Nov/090
Volume Bending
Sometimes you have to push the limits.
I didn’t plan this workout ahead of time. I just started bending and kept going.
In the end I had bent 50 60D nails in just under 30 minutes. This video shows the aftermath.
Now I know I’m a bit crazy for doing this. My hands have open wounds on them right now where the skin tore and blistered in many places. (It ain’t the first time and won’t be the last.)
Looking back in my records my previous best was 22 nails in 42 minutes. That was one year ago. That means I did over twice the volume in just over two thirds the time. That’s improvement.
Do I recommend doing this for everyone? No.
But sometimes you have to push the boundaries of what you’re capable of, even if that’s through comfort and pain. In your training and in life.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you’re interested in bending nails, get this must have resource from the Diesel Crew.
May/091
How to do Hill Sprints
I woke up this morning, laced up my shoes and set out on a jog. No I wasn’t preparing to run several miles today (sorry I find that boring) but I was heading to a nearby hill.
And at the hill the jog turned into an all out sprint.
After several times walking down and sprinting back up I jogged home. Took much longer this time because I was fatigued.
The hill may have won this time, but soon I’ll be dominating. I’ve just added hill sprints back into my routine and every time I come back to this exercise I’m reminded of how much I love it.
Find out all the reason why and how I do it in this new article on hill sprints.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. I lay out exactly how I train with hill sprints. Follow the plan and you’ll get all the benefits (and there’s plenty of them).
Dec/080
Strength and Size in Strongmen Today and Before
Received an excellent couple of questions the other day about size and strength, specifically of the old-time strongmen.
My most concern is that I’d like to know how somebody could be a strongman without being as huge as nowadays’ strongmen. What did the old-time strongmen did to be so strong and be this small in size but being able to do all feats that strongmen of today are doing?
I’ve got four factors that play in the role of size and strength.
1. Size does not necessarily translate into strength. There are many big bodybuilders today that are big but are not strong in even the basic lifts. And there are many small guys who you wouldn’t even give a second glance at that are unbelievably strong. This isn’t even talking about weird lifts, odd objects, and the like.
2 Strength is connected with the mind. The deeper you get into strength training the more you realize this fact. Knowing that you can do something, whether you’re big or small, goes a long way in making you strong.
3. Its all in how you train. There are specific ways of training to get strong and stay small, to hypertrophy the muscles without strength, and to do both. And if you want to do specific feats you need to work on those. And the feats performed by the old-time strongmen are not the same ones done in today’s competitive strongmen contests. Those doing the old-time feats are often not big guys at all.
4. The use of drugs. Can you get big and strong without them? Definitely. Can you get as big as some people are today without them? No. And I’m not just talking steroids. There’s all kinds of ‘super-supplements’ and other things that can do the same.
Looking at these four reasons you can see why many strong people today are bigger then those in the past. Not to mention the precedent of guys getting bigger and bigger all the time.
The important thing to do is look at your goals and see what it is that you want to achieve.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Nov/080
Challenge Workouts
The majority of the time you should be content to make small jumps improving in your workouts. Great progress over time is made by these small steps.
But once every so often its great to challenge yourself. Doing a workout that is longer and tougher than the normal fare.
Over the years I’ve done many of these of all different types. Like the Ultimate Royal Court Challenge. Or a 1000 rep kettlebell snatch test.
These workouts are always grueling and tend to stick with you for some time, even if you never doing something like it again. And you’ll always be paying for it in soreness then next day.
Above all else these challenges are a battle of mental toughness. Its so easy to give up and quit and takes so much effort to keep on going.
One reason I bring this up is that for those celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow may find themselves with extra time on their hands (I suppose unless you’re doing the cooking). And that time can be put to good use in a challenge workout.
Afterall, you can put to good use all the food you’ll be eating in repairing your body.
If you take up a challenge or have done some great ones in the past I’d love to hear about it.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. On a different note, there’s a new feat of strength page on the site, this one on phonebook tearing.
Sep/080
10 Ways to Get Motivated to Train
Happy Labor Day!
We’re into the last third of the year. Almost the home stretch. Are you on pace to accomplish your training goals for the year?
Personally I almost skipped my workout today. But the little gremlin in my mind telling me to do so was defeated and I had a great workout.
It wasn’t as simple as going from ‘I don’t feel like it’ to ‘Let’s do it’ in a snap of the fingers. How to go from one to the other is the topic of a brand new article just up on the site.
Go check it out especially if you want some extra motivation to workout or to train a bit harder.
The article is on 10 Ways to Get Out of a Slump and Ready to Train.
Go check it out.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Aug/080
Having Fun, an Integral Piece of Training
Something important in training is to do what you enjoy doing. You won’t make the same kind of progress you if you just go through the motions of a workout you dread, that’s if you train at all.
But when you love what you do you’ll never miss a day plus you’ll be training harder because you enjoy it.
That’s why a lot of the guys at the top of the game are at the top. The Olympic athletes that I’ve been watching late every night. The strongmen I’ve been showing you pictures of and will continue to show.
One of the things I’m best at is kettlebell juggling. People keep telling me how impressed they are with my skills (now if only it was an Olympic sport I’d be golden).
It’s a little surprising to me. For one thing it didn’t even take long to get as good as I am. And two, it didn’t take any real effort. No effort to toss around large weights?
Yes its true. Simply because I have fun doing it. I have fun testing my endurance and coming up with new stunts. While it may be physically demanding my mind is playing around like a kid.
Not everyone wants to throw kettlebells around. Not everyone wants to even use kettlebells. Its a highly personal thing.
But if you are interested my new DVD set covering everything kettlebell juggling has just been released. Go check it out.
Whether you lift barbells or just your bodyweight, you have horseshoes bent across your neck or swim laps in the pool, toss around heavy weights or just swing them is your choice.
Whatever you choose, make sure its something you enjoy, then push yourself and the levels of what’s possible.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. The DVD’s are at a special introductory pricing and I’m not sure how long it’ll last. Get in on the even sweeter deal now. The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling
Aug/080
Old-Time Strongmen Seminar Part 2
Today we feature two rising stars in the small world of performing strongman. You may never have heard the name Chris Rider before. But you will now and definitely more in the future.
In just over a year of practicing these feats he is already one of the top guys. Here are a few pictures of him destroying a big horseshoe. This thing was a beast.
Pat Poviliatus is known as the best horseshoe bender in the world, but that title may soon fall to Chris. You can see the determination of his face. But you don’t get to see the full effort he put out in order to complete this bend. Or hear his yells.
It was awe-inspiring and gave a glimpse of why these guys are so good. They’re willing to push themselves to levels that would scare most people.
He also has strong hair. Although there’s no picture we all witnessed him snap a chain in half using his hair.
Mike ‘the Machine’ Bruce is the other. He has the World’s Strongest Neck but that’s not all. Here we have Tim Fox jumping off a ladder onto his stomach. Yeah, he’s got strong abs too.
But one of the most amazing feats involved both Chris and Mike. Combining their abilities as only they could. Chris bending a horseshoe across the throat of Mike. Another picture of intensity.
These guys were good, no doubt. But they’re also some of the friendliest people I know (everyone at the event was). It was a pleasure to meet and get to know them.
Check out their blogs at the following to find out more about them and their feats:
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Jul/083
The Mighty Atom
Here’s a question about one of the strongest men who ever lived.
Hello,
I was wondering what all you know about the Mighty Atom? Is there
any videos of him? Please let me know.
Thank You!
Lee
Most of what I know about the Mighty Atom I learned from his biography, The Spiritual Journey of Joseph L. Greenstein. Unfortunately, the book is out of print but you can still find some used on occasion like at Amazon, if you’re willing to pay the price.
I have never seen any film of the Mighty Atom performing, though I imagine somewhere some exists.
If you haven’t heard of this man, here’s the short version of his life. He grew up as a sickly little boy and was not suppose to live for very long. Under the tutelage of the circus strongman, Volanko, he became healthy and strong.
Some years after moving to America he got involved in vaudeville performing his various strongman acts. His most famous stunt probably was holding back an airplane from taking off by his hair.
Even is his old age he could bend iron bars that would humble most men. The secret was that the power really is all in the mind. That’s how a small guy like the Mighty Atom is still known as one of the strongest men that ever lived.
Just recently Dennis Rogers put out a new site devoted to the Mighty Atom. Check it out to read even more fascinating stories.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Jun/080
The Strongman Manifesto
You can get the Strongman Manifesto now, and discover how to become as strong as you possibly can. If you want to learn how to unlock your strength to the best of your abilities click here to read.
Download it, read it and let me know what you think. You can email me or post your comments down below.
One more thing. If you’re working out later today you might want to read it right before hand. This kind of material has a way of adding that little extra motivation allowing you to push yourself harder.
If you do, you’ll really have to let me know how it goes.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
May/080
Combat Conditioning Athlete of the Year
Part two of the Combat Conditioning Athlete of the Year journey is now up on the site.
Find out more about my training and the contest itself. Most importantly what made the difference and allowed me to come out on top.
Plus you get to see the trophy.In strength,
Logan Christopher
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