How I Play the Game

You can look around the Internet these days and see it - but it's always been this way. People talking about tips and tricks and shortcuts to Strength Success...

Of course, there's a right and wrong way to train but that's the incorrect mindset to have and let me tell you why. When trying to accomplish a goal, there is only what is necessary and what is relevant, all else is a waste of time.

And lots of people waste lots of time trying to figure out shortcuts instead of correctly applying their time and effort into what it takes to get stronger. So my feeling is that instead of spending time trying to figure out "tricks and shortcuts" of the game, my philosophy is to just play the game better than anyone else.

That's to say, simply do the simple, basic (although possibly mundane) things that make the greatest difference in terms of Success.

You know what they are. You know exactly what they are...

Its just a matter of "doing it."

Take hand gripper training for example. You would be amazed at the lengths that people go for "tricks and shortcuts" for closing the big grippers.

I have seen folks close a gripper with two hands, hold it with one and then announce to the world how strong they are. Ive seen folks heat up grippers with a blowtorch, or put it in a vise in or put it on the ground and step on the handle over and over to try to weaken the spring.

Bear in mind a lot of thought has gone into these tactics.

Evidently "just getting stronger" involves too much time and effort for many folks.

Funny thing is, it always does...

I say focus on just getting stronger every single workout - then there's no excuses...

Why I Cook a Mean Banana Bread

Strength training is a lot like cooking - you’ll only be successful when you follow the recipe correctly - and that means adding the right ingredients, in the right amounts, in the right order. And just like training, if you don't "do it right" all you'll end up with is a mess.

The "things" that workouts are made of are: sets, reps, exercises, frequency, duration, and intensity – when all of these things "work" together you’ll get stronger.

Now I'm not much of a chef, but do understand how things fit together which is why I'm a pretty strong dude... and why I can cook a pretty mean banana bread.

Here's the recipe I use:

2-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium)
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Evenly grease 9" x 5" meal loaf pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In small bowl, combine bananas, milk, and vanilla.

2. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour mixture, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat just until blended.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, - this takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Makes 1 loaf.


Here's what it looks like when its all put together - Delicious!

New Updates & More

Things have been hoppin round the FHS clubhouse lately. We always have somethin new and interesting going on and I thought I would keep you updated on recent happenings.

1. First order of business – we thank everyone for the slight delay we have had on some recent orders. The rush of interest combined with the holiday being in the middle of the week last week made for a bit of an unusual situation.

The good news is that the kids in the office have been working overtime.

Yep, Ive been really cracking that whip and just about everything, including recent super gripper orders, will be shipped before the end of the week, with many arriving before then.

2. And speaking of the Ivanko Super Grippers, we are the only company in the country right now with them currently in stock, so if you want one, heres the only place to get it:

Ivanko Super Gripper

3. The Super Gripper Training Guide is shaping up to be something very cool. I just finished the section on how to combine hand gripper training with super gripper training which includes three different schemes.

I am currently working on the sample workout section which has, to date, 7 different "types" of workouts, 8 different "holds" and a section on how to build thumbstrength using the super gripper. We don't have a firm eta yet but the wheels are definitely turning. Stay tuned for more updates as we get them.

4. Were getting announcement postcards in a few days and will likely begin mailing sometime early next week. If you still havent signed up for our mailing list and dont want to miss out on the special surprise we have in store, you can do so at the following page:

FHS Mailing List

5. We've got a great new product coming out probably next week over
at the bodyweight training site. This is something very, very cool. Be on the lookout for that.

6. The Blog over at the oldtime strongman site is quickly turning into one of our most popular pages. I can see why, if youre into training, theres some very interesting stuff to see. Check it out for yourself right here:

Oldtime Strongman Blog

7. And lastly, a bit of administrative info. When you place an order for any item that we have shipped from the manufacturer, ie climbing ropes, sand bags, thick bars etc, we place your order immediately with them to get the ball rolling. This is a courtesy from us as we waste no time in getting the order underway.

Our manufacturers then ship out as soon as they can. Please be aware of the posted turn around times on the website site.

8. With the mercury rising, be sure to stay hydrated

If you need anything else, just give us a shout.

Train hard,
John Wood

Secrets...

I've read in more than a few places that "there aren't any secrets" in strength training... but I know thats not the case.

You see, a "Secret" can be something that you just dont know, or it can be something that you once knew but forgot for one reason or another - but regardless of its classification, when you start applying that "secret" (whatever it happens to be) your training begins to change for the better.

Of course, "Secrets" are also relative. - they are based on who you are and where you are in your training.

It might be that something as straightforward as keeping a training log, is the "Secret" which you havent been doing and which will suddenly skyrocket your training.

It might be that finally understanding how certain exercises fit together better than others which make the missing piece of the puzzle.

It be something you have been told time and time again, only to finally listen to what should be obvious.

It might be the revelation that there is such a thing called overtraining and realization of the fact that you have probably been suffering from it for far too long which will transform your training.

It might be the simple understanding of what specific exercises actually "do" and what would make one a better choice over another in order to accomplish some specific goals.

It just might be to start doing "something" -- as opposed to nothing -- which causes a miracle to occur.

Secrets might be big things, they might be small things, they may be physical, they may be mental, they may be obvious, or they may be truly profound - regardless, they are undoubtedly out there, just waiting for you to find them -- or find them again.

And yes, we all have to be reminded of many of them from time to time which means that much of training is simply "going back," to what we thought we already knew and taking another look.

I know that no matter how many times I read a book like Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik I'll always find something new, when I flip through it.

The material hasn't changed, but where I am right now has - something that was
never relevant before may be just the thing I need.

Funny how that works.

Keep digging, you never know what youll find, but only as long as you keep looking.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. A lot of people have two copies of Dinosaur Training, one they
keep mint, and one thats all dog-eared with notes in the margins from
being read and read again. In either case, whether you need to read it
the first time, or need a new one because your old copy is falling apart,
heres when you can pick one up:


Dinosaur Training
by Brooks Kubik

Why Ask Someone Who Doesn’t Know

"Who in the hell told you to train like that? He should be shot."

That was my reply when a friend of mine told me his current routine. It's always a bit of a shock finding out what people actually "do" when they train.

Of course, a while back I told him exactly what to do, and exactly how to do it, although it evidently wasnt what he wanted to hear so he started asking around until he got the answers he wanted and started training on some mess of a program.

The answer, of course, was "some guy" on the internet - obviously "some guy" without much of a clue and the advice in question was obviously not something with any basis in reality.

And although he may have meant well the training advice which he gave was just plain wrong wrong, wrong (not to mention stupid.)

These days where there’s one "expert" there’s probably a thousand more.

Interesting enough, this exact situation was happens to fit pretty well into an interesting book I was reading yesterday: "The Cult of The Amateur" by Andrew Keen.

The book boils down to how the fate of “knowledge” on Web 2.0 will from now on be corrupted as a result of the fact that anyone can say pretty much anything. – especially people who, quite frankly, do not know a damn thing.

I couldn't agree more.

You wouldn’t ask your car mechanic what to do if your dog was sick, nor would you ask your landscaper for legal advice – and I hope you wouldnt ask someone who doesnt even train how to lift weights.

Now, the reason people look to me for advice is that I am an expert and I know what Im talking about. Any information or equipment that I put in front of you is done so because it has been "battle tested."

The things I talk about and the products I promote are here for one reason only and thats because I believe in them 100% - And I know they work because I use them myself, and I actually train, which seems to differentiate me from many of the so-called experts out there. (And I wouldnt recommend anyone who did otherwise.)

If you are going to put the effort into training, you owe it to yourself to do it right.

Heres a few recommended sources from guys who really know training:

It was just about a decade ago when Brooks Kubik first wrote Dinosaur Training and we are still feeling the impact today. Brooks pulls no punches when it comes to what constitutes serious training.

In addition to teaching you how to build super strength with traditional barbells and dumbbells, Brooks also teaches you how to get stronger with sandbags, barrels, anvils, sledge hammers or other unusual implements, you need this book in your training library:

Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik

Ellington Darden is a guy who has damn near seen it all and lived to write about it. And boy did he ever write about it, with over 50 books and counting, he is the very best strength writer of all time and his latest book does not disappoint.

Flip through the pages and take a journey back through strength history and use any one of the 20+ different workouts to skyrocket your training:

The New Bodybuilding for Old School Results by Ellington Darden
Thats enough to get you started on the right path – or keep you there if you're already on it.

Train hard,
John Wood

A Personal Regimen

Another great one from KW.

Enjoy!

====================================================
2. So, one of the real keys to strength training is developing a "personal regimen" ...making your training "yours".

Now, when I write about this don't make the mistake of thinking that I'm talking just to "beginners". Yes, it would be nice that when individuals start training they knew exactly what to do...of course, that doesn't happen often.

But the key point here is that whether you are new to training or an "old hand" it is important to grasp the basics... and always be close to the basics. Strength training is a "participatory art"...you learn by doing it.

You'll find that when you run into individuals who "really know what they are talking about" that they have a firm gasp of the basics. Strength training should always be very elemental and simple...and very personal.

Kim Wood
Hall of Fame 2003
====================================================

New Website is Here

Yes, Now is the time. The following link will redirect you to our brand
new specialty strength site:

Click Here!

Train hard.
John Wood

Mysteries of The 30 Minute Workout

'Is it possible to get a great workout in 30 minutes or less?'

Thats the question I was recently asked and the answer is 'of course, but only if that workout performed a certain way'

See, a lot of people seem to be under the impression that training success has some kind of scalability factor - as if a one hour workout in the gym equals 'big,' two hours equals 'bigger,' and three or more hours equals 'biggest.'

'The more-is-better technique' can be useful , but only up to a point - and that point comes much sooner than people realize. Assuming this were true - the question then becomes 'how long 'should' you spend training if you want to reach your goals'

The answer, of course, can only be 'only as long as is necessary' since anything beyond 'what is necessary' is, by definition, a waste of time.

Now, one thing that also happens quite frequently is that most dont quite understand the actual purpose of their workout - what they are trying to do when they train.

And since the goal dictates the necessary action, 'Training' for the sake of training will not get you very far.

In its most simple terms, the goal of any workout is to create the necessary conditions for improvement.

Some people define 'improvement' as skill development, others define it as muscle growth - the processes for each of these differ a bit but there is always going to be a little bit of both regardless of what type of training you do.

There are three reasons why you have to make your workout 'work' in 60 minutes or less:
The first reason is simple time management:

The fact of the matter is that it doesnt matter who you are, where you are or what your training goals might be, you still only have 24 hours in the day. Somewhere in that 24 hours, along with school, work family and who know what else - you have to fit in the kind of training that is going to fill those requirements.

'Training as long as possible' is simply unreasonable, regardless of the actual potential physical results (or lack thereof.)

The second factor is physiological in nature - they say that testosterone levels drop roughly 45 minutes or so into a workout.

Therefore, the most efficient use of available time, is and will always be a primary requirement of a successful workout. I cant say if thats true or not but it probably is.

Even if its not, the other factors are more than important enough to make up for it which brings me to my last point:

Your ability to concentrate will decrease sharply beyond the 60 minute mark - and since Concentration one of the most, if not THE most important factor in your training Success, this is a problem.

Like I said earlier, 'just training' is, for the most part, a waste of time.

Well, like most things, as you gain training experience, you learnto do more with less. - the definition of efficiency.

You can always tell a real pro because they make it look easy - regardless of the actual difficulty level.

It should be clearly understood that what Im talking about -the ability to get the most out of what you do - is something that can be learned.

The best 'textbook' I know of for this information, can be found right here.

The truth is, when you know what to do and can apply all of your effort and concentration into it, your workouts Shouldnt need much time. Now, I cant tell you exactly how long your workout should take but I can say that most people do a lot of screwin around when they 'train.' (and I use the term loosely)

Heres what it often looks like:

Do a warmup set, get a drink of water, shoot the breeze, do another warmup set, tighten lifting belt - theres 10-12 minutes gone right there - and thats only for one exercise.

You can choose to believe or not believe what I am about to say but a handful of exercises, done well and performed correctlyin 30 minutes or less will beat a bunch o exercises performed sloppily over two hours every time.

Train hard.
John Wood

According to 'Bombardier' Billy Wells...

In strength training, there are many books that are well thought of as 'classics.'

One great example from way back in 1926 is 'Super Strength' by Alan Calvert, another more recent example is 'Dinosaur Training' by Brooks Kubik

Im talking about the books that are well known and highly regarded, in terms of the quality of information and/or the reputation of the author.

If you are seriously interested in training you cant help but run into classics like these either though word of mount or through your own individual research. Even if they havent read them, most people are at least familiar with the titles and so they are pretty well known in most circles.

There are, however, some outstanding training books that have slipped though the cracks somehow.

To me, these books are like buried treasure since they often contain information written from a totally different perspective than the typical stuff youll find.

You would be every surprised at some of the names who have written training guides - many people you would not expect although most are written by very obscure authors who simply thought enoughof their experience to put it down on paper in order to teach others what they have learned. Quite by accident, I ran across a great training book written in the by 'Bombardier' Billy Wells, a well known English prize fighterfrom the early part of the last century. He was British Empire Champion from 1911 until 1919 and was the winner of won one of the first Lonsdale Champion belts. Evidently he had quite a bit of personality outside the ring and it is certainly reflected in his writing. I think he took up acting later on after his fighting career.

"Bombardier" Billy Wells

Anyhow, as far as what he recommends: plenty of physical training (usually Boxing related drills and calisthenics), fresh air, healthy living, a sound diet, mental clarity, building 'nerve' force and other methods of training that are as simple as they are effective.

He also wasnt afraid to say what was on his mind either and has some pretty interesting observations on a few topics that I will share with you later.

Train hard.
John Wood

P.S. If you havent done so yet, I highly recommend that you zip on over to our Old Time Physical Culture Library and check out some of the classic titles that you may not even know about yet.