There are a couple of very sick, twisted and sadistic people out there who deserve to be punished severely.

They are Derek Poundstone and Jason Steeves.

Yes, that Derek Poundstone – the pro strongman competitor.

He’s the one that came up with this craziness.

The other one, Jason Steeves, is someone who I thought I was my friend, but now I know the truth – HE IS NOT – since he’s the one that introduced me to the challenge.

The way he put it, he was “helping me out” with a way to spice up my #AugustOfArms training this month.

But, I think he was actually trying to maim me, brother.

What is the Poundstone Barbell Curl Challenge?

Apparently, for some reason, Derek Poundstone thought it would be a great idea to try to curl an empty barbell for 100 reps.

I guess he started doing this a couple years ago, once a month.

Well, up until a couple weeks back, I had steered clear of this challenge and knew nothing about it.

That’s where Jason Steeves comes in.

The conversation went a little something like this…

Jason: Hey Jedd, I see you’re doing #31DaysOfArms. Ever hear of Derek Poundstone’s 100-rep Empty Barbell Challenge?

Jedd: No man. What is that?

Jason: Oh, just try and curl a barbell 100 times. You’ll love it. It will change your life. Best thing ever. It will help you sleep better at night. You’ll never want to put sugar or salt on your food ever again. You’ll start getting discounts on your meals at fancy restaurants, and so on…

Jedd: OK, I’ll give them a try.

So I moseyed on down to the gym that night and tried it, and I couldn’t believe the PAIN in my biceps.

I couldn’t believe how quickly it went from being easy and feeling like a complete waste of time, to being so ridiculously hard!

I had to double check and make sure Poundstone or Steeves hadn’t actually snuck into my gym and quietly slid a 45-lb plate on each end of the bar, brother!!!

I think the first time I tried it, I got 24 reps and I couldn’t believe how pathetic I felt.

I must have been having a bad day.

I HAD to try it one more time.

Trying the Poundstone Empty Barbell Curl Challenge

Here is the second day I tried the Poundstone Empty Barbell Curl Challenge:

So I post the video above and who comes and leaves a comment below? Jason Steeves himself.

Jason: “You had more Jedd!!! Where was the fire to blast out another 15? The last rep looked just as crisp as the first. If you were really bagged physically I would’ve seen them slowing down. Get mad!! Get your 50!!!!”

Jedd: “I will do it again tonight duuuuuuude!”

True to my word, I picked my poison again and hit the challenge that night.

Here it was:

Poundstone Barbell Curl 100 Rep Challenge

And just like someone who is hooked on crystal meth, now, I can’t stop doing these.

Just like someone who gets hooked on pain killers, and they need more and more and more, now I even find myself trying this challenge WITH EXTRA WEIGHT ON THE BAR.

Do you see how crazy this is?

Poundstone Curls with Weight Added – Purely Crazy Barbell Curl Challenge

And now, just like a drug dealer who pushes their addiction on others, I’m pushing this Poundstone Barbell Curl Challenge on YOU, brother.

Honestly, just like I talk about in Call to Arms, I don’t like mindless reps when training PERIOD, let alone when training arms.

I don’t like just standing there and curling weight just to hit a target number.

I like squeezing each rep and having control over the bar or dumbbell, so that each rep has a purpose.

But this Poundstone Empty Barbell Curl 100-Rep Challenge thing has been different.

I want to keep on pushing the envelope to see where it will take me.

If you want a crazy, illogical, bicep curl challenge, then give this a try my friend!

Let me know what you think.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Regardless of the fact that the barbell is empty, it KILLS my wrists and forearms if I don’t use Globe Gripz. If Barbell Curls hurt you, you need to get some of these life savers.

P.P.S. I have no heat against Derek Poundstone or Jason Steeves regarding this Barbell Challenge. That was all a work.

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Throughout the month of August, I trained arms every single day in order to bust through my current plateau and trigger a quick increase in arm size.

I called this August of Arms and used the hashtags #AugustOfArms & #31DaysOfArms when I put up updates on Facebook.

August of Arms:
The Tale of the Tape

I was successful in adding just under an inch to each arm over the course of the month. I took preliminary measurements and each arm was about 18″ on August 1st. I re-measured every 10 days.

August 1 Measurements:

By August 10th, I had added roughly a 1/2 inch to each arm. I saw no increase on August 20th, but on August 31st, when I remeasured again, each arm had increased to roughly 19″, cold.

August 10 Measurements (+/- 1/2″ Increase):

August 20 Measurements (No Change):

August 31 Measurements (+/- 1/2″ Increase):

This seems to have been a very common theme across the board as many, many lifters who approached and followed through the August Of Arms plan also saw solid increases of .5 inches to 1 inch and slightly above.

To really go out with a bang, on the 31st, I ended the month with a Big Arm workout, hitting both Biceps and Triceps with some of my favorite lifts from the great month of August.

Here are some of highlights from Workout 31 of #AugustOfArms

I am very happy with my results from this month-long experiment, and I plan on doing more focused training, just like this.

Stay tuned for more information on what is coming during September.

It is imperative you get your best email onto my newsletter, if you aren’t already.

The form at the top of the right-hand side bar will make sure you are notified every time I put up a new post on the site.

Also, make sure we are connected through Facebook and Twitter:

Jedd Johnson on Facebook | Jedd Johnson on Twitter

I will have more information coming your way soon.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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legtember

#Legtember is under way brother

After taking a much needed day off from training on Sept. 1st to enjoy a relaxing Labor Day holiday with my family, I am back at it brother.

In September, I will hit some form of intense leg work every single day. To make up for the day I missed, I will also do an extra workout on a Friday, the day I train before sun-up.

If your Legs are lagging behind, or if you desperately need to bring up your Squat or Deadlift, then join me for #Legtember.

Here are the details:

Any questions, let me know.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

My KEY to Pain Free Barbell Curls: Globe Gripz

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20 Rep Squats for Building Massive Muscle

Since August, I have been experimenting with 20 Rep Squats.

Performing 20 Rep Squats is a tactic that was made famous by many oldtime strongmen and other writers of yesterday.

The claim is that by performing 20-Rep Squats, you can put on substantial amounts of muscle mass.

Since that is one of my primary objectives right now, along with increasing full body strength, I decided to give 20-Rep Squats a try.

Now, from my understanding there are a couple of ways that 20 Rep Squats can be done. The method I am using is what was described to me by James Fuller, who actually is the one who made me consider doing these after all.

He suggests taking your 10-rep max weight in the Back Squat and performing 20 Reps with it. You rep out the first 10 Reps without rest, and then you finish with the last 10 Reps with any rest-pauses you need, but you absolutely do not set the bar down. It remains on your shoulders from the moment the set begins until you hit the 20-rep mark.

Other approaches exist. For instance, some teach rest-pausing as needed throughout the set. Others suggest taking as big of a breath as possible into the lungs before each repetition, in an effort to expand the rib cage as much as possible.

As far as expanding the rib cage, I have not researched that, but I will say that after my set of 20-Rep Squats, I do lie on a bench and perform chest stretches using the Dumbbell Pull-over movement.

Regarding MY 20-Rep Squat Sets

When you watch the videos below, take note that I am not using my 10-RM in any of them. There are a couple of reasons why…

1) I am always cautious of my back and I am siding toward being cautious. Nothing sucks more than being hurt and unable to train, especially when you know you could have prevented the injury by being cautious, so that is exactly what I am doing.

2) I do a great deal of Squatting BEFORE I do my 20-Rep Squat set. I pair Squatting with my gripper work and often do 8 to 10 work sets before my 20-Rep Squats, so I am already fatigued.

3) These 20-Rep Squats have essentially become my Squat finisher. These are the last thing I do before I move on to the next portion of my workout. My 10-RM is probably closer to 305 or 315.

Tom Platz Squats 500 for 23 Reps

Reading Sources for 20-Rep Squats:

I have not read these books

My 20-Rep Squat Workouts

20 Rep Squats: 225lbs – Aug 17

20 Rep Squats: 235lbs – Aug 26

20 Rep Squats: 255lbs – Sep 2

20 Rep Squats: 265lbs – Sep 10

I did 20-Rep Squats one time back in like 2004 and hated them. I got extremely sore and it interrupted a whole week of my training, so I said to hell with them.

This time however, I really wanted to see what they could bring me, so I have stuck with them.

I plan on gradually moving up in weight and will eventually be up over 300-lbs with them, I am just taking my time.

I welcome comments, especially from those who have followed the program, and I would love to hear about your results.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Learn Another Great
Full Body Strength and Muscle Building Method:
STONE LIFTING

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Yoketober is in full swing.

This month, we are focusing on the Yoke – the Traps, Upper Back, Shoulders, and Triceps – the parts o fthe body that make up your outline and help you cast a big shadow.

The objective – To Develop Monster Mass by Halloween.

Yesterday was Yoketober 1st, so Workout #1 went down in the garage. It was my Upper Body Push Day, with Yoke work sprinkled in for seasoning.

#Yoketober Workout #1/31

In the past months of specialized training, #AugustOfArms and #Legtober, lots of people were requesting workout plans, but I didn’t work ahead those months.

Yoketober is different. I put together an entire ebook that includes a full month of training for you from Yoketober 1st to Yoketober 31st.

You can pick it up here for $19 through the end of the week: Yoketober – Monster Mass by Halloween

It’s time to fill that shirt up with some serious slabs of muscle.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Close Bigger Grippers with This Proven
Gripper Training Program

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In the Yoketober program, and in any good quality muscle building program, there is going to be plenty of multi-joint exercises, movements where there is movement across more than one joint.

And while these types of movements are very beneficial for build strength and muscle, they are also much more technical than other simpler, isolation-style movements. If you don’t do these things correctly, not only will you not get the results you want, but you can also injure yourself.

Today, I have a couple of videos for you that can help you with your technique so you can maximize your training results and reduce and eliminate risk for back injury.

Check them out below:

Back Safety Considerations for Hip Hinge Movements

Back Safety Considerations for Bent Over Lifts

These videos are short, but if you apply these quick pointers to your training, you should be able to keep your back healthy and strong and that in turn will lead to more intense workouts and better results.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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NO REGRETS

I posted this video on my Facebook wall a week or so ago, but I wanted to also add it here.

This video is by my friend, John Wojciechowski, a strength coach and grip sport friend of mine.

As you watch this video, think about this…

Every day that goes by, there are opportunities to improve, to get stronger, to get BETTER.

It may seem like we have all kinds of time to put the work in we need to, with each passing day, the opportunities to get better are sliding by.

We all need to make sure that we are taking advantage of the time we have.

That may mean sneaking in an extra workout, planning meals better, getting your water intake right, or any other number of things.

But it’s gotta come from inside YOU.

Your parents, your friends, your family, your partners can’t do it for you.

YOU know what YOU need to do.

Make your opportunities count. NO REGRETS.

Renew your commitment to your goals RIGHT NOW, if you’ve been letting distractions get in your way.

And if you need help getting back on the right path, send me a note and maybe I can help you.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Start Building Monster Traps, Shoulders and Upper Back Muscles

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Last week, I travelled to Juniata College, for the Juniata Strength and Conditioning Clinic.

Before Day 1, I hooked up with Jerry Shreck and Cody Miller, both from Bucknell Strength and Conditioning, and we hit a nice, quick, solid back workout.

It’s always fun to hit a workout in a different gym from time to time, because you get to try stuff you wouldn’t normally get to, especially when you usually train in a garage gym.

Here are some clips we got from this Big Back Workout. Believe me, my lats, posterior delts, and the rest of my back were PUMPED for hours from this one.

Warm-up 1 – Peg Board

It was a chore getting warmed up. We were rushed, hadn’t had any coffee, no breakfast, and got poor sleep, so the regular full-body joint mobility-style warm-up I am used to just wasn’t cutting it.

That’s when we spotted the Peg Board in the next room, and that’s when the blood finally started pumping.

What we did: +/- 3 sets each

Warm-up 2 – Freedom Climber

Right in the same room, on the same wall, even, Juniata had a “Freedom Climber.” I’ve never even heard of these before, let alone seen one, but we were both excited to try it out. With this one, the further you climb to one side, the quicker it turns. For me, the grip was no problem. The issue was the footwork – I couldn’t move my feet fast enough to stay on the holds. Really fun device – can’t imagine what it costs though.

What we did: +/- 3 sets each

Exercise 1 – Dumbbell Rows

Now, we were warm, so we headed back into the training center. We started off with Dumbbell Rows. I was interested in trying something heavy, upwards of 150, but the heaviest they had was 125, so I stuck with those and tried to keep the reps slow and controlled. This was great, my back was blown up.

What we did: 3-5 sets each of 8 to 10 reps, emphasizing control

Exercise 2 – Cable Pull-Downs

This might be one of the toughest Cable Pull-downs I ever tried. I rarely fail to get a rep on the full stack of a Cable Pull-down, but I literally could not do it on this piece. Jerry and I mixed up the tempo and range of motion of our repetitions on this one to try to mix things up and make our backs grow!

What we did: 5 sets each of 8 to 15 reps, manipulating ROM & tempo

Exercise 3 – Football Bar Curls

The Football Bar is something I don’t have in my gym, so I made sure to hit this before leaving. Naturally, we took it directly to the Squat Cage, the best place to hit Curls in the gym of them all.

What we did: 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps on each handle

Jerry and I packed this workout into about an hour or so, and I was very happy with it, especially considering the struggles we were having in getting rolling.

It was great training with Jerry, too. We always come up with some pretty intense stuff to push each other with. My only regret is that we didn’t have more time to work in some Trap work and some Triceps. Hopefully next time!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Did you know that Jerry and I collaborated on a product a few years back? It’s called Deceleration Training and it will help you prevent ACL tears. Click the banner below to find out more:

Want to Build a Big Back, Traps, and Wide Shoulders? It’s time to get YOKED with Yoketober:

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Last year, in May, I performed a Strongman Show during the Bodybuilding Contest at the Empire Classic Fitness Expo in Spokane, Washington.

I also assisted with several other events that were part of the Expo, including a Strongman contest, and that’s where I met Luke Ehlis, one of the competitors in the Strongman Contest.

Luke had been a bodybuilder prior to the Strongman Comp, and I was extremely impressed with his prowess in Strongman.

Let’s face it – you don’t often see competitive bodybuilders who are able to crossover in Strongman competition and excel, but Luke did.

What’s even more impressive, to me, about Luke is that he trains primarily in his garage, not some giant warehouse gym, not some fancy fitness center, but his own garage gym at his home.

I’ve stayed in touch with Luke since the contest and have an interview with him planned, and since then, I’ve enjoyed watching Luke’s videos on Instagram and Facebook, because the dude is an innovator.

One of the things I saw him do recently was what I refer to as a Pendulum Row. In a recent video, he attached a Bar to his Reverse Hyper device, and used the hanging weight as the resistance for his Bent Over Rows.

I thought that was awesome, because I knew it would feel completely different from a regular Bent Over Row.

This past weekend, my lifting partner, Lucas Raymond, and I got the chance to try out these Pendulum Rows, and they are KILLER!

Build Your Back with Pendulum Rows

These are so stinkin’ Intense, brotherrr! The swinging action of the Reverse Hyper makes the weight pull away from you at the highest point of the Row. What I was trying to do was to get a good, solid pause at the top of the movement, but it was HARD!

To challenge our grip more, we used the FBBC Crusher, which is a free-spinning thick bar handle, much more difficult to use than the Rolling Thunder, plus, we were flexing our wrist into a partial gooseneck position, which made these even more difficult to do.

I’m telling you right now, these are a WINNER for your back training. The way you have to brace your core on these is just plain sinister. You feel them BIG TIME in your back. Try them if you dare.

Stay tuned for an interview with Luke Ehlis, as soon as I can get my act together.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. August of Arms is coming. GET READY.

P.P.S. If you want even more cool ideas to build a bigger upper back and thicker set of traps, check out YOKETOBER:

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Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

After Nationals, I decided I want to work on my full-body strength more by following the Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program.

Free on the internet, the Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program was designed by Ed Coan and Mark Phillipi.

Aside from that, I don’t know much about the program itself, except that my partner, Luke, began BLOWING UP when he started following it, and his strength went up BIG TIME.

That’s what I wanted too! So I got started.

We jumped in on Week 3, because Weeks 1 and 2 seemed too light. I just finished Week 7 this past weekend, of the 10-week program.

What I’ve got for you below is footage from Weeks 7, 6, and 5 in reverse order, as well as a little Q & A I did recently on my YouTube Channel in an episode of Cooking with Napalm.

You’re gonna see, I do a lot of my Deadlift stuff with some version of Double Overhand Grip, whether Full DO, Monkey Grip, or Thumbless, depending on the weight. This is to strengthen my fingers & hands, as I don’t get as much grip work in on the days I’m deadlifting.

Week 7 Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

Week 6 Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

Q&A on Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

Look, I’ll be honest. I’ve only ever followed a Deadlift program once, and only for a few weeks. That one did nothing for me.

This Program however, I like. I’m feeling good and the weights are going up, so that’s cool.

I really thank my friends Eli Thomas and Jerry Jones for turning me on to this.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. In a few weeks, we re-test our maxes.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

August of Arms is Coming Soon!
Stay Tuned for Updates and Add Your Info Below:

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I wanted to share this workout with you that I did last Friday morning.

This was the second time I’ve done it (with just a couple of modifications), and I’m telling you, this workout is awesome.

It involves 4 separate blocks (A,B,C,D), each with 3 exercises (1,2,3), done with minimal rest between sets for a maximized pump and engorgement of the muscles.

If you’re not familiar with the exercises, watch this video:

Big Back Workout

A1. Pull-ups – 3×10
A2. Dips – 3x 10-20
A3. Ab Wheel – 3×10

B1. Pull-downs – 3×10-12
B2. Front Laterals – 3×10
B3. Crucifix – 3x15sec

C1. Reverse Curl – 3×8-12
C2. Prone Pull-downs – 3×12-15
C3. Band Face Pulls – 3×15

D1. Unilateral Pull-aparts – 3x10each side
D2. Belly Pull-ups – 3×5
D3. Chain Hammer Curls – 3×15

As you’ll notice, there’s a lot more than “Back” exercises in there. I had to modify this workout quite a bit because my Chest/Shoulder/Biceps workout got interrupted last week, and I wasn’t able to get my Biceps or Deltoid work in. I added these in where I’d normally have my other Triceps exercises (I only did one pure Triceps exercise, Dips).

I’m gonna be straight up with you here – you can’t mess around between sets with this workout, or you won’t get it all done.

A lot of people will not be able to get this workout done inside of an hour, like my buddy Mark and I did.

In fact, a lot of people are not in shape enough to do all of this PERIOD, let alone inside an hour.

If you can’t finish the workout, don’t worry about it. Work on it.

We’ve been training this way for a while, and while it’s intense, I truly feel this is a great way to train, especially on days when you don’t have strength-specific work (requires longer rest periods), and are only looking at building slabs of muscle all over your body.

Like I said, if you don’t know the exercises, check out this video, because all of them but 2 are in there:

Any questions, please let me know.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. I just completed something I worked on all last week. It’s a complete Catalog Page of all my products, many of which you might never have heard of, so I wanted to share it with you: Full Diesel Product Catalog

Many of the prices on that page are newly reduced, so be sure to check them out.

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Monster Yoke Finisher

Every Friday, I wake up early, knowing I’m about to step into battle.

This is not the type of battle that is fought amongst opposing teams or countries, though.

This is a battle fought within myself.

The constant struggle to physically keep fighting, or to listen the voice inside my head telling me to stop and give up.

Fridays is when, I do a my Yoke workout with my adult men training clients, where we hit Upper Back, Traps, Posterior Deltoids and Triceps.

This week, the final siege included this 5-exercise superset:

Banded Paused Rows
Rope Bodyweight Rows
Posterior Flyes
Dumbbell Triceps Skiers
Triceps Kick Backs

Each exercise was done for a total of 15 repetitions. We rest-paused as needed and/or dropped down in weight in order to get the reps.

It was nothing short of all out struggle, waged until the very end.

Monster Finisher for Building a Massive Yoke

We went through this one time, as we were running out of time, but if you go through this with the goal of finishing in 3 to 4 minutes, one set is really all you need, brother.

I’ve talked about it before, how much I love the Back & Triceps combination – can’t say enough about the rush I get each and every week. These workouts are probably the hardest I do each and every week, because at only 1 hour, including warm-up, I don’t take up a bunch of time with Grip Sport lifts, which is actually a big mental relief for me.

If you’re looking for some absolutely SICK WORKOUTS that will help you build a big Back, cannon-ball deltoids, and Traps that deform every tee shirt you put on, then try out Yoketober, below.

All the best in your training.

-Napalm-

Build a Big Back, Thick Traps, and Massive Delts:

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I have a few sayings I’m known for.

One of them is, “It’s not about how much you lift, It’s about how much you LOVE Lifting.”

What that means is, lifting is about being passionate about something and doing it with fire.

Lifting is about setting goals to always be improving.

Lifting is about feeling good, and feeling good about yourself.

So, a couple months ago, or so, when I really took a look at some of my training, I came to realize I wasn’t following my own advice.

The whole idea about that saying is that you should be pushing yourself because you love lifting.

It has nothing to do with pushing yourself so hard that you reach your goals at the expense of everything and everyone else.

But, there I was, trying to reach some goals related to the Barbell Bench Press, and instead of getting closer, I was coming further and further away each session because the exercise was tearing my shoulders up, and leaving me in pain.

It’s now been the better part of this year, that I have quit Benching with the Bar, and moved exclusively to Dumbbell Bench Press. And although my numbers were completely embarrassing at first, I now feel like I’m living more in tune with my beliefs.

And, after a couple months, or however long it’s been, I’m starting to see some good increases, feeling better in the shoulders, and I think even seeing a bit of growth.

I LOVE LIFTING, but I think I was coming severely close to having the majority of my training SHUT DOWN due to the pain I was feeling in my shoulders.

I encourage you to do the same as well – by all means train hard – don’t just go through the motions in the gym.

But, if there’s a movement that is tearing you up inside, don’t feel the need to push through pain and suffer because of it.

Remember…It ain’t about how much you lift. It’s about how much you LOVE lifting.

All the best in your training.

-Jedd-

P.S. Along these lines, I want to help you out as much as I can, to get you to your goals. And that means helping you learn to do your goal lifts properly and as safely as possible.

Check Out the the Special Offer I’ve Got Going On This Week:

Get Introduction to Strongman Training AND Stone Lifting Fundamentals TOGETHER and SAVE $20! CLICK HERE or click the images below …

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Sample Circuit from Yoketober Program

I want to show you a sample of the Yoketober program. Here’s a circuit from Workout #3.

Workout #3 was a Chest day, so you’re going to see some Chest work, with some Yoke work sprinkled in.

C1. Shrug Top Holds
3 sets of 10 reps with 3-ct hold at the top

C2. Incline Bench Press
3 sets of 12

C3. Push-ups
3 sets of 15 to 20

Here’s a video from yesterday’s workout. Sorry that the audio is gone. There was an Ozzy Osborne song playing in the background, which YouTube didn’t like, so they zapped all the audio out of it.

Yoketober Workout #3: Shrugs, Inclines, and Push-ups

If you want to blow up your Yoke this month, then there’s no better way to do it than Yoketober.

You can pick up your copy by clicking the banner below or this link: Yoketober 2016 Program

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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Building a Stronger Neck

I have an admission to make.

In all my years of lifting, I’ve never trained my neck with any kind of consistency.

I never played football, I never wrestled, except for in gym class, and I’ve never done any other real “contact sports.” So, I really never got exposed to Neck Training.

Naturally, I knew from watching Pro Wrestling that having a strong neck was important for wrestling, so when I began training wrestlers, I included neck in their training.

Why Neck Training???

Earlier this year, let’s say somebody challenged me to start neck training. This gave me the interest to look into it and I began researching.

I ended up finding out 2 main things from this research:

1) There were a lot more benefits than I realized, aside from just getting a big muscular neck, and armoring yourself for sports.

2) My neck was really weak, due to never working it hard.

I hate having any holes in my training, but in this case, I was just totally neglecting an important part of my body, due to the all-out lack of awareness of its importance.

As I always do, I wanted to pick a movement that could serve as a performance indicator for my neck strength this month.

Just like for August of Arms it wasn’t JUST about getting bigger arms – it was also about getting stronger, it’s not just about getting a bigger neck this month either.

So, I’ve chosen the Wrestler’s Bridge, or Back Neck Bridge, as my indicator.

Why I Chose the Neck Bridge

I chose the Neck Bridge for a couple of reasons…

First off, I’ve seen a lot of other people doing this, not just with their body weight, but also supporting hundreds of pounds in this position as well. That shows how poorly developed my neck is.

Second, not only am I not strong, I can barely even get into position and hold it without major support from my hands. I’d consider it a personal victory, just to be able to get into the position and out of it, without relying on my hands.

To have something to compare it to, I shot the following video to set a baseline of how my Wrestler’s Bridge looks now, before Neckvember starts, and I plan to shoot updates every so often, as I (hopefully) progress.

So, as you can see, I’ve got a lot of work to do. I can barely even perform the Neck Bridge. Let alone look good doing it or anything like that.

This has been a learning experience so far, and I look forward to learning more.

I’m also enjoying doing the Neck Work, because it’s something different, and it’s always nice to mix things up, and spice up your training.

If you’re interested in joining me for Neckvember, I’ve got the whole month planned out in Neckvember – Thicker Neck in Thirty Days.

Now, check this out, brother…

If you’ve been smashing neck training for the last 20 years, this product is probably not for you.

I set this up for people like me, who’ve never done Neck Training before.

The workload starts out nice and light, so you can ramp up and properly condition your neck for the increased work as you get deeper into the month.

I want you to have fun with this training, get a little challenge out of it, and to be able to see good progress, while also staying injury free.

If that all sounds good to you, then click the banner below.

I’ll have more updates for you, soon!

Thanks and all the best in your training,

Jedd

Build a Bigger, Thicker Neck in the Next 30 Days

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Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

After Nationals, I decided I want to work on my full-body strength more by following the Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program.

Free on the internet, the Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program was designed by Ed Coan and Mark Phillipi.

Aside from that, I don’t know much about the program itself, except that my partner, Luke, began BLOWING UP when he started following it, and his strength went up BIG TIME.

That’s what I wanted too! So I got started.

We jumped in on Week 3, because Weeks 1 and 2 seemed too light. I just finished Week 7 this past weekend, of the 10-week program.

What I’ve got for you below is footage from Weeks 7, 6, and 5 in reverse order, as well as a little Q & A I did recently on my YouTube Channel in an episode of Cooking with Napalm.

Week 7 Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

Week 6 Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

Q&A on Coan Phillipi Deadlift Program

Look, I’ll be honest. I’ve only ever followed a Deadlift program once, and only for a few weeks. That one did nothing for me.

This Program however, I like. I’m feeling good and the weights are going up, so that’s cool.

I really thank my friends Eli Thomas and Jerry Jones for turning me on to this.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. In a few weeks, we re-test our maxes.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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How to Avoid Chest Pain from Benching

Every so often, my shoulders and pec tie-ins are sore, on Chest Day.

This kind of stinks, because one of my overall goals is to build my Dumbbell Bench Press to a set of 10 with 150lbs (which I fell very short on last year).

However, I found a nice variation that I can do without pain, and I want to share it with you today.

Pain in the Chest – Try This Benching Variation

Give this variation a try – it BLOWS the chest up BIG TIME and leaves your Triceps completely wasted.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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Last week, I tried curling 80lb Dumbbells for the first time in a little while. The cross-body tension had really been bothering my back for quite some time. But it was feeling pretty good here, recently so I gave it a run.

80lb Curl Initial Test

This test didn’t go very well. Maybe I wasn’t warmed up very well. Maybe I was kind of tired. Maybe something was just a little off, but I didn’t get very many reps.

80lb Curl Second Test

About a week later, I tried the 80’s again, and was pleasantly surprised with how many reps I got: 5 with the Left arm and 4 with the Right. No idea why my left is stronger or has better endurance, but it has been that way for a few months.

85lb Curl Initial Test

After the PR at 80, I figured I’d better try out the 85’s. I have never curled these 85’s before, and in fact have only been able to curl 85’s one other time, if memory serves.

I approach arms like this. Sure, I want them to be big, but I want them to be strong too.

That’s why I have a double-sided goal for my arm development of 20″ biceps, cold (no pump) and to one day be able to curl 100lb Dumbbells.

If you like the idea of building the arms for both size and strength, then grab one of the programs below, August of Arms, and Call to Arms.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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While most of what you see from me is Grip Training related, I actually do much more training than just Grip.

In fact, I do just as much, if not more training, for my full body.

Every so often, I even try a mainstream strength challenge to see where I’m at.

Even though I’ve only benched with a barbell a couple of times in the last 18 months, I wanted to see how many reps I could get in the 225lb Bench Press for Reps that you see done in the NFL Combine and other tests.

I’ve done this test a few times in the past, but honestly I have no idea how much I’ve gotten before. I *believe* this is the most reps I’ve ever gotten.

Throughout all of 2016, my main objective flat bench pressing was Dumbbell Bench Press, because it didn’t hurt my shoulders, as much as Barbell Bench.

Well, as it turns out, I had developed some bad habits with my Bench Press technique, and these habits are what was causing my issues, not the Barbell Bench itself.

I figured this out when I visited my friend Jerry Shreck, head strength coach from Bucknell University.

He corrected my form while we trained on the Bamboo & Tsunami bars at his gym, and ever since, my shoulders have started feeling better and better.

By using these bars, I was really able to lock in my form, and feel my lats working the way they’re supposed to during the Bench Press. By working on this form and training for endurance in my lats, I think my form is back closer to where it should be, at least as far as my upper body positioning is concerned.

Naturally, with proper form comes improved strength. As I said above, I think I got into some bad habits with my Bench Press set-up that over time caused some serious discomfort.

Once this form issue was identified, and as I worked to correct it, the pain subsided, and I gradually built back some of my strength.

I still have no clue what my Max Bench Press might be, and I don’t really care right now, as I’m much more interested in working back up to 150lb Dumbbell Bench Presses.

But we’ll see what happens!

I hope you got something out of this quick Bench Press post, and if you have any questions, please feel free to comment.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

It’s Never Too Early to Start August of Arms

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Back Contraction and Scapular Control for a Bigger Bench

One of the things I’ve been working on really hard the last few weeks is intensifying the contraction of my lats and the scapular musculature when performing Rows and Presses, in order to improve my back development and increase pressing power.

By doing so, my Barbell Bench Press has never felt better, and it’s almost completely pain free right now, for my shoulder.

I recently shot a video to help understand what I’ve been working on, and the feeling I’m going for when performing a lot of my Row movements.

There’s a million ways to do this, and one way is with Recline Rows, which we just happened to be doing recently.

Shoulder Blades Into Your Pickets

This video also talks about the idea of Shoulder Blades Into Your Pockets. This is exactly what I’m trying to do whenever I do a Seated Row, a Pull-down, and many other pulling/rowing movements.

I think if you try to implement this kind of contraction when you Row, you’ll gradually develop a better mental connection between your lats and scapular muscles, and this will lead a much more stable and stronger Bench Press.

If you have any questions on this, please leave a comment below, and make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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