I thought I’d do something I haven’t done in a while and just post some highlights I’m proud of for August.

Training has been GREAT this month. I look forward to August every month, due to August of Arms. I feel like it’s a chance for me to get away from the stresses of Grip and some of the frustrations of strength training, and just train for me. Almost like a vacation, even though I train just about every day.

I did take off 2 days in August. Both were Sundays. On one of them, I was a bit hung over from too much indulgence the day before and I knew the training was going to suck. The other day, I was extremely busy preparing content for Legtember, which is all ready now and you can pick it up through that link. After shooting 20+ leg videos, editing them, and uploading them for the Legtember exercise index, I was wiped and just couldn’t pull together enough energy for a respectable workout.

Here are some of the lifts I’ve been most happy with this month.

Max Alternated Dumbbell Curl

One of my ultimate goals is to curl 100lb dumbbells. I made a big PR this year, by finally curling my dumbbells that are marked “85s,’ but actually scale out at 91lbs apiece. I’ve tried at least a half dozen times to curl these sons of guns, and never been able to get past parallel position, but they came up pretty strong earlier this month.

Blobzilla + 55lb Anvil by the Heel

I finally seem to have gotten through some index finger injuries. One that came all the way back into last August (2016) from breaking a nail in a strongman show, to the prep for Nationals in June 2017, on the Tips Tester. My fingers just do not like that piece. I haven’t been able to lift Blobzilla many times since about April due to my fingers hurting. The 55lb Anvil by the Heel – I threw that in just for some variety.

Runing Man Dumbbell Biceps Curls Challenge

My endurance has improved well over the course of the month. I really had to take a lot of breaks the first and second time I ran through this. I was “ON,” on this day though. I think I can shave it down to under 2 minutes, if I can manage to get through it with zero rest-breaks.

110 Dumbbell Bench Press x 16 Reps

Until I get heavier dumbbells, I’m shooting to build this up to a set of 20 reps. My long term goal for Dumbbell Bench Press is still 150s for a set of 10. I did a set of 3 near the end of July, while I was on vacation.

I’m extremely please with the results I’ve seen from this month’s arm training, especially in the performance department, and I hope all of you who picked up the August of Arms program are seeing the same kind of thing. I can’t wait until the month is over to get a measurement. I think I have a real good chance to hit the 20″ mark. It will also be re-test day on the 4 main movements, and I can see those going up BIG TIME.

To also have seen some resurgence in my Block Weight Strength, as well as improvement on the Dumbbell Bench Press – those are just sweet, sweet bonuses.

And of course, once September gets here, it’s time for Legtember, brother.

If you want in on that, go here => LEGTEMBER: Make Leg Day Great Again.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

August of Arms

The Funnest Month of Training is Just a Few Days Away, Brotherrrr!

August of Arms 2017 has been updated and is ready to go.

This year’s program is totally overhauled, in an attempt to bring you the best version of August of Arms ever.

What started in 2014 as just “going to the gym and doing whatever random stuff I could think of,” has gradually evolved into a more and more purposeful month of training, which is also full of fun.

This year’s program is based around a new set of Test Lifts. I modified them this year for a few reasons:

• feedback that I’ve gotten from past customers
• changes that I’ve made in my training recently
• to give a change of pace to those who have followed August of Arms the last couple of year
• and I feel they match better to the goal of building BIGGER and STRONGER arms

The training you this month is based around improving your performance in the Test Lifts, helping you build bigger, stronger arms, and get the most out of your training, with purposefully selected exercises.

August of Arms truly is the Ultimate Arm Training Specialization Program.

To give you an idea of some of the new stuff I’ve got planned for you, I thought I’d post some of my own Test Lifts.

The first Test Lift I’d like to share with you is the Bodyweight Close Grip Bench Press. I plugged this one into the August of Arms program because for a time earlier this Spring, I did a mini-run at the 225lb Bench Press for Reps, like is done in the NFL combine. I liked it so much, that I built it into AOA 2017.

Bodyweight Close Grip Bench Press

Here is my official Pre-Test video for the Bodyweight Close Grip Bench Press.

Don’t worry if you can’t do your bodyweight on the Close Grip Bench. I go over some alternatives you can take in August of Arms.

I’ll be sharing more Testing Results as I complete the Pre-Test Lifts for August of Arms.

If you’re ready to build BIGGER, STRONGER Arms, then pick up your copy of August of Arms 2017 today.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Last week, I tried curling 80lb Dumbbells for the first time in a little while. The cross-body tension had really been bothering my back for quite some time. But it was feeling pretty good here, recently so I gave it a run.

80lb Curl Initial Test

This test didn’t go very well. Maybe I wasn’t warmed up very well. Maybe I was kind of tired. Maybe something was just a little off, but I didn’t get very many reps.

80lb Curl Second Test

About a week later, I tried the 80’s again, and was pleasantly surprised with how many reps I got: 5 with the Left arm and 4 with the Right. No idea why my left is stronger or has better endurance, but it has been that way for a few months.

85lb Curl Initial Test

After the PR at 80, I figured I’d better try out the 85’s. I have never curled these 85’s before, and in fact have only been able to curl 85’s one other time, if memory serves.

I approach arms like this. Sure, I want them to be big, but I want them to be strong too.

That’s why I have a double-sided goal for my arm development of 20″ biceps, cold (no pump) and to one day be able to curl 100lb Dumbbells.

If you like the idea of building the arms for both size and strength, then grab one of the programs below, August of Arms, and Call to Arms.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

How to Avoid Chest Pain from Benching

Every so often, my shoulders and pec tie-ins are sore, on Chest Day.

This kind of stinks, because one of my overall goals is to build my Dumbbell Bench Press to a set of 10 with 150lbs (which I fell very short on last year).

However, I found a nice variation that I can do without pain, and I want to share it with you today.

Pain in the Chest – Try This Benching Variation

Give this variation a try – it BLOWS the chest up BIG TIME and leaves your Triceps completely wasted.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

August of Arms 2015

August of Arms

August of Arms, the month where we train arms in some form or fashion all 31 days during the month of August, is complete.

I first got the idea of training arms for a month straight from Dave Depew, an arm-wrestler friend of mine out in California. With the results he saw last year, I just HAD to try it and went for it wholeheartedly in August of 2014, and encouraged others around the world to join in via Facebook and other Social Media.

August of Arms 2014 was such a success, having added very nearly 1 full inch on my arms during August last year, I decided I was going to do it again in 2015. Only this time, since so many people asked me to provide workouts for them, I put together an entire month of workouts for August of Arms 2015.

I am getting reports in from others, slowly but surely, and will be posting them here on the site soon, but before I get to that, I wanted to show you my personal results first.

August of Arms – The Beginning

To begin, I started out the month, just a shade under 19 inches for each arm, which is extremely close to where I ended last year. A lot of people were of the thinking the gains wouldn’t stay, but it is apparent that they did from August 31, 2014 to August 1, 2015.

Unfortunately, I can’t find the pictures I took of my arms at the beginning of the month…

August of Arms – Re-Measure Days

I did 2 re-measure days on August 10th and August 20th. On the 10th, I noted an increase of roughly 1/4″ on each arm, and by the 20th, I saw another 1/4″ added for 1/2″ total, two-thirds of the way through the month.

Here are the posts where I showed my re-measure pics:

Re-Measure Day 1 – August 10th

Re-Measure Day 2 – August 20th

With August coming a close, I did my 3rd re-measure day on August 31st, and the final measure is in the video below.

August of Arms – Performance Emphasis

In addition to sheer size increases, I also set the program up to increase overall strength, using high-resistance, low-rep strength endurance as well as low-resistance, high-rep strength endurance, in order to put an emphasis on increasing performance, on top of the overall size.

For these tests, I chose 4 exercises:

• Biceps High Weight Strength Endurance: 135-lb Barbell Curl for Max Reps
• Biceps Low Weight Strength Endurance: Poundstone 100-rep Barbell Curls AFAP
• Triceps High Weight Strength Endurance: Close Grip Bench with Bodyweight for Max Reps
• Triceps Low Weight Strength Endurance: 30lb 1 Arm French Press – 100 Reps AFAP

August of Arms – Before and After

In the below section, you’ll see the initial baseline test for each lift, followed by the re-test performance.

Part 1: Triceps High Weight Strength Endurance: Close Grip Bench with Bodyweight for Max Reps

Part 2: Biceps High Weight Strength Endurance: 135-lb Barbell Curl for Max Reps

Part 3: Triceps Low Weight Strength Endurance: 30lb 1 Arm French Press – 100 Reps AFAP

Part 4: Biceps High Weight Strength Endurance: 135-lb Barbell Curl for Max Reps (Again)

Part 5: Biceps Low Weight Strength Endurance: Poundstone 100-rep Barbell Curls AFAP

Part 6: The Measurements

As you can see, August of Arms 2015 was a success for me, in the way of size and strength (with the exception of the Barbell Curls). You’ll also see that August of Arms 2015 was also a success for many other individuals.

Just because August is over, don’t think you still can’t keep doing “August of Arms.” Some people got into it late and are yet to finish, so I expect to hear from more people about their gains and improvements.

Also, lifters are still picking up their copies of August of Arms in order to put together their month-long trek of Arm Training Specialization.

If you haven’t picked up August of Arms yet, it’s still available, and you can pick it up by clicking here: August of Arms – Arm Specialization Training.

Be sure to send in YOUR results from August of Arms when you’ve finished the program as well.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

August of Arms 2015: Update #1

With yesterday being August 10th, it was my first Re-Measure Day for August of Arms.

I was PSYCHED to report about a 1/4 inch improvement on each arm, especially since the first 7 days of the month I was on family vacation.

As a review, I started out at roughly 19 inches per arm and now I am at 19.25 inches. The still shots are in the video below.

On Saturday, I was driving back from the beach, so I was only able to get some high-rep band work in and missed the planned workout, so on Sunday I combined both Saturday’s and Sunday’s workouts and got a great session in.

Here’s a video of one of the exercises I did, called Arm Wrestler Dumbbell Curls. It was part of the Fame of Arms workout in the August of Arms program.

Arm Wrestler Dumbbell Curls

As you can see, Arm Wrestler Dumbbell Curls is all about strength. The dumbbell used was pretty heavy and the isometric hold at the half-way point was very demanding and produced a different kind of pump in the arms.

The way I see it, it’s still early in the month. Plenty more time to produce add size to the guns.

Being home, I will be able to get better quality workouts than when I was on vacation, so I’m really looking forward to the next 2/3 of the month!

It’s not too late to pick up your copy of August of Arms. So what if you’re late to the ball game.

Your month of August of Arms starts RIGHT NOW!

Pick up your copy of August of Arms TODAY.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

August of Arms 2015

You Son of a B*tch!

When set out to put August of Arms 2015 together, I wanted it to be something different.

Not just the same old arm training B.S. where it’s a bunch of endless reps, and all you’re trying to do is get a pump.

While the size is good, I always thought it was best to build some strength along with it.

So, I worked plenty of strength training into the August of Arms layout as well.

In fact, the first workout of August of Arms is a Testing Day where you get your baseline strength measurements.

There are 4 different movements that I chose. One low-volume test for both biceps and triceps, and one high-volume test for both biceps and triceps.

If you think that August of Arms is just the same old stuff regurgitated, then you’re wrong, brother. Period.

I needed to have these videos ready for the initial release of the product, so I shot them several days early.

Here’s how I did in my baseline arm strength and endurance tests.

Close Grip Bench Press – Bodyweight for Reps

Barbell Curl – 135lbs for Reps

One Arm French Press – 30lbs for 100 reps AFAP

Poundstone Curl – 45lbs for 100 reps AFAP

I thought, going in, that I had chosen some pretty good benchmark movements, and after going through them myself, I feel even more strongly that I picked good movements to track progress.

Throughout the month, aside from doing exercises that are going to add size to your arms, you’ll also be doing other lifts that contribute to your performance on these 4 key lifts.

I feel that this month’s program is gonna be awesome for you. It’s different from anything I’ve ever read or tried, and I think it’s going to bring about big results for you.

If you want to build bigger arms, then pick up August of Arms, today.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Build Bigger Arms – August of Arms

If you want to build bigger arms, pack some size on those bi’s, and develop some thick triceps that hang right off your arm, then August of Arms is going to be the most productive, and probably the most fun, block of training you do all this year.

I’ve packed the program with all kinds of cool exercises – you won’t get bored doing the same stuff all the time, you can believe that.

Also, I’ve sprinkled in several cool challenges throughout the month.

“Attack the Stack” is my favorite challenge. I filmed the demonstrational video for it yesterday, and it was INTENSE.

Attack the Stack is similar to the old bodybuilding exercise called “Run the Rack,” which involves hitting a serious of dumbbells, one after the other, either up or down the dumbbell rack, or both.

“Attack the Stack” is different though. This one involves a cable machine, so it can be done at any commercial gym, like the vast majority of what I have planned for August of Arms.

I’m saving Attack the Stack for later on, but if you want to see one of the cool moves I’ve got for you, check out Ab Wheel Isometric Holds…

Build Big Arms: Ab Wheel Isometric Holds

Might not look too tough, but try it pre-exhausted and for a few more reps, and it will blow your triceps up BIG TIME.

Here’s the thing about August of Arms, DIESELS.

This month is gonna be FUN.

Too often, I speak with coaches and lifters and it sounds like they DREAD their training, more than they LOOK FORWARD to it.

One of the biggest things I’ve done the last few years is I have made my training more enjoyable.

I don’t mean I go in there and screw around – not by any means.

But now, when I go into the weight room, I leave BETTER than when I went in.

I absolutely LOVE training, but there was a time during 2011 and 2012 where I HATED going into the gym.

You can’t be successful with your training, if you DESPISE even going to the gym.

Slowly, in late 2012 and even more so in 2013, I began changing my mindset about training.

It wasn’t ALL about stressing over the next competition anymore.

It wasn’t about hitting some crazy feat, or some far-off number on a certain lift.

It was about challenging myself, competing with myself, and actually having fun.

And lo and behold, these days, I’m stronger and performing better in just about EVERYTHING I could possibly want to anyway.

One of my biggest objectives with August of Arms is to make lifting FUN again for you, all while helping you see as much progress and value out of your training as possible.

I hope you decide to come along for the ride, and if you want updates about the program, just add your info to the box below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

I Love Strength.

I love training for it. I love testing it. I love displaying it.

I’ve aligned everything in my workouts to help me build more strength.

My obsession with strength has led me to turning even the lifts that you wouldn’t normally consider “strength lifts” into legitimate tests of strength and intestinal fortitude.

One such example is the Triceps Rope Pushdown. Generally an exercise used to pump up the triceps and make them grow, I’ve found it can also be used to test the strength throughout much of the upper body.

I don’t bother staying super strict with this. My arms move, I engage my lats, and there is a bit of throw in there, but I don’t care.

The objective is to move so much weight on this old-school cable machine of mine, that I hope to cause a failure in the device somewhere, so that the weight crashes down, cracking the concrete floor, and bits and pieces of shrapnel shoot out everywhere.

I hit this lift and variations of it countless times during the month of October, throughout the Yoketober program. But most of that work was for high volume to build mass. I decided I wanted to see just how heavy I could go.

During most of my Yoketober workouts, I was in the 75lb to 90lb area on this lift. It wasn’t until last week that I finally decide to go after triple digits, working all the way up to 125.

Build Strong Triceps: Heavy Triceps Rope Push-dwons

In the video above, I get 5 reps. That means it’s time to go up in weight, brotherrrr.

Also, take note, I don’t count the first one, where I throw it down to the bottom position. A little decorum, please.

It may seem crazy to do this, but to me it’s not.

I like ramping up the intensity, and I enjoy turning things like this into tests of strength.

What’s awesome is that since my Push-down is plate loadable, there’s really no limit as to how much weight I can use, whereas on most Push-down machines at commercial gyms, you’re limited to the weight stack, and I can usually stack those with no problem.

I will continue to hit these Heavy Push-downs until the weight I use totally destroys my machine, or until I shred the sleeves open on the awesome 3/4 length sleeve tee shirt I wear in the video.

Here’s to you causing serious damage this year as well.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

20 Rep Squats for Building Massive Muscle

Since August, I have been experimenting with 20 Rep Squats.

Performing 20 Rep Squats is a tactic that was made famous by many oldtime strongmen and other writers of yesterday.

The claim is that by performing 20-Rep Squats, you can put on substantial amounts of muscle mass.

Since that is one of my primary objectives right now, along with increasing full body strength, I decided to give 20-Rep Squats a try.

Now, from my understanding there are a couple of ways that 20 Rep Squats can be done. The method I am using is what was described to me by James Fuller, who actually is the one who made me consider doing these after all.

He suggests taking your 10-rep max weight in the Back Squat and performing 20 Reps with it. You rep out the first 10 Reps without rest, and then you finish with the last 10 Reps with any rest-pauses you need, but you absolutely do not set the bar down. It remains on your shoulders from the moment the set begins until you hit the 20-rep mark.

Other approaches exist. For instance, some teach rest-pausing as needed throughout the set. Others suggest taking as big of a breath as possible into the lungs before each repetition, in an effort to expand the rib cage as much as possible.

As far as expanding the rib cage, I have not researched that, but I will say that after my set of 20-Rep Squats, I do lie on a bench and perform chest stretches using the Dumbbell Pull-over movement.

Regarding MY 20-Rep Squat Sets

When you watch the videos below, take note that I am not using my 10-RM in any of them. There are a couple of reasons why…

1) I am always cautious of my back and I am siding toward being cautious. Nothing sucks more than being hurt and unable to train, especially when you know you could have prevented the injury by being cautious, so that is exactly what I am doing.

2) I do a great deal of Squatting BEFORE I do my 20-Rep Squat set. I pair Squatting with my gripper work and often do 8 to 10 work sets before my 20-Rep Squats, so I am already fatigued.

3) These 20-Rep Squats have essentially become my Squat finisher. These are the last thing I do before I move on to the next portion of my workout. My 10-RM is probably closer to 305 or 315.

Tom Platz Squats 500 for 23 Reps

Reading Sources for 20-Rep Squats:

I have not read these books

My 20-Rep Squat Workouts

20 Rep Squats: 225lbs – Aug 17

20 Rep Squats: 235lbs – Aug 26

20 Rep Squats: 255lbs – Sep 2

20 Rep Squats: 265lbs – Sep 10

I did 20-Rep Squats one time back in like 2004 and hated them. I got extremely sore and it interrupted a whole week of my training, so I said to hell with them.

This time however, I really wanted to see what they could bring me, so I have stuck with them.

I plan on gradually moving up in weight and will eventually be up over 300-lbs with them, I am just taking my time.

I welcome comments, especially from those who have followed the program, and I would love to hear about your results.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Learn Another Great
Full Body Strength and Muscle Building Method:
STONE LIFTING

Throughout the month of August, I trained arms every single day in order to bust through my current plateau and trigger a quick increase in arm size.

I called this August of Arms and used the hashtags #AugustOfArms & #31DaysOfArms when I put up updates on Facebook.

August of Arms:
The Tale of the Tape

I was successful in adding just under an inch to each arm over the course of the month. I took preliminary measurements and each arm was about 18″ on August 1st. I re-measured every 10 days.

August 1 Measurements:

  

By August 10th, I had added roughly a 1/2 inch to each arm. I saw no increase on August 20th, but on August 31st, when I remeasured again, each arm had increased to roughly 19″, cold.

August 10 Measurements (+/- 1/2″ Increase):

  

August 20 Measurements (No Change):

  

August 31 Measurements (+/- 1/2″ Increase):

  

This seems to have been a very common theme across the board as many, many lifters who approached and followed through the August Of Arms plan also saw solid increases of .5 inches to 1 inch and slightly above.

To really go out with a bang, on the 31st, I ended the month with a Big Arm workout, hitting both Biceps and Triceps with some of my favorite lifts from the great month of August.

Here are some of highlights from Workout 31 of #AugustOfArms

I am very happy with my results from this month-long experiment, and I plan on doing more focused training, just like this.

Stay tuned for more information on what is coming during September.

It is imperative you get your best email onto my newsletter, if you aren’t already.

The form at the top of the right-hand side bar will make sure you are notified every time I put up a new post on the site.

Also, make sure we are connected through Facebook and Twitter:

I will have more information coming your way soon.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

There are a couple of very sick, twisted and sadistic people out there who deserve to be punished severely.

They are Derek Poundstone and Jason Steeves.

Yes, that Derek Poundstone – the pro strongman competitor.

He’s the one that came up with this craziness.

The other one, Jason Steeves, is someone who I thought I was my friend, but now I know the truth – HE IS NOT – since he’s the one that introduced me to the challenge.

The way he put it, he was “helping me out” with a way to spice up my #AugustOfArms training this month.

But, I think he was actually trying to maim me, brother.

What is the Poundstone Barbell Curl Challenge?

Apparently, for some reason, Derek Poundstone thought it would be a great idea to try to curl an empty barbell for 100 reps.

I guess he started doing this a couple years ago, once a month.

Well, up until a couple weeks back, I had steered clear of this challenge and knew nothing about it.

That’s where Jason Steeves comes in.

The conversation went a little something like this…

Jason: Hey Jedd, I see you’re doing #31DaysOfArms. Ever hear of Derek Poundstone’s 100-rep Empty Barbell Challenge?

Jedd: No man. What is that?

Jason: Oh, just try and curl a barbell 100 times. You’ll love it. It will change your life. Best thing ever. It will help you sleep better at night. You’ll never want to put sugar or salt on your food ever again. You’ll start getting discounts on your meals at fancy restaurants, and so on…

Jedd: OK, I’ll give them a try.

So I moseyed on down to the gym that night and tried it, and I couldn’t believe the PAIN in my biceps.

I couldn’t believe how quickly it went from being easy and feeling like a complete waste of time, to being so ridiculously hard!

I had to double check and make sure Poundstone or Steeves hadn’t actually snuck into my gym and quietly slid a 45-lb plate on each end of the bar, brother!!!

I think the first time I tried it, I got 24 reps and I couldn’t believe how pathetic I felt.

I must have been having a bad day.

I HAD to try it one more time.

Trying the Poundstone Empty Barbell Curl Challenge

Here is the second day I tried the Poundstone Empty Barbell Curl Challenge:

So I post the video above and who comes and leaves a comment below? Jason Steeves himself.

Jason: “You had more Jedd!!! Where was the fire to blast out another 15? The last rep looked just as crisp as the first. If you were really bagged physically I would’ve seen them slowing down. Get mad!! Get your 50!!!!”

Jedd: “I will do it again tonight duuuuuuude!”

True to my word, I picked my poison again and hit the challenge that night.

Here it was:

Poundstone Barbell Curl 100 Rep Challenge

And just like someone who is hooked on crystal meth, now, I can’t stop doing these.

Just like someone who gets hooked on pain killers, and they need more and more and more, now I even find myself trying this challenge WITH EXTRA WEIGHT ON THE BAR.

Do you see how crazy this is?

Poundstone Curls with Weight Added – Purely Crazy Barbell Curl Challenge

And now, just like a drug dealer who pushes their addiction on others, I’m pushing this Poundstone Barbell Curl Challenge on YOU, brother.

Honestly, just like I talk about in Call to Arms, I don’t like mindless reps when training PERIOD, let alone when training arms.

I don’t like just standing there and curling weight just to hit a target number.

I like squeezing each rep and having control over the bar or dumbbell, so that each rep has a purpose.

But this Poundstone Empty Barbell Curl 100-Rep Challenge thing has been different.

I want to keep on pushing the envelope to see where it will take me.

If you want a crazy, illogical, bicep curl challenge, then give this a try my friend!

Let me know what you think.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Regardless of the fact that the barbell is empty, it KILLS my wrists and forearms if I don’t use Globe Gripz. If Barbell Curls hurt you, you need to get some of these life savers.

P.P.S. I have no heat against Derek Poundstone or Jason Steeves regarding this Barbell Challenge. That was all a work.

31 Days of Arms – August 2014

Brad Martin and Jedd Johnson

I was recently talking with my old friend, Brad Martin of Titan Strength in Horseheads, NY.

As it turns out, he is just as OBSESSED with Arm Training as I am, and we cam eup with a pretty crazy idea.

Inspired by a friend of mine, Dave Depew, owner of Grinder Gym in San Diego, CA, we are going to embark upon a new training program for the month of August.

We are calling it “31 Days of Arms.”

31 Days of Arms

Starting August 1st, and going through the entire month, every single day we will be hitting some form of Arm Training.

I want to do this to set a foundation for my Arm Training Initiative of reaching 20″ Guns while cold.

What I mean by that is I want to reach the point that my arms are 20inches, just walking around.

Not during the workout, not with a pump, and not after training, but ANYTIME during the day.

Brad and I were talking about it on Facebook and we already have one guy interested in joining us, Nate Gagnon, an Arm Wrestler from New England.

Guidelines for August of Arms

So, do you want to be a part of this “August of Arms” initiative?

If so, leave a comment below or get a hold of me in some other fashion.

We are going to take before and after pics, measurements, and we are going to document our workouts on Facebook.

I hope to hear from you soon.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Today’s question comes from Norm, and it is about Mace Swinging.

“Hi Jedd
I picked up your Home Made Strength Online DVD. I’m very happy with the product. My only question is whether the exercise where you swing the mace around your head should be used as a warmup, main strength move, or finisher? -Norm-“

Thanks for the note, Norm. Mace Swinging is a lot of fun, plus is is very versatile, so I put together a quick article for you.

In addition, I just talked with Ryan Pitts, and he just set up a special discount code just for my subscribers.

From Ryan Pitts at Stronger Grip Enterprises:

“I have been making the handles on some of the maces loadable at request of customer. I will give this upgrade to anyone who uses your diesel5 code. They get 5% off and a bonus $25 value of loadable handle, giving the mace an extra 10-16 lb capacity depending on what kind of media and length of mace they order. -Ryan Pitts-“

To get your own Mace with the custom adjustable-weight handle, use this link:

Special Diesel Crew Link for Custom Handle Maces

Be sure to use the code => diesel5 <= when you check out to get 5% off and get a cool adjustable handle.

The Benefits of Mace Swinging

Maces: Multi-Purpose Tools, Perfect for Warm-up, Strength Work, or Finishers

Is the Mace best used as a Warm-up device, a Strength Movement, or as a Finisher?

The Mace can actually be used for all three of these purposes. Allow me to detail each one…

Mace Training as a Warm-up

When done with a light weight, Mace Training can be a great warm-up for the upper body.

The shoulders, biceps, triceps, and the lower arms get used under light loads very fluidly with Mace Swinging, and this promotes blood flow to the area, lubricating the joints, making them feel good, especially after a long day where you are stuck in a chair or something like that.

In addition, the over the shoulder and behind the head movements of Mace Swinging open up the thoracic region of the torso, which can help you lift heavier later on in the workout.

Maces as a Strength Movement

You can also test your strength and coordination with heavy mace swinging.

I had a giant mace / club made several years ago that I call the Demolition Club.

Here’s a post on the Demolition Club.

It’s literally a giant artillery shell with a handle and it weighs 89lbs. The handle is super thick and there is no ball at the end of the handle, you not only must get your core, torso, and shoulders ready to go in order to swing this thing, but you grip must be ON too.

So, you can load a mace up heavy, especially shot-loadable ones like Ryan Pitts makes here, and keep the repetitions lower for a very challenging strength movement.

Maces as a Finisher

I, generally, use my mace training as a “finisher” of sorts the majority of the time.

During periods where I have no contests to train for, or if I am looking to burn some extra calories, I use Mace Swinging as “Upper Body Cardio,” at the end of the workout, doing a handful of sets for maximum repetitions.

Generally, I will wear some kind of gloves with these, in order to prevent blisters. Plus, my hands have to work a bit harder, so I get a good Grip Strength Challenge out of it.

I even like to do some “Sprint-Style” Mace Swinging, where I try to rip off 20 repetitions as fast as possible for 4 to 6 sets.

So, really, depending on what you want to go for, Mace Swinging can be a great multi-purpose form of training.

I like the shot-loadable Mace that I have, and you can also buy plate loadable ones too.

Good luck with your Mace Training, Norm.

Jedd

P.S. Don’t have a Mace? I gotcha covered:

You can buy a sweet shot-loadable mace here.<= Use code Diesel5 to get 5% off

Build Big Arms and Strong Wrists

Superstar Billy Graham

One of my overall goals is to build my arms up to 20″ cold (no pump).

The way I see it, if you are going to get big, you might as well build strength to go along with it.

And if you are going to be strong, then by all means get as big as you can.

With these things in mind, I give you Scale Weight Curls.

A Scale Weight is a block-shaped weight that is used in industrial settings where scales are used.

These weights are calibrated to specific measurements and have handles so that they can be placed on the scale quickly and easily in order to test that a scale is reading accurately.

How to Perform Scale Weight Curls

Scale Weight Curls can be done like any other curl. They can be done free-standing or braced, and can be done in alternating style or both at the same time.

For me, performing them standing has gotten too easy, so I have been doing them in more of a Preacher Curl style, off my Glute Ham Machine. This allows me to keep the movement more concentrated (although cheating is not completely eliminated).

Also, what I look for is to try to keep my wrist in a neutral position throughout the full range of motion. This strengthens the wrist a bit more.

I can usually get up to 3 extra reps per set if I let my wrist buckle, so once I feel that I am losing my neutral position and breaking into ulnar deviation, I generally just stop the set.

Here is a video showing some recent Scale Weight Curls.

Scale Weight Curls

Scale Weights are somewhat hard to come by, because they are a specialized tool, sort of like anvils, and they can be cheap, but I have been lucky enough to score a couple over the years.

Believe me, the collection of grip tools I have amassed has taken me literally years to develop, tons of time to research, and of course, big expenses in order to build.

If you can’t find Scale Weights, another alternative is to try and curl your Kettlebells. Since the kettlebell handle sits out away from the rest of the bell, they will actually be much tougher to curl, and the weights will drop, but you will still get the Leverage Curl effect.

Still, I like the Scale Weight Curl a little better than Kettlebell Curls, just because I can use a bit more weight to challenge the biceps more, while also challenging my wrists.

To take it even further, you can attempt to curl your Scale Weight or Kettlebll in a supinated position. When you do this, you will have to CRUSH DOWN on the handle BIG TIME, or else you won’t be very successful.

I hope you enjoy this variation of Curls.

For more sinister ideas on how to build crazy arm strength, check out Call to Arms.

All the best in your training,

Jedd