The Bowling Green State Strength Clinic

Just got back from the Bowling Green Strength Clinic -- and was it ever a great time! Coach Hillman and everyone else involved put on a great event with top-notch speakers, top-notch demos and a great opportunity to get down to what real strength training is all about.

No question that Coach Hillman runs one of the top strength programs in the country and one look at his brand new weightroom will lets you know immediately that those Falcons don't mess around... Power racks, Log Bars, Kegs, Sandbags, Lifting stones, Machines, platforms, hand grippers... and plenty more!

Name a piece of equipment that would be necessary to develop stronger, tougher and better conditioned football players and Coach Hillman has it.

Anyhow, I think I speak for everyone in attendence when I say the opportunity to hear Mike Gittleson speak was worth the price of admission by itself -- Mike has learned a thing or two over 30 years "in the trenches" as the Strength Coach at the University of Michigan and fortunately for us, he is willing to share.

Now, Mike's topic was on "Developing the Grip for football: from fingertip to forearm" -- that's a topic that I know a little about, but you can bet I nearly filled up a yellow pad with notes while Mike spoke.

As I have said many times - "School is never out for the pro." It always helps to learn how other people approach the same thing you might be doing. Yes, much of it will likely be similar, but everyone has their own "style" and seeing how they do things will undobtedly help you take a critical look at what you're doing.

Now, here's a few things that Mike talked about:

Sledge Hammers: Mike showed everyone several different for building "fine" grip strength using a simple sledge hammer. Mike has a special exercise that he uses for quarterbacks - evidently it helps give them a little more "touch" on the ball -- of course, all players at all positions will benefit.

Ropes: There's many different exercises that you can use with ropes for training athletes besides "climbing." Mike has one he calls the "Rope-a-Dope" that he uses for building mental toughness in his players. Yes, I know this one well - and it's a killer. Hold the line!

Wrist Rollers: The highlight of Mike's presentation was his "bag of fun" in which he brought some of the pieces of equipment that he has used to torture, uh, I mean train his players.

One of the things that Mike is big on is training some of the different functions of the hands with specially designed wrist rollers -- and you aint never seen wrist rollers like Mike has, he brought about a dozen different kinds...

And that sure wasn't all...

In any case, that's just a brief look into what you missed, and if you weren't there, you certainly did miss out. Keep in mind that anyone who wants to can purchase a ticket to an event like this, doesn't matter if you're a strength coach, or competitive lifter, or just someone who trains in the garage -- it's about strength and no matter who you are and what you are training for, you are guaranteed to learn something new.

Oh, and as to why I'm not a little more detailed on some of Mike's exercises -- it's because if you want to learn from the best, you gotta be there!

So... you gonna make it next year?

NEW! - XL 50-Pound Bulgarian Training Bags

NEW! - XL 50-Pound Bulgarian Training Bags

It's been just over a year since we unleashed the Bulgarian Training Bags on the world... and a lot of things have happened for those who have been training with them: NCAA Championships, World Championships, Strength and Power...

Now, for athletes who need a new challenge, we present the 50-Pound EXTRA-LARGE sized Bulgarian Bag.

Click on the picture above or any of the links for more information.

Rare Ironmind Hand Grippers Found!

Rare Ironmind Hand Grippers

I was rummaging around in the suply closet this morning and found a box I didn't recognize... Then I opened it up and found something I sure didn'texpect to ever se again.

I found a half dozen "old school" Ironmind Hand Grippers still in their original packaging.

The thing about hand grippers is that they are like fine wines -- each year they are just a little bit different. (And that is one reason why hand grippers are so much fun.)

In any case, I am going to make these rare grippers available right now but I do not expect them to last long. They are circa 2003 or so and have their very distinctive blue packaging as you can see above.

We only have certain strengths available:

T-1
#1-0
#2-0
#3-0
#4-1

There will undoubtedly be a rush so if you want one of these rare grippers you must call in the order:

1-800-978-0206

These grippers will be priced at the normal price $19.99 + S/H.

Act Quick! - When they are gone, they are gone. (This page will be updated accordingly.)

It's Coming Soon...

Over the past few months I've mentioned that there are three training books in particular that got me started on the right foot; two of which you should
already know about.

The fact that I am able to introduce others to this information makes me very proud (and humbled) at the same time.

After all, had I not read those books at that time in my training who knows how things would have turned out?

Its impossible to say really, but I can guarantee one thing -- I would be nowhere as strong as I am rightnow if I hadnt read them.

So, it is with great excitement that I am announcing that the third “book” that influenced me so greatly, will be available very soon.

And not only will it be available, but I will be the one reprinting it...

That's all Im going to say for the time being, so stay tuned for further updates...

Train hard,
John Wood

Making Your Own Climbing Rope

Hang in there!

When I go to the hardware store, I'm like a kid in a candy store. Its always a lot of fun going through the isles looking for something interesting that I can make at home that might come in handy for my training. And Ive got a lot of things Ive tinkered around with that have turned out to be pretty useful for different kinds of exercises. However, I also understand that not every type of equipment fits into the "do it yourself" category and one of those pieces is a climbing rope.

Yes, Im sure theres folks out there that would argue the opposite, that they found an old piece of rope and tied it to a tree in their back yard that works just fine.

Well... that may be fine for them and hopefully so but I only like to do my gambling in Vegas and whenever possible, like to bet on the sure thing which is why I would only want to deal with a climbing rope assembled by a professional.

If you are one of those folks who can live with the "hope" that their homemade rope doesnt snap while 20 feet off the ground, let me point out a few other important things to keep in mind.

Ever try to tie a knot in a 1-1/2 or 2” thick rope?

It aint easy – and that rope has to be attached somehow, and not just “attached,” but attached safely and securely. Don't know if you realized this but all out attachment hardware is rated at over 1800 lbs before it shows any sign of breaking.

Not that you should, but you could tow a truck with it.

And what happens when you want to move your climbing rope to the other side of the garage?

If you have one of our ropes, you unclip the L1 link and clip it wherever you want it – takes about 3 seconds to attach and unattach.

Otherwise, youll have to untie (or un-splice) the rope and re-do it elsewhere. Of course, Ive heard some folks just double the rope over and use a roll of duct tape on it – so much for saving some dough.

Oh and the steel rope clamp attachment hardware? It starts out as a flat piece of steel, then its blacksmithed to have a slight curve in it, hydraulically pressed and then drilled and tapped through the steel plate itself before its welded in place.

Needless to say, there is nothing safer and more secure than this setup which allows NO play from side to side.

I saw someone else out there took a piece of pipe and simply drilled through it to attach their rope – looks good, but the rope material is moving back and forth during use, creating an ever so slight "sawing" effect every time its used (and inside the pipe, away from view.)

I dont want to think about those possibilities...

In any case, if you want to make your own climbing rope, I will not attempt to change your mind.

What I can do, is simply provide a better option, one that is safe and more efficient to use… and our climbing ropes, the very best climbing ropes in the business, can be found right here: climbing ropes

Train hard,
John Wood

The Most Functional Training Tool of All Time!

I now present to you the Ultimate Functional Training tool: the very best for multi-planer, three-dimentional and infi-rotational strength building... the ONE piece of equipment that will hit every major muscle group in the human body all a once...

The Most Functional Training Tool of All Time!
Happy April Fools! -- Now go buy a copy of Dinosaur Training!

"It Just Took One Workout to Understand..."

Bulgarian Training Bags

As you can probably tell, I don't limit myself to just "one" style of training, instead, I take bits a pieces from many different areas in order to come up with my own "style."

Along those lines, I view every sport as a combat sport, so much of my training comes from exercises that have always been popular with wrestlers and boxers – and this is how I stumbled upon the Bulgarian Training Bags.

It was a little less than a year ago when we made them available and now they are more popular than ever.

Sure, plenty of wrestling teams and clubs have ordered them from us, but so have police academies, military bases, MMA Athletes and even a couple D-I college football
teams.

Not bad company!

Anyhow, being that I actually "train" – and train with the equipment that I feature, I know just how valuable and effective it can be – and I wouldn't make any of it available otherwise.

Fortunately a lot of people "get" what I am trying to promote, heres someone who certainly gets it now:

John, I just got my 27lb bag two days ago. I'm always looking for new and fun ways to train. All I can say about this training bag is WOW!

At first upon seeing and handling the bag I was thinking "how is this little thing gonna do anything" but I banished any negative thinking and decided to go all out and see what I could do with it.

I did the "upper body" exercises on the DVD. I did 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, or as much as I could do if I couldn't get 10. It's been QUITE awhile since I've been so exhausted from a workout that I could not physically undress myself to go shower, but this thing managed it. I could not lift my arms above my head and feel now (two days later) like I've been hit by a Mack truck.

My abs, forearms, shoulders, tris, obliques, neck and hams are all screaming. My wife tried it last night and she just called me saying how sore she was, she loves it. I'm going to use this for a full body workout once a week in addition to my normal lifting. Thanks for introducing people to products that actually work! I'm ordering the TRX bodyweight system next.

Thanks again. I emailed now cause I'm getting ready to go do "lower body" and might not be able to drag myself back to the PC today. haha.
--
Casey Blackburn

CB, I know exactly what you're talking about – it happened to me too. Don't know if you caught it but the University of Iowa just won the NCAAs last weekend – Last fall, Tom Brands, the head wrestling coach And a damn good wrestler in his own right, ordered some Bulgarian Bags for his team.

A few months back, Ivan's Greco-Roman team took home the World Championship for the first time ever – every competitive Greco-Roman wrestler in the United States is currently training with Ivan's Bags.

The bottom line is that when you train with Ivan's Bulgarian Training Bags, you are training just like some of the best – and toughest – athletes on the planet.

After just one workout, Casey now knows the value of this kind of
training. You can too:

Ivan Ivanov's Bulgarian Training Bags

As Ive mentioned before, we have all size sin stock and ready to ship Asap, however, I recommend starting with the "Medium" – yes, it's a lot tougher than you think…

Imagine where you'll be after a few months of this kind of training...

Train hard,
John Wood

My New Dumbbell

My New Dumbbell
I mentioned last week that I was heading down to Toledo to pick up a custom dumbbell... Here it is: a plate-loaded Inch Dumbbell Trainer.

I've always enjoyed lifting thick-handled dumbbells.

Let me tell you about this one" you see, some folks has tried to make thick-handled dumbbells in the past and use a technique called "sleeving" where gradually larger pieces of pipe are welded over top of each other.

In most cases, that works just fine, but the issue with the Inch Dumbbell is that that the "real" Inch Dumbbell has a handle 2-3/8 inches in diameter while pipe only comes in 2 inches or 2-1/2 inches diameter. They also tend to make the handle area too narrow which ends up banging against the wrist, which isn't a good feeling at all.

In any case, this dumbbell is made of one solid piece of stainless steel. We took a 2-1/2 inch diameter length and lathed the handle down to the required 2-3/8 inches exactly. The plate-loading area was further lathed down to 1.95 inches to all plates will fit, and each section is 8" long, leaving plenty of room for my hand, as well as the plates.

Needless to say, this one's a work of art.

I don't plan on making these available as an ongoing product but if the demand is great enough, we will just have to see. I sense a lot of good workouts with this one...

How I Would Do It

Reached in the old mail bag and picked out a good one for today"

Eric writes:

John,

Here is what I have to work with: Wrist Roller, Iron
Mind Gripper #1 and # 2, Grip Sleeves 2" thick, and
barbells. What would be a good weekly routine?

Thanks in advance.

Eric, a couple things to keep in mind before I get started: Im going to tell you how I personally would train with the a equipment you have listed. It is important though to understand that there are many ways to go about it and there are certainly many other options.

And as I often mention, the overall goal dictates the necessary action, and my goal may not be the same as yours but in any case, I'll provide how I would do things, and you can take from it what you will.

First of all, Im going to "lift" three days per week and do conditioning work on the in-between days.

Conditioning sessions last roughly 20 minutes, non-stop and might consist of track running, jumping rope, calisthenics, hill running, stair running etc.

Doesnt really matter as long as it gets the heart rate up.

As for the lifting, I would suggest three pushes, three pulls grip, neck, abs and a few other assorted odds and ends.

Since we are limited by the available equipment only, I would suggest something along these lines:

1. Overhead press
2. Standing Curl
3. Pushup
4. Row
5. Push Press
6. Shrug

For the Grip:

7. Hand Grippers
8. Wrist Roller Each Hand

For Legs:

9. Squat or Deadlift (I prefer the Squat)

No racks to it has to be high reps - a real killer.

Abs:

10. Situps
12. Vacuum

Neck:

11. Wrestlers Bridge or manual resistance

Misc:

12. Muscle Control
13. Breathing exercises

This workout should take roughly 45 minutes to an hour to complete and if feel like doing any thing else, you're slackin off.

Now, keep in mind that these choices are entirely limited by what is available. If it truly were "me" I would add in a pullup bar, somewhere to do dips, a trap bar, a bench, a neck strap, some Indian clubs and maybe a few other things.

All of these would add variety, but not variety just for the sake of variety, they add variety for either increasing options to prevent boredom, or providing options that other available exercises do not.

again, thats just me and my own cavalier attitude.

Also keep in mind that this workout (or any workout for that matter) is worthless by itself. It's the improvement over time that matters most of all.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. In case you missed it, we've just released a few classic training books from Bradley J. Steiner that should be in your library. Get em here.

Slow it Down for Big Gains

One simple way to increase the intensity of your workout is is to slow the movements down and get the most out of each rep. Sometimes what happens is that over the course of several workouts, the struggle to get "just one more rep" leads to a little bit of cheating here and there.

I dont necessarily think cheating is a bad thing, it actually can be used productively in some situations but theres a reason why the skinny kid at your gym
who does nothing but "bellytoss" benchpresses and cheat curls with a 25 lb. dumbbell ever gets any bigger.

You see, the goal of a workout is to put a certain kind of stress on your muscles. Your muscles then adapt to this stress and grow stronger.

If you "cheat" in certain movements, it creates either momentum, (which takes the stress off the muscles) or an adjustment in form (which allows for greater
weight to be used, albeit without a corresponding increase in strength)

In either case, muscle growth will not occur, or if it does, not in an appreciable degree.

Often times the purpose of increasing bar speed is taught because it gets the bar through the sticking point into amore favorable leverage position.

Now, Im not saying you have to move at a snail's pace here either, just an extra count or two will be fine, and you would be very surprised at what a difference
this can make.

This technique works especially well for hand grippers since the strength curve of the spring resistance is so steep.

Take a gripper that you think is pretty easy, and I suggest erring on the lighter side (Even if you can close a #3 like me, grab a #1) Heck, even the Guide or Sport will do.

Then, using your normal form, squeeeeeze as needed, but take at least a good second longer than usual and get a good overcrush when the handles touch. Then let the handles out slowly and repeat.

If you work up to closing a #3 like this, you'll be one scary person.

You'll find that even with an easy gripper, this is quite a challenge, and the soreness that you will experience the next day will let youknow youre on the right track.

Like I said, this technique can be used with a number of exercises, -- get the most out of every rep.

Train hard,
John Wood