This is a hilarious “mock-commercial”.

I go to Portland State University, home of the Vikings.  So little wonder that I’m into Svend Karlsen, the 2001 Worlds Strongest Man, who has a habit of screaming, “Viking Power!” at the top of his lungs every time he does a successful event.  (I keep trying to get my school to adopt him as our official mascot, but to no avail.)

Much like the other two strong man competitors I’ve profiled (Magnus Samuelsson, and Mariusz Pudzianowski) his training routine is outright insane.  But, hey, that’s what it takes if you’re going to be the Worlds Strongest Man.  Below I’ve posted his workout schedule and a 6 part video from Youtube about his training.

Day 1

Barbell Log press: 2-3 x 6 – 12 (that’s 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps)
Tire Flip:  3 x 6 – 8 flips
Stones: 3 x 5
Close Grip Bench Press:  1 x 4 – 6; 1 x 10-14
Lying French Press:  2 x 8-12
Push downs:  2 x 8 – 12
Crunches:  3 x 12

Day 2

Front Squat:  2 x 4-6
Karlsen Squats (see video below):  3 x 8-12
Leg Extension:  3 x 12 – 20
Calf Raise:  3 x 20
Concept 2 Rower: 3 x 500 meters

Day 3

Fast Walking or Easy Swimming for 1 Hour

Day 4

Apollons Axle:  1 x 1 – 3; 1 x 6 – 10
Log Lift: 1 x 4 – 8; 1 x 8 – 12
Karlsen Crusifix Flies: 2 x 8
Incline Log Press: 1 x 3 – 6, 1 x 12
Crossovers: 3 x 8 – 12

Day 5

Deadlift: 2 x 3 – 6
Seated Rows: 3 x 8 – 12
Pull Downs: 3 x 8 – 12
Shrugs: 3 x 12
Bent over side laterals: 3 x 8 – 12

Day 6

Fast walking or light swimming – 1 hour

Day 7

Super Yoke: 3 x 25 meters
Farmers Walk (in the Snow!!): 2 sets of 2 x 35meters
Conan’s Wheel: 2 x 3 laps
Truck Pull: 3 x 10 meters
Loading: 3 x 5 kegs for 5 -10 meters

Day 8

He says he “takes massage”. 

OK, here’s the 6 part video on Youtube.  If you like it, you should support Svend by buying it on Ironmind. Viking Power!

Part 1

Part 2

part 3

part 4

part 5

part 6

Yesterday I posted the workout routine of Mariusz Pudzianowski.  Today, I’m posting a link to a great video on my favorite strongman competitor of all time:  Magnus Samuelsson.

In addition to being a Worlds Strongest Man winner, he is a down-home Swedish dairy farmer and a truly laid back and nice guy by all accounts.  This video highlights some of that, and includes his at-home training and contest shots.   It even includes his 8,500 calorie a day diet!!

Magnus is also a lifetime drug-free competitor, which as we all know is a rare commodity in any strength sport.

My ambition was to see how strong I could get, and I am totally clean, which proves that success is possible without drugs.

OK, here’s the video.  Note: it’s long, about 40 minutes, so sit back with some protein and get inspired to workout – farm-boy style!

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

OH, and if you haven’t seen him on the Swedish version of “Let’s Dance” (seriously!) click here.

Check out the newest and coolest way to drink your Gatorade at the gym!

Here’s Cara Heads, the 2000 Olympian taking someone off the street and teaching them the Olympic lifting movements to prove her point that anyone can get into this sport for fun and fitness.

I have proven over and over in my coaching practice that I can show ANYONE how to do the basic Olympic lifts in under 1 hour.  Period.

You don’t need to be a world champion to get in great shape!

And here’s Cara working on her Snatch technique off the blocks:

This video is the proof!

This video starts out looking cute, then sad, then hilarious.  Great drama indeed!  Moral?  Eat your cheese.

OK, now the following is going to look outright insane.  And it is.  But, then, so is Mariusz, the multiple time Worlds Strongest Man (WSM) Winner.

I remember the first time I saw Mariusz competing in the WSM, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  The guy looked, and performed, unlike any of the other competitors.  He was leaner (much leaner), faster, and unstoppable.

How did he get that way?  A ridiculous training program and an even more insane diet. Mariusz trains twice a day, 6 days a week.  He’s got 3 workouts that he alternates.  In the morning he does gym training, and in the evening he does event training.  Let’s take a look:

Day One – Morning Workout – 9am

Back Squats: 8 x 6-2 (sets x reps)
Leg Curls: 6 x 20
Leg Extension: 6 x 20
Pull ups: 6 x 15
Chin ups: 6 x 10
Behind the neck Pull down: 4 x 15
Rows: 4 x 15
Abs:  6 x 30  (on exercises like hanging leg raises, side bends, etc)

That is not a joke!  He does all of that in one session only lasting 90 minutes!  He works FAST.  No wonder he’s so ripped.

Day One – Evening – 6pm

Sandbag Carry: 3 x 170 meters

Conan’s Wheel: 3 x 2.5 revolutions

Tire Flip: 3 x 10 flips

Day Two – Morning – 9am

Front Squats:  Up to a single at 250 kilos

Calf Work: 6 x 15

Overhead Press: Work sets – 6 x 5-4

Deadlifts: Up to a set with 300 kilos (for a few reps, 2 or 3)

Good Mornings:  8 x multiple reps

Day Two – Evening – 6pm

Bushman’s Walk:  3 x 15 meters @ 300 kilos

Presses with Machine Used in Competition: 3 x 10 @ 120kg

Crucifix Hold: 40 kilos for 30 seconds

Day Three – Morning – 9am

Bench Press: Multiple sets of 8 to 2 reps

Barbell Triceps Extensions: work up to 80 kilos

Standing French Press

Day Three – Evening – 6pm

Same as Day One plus Power Stairs and Parallel Stairs

Doesn’t seem like enough?  Well, apparently Mariusz didn’t either.  So, he also does Karate twice a week, swimming, and medium distance running!  He also jump ropes daily.

Diet

What about diet?  Here’s a quote from Muscle and Fitness magazine:

“My energy comes from my diet. Breakfast is 10 eggs and 2-3 pounds of bacon. Between meals, I eat lots of candy…I need it for energy. Lunch, at 1 or 2 p.m., is a double meal of a Polish pork chop, sauerkraut and potatoes.

An hour later, I work out, then take lots of supplements: magnesium, creatine, amino acids, all that stuff, and more chocolate.

Dinner is whatever meat I can get: steaks, pork chops, bacon, plus more sauerkraut and potatoes. [After I work out] I have a protein shake and more chocolate.”

Yes, he said “candy”.  But, if you trained like he did, you could eat all the candy you wanted also!

Personally, I think the “secret” is the sauerkraut.

References

1. http://marunde-muscle.com/kirit.html
2. http://ifitandhealthy.com/mariusz-pudzianowski-workout-and-diet/
3. http://www.criticalbench.com/Mariusz-Pudzianowski.htm

A Woman’s husband in Britain talks so much in his sleep that she is always kept up by it.  In response, she decided to keep a blog to record his musings.  Here’s an excerpt of one of rants:

“I’d like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Spoon… Fuck you, tossbag. I never liked them. And never will.”

“Yeah, falling in love is WONDERFUL. Especially when it’s with me.”

“Yeah I do. I have SO much to give. Choke on it!”

“Can you hold… can you hold my starfish? It doesn’t like it when I’m getting excited. Oh look, it likes you! Its legs are all cree-py cree-py.”

My Dad never slept much.  5 or 6 hours was all she wrote.  I clearly got his disease.  Because of my workout schedule I sleep more than I otherwise would, but I still top out at around 7 hours.  So, reading a blog about a guy who’s sleeping largely just makes me jealous! 

But, I can also relate.  My brother and I shared a bedroom when we were kids (until I was 18!).  We both talked in our sleep.  My Dad said he’d get woken up in the middle of the night (light sleeper), thinking we were just being loud, come into our room to shut us up, and realize that in fact we were zonked out … and having a totally insane sleep induced conversation. 

Unfortunately, there was no easy access to video cameras and Youtube back then, or I’d totally have that online.  I would have loved to see it.

Speaking of Youtube, here’s an interview with the couple:

Jason Ferruggia has a new post about what kind of coach he is, and what kind of coach he isn’t.  He’s basically helping to define his own niche for anyone who doesn’t know what it is.

The fitness industry is just like any other industry – it’s a field of specialists who know what they are good at and what they aren’t good at, and then everybody else.  If you look for a trainer and they tell you “I do everything: bodybuilding training, fat loss, functional training, strength training, gymnastics, tennis training, yodeling, etc” … find a new trainer.

If you have a specific problem, go to the guy (or girl!) who specializes in fixing that exact problem.   Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying your coach needs to be so tightly defined that he’s only got ONE focus.  But, anything more than 3 (maybe four), and we’ve got a problem.

One of Jason’s major points about himself is that he is not a “motivator”.

Here’s a quote from Jason:

If you want to sit around and eat donuts all day why would that possibly bother me? And why would I want to motivate you? I’m not Jenny Craig or Matt Foley the motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river. What you do is your choice. Sure I will make fun of you, laugh at you and encourage others to do the same; but it’s your life, not mine.

If you are too stupid to realize that regular exercise and a healthy diet is a necessary part of life I’m not going to waste my time telling you. Get on some prescription drugs, order a sausage pizza and watch another episode of Friends.

OK, he’s WAY more intense than I am.  As you know, I’m a ridiculously mellow dude.  I meditate, I read books about Zen, I love ABBA and Romantic comedies, have seen every episode of Sex and the City (twice), and have a habit of laughing at all of my own jokes.  But, I am also NOT a motivational speaker.

Someone asked me recently what the name of my strength training company was, and I replied, “PDX Weightlifting.”

“Oh,” they said, “I think that would turn off a lot of people.”

I replied, “Yep.  And that’s the point.”

You see, I’m not a yeller.  I’m not like Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser.  I’m not here to call you up on the phone, get you off the couch, convince you that it’s time to workout, force you to work hard, and then nitpick you every step of the way.  There are trainers who do that for a living.  They’re great at it.  You need to be DEAD HONEST with yourself.  If you NEED a trainer to be your external motivator, then you need to hire one of these guys (actually, they’re usually girls).

I ain’t that guy.  I’m almost the opposite.  I’m way too relaxed.  In the gym, I’ll make sure you’re doing everything correctly, I’ll watch your lifts, I’ll discuss any and all topics you want to about your goals and progress.  But, I’ll also be cracking (bad) jokes and being very silly.  I do a great job of keeping the atmosphere exciting and fun.  That’s my personality.  And I expect everyone in my programs to stay positive and have fun while they workout, regardless of how hard it is.  NO whining – period. I have no tolerance for whining.   If you start wimping out, that’s you’re own problem.  And I’ll focus my energy of the folks who are working hard with a great attitude.

I won’t force you to do something you don’t want to.  If you say, “I can’t do it”, I’ll agree with you.  If you say, “it hurts”, I’ll tell you to stop or modify till it doesn’t hurt.  This is because when a truly motivated personal tells me this, it’s probably true! And I’m not going to make you do something that will result in injury.

Unfortunately, unmotivated people say these things as knee-jerk reactions to anything hard and as a result never push themselves hard enough to make any progress.

One of my favorite clients of all time is my client and friend Beth.  She’s been working out with me for a few years now, and in all of that time, I don’t think I have EVER heard her say the phrase “I can’t”.  This woman’s an animal.  She’s more than tripled her strength levels, gone from “skinny fat” to seriously lean, and looks and feels great.  (She regularly tells me about moving couches and other heavy shit up stairs by herself!)  All I do is show her the most efficient path toward her goals.  But, she’s the one who does all the work.  And boy, does she!

When my people tell me “it’s hard” or “what the HELL are you having me do?!”, or “I’m going to kill you for making me do this”,  they’re saying this as a badge of honor.  They do whatever I ask of them, and they work their butts off.  They may be cursing my name in the process … make no mistake!  But, they do it.

If you have no personal motivation, you have no business doing business with me because you WILL NOT get the results you want.  I’m a “lead the horse to water” coach.  You hire me when you want over a decades worth of knowledge, program design skills, solid real-world advice, a fun atmosphere, serious weight-training, and serious results.

Tony Robbins eating Peter Griffin!

If you need more motivation, buy some books by Tony Robbins.  And hey, once you’ve figured out your sh%t and decide you are ready to see the best results of your life and have a blast doing it, contact me and I’ll kick your butt with a big smile on my face.

I found this passage pretty funny from Jason’s post:

People ask me all kinds of questions when they find out what I do for a living.

“How do I lose this?” (grabbing a handful of a 48 inch waist)

“I don’t know.”

“How long should I do the stair climber for?”

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t give up carbs but I want to get lean. What should I do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I only have twenty minutes to train, twice a week. What should I do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I know you’re into all that heavy lifting but I can’t do that. What can I do instead?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m a girl and I don’t want to get too bulky so how should I lift?”

“I don’t know.”

“How do I get motivated to go to the gym?”

“I don’t know.”

By training, I am a competitive Olympic Weightlifting Coach.  THAT is what I do.  I train athletes and people who seriously want to train with an athletic intensity on weightlifting-based programs.  Every program I create is built through the lens of a weightlifting coach.

If you are someone who wants to be able to answer YES to that question box on your job application that says “can you lift 100 pounds?”, and then laugh that that sounds light, I’m your guy.

This can include lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds who have totally different end goals: obviously, competitive weightlifters; athletes in any “power sport” like baseball, football, golf; and fitness folks who want to be in the best shape of their lives and lose 20, 40, or more pounds of fat.  The commonality is clear.  All my people lift weights – hard.  That’s the glue.

If you come to me wanting to lose 20+ pounds of fat, I’m not going to take it easy on you just because you aren’t in a competitive power-sport.  I’m going to hammer you just like I would anyone else on heavy weightlifting exercises and make you ridiculously strong.  As you’re losing that 20 pounds of fat, you’ll keep all your muscle, you’ll in fact gain muscle, become “toned”, learn a bunch of cool exercises like the clean and snatch, front squats, deadlifts, etc.  And you’ll start being able to perform in a way you never have before in all of your life.

The great physicist Richard Feynman once said that he approached every problem with only 6 tools.  Whenever a problem came up, he looked in his tiny little tool box, and tried all 6 of those tools on it.  If that didn’t work, he switched to a new problem.

I’ve found that there are things that I can coach at a high level given the tools that I have and things I can’t.  These are the ONLY things I do – 1) Competitive weightlifting; 2) power-sport training; 3) extreme fitness training.    3 things.  That’s it.  I’m great at these things.  But, if you want to become the most kick-ass marathon runner of all time … you’ll need to find someone else.  That just isn’t what I do.

This particular quote sounds very much like my own way of approaching coaching (hey, that rhymed!):

Often times people will tell me that they want to train with me and that I if they hire me or come to my gym I really need to push them. No, I don’t. You need to push yourself. You’re hiring me for my program design skills which are based on 16 years of experience. I am not a cheerleader. Any nitwit can yell at someone like a drill sergeant. Just because a workout is hard doesn’t mean it’s effective. Just because a coach yells loudly it doesn’t mean he’s smart.

If you can’t find it within yourself and are not driven to excel, there is nothing I can do for you.

I’ll give hard working, motivated, intelligent people everything I have. But for everyone else I have no time or patience. I know this offends many people. But it’s just me being honest.

I feel very lucky.  I have a great set of people to work with.  They all come in, work hard, joke around, have fun, and get into great shape.  Not a bad job.