If you thought I was going to give you some simple training program you are wrong. I am going to do much more than that, I am going to teach you how to fend for yourself in the world of complexity and structure, and make you think outside of the box. Before any training principle is adapted and followed, one must set their own goals and objectives, I am merely going to guide you on how to do so, but first a list of attributes you need to have or develop:

Civilize the Mind

Discipline and Focus

Without absolute resolve you will only sell yourself short. Training differs then working out, because training has purpose; and in order to reach those goals one must be willing to make sacrifices for the greater purpose. One must have an iron will and be driven with ambition and determination. Following a program is not enough to make gains or results. One must commit, one must be consistent, and sometimes one must break the rules and go on instinct.

You don’t have to be fully loyal to your program to be consistent; you need to be true to yourself. Success doesn’t lie solely on your current routine; it depends on your following your own set of laws, your own system of beliefs, and the reason behind the madness. The motivating factor that takes you from step a to step b, and keeps you going on your onward path through time and space, this journey we call life.

Intensity and Will Power

When I was a young boy I read about the Vikings, and how they had fierce warriors called Berserkers. These Berserkers would get themselves worked up in a frenzy right before battle. They would wear animal hides such as bear skin over their armor, screaming with bloodlust roars, crazed as wild animals, biting there shields clamoring their weapons, and savagely slaughtering all those who stood in their path, sometimes even fighting amongst themselves until their rage had died down.

This was the type of warrior, I mean lifter I was born to be. You could watch old strongman videos of Jon Pall Sigmarsson or Bill Kazmaier and see them in trance, focused right before a lift, and just as hands touched what was to be lifted you could see the anger in their eyes, the power in their voices as they screamed out.

There are many strong lifters alike who display similar tributes. The power and importance of intensity, speaks for itself, if your adrenaline isn’t pumping, you have not properly prepared or embraced yourself for your attempt of glory. These men had intestinal fortitude and WILL POWER! They willed themselves to do these feats against all odds, in time maybe you can too.  Check out this tribute I made to view some of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAcKhupxIHk

Courage and Fearlessness

Stand in the face of fear, and you only have to face fear itself, so I practice the art of being fearless and courageous. One must be bold, brave and sometimes daring to tackle hard obstacles ahead. Doubt will get you nowhere in this life. Do or do not, there is no try. Only success and failure, but do not fear failure, for it will come either way sooner or later, it gets the best of us all. Instead embrace it when you do fail, know you have done everything you could to lift that weight and you have failed.

Do not be discouraged, feel relief that you have tested out your potential, and gave it your all, start planning for triumph your next encounter. If you can’t come to terms with your failures, you will never be able to surpass them. Don’t just get mad and angry, get smarter; learn from your failures and be more motivated than ever before to prevail your next bout.

One lost battle is nothing when compared to the war and your lifetime of achievements. Fall down 7 times get up 8, for as long as you’re still breathing and have fight left in you, you will succeed, sooner or later. Have courage to pursue your goals and have even more to accept your outcome, fearlessness does not mean stupidity, but it also doesn’t mean quitting either.

Intellect and Wisdom

Gravity is you only enemy here, but some may say Time is an enemy too. And yet at the same time, Time is your ally, for if you know how to work with it, plan your rest, your meals, and your strategy for attacking weights and so forth, you can use it to benefit you. In order to be able to plan one’s program is to know one’s lifestyle and be realistic. Pair up with your goals with the sacrifices you are going to have to make to make those ambitions possible. Only through hard work and sacrifice can you claim your prize.

The reward differs per person however. For some compete for the affection of others, while there are those who compete for personal satisfaction, and others for gold, plus for a strange few glory. No matter the motive behind the cause, one must thing about the effects: the risks and realities. Some information can be learned by reading: articles, books, magazines, blogs, etc… while others will be learned with time and visceral experience, as well as the experience of others.   As I promised, I would make it simple for you so here it is, a list of the most common and realistic possible goals for those who want to be strong, and the different disciplines and aspects of strength. During my next article I will list more examples and details to the list.

Make Savage the Body

• Building a foundation: the Posterior Chain & the Central Nervous System
• Technique, Form, (Accommodating) Leverage
• Static Strength and Isometric Stability
• Dynamic, Force, Acceleration and Power
• Injury Prevention, Restoration, Recovery
• Mobility, Flexibility, Cardio
• Sports Specific Training – Athleticism
• Different Disciplines: Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, Strongman, Highland Games, Throwing, etc…

“When lifters repeatedly use the same simple method of training to raise their strength level, they will eventually stall. Like the scholar who must utilize many sources of information to achieve a higher level of knowledge, the lifter must incorporate new and more difficult exercises to raise their standards.” – Louie Simmons (of Westside Barbell)

The purpose of the Conjugate Method is to handle max lifts while allowing still being able to have ample recovery, in turn avoiding overtraining the C.N.S. (Central Nervous System).

The “Conjugate Method” does this by using a complex method of rotating special exercises that are close in nature, (for purposes of staying true to Westside) to the power lifts.

Doing this method will increase strength relative to the classic lifts (Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift) and help perfect coordination, will in turn advances one’s technical skills.

First step, the most important, is to select exercises that attack your muscle weaknesses (lagging muscle groups), and bring them up to par to surpass your sticking points as well as strengthening your “special strengths”. Special strengths are classified in categories as starting, eccentric, or accelerating strength.

The Starting is how you start the lift, simple enough. For example: unracking the bar while squatting, unracking the bar before bench pressing, breaking the bar off the ground while deadlifting.

The Eccentric portion of the lift is essentially the decent/lowering phase of a lift (involves stretch reflex).

The Accelerating portion of the lift is the rates at which you can make the bar accelerate, or simply think bar speed. (Just think of how fast Olympic lifters are while performing the snatch or clean and jerk)

The Conjugate system/method consists of many methods that are combined and rotated. Combining the speed (Dynamic Effort) and Max effort days in which 5 elements of strength are trained:

1. Quickness
2. Explosiveness
3. Speed-Strength
4. Strength-Speed
5. Absolute Strength

Lou Simmons says: “This is much like a five-speed transmission in a car. We all know what happens if you miss a gear or take off in the wrong gear. Your car doesn’t run very efficiently and neither will you. One must learn many methods to develop special strength and when to use them. You must also know your sport’s goals. In some sports, speed is foremost and absolute strength is secondary. Both are more closely related than you think.”

But is it possible to train heavy continuously, without overtraining?  Lou Simmons answer:

“Is to pick several special barbell exercises for a particular lift, for example, the deadlift. The good morning is very similar in motion to deadlifting. A conventional deadlifter will, no doubt, bend over. Therefore, bent over good mornings will increase the deadlift. But remember, when doing the good morning, in your brain, you must duplicate the action of your deadlift precisely. It is not so important to raise your good morning as to raise your deadlift by performing the good morning. We do many types of good mornings, for example, with a Safety Squat bar suspended from chains. But remember to use the same body mechanics as you do in the deadlift.”

Another answer to that question is because the Conjugate Method is used in a Pendulum Wave Periodization method, basically 3 weeks at a time. Once again I will let Lou Simmons answer why this work, I am only here to simply simplify his answers as much as possible.

“Speed strength work is done for a 3-week cycle. The weight with bands, chains, or both is changed each week, normally increasing each week for the 3 weeks. On the fourth week, the load is decreased or changed, and again another 3-week wave is started. Why do we start again after 3 weeks? We found that after 3 weeks, one cannot become faster or stronger. That is exactly why a 3-week wave is used. Dr. Mel Siff informed me that Vasily Alexeev used a similar wave system for his remarkable training.”

Ok, so what exactly is the Conjugate Method then? Simply put it is choosing  similar/supplemental exercises to the lifts you wish to increase and rotating them weekly as not to do the same exact motion over. Using the bench press as an example: you would use floor press, narrow grip bench press, board presses, etc…

The Origins of the Conjugate Method

Lou Simmons constructed the Conjugate Method based on training methods used by the Bulgarians and Soviet Union.

The Bulgarians would use max effort days, in which they would lift as much as they could lift for that day and did this with the classical lifts (Competition lifts).

The Soviet Union has formed the “Dynamo Club” consisting of 70 highly skilled Olympic lifters. They had a training system of 20–45 special exercises grouped into 2–4 exercises per work out and were rotated as often as necessary to make continuous progress.

The Westside Conjugate Method combines both strategies in which the lifter will max out week by week on a different exercise.

So you want to compete in your first Strongman Competition!

My first word of advice is find a local training crew that has some of the events you will be encountering in your first competition.

You don’t want to start off like me and just compete in strongman competitions just to play with events, it is dangerous and costly. You are better off learning proper technique and form from those who have experience with it. Although, if you can not find anyone, you should go to a local Strongman competition just to make friends and find training crews, show some support, and get an idea of the rules and implements. If you’re lucky the promoter might let you try the implements out after the competition.

You most likely will compete with the NAS, North American Strongman Association. Memberships for Adults is 40$ for the year, 20$ for teens. Most entry fees range from 50$,60-75$, with late fees as well. 100$ for pro shows.

Here is a link to the NAS website, so you may find local competitions near you: North American Strongman, Inc. – Official Web Site – A Central Resource for Amateur Strongmen & Strongwomen.

Strongman Weight Classes

If you are a beginning Lightweight there are only 2 weight classes to worry about:

• Under 200lbs, 200-231lbs
• Under 231lbs Men’s Lightweight Open

If you are a beginning Heavyweight there are only 2 weight classes to worry about:

• 232lbs and over, unlimited to the Heavy Weight Men’s Open Division
• 232lbs-265lbs, 265lbs+ and over

For a Lightweight you should have at least:

• 200-225lbs Clean and Overhead Press
• 405-455lbs Deadlift

For a Heavyweight you should have at least:

• 245-265lbs Clean and Overhead Press
• 495lbs-550lbs Deadlift

There are some more weight divisions but are barely seen outside of nationals.

Strongman Competition Levels

• Silver – 1st place qualify for nationals.
• Gold – 1st and 2nd place qualify for nationals.
• Platinum – Top 3 places qualify for nationals.
• Platinum Plus – Competitors can earn their pro card.

As a beginner, you want to look for lighter, silver level shows to get started, but will learn a lot from gold level shows as well.

When Picking Strongman Competitions

Try to pick shows not too far from you. Travel is tiring and will take a lot out of you as most strongman contests start early. Try to pick indoor competitions over outside competitions as the seating will be closer to the events, bathrooms closer, air conditioned, most likely a hotel near by so you can come in the night before and get good rest.

Weigh-ins are normally the day before the show, and day of at 9-10am, rules at 10:30am, show starts at 11am, sometimes at 12pm. Pay attention to the promoter’s rules. Always show up on time, or early to get good parking, an idea how the playing field is, time to warm up, eat, etc…

Most strongman shows are outside, so try to get shaded and close parking. Bring a comfy lawn chair with shade, sunscreen, umbrella, towel, a cooler filled with liquids and easy to eat foods like peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, etc.

Check out my article what’s in your gym bag for things you may need.

I am pretty tired so I am asking other strongman competitors to add on to this list.

So you manned up and have decided to compete in your first raw powerlifting meet? Good. Here are some tips and tricks of the trade to get your ready for optimal performance. Before I start, most of your questions can be answered by going to and browsing through this site Powerlifting Watch.

• Make sure you know the rules for the federation you are competing in.
• If you need a list of federations you can go here.
• If you need the basic rules you can get them write here.
• You must wear a singlet when competing raw, no exceptions. Your singlet can be a basic wrestling singlet or a powerlifting brand name singlet. Some popular brands are Titan, Inzer, Metal and APT Prowriststraps. Singlets can run between $20 to 40$+ depending on where you get them. (Links to company’s that sell singlets and more are listed @powerliftingwatch.com)
• You should have a fully loaded gym bag. Go here if you need more details on some of the things you should be carrying: What’s In Your Gym Bag?
• Make sure you know which weight class you fall under, you don’t want to weigh 243lbs and compete in the 275lbs division because you ate a big breakfast and were clueless.
• When filling out your application be sure to fill it out correctly. If you have any questions contact the promoter, through email or call them up. They are very nice and helpful people. For the purposes of true powerlifting I am assuming you are running a full power meet (the squat, bench press and deadlift). There are also the Ironman, which is essentially a push/pull (bench/deadlift), there is bench only, etc..

Ok, now that I covered some of the basics, or have at least given you some of the resources to find out the answers for yourself, here comes the good part. I am going to dissect important things about the BIG THREE lifts and give you some good tips that may save you from bombing out. (Bombing is when a lifter fails to complete any of the three attempts in one lift, and in many cases will not be allowed to finish the meet.)

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• Always choose an opener you know 100% you can do, Typically a weight you can triple or at least double in training.
• When training for a meet, practice warming up every 5 to 15 minutes, and be able to warm up effectively with around 3 to 6 sets. Also be ready to lift heavy because at most meets that is all the chances you really get. Timing it key and one should be prepared. *Keep a mental note what order of weights it takes you before you feel properly warmed up.
• It is crucial you keep your muscles warm and prepared, lifting is not the only way to do so. There are many methods of doing so based on the individual. Dynamic stretching, wearing neoprene sleeves and clothes for warmth. (Just because you can’t compete with it doesn’t mean you can’t wear it during warm ups.) Constantly moving around. *Foam rolling*.

The Squat

First off make sure you know if you have to walk the bar out of a rack or just squat out of a monolift.

• Make sure to have the height of the rack or monolift known ahead of time so you can unrack the weight with ease.
• DEEP BREATHES! on the unrack. If walking out take two deep breathes, one on the unrack and and retake it before you descend. If you are taking it from the monolift, one deep breath. HOLD YOUR BREATH throughout the whole lift, this can’t be stressed enough. You want your body to be as tight as possible and you don’t want to run out of air in the hole (bottom position). Having a stable core can make or break your lift and can make all the difference.
• Look at the head judge. You don’t want to get red lighted for not following rules. Some feds tell you when to squat down but others don’t. Either case you must have your knees fully locked before going down.
• When rising up make sure you wait for the rack command. You don’t want to throw away a good lift because you didn’t listen.
• DEPTH – make sure you hit at least legs parallel to the ground. Depending on the fed you may get away with squatting an inch higher, but in training you should always training an inch lower. You want to take 3 white lights (meaning a good lift from all 3 judges) on your opener so the judges won’t watch your depth as strictly on the next attempts. If you have trouble knowing depth, have a buddy call your depth and shout out a verbal cue one to two inches before you hit parallel so when you actually hear it and spring up you will hit it just fine. (Practice this on warm ups)
• Olympic shoes help a lot for narrow and medium stance squatters. Chuck Taylors are used commonly for wide squats but for raw squatting purposes wide squatting puts unnecessary wear and tear on the groin and knees.

The Bench Press

Everyone’s favorite lift except mine. In powerlifting you must hold the bar out when unracking for a slight pause before descending so the head judge can determine what your lockout looks like. Some federations give you a down command, some don’t but all give you an UP command. Once you lock out wait for the command, once again you don’t want to throw away a good lift.

ARCHING Tips

Having a good arch can easily add 20lbs+ to your bench press when used correctly. My biggest trick is that I wear my belt when I arch so I can be more stable and not have to worry about sliding out of position, arch higher while reducing back pain, and it helps me keep my butt on the bench.

• If your butt tends to come off the bench: wear a loose black singlet.  Chances are it will blend into the bench and if it’s loose it is harder for the judges to tell if your butt is in contact with the bench. If they don’t say anything against stickum spray (a sticky spray) – spray your singlet so it sticks to the bench.
• Have your spotter push your shoulder blades into the bench to harden your arch and make you locked tight into the bench.
• Keep your toes up and dig into you heels.

UNRACKING Tips

• Have the spotter unrack the weight for you, take it out of the rack like a triceps extension and tuck you lats.
• To utilize your lats on your bench press, grab the bar very tight and squeeze it as hard as possible, with clenched fists try to rip the bar apart as if you were ripping a phone book. This will ensure that your lats are tight and involved in the lift.
• Once again DEEP BREATH! I have my spotters hand me the bar off a count of one-two, then take a deep breath, nod my head and that is the signal. That way I am ready for the hand off and my air is locked in nice and tight. Don’t breathe out until you have finished your lift.
• Once again wait for the re-rack command

The Deadlift

In my opinion the true test of strength. I do not pull sumo and hold many grudges against it, so for my own bias I will only give your tricks on how to conventionally pull which truth be told there are not many.

• BABY POWDER on your shins and thighs to make the bar travel up smooth HOWEVER!!! – do not get it on your hands or on the equipment, unless you want the bar to slip right out.
• Warm up with chalk and keep your hands chalked throughout the entire deadlift. Having sweaty hands will lead to a high chance of you ripping a callous. If your callous rips, carry some NU-SKIN (liquid band-aid). It burns like hell and puts an artificial layer of skin on your hand and might give you another chance, but chances are unlikely. At least it will clean the wound and let you use your hand more comfortably then cotton and duct tape.
• Make sure the bar is halfway over your sneaker or foot. (Deadlift slippers, Converse and sock/barefoot pulling is highly recommended) With your triceps flexed as hard as possible grab the bar with no slack in your arm and bend your shins to the bar, keep your lats very tight, pull the slack out of the bar, DEEP BREATH, push your air into your abs and belt and commit to your lift.
• Be sure not to hitch or your lift won’t count, PUSH YOUR HIPS THROUGH be resilient and grind it out. Just don’t let the bar go down then back up and you will be fine.
• Don’t put the bar down until you’re given a down command, and be sure to lower the bar back down in a controlled manner.

Those were a mere few tips and tricks that are relevant that I could thing of at the moment. If I remember or learn anymore I will write a follow up article. Hope you found my advice and the links posted helpful.

Bear…Hair Care

Trim those split ends! Now before all you “bears” out there go to lynch me – hear me out. I never said you had to shave; frankly, I am against it. All I said was trim those split ends. Yes, having lots of facial hair is manly but when your beard starts lifting up spare dumbbells its time to do something about it.  Don’t want to trim it, here are some more manly alternatives:

Duct Tape Removal – If you ever been to a Strongman contest your will see that duct tape is one of the essential items in a Strongman’s medical kit. You will also know it rips off excess hair when you peel it off your forearms.

Callous Removal – Before your read my next segment on how to get rid of callous’ first use them to trim off excess hair.

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Tacky Removal – Duct tape not strong enough try some tacky! Tacky is a tree sap sticky goo Strongman use to get a grip on stones. Put this on your skin and it will take all that pesky hair clean off you. Tacky is the Man’s alternative to waxing.

Man Hands

If you’re a real man, you don’t know where your hand actually begins and where your callous’ end. Here are some tips on how to grab a women’s hand without slicing her open:

Warm water and man power – Just place your hand under some warm water and rip those suckers off.

Gloves – If you see anyone in the gym wearing gloves, strangle them until the rough patches on your skin become smooth for their sweat and fear.

Cheese Grater – For the extremists; just try not to go bone deep while filing down.

Bite off your nails – Just try not to take off the whole hand while your at it, just because it looks like a ham hock doesn’t mean it will taste like one.

Hygiene

While Axe and Tag have become staples in men’s locker room etiquette, it would be nice to walk through without having to hold my breath.

Strong body wash/soap – Don’t use some generic brand that melts and dissolves upon impact to your flesh. Use something strong meant for athletes that will stick with out through a sweaty summer workout with no time to shower afterwards. If it stays 3 times the clean, Sport, or ODOR CONTROL, chances are it won’t evaporate on you. If it does just vanish into thin air go to your nearest Hazmat center, immediately.

Strong Deodorant – Once again anything that says SPORTS, EXTREME, or for MEN, should do.

Mouth care – Now since you’re always eating I know it is unreasonable to tell you to brush your teeth but there are still some things you can do with out making people pass out every time you open your mouth.  Some Tic Tacs every hour, or some strong gum, like Orbit or Trident should do the trick. For the really extreme guys out there, carry a pocket flask with extra strength mouthwash…unless you like working out and living alone.

As a powerlifter and strongman I, on a constant basis, am loading and unloading over 300lbs on most exercises and still find the time to re-rack my own weights. These consist of many plates (45), quarters (25), dimes (10), nickels (5), pancakes (2.5) and hundos (100), as well as an assortment of kilo plating workout to workout. And I never leave the weight on the bar. WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR EXCUSE? There are several reasons I rack my weights:

1. I think unloading my weight constitutes as cardio.
2. If a weaker member of the gym or a woman complains I get scolded.
3. I don’t want the bar to warp; I HATE, I HATE, I HATE! bent bars that are warped from NOT LIFTING weights.
4. It is rude. You don’t go into someone’s house and mess up their furniture.
5. It creates an unnecessary mess; and don’t wedge 35 lb plates in between the 25 lbers and 45 lb plates!!! And don’t hide my 2.5’s – they make 495 turn into 500 and I LIKE EVEN NUMBERS!!!

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Screaming

Screaming is ok if you’re lifting something heavy. Don’t be the guy curling 25 lb dumbbells raving on like a lunatic, because your “dropset” is “intense”. Be considerate, the dumbbell rack is always near the mirrors, treadmills, bikes and stair masters near all the hot women and pimply backed losers… I mean gym goers, and you don’t want to scare them. This is a double standard. When I power curl 80’s for shits and giggles I scream to scare people away. However, I do this on purpose, so that makes it perfectly ok.

Dropping Weights

SHIT HAPPENS! That is ok, sometimes you can’t help it. But don’t be the douche bag that is deadlifting on the weakest spot of the gym, on the wooden floor, with no rubbers and just slams the weight down in victory. Also, don’t be the asshole who throws the barbell if there are no tires or bumper plates on it.

Authors Note

*Listen up you want to be Branch Warren’s – it is bad enough you are curling with my Texas power bar, but if you manage to screw it up because you threw it in a fit of rage it against the wall, guess what else is going through the wall? Now another standard, throwing the barbell and smashing the mirrors is perfectly fine, my own reflection scares me anyway.*

Cell Phones

Unless your you have children who may call you, or have sick or dying family members, leave your cell phone off or on vibrate and in your damn gym bag.

• Checking the phone when your are leaving the gym is ideal.
• Checking it once every 15 minutes because you’re expecting an important call is tolerable. Assuming you’re expecting an “important phone call”-  applying that to what was mentioned above.
• Every 5 minutes is sickening. I don’t care how hot you claim this chick to be, that you’re on the phone so long you’re curling with one arm at a time for 40 minutes, and writing in your journal that you had a “hardcore” workout session,*cough* girly man set. If she was smoking you would be getting your workout on at her place.

*Author’s Rule* -You can chat after and only after you have completed your mission. If your mission was to bullshit about the club and how hung-over you are, and piss me off; mission accomplished. You just made me turn into captain Kirk Karwoski and chuck a plate at you. If you were holding up my power rack or deadlift platform, and it is mine all mine mwhahahahaha >=) an atlas stone is going to come crashing down like a comet onto your jacked head.

*JUST BREATHE TONY! Ok…*DEEP BREATH* Ok moving along now.

Chalk

Perfectly acceptable near the lifting platform, near the strongman equipment, and even ok around the racks and mono-lifts. BUT WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK IT IS OK TO SHOWER IN CHALK?

• You’re making the rest of us meat heads look bad.
• You’re wasting valuable chalk.
• You’re an idiot for believing chalk is magical pixie dust. Everyone knows you need to chug a can of monster and crack the empty can on your skull while your sniffing ammonia capsules for that to be true.

Flip Flops

Unless you’re a really hot chick or an elite powerlifter belonging to Rhodes town, if I see your little piggy’s going to the market in my gym, they better be ready to have every odd object in the gym smashed on them. Another double standard is lifting barefoot. Hey you think you’re Arnold, or you’re down with the old school – fine. But your feet better not stink or else I am going to play some Highland games in the gym and chuck a hammer at you, or toss you the hell out of there.

*I have plenty of more grievances but I will end on this note, and make this a series. I think I ranted enough for one day.

Wraps (Heavy Duty support for the joints and muscles to stay safe when dealing with heavy poundage)

• Wrist Wrap Bands (Simple Velcro and off)
• Power Wrist Wraps (Come in 12′, 20′ or 36′)
• Knee Wraps (2.0 meters, 2.5 meters, 3 meters)
• Elbow Wraps (2, 2.5 Meters)

Sleeves (To warm up/support the muscle and joints*Can come in Neoprene, 1 ply, double ply, or rubber)

• Elbow
• Knee
• Forearm
• Calves
• Ankles

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Belts (Important for protecting your spine and posterior chain from injury)

• Tapered Leather Belt (The thicker the better)
• Power-lifter Thick Belt (8mm, 10-11mm, 12-13mm, Single prong, Double Prong, Lever)
• Strongman Rehband Belt (72cm-110cm, pricey but well worth the support and mobility for strongman)
• Spud 3 ply Dead-lift Belt

Shoes (Important for ankle protection and ground stability)

• Olympic Shoes (Great for Squats and Overhead Pressing)
• Hi-Top Chuck Taylors (The Universal Powerlifting Shoe, Great for Squats and Perfect for Deadlifts)
• Wrestling Shoes (Similar to Converse)
• Running Shoes
• Hiking/Climbing Shoes (Great for events that require dragging or traction on the ground in slippery grass such as tire flipping)
• Deadlift Slippers
• Deadlift Shoes
• Non Slip Steel Toe Boots (Great for heavy car/truck pulls)

Food/Supplements (Important to refuel and get that extra edge)

• Spare Protein Bars
• Water
• Gatorade/Pedialyte
• Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches
• Banana’s
• Caffeine Pills
• Potassium Pills
• Trail Mix

First Aid

• Blue Lotion/Icy Hot/Ben Gay
• Neosporin/Antibiotic Ointment
• Cotton gauze, Band aids
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Medical tape
• New Skin
• Vitamins A & D cream

Strongman Stuff

• Tacky jar (sticky tree sap goo for lifting stones)
• Pine Tar Rag
• WD4*
• Canola Oil*
• Baby Oil*
• Small Towel*
• Duct Tape

*Used for Tacky Removal*

Extra Stuff

• Chalk ( Magnesium Carbonate)
• Foam Roller Half
• Travel Stick
• Ammonia Caps/ Nose Tork
• Baby Powder

Extra Clothes

• Singlet (For Powerlifting)
• Neoprene Compression shorts
• I’ll pump you up T- shirt
• Deadlift Socks
• Clean Pair of Shorts
• Spare pair of underwear/Diapers* Only for HARDCORE LIfters* (Then again real men go commando!)

This is my personal approach to strength training. K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple Stupid!

You want a bigger squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press? Then why do you do all these other useless movements as your main focus? Curling 90 lbs dumbbells as your first excercise won’t help you achieve your goals in any of these lifts, so why are you performing curls 3 times a week?  Want to be strong? Here is your first step:

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Knowing the Difference

Bodybuilders can work up to training 5 days a week, 2 times a day, for a couple of weeks. However, their goals are different from yours. Bodybuilders want to shock their muscles, and don’t typically lift heavy weights (75%+ of max) in compound movements all the time.

You, as a strongman, powerlifter, strength seeker, want to condition and strengthen not only your muscles, but your central nervous system, ligaments,tendons, and joints as well. Because you are squatting, pressing and deadlifting relatively heavy, this takes a greater toll on your body and mind. Remember you aren’t just working out – you are training. That being said:

Keep it Simple Stupid, LESS IS MORE

Keep it simple. Stick to basic compound movements as the focus of your training. (Pre-exhaustion has its place in training, just not here. You want to be 100% for your big lifts)

Assistance Movements. Alternate your assistance movements so they are assisting your weak points. (If lockouts/triceps are your strong point on bench press, then your assistance work should be more focused on your other body parts such as lats, chest and shoulders, and sticking point movements such as floor presses, speed work, cambered bar presses, etc.)

Compound and Isolation. Add in one compound assistance movement* and 2-4 isolation movements*, and be done with it. *Once Again alternate exercises. (don’t over do it, what I mentioned is enough)

Training Frequency. Don’t Train more then 4 days a week if that much. Your body needs rest to recover. (Typically your body needs at least 2-3 days before pressing movements, and up to 7-10 days before squatting and deadlift heavy again, depending on how close you’re lifting to your 1 rep max.)

De-load Periods. De-load/REST, when you feel run down. If you’re not feeling 100%, then you’re not going to lift 100%, or break past your Max 100% lift. (One week of light speed and technique work, or of complete rest will not make your weaker. Quite the opposite. It gives your body more time to rest and recover. However, never resting will lead to over-training, C.N.S fatigue, and even worse, injury. And these will make your weak(er!)

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Avoid over-training and Injury. (Put your ego away, and pay attention to your body’s warning signs. (If your body really hurts, it’s telling you HEY A-Hole, Let me REST and RECOVER!!!)

You know your body better then anyone else. Find training programs that are relevant to what you want to do.

Plan your workouts around your life and make it work. (Try following my K.I.S.S Method)

Realism. Be realistic, train smart.

Balance. Keep your training balanced! If you are going to squat and deadlift the same day like I do, don’t plan a million different isolation and assistance exercises after. Squatting and deadlifting virtually hit almost every muscle there is, so your assistance should be kept quick and light:

Example assistance’s after the Big Two:

• Front Squats for Quads
• Good Mornings for Hamstrings
• Lunges for Both
• Hammer curls for biceps and forearms

*You should be done now* (I am not going to do 20 rep squats, then some box squats with chains, and finish off with18 inch deadlifts now, and kill my body even more. I am not going to only hit my hamstrings, just because they are lagging and avoid quads completely. Be SMART about your training. I already said less is more.) If that is too much don’t do it.

Goals. Prioritize your goals… If they conflict, cycle them.

Like doing heavy front squats and overheads, but your squat and bench press feel weaker after you do them. Pick one for a 4-6 week cycle to focus more on it, or change emphasis weekly. HOWEVER DO NOT NEGLECT your muscles and strength lifts. Alternate them, and focus frequently and remain balanced.

If you’re working the same muscles, either lift will be stronger as long as you keep working on technique and let your body be familiar with both movements. Ultimately though, you must find out what is most important to you, and deal with it. If you like lifting heavy, but don’t feel athletic, add in some stretching, foam rolling, light cardio and mobility work.

But if you want to lift heavy, don’t sacrifice your power keg – which keeps your core safe and strong for big lifts -  for a wimpy 6-pack that will make all your lifts go down. You don’t need to be fat to be strong, but you can’t be thin and scrawny either, and then expect to lift big.

I walked up to the squat rack, I loaded the bar on my back, it felt heavy so I wimped it out. I couldn’t stabilize myself, and I was shaking. When I went down I felt scared. I hesitated halfway through and got buried…

I set my self down on the bench and grabbed the bar loosely. I unracked it so wild that it almost came out of my hands. On the way down my left arm wobbled uncontrollably and touched my chest crooked. When I pressed up, I got gassed half way through. Struggling to lock out, just 3 inches away and 5 seconds later, the bar came crashing down on me…

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I walked up to the bar, I bent down and put my hands on the bar and pulled. At first I thought I was lifting it, but then I saw the bar bend. Determined, I got it to my knees before I chickened out at how slow it went up, and just dropped it…

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. In order to overcome your sticking point – the one thing between you and your one rep max – you have to stimulating the central nervous system, and help assist your working muscles. I believe in the progressive method of lifting when going for a max. Train your one rep max! You can do this by working on getting used to heavier weights. This will build confidence and C.N.S strength.

Example: If your max on the bench press was 315 and you want to hit 325, but every time you try 325 it feels so heavy you quit,  get 325, 335 or even 345 in your hands to get used to the poundage. If you can’t move 325 from 9 inches above your chest, how will you do it from 1 inch above?

Here are some ways to:

Stimulate your central nervous system

You do this by getting used to lifting and holding weights, and work on your strongest part of the lift. Simply said, you use partial movements and isometric holds to get stronger. The stronger you are in this range of motion, the lighter the weight will feel, and the more prepared your body will be. For pressing, you should be able to do around 20-50lb+, and for squat/deadlifting 50-100lbs+ on these types of movements.

-Squat-
Heavy walk outs/ or Rack pin lockouts* For Monolift users*
Box Squats
Reverse Band Squats
Half Squats from chain suspension

-Bench Press-
Rack Pin Lock outs
Board Presses (1, 2,3Board +)
Half presses from pins or chain suspensions.
Reverse Band Bench Press

-Deadlift-
Rack Pulls/18’ inch deadlifts
Box Deadlifts (around 3’, 6’, and 9’ inches)
Reverse Band Deadlift
Farmers pick/Trap bar Deadlift (Overloaded with as much weight as you can muster)

Blast through your sticking point

Lift fast and explode past your sticking point. This will activate your fast twitch muscle fibers and have your blasting right through your trouble zones. Aka Speed work. This can be done with:

• Bands*
• Chains *
• 65% or less weight, for singles, 8 sets on light days
• 85% or less 3sets, for heavy days, Speed being a relative term

*Also help with stability work

Assist your weaker muscles

Unless you dedicate your whole workout to assistance exercises (*I do this every once and a while), assistance work should be kept relatively light – around 70% or less for no less than 5 reps, and no more then 20 reps. High reps allow for healthier tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue, and also helps build them up. You already destroy your body from overloading your muscles on partial movements, so no reason to overload here. Assistance exercises should be alternated week to week.

Assistance Exercises for the:

-Squat-
Good mornings (both stiff legged and bent knee)
Front Squats
Lunges
(Feel free to add more I hate squats)

-Bench Press-
Floor presses*
Narrow grip Bench press
Skull Crushers*(Dumbbells allow for a better range of motion and are safer)
Strict Overhead Presses*
Jm Presses (think skull crusher into narrow grip bench press)
Tate presses* (think Db skull crushers but sideways)
Weighted Dips

*Dumbbell variations should be used from time to time to build up stability.

-Deadlifts-
Deficit Deadlifts*
Hang Deadlifts*
Romanian Deadlifts*
Farmers Walks (if you don’t have the equipment use heavy dumbbells’)
Bent over rows
Pull ups

* I combine all three and they work great.

Other things to consider

Form* – use the one that works best and safest for you.

Grip* – squeeze the bar HARD on ALL LIFTS, it ties in with your C.N.S.

Protective Equipment* – Wrist/Knee Sleeves and Wraps, Belts, all help keep you safe and stable for your lifts.

Programming*  You know your body better then I do, just be smart about it.  Only work out 3-4 days max, and give your body at least 2-3 days before doing similar movements. You’re doing a lot of Max effort work so plan it properly. TARGET YOUR WEAKNESS.

Typically I would plan my cycle something like this:

6 week sample cycle

• Week 1 – C.N.S + Light Assistance
• Week 2 – Heavy Assistance + Light Speed work
• Week 3 – Speed work, +Light Assistance
• Week 4 – C.N.S + Speed Work
• Week 5 – *REST* If I have to go to the gym no more then 50% on any lift
• Week 6 – *SFW*

My final advice and warning before giving this a try:

*WARNING* this is not a training routine, but a guide line to how to get your body used to a weight that is well with in your means.

*THIS IS FOR SOMEONE WHO: Just finished wender’s 5/3/1 on a 315 max bench and just missed 320 midway because they stalled right before lockout, but can do 305 for a few reps. Obviously they are strong enough to lift this weight but they need to work on speed and lockout power, and get comfortable with the weight again. They didn’t fail because of strength, or the weight would not have budged to begin with. It all goes down to from and feeling comfortable and confident.

*NOT FOR SOMEONE WHO: Just decided to put 75lbs on there previous max lifts while seeing hot chicks in the gym. Let me do 100lbs over my current max on the Squat by using PARTIAL MOVEMENTS is not going 4 inches down and back up. If you’re one of those guys, please bash your head against the bar, and go back to triples, doubles with weight you can move full R.O.M.

When going to attempt a 1 rep max lift, there are several things you must consider before doing so:

• Did I sleep well enough this week?
• Did I eat enough food today?
• Am I still feel really sore…did I train too hard last workout?
• Am I feeling comfortable and focused?
• Wow, the bar feels really heavy is my central nervous system shot?

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These are just a few of many questions a lifter should ask themselves before deciding to stimulate their central nervous system, and put their body through hell and back. Or, in simple terms, before going for a one rep max.

Here are a few tips, tricks and suggestions in getting ready for a meet, to break a record, to set a new one rep max.

Be Realistic

• In order to lift heavy, you have to have a basic understanding of your body and its limitations.
• Don’t except to put 50lbs on a lift out of nowhere. It takes hard work and time to add lbs to your total. Instead, try to up your max no more then 20lbs at a time.
• Don’t rely on one rep max calculators. They are only guidelines and are typically inaccurate, especially out of the triple and double range.
• Don’t try to set a one rep max without proper training and planning.
• Don’t think you can lift 80% + of your max all the time. Trust me, you can’t; you will end up overtraining and setting yourself back.

Proper Preparation

Plan ahead. Give yourself time to set your goals. Typically 6-8 weeks of good training is enough time to allow your body to get used to the weight and build confidence. Also, don’t be afraid to rest a week and let your body recover before you go all out. (Stay tuned for my upcoming articles on how to plan effective training cycles for your goal)

Rest. This one is so important and can’t be stressed enough. Every time you lift you are doing damage to you body. Heavy lifting taxes more then just your muscle. It taxes the whole body, the CNS, joints, ligaments, and your mind. You will feel weaker if you’re not resting enough. Try to get at least 8 hours  of sleep a night on average. When you are resting, you are recovering. Never forget or neglect that fact. Along with rest, you should be aware of proper nutrition.

Nutrition. Heavy lifting is taxing on your body and often causes a depletion of nutrients which is counter productive to you goals. A few ways to avoid this is:

• Eat 3-8 meals a day accustomed to your body’s needs.
• Typically eat double your body-weight in protein and carbs.
• Order up some supplements: here is a link to an excellent site. (shameless plug for I’ll pump you up.com)
• Creatine, Taurine, Caffeine are all your friends when getting ready to lift big.

If you’re gearing to lift heavy, you need energy and fuel to lift heavy and recover properly. Don’t risk missing your lift because you were afraid you would get fat. This leads me to the importance of having a…

Strong Mentality

First step is, PUT YOUR EGO AWAY. If you concerned about your looks so much that you would sacrifice a successful lift, then this isn’t for you. Don’t worry what everyone else is lifting. Drop the ego and do your own thing, because you step into this cage and you will be eaten out alive. Vanity has no place in breaking one rep maxes.

I don’t care if you’re a powerlifter, figure model, strongman, Olympic-lifter, bombshell, bodybuilder or gym rat all alike; when under heavy weight, you’re as ugly as the expression on your face. Lifting heavy is dangerous and there is a chance for injury or worse. Don’t take this for granted. You can cut, diet, do whatever the hell you want for your looks after you hit you max. Don’t risk passing out, tearing something, or having a heart attack because your head is in the wrong place.

If you’re not going to be humble with your lifting, you will be in for a rude awakening if you ever cross paths with someone who is. If you’re not a competitor, don’t brag about your lifts either. No one who is strong will take you seriously about how much you benched in the gym without a spot, or anyone around without the proof. Basically, have respect for the guys who do this for a living, because this is a lifestyle. And it’s never a good idea to tread on people’s beliefs.

Second step is to be master of your domain, and create your own environment. You can’t always train in a dungeon and have the best atmosphere to lift. Training environment is of no concern to me. I yell, grunt, scream, and amp myself up before I lift and go berserk. That is how I set personal records. Maybe you’re different and don’t like getting pumped up before a big lift. If this is the case, figure out how to stay focused.

Staying Focused.

• Don’t lose sight of your goals.
• Tune out everything irrelevant to your lift.
• Play some music that that will keep you calm or amp you up.
• Turn off that cell phone.
• Center yourself, use positive talk, and tell yourself you’re going to do this.
• Hype yourself up however the hell you can, whatever works.
• Put a towel or hood over your head.
• Stare down at the bar or stone and see get a visual of how this is going to go down. Don’t let any obstacles get in your way…it’s do or die. Get it done.

COMMIT TO YOUR ATTEMPT!!! Don’t drop the bar or give up, you’ve come too far to lose now. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THAT WEIGHT UP!

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep motivated. And if all else fails, seek professional help. Seriously, look for lifters who do what you want to do and cherish their advice!

*I accredit my favorite saying “SMASH F’ing WEIGHTS” to Vincent Dizenzo.*

After one month of neglecting my bench press in pursuit of a bigger overhead, my powerlifting buddy Ehubbs – as I call him – suggested I go to a bench press seminar hosted by Vincent Dizenzo, and the very strong and infamous Matt Rhodes. Vincent Dizenzo has both a big overhead and big bench press, 600+ raw, 800+ shirted. Both men instantly put 20lbs on my raw bench in one day, just by stressing my technique and teaching me how to bench properly. So sometimes you’re just in need of proper instruction. It goes a long way. Best couple of bucks I have spent. Thanks to all you guys over there who helped me out.

There you have it…some of my tips and tricks when getting ready to *S.F.W!