The Official Strength and Endurance Thread.

[arcticwolf]

I've created quite a few threads that deal with importance of the mind. The mind is the most important asset we have, it cannot be overestimated how important it's development is. But to be in the best position to work on the mind one has to be in the best physical condition possible. This thread is dedicated to the development and conditioning of the body. As duty calls me this is going to be my last thread for a while. So let's make it good! On to the meat and potatoes.

Best equipment.

I use free weights almost exclusively. Here is my list:

Power Rack (cage),

it'll keep you safe when working out alone, and it can be customized to be almost all you need.

Good bb (barbell),

Eleiko is the best there is if you can afford it, but Texas power bar will do fine, get 28mm for best all around use

Plates,

bumper plates if you train in garage or basement, your concrete floor will thank you

Kettlebells,

use them like dumbbells as well, they can do anything db can do and much more, using them in bottom up position will make your grip bearlike It's best investment for the money.

That's it for the basics. That's all you need to become a beast.

Nice stuff to have:

Chains, thick bars, dipping belt, head harness, log bar, trap bar, gymnastic rings, thick rope, sand bag, barrel, big stones, grip machine, glute-ham machine, few other things.


I do compounds as they are the most natural movements and involve stabilizers and all body's functionality.

Best compounds:

Squat all variants (back, front, overhead), deadlift all variants, military press, clean, snatch, jerk, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, bent over row, bent press, side press, farmers walk, rope climbing, heavy object pulling/pushing, sandbag/stone/barrel/log lifting, swing etc, full contact twist, shovel lift etc.

Some valuable movements:

Shrug (Hise, overhead), good morning, one arm deadlift, glute-ham raise, log bar press, high pull, standing bb curl, pullover etc

These lists are by no means comprehensive, feel free to add what I forgot or overlooked.

Grip is too important to not mention it.

Best grip equipment:

heavy duty grippers, grip machine, sledge hammer, wrist roller, pinch blocks, block weights etc.

Best grip movements:

gripper work, grip machine work (reps, negatives, holds & overloads), block weights work, pinch lifts, sledge hammer lifts, wrist roller work, barbell finger rolls etc.

That's it for this post, in the next post we'll go into the howto and what is that all about a bit.

[arcticwolf]

The most important thing is to be safe and stay injury free. The form is everything, learn it, practice it, perfect it for every single move you do.

Stay flexible, stretch ( dynamic, static, loaded) often, do joint mobility exercises and active flexibility exercises.

Do heavy lockouts (they develop your tendons, bones, ligaments) but in a safe way.

No wraps of any kind, you want your stabilizers to strengthen.

Never train to failure, the weight is ideal when you can manage it with a couple of reps to spare.

Learn the body tension techniques and power breathing they increase your strength.

Train barefoot if possible. Stand on your feet as much as possible.

Focus your mind when under weight, control the weight throughout the movement.

To perfect the technique do some reps with your eyes closed when it's safe to do so.

Train strength endurance, that's the ability to work hard for extended periods of time.

Alright it's your time to contribute. Stay strong!

[arcticwolf]

Post your favorite equipment, exercises, tips, techniques and everything else that pertains to physical training. May the force be with you!

[Dalton Fury]

A weighted vest is also a valuable addition

Here's the 100 lb version
http://www.weightvest.com/Pages/100short.html

[Jon Snow]

(not that I perform the following movements as much as I should, but...)

A heavy rope is always nice.

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Wall ball is an interesting motion.

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I'd also like to emphasize the importance of unilateral training, especially for the lower body. Dumbbell lunges, dumbbell step-ups, pistol squats, etc.

[arcticwolf]

Here is a link to ironmind.com, they have high quality equipment, and a lot of stuff for those of us who are grip training enthusiasts. Here it is, feast your eyes! http://ironmind-store.com/

I have almost every single grip "toy" they sell! LOL I confess, I'm a grip training "addict"

[ETKearne]

I haven't been able to exercise for about a year and a half due to health reasons. But luckily, I have been cleared to start again. Some of my favorite strength exercises are Olympic-Style weight-lifting and Power-Lifting. My favorite two lifts are the dead-lift and the clean-and-jerk.

I am really excited to start again. I am also "dusting off" my bicycle to hit the roads in the coming days.