Strongman competitor Dave Ostlund doesn’t need a high-tech gym to compete with some of the strongest men in the world.  As can be seen below, Dave trains at home in his garage.

Next, he can be seen pressing a 300 pound sandbag overhead with ease.  If there was ever an example of a low-tech, high-effect gym, Dave’s garage would rank at the top of the list.  He’s an absolute beast!

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The simplest things are often the truest. – Richard Bach

Below is a brief video that was recorded from a new HD camcorder. I’ve uploaded this video to test the quality when set to 720p. I used the jump rope for this test to see how the camera would handle the high speed motion.

Going forward, I will now be able to film all new videos in HD.

Matt Palfrey (from the Sandbag Fitness) has offered to provide readers of RossTraining with a 50 percent discount code on his newly released e-book.  With the discount code, the cost of the book will be approximately $6.

The discount code is ross50

To learn more about the book, please visit the link below:

http://fitedia.com/products/the-complete-guide-to-sandbag-training

The discount code can be entered at the final step in the checkout process.  Matt has agreed to keep the code active until February 12th.  During this time, he’s also offered to provide half of the earnings towards keeping RossTraining up and running.

Thanks to Matt for the offer.

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For those interested in making their own sandbag, below is yet another option (inexpensive and quite durable).

If you search for suspension trainer within this blog, you’ll find numerous examples of do-it-yourself tutorials.  Anyone familiar with this site should know that it is both easy and inexpensive to build a suspension trainer. Yet despite the numerous options for homemade models, I’m often asked about how to build a door anchor to support the suspension trainer.

Although one example has been posted before (here), you can find another tutorial that covers the topic below.

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

Homemade Exercise Equipment Archives

I mentioned Ray Lewis on this blog a few months ago (previous entry here).  Below is yet another video of Ray.  This time he speaks on the importance of effort.  The entire clip will take less than a minute of your time. Fortunately, the brevity does not minimize the significance of the message.

Ray Lewis is without question one of the most passionate and tenacious players that the NFL has ever seen.  He works as hard as anyone on the field.

All aspiring athletes can benefit from his emphasis on individual effort.  Don’t be a victim of paralysis by analysis.  When in doubt, outwork the competition.  Wake up and do it again.  Continue on such a path and you will surely pass many who are in front of you now.

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Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more. – Edward H. Harriman

Below are two videos that were recently emailed to me.  Within the first video, you will see a brief tutorial that shows how to make a strong outdoor pull-up station.

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The specifications for the pull-up station are listed below:

Specifications:
2.03 solid stainless steel bar (34-35mm)
2 x 3.7M (100mm x 100mm x 4mm) Galvanized posts
2 Galvanized Post caps
0.6m³ concrete mix (25MPA X 14mm Stones)

Hole dimensions:
500mm x 500mm x 1.2m deep
Distance between posts (inside) 1.7m
Distance from ground to bar is 2.5m (Plenty of room for legs to hang even if >6″ tall)

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A video of the bar in action can be seen next:

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

Homemade Exercise Equipment Archives

Below is a brief video of Hall of Fame boxer Kostya Tszyu demonstrating a few exercises to improve reflexes and balance.

For those unfamiliar with Kostya, he was first an amateur world champion (1991) and eventually became a professional world champion as well.

Perhaps his most memorable highlight as a pro was his knockout victory over Zab Judah in 2001.  Footage from that fight can be seen below:

Following his retirement, Kostya was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and now trains fighters as well.  He has been working with cruiserweight Denis Lebedev for several months now.  Kostya is certainly someone who others can learn from.

Below is a new video tutorial where I discuss how to create an inexpensive pair of gymnastic rings.

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As mentioned within the tutorial, the rings were created from 1 inch PVC and flat nylon straps (each 15 feet in length).  The straps were purchased from strapworks.com.

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Each flat nylon strap has a moto cam buckle that allows for quick and easy length adjustments.
The moto cam buckle is stronger than the standard cam buckle at strapworks.com.  The upgrade will cost you less than a dollar each.

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PVC handles are easy to make.  The gymnastic ring handles are 23.5 inches long.  I also created a smaller set of handles that can be used with a suspension trainer.  Below are a few pictures that detail the process.

First, you will cut two even pieces of PVC.  I then suggest sanding the ends to remove any rough edges.

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Next, you will cap one end of the PVC with duct tape.  You will then fill the PVC with sand.

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You will then cap the remaining end with more duct tape to keep the sand in place while the PVC is heated.

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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  You will then place one piece of PVC on a cookie sheet.  Let the PVC heat for 10 minutes (the area should be well ventilated with fresh air).

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Finally, remove the PVC with oven mitts and immediately shape the handles.  You will need to hold the handles in the desired shape for a few minutes.  I wrapped the full size ring handles around a paint can to achieve the circular shape.

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Lastly, you will remove the duct tape and pour out the sand.  Some of the duct tape may be stuck to the ends of your PVC but it will not interfere with the performance of the handles.

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

Homemade Exercise Equipment Archives

I was recently interviewed by the Bare Essentials Magazine.  This month’s magazine is available for free viewing online at the following link:

Bare Essentials Nov/Dec 2011

The interview can be found on pages 23-25.

The issue can also be found by scrolling to the bottom of the link below (click the FREE ISSUE link).

Bare Essentials Magazine

Woody Allen once said that eighty percent of success is showing up.  He certainly had a point, as nothing would be accomplished if you never showed up to work.  There is still more to the story though.  If showing up was all that mattered, every athlete who stepped into the arena would succeed.  Clearly, that isn’t the case.  There are countless factors that lead some to success and others to failure.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to dissect the entire topic of success within a brief blog entry, but I can highlight one extremely important factor…

Effort – exertion of physical or mental power

Individual effort is often more important than anything else.  At some point, the difference between you and a competitor may be nothing more than who wants it more.  Who is willing to push harder?  Who is willing to sacrifice more?

The answer to these questions will often be more relevant than any other commonly discussed topics in today’s training world.  While some athletes argue over dietary plans and periodization models, there are others who show up with the mindset that they cannot and will not be defeated.  They don’t care what rep scheme you believe in.  When push comes to shove, they are always ready to push back.

As for examples, I could have posted one of countless boxing or MMA videos where an athlete continues to get up from the canvas as he refuses to quit.  I’ve already shared several fighter based videos however so I opted for a less dramatic example.

The video below shows an extremely intense and sustained effort.  The lift takes almost 13 seconds to complete.  Those who haven’t pulled heavy weights have no idea how impressive it is to see such a lengthy pull through to completion.

Hats off to the lifter for his determination and effort.

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Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more. – Edward H. Harriman