As if the dozens and dozens of medieval Grip torture devices I already had in my collection were not enough, one day about 5 years ago, I was looking for a tool that I could use to take my thick bar training to another level of insanity.

Singles and doubles weren’t enough anymore. I wanted to be able to train thick bar dynamically for reps after reps after reps, by picking up a thick big-handled beast and swinging it around with speed and power.

What I had in mind would create not only tremendous thick bar lifting strength, but also hyper-gravity eccentric loading that would test my fingers to the maximum capacity.

And, I wanted to be able to train both hands at the same time.

Alas, I could not find what I was looking for anywhere on the market, so I reached out to my good friend, Chris Rice, who had a way of taking my crazy ideas and turning them into reality by using very simple tools and materials.

What he came up with is something that turned out to be one of the absolute most brutal ways to train not only the hands for incredible grip strength, but also the glutes, core, legs, arms and shoulders all at the same time.

This device is called Napalm’s Nightmare.

While my mind does not dream up the “nightmarish” acts that Patrick Bateman did
(movie: American Psycho), I am capable of thinking of some pretty
DASTARDLY Grip Training Devices, such as Napalm’s Nightmare

Napalm’s Nightmare

Napalm’s Nightmare is the realization of my truly sick and twisted mind. Napalm was the pyromaniac wrestling character I pitched to WWE back in 2001, who would celebrate victories by lighting his hands and arms on fire. While they did not think that was as good of an idea as I did, at least the name gets to live on with this device.

This grip training tool combines the rotating effect of the IronMind Rolling Thunder Handle with the dynamic swinging nature of the Kettlebell. It is attached to a loading pin with weight added, making it fully adjustable for trainees of any strength level. ANYONE can benefit from this device in the way of GRIP STRENGTH and full body strengthening.

Next Level Napalm’s Nightmare Lifting

As often is the case, when one insane individual meets another, things can go much further than what the first maniac intended. While I designed Napalm’s Nightmare to be used in one way, others have taken my brainchild and produced even more sinister ideas.

Darrin Shallman, a long-time member of The Grip Authority, took the premise of Napalm’s Nightmare and has pushed the envelope of what is possible to new heights. Not happy with submaximal weight lifted for long durations of time, Darrin has begun testing the limits of Napalm’s Nightmare lifting with maximal lifts.

Here is Darrin showing Napalm’s Nightmare who is boss.

Darrin Shallman – Napalm’s Nightmare Deadlift – 320lbs

Take note, in case your speakers are busted, Darrin is only 157-lbs and his hands are about 7.5″ in length. This is a tremendous lift that only a true Sick Grip monster would attain.

Mike Rinderle – Napalm’s Nightmare Deadlift – 328-lbs

My brother from another mother, Rindo, also has posted some tremendous lifts with the NN. Here is 328. His training with this tool of grip sickness is even more intense because lives in an apartment above two elderly folks, so he has to set everything down as quietly as possible so he doesn’t wake them up every day.

Napalm Jedd Lifting Napalm’s Nightmare

After watching these two Sicko’s going for their max, I had to try it as well. I worked up to 315 for a nearly full lift. It’s not counting the loading pin – who knows it might be 320 total. That kind of stuff doesn’t matter until we get to the platform. In training, i am all about feeling the BURN brotherrrrr.

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As you can see, Napalm’s Nightmare is a lovely piece of home made equipment that has many benefits and many uses. To top it all off, for younger lifters or ladies who are just now beginning to get the Grip Fever, the rolling outside PVC handles can bee removed to expose smaller, yet still thick and Grip Power Producing handles.

Want to make your own Napalm’s Nightmare handle? It’s easy. Just check out my Home Made Strength 2 <=Click that link, brother. HMS2 - Grip Strength Edition will show you how to build a slew of Sick Grip Gear, plus you will learn how to use it to build Monster hand Strength.

“I Got a Fever. And the only cure is MORE THICK BAR.” – Rick Walker

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Pick up Home Made Strength: Grip Strength Edition (Digital Video) Today

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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