Thick Grip Tip

Fat bar training is incredibly popular today. I love it. However, there is a totally avoidable, but genuine danger associated with it. It is very easy to develop tendonitis in the thumb joint, where the thumb meets the hand.

The two easiest ways to avoid that crippeling problem are as basic as can be. First, you can make sure not to over train that joint. The tough part about it is figuring out what is too much. You have two variables there, the volume of the training and the diameter of the thick tool you are using. Both variables have a real impact. Basically, the larger the diameter the easier to over train, but there is also a tipping point. Once your grip gap is exceeded, then it becomes much, much easier to over train that joint. I show how to find that in my “Train Like A Strongman” booklet, and discuss it in the thick bar section of Train Like A Strongman DVD Vol. 2.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=VID102

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK101B

The second method of avoiding some of that potential for tendonitis is totally tool related. Using a rotating handle tool will help prevent it. It will also help prevent a number of potential wrist and elbow problems. For example, you can use a rotating Olympic thick bar, instead of a solid piece of bar stock. Additionally, you can use something like our rotating Brass Thick Handles for creation of thick dumbbells. It will also help with thick implement cleans and snatches. Of course that type of training will help with your Olympic lifts, a real bonus for strongman contest competitors, Olympic lifters and Cross Fit trainees. 

Here are some helpful links:

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=WB001

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=Y02988

Live strong,Roger LaPointe

No Snow Yet

There I was. Pretty little snow flakes were just starting to fall and I knew this could be my last good outdoor farmer's walk until spring.

Many of you have already been dumped on with snow, or ice, or melted crusty snow that has turned to ice... but we hadn't, yet. Here is a good farmer's walk oriented workout, for those of you who want to get in one last good one before the snow really flies.

Warm-up with Indian Clubs and Stretching

Light Romanian Deadlifts/Leg Extensions/Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 2 Sets of 20 Each

Rope Work for 3 or 4 Minutes: (if you can't climb, then do chins, rows, leg lifts, overhead toe touches, inverted chins, lots of stretches)

Dips: 2 Sets of 10 (Just Bodyweight)

We have a 100 foot section of our gravel access road marked off before our turn, so that is the distance on the rest of these exercises. Now you should be totally warmed up and shouldn't need gloves. If it's cold enough for your hands to freeze to your Farmers Walk implements use full fingered gloves.

This workout is for me. This is not a competition, but training. I am going to use percentages of what you might do for a 50 foot max. For example and using easy numbers, if I were training for a single length of 50 in a competition where the weight were 200 pounds, 50% would be 100 pounds. Each walk should be as fast as you are capable of doing, without sacrificing technique. If you don't have Farmers Walk Implements, then here is a link for a good way to build your own:

http://www.atomicathletic.com/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=94

Walk/Warm-up 40% 1 Length

1 Lap 65%

1 Length 75%

1 Length 85%

1 Length 90%

Stone Ball Walk 75% of what would be in a single hand for the Farmers: 1 Length

Farmers Walk 1 Lap 60%

Seriously stretch

Back Squat 2 Sets of 10

Stretch (Remember, you have been training in the cold and you may not have been feeling things normally. I have seen guys stop a workout like this, walk inside and suddenly get a hamstring cramp. Avoid that.)

If you liked that, check out the link to my book:

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK90

Enjoy.

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe

Atomic Athletic

500 Lehman Ave, Suite 21

Bowling Green, OH 43402

http://atomicathletic.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/atomicathletic

http://www.facebook.com/atomicathletic

www.atomicathletic.com/store

Phone: 419-352-5100

Lifting the Inver Stone

Actual Inver Stone. Image from: www.heavy-athletics.com
 One of the coolest sites we have seen in a while!

Here is a random chance. I was weighing out honed granite Atomic Balls for a customer and we got one weighing exactly 265 pounds! That is the exact weight of the famed Inver Stone and it is sitting here, in stock and ready to ship...

Here is the link:

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=ABALL265

Atomic Athletic Inver Stone: 265 lb. Granite Ball

If you are unfamiliar with the Inver Stone, it is the first natural Scottish manhood stone discussed in Steve Jeck's “Of Stones and Strength”, on page 8. The most famous lifter of the actual Inver Stone is Bill Kazmeier, who found one story about the stone to be a little bit off. Apparently, a challenge was to lift and carry the stone across the street to the Inver Hotel pub and lay it on the bar. A free pint was to be the prize. Unfortunately, Bill found that his challenge was only half finished, as the bartender informed him that the prize would only be awarded after the stone was returned to it's starting position. Personally, I believe that Bill planned on returning it anyway. He did get his pint.

“Of Stones and Strength” is filled with tales about manhood stones. If you do not already own a copy, make sure to pick one up. We do have several in stock. More importantly, if you have ever considered attempting the Inver Stone, I would jump on getting this very smooth Honed Blue-Gray 265 Pound Atomic Ball. I don't have a certified digital scale to weigh it with, but our big freight scale has only a one pound variance, meaning plus or minus one pound potential, which is more accurate than the classic York Olympic Standard Plates.

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe

Atomic Athletic

500 Lehman Ave, Suite 21

Bowling Green, OH 43402

http://atomicathletic.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/atomicathletic

www.atomicathletic.com/store

Phone: 419-352-5100

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Live Strong!

Rotating Thick Bar or Pipe

Here is a great question. Just last night I had a customer ask why he should get a rotating thick bar, instead of a piece of pipe. A thick piece of pipe that will actually fit your Olympic plates is great, because it is cheap. Of course, you have to watch dumping it, because it will bend. Some collars will also crush it, but if you don't have much money, go to the hardware store and get one. After you have your piece of pipe, start saving up for an actual bar.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=Y02988

Deadlifts with a Bull Moose Thick Bar

Ultimately, you will want to do clean grip high pulls and power cleans with your thick bar. Power cleans with a non-rotating bar are a totally different kind of lift. They can be fun and useful, but watch yourself. It is a completely different skill set that doesn't really transfer to your Olympic lifts. I have also seen a lot of sprained wrists from people who tried to do it using the same technique as a rotating thick bar. Additionally, you can't lift as much weight with the non-rotating bar. You are already lifting less weight, because the thick grip is harder to grab. So you need to decide on the goal behind your thick bar training.

If you don't already have some lighter bumper plates, pick up some 15 or 25 pounders. Of course, if you are going to step up to the next level, then you will be wanting to do snatch based exercises, like overhead squats, power snatches and snatch pulls. For that, you will really need that rotating bar. However, not everyone is up to that challenge.

Here is the best deal on a great quality Olympic rotating thick bar.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=Y02988

Atomic Athletic Bull Moose Rotating Thick Bars

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe

Atomic Athletic

500 Lehman Ave, Suite 21

Bowling Green, OH 43402

http://atomicathletic.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/atomicathletic

www.atomicathletic.com/store

Phone: 419-352-5100