A Message From Shelby

If you've called in or placed an order, most likely you’ve received a reply from me about the shipment of your order! I would just like to clear up some questions that I receive frequently to assist those of you in ordering, and I have a special request at the end so that I can ensure that your package gets to the correct address, quickly!

All of these questions and answers will also be located on the Product Question and Answer page in case you delete this or need to refer back! Thanks everyone! I enjoy hearing from all of you!

Shelby

Questions

How do you ship?

We ship most products via the United States Postal Service Priority Mail.
If you order a Log Bar or Climbing Ropeit will be shipped via UPS.


How long will it take until my package arrives?

This is a good question. This depends on when you place the order, (we are located in Michigan which is Eastern time, and we are usually out of the office after 5:00 pm. -- out training our forearms!) and where you live.

If you live within the United States and you didn't order a Log Bar, Climbing Rope, or Jump Rope, your order should arrive within 3-5 Business Days. If you did order one of these things, please keep in mind the following lead times:

Log Bars: 6 to 8 weeks
Black Iron Thick Bars 6 to 8 weeks
Climbing Ropes 10-14 business days

These lead times are in place, because the product you order is custom made. What happens when you place the order is that I place it with the manufacturer the same day, and then they ship the product to you once it is finished.

If you live outside the United States, and your order is being shipped via Priority Mail, it should arrive within 10-14 Business Days.

Can I get a tracking number?

After you placed your order, I print out the packing slip and fill your order. When I print out the postage to send your order, an e-mail is automatically generated with a tracking number for your order. You can then check the status of your order by going to www.usps.com and entering the tracking number (or click on the link in the email.)

This e-mail is entitled: "Your Functional Hand Strength Order Has Been Shipped"

Please check your e-mail for this e-mail, and if you can not find it, please check your SPAM and Trash folder, as some e-mail systems redirect e-mails to SPAM or trash without you knowing. If you cannot find it after that, please feel free to contact me and I can re-send if need be!

If what you ordered is one of the following things:

Log Bars
Black Iron Thick Bars
Climbing Ropes

We do not have access to the tracking numbers unless you specifically request them. As always, please feel free to contact me if you need a tracking number and I will get it to you as quickly as possible.

Do you Ship to PO Boxes?

Yes, everything BUT the following list of items can go to PO Boxes. If you are planning on ordering any of the following items, please provide a physical shipping address:

Log Bars
Black Iron Thick Bars
Climbing Ropes

Do you Ship to APO Addresses?

Yes, we proudly ship our products to APO addresses all over the world to the members of our armed forces.

And Finally My Part:

To Help Expedite Your Order:

This is especially important for our out-of-country customers. Please include all information that is pertinent to your package getting to you. These include the zip/postal code and please try to limit the abbreviations when you are filling out your shipping address. Sometimes it is hard for me to tell if "S" means South or Street, and I want to be sure that your package gets to you in the quickest amount of time!

Also, please be sure to check and double check and make sure that your shipping information is entered correctly. A quick double check that you included your apartment number or that the zip code is correct can save your package from being delayed or worse yet from never getting to you!

Winning Football Games with Hand-to-Hand Combat

I caught a little bit of the NFL combine on Television this past weekend. Having been around the game my whole life, I've seen the player selection process from a lot of different angles.

While its true that there are lots of guys who can do amazing things in the bench press test or who are blazing fast at running the 40 yard dash - Big numbers dont always add up to big-time players, it's how they play that counts - or at least that should count the most.

It's how that strength, speed and stamina is applied within the context of the game which really tells the tale.

Sure a 'big bench' might look good on paper, but it is not necessarily going to help a player get off a block more efficiently and make plays.

The truth is, football players are only as good as their hands, especially in the trenches, on the offensive and defensive lines.

Offensive linemen need to be able to punch and grab, to keep the D-linemen at bay during pass blocking and they have to have the hands in the perfect spot on the chest plate to 'plant' their man down field on run blocking

Conversely, Defensive linemen need to be able to put all their strength into their hands when they come off the ball to strike, separate and make a play. Their hands have to be in the right spot or else their pass-rush moves won't work.

On both sides of the ball, this is Hand-to-hand combat and if a guy can't use his hands, he's a dead duck. Amazingly enough, this is something which the draft gurus have only recently started to take a look at.

And even more alarming, many 'top prospects' are lacking in this area.

So lets talk about what its going to take to build those kinds of hands.

First and foremost, it should be understood that a large part of having 'good hands' is going to be the specific practice in the skills of football which has to be done apart from the physical training itself.

Another interesting thing about the hands - I have always found that the stronger my hands got, the more 'aware' they were and so if I needed to place one hand on a chestplate and one on an outside arm for doing a pass rush move, I could do that with relative ease.

Youll see lots of guys with 'lazy hands' who end up putting them outside the shoulders or who 'double hitch' when they come off the ball.

These are a problem, but I think both of these can be avoided by building stronger hands - proper technique demands it.

Anyhow, with that understood, the hands can be made stronger, tougher and more efficient through specific exercises.

Heres what I recommend:

1. Hand grippers - the 'crushing' movement trains the fingers through a full range of motion, making them stronger and less likely to get jammed, sprained etc. You'll also need strong fingers because sometimes thats all you have to
hang on with when making a tackle.

2. Sandbag Training - A tremendous conditioner which also helps build strength and mental toughness in ways no barbell can match.

3. Basic exercises using a Thick Bar are also very effective.

That's just the 'grip and forearm' side of things. Training for football should involve other basic upper and lower body movements designed to strengthen every area. Conditioning work is also important and should never be neglected.

Heres an interesting stat - if you can get 1.5 quarterback sacks per game, you will be voted all state, get a college scholarship, or get drafted in the first round of the NFL.

Stronger hands can help you do this - I wonder if those combine guys realize this?

If you play football or know someone who does, how important is hand strength to you now?

Start training your hands right now, you could be ready in line for one hell of a season next fall.

Train hard.
John Wood