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Train hard.
John Wood

The Secret to Life

'Do you know what the secret to life is?' asked Jack Palance in the 1991 movie City Slickers.

'No, what?' says Billy Crystal.

'One thing, just one thing. You stick to that and everything else dont mean spit.'

'That's great, but whats that one thing?'

'That's what you've got to figure out.'

It's hard to argue with that logic, especially when it comes to training and yet many trainees dont want to hear that. 'Course, in training its a few 'things' but not that many, and far fewer than most people would care to believe.

A friend of mine once said: 'There is Power in Simple Things.'

Why? - because there is less room for error, and simple things are more likely to get done. And by that rationale, any training program should begin at the most basic level and build from there.

Thing is, more often than not, going beyond that most basic level is unnecessary (but many people dont want to hear that either.)

I could dazzle you with the 1578 different 'never before seen' grip training exercises that I know but when it all comes down to it, there are only about a dozen or so that are worth a damn.

Of that dozen, only a further fraction can be incorporated successfully in any routine in any given time. Any attempt to do otherwise is simply foolish.

---Take it from a fool who learned his lesson.

Aint necessarily what you do but how you do it - yet keep in mindeven simple things can fail if they are done incorrectly. Every day I hear from folks who listen then apply. Those who have taken the time to understand what really makes their training work, then go out and do so.

The ones who 'get it.'

I also know of many people who refuse to listen - who have a 'yeah , I already know that' attitude when it comes to the basic concepts that they obviously havent a clue about (and which arethe very reasons they are not getting the results they want.).

Not real concerned with them - they have made their choice.

So what about you?

Train hard.
John Wood

P.S. It was just over a decade ago that Dinosaur Training made a big splash in the strength world and the ripples haven't settled down yet. The reasons why this training guide is so well respected are the very same ones listed above - Dinosaur Training is simple, basic and if you do it right, you will get results.

Take this opportunity to grab the book that could change your view of
training forever: Dinosaur Training

Is This The Strongest Man Who Ever Lived?

Click here to see if this makes up your mind.

Why I Still Read Muscle Magazines

I was in a bookstore recently and thought I would mosey on over to check out the latest muscle mags. The cover of one of them claimed that by following the workout on page 72 I could "put 2 inches of muscle on my arms overnight!"

"Wow, overnight!" How sweet is that?

So I turned my brain off and flipped through it for a laugh. Among 500 pages of supplement ads and bikini babes, I found my article which recommended over a hundred sets per workout with multiple workouts per day.

It might even be funny if they were kidding - but they weren't.

Somewhere out there are many people turning to that magazine for advice on how to get stronger. They believe what it says and, attempting to actually do the suggested workout, end up with nothing in the way of meaningful results.

Why? – because no one could do that workout, its a figment of some writers imagination.

But, believe it or not, I still read muscle magazines because it's my job to know the kinds of information people are getting, both good and bad.(mostly bad)

The truth is, everyone can get substantially stronger than they are right now. Yes, some have more potential for size and strength than othersbut again EVERYONE, can improve (and a lot more than they think)

Instead, let's look at the facts:

1. You have about an hour of productive training time per day (maybe less)This is defined by your other time commitments, your ability to focus on your training without becoming bored and the level of stress of everyday life

2. You can (and should) train every day, just not the same way every day

3. Proper nutrition (and not supplements) is all that is necessary. That's right, actual good food.

4. You must allow proper recovery to take place. The physiological adaptations of training (ie muscle growth etc) can only happen outside of the weightroom as your entire system recovers.

5. Strength training will undoubtedly enable you to become a better athlete but keep in mind that strength is only developed in the weight room. That strength must then be applied correctly on the field through proper practice.

6. With all other factors taken into account – progressive resistance training, in all its forms, manifestations and techniques, is what makes workouts work.

7. Passion and enthusiasm are as much a part of training success as sets and reps.

8. If you do end up quitting, it will be the result of two things: boredom or injury. You have control over both of these factors

9. Some training techniques, pieces of equipment and workout styles are better than others. What makes them better is that they accomplish the job either more efficiently or more effectively (sometimes both)

10. You will not start to see real results unless you stick with it and improve over a sustained amount of time.

11. Theres a difference between "getting stronger" and building strength.

12. The possibilities of intense, proper training, are greater than most people can even dream about.

13. Training will work amd it will work well, but there are definite rules as to how to do it right.

Like it or not, these are the realities of your training.

Whew! Good thing I know all this stuff, a week from now I wouldn't have wanted to follow that program and had to shell out the dough for a new wardrobe to fit my 27" arms.

Anyhow, if you are interested in getting strong, and I mean really strong, here are a few books that you need to read:

1. Dinosaur Training

2. The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results by Ellington Darden

3. Super Strength by Alan Calvert

4. The Key to Might and Muscle by George Jowett

5. Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

Train hard,
John Wood

Front Squats with Log Bar

Here's a look at one of the ways that the Michigan State Spartans train with Log Bars. The front squat is an excellent option for building leg power (7 foot version shown.) To find out more about how to train with the Log Bar and get a FREE training guide written by Dr. Ken, get your Log Bar here.

Beware The Ides of March

Enjoy Marc Antony's Funeral Oration -- Lord Buckley Style --

Hipsters, flipsters, and finger-poppin' daddies,
Knock me your lobes,
I came to lay Ceasar out,
Not to hip you to him.

The bad jazz that a cat blows,
Wails long after he's cut out.
The groovey is often stashed with their frames,
So don't put Caesar down.
The swinging Brutus hath laid a story on you
That Caesar was hungry for power.
If it were so, it was a sad drag,
And sadly hath the Caesar cat answered it.

Here with a pass from Brutus and the other brass,
For Brutus is a worthy stud,
Yea, so are they all worthy studs,
Though their stallions never sleep.
I came to wail at Ceasar's wake.
He was my buddy, and he leveled with me.

Yet Brutus digs that he has eyes for power,
And Brutus is a solid cat.
It is true he hath returned with many freaks in chains
And brought them home to Rome.
Yea, the looty was booty
And hip the trays we weld(?)
Dost thou dig that this was Caesar's groove
For the putsch?

When the cats with the empty kicks hath copped out,
Yea, Caesar hath copped out, too,
And cried up a storm.
To be a world grabber a stiffer riff must be blown.
Without bread a stud can't even rule an anthill.
Yet Brutus was swinging for the moon.

And, yea, Brutus is a worthy stud.
And all you cats were gassed on the Lupercal
When he came on like a king freak.
Three times I lay the kingly wig on him,
And thrice did he put it down.

Was this the move of a greedy hipster?
Yet, Brutus said he dug the lick,
And, yes, a hipper cat has never blown.
Some claim that Brutus' story was a gag.
But I dug the story was solid.

I came here to blow.
Now, stay cool while I blow.
You all dug him once
Because you were hipped that he was solid
How can you now come on so square

Now that he's tapped out of this world.
City Hall is flipped
And swung to a drunken zoo
And all of you cats are goofed to wig city.
Dig me hard.
My ticker is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And, yea, I must stay cool til it flippeth back to me.

Hermann Goerner's Secret...

Hermann Goerner
Old time Strongman Hermann Goerner had a secret -- and I know what it is -- but... now isn't the time. Stay tuned...

Train hard.
John Wood

2 Living Legends

I drove down to Cincinnati this past weekend to see two living legends in action: Reg Park, the greatest bodybuilder of all time, and Oscar Robertson, the greatest basketball player of all time.

Reg’s son Jon Jon has a friend who runs an alternative health clinic in Cincinnati and has Reg in to speak when he is on this side of the pond.

As you may or may not know, Reg won the Mr. Universe contest several times over and is easily recognized as one of the biggest and strongest men in history.



Reg Park
Reg covered his career in great detail and also had much to say about training. He is still going strong at 78 years old.

I first met Reg about three years ago and he is one hell of a nice guy who is a class act all the way. He usually gives us a call when he's stateside and if you ask him how he's doing, he will say "just dynamite man, dynamite."

No surprises there, Reg always has a tremendous energy surrounding him.

It was a pleasure hearing Oscar Robertson speak as well.

Oscar has a legitimate claim for the greatest basketball player of all time. These days, it’s a pretty big occasion when a player achieves a "triple double" (or making double figures in points, rebounds and assists.)

Over his career, Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double over five seasons. Oscar had 181 triple doubles, an NBA record. In comparison, Michael Jordan had 28 during his career.

Recently one of Oscar's daughters had some kind of kidney problem and was in need of a new one. They found that Oscar was a match so he donated one of his. They call it his greatest "assist."

Anyhow, it was fascinating to hear both of these men speak, to hear the innermost thoughts of two super humans.

One thing that I found very interesting is that, even though they were as different as could be, they both said some of the same things. - They truly loved what they did, they used focus and concentration to excel under extreme conditions and put all negativity out of their minds.

Thing is, you don't have to be a superhuman to do any of that.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. Want to train like Reg Park? Grab a copy of one of his training courses Right here

Is it the stairway to Heaven – Or the Stairway to Hell?

I left for college the day after Memorial day back in 1998. It was a Tuesday. After a 4 hour drive, I arrived in Ann Arbor at 3:15 in the afternoon. By 3:45, I was already warming up for my first workout as a Michigan football player.

At Michigan, they never waste an opportunity to improve.

It was real simple, run from the football building to the stadium. Then upon reaching the stadium, jog down the first set of steps, in front of the first row of seats and then sprint up the next set of steps.

We were supposed to go make it around the whole stadium like that but the trainers pulled me out at the 2/3rds mark. I could have made it, but they had orders not to let me pass out so I jogged (really hobbled) back to the football building for the remainder of the workout.

Running those steps was tough, as tough a thing as I had ever done but during the workout two days later, I made it all the way around with a little more gas left in the tank.

The View from the Top There are 73 steps at Michigan Stadium which start out about 4 inches tall and get progressively taller and longer the higher up you go. You are roughly 3 stories above where you started when you hit the top.

That summer, we ran the steps at least once a week

On Tuesdays, we would jog over to the stadium and everyone would line up at the bottom of the steps in small groups of 8-10 guys.

The strength coach would blow the whistle and the first man would sprint up the steps, When the first man was half way up, the whistle would blow and the next man would go and so on and so on.

When we hit the top, we turned around to make our way back to the bottom where the process started again. It was a continuous cycle and we did this until every man ran up the steps 10 times,

The first day we did that, I made all 10, but my body locked up at the top and they had to take me back in a cart. - Not fun.

Every time we went to the stadium I did a little better. I dreaded every minute of it and so did the rest of the team… but we did it, and it made us Champions.

Four years ago I stopped playing football but these days I still go back to that stadium twice a week and the reason I keep going back is to run those steps.

A little crazy I know but let me tell you why.

You see, when I was a player, I hated running those steps because I knew how tired I would be afterwards. Nothing will screw you up more (in a good way) than running steps. Today, I go back there for that very reason.

When I go run those steps, I'm leaving my mark

My goal right now is to be able to sprint up and down those steps 10 times without even thinking twice about it.



Looking up - You want some of this?
Right now I can jog 7 flights (and have to walk the rest) which means I’m roughly six to ten weeks away from my goal. I have little doubt that I will get there but the fact that its 12 degrees and raining right now isn’t helping matters.

And when I reach that goal, I'll do 15, then 20 then I'll skip every other step then Ill jump rope for a minute between sprints – really it never has to end

But why, you ask?

All I can say is because its there, and because I have unfinished business with those steps. I want to see just how far I can take it.

Truth is, there is magic power in “a thing” – no one probably knows or even cares if you close the next gripper, or put 5 pounds on your bench press or do 50 pushups every day -- or run those damn stadium steps – but you care, and its important and meaningful to you, just to see if you can.

Ill be running those steps today -- wish me luck -- or on second thought don't bother, I won't need it

Whatever you do, however you train, stay the course, make it important
and make it happen...

Train hard,
John Wood