My friend, Mike Fitch from Global Bodyweight Training, is holding a contest for the best bodyweight only workout that covers a dynamic warmup, strength, endurance, trunk and explosive power. You can find the full details, including the prize you can win, at that link.
I threw this video together quickly as I thought it would be fun to do.
Why don’t you join the fun and enter too?
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Flexibility/Mobility, Videos, Workouts by on Jan 21st, 2011. 4 Comments. 
My friend Doug Fioranelli invited me once again to his gym, Rise Above Strength, for their anniversary party. To support my fellow trainers and have some fun I drove out to Belmont and I’m glad I did.
To start with there was a competition. This was different from last years in that it was team completion instead of individual. This was simply because so many people wanted to join in the fun.
The first event was a double kettlebell deadlift with two 40kg kettlebells. These were to be lifted as many reps as possible with no time limit. The reps among the team members where totaled for the team score.
I’m hit 64 reps before the grip on my left hand when out. While I’ve been training the deadlift steadily, its never with kettlebells and never this high reps! I’m happy to report I hit the highest total among all the guys (some of the ladies, who were lifting 20kg kettlebells, were hitting 70 and 80 reps).
The second event was a team race with the prowler. In the video you can see one of three legs I had to do.
The third and final event was a medley with each team member having to complete one section. It involved 5 exercises.
1. 20 Pullups/Chinnups
2. Tire flips for a set distance
3. 70lb. Keg Press for 20 reps (30lb. Sandbag for women)
4. Walking lunges – 40 lbs. each hand for men and 20 for women.
5. Sled Drag forwards and backwards for a set distance.
As you can see in the video I did the tire flip which I was quite good at in last year’s competition.
The best part was Dan John, showed up and joined our team for this last event (manhandling the keg press with ease) as we were short a member. This was the first time we had met so it was one more pleasant surprise for the day.
After the competition I did a little oldtime strongman show bending nails, horseshoes, shredding a phonebook followed by a little kettlebell juggling.
Finally it was time to eat and what a BBQ it was.
A little later on I was showing some of the guys some of my techniques on kettlebell snatching. Its amazing how a few small things can make a big difference. (On that note, I should be hitting one of my main snatch goals very shortly.)
My main point in sharing all this is two fold. The first is to let you share in the fun. I like to keep this site personal and show you what I’m up to.
The second point is to encourage you to do the same. I’ve said this many times before and I plan to continue saying it. You need to get out there and compete. For those of us who have the luxury of a well equipped home gym we may not always get out and mix it up. For those without training partners its even more necessary.
An event like this gives the opportunity. It is a way to test how your training is going. It’s funny to note that everyone of the exercises in this competition was not something I regularly did. The deadlifts were close but I use a barbell or trapbar and 20 reps is a high rep set for me let alone 64.
(And in case you’re wondering, yes I am sore.)
The prowler and tire flip I haven’t done since the same party the prior year!
So when you go out and compete, in one form or another, you get to really put the pedal to the metal and see what you’re made of. Doing so is a lot of fun. I highly recommend doing it when you can.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Be sure to sign up for our 10th and final call on Super Human Training. This week features Peter Ragnar and you won’t want to miss it.
P.S.S. Also I’m going to be hitting the road soon for the Longevity Conference. I’ll try to get you an update on a few things I learn while I’m at the event, but no promises. It’ll be a crazy busy and fun time.
Filed under Barbells and Dumbbells, Conditioning, Feats of Strength, Hand Strength, Kettlebells, Mental Training, Oldtime Strongmen, Videos, Workouts by on Sep 20th, 2010. 33 Comments.
I got this idea from Josh Hanagarne. To write a history of my strength training and lifting. Beware this is a longer story than I normally write but I think you’ll find it entertaining.
My beginnings
Me as a skinny kid, long before I ever picked up a weight.
In eighth grade I went out for the basketball team. We had ‘Camp Rambo’ which was to get us in conditioning and build skills before try-outs ever took place. The beginning of each practice was a mile and a half run. It took me about 13 or 14 minutes to run it. Then I got a pair of running shoes which magically cut minutes off my time. Despite this I didn’t make the team. That was a shot to my fragile ego.
Later that year we had the Presidential Fitness Test. I remember hanging on a pullup bar not being able to move an inch, wondering how it was possible to do so.
School finished. My brother was ‘making’ me go out for football in high school. He put me on a basic lifting program which I did in my backyard. I don’t remember the full details. I do remember the first time I deadlift over a hundred pounds and how happy I was about that. I also remember hitting myself in the chin cleaning a barbell one time.
I joined the football team at under 100 lbs. We lift heavy. We ran a lot. I make some progress but really not much. I was still weak and scrawny. We focused on the power lifts plus power cleans and snatches mostly. I’m sure there were curls involved.
Bodybuilding
In the off season I bodybuild getting routines out of the muscle mags. Typical routines involve four sets of squats, four sets of leg presses, three sets of hamstring curls, three sets of leg extensions. Part of me enjoys it. Part of me doesn’t. I make progress on the squats, until I realize each time I add weight my range of motion decreases and I have to start over. (That’s not the proper way to do partials.)
I do it for awhile then stop, only to return later on. I play football for all four years and this cycle continues. I would say in that time I became marginally stronger, but was still scrawny weighing in at about 140 at 6 foot.
In my senior year I become friends with another guy who likes to bodybuild. We become training partners. We did some crazy routines, like working out for an hour, going out to the parking lot and drinking a protein shake, then going back into the gym for another hour and a half. We take a lot of supplements and get marginally stronger.
Somehow my friend stumbles across an Ironmind magazine and orders some grip stuff. We mess around with it a little infrequently. I couldn’t even close the Trainer the first time I tried.
Bodyweight Training
My brother, who got me into football and bodybuilding, tells me about this guy Matt Furey who has some crazy bodyweight exercises. I read about them online and give them a shot. They whoop my butt. I start doing them regularly between gym workouts. After a period of time I stop going to the gym and focus on the bodyweight exercises exclusively.
I’m getting results. I’m progressing quicker than before. One of my first goals was to do a handstand pushup. After several weeks (months?) of training I hit that goal. I continue onwards and upwards until I can hit the lofty goals of a 3 minute wrestlers bridge, 500 Hindu squats and 100 Hindu pushups. I keep going. At this point I believe weights are for people who don’t know that there‘s a better option of just using your own bodyweight. I can start doing things others can’t. One arm pushups, handstand pushups, bridge kickovers, one leg squats and more.
Kettlebells
My friend buys kettlebells. I scoff at the idea of using weights but put that idea aside and give it a try. Its fun and it kicks my butt. I start training with the kettlebells too. About a year later in 2005 we head off to the RKC. I remember training hard to hit my thirty snatches with each hand to pass the test.
At this point I’m doing lots of bodyweight stuff and lots of kettlebells. At this point I’m really into training. Buying all kinds of courses, studying all different systems and trying to do it all. One guy in particular, Bud Jeffries, is the first person that I see that talks about combining it all in an intelligent way. I follow his advice for a time.
I assist several times at the RKC studying more from Pavel and all the other top kettlebell trainers. I learn about competitive kettlebell lifting and get certified at the AKC. I continue to study Matt Furey and even go on to win his Combat Conditioning Athlete of the Year.
Strongman and Everything Else
Depending on the latest thing I read, and to a smaller degree my goals, I’m doing different things all the time. The world of physical culture is quite wide.
I start hand balancing. A little later attending a gymnastics class.
I read a biography of the Mighty Atom. I get inspired and want to become a strongman. So I start to get heavily in grip strength, especially bending steel. I remember the first time I bent that Yellow Nail bracing it against my leg and taking 10 minutes to complete the bend. I learn more feats, primarily from Dennis Rogers, who I later get to study with down in Texas. I begin perform small shows demonstrating my strength.
I’ve done it all. Dinosaur Training, Combat Conditioning, Twisted Conditioning, Kettlebells, Clubbells, Strongman, Powerlifting, Crossfit, Partials, HIT, GTG, EDT and things that don‘t have a necessarily a name or acronym to them. There was training to failure, training beyond failure, not training to failure, and not training to effort. There’s club swinging, joint mobility, gymnastics, slow movements, fast movements, isometrics and more.
In ‘07 I also start my own personal training business which later evolves into the online entity it is today, all starting with a book on hand balancing.
In certain things I make progress, even good progress overtime. Other things I let backslide and get nowhere over the course of a year. This continues for years. The overall trend is upwards though never as quick as I would have liked.
I start to finally get it. I can come up with a good training plan that moves me towards my training goals. I can stick to this plan and get results from doing so. I make progress in just about every workout with occasional plateaus.
Biofeedback and Now
Then this weird concept called Biofeedback training comes along. It makes sense to me. And why would I stop trying everything that comes out? I put it to the test and after an initial breaking in period I go to learn from Frankie Faires and Adam Glass to learn more about it. My progress starts to accelerate.
This was my evolution. This led me to where I am now. Where I am now will continue to evolve. This is by no means complete and I‘ve got much further to go. More experiments to run. More training to do. More people to learn from. Much more progress to make.
Every system, every tool has its advantages and disadvantages. Some are better than others depending on your goals. Some are better than others period. Of course, I wish I would have had all this knowledge back when I started but what fun would that have been? In this case, the journey was worth it, and the truth is, it wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t taken the journey.
Want to share your story? Comment below.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. We’re getting ready to start the Super Human Training Teleseminar Series. The first call features Andrew Durniat and you won’t want to miss it. Sign up here.
Filed under Barbells and Dumbbells, Bio Feedback, Bodyweight Exercise, Feats of Strength, Hand Strength, Kettlebells, Workouts by on Jul 19th, 2010. 12 Comments.
Recently I wrote how my deadlift max went up by 15lbs. from 425 to 440 over nine days.
Well, today I’m happy to report the same has happened, in just thirteen days. (I guess that shows a slowdown in progress but I was on the road for four days without a barbell in sight. In either case I’ll take it.)
For your viewing pleasure…
Most would probably say that’s horrible form. And they’re probably right. All I know is that it’s safe and working for me.
Finished off today’s workout with heavy presses and heavy snatches.
The method of training is important. But there is more to it than just that. In fact, that’s just one side of the triangle.
Tomorrow I’m releasing a special report that may just blow your mind. Stay tuned…
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Barbells and Dumbbells, Bio Feedback, Lifting Technique, Videos, Workouts by on Jun 21st, 2010. 7 Comments.
Here’s another update in my progress with biofeedback training. If you missed the others, here is part 1 and part 2.
I’ve been testing so many times I’m starting to not always need it. Sometimes I can just feel what I’m going to do and then it happens. Even without testing I can often feel, in the movement itself, whether it would be great to do then. But when my intuition isn’t giving me a clear answer I can always test.
For example, the other day I just ‘knew’ I was going to set a new max in the deadlift. I got 425 lbs. That’s 20 lbs. better than I had done before.
But let’s back up and give you examples from my training. Here’s my deadlifting for about 40 days. These are by no means the only exercise I’ve done in that time but I’ve pulled the numbers from my training log to show you what’s going on.
Deadlifting a light weight for reps
4-25 BB Deadlift 225 x 12,12,14,12,12 in 10 minutes
4-28 BB Deadlift 315 x 5,6,5 in 5 minutes
5-1 Rack Pull 605 x 3 singles
5-5 Trap Bar Deadlift 430 x 1
5-6 BB Deadlift 225 x 15,15,12,12,12 in 8 minutes
5-11 Rack Pull 505 x 4,4,4,4
5-12 BB Deadlift 405 x 1
5-13 BB Deadlift 225 x 17
5-17 Trap Bar Deadlift 275 x 11,12,11,12,11 in 14 min
5-20 BB Deadlift 315 x 7,6,6 in 4 min
5-22 BB Deadlift 225 x 16,18,15 in 7 min
5-25 BB Deadlift 365 x 3,4,4 in 5 min
5-29 One Hand Deadlift 185 x 3 singles
5-30 BB Deadlift 425 x 1
Here’s the analysis. Looking at this you can see the weight used waving up and down. Though my goal is to pull more for a single, just cause that’s what I want to do, I’m not only doing singles. Nor am I doing 5×5 or high reps or any consistent rep scheme. I’m simply following what works for me that day.
If it’s a lighter weight I do more reps. If its heavier I do less. But at no time am I going all out. I could probably gut out double the numbers on those higher reps sets if I wanted to. I could also probably have gone higher when I maxed each time, but I’m happy with what I got.
You’ll also notice the variety of movements. I go for the barbell deadlift when it tests well as that’s my current goal. Sometimes variations will test better like doing a partial or using the trap bar where I can handle more weight. (My best ever with the trap bar was 435 but I’m guessing the next time I max it’ll be way up.)
Then there’s the frequency of my deadlifts. Looking over it I’m usually doing some form of deadlifts 2 or 3 times a week, though again there is no consistent pattern. I can do it this often because I’m never even close to burning out. There was no week off before this max. And there is no week off or de-load program. I’ll just be following the same “program” until the next max.
Deadlifts are going really well right now. So are my other exercise, though having done this analysis I see some directions I can test in, and work with that may make progress even faster.
How’s your progress?
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. It looks like the DVD’s that show you how to do all this and more still are available but in short supply. All I’m saying is you should try biofeedback training out. If it doesn’t work for you fine, give it up and go back to what you were doing. But if it does work, just imagine where it can take you. I’m making faster progress, easier than ever before and feeling great doing it. You can join me…
My bonus is still available for anyone who orders and forward me their receipt.
Filed under Barbells and Dumbbells, Bio Feedback, Lifting Technique, Recovery, Workouts by on Jun 2nd, 2010. 2 Comments.
What time is it? Time to train!
We sent out a survey at www.Strongerman.com the other week and the results we’re quite interesting.
One of the most insightful questions was “What would you say is the biggest thing holding you back from getting as strong and enduring as you want?”
As this was an open ended question there were many responses but they could be broken down into a number of categories.
You know what the number one answer was? That over one forth of all people attributed to holding them back?
TIME
I must make a distinction. There is a difference between having enough time to get a decent workout in versus having enough time to do all the training you would want.
If you’re in the second group that’s good to be reaching for an ideal. Not everyone’s a professional athlete whose job it is to train. But I think most people fall more towards the first group.
Does it take time to train? Yes. Some people work a full-time job or even more than that. And then you have other responsibilities like family or friends. At that point working out can seem like something you just don’t have time for.
Here’s the thing. Workouts shouldn’t take long. I’m a big proponent of doing short workouts. I’ve done effective workouts shorter than 10 minutes. And if you don’t have ten minutes you need to take a good look at your schedule and find out where you can find that time.
Now not every workout is that short, but to be honest most of my workouts are under 30 or forty minutes. I haven’t done a workout longer than an hour in a long time. Not only are those marathon sessions unnecessary but they can be counter-productive.
As a concrete example, last week I did a kettlebell snatch test. The goal: in ten minutes to do as many snatches as possible. With a 32 kg bell this is an absolute brutal workout. I not only got 160 reps but I did it without setting the bell down (but with multiple hand switches) a new record for myself.
Ten minutes is tough. For beginners even with a lighter bell you won’t be able to last that long. Do eight minutes or even five. Since this is such an effective exercise working the entire body that’s all you need.
Now if you’re after certain goals you’ll have to play around with what you do and the timing in order to reach them. But it can be done.
Don’t tell me you don’t have time to train. That’s the worst excuse there is used by the lazy to mask their laziness. I can guarantee that you have the time somewhere
Stop making excuses and do it. If you train smart and effectively everyone has the time to train.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Kettlebells, Strength Training Concepts, Workouts by on Feb 18th, 2010. 3 Comments.
Hill sprints are always an excellent choice
There are many possible circuit training ideas. I’m going to list some just off the top of my head.
- Pick three exercises. Do each one for a minute before moving onto the next with no rest. Repeat this all for five rounds.
- Pick a strength exercises that you can only do for one to five reps. Have a conditioning move you can do a hundred reps in. Go back and forth between the strength exercise and conditioning exercise for a number of rounds. (This builds the ability to apply maximal strength while fatigued. Great for fighters.)
- Have 10-20 exercises of varying difficulties. Do as many reps of each before moving onto the next. Keep track of the reps for each exercise and your total time.
- Have an implement like a kettlebell on one end of a field. Do a set number of swings with it. Sprint to the other side of the field. Do a bodyweight exercise like pushups. Run back and repeat.
- Pick a number of exercises to work the whole body. Do a set followed by jumping rope for a minute. Go onto the next exercise then jump rope for a minute. Continue in this pattern stopping after you’ve done each exercise or just going once through them all.
There you have five potential workouts. With variations of each you could use these for the rest of your life.
Personally I like to mix it up with my circuits. Plan something then go after it. As long as you keep track of your workouts you can do something similar a month down the road and see how you’ve improved.
Alternatively, you can add a few reps or a bit of time to each exercise thus making each circuit harder. Do this on a regular basic and you have a formula for improvement.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. As for calve work as David mentioned about his Convict Conditioning Routine I haven’t directly worked my calves in even distant memory. Sprinting and/or jumping rope is all you need.
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Kettlebells, Workouts by on Feb 11th, 2010. Comment.
I received this question the other day after my post on Convict Conditioning, and since it was well thought out I’m going to give an in depth answer.
Hey Logan,
You obviously have far more experience than me and I don’t even compare to you in terms of strength/conditioning. You’ve done an awesome job from what I can see! I’d like your opinion, please I read Coach Wade’s “Convict Conditioning” and I want to do the “Big Six” moves!
Goals – strength in the “Big Six” and mutant conditioning.
Preference for the kettlebell swing.
‘Decent’ recovery abilities.
Equipment – barbell, dumbells, 35lbs & 70lbs kettlebells, & pullup bar.
Not much money.
I was planning on trying out the ‘Veterano’ routine with swings three times a week (light, medium, and heavy swing days). A concern–over training with back bridges and swings.
Do you think this a great way to reach my goals?
Is ‘Veterano’ not enough strength work?
Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you & God bless!
David
Considering your goals and equipment, I think what you have laid out is a good plan. If you want to get good at these moves you should do them. Adding in a conditioning component with the kettlebell swing makes it even better.
For those of you who don’t have the book yet the Veterano is a routine that consists of doing a few sets of one of the six exercises each day. In my opinion, since the volume is already kept minimal I believe this program would be better with more frequency.
These moves require a high degree of strength but also a high degree of skill. So practicing them more often should result in faster gains. One thing I learned from Pavel is that its better to do one set of an exercise everyday then six sets one day a week.
For this reason I would modify this routine to do two exercises each day instead of one. One arm pushups and bridges. Handstand pushups with hanging leg raises. And one leg squats with one arm pullups. This way you do each move twice a week instead of just once. Adjust the volume if you have to but I think this will give better results.
I wouldn’t worry about overtraining with the bridges and swings. If you’re knew to bridging or swinging just be sure to ease into it.
A light, medium and heavy swing days is a good way to approach it but I personally never liked light and medium days. When I train I want to go hard all the time. If it works for you do it but here is how I’d approach it.
While swings are one of my favorite exercises I caution you against relying on just one movement for your conditioning. When you do this you may become real efficient at that movement and your conditioning may not actually improve that much.
Its good to have a conditioning goal like a number of swings (see Bud Jeffries recent Kettlebell Swing article) to go after. But its good to have some variety too. Personally I would focus on swings one day a week and do some sort of circuit conditioning on another day. You can mix swings and snatches with other exercises like sprinting, burpees, jumping rope or many others. This’ll give you a different feel and end up being better for your endurance.
In fact this is what I am doing in my training right now except I’m focusing on kettlebell snatches instead of swings.
I hope that helps you out and if you have to ask any follow up questions. Be sure to let me know how you progress.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you want to check out Convict Conditioning, click here.
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Workouts by on Jan 27th, 2010. 7 Comments.
Today I’m going to give you a tough kettlebell and bodyweight exercise workout.
I first came up with this workout after hearing reading about Bud Jeffries’ concept of Yardstick Conditioning in Twisted Conditioning 2 several years ago.
I wanted a way to combine kettlebell exercises with bodyweight exercises in a single intense workout that would test overall conditioning as well as build muscular endurance. I picked four exercises that I felt where foundational and ones I wanted to work on. Those exercises are:
Double Kettlebell Jerks
Pushups
Bodyweight Squats
Kettlebell Snatch
(When I originally did this it involved hindu pushups and hindu squats, although when I started doing this workout again recently I’ve done the regular versions of pushups and squats.)
Each exercise is done for 5 minutes straight. Then without a break you move onto the next exercise in the order listed.
The goal is obviously to do the highest number of reps in each exercise.
But another big goal is to get to the point where you can do the exercise without dropping the bells or getting out of position for the whole five minutes. This means you can only rest with the kettlebells in the rack or overhead position for the jerks, and just overhead with the snatches. You can do as many hand switches as you need with the snatches.
On the pushups you stay in the plank position (much easier to maintain five minutes of hindu pushups). With squats its easy to go all five minutes so recently I added cables, a portable power jumper from lifeline, to make them harder.
Of course, in the start do as many sets as you need to do the whole five minutes.
For the kettlebell exercises I use 24 kg bells. You’ll want to start lighter especially if you have no experience with long sets. Eventually I’d like to work up to 32 kg bells. That may take awhile. I shouldn’t have to say it but technique is real important here.
I would recommend only doing this workout once per week mixed in with your other training. And each time you do it you seek to add just a few more reps to each exercise.
It’s a challenging workout. But rewarding and if you enjoy bodyweight exercises and kettlebells it’s a great way to work on those fundamental exercises.
Give it a try and let me know how you do.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, Conditioning, Kettlebells, Workouts by on Nov 16th, 2009. 2 Comments.
