Hello DIESELS!

This week’s challenge was the One Arm Snatch with a Barbell, no hook-grip. The measure was the heaviest snatch done. Volume was not a factor this week. We had one new entrant, Mike Turpin, from Niko Hulslander’s gym in Brogue, PA. Welcome to the fray, Mike and goo job with 40-kilos. You had a lot more weight in you!

Mike Turpin – 88-lbs X 16 Reps

We also had the line wolf, Gregory Jimenez come back for some action from the way down under, Australia, knocking out a snatch of 99-lbs. Great job, brother!

Gregory Jimenez – 99-lbs X 1 Rep

Next we had Paul Tompkins, who by a quick count in my head has taken part in the second most challenges of all combatants and has also won the second largest amount as well. Below he rips 110lbs overhead for 8 reps. He had a lot more in him as well.

Paul Tompkins – 110-lbs X 8 Reps

And finally, we had the reigning champion of both the Weekly Diesel Grip Challenge, and also the reigning rule-breaker of his gym in North Carolina, Josh McIntyre who blatantly disregards his Big Box Gym’s rules and brings chalk into the facility in true DIESEL style, AND knocked out 140-lbs for a set of 2 twice. Awesome job once again!

Josh McIntyre 140-lbs X 2 Reps X 2 Sets

Next week is the first of four Wild Card Qualifiers for the North American Grip National Championship on July 16th. You will all have four chances to win one of the weekly contests and qualify for Nationals.

Check out the site next week for further details.

Thanks,

Jedd

P.S. Get on the Strongman Training DVD Early Bird List. Put your name and email in the box below.

Slight Change of Plans, DIESELS!

A couple weeks back, we contested the Dumbbell Snatch and I said that during the week of June 11th we would be contesting the Barbell Snatch.

I am changing that up, but it is for a VERY COOL REASON.

After this week, the next four weeks’ challenges will be WILD CARD events to qualify for the Wild Card spots at the North American Grip National Championship on July 16th, 2011.

ANYONE in North America can take part and instantly qualify, IF they win in just ONE of the FOUR wild card weeks.

Next week, the challenge will be the Two Hands Pinch. The Euro-Pinch device will not be necessary. Instead, two 35′s or 45′s or their kilogram counterparts can be used with a pipe through the middle. An entire video demonstration will be available on my YouTube Channel showing you exactly what to do.

IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE WITH THE BEST IN THE NATION, BUT HAVE HAD NO QUALIFIERS NEAR YOU, THEN THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET TO NATIONALS.

That’s next week – let’s look at this week’s challenge!

This Week’s Challenge – Barbell Snatch

The Barbell Snatch is another OUTSTANDING drill for developing not only full body strength, power, and explosiveness, but also Grip Strength, as long as you don’t mess around with a hook grip or use straps (please don’t be that guy…)

The Barbell Snatch is great for athletes because it trains the core, is a posterior chain dominant, and it also requires the all-important triple extension of the ankles, knees, and hips, which is also present in jumping, leaping/bounding, and sprinting. So put this movement, or a variation, into your program on a routine basis to get the most benefit.

To perform the Barbell Snatch, load up a barbell and Snatch it overhead in one movement.

For the challenge, again, no hook grip or straps are allowed. A wrist wrap is fine for support and injury prevention and belts and chalk are also perfectly fine.

To see the Barbell Snatch in action, just play the video below.

The winner this week will be the one who Snatches the most weight the most times in one (1) minute. No press-outs will be counted. Also, the off-hand should be used to a minimum. My watchful eye will be checking this out. And again, no hook grip or straps!

Make sure you are getting quality reps. You should be locked out with one hand on the bar and feet in line. Any questionable reps will not be counted. I will begin the 1-minute time limit once you begin your first rep.

Get warmed up and get your best effort on film! Remember, any number of reps at a higher weight will beat any number of reps at a lower weight. So go heavy and go for time!

Let’s see those submissions, and please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested in winning one off the Wild Card spots at Nationals for their Division, so they can participate next week.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Get on the Strongman Training DVD Early Bird List. Put your name and email in the box below.

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.

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

Hello everyone. If you love kettlebell training, then I’ve got a post for you!

I’m going to show you a few ways to modify the kettlebell snatch to make it more challenging and grip strength intensive. And then I am going to ask you what ways you modify kettlebell lifts in your training.

There are almost endless ways that you can vary your kettlebell training to provide yourself with a new stimulus.

Using a heavier bell…

Doing more reps per set… (more…)