[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1VmAhpL0e4]
Big Red was an anchor weight. Instead of letting it sit unused my brother got a hold of it and we started using it to lift. We decided to paint it one day to cover the rust and give it a bit of personality (hence the name).
It’s roughly 160 lbs. Not the heaviest but it is an odd object.
As you can see there are handles on each side but they’re not really big enough for you to grasp with your hands to get a good grip. You more or less rest them on your palms and get a bit of the fingers in.
It’s a great tool for putting overhead. In the video I am doing a push press but I’ve also used it for Jerks and a normal press. It works well for a few other exercises like Zercher squats, rows and finger deadlifts. In addition to building strength you can see and hear it will work your conditioning.
It’s not likely that you’ll have the same odd object but that’s not important. Just find something big and heavy to lift. Its more fun than a barbell and will work you harder.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Feats of Strength, Odd Objects, Strength Training Concepts, Videos by on Jun 18th, 2008. 1 Comment. 
Been re-reading the strength training classic Dinosaur Training.
If you don’t have the book, get your hands on it. Plus Brooks Kubik, has a new website.
One of the things I’ve added into my training is the lifting of a heavy odd object. I’ve got a unique tool named Big Red. I’ll get a video of lifting it sometime soon.
It’s a great way to finish the workout. An all out set against the iron to leave you winded and muscles aching.
Odd objects build strength that something like a barbell can replicate. Barrels, kegs, sandbags, and the like will take all your effort to stabilize the shifting and moving weight.
There are other objects that don’t move on you, but still aren’t easily managed. A large rock or log for instance. Something without an easy to grip surface or handles.
You could classify kettlebells or clubbells the same way. Certainly for a person who has never lifted them they are awkward. But once you put in thousands of reps they cease to be.
In addition odd objects tend to work the grip in a big way. You have to hang on and tighten up just to prevent the object from falling out of your hands.
However you train, you’d be wise to add some sort of odd object training in. They’re a bunch of tools that will build strength that can’t be gotten elsewhere. Good for training and great for feats of strength too.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Feats of Strength, Hand Strength, Odd Objects, Strength Training Concepts by on Jun 16th, 2008. Comment.
I was on the phone with Brad Johnson yesterday talking about training.
If you don’t know who Brad Johnson is you’re missing out. This guy is pretty much the king of bodyweight exercises. And I’m not talking about hundreds and thousands of reps.
I’m talking strong, like one finger, one hand chinnups. Dragon flags with added weight. And so much more.
If you don’t have his book, Bodyweight Exercises for Extraordinary Strength, you need to pick it up at Ironmind. Only $13.95.
Anyway, one of the main things he’s been into recently is rafter work, as in using a pinch grip to support himself. Pullups, chinnups, walking, swinging and turning around. Truly incredible stuff.
He’s gotten so good because he loves to train like this. More than once he got blisters on his hands because he spent over an hour training on the rafters.
Having fun with your training is what I just wrote about. Then I get on the phone with someone performing at this high level taking about the exact same thing. Think you ought to pay attention?
When you get excited and can’t wait to train you’re going to get good.
If you’re thinking you’d have fun too if you could swing from rafters but you’re not good enough to even come close, your mind’s in the wrong place.
No one starts out that good. Have fun with what you can do and build from there.
I can’t hang from rafters…yet…but training progressively and having fun along the way I’ll get there. You can too.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Brad was quite impressed with my kettlebell juggling. I just added a new video to the kettlebell juggling blog with a few tricks you’ve likely never seen before. Make sure you sign up to get the updates.
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Feats of Strength, Hand Strength, Strength Training Concepts by on Jun 13th, 2008. 2 Comments.
Are you having fun with your strength training? That’s an important question to ask yourself.
If you actually enjoy the process of training hard, however that may be, you’re bound to have bigger gains. As opposed to just going through the motions because you want to get in shape.
It amazes me that many people don’t workout in some shape or manner when I have so much fun doing it.
In fact, I’d do more but I can’t because of that little thing called overtraining. Since I can only put in so much time on any given day, you can bet I’ll be making the most of it. How about you?
The sad thing is too many people think getting in shape means running on a treadmill. If I thought that’s what it took than, yeah, I’d hate it too and wouldn’t do it!
But the kind of training you and I do. Now that’s some fun stuff.
I’m talking about heavy weightlifting, odd objects, bending steel, crazy bodyweight exercises, kettlebell juggling, doing handstands, in general pushing the limits every which way.
Here’s the thing. You may not like doing one thing. That’s fine because there’s hundreds of ways you can get in awesome shape.
Don’t like weights? Not a problem you can use bodyweight exercises or cables. Love to lift kettlebells and nothing else. Do that than.
This is a call to enjoy yourself when you get to train. That’s right, ‘get to.’
Not have to workout. No I’ve got to do this. You get to.
Make the most of it.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. A prime example is juggling kettlebells. I launched the new site the other day but there was problems with the signup process. It’s fixed now. If there ever was a time I couldn’t keep having fun training because I was too tired this is it.
Filed under Strength Training Concepts by on Jun 11th, 2008. Comment.
Tomorrow I will be attending the American Kettlebell Club Certification under World-Champion Girevik Valery Federenko. For those of you who do not know, Girevik is Russian for kettlebell lifter. If you don’t know much about kettlebells read my article What is a Kettlebell and Why Use One? I am not sure exactly what to expect. Previously I had been schooled in the Hard-Style of kettlebell training as popularized by Pavel and Dragondoor. In fact, when I first attended the RKC there was a guest teacher there and that was Valery. What he displayed was impressive.
For the first time I saw the differences between Hard-Style and Girevoy Sport lifting techniques. A talk by Brett Jones on that day about the two styles still stands out in my mind.
Not too long ago a rift occurred in the organization and part of it had to do with the supposed ‘real’ style of kettlebell lifting.
My goal with this is not to enliven the flames and hatred of some people who are so set in one style that they can’t see the benefits of another method. My philosophy is to learn from (and get good at) everything.
Personally I am not going to knock any style of training that works and makes you stronger and more fit. The way I see it now, is that both have there uses.
Will I be singing a different tune after these two days? I doubt it, but time will tell.
The big picture that this brings up is why do you train the way you do and what are you shooting for as your end result?
I will keep you updated on the happenings and see if I can get some video up of the event (at least some of us playing around with the bells).
My goal at this event is to increase my kettlebell lifting technique, broaden my horizons, become a better coach, and of course, have some fun.
I’d be writing more but the drive down to LA was long and now I’m tired. Stay tuned tomorrow for an update.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Kettlebells, Strength Training Concepts by on Sep 28th, 2007. Comment.
