I had never really tried to bend steel before that and I have to admit, I think I’m hooked.  It was awesome to feel it start to go but it was by far not an easy thing to do.  The amount of tension and strength that is used throughout the entire body just to get it to bend was amazing.   It is in itself a workout.  I felt my muscles pumping full of blood.  Just like that “pumped up” feeling you get if you rep out bicep curls or dips.

I wanted to learn more so I got Jedd’s Nail Bending ebook and quickly realized that I did not know that much about it at all.  What I did quickly learn that you will make great strength gains from this type of training and it will carry right over into other training programs.  Think about the amount of tension that goes through your body on that last few reps of dead lifting, squatting, bench pressing, or any lift for that matter.  See how this can easily apply.

If you ever even thought about trying something like this then I would HIGHLY recommend his ebook.  It is over 200 pages of pure content and training exercises for the forearm, wrist, and grip.  The techniques described are very important to learn so not to injure yourself and really benefit from it.  Oh, did I mention how much fun it is, especially going down to the hardware store to get nails and bolts only to tell them that you are going to bend them in half!  That look alone is priceless.  If you want to get more information about Jedd’s Guide to Bending Nails just click the link posted here: Click Here!

Keep an open mind about these different applications that can be applied to your training.  You might be surprised by your results and increased gains.

To your health,

Jerry

The first event was to power clean 5 kegs in a row as fast as you can.  You had to show lockout above your head for it to count.  The kegs started from lightest to heaviest.  This was my best event and I think I could have done it much faster if given a second try.

The second event was a farmer’s hold for time using two 75 lb sandbags.  I did not think this event was hard but as I was not trying to concentrate on holding the bags; the left bag slipped a little in the left hand and then I was in trouble trying to just keep a grip on it.  Funny thing was my hands were not even fatigued.  I was a little bummed because I know I could have held them a lot longer.

The third event was to bear hug the heaviest keg there and walk for total distance in two minutes.  The distance was 50 feet and you had to circle the sandbag for a lap to count.  This was the hardest event for me.  I started off strong but oxygen debt crept in and found me.  My goal was cover as much ground as quickly as I could and not drop the keg.  Well, I did not drop the keg but it was challenging.

Setting up strongman events like this is a great way to add in a little variety to your existing training program.  These will not only challenge you physically but mentally as well.  Doing something like this with some friends will get those competitive juices following which will ultimately result in you pushing yourself and your limitations.

Trust me, you will have a blast and get a great workout in the process.  Give some of these a try or get creative and make up your own little strongman competition.

To your health,

Jerry

The second product I’d like you to know about is: The Bull Strength Conditioining Manual. This totally blew me away.  I do a lot of this type of training with my athletes but Joe totally took it to the next level.  These programs kick major ass and they will produce results.  This is for the coach who wants their team to excel or the fitness person who wants faster return from their workouts.  Check it out: Click Here!

Joe Hashey is the owner of Synergy Athletics LLC, a certified strength and conditioining specialist, and recently opened up a new training center in New York.  He trains athletes for peak performance and injury prevention using proven methods of variety training.  I would like to thank Joe for putting together quality training programs and sharing his knowledge and experience.

On the eleventh day of Gripmas my true love gave to me… a Farmer’s Walk.  I explain in detail what the farmer’s walk exercise is and how to do it.  This has been done for years in individuals training.  This is frequently seen at strongman competitions.  There are clips of this in my York Barbell Trip video.  Adding this type of exercise into your program will give added strength gains almost instantly.

On the twelfth day of Gripmas my true love gave to me…. a Towel!  A heavy towel is a great way to add in some variety to your existing program and there are countless ways to use them.  For the basis of this topic I’ll use the towel to enhance grip strength.  Turning the towel hang exercise into a competition is a great way to get increase it’s effectiveness.  When working in the weight room adding some type of competition really boosts the productivity of your training.  Hey, you know you can have fun while you train hard!!

Focus For Results,

Jerry

I tell people all the time; look at everything as a possible training tool and you will find objets that might not cost you anything that you can use. That is exactly how I came about this training tool. Coming into work one day there was a crew of guys working on air conditioning and water ducts and they had a lot of chunks of big pvc pipes laying around. Well I struck up a conversation with one of them and asked what they were going to do with the left overs and they said they usually just dispose of the additional after the job is complete. All I had to do was ask and they gave me this big piece that you see in the video.

After some thought and experimenting the prisoner log was created. All I did was slide a barbell in it and place plates on the ends with clips. It really is much heavier than it looks. You can do a zercher squat (placing a barbell in the crock of your elbows) yourself, but I like have two athletes doing it together. This takes timing and communication between the athletes to complete the lift. I usually instruct athlete “A” to give the command to “squat” and Athlete “B” the command to go “up”. This is a little more challenging than it looks as athletes start getting tired.

In a winter challenge program I usually do each winter with our wrestling team; the team is instructed to do a traditional strength workout. During the workout two wrestlers will be squatting the prisoner log. When they complete the lift (as many reps as they can) two more guys jump under the log and start repping. They will write down their reps they completed each time on a sheet of paper right by the bar. The team’s challenge and goal is to complete 300 reps as a team under an hour while still completing their assigned workout. This is always a great workout and the team gets pumped up to get the 300 reps!

Post anything you have found to be a great training tool and share it with everyone. Remember, keep those eyes open. You might just find your next training tool.

The entire workout lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes.  I did want them to be physically spent but my main objective was to make them focus on the ultimate goal no matter what was asked of them.  See wrestling is a tough sport but to compete at the Division I level in college is no joke and to get to the big show takes not only physical dedication but a lot of mental toughness and focus.  As a strength coach you not only train athletes to become stronger and stay healthy; you train their minds to be focused and hope that you are making them into focused confident men ready to go head to head with anyone who steps onto the matt.  I realize I am saying “focused” a lot but that is a term my athletes always hear me telling them as I try to drive it into their heads.

As you watch the video, you will see that there are so many things you can do with a tire sled.  This is one of my most valuable training tools that I have and the total cost to build one is about $7.00.  If you have any questions about this type of training or would like to leave a comment; hit the comments button and let your thoughts out.

Train with a purpose,

Jerry