This is a great exercise for developing strength and power through the torso, but more importantly it trains you to load the back hip and extend through the glutes, down through the ground, while firing your torso muscles in a rotating motion.  This is the same neurological firing sequence you find in most athletic movements.  As a strength coach I find this a very desirable exercise to use with my athletes.

One of the biggest mistakes my athletes make with this exercise is not stepping far enough away from the sled to take up the slack in the strap.  You want the strap with no slack in it to start as seen in the picture.  From there you want to engage your torso musculature; particularly your abdominals as you start to load the back hip area.  Extend through the hip and knee to generate force through the ground as the torso begins it’s rotation.  Then follow through the full range of motion.

This is a training method I use to achieve rotational force and power.  It has proven itself to be a highly effect exercise over the years and I would encourage you to give it a try.  Try it even if you are no longer a participating athlete. You can slow down the power element and it will become more of a rotational strength exercise for your core.

To your health,

Jerry

I love this exercise and I do it with a lot of my athletes and clients.  The Squatting Power Row just produces great results and you can feel it working with the very first pull.  Here are some main points to focus on when performing this exercise:

• Keep the weight back on your heels.
• Drop down into a full squat and do not allow your knees to move forward over your toes.
• Drive up out of the squat maintaining good form in your torso.
• Pull the elbows back towards your sides and draw back the shoulder blades into a tight scapular retracted position.
• Back-peddle until tension is in the strap, get your feet set, and repeat explosively.

You can add plates and/or weight as needed.  Much of this will be dependant upon the surface you are dragging the sled across.  Perform repetitions down the full length of a field or by predetermined repetitions.

If you have a dragging sled then give this one a try and tell me what you think.  If you do not have a sled then go get a tire and build one.  This is one exercise you will want in your arsenal of exercises to add variety to your progressive routines.

To your health,

Jerry

]]> http://www.varietytrainer.com/squatting-power-row-with-a-dragging-sled/feed/ 0 http://www.varietytrainer.com/how-to-make-a-homemade-tire-dragging-sled/ http://www.varietytrainer.com/how-to-make-a-homemade-tire-dragging-sled/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:38:45 +0000 Jerry Shreck http://www.varietytrainer.com/?p=1479 Training tools and fads will come and go but a dragging sled I will always have.  This is the most functional and versatile piece of training equipment that I have and the least expensive to make.  You can literally train every muscle in the body with this one tool and some creative thought.  The best part, is that you can make one for under $7.00 and in about half an hour you can be dragging, pushing, and pulling this sled everywhere.

First, get yourself a jeep or truck tire.  I just kept my jeep tires when I got them replaced but you can go to any tire shop and they will gladly give you as many tires as you want for free.  They have to pay to dispose of them, so you taking tires saves them more and adds to their profits.

Next, get yourself around 12-16 feet of strap for dragging the sled.  I get mine from Wal-mart in the craft/material department for around $3.00.  The strap seen on the sled in the video is around 12 feet but I would recommend getting it a little longer-closer to 16 feet.  You can get more heavy duty straps or towing straps but that will also increase the cost and that is entirely up to you and what you like.

Finally, off to the hardware store for some bolts, big washers, and seat belt floor attachments.  You could use eye-bolts in replace of the seat belt attachments.  Just know in advance what strapping material you are going to use to ensure it will fit through the chosen bolt. 

You will require a few tools to make your sled:  High powered drill, heavy duty drill bit, jig saw, and appropriate size wrenches or sockets.

Now you are ready to put it all together.  Measure from the inside rim of your tire about 2-3 inches and drill a hole.  You will use that hole to insert the blade of your jig saw and then cut the inside rim out while maintaining the same distance from the rim.  This will allow you to place standard 45 pound plates into the tire.  Only cut one side of the tire out.  The other rim will not be big enough to allow the plates to fall through the tire.  You will have the ability to stack multiple plates in the tire.

Next, drill a hole in the middle of the tread with your heavy duty drill and bit and insert your hardware as explained in the video.  Drill the second hole in the tread on the opposite side of the tire but slightly in front of a plum center diameter line.  I have found this to be a better set up when you are going to drag heavy weight.  The tire will slide more evenly across the surface creating more contact and greater resistance for you.

Lastly, tie your strap on and you are ready to start dragging!!!

I would recommend dragging outside.  The rubber will get warm and tacky and can leave drag marks on the floors inside. The best surface resistance you will get is off the pavement.  Oh and if you have kids; they love to climb in and get dragged all over the neighborhood.

Well, there you have it; a cheap but highly productive training tool.  Enjoy!!

To your health,

Jerry

The Thomas Inch Dumbbell is a thick handled 172 pound dumbbell that the old time strongmen would challenge people to try to pick up with one hand.  When men would attempt it; it would just roll out of their hand.  Their grip was not strong enough to hold something that thick or heavy.

This homemade rotating fat handle dumbbell will allow me to progressively add weight and mimic that famous dumbbell.

As seen in the video, this dumbbell was made with a piece of 2″ pipe, another shorter piece of pipe that fits around the 2″ pipe (handle), some plates and two bar collars.  I was given the chunks of pipe from a good friend of mine Mike Lacondro (thanks Mike!) and I had the bar collars and plates so the whole thing cost me nothing to make.  Hey guys, pipe is cheap and easy to pick up if you are looking for it.  Just start asking around to people who work with pipes.  Chances are they cut off pieces this size all the time doing a job and then just throw out the left over chunks.  Remember, it does not cost anything and never hurts to ask.

You can also make a thick barbell this way with longer pieces of pipe.  Also, there will be no gnarling so you may want to use a little chalk.

If you have never worked with fat handled equipment give it a try.  It will give your normal exercise a whole new feel and work your grip like never before.  If you do not feel like building a pipe dumbbell then just try this; take a towel with you to the gym and wrap it a couple of times around a dumbbell or barbell.  This will make your bar thicker to mimic a fatter bar.  You will notice a significant difference right away.

Hope this helps!

To your health,

Jerry

PS:  If I ever pick up the “Inch” I will let you know and hopefully I catch it on film!!

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Hey everyone, you heard about it and it is finally here and completed-Jedd Johnson’s Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball guide.   I am aware that some of you may not be familiar with who Mr. Johnson is so I caught up with him and did a little interview.  I think it is important to have some information about a coach who shares his or her most vital training information to help athletes and coaches get all they can out of their training to reach their goals.  Enjoy reading the brief interview and then I will share with you some bonuses that I put together for you.

Jedd, Can you give my readers some quick back ground information about yourself leading up to why you created the Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball program?

Sure thing Jerry – anything for you buddy.  By the way guys, Jerry is a great coach and very innovative thinker.  He has shown me a lot of impressive things over the years.

Here’s a little bit about me.  The first part of my life, I loved playing baseball.  It was pretty much all I really cared about spending my time doing all the way to college.  I ended up playing two years at Division II Mansfield University of PA.  Unfortunately, a couple of injuries left my arm in some pretty bad shape, so I decided I would no longer play.

By leaving baseball, this led me to the second love of my life, strength training.  I started serious work with weights in 1999 and have never stopped.  Unfortunately, after a few years away from baseball, my competitive fire started burning again and I looked for something to compete in.  I found Strongman and Grip Strength competitions.

I did my first Grip comp in 2003 and loved it right away.  I began traveling all over the nation to compete and along the way I won the US National Championship in 2005 and set a World Record in one of the main lifts in 2009.

However, after all these years I have always loved baseball.  Each year I attend pro games, high school games, Little League games.  I work with some baseball youngsters on strength training – I just love being around the game and I always wanted to put together something for baseball.  Finally in early 2010, I decided I was going to put something together that combined the two sports I have been the most successful in over the years – baseball and grip strength, and just recently finished Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball, an ebook on training for forearm and grip strength, endurance, and safety.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PROGRAM

How can the program elevate a proven baseball players game or skills?

Baseball players have known for years that leg strength, core strength, arm and shoulder strength and hand strength are important for high performance and longevity in the game.  If any of those elements are weak, your performance will go down.  If an injury takes place in any of those parts of the body, your performance will go down.  So, it is important to make these parts of the body as strong, flexible and healthy as possible for top performance.

Over the years, there has been a tremendous amount of information developed around building strength in the legs, core, and arm for baseball.  Players understand they have to do work on the legs and run to stay fast and in shape.  They know they have to do ab work and rotational activities in order to be able to throw and hit the ball hard, and they know they have to keep their rotator cuff and the rest of the shoulder strong and healthy in order to have optimal arm speed, strength, and velocity.

Unfortunately, there is very little information out there about how to train the hands and forearms the right way to perform at a high level in baseball.  Most of the information that players get is hand-me-down information with very little carryover to baseball performance.

My manual is the definitive resource for building hand strength and forearm strength for baseball players.  The information inside will help batters, fielders, pitchers and catchers to be better players, while also keeping them healthy and in the game longer.  I include in it multiple ways to keep the lower arms healthy through stretching and other therapeutic means that most players, coaches, and trainers are not aware of.

Can your system be easily added into an athlete’s existing training program?

No doubt about it.  Including Grip training in the routine can be done several different ways and I go over this in the manual.  To make things easier, I include 20 full-scale Grip workouts that can be done either in their entirety or can be broken up into segments.  If time is limited, like I know it is for many teams, all the player or strength coach has to do is break my workout templates up into sections.  Each workout can be broken up into three separate smaller workouts.

Approximately how long will each workout take and how many days a week is recommended?

If doing a full-scale grip training workout, the workout can be done in 20 minutes, twice a week.  If broken up into segments, then the workouts can take as short as 5 minutes and can be done throughout the week.  This is all covered in the manual and you can pretty much sculpt the workouts however you would like to.  Plus, my exercise index in the manual includes over 200 movements, so if the template indicates a movement or lift for which you do not have the implement, you can go to that section of the manual and look for other similar movements that you can do that work the same movement patterns so you can get the most out of the time you put into your grip training.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PROGRAM

What types of strength equipment or training tools will be needed to utilize the program?

I have covered an immense amount of equipment that can be used for training grip, but the great thing about it is about half of what I cover requires no special equipment.  You either already have it at your normal strength training facility, or it might be in your garage, or even your baseball equipment bag.  Specialized grip training equipment is available on the market and it is very good for developing hand and forearm strength, but with this manual I will show you ways how to build your own equipment or how to use hardware that is already at your home to build lower arm strength that will get you bigger numbers on the field.

I know this system was specifically created for baseball; but could other athletes and coaches use the training principles for their sports?

No question.  Hand strength is important for many sports, especially football, rugby, MMA, wrestling, and many others, and the movements in this manual can be used to assist those athletes as well.  The therapy section still applies to all those sports because injuries take place in them as well, and if you currently have a lower arm injury, I will show you in the manual some of the ways that I have overcome injuries in the past as well.

Jedd, I would like to thank you for your time and answering these questions.  Is there anything else you would like to add about the Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball program?

Yes, Jerry … Thousands of athletes are going to be picking this up and the ones that get this and start implementing the program are going to have a decided advantage over other players who do not.  So, strike while the iron is hot and get Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball now.

Awesome Jedd, I can’t wait to share this with my readers of variety trainer.  Thank you!

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PROGRAM

I really want everyone to know that Jedd is a first class coach and this 400+ page manual is NO JOKE.  Pure content and tons of extra bonuses.  Now let’s talk MORE bonuses!  When you get the manual here at VarietyTrainer.com, I’ll send you my Nutritional Guide For Serious Athletes.  This is full of valuable nutritional information that any serious athlete needs to understand how to maximize their training results.  THERE’S MORE: I am also giving away a 15 Week Baseball Strength Training Program to be used directly with Jedd’s Ultimate Forearm Training System.  I hope you truly take advantage of what is being offered to you.  To pick up these additional bonuses email me your receipt showing that you picked up the manual and I will forward you the link to the bonuses.  Click over now and you won’t believe what all is included!

To your health,

Jerry

DON’T WASTE ANYMORE TIME:  GET THE PROGRAM

Injury prevention exercises are always a priority while writing up programs for my athletes.  I also hold these same ideals when it comes to training programs for my clients and yes even for myself.  I love going on backpacking trips and hiking those trails that take you away from civilization and back to nature.  There is a lot of good solid exercise involved in hiking a rocky trail with a 50 pound backpack loading you down the entire way.  So training for these trips is vital so I can truly enjoy the entire adventure and not get tired or injured along the way.

These ankle mobility techniques I believe have saved my ankles on more than one occasion.  Sometimes the trails are rocky and sometimes I have to cross a stream by going from rock to rock.  Let’s face it, rocks do not always stay in place and many times roll from under your foot.  Having mobility and being able to stabilize not only protects my ankles but also my knees and has helped to prevent falls.

I believe these simple type of joint mobility exercises are very important for everyone.  Give them a try and see if your ankles start feeling better in a few weeks; heck they will feel better right after you do them.

Hope these help!

Jerry

I recently got a request from Khyati asking if I could show a body weight exercise for the hamstrings that would require no equipment.  Well, I almost did.  The only equipment you would need for this exercise would be paper plates, a towel, or some soft socks.   I love how sliding the heel towards your back gets so much activation of not only the hamstring but the glute musculature as well.  This works best on smooth surfaces and I typically like doing higher reps.  My rep range is usually between 12-20 reps.  As seen in the video, there are ways to increase the difficulty and resistance which would result in different working rep ranges.

This can be done as a stand alone exercise, combined with another exercise, or used as a timed station during circuit training.  Try this at home for a quick lower body workout or on the road in a hotel room:

A-1:  Wall Sit 30sec-1min

A-2:  Paper Plate Hamstring Work 30sec-1min

Keep Supersetting (repeating back to back exercises with little to no rest) for 4-6 rounds.  Your legs will be burning and your heart rate will be racing!!  Try it if you think I am kidding.

Wall Sit Defined: Lean against a wall and squat down (keeping your back against the wall) until your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle.  Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and you are pushing the small of your back into the wall as you keep full contact up through the shoulder blades and the back of your head.  Hold that position for the prescribed time or until you fatigue.  To get more muscular involvement; place a pillow between your knees and squeeze the pillow as you maintain the wall sit.  Enjoy the burn!!

Hope that helps!  Keep the requests coming!  I love sharing and helping you out to reach your training goals!

To your health,

Jerry

The BT Toe Touch, as explained in the video, does not have to be done exclusively on a Bosu Trainer.  It can be done on any semi-unstable surface.  Even a rigid pillow would work for beginners.  I do not and have never recommended someone stand on a stability ball.  I just thought I would include that for anyone thinking of going above and beyond which is not necessary.

There are many variations to this exercise as well.  You can reach out in various positions instead of bending down to touch the toes.  Many times I will set up cones around the bosu trainer and have the athletes reach out to touch each one.  You can also have someone toss you a ball or medicine ball.  Just make sure you always stabilize well before tossing it back.  If you are much more advanced, you can hop onto the bosu trainer with one foot.  So you can see there is variety to this and progression but the basic toe touch is the staple and many times all you really need to focus on.

Try implementing this exercise once or twice a week into the beginning of your weight training session.  It does not take long and over time the repetitions will add up.  A little work now may very well payoff big time later!

Keep on Training,

Jerry

I have had Pipe hung from chains across power racks for years.  They just do not get old, they do not cost much to set up, and hell they are just fun to hang from.  In the video I go over a few techniques that I use.  I really like to stick athletes on the pipe pull-up that have the habit of kicking there feet around to get another pull-up.  If they kick the feet the pipe will rotate and they will lose their grip.  This really helps in teaching strict form.

In the video I show a thick pipe but you can use varying thicknesses.  I have other pipes that hang in other parts of the gym that are only one inch in diameter and up to four inches in diameter.  When you add this instability factor; your grip will become a major part of all hanging pipe exercises.

If you have the opportunity to hang a pipe like this, you might just be surprised at how challenging it will be.

Yours in strength,

Jerry

In the picture directly below you will see how I am holding onto a rope in each hand.  The second picture will distinctly show how I am contracting all those upper back muscles which results in a tight scapular retracted position.

I explain in detail, in the video below, exactly how I use the rope and then demonstrate three of my top rope exercises for this movement.

I really can not stress enough how important this movement is.  It will not only serve as a great injury prevention exercise for strengthening the decelerating muscles for the shoulder (throwing movement) but also in general upper back development.  It is not really about how much resistance you use but more about how concentrated you can get your contraction.  These are also some great exercises that can be incorporated into a therapy program for anyone who has a winging of the scapula.  Visually, this will look like you have wings from your scapula protruding away from the body (medial border).  Alright, I do not want this post to head in a therapeutic direction so I will end it here.  If you have any questions or comments; please just ask and I will do my best to answer them for you.  Now get yourself a chunk of rope and give them a try!

To your health,

Jerry