SPORT

UNCONVENTIONAL EQUIPMENT CONSTRUCTION 

Issue 03 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EDITION 2015 

MASTER THE 

MUSCLE UP! 

KETTLEBELL 

SPORT 

PREPERATION 

TURN HOUSEHOLD 

CHORES INTO A FULL 

BODY WORKOUT! 

Fitness 

for Film Prep 

A STUNT MANS 

PERSPECTIVE! 

LEARN THE 

BACKFLIP 

Samer Delgado 

PRO BAR ATHLETE 

LAYS IT DOWN 

UNCONVENTIONAL 

SPRINT SCIENCE 

PART 2! 

DITCHING DRINK FOR UNCONVENTIONAL TRAINING AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY ON HOW THIS CHANGE SAVED LIFE!

www.unconventionalathletes.com 

CONTENTS 

12 

CHALLENGED 

15 

MUSCLE 

18 

Sprinting. 

22 

USE 

24 

BE 

27 

Fitness 

30 

The 

33 

UTILIZE 

38 

THE 

42 

PULL 

44 

Henkules 

FOR TIME WITH CHORES? 

Turn your admin into a Full body workout 

UP MAYHEM 

LEARN TO MASTER THE MUSCLE UP! 

Unconventional to Conventional 

PART 2 

PHYSICS FOR EFFCIENCY! 

Understand the Kettle bell dynamics, unconventional 

PREPARATIONS and execution of performance with precision 

INSPIRED 

DITCHING ALCOHOL FOR UNCONVENTIONAL 

for Film Prep 

UNCONVENTIONAL AND UNORTHADOX 

Backflip 

Preparation for Perfection! 

FEAR! 

Regain your lost Mechanism, awareness and COMATOSED 

ancestral skills,TREE CLIMBING!!! 

LUMBERJACK’S WORKOUT 

A CELEBRATION OF STRENGTH! 

FOR PERFECTION 

A PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND INTRODUCTION OF 

UNCONVENTIONAL EQUIPMENT THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE IRON GRIP 

unconventional Construction! 

How to construct a Lumber-log. 

Issue 03 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EDITION 2015 Page 4


introduction 

ISSUE 3 

UNCONVENTIONAL ATHLETES MAGAZINE 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EDITION 2015 

Editor 

Nigel John 

Contributors: 

Jeff Bankens 

Brittany Van 

Schravendijk 

Mark J cunanan 

Lance Brazil 

Samer Delgado 

Chief Assistant Editor 

Henk Bakker 

Mark Smith 

Bryan Zurek 

Stephen Santangelo 

Henk Bakker 

James Smith 

Published by Unconventionalathletes.com 

INQUIRES: Unconventionalfit@outlook.com 

Mobile: +447709045111 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ 

UnconventionalAthletes/?fref=ts 

Welcome to the NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 

EDITION of UnconventionalAthletes.com 

Learn how to prepare and do a backflip correctly 

and safely under the guidance of a 

Pro Bar Athlete and Calisthenics competitor. 

We’ve got Unconventional Object lifting for 

strength and stamina! Thinking of becoming 

a stunt man? Learn the basic prep! You’ll 

also see familiar faces in this issue and future 

issues from original contributors we 

always like to give respect back to the community 

by ensuring everyone who is featured 

in the magazine gets to be a life long 

contributor! You’ll also get to grips with 

doing a clean Muscle-up! Also a big announcement 

Unconventional Athletes.Com 

is now a LTD COMPANY! Enjoy the read! 

Albert knew his stuff. 

Bored with conventional? Read on! 

Now you’ve probably come here because 

your bored of the gym, lifting weights 

paying lots of money to get a body that 

is simply not functional, sculpted, bad 

mind-set, your seeing dudes on You tube 

doing crazy but cool stuff YOU WANT TO 

DO THAT! You want something different, 

something exceptional that is not only 

going to get your body in good shape but 

your mind as well. We will teach you to 

use nature, make your own equipment explore 

alternative equipment that will enhance 

yourself to a level you thought was 

impossible, train in all weathers, nature is 

an unconventional athletes greatest tool! 

COVER ATHLETE: Henk Bakker 

Disclaimer: 

Unconventional Athletes.com ltd as an online publication/ 

magazine and makes no representation, endorsement, portrayal, 

warranty or guarantee with regards to safety or the 

efficacy of the products or the techniques of training methods 

that are spoken about, debated, or are conversed either 

by writing or pictures/videos that represent the articles or 

any adverts present in this magazine. Unconventional Athletes.com 

ltd makes no warranty, guarantee representation 

regarding the use of the techniques, equipment/products, 

purchase of services that are in the United Kingdom or 

elsewhere. It is mandatory that you discuss with a health 

care professional your physical health before or if you decide 

to try the techniques/exercises and equipment featured 

and discussed both literally and visually in this magazine. 

Unconventional Athletes.com ltd takes no liability in your 

participation from the information received in the magazine 

and thus any participation is considered voluntary thus 

cannot hold responsible either Unconventional Athletes. 

com or its partners, contributors or anybody or products 

featured in this online publication from any harm or injury 

that may result from participation. 

What is Unconventional Athletes.Com? 

The mag is designed for athletes and 

people who think outside the box when 

it comes to fitness training I mean times 

change we evolve for example at one point 

everybody believed the earth was flat not 

round and any body that objected was belittled, 

turns out the minority were right! 

So I invite you to have an open mind, ‘conventional 

‘is not always practical, this is 

the movement forward for evolving your 

fitness and skills to a level that is going to 

suit the future you’ll learn some very cool 

skills and training methods you will have 

never heard of, on the flip side the world is 

becoming a more volatile place and walking 

the streets in a confident with a positive 

mind-set makes a predator less likely 

to be drawn to your negativity, due to your 

posture, body language, pheromones from 

your sweat. They can smell your fear! 

Pragmatism! 

Do you want quick results and the edge in 

your game this is the place to come, evolve 

yourself to be confident in the natural way. 

The magazine is dedicated to bring you 

many years of practical experience from 

experts in the unconventional training 

community, the guys who write for the mag 

are the backbone of knowledge, they have 

not done a week long course in ‘unconventional’ 

training they have lived it breathed 

it practiced and perfected its art for many 

years as Albert Einstein would say ‘All 

knowledge is experience’ lets be honest 

Everyone is welcome! 

If you are an unconventional newbie, 

don’t worry we are here to help! 

Yes we don’t do things the ‘conventional’ 

way (that wouldn’t be practical or fun!), we 

don’t spend hours down the gym, home 

and nature is where its at, no grunts from 

the big guys down the gym, no judgement 

just you your bodyweight and unconventional 

training equipment to give YOU 

the edge! The world is changing fast and 

I for one know that being fit enough to 

protect ones family is now not an option, 

it SHOULD be part of your routine! Learn 

from the best in the Industry, add to your 

existing skillset, and reap our knowledge 

to improve YOU! 

CONTACT 

Unconventional Athletes is growing fast, 

if you feel you need advice or want to offer 

your knowledge and fit the criteria for 

writing in the magazine please contact us 

at unconventionalfit@outlook.com, we 

will always be happy to help, if you want 

to plug your unconventional training gym 

let us know, we are here to further you 

not turn our backs on you or give you incorrect 

training methods, I expect those 

words ring true to quite a few unconventional 

trainers, remember a leopard never 

changes its spots! Have a rad day folks 

and enjoy the read and REMEMBER every 

days a white belt day! 



Nigel John 

Founder and creator of Unconventional Athletes.COM 

Nigel has created this magazine to educate 

and help people change the way they think 

about fitness with a more pragmatic approach 

MAKING UNCONVENTIONAL=FUNCTIONAL, 

with the hope to make fitness a functional 

part of life not a chore, he strongly believes 

in experience, everyone who features in the 

magazine has been vetted for their skill 

set, bringing together former Special forces, 

calisthenics experts, Strength experts, Fighters, 

Policemen, military vets all with their adapted 

unconventional fitness training knowledge 

from many years of experience not just a week 

long course or paperwork, Unconventional 

Athletes gives you the real deal. He has created 

his own system called High Octane Training, 

which has developed over a number of years 

designed to evolve your fitness levels in a 

very short space of time on an elite level with 

multiple applications. Nigel is very well known 

and respected amongst the unconventional 

training community all around the world, he has 

had publications in My mad Methods Magazine 

and Onnit Academy, he is also sponsored 

by Mass suit. Nigel runs the Facebook page 

Unconventional Fitness Athletes, bringing 

unconventional athletes all over the world 

together giving their knowledge to those who 

want to get involved in the community and for 

unconventional athletes to get recognition for 

what they do. The magazine is also dedicated 

to letting people understand and gain an 

insight into unconventional training equipment 

that works so you don’t get ripped off or 

overcharged with gimmicks that your PT wants 

to sell you! Don’t stay in the box, read on and 

reap the knowledge, EVOLVE, the one eyed man 

is king in the valley of the blind! 

Anyone wishing to add ideas to the magazine 

writes articles or advertises please contact 

Nigel at unconventionalfit@outlook.com 





CONTRIBUTORS 

JEFF ‘T REX’ BANKENS 

NATIONALITY: AMERICAN 

Jeff “T-Rex” Bankens is a minister & performing strongman. His love of weightlifting began when he was 

a toddler, watching The Incredible Hulk smash his way through American television. “T-Rex” began lifting 

weights as a high school freshman, & over 2 decades later, he is STILL putting heavy things overhead. Over 

10 years ago, his life was forever changed when he discovered “Dinosaur Training” & the ways of the old 

time strongmen. 

Today, “T-Rex” uses his talents as an entertainer & speaker to motivate, encourage, & transform the lives of 

those he speaks to. “T-Rex” is available to speak & perform at schools, church’s, corporate events, & homes 

for troubled youth. 

https://sites.google.com/site/trexpowerevents/ 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TRex.Jeff.Bankens 

WEBSITE: https://sites.google.com/site/trexpowerevents/ 

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrJbanken01 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TRex4JC 

INSTAGRAM: http://www.enjoygram.com/jefftrexbankens 

MARK J CUNANAN 


Mark is a former bboy from 1992 to 2003. In the summer of 2003 he gave up bboying to live 

for God. After completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics in December 2003, he went to complete a 

Bachelor’s of Religious Education from January 2004 to May 2007. In July 2007 he gave his life to work for 

the Lord in the Christian school, Faithful Ambassadors Bible Baptist Academy, at his church, Bible Baptist 

Church. Mark is the master at muscle ups; he is able to complete 20 CLEAN muscle-ups consecutively 

with no rest. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markjoanna.cunanan?fref=ts 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyXrSeRXZ1J9r8WUyT6xDLQ 

HENK BAKKER 

Nationality: DUTCH 

Henk Bakker - Alias Henkules - Works at the Department of Justice, he has worked there for 

a couple of years in a Special Response Team, to ensure safety against dangerous detainees. Henk had 

different forms of training such as combat, endurance and strength training. Henks job now is activity 

leader and fitness instructor in a detention center . He has over twenty five years experience in strength 

training. Henk is also a Fitness trainer and a bootcamp-instructor. Henks mission is to motivate and inspire 

people who want to train in an unconventional way. Henk can be found on facebook under the name Henk 

Bakker. And on the Facebook page Henkules Home2Gym and You tube under the name Henkules Bakker. 

Most of the unconventional training tools are made by Himself. 

Website http://unconventional-training.nl 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553936311344546/?fref=ts 



CONTRIBUTORS 

Stephen R Santangelo 

Nationality: American 

• Cross Fit Certified 

• Biathlon Certified 

• Personal Trainer Certified under Jack LaLanne in 1979 

• Certified Olympic Weightlifting Coach 

• Level 1 Track & Field Coach 

• Certified Resistance Band Instructor 

• United States Biathlon Association 

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/stephen.santangelo.75 

Stephen has been involved with the fitness industry since 1979 and eventually created his specialty exercises 

& programs, which are based upon the anthropological movement of the human body. Protocols for 

physiological development are based upon energy systems, chemical & structural changes and time/duration 

effectiveness to ignite specific neurological pathways. His business involves nutritional guidance along 

with fitness development on several levels. He has trained Olympic qualifiers, elite athletes, military Special 

Forces, SWAT & first responders. In recent years he has taken his training programs to the general public. 

Through the years of development, Stephen has created a Survival Fitness Program which is based upon 

body chemistry, reaction development, neurological stimuli and the psychological response to emergency 

scenarios which has been embraced by the military, first responders and with home defence seminars and 

fitness camps. 

Stephen participates in Masters/Senior track & field in running, throwing and jumping events during the 

spring & summer. During the winter months snowshoe racing pre-occupies his training and throughout 

the year participates in Old Time Strongman lifts where he currently holds 35 national records in the 

Unites States All-round Strength Association. 

• United States Snowshoe Association 

• United States All-Round Strength Association 

• International All-Round Strength Association 

• United States Archery Biathlon 

• Bachelor of Science UCLA 1974 

• Post Graduate USC 1976 

LANCE BRAZIL 


Mark is a former bboy from 1992 to 2003. In the summer of 2003 he gave up bboying to live Sifu 

Lance Brazil, has studied traditional Chinese Martial Arts since 1999. He teaches and practices Northern 

Shaolin and Tai Chi Praying Mantis in Las Vegas, NV. He is also an avid Ninja Warrior (Sasuke) practitioner. 

He currently holds a StrongFirst lvl 1 Kettlebell Certification, W.I.T.S. (world instructor training school) 

and an Onnit Level 1 certification. Lance is Constantly perusing proficiency to help him and others. He is 

fortunate to have great Teachers in his life, which have been a valuable contribution to his skill set. Previously 

Lance was a My Mad Methods Magazine Content Contributor, but is now contributing for ONNIT. 

Also known for his Stunt Actor work in Nightwing the series on YouTube, portraying character Deathstroke 

and the Terminator. Among other stunt work projects he works on with his stunt team in Las Vegas are his 

affiliates the Arhat Orphan Brotherhood. 

You can check out some of his work here: 

Deathstroke – Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o297A1wmys0 

Super Smash Bros: Marth vs. Link (Live Action) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4luATjv_P0 

YOU TUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/user/IronLohanKettlebells 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lance.brazil?fref=ts 



CONTRIBUTORS 

BRITTANY VAN SCHRAVENDIJK 

Nationality: DUTCH AMERICAN 

Brittany has been competing in Kettlebell Sport since October 2011. She learned how to lift kettlebells at 

one of the top Kettlebell Sport gyms in the United States, Ice Chamber, which has produced seven female 

Master of Sport lifters to date (Brittany is the most recent one). 

Brittany is the Head Coach of Kettlebell Sport at KOR Strength and Conditioning in San Diego, California. 

She has travelled all over the U.S. to teach Kettlebell Sport workshops. 

List of accomplishments: 

• Youngest American female Master of Sport 

• National Record Holder in 24kg Biathlon, 

63kg weight class, 210 points 

• North American Record Holder in 2x16kg 

Long Cycle, absolute, 95 repetitions 

• National Champion in 24kg Snatch, 63kg 

weight class, 92 repetitions 

• Master of Sport, 24kg Snatch, 63kg weight 

class, 92 repetitions 

• Master of Sport, 24kg Long Cycle, 63kg 


• Silver medalist in 16kg Snatch at the IUKL 

World Championships, Junior category, 63kg 


WEBSITE: http://www.kbfitbritt.com/ 

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/kbfitbritt 

TWITTER:: www.twitter.com/brittanyvans 

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/kbfitbritt 

YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/brittanyvanschravendijk 

BRYAN ZUREK 

Nationality: AMERICAN 

SAMER DELGADO 


Is a 29 year old Personal Trainer and Professional Bar Athlete from Groton, CT. He has over 5 years of 

experience in the fitness industry and as a personal trainer. He became a personal trainer after 

realizing that he had a passion for fitness and a natural at teaching and educating others in all 

aspects of life. I Live and Love this lifestyle and I’ve been told that passion shines through. Samers 

Motto has always been “If it doesn’t challenge you. It doesn’t change you” because nothing in this 

world worth having comes easy. It takes hard work and determination and the ability to have endure 

some hardship in order to achieve greatness! 

Fitnessblazt@gmail.com | instagram.com/FitnessBlazt | facebook.com/FitnessBlazt 

YouTube.com/Blazt187u 

Bryan Zurek is a family man, married for 25 years and has 3 daughters and a pitbull. Having no fitness 

background whatsoever Bryan was able to gather functional strength from his job of 23 years, working 

12 hours a day shifting Odd shaped objects that would have excessive weight under stringent time sets! 

Bryan was an alcoholic but turned his life around with applying his inherent and practical strength to unconventional 

training in his own words ‘it saved his life’ he no longer relies on alcohol and is moving forward 

with his skillset in the unconventional training community. Bryan runs an unconventional strength 

fitness group on Facebook called Pit Fit 21222, helping fellow athletes display their skills and strengthen 

their knowledge with the hope to inspire others and help them get a stronger body and stronger mind! 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pitfit21222/ 



CONTRIBUTORS 

MARK SMITH 

Nationality: AMERICAN 

Mark Smith is the owner and founder of Asylum Fitness. He is a Movement and Strength Coach. He believes 

in reclaiming our birthright as humans to be able to move however and whenever we want or choose 

to. Coach Mark teaches his students how to move as they did when they were kids, freely and without 

hesitation or thought. This freedom through movement practice is highly rewarding and has profound 

health benefits. The goal for students at Asylum Fitness is to live long active and playful lives. Coach Mark 

also enjoys teaching his students to reconnect with nature through play, as well as reconnecting to other 

humans through games. Ultimately through his teaching we move better, feel better, and become better 

humans. 

Coach Mark originally began as a WITS certified personal trainer after graduating with a minor in 

Exercise Sports Science, concentration in Coaching, from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

In his endless pursuit of knowledge, education and self betterment he has added the c-FMS (Functional 

Movement Screen) under Gray Cook, MCT2 (MovNat level two certified trainer), and several workshops. In 

summer of 2014 he flew to Dublin, Ireland to learn from the brilliant Ido Portal. While he was there he got 

to spend 5 days with a colleague named Dave Hedges, founder of Wild Geese Fitness. His time spent with 

Dave was invaluable as Dave is a wealth of knowledge and eager to share. The whole trip was a pivotal 

paradigm in his pedagogy. In September of 2014 Coach Mark participated in the beta test of the Onnit 

Level 1 Certification. Mark is now an Alpha Affiliate at Onnit. Coach Mark writes frequently for several 

online publications and teaches workshops all over (upon request) sharing his journey into movement 

culture with anyone who will listen and wants to learn. 

Mark’s physical background is track 4x800m, 3200m, 800m, 1600m; cross country, wrestling (all-conference), 

Jiu-jitsu on and off for nearly 10 years (serious for the first 4 under Joe Hurst in Concord, NC), Muay Thai, 

and a little boxing. In College he was a competitive Ballroom Dancer, and now he is dabbling in parkour 

and rudimentary gymnastics. He is an outdoor enthusiast and barefoot practitioner. He also especially 

enjoys strongman training and Highland games training. 

WEBSITE: http://www.AsylumFitness.com 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/asylumfitnessnc 

INSTAGRAM: Instagram @coachmarkaf 

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZKSRBHr9LIkxD_vX2ij2g 

JAMES (JIM) SMITH 

Nationality: Hawaiian 

Born in Virginia, USA., Trainer since 1984, Dialysis Technician, Health food storeowner, Author 

Founder of the Animal Ability method, an ever-evolving way to train and eat for optimum results. Animal 

Ability method is using primitive, ancient and modern natural ways to enhance health and fitness in 

contemporary times. James is a foundation of knowledge both Spiritually and Physically, years of 

pragmatism have forged this mans unconventional training methods to another level. 

Facebook group: Animal Ability https://www.facebook.com/groups/107331742747208/?fref=ts 

Facebook page: Animal ability 

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAbility 



CHALLENGED 

FOR TIME WITH 

CHORES? 

Turn your admin into a 

Full body workout 

If you are like me, then you may find it challenging to get everything 

done around your house. During the spring and summer, that includes 

weightlifting, cardio/endurance training, and taking care of my lawn. 

One day, as I was getting ready to mow my lawn, it occurred to me that 

I could combine each of these tasks into one full body workout! I call 

it “The Lawnmower Challenge”. As you will soon find out, one of the 

great things about this challenge is that it can be changed / adapted 

to almost any season, climate, or landscape. 

THE LAWNMOWER CHALLENGE: 

For this workout you will need the following pieces of equipment: 

1. A walk-behind lawnmower ( “Self-Propelled” mode is Disengaged) 

2. A lawn to mow 

3. An O2 Trainer (I tend to use a lower setting on this exercise, going 

no higher than Level 6) 

4. 5 – 10 Odd Objects (Rocks, boulders, Atlas Stones, Kegs, Sandbags, etc.) 

5. A stopwatch (optional) 

6. **Don’t forget your Water** 



I will now give an overview of the 

“challenge”, before explaining it in 

more detail: 

Step 1) I Mow my lawn with a small 

push mower, while utilizing the O2 

Trainer and nose clip, this adds to 

the intensity and trains my bellows!( 

Lungs) This usually takes me about an 

hour to complete (At this point I mow 

the entire yard, except for the small 

strip surrounding my odd objects). I 

recommend that you start with setting 

1 on the O2 trainer, and gradually work 

your way up. This is especially important 

in the summer months, when heat 

and humidity are at peak levels. 

Step 2) Park the mower near odd objects 

so that you can mow the grass 

under them, once they are moved out 

of the way. 

Step 3) Begin timing yourself with 

the stopwatch. Next, move the odd objects 

from their resting place to a spot 

near the fence, using a combination 

of bear hugs, push jerks, and carries. 

This allows you to mow the grass that 

they rest on. You can do this while still 

wearing the nose clip and O2 Trainer. 

I have intentionally stacked these objects 

in such a way that they must be 

moved in order for me to be able to 

mow the lawn. 

Step 4) Restart the mower and finish 

the lawn mowing task. 

Step 5) Once you have finished mowing 

and each object is carried back to its 

original resting place, utilizing the same 

techniques described in Step 3. Stop the 

stopwatch. Keep a record of your times 

so that you can try to beat your personal 

best each time you take on the challenge. 

Step 6) Remove the O2 Trainer and 

nose clip, and then store the lawn 

mower in my shed. 

Step 7) Rest, rehydrate, and enjoy the 

rest of my day. 

Once you establish the setup of your challenge, you must 

HAVE a way to gauge progression in your performance.’ 

WHY THE LAWNMOWER CHALLENGE? 

There are several reasons why I like to 

do “The Lawnmower Challenge”. First, 

it is a great test of your fitness and 

strength level. After all, you’re following 

up an hour of fairly hard cardio with 

heavy lifting. I know that if I can get 

through the challenge on a hot, humid 

day, my strength will not fail me in real 

life situations. This also lets me know 

that I have still “got it”. Secondly, the 

challenge allows me to incorporate a 

great full body workout into my weekly 

yard work. This results in a huge time 

savings. With the schedule I have, it is 

important that I squeeze in a workout 

whenever I get the chance to do so. 

Lastly, taking on the challenge builds 

mental toughness. That is, if you allow 

it to. What I mean is that you are already 

tired from the heat, the mowing, 

and the use of the O2 Trainer. Now you 

are expected to do some heavy, awkward 

lifting without the benefit of a 

proper warm up. If you approach the 

challenge knowing that quitting is not 

an option and that you must complete 

it, you will strengthen your mind every 

time you take it on. 

CONTRAPT YOUR CHALLENGE! 

Now that we have established how 

the challenge works and what it does 

for you, I will show you how to setup 

a challenge for yourself, using mine 

as an example. As you will see in the 

photos, I have my implements (odd objects) 

setup in an easily accessible area 

of my yard. This allows for consistency 

and ease of use. I have them set in a 

certain order that I do not change. The 

order is as follows: 

• 2 stones (50 – 60lbs. (22.7 – 

27.2kg) each) 

• 1 Stone (127lbs. /57.6 kg) 

• 1 Stone (149lbs. /67.6 kg) 

• 1 Granite Ball (100lbs. /45.3 kg) 

• 1 Keg (160lbs. /72.6 kg) *This Keg 

is filled with a combination of 

sand, water, and bent 60 Penny 

Nails* 

• 1 Keg (132lbs. /59.9 kg) *This Keg 

is filled with a combination of 

sand and water * 

• 1 Concrete Atlas Stone (240lbs. 

/108.9 kg) 

*O2 Trainer is set at level 5 for mowing and lifting. 

Do not be “too tough” to take breathing breaks and 

water breaks during the challenge. This is very 

taxing, even on the fittest bodies / minds* 



We all do have 

the opportunity 

to transform our 

DAIly or weekly 

outdoor chores 

into an amazing 

workout. 

GAUGE YOUR PROGRESSION: 

Once you establish the setup of 

your challenge, you must have a 

way to gauge progression in your 

performance. This can be done in 

several of ways: First, you can time 

yourself, trying to accomplish the 

same amount of work in a shorter 

period of time than the last session. 

Second, you can add implements into 

your challenge every so often. Lastly, 

you can do the same amount of work 

for each challenge, while slowly 

raising the level used on your O2 

trainer. Using any of these methods 

(or a combination of all 3) will give 

your body a challenge for many 

weeks, months, and years to come. 

ADAPT TO WHAT YOU HAVE 

When you setup your own challenge, 

remember this: We do not all live 

in Louisiana, USA. We also do not 

all have the same type of yard or 

training implements. We all do have 

the opportunity to transform our 

daily or weekly outdoor chores into 

an amazing workout. Take this into 

consideration as you begin taking on 

the Lawnmower Challenge. Before I 

leave you to setup your own challenge, 

I want to say thank you for taking the 

time to read this article, and I pray God 

blesses your fitness endeavors. 

Article by Jeff Bankens 

WEBSITE: https://sites.google.com/site/trexpowerevents/ 

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrJbanken01 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TRex.Jeff.Bankens 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TRex4JC 

INSTAGRAM: http://www.enjoygram.com/jefftrexbankens 


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{ 

MUSCLE 

UP MAYHEM 

LEARN TO MASTER THE MUSCLE UP! 

Inspiration + Determination = Exceptional Strength 

In the year of 2010, I took our Drill program to compete 

in a Drill competition. At the competition, the 

USMC had the 20 pull up challenge, and that day I 

only completed 13 pull up reps. Since then, I was 

determined to get my pull up rep number higher, so 

I would watch YouTube videos. I came across Zef’s 

pull up/muscle up video, which inspired me to get 

more than just higher pull up reps, rather to get the 

“muscle up.” I was able to do 4 muscle ups on December 

2011, and I trained for one year. After, a year 

of training muscle ups, I was able to do 20 muscle 

up reps by the end of December 2012. 

Structure to Success 

My training plan to go from 4 muscle ups to 20 muscle 

ups in one year was simply by doing one max set 

of muscle ups on lunch break, and one max set of 

muscle ups after work for 5 days a week. The goal 

that I had each week was getting one extra rep than 

the previous week. My progression may be found 

on the description of my “How to do a strict muscle 

up tutorial, and how I went from 4 to 20 muscle ups 

within one year.” The link is found below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdmfZoIJ3y4 

Fundamental Progression 

Exercise Requirements that helped me achieve the 

strict bar muscle up: 

DEAD HANG 

Know how to do a strict dead hang pull up. A good 

pull up number would be 10 to 15 reps. These pull 

ups must be completed with ease without using 

your lower body, or without using your legs. Good 

exercises that may help you achieve the dead hang 

pull up would be doing negatives by jumping until 

you chin is above the bar, then go down very slow to 

a dead hang. A good example of a strict dead hang 

pull up can be found in the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hsCOtgoVrQ 

STRICT HIGH PULL UP’S 



Know how to do strict high pull ups, pulling to the bottom 

of your chest or to your abdomen. A good high pull 

up number would be 5 reps. These pull ups must be 

completed with ease without using your lower body, or 

without using your legs. Good exercises would be to do 

negatives starting from the bottom of your chest to a 

slow dead hang or doing weighted pull ups. A good example 

of high pull ups may be found on the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnU9h8ColdA 

FALSE GRIP 

Master the “false grip” having your wrists on top of the 

bar. First, you need to start from a dead hang grip, pull 

up high, and then be able to hold the “false grip” with 

ease. A good example may be found on the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa3NDB2kK80 

BAR DIPS 

Be able to do 10 to 15 straight bar dips. These dips may 

be completed on a low pull up bar or on the dip bars. 

This exercise help you with the pushing phase of the 

muscle up, giving you the strength needed to surpass 

the “transition” from the pull to push phase. A good example 

may be found on the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_EppmZiqqw 

PULL TO PUSH PHASE 

Master the pull to push phase or “transition” phase of 

the muscle up. To complete this, pull up high to the 

“false grip,” then lean forward, and push up as if you are 

doing a straight bar dip. A good example may be found 

on the link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_EppmZiqqw 

After mastering the Pull to push phase with ease, 

eventually you will build the strength to do a smooth 

transition strict bar muscle up, without pausing at 

the transition. A good example may be found on the 

link below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEklLl3WIw8 

Master the pull to push 

phase or “transition” phase 

of the muscle up. 

Issue 03 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EDITION 2015 Page 16{


WHY DID I START DOING THE BAR MUSCLE UP? 

I started doing muscle ups because I came across Zef’s 

pull ups/muscle ups video of him doing muscle ups. 

His muscle ups gave me motivation to not just get the 

muscle up, but to perfect it maintaining clean form from 

beginning to end. Making sure that when ever I do a 

muscle up set I have Zef’s mentality, “completing my last 

rep as good as my first rep.” 

VARIATIONS 

Variations of muscle ups that I am able to do are close 

grip muscle ups, reverse grip muscle ups, and my favorite, 

the regular grip muscle up. 

The link below has an example of me doing reverse grip 

muscle ups: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_AVoMeFQ6w 

ELITE MUSCLE UP WORKOUT 

An elite muscle up work out that I do is max muscle ups 

to max straight bar dips to max dead hang pull-ups as 

one set. The link below has me doing 20 muscle ups to 

20 straight bar dips to 17 pull ups: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utsqmCmnS48 

Mark is no joke he is able to complete at least 20 

CLEAN muscle ups consecutively with no rest so if your 

interested in getting to grips with MASTERING the 

Muscle up correctly hit him up!!! 

Article by Mark J Cunanan 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markjoanna.cunanan?fref=ts 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyXrSeRXZ1J9r8WUyT6xDLQ 

The goal that I had each 

week was getting one extra 

{rep than the previous week. 



Sprinting. 

Unconventional to Conventional 

PART 2 (Part 1 is featured in the Aug/Sept edition) 

ENHANCING THE 

QUALITY OF SPEED AND 

STRENGTH FOR HUMAN 

PERFORMANCE THE 

UNCONVENTIONAL 

WAY, SPRINT YOUR WAY 

TO SUCCESS PART 2! 

PROTOCOLS FOR OPTIMUM 

PERFORMANCE: 

There is much confusion in the fitness 

industry as to what sprinting is. Therefore, 

our frame of reference must be 

established to determine how & why 

sprinting is an important factor in every 

training program and to understand 

the protocols which are required for 

optimum performance & fitness based 

upon specific goals. 

THE NEED FOR SPEED! 

The 2 most important questions one 

must ask are, “what do you want to 

achieve & what the purpose for speed 

training is?” This establishes the baseline 

with how one will approach & incorporate 

sprinting into a training regimen. 

The quality of speed & strength 

for human performance is an absolute 

must for success! Correct Stimuli! 

All too often trainers talk about the anaerobic 

energy system which includes 

ATP/CP as stored energy. ATP is Adenosine 

Triphosphate and CP is Creatine 

Phosphate. True, this chemistry is an 

important factor; however, there are 

many other stimuli which play an integral 

role in developing sprint speed. 

CNS COMPREHENSION! AND 

ELIMINATING THE ILLUSION! 

The first energy stimulus is the brain & 

central nervous system (CNS). All body 

functions begin here. Without it, the 

body cannot receive or execute functions. 

The CNS works from the moment 

the body begins to move and continues 

throughout the entire athletic performance, 

regardless, whether it is long 

and continuous, short explosive movements 

or a combination of both. 

Our brain responds to stimuli in 

1/1000ths of a second through electrical 

charges, to activate the CNS, Central 

Nervous System. 

Within the first 0.2 (2/10ths) second is 

considered to be our reaction time. This 

is the initial thrust of the body to propel 

us forward. 

Next is action is within the 1st 1.0 second 

where a single leg is activated for 

the 1st step. 

Within 2.0-5.0 seconds begins the acceleration 

phase. 

From 5.0-8.0 seconds maximum velocity 

is achieved. 



At this point the body begins to slow 

down. In a world class field of 100m 

sprinters it appears the leader is “pulling 

away” from the rest of the competitors. 

This is not so. The remaining 

athletes are slowing down a faster rate 

in the last 20m than the winner, so, it 

presents an optical illusion of the winner 

to be “pulling away” from the other 

sprinters. 

MAX VELOCITY! 

The point is maximum velocity can 

only be attained for a short period of 

time. As with every training protocol, 

all energy systems/chemical reactions 

are time/intensity specific. Too, intensity 

& rest interval play a major role in 

which energy/chemical response are 

used. Based upon this understanding 

determines how to structure a training 

regimen based upon desired results to 

attain specific goals. 

5 HARDHEADED METHODS TO REALLY 

UP YOUR GAME! 

Listed below are the 5 elements for developing 

sprint speed & athletic quickness. 

LENGTH: 

Length of run & change of direction 

This can vary from 20m-600m in 

straight lines, obstacle course, hills or 

around a track 

COMPONANT 

Absolute speed, speed endurance, long 

speed, power development & work capacity 

ENERGY SYSTEMS UTILIZED 

Brain, CNS, alactic, alactic + CP, alactic 

& stored ATP + CP, alactic + extended 

CP, lactic acid, lactic + aerobic, aerobic + 

glycogen & finally, aerobic + glycogen 

+ fat 

ENERGY SYSTEM 

Brain, CNS, anaerobic, lactic acid 

tolerance, anaerobic + aerobic & aerobic 

REST INTERVALS 

1:1 (work to rest ratio) & up to 20 

minutes for full recovery 

VOLUME 

This is determined by purpose and 

weekly training program 

STARTING METHODS FOR MASTERY! 

Arm Drive Drill 

Stand in a tall, erect position so the 

head and shoulders are directly above 

the hips; all in vertical line. 

Drive the arms back and forth AFAP (As 

Fast As Possible) with short, explosive 

strokes. 

Keep the arms bent at a 90 degree angle 

in the front/top position and about 

100 degrees in the back/lower position. 

Avoid leaning forward when executing 

this drill. 

Do this for only 10 seconds. You need 

to perform minimum 30 strokes within 

each 10 second cycle. 

Use either arm to count strokes, not 

both. 

Your goal is to increase the number of 

reps per set. 

Rest minimum 3 minutes between sets. 

Older athletes, such as me, will need 5 

minutes. This is essential for the ATP/ 

CP to refuel the muscles. 

Our brain 

responds 

to stimuli 

in 1/1000ths 

of a second 

through 

electrical 

charges, to 

activate the 

CNS, Central 

Nervous 

System. 



Leg Drive Drill 

Stand in a tall, erect position so the 

head and shoulders are directly above 

the hips; all in vertical line. 

Drive the knee up to parallel and back 

down AFAP while driving the arms 

forcefully. 

This is 1 repetition. 

Rest 3 seconds between reps. This 

is essential to eliminate the elastic 

energy/eccentric force from the 

equation. 

It takes precise analYSIS, 

comprehension & execution to 

ACHIEVE the greatest resulTS in 

the shortest time 

Do 5 reps per set. 

Rest minimum 3 minutes between sets. 

Older athletes, such as me, will need 5 

minutes. This is essential for the ATP/ 

CP to refuel the muscles. 

Note: The foot is kept dorsi flexed; toes 

pointed up. This is essential to activate 

the hip flexors/psoas muscles which 

pull the leg up and using the glutes to 

drive the leg down. 

BE FRESH! 

These drills must be executed at the 

beginning of each training session 

after a 15-20 dynamic warm up. All 

technical drills and neuro-motor drills 

need to be performed when the body 

is fresh; never at the end of a workout. 

When training for neural response it’s 

not huffing & puffing; it’s all about 

developing neurological pathways 

and using the energy systems and 

available chemistry responsible for 

reactive stimuli. 

A MOMENT OF CLARITY. 

One can clearly see speed & 

quickness is more than just going 

out and running. It takes precise 

analysis, comprehension & execution 

to achieve the greatest results in the 

shortest time. 

Article by Stephen Santangelo 

Standby for the 3rd part of ‘Sprint to Success ‘n the next edition of Unconventional Athletes.Com 

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/stephen.santangelo.75 


official sponsor 

UnconventionalAthletes.com 

+31638192815 ◼ ron@rbdesign.nl


USE PHYSICS FOR EFFCIENCY! 

Understand the Kettle bell dynamics, unconventional preparations 

and execution of performance with precision 

STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME WITH 

CORRECT KETTLEBELL EDUCATION FOR 

CHAMPIONSHIP DOMINATION 

Kettlebell Sport Explained 

Kettlebell Sport, also known as Girevoy 

Sport, is a strength-endurance sport 

that originated from Russian military 

training. In the past 10 years, the sport 

has seen a lot of growth in Western Europe 

and the Americas. The competition 

of Kettlebell Sport is a 10-minute set, 

in which the athlete completes as many 

repetitions as possible without setting 

the kettlebell down – and with only one 

hand switch (or in the case of lifting 

two kettlebells, no switch at all!). 

Enhance your Motor CONTROl 

Strength and Cardio!! 

The benefits of Kettlebell Sport are 

numerous, as it promotes strength 

and cardiovascular endurance all in 

the same exercise. Kettlebell Snatch 

especially works on grip strength and 

shoulder stability. Because one side is 

trained at a time for single arm lifts, 

imbalances between the two sides 

of the body will decrease as well. 

Being right-handed, I have seen a big 

increase in the strength and motor 

control of the left side of my body since 

training kettlebells. Kettlebell Sport is 

a great way to motivate people to train 

towards a goal and stay consistent with 

their training – whether they are just 

aiming to last 10 minutes, hit a certain 

number of repetitions, or qualify for 

the World Championships. 

MIND POWER!! 

Perhaps more importantly than the 

physical challenge Kettlebell Sport 

presents (which is a great one, don’t 

get me wrong), is the mental tenacity 

the sport demands. The most grueling 

part of a 10-minute set is convincing 

oneself to keep pushing through to 

the very end. The kind of resilience required 

to complete a Kettlebell Sport 

set has amazing carryover into any other 

physical endeavor or life challenge 

that comes up – after completing a 10 

minute set with a heavy kettlebell, everything 

else seems easy! 

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS! 

I will be traveling to Dublin, Ireland 

in the last week of November to 

compete in my second IUKL Kettlebell 

Sport World Championships. In 

order to qualify, I had to win my 

weight class category (63kg) in the 

Professional 24kg Snatch lift at the 

American Kettlebell Alliance National 

Championship. 

PREPARATION: 

In my training for the World 

Championships, I complete 3 trainings 

per week - two days of shorter intervals 

with varying kettlebell weights for 

conditioning and technique practice, 

and the third day a long training set 

with my competition weight ranging 

from 6-10 minutes. Between the days 

that I lift kettlebells, I do 2 days of 

accessory workouts, which include 

general strength training (squats, 

deadlifts, etc.) and bodyweight training 

(push ups, skin the cats, handstands). 

SNATCH LIFT 

The trickiest part about the Snatch lift 

and what makes it “unconventional” in 

my eyes is that you must use the principles 

of Physics for efficiency. In most 

training modalities, you are trying to 

exert as much energy and muscular 

force as possible when completing an 

exercise in order to work your body. 

When training for Kettlebell Sport, 

however, the goal is to save your energy 

with each repetition so you can 

complete as many repetitions as possible 

in 10 minutes. 

WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION FOR 

GRAVITY ADVANTAGE! 

Learning to shift your weight properly 

to use gravity to your advantage 

and properly time each repetition 

is a huge factor for Snatch. 

If the timing of one portion of the 

lift is off, the timing of the entire 

lift will be thrown off. Thus it can 

take years to perfect the technique 

(something I am still working on after 

4 years)! 



THE SNATCH LIFT METHOD 

Here is a basic outline of the Snatch technique 

1) Swing the kettlebell back 

between the legs with a 

straight-arm and relaxed 

shoulder. 

2) Let the bell come forward 

(without pulling it), and 

following through with the 

hips 

3) When the bell reaches the 

point of “weightlessness” at 

the top of the swing, pull 

the shoulder back to direct 

upward movement. 

4) Shift your weight back 

and let the kettlebell fly up, 

opening the hand to let the 

bell flip over. 

5) Catch the bell in the overhead 

position with the hand 

fully inserted into the handle, 

arm straight, joints stacked. 

6) Turn the hip to initiate the 

drop of the kettlebell with 

your body instead of your 

hand. 

7) Keep torso upright as the 

bell turns and starts to drop. 

8) Let the upper arm come in 

close to the body as the bell 

drops, and wait for your arm 

to be cushioned by the hips 

before letting the chest come 

down as you hinge forward. 

9) Let the bell dictate the 

depth of your backswing 

before the next repetition. 

The most grueling part of a 10-minute 

set is convincing oneself to keep pushing 

through to the very end. 

For more tips and information on Kettlebell Sport, as well 

as upcoming workshops, check out Brittany’s website at 

www.kbfitbritt.com. 

Article by: Brittany Van Schravendijk 

WEBSITE: http://www.kbfitbritt.com/ 

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/kbfitbritt 

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/brittanyvans 

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/kbfitbritt 

YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/brittanyvanschravendijk 



BE INSPIRED 

DITCHING ALCOHOL FOR UNCONVENTIONAL 

BRYAN ZUREK ON HOW UNCONVENTIONAL TRAINING SAVED HIS LIFE. 

A VERY PURE AND BRUTAL APPROACH TO STRENGTH AND CARDIO CONDITIONING 

BACKGROUND: 

I am BRYAN ZUREK; I have been married 

for 25 years and have 3 daughters 

and a Pit-bull. I love music, a guitar 

player since a young age...........I have 

no fitness background at all...but I did 

work on commercial printing presses 

for 23 years. THIS trade can be brutal.12 

hours a day, no breaks, moving 

rolls they weigh 500 to 3000#s. Putting 

the 90# shafts in the core of the roll, 

sometimes every 20 minutes, depending 

on how fast we ran the press, which 

was about 15 to 20 row homes long, 

2 stories high. Also carrying 5-gallon 

water jugs and 30# ink kits around, up 

and down the press all day. Lets just 

say this job kept me in shape. 

FILLING THE VOID: 

I LOST MY JOB.I got a 40 hour a week 

job. More time with my family, but 

more time to drink more beer. I started 

drinking alot. My waist went from a 32 

to a 36.Way out of shape. 

GETTING MY S##T TOGETHER! 

I woke up with the flu and a hangover, 

sick in bed for a week. Did not have a 

beer for a week. Then I went another 

week without a beer. I started to see my 

belly go down. IT felt good. SO I pulled 

out my old curling bar from high school 

with 30#s on it and started to lift. Knowing 

I could not get a weight rack in my 

house, I needed something smaller. 

NATURE. INSPIRATION AND 

UNLEASHING THE INNER WARRIOR! 

SURFING the net I discovered the kettlebell 

and I also seen this big guy 

pulling an anchor through the sand. 

WOW! THATS IT.Thats what I wanted 

to do. It was not to long after that that 

Henk BAKKER and I started to talk on 



THAT is where I unleash my inner 

WARRIOR.I put down the beer fOR a stone, 

and never looked back 

Facebook. HE motivated me so much. 

A great guy...............NATURE. That is 

where I like to be. THAT is where I unleash 

my inner WARRIOR.I put down the 

beer for a stone and never looked back. 

As you get more conditioned you can 

add a moderate incline! Remember 

where the object is placed after the ½ 

mile lift, in Part 3 of the method you 

will come back to it! 

USE THE ELEMENTS!! 

MY training is simple, basic, mostly 

full body workouts. Put me in a Planet 

FITNESS or GOLDS GYM, I WOULD not 

even know what to do there. But give 

me a stone and a log and I will give you 

brutal training. Hellish heat, freezing 

cold, rain, nothing holds me back. I am 

out there to destroy the workout and 

push my body hard, EVERYDAY.So one 

of my workouts is pretty basic, and it 

will test your strength and endurance. 

It is called BEAR. 

THE BEAR METHOD!!! 

BEAR is played out at my park a few blocks 

away. I do this 2 to 3 times a week. This is 

one of my Unconventional Methods, but 

man this will crazy work you! 

Paraphernalia 

1) log145# 

2) 145# Carrying stone 

3) 90 # throwing stone. 

Technique: 

ODD OBJECT SHOULDER CARRY 

1) I shoulder carry the 90# stone 

around the half mile long pond to 

wear me down a little, you can adapt by 

finding flat terrain with loose holding 

ground (this will add to the intensity) 

THE LOG FLIP 

2) My next venture (this is with no 

rest after step 1), the log flip, end 

over end. 

Please note 

i) Squat position to lift. 

ii) Explosive power to throw up 

hard so it comes back to your 

hands. 

iii) Push that log with brute force 

back to earth. 

iv) Don’t just let it drop. 

This log is flipped for 50 yards on 

a downgrade, you can take a very 

short break at the halfway mark if 

you like but I would suggest battling 

through it to get the best workout. 

Remember where you have put the 

Log because you will come back to 

this in part 3. 

VIOLENT THROW INTO DEADLIFT 

3) Walk back to the 145# stone at the 

start point. 

i) DEADLIFT this with a violent 

throw to the belly and carry it 50 

yards back to where you left the log, 

drop it gently when you reach it. 

ii) Go back to the 90# throw stone. 

OH YES, THIS IS JUST BRUTE 

STRENGTH. Squat position to grab 

the stone, throw up to shoulder 

then press overhead. 

iii) From the overhead position 

launch that stone as far as you can. 

Just remember, the farther you throw 

it, the less times you pick it up. 

Iv) The throws are for 50 yards down 

to the log and boulder. 



By now you will be exhausted, you 

think you’re done. NOT!........ 

PUSH PAST YOUR LIMITS! 

Do all 3 workouts again, but with a 

50-yard upgrade. Your legs will feel 

like rubber now, but you have to push 

forward. REMEMBER the tools have 

to get back to their home that is the 

final part of your workout get those 

bad boys to bed then your good self!!! 

Unconventional Training saved my life 

and for that I am forever grateful and 

hope to help and inspire others with 

my brutal training craftsmanship! 

Article by Bryan Zurech 

Totally inspirational and freaking brutal, look forward to more workouts from you Bryan!!! 

You can hit Bryan up for advice and Unconventional Training protocols at his Facebook page Pit Fit 21222 listed below! 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pitfit21222/ 



Fitness for Film Prep 

UNCONVENTIONAL AND UNORTHADOX 

A STUNT MANS PERSPECTIVE! 

PREPARATION FOR THE UNKNOWN! 

Unconventional fitness provides nothing but benefit to any stuntman or performer in any realm, especially for film 

work. Now what makes up unconventional fitness, is really a means of totality for body movement. Whether tools, and 

bodyweight are used to work your muscles in an unorthodox means to better prepare you for what life throws your 

way. Unconventional fitness consists of fitness methods that are not relied on by mainstream practices. Example of 

this would be the daily grind at a gym membership facility, using the treadmill, and weight machines that offer no 

creativity and diversity in movement. 



MINDSET! POSITIVE FOCUS! 

Mindset is everything in film prep; the 

mind is what will drive your body. You 

cannot have a strong mind without a 

strong body, nor can you have a strong 

body without a strong mind. The mind 

should still be first priority in training. 

Positive thoughts reinforce positive 

actions and the will to succeed on what 

task is your focus. What skills can prep 

you in this matter is seated meditation 

and active meditation. 

MEDITATE THE MONKEY! 

Seated meditation is essential because 

it can teach you to have clear focus and 

have clarity. To keep you from having 

what is called a monkey mind where 

your thoughts are all over the place 

in chaotic fashion. In film your focus 

should clearly be your character and 

the project at the time. Mediation will 

help your mind endure the long hours 

of filming and random schedules. 

Basic Chan seated meditation practice 

will only take 1-5 mins anytime of the 

day. Focus solely on your breathing 

and don’t let your thoughts stray 

from your breath. Slow inhale for 5 

seconds -> hold your breath 5 seconds 

-> exhale slowly for 5 seconds -> with 

empty lungs hold for 5 seconds -> then 

repeat. At first it with feel like you’re 

suffocating, but you will quickly correct 

once you realize you are in control. 

ACTIVE MEDIATION=STRONG FOCUS 

Active meditation is clearly essential 

for the stuntman and utilizing 

your skills of mind, strength, and 

endurance. Being Active meditation 

is best described as a single focus or 

thought in motion while enduring 

body movements. The practice of 

mainstream Yoga is a great example. 

In Yoga you are generally required to 

endure deep postures that transition 

to other postures while keeping your 

mental cool. Active meditation of 

course can go way beyond the practice 

of Yoga, any physical training is active 

meditation if there is a strong focus. 

Certain martial arts will relate to this 

practice immensely. 

STUNTMAN STRENGTH 

Strength is a must for any stuntman, 

being it is your lifeline to preventing 

any injuries. Stuntman work is exciting, 

but also dangerous. Real strength 

training is what will protect your 

joints and improve your longevity to 

tackle life. The practice of strength 

is to overcome fear of lifting heavy 

weight, or in general just create great 

amounts of muscle tension. This 

can be done with static isometric 

movements, or dynamic movements 

in a methodical controlled state 

while maintaining solid range of 

motion. Strength is a skill and must 

be practiced. Strength practice is a 

movement which can give you high 

amounts of tension in a safe as possible 

fashion. Example of this is a heavy 

barbell deadlift, Kettlebell shoulder 

press, or of course a one arm pushup. 

These 3 movements can be practiced 

in a routine of a “Rising Ladder”. Give 

yourself a goal of repetitions which in 

turn will become your sets, example 

let’s use the number 5. 5 will be your 

total sets, so your first set will only be 

1 repetition of your movement. You 

will then take a break. When ready 

your 2nd set, it will be 2 repetitions, 

and so forth. An up ladder is simple 

and sinister; it will always challenge 

your body. Remember “strength is 

what makes all values possible”. 

Endurance ‘LEARN TO WALK BEFORE 

YOU RUN!’ 

Endurance needs to be looked at as 

a secondary to strength, you must 

be strong first. If you jump right into 

doing endurance based practices you 

are just asking for trouble. Learn to 

walk before you run and gradually 

develop the skill of endurance. 

Endurance is really what all athletes 

are striving for, it’s about performing 

physical tasks longer. Endurance tests 

how well your strength development 

is in an applied state. Any stuntman 

would want to develop this skill, being 

long hours and high intensity scenes 

that could be required in the project. 

A good way to develop this is through 

high repetition exercises, circuit timed 

training, and of course the Tabata. I 

highly recommend adding Tabatas to 

your current routine as a finisher to 

your workout. The idea of a Tabata is 



Strength is 

WHAT makes 

all values 

possible 

4 mins of total semi consistent high 

intensity work. It is 8 rounds of which 

each round consists of 20 seconds 

of work and only 10 seconds of rest, 

repeat for 8 rounds. Tabatas will 

work your heart, lungs, and muscle 

endurance no doubt. Recommended 

exercises for the Tabata, is Burpees, 

Battle Ropes, Macebell swings, and of 

course the kettlebell swing. 

When I was on set of the hit YouTube web 

series “Nightwing: The Series” working 

with my affiliated stunt team Arhat 

Orphan Brotherhood. I was graciously 

playing the role of Deathstroke: The 

Terminator as the stunt actor. I had to 

endure long hours of filming while 

maintaining a 40 hour work week, plus 

my own training, teach martial arts, 

and typing up articles. Some of the 

nights were definitely taxing on the 

mind and body. Through these traits of 

Mindset, strength, and endurance, I can 

definitely say it’s what course what got 

me through the project. 

“So keep on training, 

but to be better, keep it 

unconventional” 

Article by Lance Brazil 

You can check out some of his work here: 

Deathstroke – Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o297A1wmys0 

Super Smash Bros: Marth vs. Link (Live Action) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4luATjv_P0 

YOU TUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/user/IronLohanKettlebells 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lance.brazil?fref=ts 



The Backflip 

Preparation for Perfection! 

Learn how to correctly approach and prepare for this advanced 

compound Move without destroying yourself! 

REAP the knowledge from Pro Bar Athlete and Calisthenics competitor, 

SAMER DELGADO aka FITNESSBLAZT! 



My name is Samer Delgado, I’m also known in the social media world and Street Workout 

community as Fitnessblazt. I am a Personal Trainer as well as a Pro Bar Athlete and 

Calisthenics Competitor. 

Today I will be taking you through a tutorial of the infamous backflip. You will learn all 

the progression and exercises towards achieving this advanced skill. Enjoy. 

The Backflip is an advanced compound move that should be done with spotters when 

first learning it and proper technique to avoid injury. First and most important you must 

strengthen the right muscles and work on your flexibility to have good body ability 

before attempting the actual skill. 

The Backflip is 

an advanced 

compound move 

THAT should 

be done with 

spoTTERS when 

first learning 

it and proper 

technique to 

AVoid injury 

Exercises and Skills to work on: 

1. Back Bends/Bridges 

It’s important that you have good lower back and over all flexibility. Best way to achieve 

this will be by working on your back bends and bridges. 

Lie down on your back. Place hands by your head, fingers pointing towards your 

shoulders, knees fully bent and feet planted on ground. Now press your body up by 

pushing down on your hand’s and feet. Make sure you’re breathing through the entire 

exercise. Hold that position for about 10 seconds. Go back down. Repeat 5 times. 

2. Explosive Squat jumps 

This a regular squat with an explosive 

jump on top of squat then always landing 

back on that squat position. Remember to 

always push through your heels. Do 3 sets 

of 25 reps. 



Article By Samer Delgado 

If you need any advice on 

training or simply want 

to check his seriously sick 

skills out on You Tube, you 

can contact Samer below, 

he is very welcoming and 

so is his community, a true 

professional! 

Fitnessblazt@gmail.com 

instagram.com/FitnessBlazt 

facebook.com/FitnessBlazt 

YouTube.com/Blazt187u 

3. Full body crunches. 

Start by lying on your back, arms extended overhead and legs extended and not touching 

ground. Next crunch bottom and top half of body and squeeze the core area. Now go 

back to the starting position without ever touching the ground. Do 4 sets of 25 reps. 

Things to remember when performing a Backflip. 

»» 

Jump up with power and a slight back angle. 

»» 

Look straight forward through the whole vertical jump. 

»» 

Tuck knees into stomach and use hands to help you tuck this will make you flip faster. 

»» 

Make believe there is a bar that you are trying to clear as you flip. This will give 

you more height. 

»» 

Don’t open up until your body has fully rotated, as opening up will stop the flip 

rotation completely. 

Why do Backflips? 

Backflips are a great way to push your body in a different more challenging way 

than other exercises can, as you are using various small stabilizing muscles and 

many other explosive components to achieve this skill. Some use Backflips as part 

of a combination of moves to increase difficulty such as Burpees. Add a backflip to 

the jumping section of a Burpee and now you have a “Backflip Burpee” a much more 

explosive move with a greater degree of difficulty. 

Some use backflips as a mean to develop muscle endurance or as a part of 

cardiovascular workouts. In these type activities the backflips are done continuously 

for reps until failure or by reaching a goal target. For example 5 backflips, 10 push ups, 

15 jump squats, 20-second sprint. 

Backflips are not a basic movement by any means. Therefore once you’re able to 

achieve one, you can consider yourself an elite athlete. 

What comes after flipping? 

Once backflips are beginning to feel easier you can start thinking about learning 

some of the more advanced flips. One of those forms of flipping will be the wall flip. 

This is when you run towards a wall, step up it with one foot and launch your body 

backwards as you flip and land back on your feet. 

Another advanced type of flip is the “full” or as some like to call it the 360 backflip. 

This is a flip with a full twist and landing back at the starting position. 

Do not try any of the more advanced flips until you have perfected the regular backflip 

and feel 100% comfortable doing it. 



UTILIZE 

FEAR! 

Regain your lost Mechanism, 

AWARENESS and COMATOSED 

ancestral skills, 

{TREE CLIMBING!!!} 

BORED OF BEING AN ADULT? 

The first house I lived in had a beautiful 

sugar maple in the front yard. When I was 

about four years old with a little help and 

guidance from my dad, I climbed it for the 

first time. Though I only made it to standing 

on the second limb up, I felt like I was on 

top of the world. My parents still have the 

pictures taken that day, in one shot; a look 

of fear and uncertainty, in the next photo 

a look of overwhelming joy and ecstasy. 

I am sure many of you reading this have 

a similar story and many more thereafter 

of the happiness found as a child playing 

in trees. Adults are boring. I said it. It 

needed to be said; where is the sense of 

adventure, of wonder, of exploration that 

so dominated your existence as a child? 

It isn’t gone entirely. I promise it is just 

dormant. After all, adulthood is boring 

for a reason. We have bills to pay, mouths 

to feed, responsibilities, there is no room 

for fun. I want to change that. I want to 

encourage you to live boldly again and 

regain the freedom you had as a child. I 

want to do that through one of my favorites 

modalities of training, tree climbing. 



SEEKING THE THRILL! 

Step one is just getting back in a tree. I find this to be very rewarding 

for my students. The thrill alone provides a newfound exuberance and 

exhilaration. Just as when you were a kid you don’t have to go all the way 

to the top. In fact I recommend a lower tree with nice sturdy branches 

that allow for multiple foot placements and hand holds. You want to 

feel somewhat secure as you get reacquainted with your inner child. 

Meanwhile there are some pretty cool physical benefits you are reaping. 

REBOOT YOUR DORMENT AGRAIAN CAPABILITY! 

First, and perhaps my favorite, grabbing; we don’t grab things much in 

the modern world. Think about it, the remote, a glass of water, some 

laundry maybe. This is a far cry from even 150 years ago when much of 

the world was still agrarian. Then you grabbed many objects throughout 

the day, tools, crops, animals, rocks you name it. So I really like that when 

you begin to explore and move about a tree you are constantly grabbing. 

This is a fantastic way to regain a lost mechanism of humans. 

First, and perhaps my 

favorite, grabbing; we 

don’t grab things much in 

the modern world. Think 

about it, the remote, a 

glass of water, some 

laundry maybe. 

MAKE FEAR YOUR FRIEND 

Second, and this begins to happen as you move more comfortably up, 

down and around the tree: awareness. I love preaching the good news 

of awareness. There is a certain level of fear that comes with climbing 

anything (I am speaking in general, not to the elite or professional). This 

is a good thing. Fear is that little voice saying, “Easy now, make sure your 

foot is set. Whoa there, that branch looks dead, don’t pull on it.” It is self 

preservation keeping you from making a critical mistake. I like that we 

have to PAY ATTENTION, when doing something physical. It creates a sense 

of awareness. My hope is that through this type of practice we retain this 

skill in our day to day rather than mindlessly going through life unaware 

of our surroundings and situations. Awareness is a big teaching point of 

mine and I believe that climbing trees helps establish this life skill. 



THE BEAUTY OF BALANCE 

The third benefit is balance. Walking on limbs, there is no substitute for 

the infinite variability that trees provide for balance. I like to say balance 

is arguably the most vital athletic trait. Most of the time when you watch 

a video of physical prowess that wows extremely skilled balance is 

involved (look for it next time). 

PRACTICE FOR PERFECTION 

The fourth step is developing your practice. As you begin to get more and more 

comfortable you will begin to move more freely. Also your kinesthetic vocabulary 

will increase, meaning you will have more tools in your toolbox to use. 

OPEN YOUR MIND 

My ultimate goal for my students and readers is that they would see the 

world and movement differently. When I go for a hike, I will inevitably come 

across a tree or two that just draws me in and invites me to play and climb. 

You probably did the same thing when you were a child. I want that outlook 

on life for you as an adult. Why not? Sooner than later you won’t even think 

about whether you should or should not climb this tree or that tree anymore. 

You will just do it because you enjoy it and it challenges you while it frees 

you. The best way to develop this is to spend more and more time playing 

in trees. I have a favorite tree, which provides loads of variety in climbing, 

vaulting, balancing, hanging, swinging, jumping, and brachiating (I worked 

up a sweat just thinking about all that physical fun). 

Your kinesthetic 

vocabulary will 

increase, meaning 

you will have 

more tools in your 

toolbox to use 

GO APE! 

Find a tree that you fall in love 

with, and then the others will 

become more inviting too. So 

go out and start climbing and 

playing in trees today! You will 

get strong as an ape and feel 

young as a kid! 

Article by Mark Smith 

WEBSITE: http://www.AsylumFitness.com 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/asylumfitnessnc 

INSTAGRAM: Instagram @coachmarkaf 

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZKSRBHr9LIkxD_vX2ij2g 



THE LUMBERJACK’S 

WORKOUT 

A CELEBRATION OF STRENGTH! 

RESIST MODERNIZATION GET BACK TO BASICS 

THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAY! 

Origins! 

In popular culture, the stereotypical 

lumberjack is a strong, burly, 

usually bearded man who lives 

life to brave the natural environment. 

He works by cutting down 

trees with either an axe or with 

the help of another lumberjack, 

a crosscut saw, as opposed to the 

modern chainsaw. 

Being a lumberjack was seasonal 

work. Lumberjacks were exclusively 

men. Due to its historical 

ties, the term lumberjack has become 

ingrained in popular culture 

through folklore, mass media 

and spectator sports. The actual 

work of a Lumberjack was difficult, 

dangerous, intermittent, low 

paying, and primitive in living 

conditions, but the men built a 

traditional culture that celebrated 

strength, masculinity, confrontation 

with danger, and resistance 

to modernization. 

THE LUMBERJACK TOURNAMENT 

There are also Lumberjack shows 

which tour the United States, 

demonstrating these old time 

lumber practices to the general 

public. The Lumberjack World 

Championships have been held 

annually in Hayward, Wisconsin, 

since 1960. Over twelve thousand 

visitors come to this small 

northern Wisconsin town each 

year in late July to watch men and 

women compete in 21 different 

events this includes log rolling, 

chopping, timed hot (power) saw 

and crosscut saw cutting there is 

also pole climbing 

The actual work 

of a Lumberjack 

was difficult, 

dangerous, 

intermittent, 

low paying, and 

primitive in 

living 

conditions. 



WORK YOUR CARDIO AND CORE WITH AXE TRAINING 

Chopping firewood is probably one of the most masculine activities you can think 

of, outdoors chopping wood with a powerful swing of your axe. Unfortunately, this 

masculine physical exertion has become less prominent because of other heating 

sources such as gas fireplaces and compressed logs for the fireplace. Many people 

think that you mainly use your arm muscles with chopping wood, but this is not 

entirely true. With chopping wood you burn a lot of calories and it’s much more a 

cardio and core training. 

Method 

1. Grip the Axe with both hands at the bottom of the shaft and stand a bit 

back from the chopping block. 

2. Centre yourself and bring the axe directly overhead, then explosively you 

strike the axe down with two hands, through the midline of your body, and 

split the firewood with a powerful slam in half. 

3. Do this exercise for ten minutes. 

The log-bell 

POWER-SNATCH. 

Homemade equipment 

The two log-bells were made by 

myself; I would saw from one-trunk 

into two equal parts, so that the 

weight and thickness are the same. 

They are half a metre long and have 

a circumference of one metre. With 

a long wood drill I drilled holes 

through and through, at the place 

where the handle should come. The 

handles are made of thick rope; 

I have put the rope into the holes 

and placed a knot at the end. (In the 

centre I placed a piece of PVC pipe). 

For a concise way to build these log 

bells please reference my article in 

Issue 1 of UnconventionalAthletes.com 

Method 

1. Grab the log-bell with both 

hands on the PVC pipe in the 

centre of the rope handle. 

2. Put your feet wide enough so 

that the log-bell fits between 

your legs. 

3. In an explosive move, pull 

the log-bell over your head to 

the back of your shoulders. 

4. From the movement 

mentioned above explosively 

pull the log overhead back 

and swing it through your 

legs. 

5. Keep your back flat as you 

slow down the log and repeat 

the movement ten times. 

6. You can do this exercise in 

four sets of ten reps. 



In popular culture, 

the stereotypical 

lumberjack is 

a strong, burly, 

usually bearded 

man who lives 

life to brave 

the natural 

environment. 

Log-bell lunges. 

Method 

1. Stand between the two log-bells and drop through to the squat 

position 

2. Grab the handles of the log-bells and go stand up straight. 

3. The structure for this exercise is an upright position with the feet 

close together. 

4. One leg moves to the front in such a way that the lower leg makes an 

angle of 90 degrees with the ground. Lower the rear leg until the knee 

nearly touches the ground. 

5. Get the front leg back so that the initial position is reached again, then 

put the other leg forward and continue with the exercise. 

6. The muscles that are trained by the lunge are the quadriceps, 

hamstrings and glutes. 

7. (Do 4 sets of 10 repetitions) 

The frame saw exercise. 

For this exercise I have made the rack myself from thick 

branches, this is where the tree-trunk comes in-between. I 

use an old frame saw for this exercise instead of a chainsaw. 

With this exercise you mainly use your back and arm 

muscles, but it is also a great cardio exercise. 

Method 

1. While you’re sawing you keep your abs tighten. 

2. Your front leg is nearest to the trunk and is slightly 

bent; with your back leg brace yourself. 

3. Keep your back straight and take the saw frame in 

one hand, and with your other hand you will hold 

the trunk. 

4. Breathe in as you pull the saw towards you; exhale 

when you push the saw forward until the arm is 

stretched out again. 

5. Do twenty-saw movements each arm, until you’ve 

sawn through the trunk. If you change your arm, after 

twenty-saw movements, then you must also change 

the position of your legs. 



The tree trunk bench press. 

I use a tree trunk as weight; there are no handles so it’s more difficult to 

keep the weight under control. The stabilizer muscles in your chest have 

to work hard in order to keep the tree trunk under control. The tree trunk 

bench press is an upper body exercise. When performing this exercise, you 

lie with your back flat on the bench, and then lower the weight to chest 

level, and then push it back up until the arms are straight. The exercise focuses 

on the development of the pectorals major muscle as well as other 

supporting muscles including anterior deltoids, trapezius, and the triceps. 

(Do 4 sets of 15 repetitions) 

The tree trunk Caber Tossing. 

The caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic 

event in which competitors toss a large tapered 

pole called a “caber”. It is normally practised at 

the Scottish Highland Games. In Scotland the 

caber is usually made from a Larch tree and 

is typically 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m) tall and 

weighs 175 pounds (79 kg). The term ‘caber’ 

derives from the Gaelic word “Caber” or 

“Kaber” which refers to a wooden beam. The 

person tossing the caber is called a “Tosser” or 

a “thrower”. 

I myself use a tree trunk instead of a long pole 

(Cabar) 

Method 

1. Place the trunk upright and let it rest 

against your shoulder and neck. 

2. Now sink into the squat position; your 

hands need to slide down. With cupped 

hands go under the round bottom and 

from the squat you go upright. 

3. Keep the trunk upright in balance, this is 

no easy task. 

4. Walk a few steps forward and from a 

slightly bent position straighten yourself 

out and toss the trunk vigorously away 

from you, so the top first touches the 

ground and flips over in the twelve o’clock 

position. 

Article by cover Athlete, Henk Bakker 

Website: http://unconventional-training.nl 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553936311344546/?fref=ts 



PULL FOR PERFECTION 

A PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND INTRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL EQUIPMENT 

THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE IRON GRIP 

NO MORE SLITHER ON THE PULL UP! GRIP RIGHT, GRIP EASY! 

UNCONVENTIONAL=FUNCTIONAL 

Do you do a lot of pulling in your training? To be truly strong pulling is a must! Are you always using standard handles and bars 

for your pulling? If you are you are missing out on a whole new world of results. Using methods that make your pulls more grip 

dependent is very functional AKA real world AKA Unconventional. 

UNCONVENTIONAL IMPLEMENTS AND ADJUSTMENTS FOR GRIP DEPENDANT EXERCISES 

Most of the time when people want to make an exercise grip dependent the first thing that they do is make the implement 

thicker. You can use a thick bar, or those slip on thick grip devices to make the diameter a true challenge. Up the intensity on 

Deadlift, Rows, Pull/Chin-Ups or any other pull. 

In the above pictures I am using a device called Grip 4orce (TM), which I ordered on Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/ no 

plug intended it’s just that these devices add to the difficulty and you’ve got it, rapidly improve grip! 

GRIP THICK! 

Then there are thick ropes for pull/chin-ups, 

rope climbing, recline rowing, etc. The ones I 

use for most things are 1.5 inches thickness, but 

occasionally I will use my 2-inch rope. Heck you 

could even do the strongman thing and pull a car 

or heavy sled with a thick rope. 



THE EAGLE LOOPS AN 

UNCONVENTIONAL EQUIPMENT 

ADDITION 

Another way to make different pulls more grip 

intensive is to use Ironmind (TM) Eagle Loops 

(available at http://www.ironmind-store.com/). 

These are straps that wrap around any bar that 

have four small finger loops. The trainee can use 

four, three, or two fingers. If you make it to one 

finger all I can say is WOW! 

EXERCISE CAUTION! 

Make sure to take the time to work up to extreme performance as these can 

take a toll on your tendons/ligaments. SO BE CAREFUL! 

FINGER POWER WITH ROCK RINGS! 

Metolius (TM) Rock Rings (also available on Amazon.com https://www. 

amazon.com/) are a great way to enhance you grip and finger strength. All 

sorts of options are available from the easy over the top all the way to the 

fingertip position. 

I Normally start with 4 fingers over the top of the Rock rings then progress 

to 3 then 2 fingers! 

MAKE YOUR OWN GRIP STRONG 

SPAGHETTI! 

Now where the above required you to order special 

equipment, here is a fantastic way to make a super 

intensive grip device. At the local market or hardware 

store purchase some clotheslines string and cut it 

into small sections. Loop a bundle of strings (it will 

look similar to spaghetti ;-) ) over a bar and perform 

pull-ups. As you get stronger remove one or two 

strands. This is a killer way to progress for as you 

remove strands you have to squeeze tighter and 

tighter to hold onto the remaining strands. This will 

build immense crushing & holding power. 

These are the GO TO methods I use to work my grip 

while pulling. By no means is this comprehensive, 

but starting with these will have you feeling like 

a BEAST! 

Imagination is your limit, which means NO LIMITS! 

Article by James Smith 

Check out the Animal Ability Facebook Group: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/107331742747208/ 

Don’t forget to like the Animal Ability Facebook Page: 

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAbility 



Henkules unconventional 

Construction! 

How to construct a Lumber-LOg. 

If you’re a bit handy, then it’s 

easy to make this Lumber-log. 

You don’t need much to make 

one, with a solid trunk and 

some rope you can get a real 

handy piece of Unconventional 

Training kit!! Free!! 

(this Lumber-log weighs about 

20kg) 

What materials do YOU need TO make a Lumber-log; 

- a handsaw or chainsaw 

- a long sturdy rope 

- and a thick tree trunk 

1. Use the Handsaw to saw 

the log into the right size 

which is to your preference 

this is dependant on the 

circumference of the trunk 

and the weight you want 

to lift.The handsaw is used 

to provide another heavy 

exercise. 

2. Saw with each arm this is 

to ensure you get a good 

workout the Unconventional 

way! When the log is cut the right size for your needs tie the rope around the 

log (see image). 

3. The rope is divided into three long pieces at least 3meters per piece, one rope 

for around the log and the other rope to tie in the longitudinal of the log and 

another to go underneath along the length and over the top of the log this will 

eventually act as handles. 

4. With each rope connecting make a tight knot, space these equally. Follow the 

you tube link for the diamond Knot ittakes alittle pratice but is a great load 

bearingKnot! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75IRTkFpCI 

5. Leave a little slack for the last Knot this should be located top of the log in the 

middle, this is so you can fit your hands under and use as handles (see image). 

6. The “Lumber-log” is ready for action! 

. 



The Lumberlog that I have made weighs 20kg you work harder than conventional weight 

training due to its irregluar shape forcing you to use your stabilizing muscles to stay 

balanced. By training with the Lumberlog you get more power in your body 

TWO BASIC EXERCISES YOU CAN DO 

WITH THE LUMBERLOG 

THE POWER CLEAN: 

GREAT FOR LEG STRENGTH! 

4 SETS, 12 REPS 

1) LIFT THE LOG FROM THE FLOOR IN THE DEADLIFT 

POSITION 

2) PUSH YOUR BODY UNDERNEATH TO CATCH IN THE 

SQUAT POSITION. 

LOG DRAG 

4SETS, 10 REPS 

ARM STRENGTH AND CORE! 

1) ADOPT THE PUSH UP POSITION WITH THE LOG ON 

THE LEFT SIDE 

2) PULL THE LOG WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND 

UNDERNEATH YOUR BODY 

3) REPEAT WITH THE LEFT HAND 

4) ALTERNATE THE ARMS!

SPORT

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