North American Strongman (NAS) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style; holding this year's NAS Nationals in Las Vegas. Mark your calendars for :
November 16th and 17th, 2007
Circus Circus Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
Should be a good one.
North American Strongman (NAS) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style; holding this year's NAS Nationals in Las Vegas. Mark your calendars for :
November 16th and 17th, 2007
Circus Circus Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
Should be a good one.
Via Chasing Strength : the online home of strongman Terry Duty. There's some great grip info on there.
Via Chasing Strength : the online home of strongman Terry Duty. There's some great grip info on there.
It's great to see this stuff. Kori Bliffert is a trainer with a passion for the heavier forms of exercise; the pink dumbbells are nowhere to be found. As you can see from the photos on Train like a girl, there's some great stuff on the way.
It's great to see this stuff. Kori Bliffert is a trainer with a passion for the heavier forms of exercise; the pink dumbbells are nowhere to be found. As you can see from the photos on Train like a girl, there's some great stuff on the way.
Via Guerilla Fitness : Kettlebell training at the beach? Perfect [streaming, 10.9mb .flv download].
Via Guerilla Fitness : Kettlebell training at the beach? Perfect [streaming, 10.9mb .flv download].
What is the Zercher Squat?
To the uninitiated, the Zercher Squat is a strange beast. Instead of the bar being held across the shoulders (slightly higher or lower for Olympic Weightlifters, Bodybuilders and Powerlifters); it's held in the crook of your arms. The inside of your elbows, if you like.
This is somewhat painful (although you do get used to it a little), however it's an extremely effective exercise. As Louie Simmons notes in Dead Lift Secrets :
It teaches you exactly how to squat. It teaches you to push your knees apart. Push your chest up. Push your buttocks out. The whole nine yards.
Origins
The Zercher Squat was one of the many cruel and unusual exercises created by St Louis strongman Ed Zercher (1902 - 1995). Zercher's own home gym resembled a junkyard more than a basement, and was filled with such toys as anvils, wrecking balls and assorted pieces of machinery. Sounds perfect.
Technique
This is one of the rare exercises where using a thick bar actually makes it more comfortable. A strongman yoke with an adjustable crossbar is great; a thick (2.5" - 3") barbell is also a good choice.
The lift comprises two stages, although it is common to see only the second one being performed in gyms.
The weighted bar begins on the floor, and is deadlifted (using a conventional, or shoulder-width stance) to a point a little above the knee. Aim for the lower quad muscles, rather than your kneecaps.
Slowly squat down; balancing the bar at this point on your lower thighs. Slide your arms under the bar until it reaches your elbows. Now stand up.
Simply reverse the process to complete the exercise. That's one rep.
NB : You may notice that this movement resembles the action of lifting a heavy stone, and it can be a great way to help train for such an event.
How to hold the bar
Regardless of how you hold the bar, there'll be some pain involved. Whilst you can probably ignore it when there's 50kg on the bar, it's a different story when the bar weighs 200kg.
There are three things to consider here. Experiment with them and find the combination that feels right to you. They are :
How your hands are -
How your forearms are -
What the bar is resting against -
The videos below show a variety of these combinations.
This is the first in a series of Timeless Exercises; a collaboration with Run to Win's Blaine Moore. The Zercher Squat.
What is the Zercher Squat?
To the uninitiated, the Zercher Squat is a strange beast. Instead of the bar being held across the shoulders (slightly higher or lower for Olympic Weightlifters, Bodybuilders and Powerlifters); it's held in the crook of your arms. The inside of your elbows, if you like.
This is somewhat painful (although you do get used to it a little), however it's an extremely effective exercise. As Louie Simmons notes in Dead Lift Secrets :
It teaches you exactly how to squat. It teaches you to push your knees apart. Push your chest up. Push your buttocks out. The whole nine yards.
Origins
The Zercher Squat was one of the many cruel and unusual exercises created by St Louis strongman Ed Zercher (1902 - 1995). Zercher's own home gym resembled a junkyard more than a basement, and was filled with such toys as anvils, wrecking balls and assorted pieces of machinery. Sounds perfect.
Technique
This is one of the rare exercises where using a thick bar actually makes it more comfortable. A strongman yoke with an adjustable crossbar is great; a thick (2.5" - 3") barbell is also a good choice.
The lift comprises two stages, although it is common to see only the second one being performed in gyms.
The weighted bar begins on the floor, and is deadlifted (using a conventional, or shoulder-width stance) to a point a little above the knee. Aim for the lower quad muscles, rather than your kneecaps.
Slowly squat down; balancing the bar at this point on your lower thighs. Slide your arms under the bar until it reaches your elbows. Now stand up.
Simply reverse the process to complete the exercise. That's one rep.
NB : You may notice that this movement resembles the action of lifting a heavy stone, and it can be a great way to help train for such an event.
How to hold the bar
Regardless of how you hold the bar, there'll be some pain involved. Whilst you can probably ignore it when there's 50kg on the bar, it's a different story when the bar weighs 200kg.
There are three things to consider here. Experiment with them and find the combination that feels right to you. They are :
How your hands are -
How your forearms are -
What the bar is resting against -
The videos below show a variety of these combinations.
