Below is a new tutorial where I demonstrate an inexpensive option for hamstring training.

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Additional tutorials can be found at the following playlist (currently over 2 hours of footage):

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2B9BB16835A80D2E

Below are links to a series of mitt work drills from Roger Mayweather (filmed many years ago).  Those interested in the Mayweather mitt system will find some useful information within.  There is much more to what Roger does than the brief choreographed segments that are filmed when he is training Floyd.

For example, you will see how he teaches the pull counter that Floyd has made famous.  A brief demo of the pull counter can be found here:

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Part 1 of the instructional is embedded, while 2 through 5 can be found within the links below.  Please note that the sound quality is much better in parts 3, 4, and 5.  Fortunately, these segments also contain much of the actual instruction.

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NylaMZNYTM

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fOmv9_6OdA

Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgv16FgzKME

Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKAG32r6OE0

Below is a video that was recently passed along to me by a reader of the site.  Within the clip, you will see  training footage from Norwegian climber Magnus Midtbø.  Unfortunately, the video is not in English but you won’t need a translator to appreciate the incredible strength that is displayed throughout.  From one finger pull-ups to weighted one-arm pull-ups, Magnus shows how he has become one of the best climbers in the world.

For more information about Magnus, you can visit his website at the link below:

http://www.magnusmidtboe.com

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We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible. – Vince Lombardi

gEveryone is talking about Floyd Mayweather’s recent 4th round knockout over Victor Ortiz.  Immediately after the fight, my Facebook news feed was filled with hundreds of posts about the outcome.   The conversations have continued throughout the week.  I’ve seen pro-Mayweather fans, pro-Ortiz fans, and plenty of others who are just pissed off about the stoppage.

To begin, I speak for many in saying that I am disappointed in the way the fight ended.  No one wanted to see such a high profile fight end in that manner.  As for who is to blame, many were quick to fault Mayweather.  I however do not support that belief.

Before I continue, I must point out that my feelings about this fight have nothing to do with my personal feelings about either fighter outside the ring.  Floyd’s out of the ring antics do not influence my analysis of what happened.  I am also not concerned with Floyd’s post-fight comments with Larry Merchant.  His words do not change the circumstances that took place between him and Ortiz.

The Fight

The fight began as many expected.  Mayweather was outboxing the younger, less experienced Ortiz.  Frustration began to take over and Ortiz flagrantly fouled Mayweather with a potentially damaging head butt.  Fortunately for Floyd, the butt only cut his mouth.  If Ortiz had made contact a few inches higher, Floyd could have been severely cut around the eye (potentially causing doctors to stop the fight).

Following the butt, Ortiz apologized to Floyd by hugging him and literally kissing him on the cheek.  Joe Cortez (the referee) then deducted a point from Ortiz before summoning the action to begin again.  Ortiz then came in for a second hug and the rest is history.  He was hit with two shots and counted out.

Initially, many were quick to blame Floyd for hitting Ortiz in that manner.  Personally, I wish it did not happen, but I also cannot blame Floyd for fighting the way that he did.  Victor Ortiz had been using his head throughout the fight.  The final head butt was as flagrant as any that you will ever see.  In addition, after the butt, Floyd looked to his left to complain to the referee.  As he looked away from Ortiz, Ortiz then followed up with a left hand.

You can see the punch at approximately 27 seconds into the video below.  The video also shows other occasions where Ortiz had been using his head earlier in the fight.

So here we have a frustrated fighter (Ortiz) who begins with a blatant foul and attempts to land a punch immediately after.  He then apologizes for his actions and expects Floyd to suddenly play nice with him.

Is it really any surprise that another fighter responds aggressively towards someone who had just blatantly fouled him?  While Floyd makes it easy for many to dislike him, that doesn’t change the circumstances inside the ring.  Professional boxers are paid to fight 3 minute rounds, not 2 minutes and 50 seconds.  Fighters are in camp for several weeks preparing to knock each other unconscious.  When one fighter resorts to illegal tactics, he must be ready for retaliation by his opponent.  If you start dirty, expect to finish dirty.

Emotions run high during such high profile fights.  Fighters are human beings who get angry just like anyone else.  Furthermore, experienced fighters like Floyd rely heavily on instinct.  When a referee summons the action to continue, that’s what you do.  You fight.  You don’t stop the video and watch it again in slow motion.  You rely on instinct to do what you’ve been trained to do. Young amateur fighters are constantly reminded to defend yourself at all times.  It is one of the first lessons that you’ll ever learn at the gym.  It is also one that is constantly drilled into your head so that it is never forgotten.  You never trust an opponent who stands before you.  He is there to knock you out.  You can never forget that simple truth.

Fighterwriter Graham Houston summed up the events perfectly with his comments below (courtesy of Fightnews.com)

I can’t fault Mayweather for firing the two fight-ending shots against an opponent who wasn’t expecting to be hit. If Ortiz wanted to give Mayweather a second hug in apology for Ortiz’s blatant butt, instead of obeying the dictum “protect yourself at all times,” well, that was his choice. These are professional boxers, not amateurs boxing in the Olympics. Time was “in”, and Mayweather had an opponent standing in front of him with his guard down. Did anyone really expect Mayweather to follow a gentlemanly code of conduct, especially after, moments earlier, Ortiz had inflicted a cut inside his mouth by butting him?

In addition, what many fail to realize (although I’m sure Floyd didn’t) is that Ortiz has fouled before.  Below is a video example of him being disqualified for hitting an opponent on the break:

Victor Ortiz was clearly frustrated by Floyd.  His frustrations got the best of him.  Saying sorry isn’t enough.  As a trainer, I wouldn’t want someone who fouled in that manner to get close enough to my fighter to offer a hug (at a moment when time was back in).  Who is to say that Ortiz was not going to throw another punch?  He had just fouled moments before.  Should his opponent suddenly trust him to fight fair simply because of an apology?

Moreover, I believe Ortiz was on his way out any way.  His frustrations were only going to get worse.  Mayweather couldn’t miss with the right hand and the accumulation would have likely led to a later round stoppage.

It is also worth pointing out that Ortiz did little to protest the stoppage.  He actually did not seem upset after losing the biggest fight of his life.  He smiled shortly after being counted out.  It is almost as if there was some relief that the fight was over.

Historical References

As for similar cases in history, many have mentioned Jack Dempsey’s knockout victory over future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey.  During their 1927 bout, Sharkey began by outboxing the legendary Jack Dempsey for many rounds.  In the 7th round however, Sharkey turned to the ref to complain about constant low blows from Dempsey.  As he looked away, Dempsey landed a left hook that knocked Sharkey unconscious.  Dempsey was declared the winner by knockout.

You can see the knockout punch within the video below (approximately 3:54 into the clip).

In response to hitting Sharkey when he wasn’t looking, Dempsey replied, “What was I supposed to do?  Mail him a letter?”

Ironically, few spit the same venom at Dempsey that they do towards Floyd.  Jack Dempsey’s aggressive style and power made him one of the most famous boxers in history.  He was a dominant champion who is still talked about today.

Floyd Mayweather is also dominant, but his out of ring antics make it easy for many to dislike him.  Consequently, many have blamed him for the outcome on Saturday.  He is the villain.  He’s the guy that we aren’t supposed to like.

Personally, I’m not here to support Floyd or tell you to like him.  I’m not defending him as a person.  I am simply observing what happened.  Floyd capitalized on the inexperience and frustrations of his junior opponent.  If the shoe was on the other foot and Floyd had deliberately butted Ortiz, I’m guessing that Ortiz would have been heralded by many if he then knocked Mayweather out with his hands down.  I could imagine comments like “I’m glad he knocked out that punk” and so on.

Summary

The Victor Ortiz vs. Floyd Mayweather fight clearly ended in a way that no one expected.  It was not the ending that we hoped for.  We all wanted to see an action packed slugfest.  Instead, we had less than stellar officiating from referee Joe Cortez, flagrant fouls by Victor Ortiz, and a surprise two punch knockout while one man’s hands were down.

What a mess on a night that could have been great for the sport.

Let’s just hope that Mayweather and Pacquaio can finally come to terms after the Marquez fight in November.  Let’s also hope that if and when they do fight, the two men can let their hands fairly determine who is the true pound for pound boxing king. Floyd may not have broken any technical rules with his knockout over Ortiz, but I sure as hell don’t want to ever see that kind of stoppage again.

It has been over a year since I posted any material from the classic Sandow Plus site.  One reason why is that there aren’t any updates to share as the material contained within Sandow Plus is historic.  If you are new to this site though, I do suggest taking time to familiarize yourself with strength athletes from previous eras.  An ideal starting point is the Mighty Men of Old file that can be downloaded at the link below.

Mighty Men of Old (PDF download)

Mighty Men of Old (online version)

Within the file, you will find biographical information about early legends such as George Hackenschmidt, Louis Cyr, Otto Arco, and more.

You will also see that while training has evolved to an extent, much of what appears to be new is not.  Often times, new ideas are nothing more than recycled ideas from the past.  Furthermore, truly new ideas and methods are not necessarily improvements from the past.  There is plenty to learn from those who came before us.  This is particularly true when you consider the strength feats that were performed long before the rise of performance enhancing drugs and supplements.

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To view some of the previous Sandow posts from this blog, refer to the search thread below:

Previous Sandow Plus entries

Below is a short clip that highlights the importance of passion as it relates to success.  The video reiterates many of the ideas that I first shared in the article below:

Pick Your Passion

As I’ve said before, when you are passionate about your work, the work tends to take care of itself.  It is no longer something you dread, but instead something that you look forward to each day.

A day does not pass that I don’t take time to reflect on how thankful I am to have found my passion.  I am passionate about my work.  I don’t need to seek out motivation.  I wake up each day with a fire that is already burning.  Passion is the fuel and I have an endless supply.

Find what moves you and then keep moving.  You won’t want to stop.

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Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. - Dr. Howard Thurman

Michael Phelps is considered by many to be the greatest swimmer ever.  At age 26, he has already won 16 Olympic medals, including 8 gold medals at Beijing in 2008.

So what is his secret?

Surely, Phelps is naturally gifted with a physique that was made for the water, but there is more to his success than a long torso, incredible wingspan, and hypermobile ankles.  Michael Phelps trains harder and longer than the average person could ever conceive.

In the video below, you will hear Phelps and his coach (Bob Bowman) talk about the hard work and dedication that has led to their success.  Michael Phelps doesn’t just show up and do what everyone else is doing in the pool.  Bowman has always pushed him to places that he would have never found on his own.  He literally trained day after day without any breaks for several consecutive years.

How bad did Michael Phelps want to succeed?  Pretty damn bad!

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All know the way, few actually walk it. – Bodhidharma

Below is a video tutorial that explains how to build a rope ladder (pictured above) to be used for a variety of bodyweight based movements.  The rope ladder is actually quite similar to the device seen within the link below (posted to my forum in 2009):

Universal Strength Apparatus

I have not personally built either, but I may give it a try in the near future.

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For more homemade equipment ideas, please refer to the link below:

Homemade Exercise Equipment Archives

Below is a new video tutorial where I demonstrate how to add weight to a jump rope for a greater upper body challenge.

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Additional tutorials can be found at the following playlist (currently over 2 hours of footage):

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2B9BB16835A80D2E

Below is a short video that has been making its way around the web.  It is a motivational clip that uses the background voice from this video.

As for the actual message, it is really quite simple. Don’t tell me how bad you want to succeed.  Get up each day and show me.  No one will remember you for what you planned to accomplish in life.  You will only be remembered for what you actually did.

Hard work may not guarantee anything, but it certainly beats the alternative.  Working harder than everyone around you is a surefire way to improve your likelihood for success.  You may not be blessed with the natural ability of others, but it is within you to outwork your competitors.

How hard you work and how much you sacrifice is a personal decision.  Not everyone is willing to give up as much.  The choice is up to you and it is a decision that must be made each day.  Deciding today doesn’t guarantee anything tomorrow.  You’ve got to be willing to wake up again and repeat the process.

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When I was young, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures.  So I did ten times more work. – George Bernard Shaw