The Hammer Cast

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com "Unfortunately, a lot of people think in terms of just 'lifting weight'…they're missing half of the rep (by skipping the negative)." - Dorian Yates, 6-time Mr. Olympia When it comes to getting stronger, there are a number of factors at play. The standard variables that we focus on for programming strength building are: 1) Intensity (amount of weight/level of difficulty of an exercise) 2) Volume (number of reps) 3) Density (amount of work done in a given time) You can look at these as your "main course" variables for strength programming. But just like no meal is complete without a few side dishes, neither is your programming complete without honing in on the nuances that will help you make the most of your meal. I dish on precisely that in this episode.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Some time back I got an awesome email from Jonathan, one of my Inner Circle members, where he talks about how he was essentially able to 'steal strength' and perform some intermediate and advanced strength moves without practicing them, thanks to his focus on one of the missing links of strength training. This episode focuses on that "missing link" and how to potentially get similar gains.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com When it comes to strength and physical prowess, nothing quite beats Old Man Strength. You know the type: where a guy (or gal) who looks perfectly unassuming or average has a grip like an industrial vice or can help move a giant, awkward object like a huge antique dinner table or some other huge chunk of furniture seemingly without much strain and without breaking a sweat. I've long been working on my old man strength (it's high time, too, given that I'm on the wrong side of 30 now), but I've still got a long way to go to catchup with some of these folks — most of whom would become absolute physical specimens to behold if they trained more seriously, but I digress. While most people write this off as an anomaly or a fluke, old man strength actually holds a number of the keys to life-long strength, health, and fitness. How? Let me count the ways. Listen in and learn.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com For many people, the final frontier of their fitness is training their gait pattern. Today I want to continue to talk about that frontier, and go even beyond it, into seemingly esoteric directions (though as you'll soon see, they're very much grounded in real, actionable steps). I'm gonna talk a bit about what I consider the "fifth element" of fitness and one of the least-used keys in our quest for a lean, youthful-feeling body that performs as well into our later decades as it did in our younger ones (and arguably better). Tune in to find out WTF I'm talking about...

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I'd be willing to bet evergreen dollars to shiny shekels that the Israelites were some pretty strong mofos after 40 years of wandering in the desert. Why? Because they practiced THIS movement pattern a whole helluva lot during that time. Tune in to find out.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com One of the things I've found is that when it comes to crossing over into the next step in their training, one of the most common questions people will ask me is "How do I keep all the strength I built doing X, Y, and Z exercises when moving on to new ones?" Great question. And an easy one to answer. So easy, in fact, that I dive deep into it in this short episode. Listen and enjoy.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com There are 3 major things you need to know about flexibility work for better, more youthful movement. I dive into them on this fine episode, which I am sure you're gonna love (you'd better, anyway).

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com A gal named Kristen Mitchell — a busy mom with a full-time job — wrote to me a while back after finishing one of my free programs, The Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight Strength Program. It's an ambitious-but-sensible program I designed that uses only bodyweight exercises at various degrees of intensity with a laser-sharp focus on technique to build strength and fitness safely and surely while providing a guide on how to find the right variation/intensity level of each exercise to lead you from where you are to wherever you want to go. Here I talk about what makes such a program successful. Have a listen and enjoy!

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.AleksSalkin.com Are your workouts feeling stale, boring, and unproductive? These 3 tips might just help you kickstart your long-stalled strength once more.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.AleksSalkin.com One of the best (and most ignored) ways of building seriously strong stems (i.e. legs) is through higher rep sets. This might come as a surprise to anyone who has had the idea hammered into their head that low reps are the only way to go, but the truth is quite the contrary. I dish on why (and how) in this fun-filled, jam-packed episode. Here are those videos for reference, too: * https://youtu.be/RF3CGxhauAY * https://youtu.be/6xKskXoTce8

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.AleksSalkin.com People are creatures of habit; we tend to find something we like and stick with it. As far as working out is concerned, kettlebells and bodyweight are a great example (and for good reason: they'll deliver strength, fitness, mobility, and resilience gains for years to come and with relatively low occurrence of injuries provided you know what you're doing). However, mixing things up CORRECTLY can be one of the best things you ever do for your strength, fitness, and overall badazzery. This episode will give youa foray into one such tried-and-proven method.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.AleksSalkin.com If you've been lifting kettlebells even for just a short period of time, there's one thing you've no doubt noticed: overhead pressing is just cool. I still remember over 10 years ago when I first clean & pressed a 24 kg kettlebell over my head. It was a monumental occasion for me - and if you'd like more such monumental occasions, the tips in this episode just might help you build up your own military press faster than you can say "how much ya press, bro?" Listen, learn, and apply. Have fun and happy training! Aleks

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.AleksSalkin.com Kettlebells have a long history among old school strongmen, weightlifters, circus performers, special operators, and countless other tough-as-nails men and women. The reason why is simple: The kettlebell is one of the most versatile tools around for building strength in every nook and cranny of your body. Combine them with bodyweight movements and you've got yourself a system that can forge bold new strength and crush endless amounts of weakness from here to eternity. Here are 4 ways YOU can use kettlebells (and bodyweight) to boost your strength from here to the moon.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com In the world of kettlebell training, the undisputed king of lifts is the overhead press. In fact, in the "olden days", long before the bench press was the apple of any gym rat's eye, the clean and press was THE measure of upper body strength. Still is, as far as I'm concerned. However! There is another contender that at LEAST deserves consideration for the #2 spot. I dish on that in this episode (which you won't wanna miss)

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com There are a few things people often tell me they want: 1) To get stronger with kettlebells and bodyweight exercises 2) To have a routine that fits their time budget (usually around 20–30 minutes 4–5 times per week) And let's be honest, this is most of us. So how can we get at least closer to this goal when we have sub-optimal issues to deal with like our sleep, eating, etc? This episode will reveal 3 1/2 ways (that's right, 3 1/2) of doing just that.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I've talked recently about several of the key things you need to turn your workouts from sucky to spectacular. Among them were things like training odd angles, getting generally strong before specifically strong, your exercise selection, etc. But just like how you need your vegetables in addition to your steak, you also need exercises you typically ignore or don't excel at as much in order to get truly strong and fit. I dish on how to do that in this fine episode.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Let's talk about your workouts and how to make them less sucky (unless you're getting the results you want, that is; in which case, keep up the good work). There are usually two primary culprits that lead to you having sucky workouts: 1) Too much variety 2) Not enough variety A paradox, you say? Not quite. As former senior kettlebell instructor Rob Lawrence has said: "I need specificity to get me strong and variety to keep me sane." In other words, you need a balance, of sorts. I dish on how to get to that semblance of balance in this fine episode...

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com One of the most unsung ways of building strength is isometric strength and static strength, and one of the best ways to build it is with calisthenics training. In this episode I dish on exactly how to get that process kickstarted in no time flat.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com A long time ago in a European country far, far away, I got a great testimonial from Fran Perez — a member of my Inner Circle (my monthly training newsletter). He had started a few issues prior and started making some really impressive gains in strength from the word "go". I could go into more detail, of course, but I'll let him tell you a little bit about the major leaps forward he made in his strength and conditioning over the course of a short 4 weeks (which, of course, you can hear in this episode)

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Wanna clean up your clean? This video will show you how: https://youtu.be/Z6Mf8jMioE0

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com One of the things that strength trainees often overlook is the importance of building 'all around' strength. This is the type of strength you can use for what we might call "everyday carry". You know the type: the strength that you can pull out of your back pocket and astound your friends with when you help someone move and you're able to carry heavy pieces of furniture with little or no help, whisk your spouse off of his/her feet (literally), or rough house with your kids or grandkids. Or, if you feel so inclined, walk on railings and do various other goofy stunts you haven't specifically trained for. For me, that's what strength is all about: the ability to do what you want, when you want. I dish on how to do just that in this jam-packed episode.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com On the topic of bodyweight training for strength, there's one axiom that I hold to be self-evident: "In order to be bodyweight strong, you must be able to do pullups" However, there are 2 major problems that I hear from a great many people looking to get stronger with bodyweight training: "I can't do any pullups yet" Or: "I can only do 1–2 pullups" Well, pardner, this episode will get you started off on the right foot (as will this demo video) https://youtu.be/IG9qHQfoWNM

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com It's no secret that kettlebells and bodyweight exercises go together like Batman and Robin, peanut butter and jelly, love and marriage, and just about any other "perfect pair" you can think of. The reasons? There are two: 1) Bodyweight exercises teach you to master your body movements through free space 2) Kettlebell exercises teach you how to move both quickly and slowly with an awkward external load What might still be a secret to you, however, is how to combine the two for maximum strength building in minimal time. I dish on that in this episode.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I'm joined on this episode - his first podcast appearance ever - by Matthew Shoffner: a true calisthenics master and a real artist at the one-arm pullup. In this episode we discuss his origin story, how he got to be so freakishly strong, "the greatest sport of all time", and his journey to one-arm pullup greatness. You won't want to miss this one. Be sure to check out his incredible videos on his YouTube channel: Matthew Shoffner - YouTube

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Someone once asked a famous strength coach "How can I improve my squat?" to which he answered "Squat." Pretty straight forward. And make no mistake: if you want to get good at squatting, you're going to have to squat. It's just like any other movement — you need to practice it specifically in order to get any good at it. And because the squat is one of the greatest movements for full-body strength (not just lower body strength), it's worth your time to practice it and master it. But there's more to better squatting than JUST squatting alone. On this episode I dish on 3 assistance moves that can help boost your squatting strength seemingly instantly. Keep them in your regular rotation for a few weeks and watch as your squatting strength goes through the roof.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I'm a big fan of gymnastics-style bodyweight strength training. And while most people view it as basically just insane feats of bodyweight strength, such as iron crosses on rings and planches and what have you, in reality those are only examples of the more high-level strength skills and are not representative of the entire system. Even at very basic levels, gymnastic strength training can help you build tremendous levels of immediately usable strength for everyday use — not to mention hit PRs in your favorite kettlebell lifts. On this episode I dive into 3 badazz gymnastics drills to build up your kettlebell skills.

Let's talk about your matchstick legs and how to muscle them up a bit, shall we? There are two things I am not a big believer in: 1) That Monday should remain International Chest Day 2) That your thighs have to be massive and chafing before you can claim to have reasonably good leg development. Now, as far as #2 goes, that also doesn't mean that I think you should intentionally maintain twig legs. Far from it. You can have great and respectable leg development (not to mention strength and explosive power) without having thighs so big that they sound like a round of applause whenever you run. This episode will show you how.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com there are two big mistakes people make in bodyweight training: 1) They take too traditional of an approach and ignore various "unusual but effective" bodyweight drills 2) They avoid the "basic" drills in favor of flashy advanced stuff Both of them are ultimately going to short-change you when it comes to strength, muscle, and skill building, and both of them are a big reason why a lot of people quit seriously pursuing bodyweight strength training as a discipline, AND why their bodyweight training never has a significant carryover into their kettlebell training. Let's fix that. This episode will help get that journey kicked off.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I'm a big believer in gymnastics-style strength training for helping improve my own strength as well as my students' strength. This is for a couple of reasons (3 to be precise) that I dive into in this episode, along with the top 4 gymnastics tactics for increased (and freakish) kettlebell strength.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com This is a somewhat different (but still exciting) episode today. Today we cover a case study from Frances Moylan (who has been a guest on this show) about how she worked her way up to squatting 85% of her bodyweight - with kettlebells - for a whopping 25 total reps! Listen in and be amazed. And take good notes, too, because you might find some details that you'll be able to apply to your own training.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Believe it or not, the old time weightlifters and strongmen have a LOT to teach us to help us overcome the various challenges and frustrations we face in our own fitness. Listen in to this episode and find out just a few such tips that you - yes, you - can start implementing right this very day to start seeing some undeniable gains in no time flat.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com In this-here podcastI've compiled a few of my best tips and tricks for stacking strength on strength on strength in your kettlebell and bodyweight workouts. Many of these tips are old-school, tried-and-true strategies that have stood the test of time, while others are personal observations from my 12 years of personal training and 16+ years of working out myself. And here…we…GO!

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com You're in for a treat, friend because in this episode I've got not one, but TWO things for you that will help you crush some workouts. And they won't cost you a dayum thing save for some sweat and hard work! Oh, and you'll have to actually listen to the episode first. Do that and you'll be in like Flynn.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I've talked a lot recently about the importance of high-rep exercises as a part of a balanced workout (you thought I was gonna say "balanced breakfast", didn't you?). Low reps are far and away a great go-to, but eventually you'll work yourself into a corner and you'll find that your low-rep strength will be hard to use repeatedly if you can't back it up with some higher-rep endurance. This episode will help you kick off your journey to greater gains in your work capacity and potentially 1-rep max strength as well.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com You get best at what you do daily - so whether that's sitting on your duff, arguing with strangers on Facebook, or getting jacked and powerful, your daily activities determine your fate over the long term. Wouldn't it make sense to focus on stuff that's actually going to HELP you though? I sure think so. That's why I recorded this podcast. Duh. In it there are 4 things you can toss into your daily diet of activities that - over the long run - will have a great impact on your strength, health, and fitness. Tune in and take action.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I'm joined on this episode by none other than the legendary grip sport master, Jedd Johnson. In this jam-packed episode we talk about: * Jedd's origin story: how he got into training, how his early tinkering with strength work helped him improve his sports practice, and how he ultimately stumbled upon grip training * Why various grip feats might NOT be the best idea for your training - and what implements to use instead * Got busted-up elbows? Jedd's been there and done that, and he's got a few helpful tips that can dang near eliminate elbow pain in short order Much, much more. Be sure to snag a copy of Jedd's free ebook, The Diesel Files right here: http://www.dieselcrew.com/diesel-files-giveaway.htm And follow him on Instagram at @jedd.diesel

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com One of the more common drawbacks of most people's training nowadays is that it's too predictable and formulaic. Yes, you need to do some "boring training" based on tried-and-true programs and old, familiar set and rep schemes (ex: 5 sets of 5 reps) in order to get strong, but as your training progresses, you'll likely run into 3 barriers: 1) Plateaus 2) Limited Strength 3) Slower Recovery I talk about how to overcome all of this stuff (and more) in this fine episode

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com One of the things I've taken note of over the last few years is the relative "sameness" of most people's programs — namely, it's almost always the exact same movements using the exact same set/rep scheme done in the exact same way ad nauseam. Now, don't get me wrong: consistency is important. And you have to do what you want to get good at, so let's not get that twisted. BUT! You've also got to do movements that will help boost your abilities in the movements you want to get good at — and that means doing some old school drills you may not have tried before. I dish on exactly these drills in this fine episode (which you can watch a demo of as well right here: https://youtu.be/-fQRnd4wZQw / Killer Kettlebell & Bodyweight Combos - YouTube )

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com If you wanna get freaky strong (and why wouldn't you? That's what we're all here for) ya GOTTA get freaky good at your gait pattern. One of the fastest and EASIEST ways to learn this is with a move that I talk about in this fine episode - one that is good enough to win an award but probably never will anyway. Oh well, listen in anyway and enjoy!

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com This month marks 12 years (!!!) since I got certified as a kettlebell instructor, and along the way I've trained a lot of people, both in person and online. More than I can count, really. One of the things I've found is that when it comes to crossing over into the next step in their training, one of the most common questions people will ask me is "How do I keep all the strength I built doing X, Y, and Z exercises when moving on to new ones?" Great question. And an easy one to answer, in fact. And answer it I do in this fine episode. Tune in and find out.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Let's face it: nobody wants to move like an old bag of crap. Yet how often do you actually think about your movement *quality* rather than just movement *quantity*? This little episode will give you some of my hard-won insights into moving better while simultaneously getting stronger.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com There's more to strength training than grinding yourself into the ground - in fact, a LOT more. This is especially important if you have a job, kids, and other responsibilities that constantly call out for your attention. So if you have big ambition but little time to accomplish all that you want to, this episode will push you in the right general direction.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Wanna get stupid strong in a few stupid simple ways? Well, then you've obviously come to the right place since that's the very name of this episode! Listen in closely and try out these head-slappingly simple methods of increasing your strength so effectively you'll wonder how you ever did without them.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com There's no better school to learn from than that of the old school - when methods either proved they worked under the harshest of conditions or they were unceremoniously consigned to the dust heap of history. One Olympian's methods worked so well that not only did they help him become one of the strongest men of all time, but only in the decades after his world domination did science finally catch up with what he was doing and vindicate his mad approach all along. Listen in to this episode for just one such genius (and simple) method of strength training that you can start doing ASAP and reap the rewards.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com You have been told that in order to get strong, you MUST lift heavy. That is the truth, but not the WHOLE truth. Hear why high rep squats just might be the key you need to unlock a whole heaping helping of brand new gains.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com Just like Indiana Jones had to dodge "3 tests of a most lethal kind" to reach the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, so, too, are there 3 tips that are lethal for your weakness, but gentle for building strength (well, kinda gentle, you'll still have to work hard). Find out what those bad boys are in this fine episode.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com If there's one thing I love about kettlebells and calisthenics, it's just how well they mix together in Swoly Matrimony. Here are just a few of my personal faves (and if you want to see a demonstration, check out the video here: https://youtu.be/aO93Z92pPM0 )

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com You want "secret" drills for eye-popping leg strength and athleticism with just a single kettlebell? Well, you're in luck, because I'm gonna let the cat out of the bag on this one. Listen in and enjoy.

Get my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge FREE here: http://www.9MinuteChallenge.com I am joined on this fine episode by none other than my friend Pat Flynn of ChroniclesOfStrength.com to talk about complexes, circuts, and chains, oh my! Oh, and we also talk about a ton of other unrelated stuff, like John Wick, the Ip Man movies, the MCU, Star Wars, why the best Philly cheesesteaks are found OUTSIDE of Philadelphia, and other stuff that will make this your favorite podcast episode of mine so far. And be sure to snag the insane deal Pat is offering - the best of his year 3 Strong ON! workouts, all wrapped up into one neat little package. Check out the details here: http://www.chroniclesofstrength.com/bestofyear3