Sunday (March 25th) would have been the 91st birthday for bodyweight strength legend Jasper Benincasa. He sadly left this world on January 6th, 2012. Fortunately, Brad Johnson has done his part to help keep Jasper’s memory alive. He created the tribute video below.

The video is well worth a look whether you know of Jasper or not. Not only were his exercise feats tremendous, he achieved such status long before the modern era of supplementation and drug use.

As for how he trained, Jasper addressed the topic in a past interview:

My training was very haphazard. I’d train as often as I could. I was a construction worker and I would chin on the scaffolding after I was already tired from work. I would do alternate one arm chins down the length of the scaffolding and then turn and work my way back.

As you can see, Jasper didn’t rely on any of the fancy plans that you’ll see marketed today. He worked hard and remained consistent. It’s amazing what the human body can achieve when you work hard regularly and never give up. Jasper was even said to have done a one arm chin-up at age 89!

Happy birthday and RIP

While infomercial gadgets come and go, there are a few time tested tools that have delivered results for longer than we’ve all been alive. The jump rope is an excellent example. Legendary fighters from past and present have relied on the effectiveness of a simple jump rope.

Below is a brief video compilation that shows the jump rope in the hands of several all-time greats.

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There’s not a muscle group that you use in the ring that jumping rope doesn’t work; that’s why it’s such an important part of the fighter’s workout. Turning the rope and keeping it turning works your hands, wrists, forearms, and shoulders – which you use for punching. Getting up over it works every part of your legs, from your calves to your thighs – which you use to move. And the constant movement works your heart and lungs, which, of course, run everything else. – Joe Frazier

I rarely highlight the same person twice within the same month but Joshua Rucker certainly deserves to be seen. I first posted one of his videos a few weeks ago. At the time, I did not know who he was or what led to his paralysis.

In the video below, he explains his story and demonstrates his prowess on the bars. I am sure I speak for others when I say that I am truly inspired by his example.

Hats off to Joshua and best wishes with everything.

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Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

My new jump rope conditioning DVD is now in stock. The DVD is 1 hour and 53 minutes and includes a 44 page e-book. The price is 13.95.

Additional details can be found at the link below.

Jump Rope Conditioning For Athletes

If you have any questions, please email me at ross@rosstraining.com. I’ll be happy to assist in any way that I can.

Thank you for the support

Ross

I first blogged about Dewey Bozella after he was honored with the 2011 Arthur Ashe Award for Courage.  If you aren’t familiar with his story, take a moment to familiarize yourself here.  The original video is worth every second of your time.

The abbreviated story is that Dewey served over 25 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit.  Amazingly, he never lost hope throughout the quarter century ordeal.

Following his release, Dewey had a lifelong goal to fulfill. He wanted to fight in one professional boxing match. Unfortunately, he was originally denied a license to fight in the state of California.

In the video below, you’ll see him prepare for his second shot at the licensing test. As you’ll see within, he passed the test and earned the right to fight on October 15th, 2011. Dewey’s hard work and perseverance paid off as he was able to accomplish a lifelong goal.  At age 52, Dewey Bozella fought and won his first (and last) professional boxing match. He earned a unanimous decision over Larry Hopkins.

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I used to lay in my cell and dream about this happening. It was all worth it. It was my dream come true… This was my first and last fight. It’s a young man’s game. I did what I wanted to do, and I’m happy. I appreciate everybody that made this possible. This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. – Dewey Bozella

First The Fight

I rarely use this blog to share highlights from recent fights, but I feel compelled to express a few thoughts about Saturday’s rematch between Juan Manuel Lopez and WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido. For starters, it was an exciting bout that should have received more hype than it did. This fight had all the makings for non-stop action with both fighters giving and receiving their share of punishment. It did not disappoint in that regard.

In what may go down as fight of the year, Juanma and Salido also treated fans to one of the best rounds that they’ve seen in years. Take a look at the back and forth action experienced in the 9th round. Despite both men already being hurt and fatigued, they laid it all on the line without a hint of caution.

Shortly after, Salido finished Juanma early in the 10th round.

It is action fights like this that the sport needs and the fans deserve to see. Anyone who follows boxing or is involved in any way knew that this fight would be a war. Unfortunately, few outside the diehard boxing crowd knew of the fight or had heard of both fighters. How does the sport pass up the opportunity to promote a bout that was destined to turn into a reckless slugfest?

I’m sick and tired of hearing that the sport is dead when fights like this still take place. Unfortunately, most reporters would rather waste time fantasizing about fights that may never happen (ie. Pacquiao vs. Mayweather). Why not give some ink to the fighters who are actually fighting and willing to take risks? Contrary to what the public has been told, there are still plenty of quality fights to be seen.

Post-Fight Comments

Shifting gears entirely, I’d also like to address the comments that were made by Juanma following his knockout loss in the 10th round. During his post-fight interview inside the ring, Juanma made some derogatory comments towards referee Roberto Ramirez. Shortly after, the WBO imposed sanctions against Juanma with a suspension.

To begin, I certainly wish he never said anything about the referee. There is no denying that he made a mistake. My problem however isn’t with his comments, as much as it is with the backlash that has followed. Certain boxing writers have vilified Juanma for speaking out against the referee.

I’ll admit, as I watched his interview live, I immediately thought to myself, “What the hell is his thinking?” He was clearly out of line. He should not have made those comments.

With that said, fans and writers must realize that he was interviewed moments after the action seen in the two videos above. How can we expect a fighter who has just been through 10 rounds of hell to be calm and collected when being interviewed inside the ring? He’s literally forced to go from savage beast where he’s fighting his heart out, to being interviewed in front of millions of people.

On top of that, he’s also forced to deal with strong emotions after losing a rematch that has been on his mind for the past year. He’s trained hours and hours, day after day, solely for this fight. Is it fair to criticize a man who is clearly overtaken by emotions and fatigue? He was also just knocked down and unable to continue. If he isn’t physically able to continue the fight, how can we expect him to be mentally sharp during an interview that is conducted seconds later?

Can you imagine taking hundreds of punches, being knocked down and exhausted, and then forced to share your feelings to the entire world? Are you sure that you would express yourself clearly and coherently?

I doubt I would, particularly if I had just lost something that meant so much to me. Haven’t we all been in situations where our emotions got the best of us? Isn’t that part of being human? Perhaps the rest of us should just be fortunate that we don’t have a camera in our face when our emotions do take over.

In addition, we as spectators to the fight have a different view of what took place. We all saw that Juanma was clearly hurt in the 10th round. The fighter who is taking the punches has an entirely different perspective. He is literally on the verge of being knocked unconscious. He does not have a clear state of mind. Juanma honestly thought that he could continue in the 10th round. As he looks back, he will see how hurt he was, but at the time, he thought that he could continue. Is it really a surprise that he made derogatory comments after? In his mind, he was certain that he had been wronged.

Furthermore, it is important to realize that many professional fighters have been fighting since they were kids. Many turn pro at a young age and never receive a formal education. Juanma did not go to college, nor did he take courses in public speaking. I think back to my own experiences in school. It took me a long time to become comfortable speaking in front of large crowds. I still remember feeling uncomfortable speaking in front of 15 classmates in an early college course. Learning to speak properly in front of large groups is not easy, particularly if you have never been taught how.

In summary, trainers and managers should learn from what happened on Saturday night. Prep your fighters with a few pointers about dealing with post-fight interviews. Tell the fighter to keep his answers brief. As a fighter continues to talk, it becomes more likely that he will say something that doesn’t make sense. He can always just say that he needs to sit down and watch the tape before commenting on what went right or wrong. It is much more difficult for the media to criticize a short answer. Don’t give them what they want. Keep your answers brief and then release a public statement a few days later if necessary.

Last night I received a question about exercises that could be performed with a tire. A man had come across a few tires and was wondering if he could use them for training. My response was what it always is when asked about training with tires. I referred him to a past entry.

Low-Tech/High-Effect Tire Training

Within the link, you will see several tire exercises demonstrated by a man who at the time was in his 60s.

As I looked back at the old link, I realized that it had been a few years since I posted it to the blog. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to look at the Youtube channel where the tire video was first uploaded. I was interested to see if Dominic was still posting videos.

In doing so, I came across the video below which was posted a few days ago. Take a look as a 70+ year old man demonstrates a nice burpee variation.

It is great to see a man in his 70s who continues to thrive in a low-tech environment. He remains in better shape than most men half his age. Those who have been fooled to believe that you need a fancy facility to get in shape can certainly learn from this man’s example.

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If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. – Bruce Lee

Terry Wahls, M.D. is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She teaches internal medicine residents in their primary care clinics. She is also involved in clinical research and has published over 60 peer-reviewed scientific abstracts, posters and papers.

In 2003, she was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and soon became dependent on a tilt-recline wheelchair.

In the video below, she discusses how she overcame the disease through a complete dietary overhaul. The speech is quite interesting and certainly worth a look…

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It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. – W. Edwards Deming

Below is a powerful video of a man who refuses to lie down and instead chooses to keep moving forward. The clip is well worth a few moments of your time. It certainly serves as a powerful reminder to be fortunate of what we have and to never give up regardless of the obstacles that stand in our way.

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He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else – Benjamin Franklin

Below is a photo that has recently garnered a considerable amount of attention on the web. I first saw the image on Facebook today and decided to share it on my own wall. The reactions were mixed. Many saw the image as extremely inspiring, while others chimed in to call the photo out as a hoax. The Photoshop experts shared reasons why they believed it was fake.

Shortly after, someone responded with the name of the individual.  His name is Joshua Sundquist. I had never heard of him.

It didn’t take long however to find quite a bit about his life. For starters, Joshua Sundquist is a cancer survivor who lost his leg at age nine. He later became a member of the US Paralympic Ski Team and is now a best selling author and motivational speaker.  A bio from earlier in his life can be seen below.

http://vimeo.com/8954595

As for the picture above, it was taken in 2006. In that year, Joshua was a winner in the Body For Life challenge. You can read more about the contest at the following link:

http://bodyforlife.com/challenge/champions/joshua-sundquist

You can also hear directly from Josh regarding the authenticity of the photo. Take a look at his video response:

I particularly enjoyed his commentary around the 3:50 mark. His response at that time can be applied to countless online arguments and debates. Many people are quick to make assumptions that are based solely on speculation. While we are all entitled to an opinion, we should also keep in mind that our opinions aren’t always correct. This becomes particularly true when opinions are formed with little background information regarding a given topic.

In summary, I’m glad I stumbled across this image today as it opened my eyes to Joshua’s inspiring comeback from a rare form of cancer that almost took his life. His positive energy and zest for life despite the difficult hand he’s been dealt is something we could all learn from.

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Most of our assumptions have outlived their uselessness. – Marshall McLuhan