemental work (on the Bench Press) would be relatively heavy (3-5 sets of 4-8 reps), whereas on Max Effort days when I’m lifting near maximal weights for my core lift, the supplemental work would be much lighter with far greater volume (3-5 sets of 12-20 reps).

So all I had to do was implement the Bench Press as my supplemental lift and BOOM, I could actively achieve my objective of increasing not only the weight I could put over head as well as how fast I could do it, but also answer the most important question any and every meathead could be faced with… HOW MUCH DO YOU BENCH?

---

This has been a guest post by Chandler “MANdler” Marchman, author of SWOLE System: The New Authority for Building Size, Strength, and a Lean Athletic Body

---

NOTE FROM JEDD: I recently met MANdler at a seminar in New Jersey and asked him to tell us a little bit about his program, and this is what he had to say (I had just beaten him in a Hulk Hogan impersonation contest).

Here’s a run-down of what is included in the SWOLE System:

Component 1: The Training Manual
Understand the SWOLE System and how MANdler gets such awesome results with his clients.

Component 2: 12 Week Training Routine
MANdler lays out 3-months worth of programming to turn you into an ass-kicking machine.

Component 3: Exercise Video Database
MANdler shows you exactly how to perform each exercise to ensure proper form and best results.

Component 4: The Diet Manual
Understand how to eat the right way in order to get Swole even faster.

Component 5: Meal Plans
Apply the Swole Methods for quickly and easily with this done-for-you diet plan.

Component 6: Supplements Guide Book
Not all supplements are bad – find out the ones that are worth your money and will help support all your other hard work and discipline.

Common Questions About the SWOLE System

:

Q: What is the SWOLE System and HOW does it work so fast?

A: The SWOLE System is an all-inclusive training packet that focuses on a percentage based scientific approach to training and easy to follow diet guide, that lead to fast and efficient results such as increased size, strength, endurance, and a lean athletic physique.

---

Q: What is included with this training system?

A: Included in this success pack are a done for you 12-Week transformation program, Video tutorials for EVERY exercise, a simple to follow diet guide, as a well as a theory portion that explains WHY the SWOLE System works so well for increased size, strength, power, endurance, and SEX APPEAL (you’ll look good while performing good as well)!!!

---

Q: I’m an athlete that needs to build strength, size and SPEED…will this training system work for me?

A: This system was actually started with athletes in mind. You will build size, strength, endurance and yes, even speed at a ridiculous rate! All things held constant, the athlete with superior strength, speed and conditioning ALWAYS wins. You don’t want to be left behind or face an opponent that has trained with this system. TRUST ME!!!

---

Q: Is there a diet component to this program? How does it work?

A: Yes. It’s one of the most important issues you must address when working towards your goals, and the simple system we use to address WHAT to eat, WHEN to eat, and HOW MUCH to eat, are what make this done for you, “Plug & Chug” diet system SO effective.

---

Q: Will this program work if I’m just trying to get ripped?

A: HELL YEA!!! For many of the weekend warriors at my gym, this is there one and only goal!!! When you focus on the training protocol that we focus on with this training system, it is theoretically IMPOSSIBLE to not decrease your body fat percentage while developing a lean athletic physique.

---

Q: I’m older than a lot of your “success stories” seem to be (in my late 30’s), will this program be suitable for me as well?

A: Absolutely it will work for the older than 30 crowd! Our bodies are meant to adapt to the demands that we place upon them. When we go through this specific, science based training protocol, it’s all the more important that we focus on training efficiency. And that’s the cornerstone of the SWOLE System’s philosophy. Train smarter, not harder. Train optimally, not maximally. When we match our training, our nutrition, and our lifestyle with the proper road map that are dictated by our specific goals, we are guaranteed to have success, REGARDLESS of age!

---

For more information on the SWOLE System, click the image below:

---

---

High Volume Kettlebell Training and its Benefits

by Bud Jeffries

First I want to say, “Thanks,” to Jedd for giving me the opportunity to step in and do a guest blog for the Diesel Crew. You guys have done great work for the fitness and strength community and I wanted to throw a bit back. When we talked about my contributing a blog post Jedd wanted me to answer, “Why would I do crazy high volume kettlebell work and what are the benefits of it?”

Bud Jeffries – 1-hand Swing

So if you don’t know I’ve specialized in the kettlebell swing for the past few years. I say “specialized,” in that it’s been one of my primary combined strength and cardio workouts and there’s an entire methodology behind why and what I do. It’s primary in that I’m also always working on much heavier strongman work and I’m also working on different types of cardiovascular capacity so the high volume workouts that I do are not just limited to kettlebells, but they’ll also involve barbells, dumbbells, bodyweight, sledgehammers, cables, maces, and strongman work for instance super high rep tire flipping, sled dragging, heavy bag punching, etc. I’m normally circulating through any of 100 or more different types of exercise.

Overall though I really have specialized in high-rep kettlebell work. When I say “high rep,” we need to quantify the term for the purposes of this blog. If you don’t know what I’m talking about already – I’m not talking about 100 reps – I’m talking about something in the neighborhood of 1,000 reps. Not all the workouts are that high, but some of them are much higher – Even into the 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 repetition ranges.

Why Such High Volume Training?

Why would I do that since it seems counterproductive in the idea of building maximum strength and muscle? There are many reasons.

I Wanted to Remake Myself

I spent 16 years with one goal in mind – squatting 1,000 pounds. Over that 16 year course I went from 230lbs to 385lbs and went from a 225lb squat to a 1,000lb squat. I achieved my goal, but I also got freakin’ huge. I was huge and muscular and incredibly strong, but it was way too much fat to carry for a long period of time and I wanted to change that.

After much research and thinking it through the kettlebell swing was probably the primary vehicle by which to do that. I also believe that people who are like me who don’t have the easy, fast, fat burning metabolism that most people do either because they don’t eat right or they have years of gaining weight behind them instead of losing weight respond well to the kettlebell.

The idea behind “…years of gaining weight instead of losing,” is that the body is always learning to do one thing or the other. If you’re teaching it to gain weight then it goes permanently in that mode until you spend enough time going the opposite way and then it begins to lean out, resetting your hormones and whole body. I believe the kettlebell swing was the most opportune way to do create that effect.

1700-lb Rack Squat

The swing created the most muscular work that you could maintain for the longest period of time, spread across the largest range of the body, with the highest cardiovascular demand at the same time. On a rep-per-rep basis there are other exercises that you could argue create a higher cardiovascular demand, however not necessarily the right type of demand that I’m talking about.

For instance, rep-for-rep the kettlebell snatch (essentially an extended kettlebell swing), is possibly more aerobic, because on a rep-per-rep basis it covers twice the distance, but it also begins to pinpoint other muscles. That really long distance makes it, for most people, truly slow down until you have a massive cardiovascular and muscular base under which to work. I believe the spread muscular work of the swing combined with the idea that you can continue it for long periods of time and at the same time achieve an extended cardiovascular capacity and an extended muscular strength capacity made it the ultimate exercise for fat loss as well as a huge base from which to do 1,000 reps of thousands of other exercises.

It cut fat while not ripping into my strength which is a major factor for me. The average person might just want to cut fat, but I spent a lifetime building up massive amounts of strength and it would terribly hurt my feelings to lose all that strength just because I lost weight. I’m sure for most of you it would as well. The key in not losing strength as you lose weight, and this is a bonus here, is not doing it super fast. You can’t drop 50 pounds in a month and not expect it to take a hit to your strength.

Combining Muscular and Cardiovascular effort

Every time you do a swing you’re teaching the muscles strength and teaching them to fire and you’re also creating high cardiovascular capacity. The high calorie burning and cardiovascular component of the swing burns off fat. That continuous repeated muscular motion teaches the body not to give up strength and muscle just because you’re doing it in an extended way. I found that by going to the one-handed swing I could switch hands every 10 reps or so and keep pushing my whole body for long periods of time. This began to reset my entire definition of what strength and cardiovascular capacity combined were, should be and could be.

I know right now it’s popular to do interval cardio and short cardio and I believe in that style of training and I’ve quantified it in my own way by calling it “short-intense cardio.” Through exposure to other people and through one of the brilliant things great strongman John Brookfield said to me, “You have to get past the interval to really get to strength and to really get to endurance,” I began to have a modified thought on this activity. Stopping just because you have a pre-planned set of time is actually teaching the body to quit versus just going as hard and as far as you can.

When you explore that deeply you find that you can go much harder, longer and faster than you thought. That’s what we’re all after. Why would you only sprint 100 yards if you could sprint 400? Now I understand you may want to repeat those things and I’m not saying anything against intervals and I certainly do believe in very intense, short levels of cardio so in comparing that I might take a 53lb or 24kg kettlebell and swing it for 1,000 or 2,000 reps without stopping, but I also might take a 150lb 2-handed kettlebell and swing it for multiple sets of 20 reps mixed with bodyweight exercises moving back and forth in a workout that only lasts 5, 10 or 15 minutes. That would be incredibly intense both from a muscular and cardiovascular standpoint.

The whole point to this is I want some of my cardio to be as intense as possible and as long as I want to make it 30 minutes or more, because I truly believe this creates a high calorie burn as well as a massive overhaul in your potential muscular strength and endurance. I want some of it to be as intense and heavy as possible and not governed by a time interval, but more by the weight and difficulty of the exercise often using more than one exercise switching back and forth so I can go as long as possible for the pre-set time period or repetition count – whichever I had chosen. The idea is to absolutely max out my heart rate for a short period of time and the other idea being the “Third way cardio” idea as put forth by Marty Gallagher which is long, extended, muscular and aerobic effort done in a continuous fashion.

Really it’s a type of capacity that most people haven’t tapped that most everyone does possess the ability to achieve. If you really want to be able to recover from those workouts, build the ability for your heart and muscles and lungs to fire for an extended period of time and then five to ten to 20 reps of squats just doesn’t feel very hard when you can do a 1,000 or2,000 swings without stopping. I felt there was an entire other level of strength to be had there, but what most people have missed and truthfully only a few people have explored, is not mixing them together and I think that’s why it’s more effective to do it the way I’ve done it.

John Brookfield is one example and a few other people have done things that go along the lines of this: 1,000 reps of push presses or 1,000 snatches or 2,000 swings and the ability to do other heavy exercises at the same time, but if you approach both capacities together, it is possible to have them at the same time. For instance; on my birthday this year I did 4,000 swings and a 1,500lb quarter squat just for fun to see if I could personally challenge myself.

What am I doing? I’m expanding my capacity in both directions, both my maximum strength and maximum endurance together. John has done all kinds of incredible strength feats and grip work in an absolute max capacity, but has also done incredible endurance work and I believe that is the upper end of physical capacity that most of us are missing. When you build into thosem you play them into each other – Your maximum strength will tie exactly into your ability to perform your maximum strain cardio or short cardio I spoke of, which will, in-turn pull directly into your third way or very long cardio. They will all play back and forth to each other as long as you begin to develop the capacities. That doesn’t mean you should do them all at the same time, it means they need to be mixed specifically. You should build a base first and build up to them.

Let’s Be Honest

Let’s be honest – Real long term health and long term strength has to have a strength endurance capacity. It’s wonderful to be able to squat 1,000lbs, but not great to be 380- 400lbs to be able to do it and give up years of your life if you carry too much body fat or you aren’t physically or cardiovascularly as healthy as you could be (that doesn’t mean that big guys can’t be healthy. I believe I’m still living proof of that,) or you’ll ever achieve a physical Adonis perfection which I’m pretty sure the men reading this site aren’t terribly worried about.

Though if we’re being honest we all want to look better. I’ve been able to rip 120lbs of weight off, but I’m still not “perfect,” by contemporary standards. My physical perfection by others standards is not what concerns me, what I care about is having an increased cardiovascular and endurance level and a totally different level of physical capacity and I found this by doing it with those explosive muscular and continuous movements. I got better at the short cardio and maintained and built types of strength I didn’t have before.

You can have maximum muscular strength, maximum short term endurance and maximum long term endurance and not spend every waking minute in the gym. I cut that 120lbs and didn’t work out more than an average of three hours per week. That includes one third way cardio session, one max intense cardio session and one max strength work session per week and all of them reasonably short and most of it not with incredibly high volumes. However when I worked high volumes in specific work such as circuits of 8-10 bodyweight exercises done for 25 reps a piece, repeated 4 or 5 times so I get more than 1,000 reps in a 30 or 45 minute workout, or one exercise done as far and as hard as possible I saw massive results.

Both have their place and are incredible ways to build world class cardiovascular capacity as well as world class muscular strength and endurance and keep your body fat low in a way that lets you still be a normal guy – eat real food, have a beer occasionally and be able to play in any world you want to.

I was able to maintain a schedule that had me doing 300 strongman shows in 9 months. I was able to keep high level strength in pressing, rowing, deadlifting and squatting. I was able to burn off a tremendous amount of body fat and play into any other type of training that I wanted, inclusive of martial arts, without having to specialize in them, all on four or five hours per week by training all those capacities together. The health you build in your tendons, ligaments and bones and muscles by that extended work, the incredible circulation, the heart and endurance capacity, is impossible to beat in just about any other way. It is far superior to the average slow cardio.

So – What Is It Doing?

So what is it doing? It’s taking what the average person thinks is hard cardio and extending your possible ability to do it for the same amount of time that you would do easy or slow cardio. Thereby you are building a really elite capacity for strength and an elite capacity for short term strength endurance. It’s building the ability to do amazing physical things and max out every area of strength as well as max out your health. It’s keeping your body fat low and doing it in a way that gives you the ability to play for a lifetime in any way you want with simple implements. That my friends is an amazing amount to get for just a few hours of training per week and that’s why I went to the super high volume kettlebell work.

I believe in working with the swing it allowed me to build the base to jump off to every other type of kettlebell work – For instance I’ve been able to do massive snatch workouts, massive one arm pressing workouts, which are my other favorite work to do with the kettlebell and set some incredible PRs inclusive of 200 one arm presses in 5 minutes and 7 seconds with a 24kg/ 54lb kettlebell. 340+snatches with a 35lb kettlebell in 10 minutes as well 1500 snatches in 68 minutes. Also 1,100 one arm push presses with that 24kg bell in one hour.

You can do amazing things if you just set your mind to it and treat your cardio with the same type of intensity as you would your strength work. We all want to get incredibly muscularly strong and you can if you follow all the smart stuff Jedd and the guys and I talk about, but you also need that high level capacity and I believe they can be reciprocally inhibited. What does that mean? If you don’t keep your cardio up high enough, eventually the strength work becomes so taxing you that you cannot recover from it and then your body does not allow you to become stronger.

Similarly speaking, if you do not keep your strength high enough your body will eventually interpret your cardiovascular movements as so difficult in their percentage of perceived intensity as well as their actual physical level of strength that it won’t allow you to go further because you won’t have the strength to keep going. But if you work them together you can get max world class capacity at both if you just learn to do it the right way. High rep kettlebell stuff is really one of them – You can do amazing things if you just put your mind to it. See the video for more training info.

Bud Jeffries is the owner of Strongerman.com where you can read much more about in combining super strength and super endurance together like in his newest book I Will Be Iron.

I recently got this note from Rob Russell about a charity event he is holding very soon. It sounds like it’ not only going to be awesome, but very challenging as well. Check it out and please give if you can. I have donated a couple of ebooks, the Nail Bending eBook and the Card Tearing eBook.

Jedd, I love challenges and the tougher the better! I’ve been training for many years now and been down just about every avenue possible.

Over the last 7 years I’ve taken up many forms of non-conventional training, kettlebells mainly, along with strongman, maces, sandbags, grip training and over the last 2 years heavy sledgehammer training.

The first person I ever saw swinging a heavy sledgehammer was John Brookfield, it looked so brutal I knew I had to get one of my own (a 25kg one to be precise). Initially training with it was really hard, until I learned the technique and shortened the handle. In 2009 I was inspired by kettlebell and sledgehammer fanatic Stepf Dogman to go for a 1 hour sledgehammer challenge after seeing this guy weighing in at only 69kg strike a tire 520 times with a 20kg hammer. I managed 791 reps on my first challenge for a charity that I support.

October 15th sees me return aiming to break the 1000 rep barrier (that’s roughly 17 strikes/min). I have been training since May and racked up over 13,000 strikes over nearly 60 sessions. The basis of my training has been 10 min sessions 3 times per week, setting off at 10 reps/min increasing by 1 rep per week until I hit 20 reps/min for 10 mins then I started upping the length of my sessions. I knew 1000 reps was going to be a tall order so I thought starting early would get me a great base to work from.

The carryover from hammer training to repetition snatching has been great too, I recently did a new best in the 24kg 10 min snatch test with 252 reps without any specific kettlebell work, it has also done a great deal for my grip strength (my hammer handle is nearly 2″ thick). The best thing about the training I have been doing is that it’s all been done in my half hour lunch break at work. It’s resulted in being a bit sweaty at work but really gives you a physical and mental boost for the afternoon and allowed me to do other training in the evenings.

My event on the 15th October is for Charity and to boost fundraising I have written my first ebook – ‘Unconventional Conditioning,’ a 45 page book packed with many videos, tips for training and program ideas.

To get hold of this ebook and be entered into a raffle for some strength and fitness goodies I am asking for a 2GBP minimum donation on my nation on my Just Giving Page.

Rob Russell

Thanks Rob! This event sounds AWESOME. I can’t imagine how brutally strong your hands, wrists and thumbs are getting from swinging the sledgehammer for such high volume. I know when I take my sledgehammer outside to swing it, my thumbs blow up like hot water bottles. All the best to you with your event – – Jedd

The Importance of Nutrition for Athletes
A Guest Post by Strength Coach, Joe Meglio

Let’s face it, many athletes struggle with their nutrition.

I often ask my high school athletes what they ate on that day so far and I usually get answers like pop tarts, a bowl of cereal, a wrap or sandwich and other highly processed food that comes out of a box or wrapper.

Not only are they eating crappy food, but they are barely eating! The problem with poor nutrition is that an athlete cannot expect to perform at their best if they are not feeding their body the proper nutrients it needs to achieve maximum performance. You are what you eat! If you eat like crap, you are going to feel like crap, recover slowly and have low energy levels.

Nutrition Made Simple

The biggest challenge for most athletes is being consistent and making the right food choices. In order to solve this problem, the best approach is to make nutrition as simple as possible. This means don’t complicate it by counting calories and other macronutrients. Instead, athletes should focus on eating nutrient rich foods.
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I trained with the rest of the Diesel guys, the dudes from Krank Systems, Mark from Elmira Fitness Club and Taylor Sexton a few months back.

As a finisher to the already 3-hour workout, we finished with the Diesel Man Maker.

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In 2009, Joe Hashey and I created the Home Made Strength On-line DVD.

This was a downloadable, full-length DVD with the option to buy a hard copy, that showed you how to put together your own Mace, Axle, Glute Hame Raise, and many other pieces of equipment that you could use to build strength.

Here’s a review of the original Home Made Strength On-line DVD by a true brute in the strength game, Rob Russell. This dude is a freakin’ monster – he BUP’s kettlebells that are over 100-lbs. Check it out:

Home Made Strength Review from Rob Russell

 “A while back Jedd Johnson and Joe Hashey brought out the Homemade Strength equipment  video.

I bought it at the time and have made a couple of the items. Since it’s a great resource brought to us by some very knowledgeable guys who are pretty much leaders in Homemade Strength Equipment Niche, I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts on this great product.

Although there are some great free resources on the net for DIY Strength gear/Homemade Gym Equipment I think the Homemade Strength Video is well worth the low cost of $27 for the amount that it will save you once you’ve made all the low cost strength equipment from it.

Without revealing too much of what’s demonstrated in the video’s I’ll say is that the Home Made Strength equipment online DVD will allow you to train all areas of your body and develop grip, explosive power, posterior chain and upper body strength for a fraction of the cost of buying branded equipment.

The equipment I have built have allowed me to blast my glutes, hams and lower back to new levels of strength and power and the other has really assisted my grip strength and forearm power (any clues!)”



Rob Russell

Rob is a kettlebell, grip strength, strongman and throwing enthusiast based in Scarborough UK. He has been training with kettlebells for 7 years and strength training for 22. While being competitive in these disciplines he is also always challenging myself with feats of strength.

Thanks Rob for that awesome feedback! That is a killer review, especially coming from someone as strong as you.

I am putting up this post because I am currently in the process of completed a brand new DVD in the Home Made Strength Series, Home Made Strength II – Grip Strength Edition.

While the original HMS included both Full Body and Grip Strength Training Equipment to help anyone from Strength Coaches and Personal Trainers, to individual trainees, athletes, and strength enthusiasts to add to their arsenal of training equipment without having to take on a second mortgage, this one is dedicated entirely to Grip Strength Training Equipment.

What This Video is NOT

This equipment is not just garbage that you put together on Monday and end up breaking on Friday. This stuff is built to last.

Also, this is not a bunch of knock-off equipment. I have a very good working relationship with many manufacturers of top quality equipment and I would never betray them like that. Instead, this equipment is either one-of-a-kind type of equipment, enhancements to current pieces that are available, and things that simply don’t exist on the market.

Is This Video For You?

Not interested in building Grip Strength to perform feats of strength? No problem, that is not what this product is designed for.

The purpose of building this equipment is to give you more options for increasing your hand and lower arm strength in order to apply it to the rest of your training. The numbers in any lift can be enhanced by stronger hands. So if you are looking to do any of the following, this Video is going to be for you:

• Improve Your Bench Press
• Squat More Weight
• Better Grip on the Deadlift
• Get a Bigger Overhead Press
• Play Better on the Court
• Hit for More Power on the Field
• Control Your Opponent Better on the Mat
• Perform More Reps before Your Hands Tire Out
• Stronger Hands for Doing Your Job

If any of the above items are something that you need to enhance, then this video is for you.

To stay up to date on developments of this project, make sure to sign-up for my new Home Made Strength Newsletter. I am working toward moving all of my email communications to a new system, so this will be very important for us to stay in touch on the release.

So you can click on this Home Made Equipment Link or click on the banners in this post.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

I have a confession to make.

For years, I thought warming up was a joke – a waste of time. DUMB.

Trainers like Guy Razy would come to train with us and show us cool warm-up drills, and I would ignore them. DUMB.

Guys like Coach Mike wrote me emails telling me I needed to improve my flexibility and mobility and I put it off. DUMB.

Smitty and Brad told me how much better they felt after incorporating more of this stuff into their training and I ignored them. DUMB.

It wasn’t until more than a year later when Smitty and Brad actually ran me through a battery of intense warming up that I realized what I was missing. Now I warm-up intensely every single workout.

In addition to warm-up and dynamic flexibility strategies to get ready to WREAK HAVOC, I’ve also found that I respond well to jumping exercises before hitting the weights.

I’ve always loved jumping, but unfortunately my ceiling is too low for me to leap up on top of jump boxes, so that’s out of the question.

But I recently found something just as good. You’ve probably heard them called Kneeling Jumps, but I call them Up Downs.

Up Downs spark the Central Nervous System BIG TIME.

After doing these, I am ready to DROP BOMBS. I feel more aware, more focused, and I have hit several PR’s since including them. I want you to try these out.

How to Perform Up Downs

You may have seen these done differently elsewhere, but this is how I do them. This way actually makes it harder to perform them, causing you to work just a bit harder, focus more deeply, and as a result, pushing you to a better warm-up finisher.

Starting Position:

Kneel down on the gym floor, placing your entire shin flat on the ground, plantar flexing the foot. This position takes your ankles out of the movement and forces you to engage everything else more intensely.

Power Transfer:

It is imperative to get the arms involved in the movement in order to generate the power to get up off the ground and to the landing position. Swing them back to engage a sretch reflex, then fire your leg and glute power to drive yourself upwards.

Recovery Position:

Once airborne, you must pull your feet out from under you to stick the landing. Try to land as quietly as possible to absorb the energy, and get into an athletic position, like a puma ready to pounce on its prey.

Here’s a quick video demo showing some of the stuff I have done to modify Up Downs even more.

If you’re like me and have hated and dreaded warm-up, you should try this out.

Go through some dynamic warm-up and mobility stuff and then finish it off with some Up Downs or something similar to really prime the CNS. I think you’ll be surprised how good you feel.

Try them and let me know what you think. I think you’ll have a KICK-ASS workout setting MONSTER PR’s.

All the best,

Jedd

We saw Silvester Stallone do it in Rocky IV – training his ass off in the bitter Moscow cold in order to prepare for the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan Drago.

We then wanted to go outside in the snow, carry a log on our back, and start cutting cords of wood like Mountain Men.

Now, you can say that subjecting yourself to situations like this can make you mentally tougher once it is done, but are there any true benefits to training in cold weather over training in a warm, comfortable gym? (more…)

I opened up my YouTube account and checked out my Subscriptions the other day and couldn’t believe what I saw…

Jordan Vezina, RKC, recently uploaded his entire DVD, “The Corrections,” to YouTube.

I have had this DVD in electronic version since it first came out back in like 2008. Jordan is very knowledgeable about correcting technique and I even reviewed it prior to going to the RKC in September.

It’s not everyday that someone uploads an entire DVD on their own accord, especially a good quality one, like Jordan’s.

If you’re new to Kettlebells or if you’ve acquired some bad habits, you may want to check these out.

If you’d like to see what else Jordan has to offer, check out his YouTube Channel, his website, AverageToElite.com, and his blog, StrengthBeyondStrength.com.

Now, check out the various sections of the DVD.

The Corrections DVD – The Swing

The Corrections DVD – The Turkish Get-up

The Corrections DVD – The Goblet Squat

The Corrections DVD – The Clean

The Corrections DVD – The Snatch

Hope you enjoy it. And if you do, make sure you shoot Jordan a note at one of his sites or leave him a comment on his YouTube Channel.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

For everybody who comes to the site looking for ways to challenge your body and ways to spur growth and strength development, I’ve got a hell of a way for you to do it, today!

Chances are, you have probably done some work with Ropes before, and I bet you liked it.

I like it too. It makes for very intense cardio driven by the upper body, and it tests your mental strength as well as your physical capabilities.

Let’s look at the standard rope training that is commonly done.

The trainee takes an ulnar deviated neutral – forearm grip on the rope. From there, he raises the rope with shoulder flexion and then rapidly snaps the rope back down with shoulder extension.

This can be done with both ends of the rope moving upward at the same time, or by alternating the ropes.

This is, of course, a very intense form of training. In fact, new trainees are usually shocked when they try it for the first time and feel how tough it is.

But if you are like me, you like to mix it up and make standard training methods even more intense, so here is what you can try next time you train with Ropes.

WARNING

Proceed at Your Own Risk

This is a warning right now – this training is intense. Everything from here on out should only be attempted by:

• Someone who is properly warmed-up
• Someone who is not afraid to feel the pain of serious effort
• Someone who knows how to listen to their body and knows when to stop
• Someone who is serious about training the shoulder musculature dynamically

If you meet these requirements, then move ahead. If not, please leave now.

Variation 1 – 45-degree Whiplash

Instead of drawing the rope straight up and down, whip the rope diagonally at a 45-degree angle. The path also resembles a Figure 8.

You would be surprised how much slightly changing the angle of the rope undulations affects your shoulders. It also hits the core very hard.

Begin with 5 to ten thrusts from to low left to high right, and then switch to low right to high left, shooting for evenness. Be conservative to start out until you find out how well your shoulder endurance holds up.

Variation 2 – Ultimate Warrior Rope Shake Thrash

Stand 90-degrees away from the tree or other solid object you have the rope rigged to. From there, grasp both ends of the rope with both hands. Think back to the good old days of wrestling when the Ultimate Warrior would draw power from shaking the ropes, and proceed to shake the rope in the same manner.

You may want to paint your face for this one. I think it will help you get a few extra reps.

Variation 3 – Super Long Side Laterals

For this one, we are going to work one arm at a time and instead of using only half the rope, we are going to stretch the entire length of the rope out.

Don’t just perform controlled Side Laterals like you are lifting with a dumbbell. Move the rope up and down like you are trying to uproot the tree or snap the bolts that are holding down the equipment you rigged the equipment to.

Your side and posterior laterals will be juiced up after this one, and you may even feel your traps sizzling, too.

Variation 4 – Posterior Delt Assault

Face completely away from the spot where you have the rope rigged and bend slightly forward. Pull the rope tight and then take a half step backwards. Grip the end of the rope in one hand and proceed to perform rapid shoulder extension movements. Think of performing a skiing motion, but imagine the Abominable Snowman is coming down after you and you have to try to escape with just one ski pole.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

These are just a few of the variations that you can do to mix up your rope training. I am sure that you can think up even more variations. If so, shoot a video and post it on YouTube and I will post it here. I want to see them and try them myself.

If you hate looking at just still shots, here is a video I shot in my yard for you. Unfortunately, the trucks were going by in full force, so I not only had to talk while gasping for air, but I also had to shout over the industrial traffic. Please bear with me.

Give them a try and report back here. Let us know what you think. We love the comments.

Also, if you get a chance, make sure to post this link to Facebook and share it with your buddies.

Now, go kick some ass.

Jedd

Check out more videos on my YOUTUBE CHANNEL < = Go Now!

INNOVATIVE SLED DRAGGING VARIATION

by Jim Smith, CSCS

Today we are going to talk about sled dragging and a very unique variation I came up with.  Most  anaerobic alactic / anaerobic lactic sports (especially combat athletics) require not only specific metabolic adaptations but a general conditioning foundation (GPP).  It is this foundation that allows more specific, higher level conditioning to be implemented and developed.

Sled dragging is an excellent tool to help develop this general conditioning baseline.

Different types of sled dragging:

• forward dragging
• backward dragging
• lateral dragging
• rotational dragging

You can also attach different attachments to the sled to drag it to make it more difficult

• tow ropes
• thick ropes
• thick “V” handle
• and now a car tire!

The Setup

Hook the tow rope through the car tire and anchor it back onto the sled.  Grab over the circumference of the tire and perform a tight chest crush.  Now walk backwards.  We also did a variation where we perform a strong rotation to move the sled.

Standard Setup

Holding Lacrosse Balls

In the video I show another variation of holding lacrosse balls.  This makes the chest crush even harder.

Hey everybody, it’s Jedd. I hope you had a pleasant Holiday weekend, and that you have a peaceful Memorial Day.

I also hope your training is going well. I had an awesome time training Saturday. Some buddies, Mike Rinderle and Frank Snyder came over and we had an excellent workout. I’ve got some video clips that I will post up later in the week.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP (more…)

Fast and Effective Dumbbell Conditioning Circuit

Most people feel that they don’t have time to perform conditioning workouts or fit fat loss sessions on top of their normal strength training.

SEE THE REST OF THIS COOL POST AFTER THE JUMP (more…)

BULL STRENGTH CONDITIONING

My buddy Joe Hashey released Bull Strength Conditioning last week. He was all done with his introductory sale on Friday.

I went up and hit a workout with Joe this past weekend and afterwards, Joe and I went to Tully’s for their famous a buffalo chicken sandwich.

While we were chomping away, I asked if he’d be interested in letting the Diesel Universe have a chance to get Bull Strength Conditioning at a reduced price.

He just got back with me today and he is giving everybody here the chance to pick it up at the original introductory price – Just 27 bucks.

Also, this weekend, I designed a complete Done-for-You 8-week Grip Training Program that I am going to send to everybody that picks up Bull Strength Conditioning through my link. All you have to do is just forward your receipt to my email address, (jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com) and I will send you the links to get the 8-week Grip Program Video.

You can use this 8-week program in your own training or with your athletes. Each week’s routine includes 3 movements. No exercise is repeated throughout the entire program and all disciplines of Grip are included: Pinch, Crush, Support, Wrist Postures, Forearm Work, and Grip Integration.

There’s also a PDF version of the workout that you can print out, take with you to the gym, and make notes on each week.

This program will compliment the Bull Strength Conditioning perfectly, and you’ll have 24 exercises that you can use later on to modify the program however you want to.

Just pick it up through my link, send me your receipt, and I’ll hook you up with the 8-week Grip Program. Here’s my link: http://tinyurl.com/BullDiesel.

All the best in your training.

-Jedd-

P.S. Did you see the cool banner Joe designed just for all my friends that pick up Bull Strength? You can see it here: http://tinyurl.com/BullDiesel

P.P.S. Update – This just in from Pedro Morales on Facebook: “I highly, highly recommend this program, I just bought it a few days ago, I love it, The bonuses are enough to stand on their own right!!! Awesome thing about Bull Strength Conditioning is you can get a High Level of Conditioning without beating up your Knees! I love this about the program, My knees are beat to hell from all the H.I.I.T. I’ve done in the Past!”

P.P.S. My link is an affiliate link and I do get a portion of the sale money – that is why I put together this killer bonus.

Cardio is Dead!

I was going to start this post with that one picture.  You know the one I’m talking about.  That really obese chick with the leopard bikini walking on a treadmill.  Oh the sweet, sweet memories.

But I figured I would tone it down a notch and just talk about the reason “cardio is dead”.

Most of you are informed but some are not. (more…)

2010 is Under Way!!!

Today, we have a follow-up guest post from Chohwora Udu & Jim McHale, who recently sent me a copy of their book, Hardcore Circuit Training for Men to review, which I put up last week.

I’ve actually already started implementing circuit training in workouts, because I have been looking for some better metabolic work, and I must say that the bits and pieces I have incorporated so far are pretty challenging and fun. I even plan on taking this book with me on the trips I take for work, because everything is already laid out for me.

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Building serious muscle doesn’t have to take hours and hour and tons of volume each workout.
You have to check this out! (more…)

COMPLEX TRAINING

Guest Blog Post from Franklin Joyner, Triumph Athletics

The beauty of complex training (CT) is that it’s simple and it works. CT is the blending of strength and speed. In essence, CT is nothing more than a ME exercise immediately followed by a DE exercise. This is an enormously effective style of training. To better understand why it is so effective we will first need to look at the science behind CT.

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Sandbag Circuits For Combat Athletes

By Dustin Lebel

MMA is all the rage these days and its no surprise that more and more people want to train like their favorite fighters. The only problem is that most great fighters are great despite their strength and conditioning program…not all, but most. While putting together a great program for a combat athlete can be very complex as you have to take into account their technical practice schedules, past and current list of injuries, nutrition, their various coaches, recovery, and oh yeah – we need to get them stronger, more powerful, and in better condition while they concurrently improve their skills in their respective sport. Phew – training for combat sports is tough!

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I just decided to change stuff up on this new grip strength product I am releasing soon.

SUBSCRIBERS TO OUR GRIP STRENGTH NEWSLETTER WILL BE THE FIRST ONES TO HAVE A CHANCE TO BUY IT AT THE EXTREMELY LOW INTRODUCTORY PRICE!

You can sign up for our Grip Strength Newsletter by putting your email address into the form below!

The roll-out for this product is coming soon. Sign up now so you don’t miss out.

I have been working on this product for months now and it is almost ready to go – just waiting on some website stuff!

In addition to getting the drop on this product, when you sign up for the Grip Strength Newsletter, you will also be assured that you receive timely notifications of all of our new grip strength articles, videos, interviews, and radio shows!

Thanks and all the best in your training,

-Jedd-

How to Build Muscle | Muscle Building Workouts | How to Lose Fat | Six Pack Abs

My boy Rob Pilger just posted a new video of an appearance he recently did.  Rob is an awesome boxing trainer and very passionate about his craft and getting people strong and healthy.

You don’t want to miss a 5 part interview series I did with Rob while I was recently out in Ohio.  It will be on our site and Rob’s!

Don’t tell me he doesn’t look like Matt Dillon!

How to Build Muscle | Muscle Building Workouts | How to Lose Fat | Six Pack Abs

My boy Rob Pilger just posted a new video of an appearance he recently did.  Rob is an awesome boxing trainer and very passionate about his craft and getting people strong and healthy.
You don’t want to miss a 5 part interview series I did with Rob while I was recently out in Ohio.  It will be on our site and Rob’s!
Don’t tell me he doesn’t look like Matt Dillon!

How to Build Muscle | Muscle Building Workouts | How to Lose Fat | Six Pack Abs