Saturday, June 16, 2007

A day in the life of Zach Even - Esh

People have been asking me about my workouts so here is a day, and yep, it kinda is a typical day :)

Wake up at 7 AM...breakfast: 6 scrambled eggs, cup of coffee, 2 bananas

11 AM - 1 defranco bar and approx. 20 minute workout while on break.

My gym is 5 minutes from work so I worked out on my break:

bench press 7 x 2 - 10 reps

dips 2 x 10 reps supersetted w/last 2 sets of benching

drove back to work 1: 30 PM - meal replacement w/apple juice and banana.

Then...went to tire yard w/hopes of getting my tractor tires but I waited till 2:10 PM and had to get back to work!

I drove back to my gym around the corner and did 5 sets of chins on various grips in the gym - rings, thick bar, straight bar, ropes, recline rope rows...

then flew back to work and finished work at 4 PM & immediately got back to the tire yard :)

snagged 2 tires approx. 500 lbs

I was so excited to have tires I flipped them a million times until my lower back was killing me, logic never interefered w/my psyche to flip tires at this moment, my love for training completely took over :)

then, 4 rounds of prowler for 150 ft each trip:
2 plates, 4 plates, 5 plates and 6 plates

All in all....that's 3 workouts in one day

I used my breaks for mini workouts all day b/c that's what I HAVE to do to get it in

other days it might be only a Kb clean and press or deadlifts for max sets in 10 - 15 minutes

I get it done one way or another b/c this is my only option!

in a week or two I'm going to get a heavier tire, somewhere around 600 - 700 lbs

the guy who transported my tires remembered me from when I would visit the tire yard on saturday mornings and when we filmed 'Ancient Strength Training'

- the company would pull tires down for me in exchange for bagels and juice and I would train using tire flips only

this one guy who helped me today, is a regular smoker, but his forearms literally look like bowling pins

2 years ago I was struggling to flip tires, he put down his cigarette and flipped it 3 times in a row like a power clean, didn't even use his knee for assistance

today he showed me a 700 lb tire flip, and he weighs approx. 190 lbs and does NOT do anything except flip tires

Now I want that 700 lb tire!

There ya have it, a typical day in the life of zach even - esh

oh yea, here's some more mental issues I have....

when I was kid I recall seeing a tv commercial w/herschel walker sprinting with a tireI was very young and all I remember was this dude running like superman ran as he raced the train, well, herschel walker looked like a damn freight train running with that tire ready to run anyone and everyone over!

so when I push the prowler, I pretend I'm Herschel Walker

Holy sh*t do I have issues!!

Until the next time,

live with passion!

Coach Zach

PS - You'll see us flipping tires Right HERE...as well as dragging tires, pressing tires, rowing them and much more! It's all right HERE!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Another Critic, Another VERY....

Another critic writes in about our Underground methods....

and it's another guy telling us point blank that this stuff kicks serious ass!

Check it out and at the very bottom, try an Underground workout challenge :)

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Zack,

Just a follow-up to an e-mail I sent you in April.

I started by getting into your 15 minute real-man work-outs and then I got your Ancient Training Methods DVD.

I, along with a few of my wrestlers, have been strength training using sandbags, sledgehammers, logs, tractor tires and body weight exercises.

I gotta tell you that two of my boys have increases their bench presses 40-50 lbs. in the last 6 weeks and we have not bench pressed except for testing purposes.

I myself just put up 285 lbs. and I only weigh about 140 lbs.

I've NEVER been able to bench twice my weight, not even during my college wrestling days where I was in the weight room all the time.

Just like my wrestlers, I have not been in the weight room at our high school.

The weather has been great and almost all of our training takes place outside and lasts no more than 45 minutes and typically last only 30-35 minutes.

I have been bragging about my boys to a few other coaches and they have a hard time believing the results we get from these workouts.

When you said that training with these ancient methods could get you brutally strong, you weren't blowing smoke.

Coaches are missing the boat in preparing their athletes if they're not using these methods.

The results my boys and I are seeing are un-"dirty word"- believable.

Thanks a load,

Nick Salatino

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Wow, thanks to Nick for telling us how he feels about our info as well as the results! You can't argue with his results, that's for sure!

Test drive the Underground workout below and then post to our blog and let us know how you did:

** warm up as necessary **

1A) sandbag zercher squat 4 x 8 - 15 reps

1B) flat DB bench 4 x 6 - 10 reps

2A) mixed grip pull ups 4 x max reps

2B) 1 arm KB or DB clean & press 4 x 5 each

3) heavy farmer walks 2 x 150 - 200 ft.

** abs can be hit throughout the workout **

here's one more for good measure and one we did with our wrestlers.

** warm up as necessary **

1A) BB military press 4 x 5

1B) mixed grip pull ups 4 x max reps

2) 1 arm Kb cleans 3 x 5 - 8 each

3) 2 hand KB swings 3 x 10 - 12

4A) prowler push 3 x 150 ft

4B) KB farmer walk 3 x 150 ft

The final blast of the above workout was brutal. The prowler and farmer walk were alternated with approx. 30 sec. rest between sets

Nothing fancy, high paced and intense!

At the end we stretch and roll out on the foam roller.

Isn't time you went Underground already?

--Coach Z--

PS - Go ahead, take the first step HERE....

No Time to Sulk

The local athletes I train go through a regular battery of strength tests (1 RM) in the power clean, bench press and squat

Numbers are a big thing at this school, likely at the expense of safety / technique

When test week comes around we are rearranging workouts like crazy

Now, w/regards to the mental aspect of training...

One of our athletes was hyped on benching 300 as a sophomore since this was the last test of the year he was talking about this for months now as he prepped for the bench

On a regular basis he would say, "Man, if I don't bench 300 on xx day I am gonna be so pissed....."

He FOCUSED on what would happen if it DIDN'T happen, and I focused on getting him to visualize and feel what it would be like since he WOULD hit this weight

Well, what you focus on grows

I have seen the best athletes are:

1) healthier than others

2) can mentally bounce back super fast and do not focus on poor performance, rather on how they WANT to perform

yes, the best athletes are often freaks of nature but health and mind set are critical factors b/c this athlete did not hit his 300 bench today, he never showed up for his scheduled training session

my feelings?

this is BULL SH*T!

Guess what, in sports and life, this stuff happens, get over it and work towards your goal with focus and intensity

skipping a work out should NOT be the solution!

Don't harp on what coulda, woulda, shoulda

Sports and life have no room for pessimists, so focus on what you want, not what you don't want!

it's critical to FEEL from your future and what you want, NEVER allow thoughts / feelings of negativity creep in.

You're too powerful for that crap!

--Z--

The Critics Have Spoken

People are gettin' crazy after they get their hands on The Ultimate Underground Strength Kit.


I have gotten a slew of e mails from MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE:

- parents

- lawyers

- strength coaches

- athletic coaches

- fighters / combat athletes

Looks like some people still love hard training!

Never did I imagine business professionals to write in, but they have!

Parents have seen the success of our athletes and invested in the kit and used the information as outlined, step by step for their own family members.

Look what Dan Powell wrote in from Pa., one of the biggest wrestling hubs in the USA:

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"Hey Zach!

I've been training my nephew, Eric, using your combat and farm boy methods and it's paying off big time. He's been wrestling all summer and training with me at least twice a week.

He started this summer at 103 lbs and now weighs 125 lbs.... after practice!

And its all muscle!

I've been looking for a training program like your Underground Training Manual.

I've been lifting free weights and machines at home and Gyms for over 20 years now.

I've worked on farms bailing hay and for my Dad, a plumber, digging ditches and snaking sewer lines (excellent forearm workout).

I feel that Underground is the way to go.

I only wish I had this Manual back in the early 80's when I wrestled.

But I'm glad I have it now because I am strength training my nephew for wrestling. He's started as a freshman this year at 103lbs and did ok (30-10).

He placed 3rd at districts making it to the PA Northeast regional tournament where he got beat up a little. He's been wrestling since he was 5 yrs old but has not really strength trained yet.

I believe that with your training methods he will win the close matches and make it to the PA State tournament in Hershey this year!

THIS UNDERGROUND TRAINING MANUAL is AWESOME!!

Thanks again Zach!"

Dan Powell / Pa.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank goodness because I can't stand the type of athletes I have run into lately...seems to me like most athletes nowadays only enjoy exercises that allow them to sit down or lay down!

Come on, you'll find none of that B.S. in any of our Underground Kits.

People have asked me, are both Underground Kits the same?

1) One is an e book, which is downloadable to your computer and you can have with in 2 minutes.

2) The other is a hard copy which ships world wide and also comes with a sled training DVD.

As many of you already know, we are using these very methods in the Underground Strength Coach Gymnasium, but, we were using those methods looooooong before I even owned a facility.

A facility is not necessary to make the most of the information found in the Underground Kits.

We have used the information in backyards, fields, wrestling clubs, traditional gyms, in your own home (garage, bedroom, living room, deck / patio, etc), the local park and anywhere else you can think of!

I am not opposed to other training methods, but, I am in favor of training methods that bring about freaky results, why not, right?

Wouldn't you want to get results as fast as possible while having as much fun as ever while training?

Monday, June 11, 2007

Three Things You MUST Start Doing Today!

There are a few things I have found to always bring a great return in strength, work capacity and building muscle.

So many people nowadays are WEAK.

Yep, plain and simple, they are weak.

It's hard not to rant on this topic, but man does it eat me up.

Here is what athletes and non athletes should be doing on a regular basis to get stronger, faster, more muscular and get into bad ass shape!

1) Sled dragging - you quickly see how out of shape you are once you are required to move a heavy object / weighted sled.

I have seen 300 lb football players get an ass whoopin' after one set of sled drags. Not good!

When you're not good at something, practice it and get better at it.

Yes, I just told you to drag that sled more than once a week for crying out loud!

2) High rep calisthenics -Can't do 50 push ups? Then do them every day, without fail.

If you can only do 10 at a time, then do 10 reps several times a day!

3) High rep squats, weighted and non weighted...do them.

These work great and should not be overlooked. Build up to 100 reps at a time with bodyweight and up to 50 reps with an added weight using a light barbell, weight vest or a belt squat.

4) Pull ups - these are the master blaster of all upper body movements.

can't do them?

perform recline body rows to build yourself up to doing regular pull ups by working on these every day

Yep...I did say every day!

So, looks easy right?

Well, it's NOT easy, but it is simple!

This is how we start off and this is how we start getting our guys strong and in top shape.

It takes time, no two ways about it.

It takes massive effort, no two ways about it.

It takes consistency, no two ways about that either!

This is why we only accept clients who are willing to commit to 3 months of training minimum. We know that a training program can not transform you into superman after 1 month, although most people expect that!

It takes TIME, so consistency and effort are king!

They get homework - lots of calisthenics.

The athletes from the old eastern bloc countries developed very high work capacity through endless variations of calisthenics, many of which are outlined in the http://undergroundstrengthmanual.com

=======

Today, our wrestlers went throughtheir first workouts at The underground Strength Zone

We had a wrestler who weighs 110 lbs dragging a sled on cement with 4 plates

Another weighs 120 lbs and was dragging 5 plates!

Another weighs 140 lbs and dragged 6 plates!

Another weighs 190 lbs and dragged 7 plates!

Oh yea, all of the above beasts either qualified or placed top 7 in the NJ state wrestling tournament!

------To get into our training program at The Underground you need to apply.

If you live in the central NJ area you can e mail zach@undergroundstrengthcoach.com
with "training application" in subject header and then explain why you want to train here.

I am very selective because I will tell you up front, I have no tolerance for laziness.

I want athletes prepared to become BEASTS!

I want parents who are supportive of their child yet not overbearing or interfering with what I do.

Until the next time,

stay tough!

Coach Zach

PS - You don't live in NJ but want to experience The Underground?
Go to http://UndergroundStrengthManual.com and get a REAL taste of what we do!