Great looking and simple homemade Gada, which is great for fitness and core strength training
Similar construction to my homemade gada from 2009
You can also find some macebell exercises in My Free Ebook - Subscribe here
Friday, April 5, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
DIY Neck Harness
Good idea for a Homemade Neck Harness from TheHomemadeStrength on Youtube
The neck area is certainly overlooked by many athletes and one that can easily be injured.
I have done quite a bit of training with a neck harness and would recommend you take it slowly to start with and gradually build resistance. Also, try to fit it in after a workout when you're well warmed up
Enjoy
The neck area is certainly overlooked by many athletes and one that can easily be injured.
I have done quite a bit of training with a neck harness and would recommend you take it slowly to start with and gradually build resistance. Also, try to fit it in after a workout when you're well warmed up
Enjoy
Sunday, February 10, 2013
60 Is the Magic Number
If I were running one of those dating services, I'd make a fortune hooking up weight training men with those numerology-obsessed women. We're all keenly aware of how obsessed our fellow Iron Mongers are with percentages of max lift number, sets ,reps, percent activation, minutes and hours spent training, number of seconds of rest...do I need to go on still? They might live happily ever after with a cat-hoarding harpy who looks at living the good life as a specific set of numbers away from perfection.
I can't speak for my readers but when I see a pile of numbers associated with lifting on my computer screen, seemingly popping out at me in 3D they're so numerous, my mind goes blank almost as fast as it becomes uninterested. It's the pinncale of paralysis by analysis.
While I have a general tendancy to shun specific sets, reps, rest periods, % of max, I have found a number in my training that has succeeded in standing out after all of these years that I've grabbed onto a rigid, overhead object for reasons related to pulling up: 60...or more.
I've found through my own pile of sweat and pain that doing 60 pull-ups per day is a one way ticket to being more awesome in life. I came across this wonderous discovery well over 12 years ago when I was working a night shift, 6 pm to 6 am. Back then I could just barely manage to do 15 pull-up in a row. So, I'd do a set every hour, just to keep myself awake on an unusually strong bathroom stall to keep myself awake. Of course, being a 147 lbs puke, I'd barely be able to do even a few by the 9th hour but over the course of those dreadful evenings that I was onto something.
That something is the simple fact that has been hammered home on my latest job of brooming, shoveling, sweeping and lugging around heavy and harsh sucton hoses that the upper back muscles can take a brutal amount of labor and not yeild in agonizing cramps and soreness. The Lattisimus Dorsi muscle is a glorious piece of meat that begs for work. No matter how much you try to beat it up, it just keeps taking it and getting more awesome in the process.
Over the years, when I decided to train with pull-ups, a workout doesn't seem complete without at least 60 pull-ups, regardless of sets. Do 4 sets of 15 or 10 set of 6. Ladders or pyramids, it doesn't matter. Just get to, or over, this number. It's really that simple.
Do more if you can. Get exotic if you'd like. Fat bars, weighted, on suspension rigs, L-sits, gripping towels. Whatever. Don't get wrapped up in too many details. Just make sure that you throw lots of volume at your Lats. They'll thank you for it and it won't take you too long to appreciate what they're doing for you.
I can't speak for my readers but when I see a pile of numbers associated with lifting on my computer screen, seemingly popping out at me in 3D they're so numerous, my mind goes blank almost as fast as it becomes uninterested. It's the pinncale of paralysis by analysis.
While I have a general tendancy to shun specific sets, reps, rest periods, % of max, I have found a number in my training that has succeeded in standing out after all of these years that I've grabbed onto a rigid, overhead object for reasons related to pulling up: 60...or more.
I've found through my own pile of sweat and pain that doing 60 pull-ups per day is a one way ticket to being more awesome in life. I came across this wonderous discovery well over 12 years ago when I was working a night shift, 6 pm to 6 am. Back then I could just barely manage to do 15 pull-up in a row. So, I'd do a set every hour, just to keep myself awake on an unusually strong bathroom stall to keep myself awake. Of course, being a 147 lbs puke, I'd barely be able to do even a few by the 9th hour but over the course of those dreadful evenings that I was onto something.
That something is the simple fact that has been hammered home on my latest job of brooming, shoveling, sweeping and lugging around heavy and harsh sucton hoses that the upper back muscles can take a brutal amount of labor and not yeild in agonizing cramps and soreness. The Lattisimus Dorsi muscle is a glorious piece of meat that begs for work. No matter how much you try to beat it up, it just keeps taking it and getting more awesome in the process.
Over the years, when I decided to train with pull-ups, a workout doesn't seem complete without at least 60 pull-ups, regardless of sets. Do 4 sets of 15 or 10 set of 6. Ladders or pyramids, it doesn't matter. Just get to, or over, this number. It's really that simple.
Do more if you can. Get exotic if you'd like. Fat bars, weighted, on suspension rigs, L-sits, gripping towels. Whatever. Don't get wrapped up in too many details. Just make sure that you throw lots of volume at your Lats. They'll thank you for it and it won't take you too long to appreciate what they're doing for you.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Homemade Farmers Walk and Row Bar
Here's the next DIY project from Sherm
Many thanks Sherm!! (If you didn't see the pipe dumbbell build check it out here)
You may also like this Farmers walk bar made from wood posted a while back
Enjoy
The DIY Farmers/Row device
Very simple to make with only rope and pipe required, you can't afford not to make this one!
Sherm has provided us with another super PDF - Check out the Farmers Bar PDF here
Many thanks Sherm!! (If you didn't see the pipe dumbbell build check it out here)
You may also like this Farmers walk bar made from wood posted a while back
Enjoy
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Glueless PVC Projects
Ben Eadie from Mechanical Mashup - Canada's greatest knowitall contestant provides us with a great way to get rid of glue on PVC projects by using pins
Watch this video to find out how
Now, although this is not directly a Strength related idea it could be used to put together these DIY PVC parallettes and if you use your imagination it could be very useful in some other DIY strength projects.
Check out Ben Eadie's DIY Kettlebell Idea from 2011
Watch this video to find out how
Now, although this is not directly a Strength related idea it could be used to put together these DIY PVC parallettes and if you use your imagination it could be very useful in some other DIY strength projects.
Check out Ben Eadie's DIY Kettlebell Idea from 2011
Homemade Dumbbells Complete with Collars PDF
Here's a superb set of homemade dumbbell and pipe ideas from Sherm of Shermworks whose been good enough to put his ideas down onto a PDF for us.
Pictured below is Sherm's DIY Olympic Dumbbell set up, I especially like the collars which is usually a problem to get right when making your own DB's. Awesome idea
Download the PDF Here
Pictured below is Sherm's DIY Olympic Dumbbell set up, I especially like the collars which is usually a problem to get right when making your own DB's. Awesome idea
Download the PDF Here
Sherm is also the inventor of the THE FREE SPOTTER (pictured below), which has had rave reviews from some of the top guys in the Strength and Fitness Industry such as Louis Simmons of Westside Barbell.
The idea certainly is unique and innovative, for more information check it out here
More awesome DIY Strength Training Gear to come from Sherm later in the week
You may also be interested in this thick handled dumbbell idea
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
DIY Multi Purpose Box for Strength and Fitness Training
To start 2013 in the right way I thought it about time to share my favourite DIY item with you - the trusty DIY Box.
I made the box below about 7 years ago and it's been my best friend ever since. As you can see the box has been on many home DIY adventures with me and has followed me around 2 houses decorating them from top to bottom and even helped me rebuild some of them.
.JPG)
Not only is it perfect for home DIY but it is usually features in my home training sessions in one way or other.........
I've jumped onto it, jumped off it,stepped on it, sat on it and pressed barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells you name it, I've laid down on my front and back and even bench pressed off it and it also gets put on one end to house cups of coffee, video cameras, chalk and grippers.
It is awesome and YOU NEED ONE!!
How to Make you Own DIY Box
I made this particular box from marine ply offcuts that I had left over from building a new shower wall but any plyboard would do (5 or 6mm) , the other wood is around 2"x1" (and the cheapest you can get)
Dimensions
3' x 16" x 16" = 90cm x 40cm x 40cm
The way you construct the box is not too important but using the picture below you can see how I put it together with 3 end pieces (one in the middle - not technically an end piece) and a similar fashion for the top with 9 inches between each baton going across.
Most importantly the box needs to be screwed together well and fully boarded on at least 2 sides to make it sturdy. Although I only boarded completely 2 sides as I ran out of wood so ended up with gaps on 2 sides which actually does make the box easier to carry.
.JPG)
Happy Boxing! And all the best for 2013
I made the box below about 7 years ago and it's been my best friend ever since. As you can see the box has been on many home DIY adventures with me and has followed me around 2 houses decorating them from top to bottom and even helped me rebuild some of them.
.JPG)
Not only is it perfect for home DIY but it is usually features in my home training sessions in one way or other.........
I've jumped onto it, jumped off it,stepped on it, sat on it and pressed barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells you name it, I've laid down on my front and back and even bench pressed off it and it also gets put on one end to house cups of coffee, video cameras, chalk and grippers.
It is awesome and YOU NEED ONE!!
How to Make you Own DIY Box
I made this particular box from marine ply offcuts that I had left over from building a new shower wall but any plyboard would do (5 or 6mm) , the other wood is around 2"x1" (and the cheapest you can get)
Dimensions
3' x 16" x 16" = 90cm x 40cm x 40cm
The way you construct the box is not too important but using the picture below you can see how I put it together with 3 end pieces (one in the middle - not technically an end piece) and a similar fashion for the top with 9 inches between each baton going across.
Most importantly the box needs to be screwed together well and fully boarded on at least 2 sides to make it sturdy. Although I only boarded completely 2 sides as I ran out of wood so ended up with gaps on 2 sides which actually does make the box easier to carry.
.JPG)
Happy Boxing! And all the best for 2013
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
