Unconventional Athletes Issue 2

'r 0TA1 .. 11onv IlEs1sTAN(;E 

MASS 

SUIT 

=PRO SERIES = 

SPEED 

STRENGTH 

STAMINA 

POWER & AGILITY 

"I recommend the Mass Suit to anyone who takes their training seriously!" 

-Marcus Kowel 

Swedish Special Forces (Rangers) 

Sportsman of the Year" 2000, at the University of Kent, Canterbury, England. 

Master's Degree in Sports Management at Cal State Long Beach 

www.MASSSUIT.coM

CONTENTS 

12 

14 

17 

20 

26 

29 

31 

HENK BAKKER (HENKULES): INSPIRATION FOR INMATES 

BOOTCAMP BEHIND BARS! 

MELODY SCHOENFELD: MAINTAINING THE MACHINE 

AN UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO JOINT AND TENDON 

MAINTENANCE FOR POWER LIFTING 

DENNIS DE GROOT: A BASIC MACE & HEAVY TIRE COMBO 

A PRACTICAL WORKOUT FOR COMBAT SPORTS 

RIK BROWN: THE MACE MASTER 

A HARD-HEADED, PRACTICAL GUIDE TO AN AGE-OLD 

UNCONVENTIONAL TOOL 

RICHARD BLAKEWAY: PERFECTING THE STREET HANDSTAND 

THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BALANCING STRENGTH AND SKILL 

AL KAVADLO: PLATEAUED WITH CALISTHENICS? 

STRENGTH AND GROWTH TECHNIQUES FOR GETTING OUT OF LIMBO! 

SIMON ATA (SIMONSTER): DYNAMIC MOVEMENT 

AN AWESOME GUIDE ON HOW TO GET THAT FLARE! 

35 

40 

42 

44 

MATT BETZOLD: SMASHING HIS WAY TO THE TOP 

AN AWE-INSPIRING INTERVIEW WITH THE ONE-LEGGED LEGACY FIGHTER 

STEPHEN SANTANGELO: UNCONVENTIONAL SPRINT SCIENCE 

LEARN A GREAT UNCONVENTIONAL RECIPE FOR GETTING FAST AND 

EXPLOSIVE LEG POWER 

ADONIS APACHE: TOTAL DIP DESTRUCTION 

DYNAMITE DIPS - FROM FUNDAMENTAL TO EXCEPTIONAL 

HENKULES: UNCONVENTIONAL CONSTRUCTION 

MAKE YOUR OWN ATLAS STONE!

www.unconventionalathletes.com 

INTRODUCTION 

COVER ATHLETE: Simon Ata, SIMONSTER! 

ISSUE 2 - Volume 1 

UNCONVENTIONAL ATHLETES MAGAZINE 

Editor 

Nigel John 

Contributors: 

Dennis De Groot 

Melody Schoenfeld 

Rik Brown 

Henk Bakker 

Richard Blakeway 

Al Kavadlo 

Assistant Editor 

Henk Bakker 

Stephen Santangelo 

Simon Ata (Simonster) 

Adonis Apache 

Matt Betzold 

Henkules 

Published by: Unconventionalathletes.com 

ENQUIRIES: Unconventionalfit@outlook.com 

Facebook: /UnconventionalAthletes 

Facebook Group: /groups/Highoctanetraining/ 

Disclaimer: 

Unconventionalathletes.com is a publication/magazine 

that 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/written about, or shown in 

pictures/videos. Unconventionalathletes.com makes no 

warranty, guarantee or representation regarding the use 

or purchase of services that are in the United Kingdom 

or elsewhere. It is mandatory that you discuss with a 

healthcare professional; your physical health before 

attempting the techniques/exercises and equipment 

featured and discussed both literally and visually in this 

magazine. Unconventionalathletes.com 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 

Unconventionalathletes.com or its partners, contributors 

or anybody featured in this publication for any harm or 

injury that may result from your participation. 

Welcome to Issue 2 - Volume 1 of 

Unconventional Athletes. This issue is 

geared up with Mace Training from 

multiple Unconventional Athletes, a 

professional MMA fighter with only one 

leg (who is beating people who have 

both legs), Calisthenic experts and also 

Break-dancing tricks from a world class 

athlete, plus a whole lot more. You will 

learn from true EXPERIENCE, enjoy the 

read!! 

This magazine is designed for people 

who think outside the box when it 

comes to fitness training. I mean, times 

change and we evolve! Long ago, 

everybody believed that the earth was 

flat and not round, and anybody that 

objected to this train of thinking was 

belittled. It turned out that the minority 

were right! So I invite you to have an 

open mind, as ‘conventional' is not 

always practical. This magazine will 

help you move forward, evolving your 

fitness and skills to the next level. I can 

almost guarantee you will learn some 

very cool skills and training methods; 

most of which you would've never 

heard of. The world is becoming a more 

volatile place and walking the streets 

with a confident and positive mind-set 

will make an aggressor less likely to be 

drawn to you. If you have a lack of 

confidence in your strength and ability, 

then it will be shown in your posture, 

body language, and even 

subconsciously from the pheromones 

produced in your sweat. They can smell 

your fear! 

If you want fast results and to be at the 

top of your game, then this is the 

magazine to help you evolve and be 

confident. This magazine, and the 

others to follow are dedicated to 

bringing you many years of practical 

experience from experts in the 

unconventional training community. 

The guys who write for this magazine 

have a fountain of knowledge. They 

have not merely just done a short 

course on unconventional training; they 

have lived it, breathed it, practiced and 

perfected the art for many years. As 

Albert Einstein would say: "All 

knowledge is experience", and let’s be 

honest - Albert knew his stuff. 

There‘s a chance you’ve come here 

because you’re bored of the gym, and are 

paying lots of money on a membership - 

only to fail to get the functional, agile 

and strong body that you desire. You’re 

seeing dudes on the internet doing 

crazy, cool stuff, and you want to be able 

to do that too! You want something 

different and to experience training 

methods that are not only going to get 

your body in good shape, but your mind 

as well. We’ll teach you to use nature as 

your playground and make/explore 

alternative equipment that will enhance 

you to levels - that you never thought 

possible! You will learn to train in all 

weather, so there is never an excuse. 

Nature is an unconventional athlete’s 

greatest tool! So, if you are an 

unconventional newbie, don’t worry we 

are here to help! 

We don’t do things the ‘conventional’ 

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

and we don’t spend all our time at the 

gym. Training at home or being outside 

with nature is where it’s at. No grunts 

from the big guys down the gym, no 

judgement from others - just you, your 

bodyweight and unconventional training 

equipment. Giving you the edge! The 

world is changing fast, and I for one 

know that being fit and strong enough 

to protect your family is not optional, 

and preparation for this should be part 

of your routine! Learn from the best, add 

to your existing skill set, and reap all the 

knowledge from our athletes to improve 

yourself beyond what you thought 

possible! 

Unconventionalathletes.com is growing 

fast, if you feel that you have some ideas 

to share and think you fit the criteria for 

the magazine - please contact us at 

unconventionalfit@outlook.com. If you 

want to plug your own unconventional 

training gym, then let us know.

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, using a more pragmatic 

approach; making unconventional = 

functional. Fitness should be a natural part of 

life and not a chore, and he strongly believes 

in experience being the key to success. 

Everyone who features in this magazine has 

been vetted for their skill set, bringing 

together former Special Forces, calisthenics 

experts, strength experts, fighters and 

policemen etc. The athletes have effective, 

unconventional training knowledge formed 

from many years of experience. They have not 

just done a short course on the subject, they 

have truly experienced the training and 

results first-hand. Nigel has created his own 

system called high octane training, which has 

been developed over a number of years. It is 

designed to evolve your fitness to an elite 

level in a very short space of time with 

multiple applications. Nigel is 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’s 

sponsored by Mass Suit and runs the Facebook 

page ‘Unconventional Athletes’; uniting 

athletes all over the world, who then share 

their knowledge to those who want to get 

involved in our methods. This allows 

unconventional athletes to get recognition for 

what they do. The magazine is dedicated to 

helping people gain an insight into 

unconventional training equipment; 

suggesting cheaper or homemade alternatives. 

This way you don’t get ripped off with 

gimmicky, useless equipment that your 

personal trainer endorses just to earn a quick 

buck! Don’t stay in the box, read on, reap the 

knowledge and evolve. The one-eyed man is 

King in the valley of the blind! 

Anyone wishing to add to the magazine, either 

for an article or to advertise - then contact 

Nigel at unconventionalfit@outlook.com

CONTRIBUTORS 

HENKULES 

NATIONALITY: DUTCH 

Henk is also known as Henkules to his many fans and friends. He is sponsored by Schmitt Anchors & 

Chaincables and known to most as the king of unconventional object lifting and strength training, 

with over 20 years of experience. Henk is very well respected in the unconventional training 

community. He works at the Department of Justice in a Special Response Team to ensure safety 

against dangerous detainees. Throughout his career he has utilised different forms of training such 

as combat, endurance exercises, and strength training. He now works as group leader/mentor, 

preparing detainees for their return to society. ‘I have over 20 years experience in strength training. I 

try to motivate and inspire people who want to train in an unconventional way.’ His sponsor Schmitt 

Anchors & Chaincables facilitates all of Henk's unconventional training tools. 

Most of the unconventional training tools are made by himself. 

Website: http://unconventional-training.nl 

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

RIK BROWN 

NATIONALITY: AMERICAN 

Rik Brown is a Mace, Kettlebell and Club instructor who lives in Southern California. He 

operates his own workshops and certifications mainly in the USA, but is doing a European 

Tour in November 2015. 

Those interested in hosting or attending should look for details in this magazine or contact 

him on: Facebook: /Rik Brown or Instagram: @mrmaceman 

MELODY SCHOENFELD 


Melody Schoenfeld has well-over 20 years experience in the fitness industry. She is the owner 

of Flawless Fitness and Evil Munky Enterprises. She is a California state and American 

record holder in the three main lifts of powerlifting and spends a lot of time performing 

old-time strongman feats of strength, such as bending steel and tearing phone books in 

half etc. Melody has also obtained a Master’s Degree in Health Psychology and has been 

published in many magazines, newspapers, and online forums. 

http://www.flawlessfitness.com 

http://www.melodyschoenfeld.blogspot.com 

www.unconventionalathletes.com


CONTRIBUTORS 

DENNIS DE GROOT 

NATIONALITY: DUTCH 

Dennis has trained as an athlete from the age of 16 and started using traditional exercises 

with dumbbells, barbells and machines in his local gym. Around the age of 27 he found that 

training conventionally was no longer a challenge, and found that training this way was 

limiting his gains. Dennis told us: "I did not like the way I trained anymore". He found that 

the demands of family life; having children, going to work etc, were not integrating efficiently 

with conventional training methods. Unconventional Training was the solution to his problems! 

By utilizing unconventional tools and the unconventional protocols, he has been able to 

adapt his lifestyle and progress into a fully-functional athlete. "I have a better looking body 

than when I was 27 and much more power, flexibility and conditioning since training with 

unconventional methods". 

From starting solo; Dennis has been able to gather a following, and teaches his methods to 

small groups. Dennis is also a certified AALO kettlebell instructor 

Owner of D-Sports: unconventional training 

Website: www.unconventional-training.nl | www.d-sports.nl 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dsportsnl 

Skill set: Calisthenics and hand-balancing. 

NAME: RICHARD BLAKEWAY 

NATIONALITY: BRITISH 

Richard has managed to master some very hard, and what some would consider dangerous 

moves in calisthenics. With his own unconventional training methods, determination and 

methodology he is able to get rapid, effective results. His hard work ethic and skills are 

testament to that, he is very well respected within the calisthenics community around the 

globe. Gravity and his bodyweight are his only training tools! 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/richardblakeway 

Instagram: @RICHARD_BLAKEWAY 

Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/RichardBlakeway

CONTRIBUTORS 

AL KAVADLO 


Al Kavadlo is one of the world’s leading experts in bodyweight strength training and calisthenics. 

Al has been featured in The New York Times and is a regular contributor to Bodybuilding.com 

and TRAIN magazine. The author of five books, including Zen Mind, Strong Body and Pushing The 

Limits! Al Kavadlo is also known for his appearance in the popular Convict Conditioning book 

series. As lead-instructor for the Progressive Calisthenics Certification (PCC), Al gets to bring 

his unique coaching style to fitness trainers and enthusiasts around the globe. 

Blog: http://www.AlKavadlo.com 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlKavadlo 

Instagram: @al_kavadlo 

Simon Ata (SiMONSTER) 

NATIONALITY: AUSTRALIAN 

Simon's first video of mind-blowing bodyweight strength feats achieved one million youtube 

views, in just two weeks. With a background in break-dancing, Simonster has made a name for 

himself as one of the top power-movers and bodyweight strength athletes on the planet. 

He has performed and judged internationally and works as a physiotherapist when he is not 

performing. He is sponsored by 2xu (http://www.2xu.com) clothing company. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonster90?fref=ts 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18qIKKOXPF-TVlEFFi_vXQ 

MATT BETZOLD 


Matt is a professional MMA fighter who has just one leg, but has adapted to the sport to 

become a very dangerous opponent to any weight division. He has a professional grappling 

record of 172-32, an Ammy record of 4-1 and a pro record of 6-5. Matt is also a 2X World 

Champion gold medalist in FILA grappling, 3x silver medalist in FILA grappling, 4x Grappler's 

Quest advanced champion, 1x Silver medalist in the Pan Am Games in grappling and 27x 

Desert Quest champion. He was the first World Fighting Federation champion and held that for 

3 years. He is currently signed by http://www.legacyfights.net which is a feeder for the UFC. 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/matt.betzold.5?fref=ts


CONTRIBUTORS 

STEPHEN R SANTANGELO 


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 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 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 and first 

responders - 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 he participates in Old Time Strongman lifts, where he 

currently holds 7 national records in the United States All-round Strength Association. 

• 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 

• 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 

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

ADONIS APACHE 

NATIONALITY: GREEK 

Antonis Arachovitis has studied Physical Education and Sport Science in the University of 

Athens, Greece and has a MSc. in Sport Management. Starting from an early age, he has been 

into sport and athletics. He has been a competitive water–ski athlete until the age of 18 with 

many distinctions. During the last 3 years he has been practicing calisthenics and is one of the 

most promising calisthenics athletes in Greece. He is currently living in Athens, Greece, 

working as a personal trainer with a vision to get as many people involved in physical activity; 

to help them become stronger to live a better life. 

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/apache237/

Then it was time. The detainees were 

slowly trickling in and when they signed 

up, they received a bootcamp T-shirt, 

making them easier to distinguish from 

the other detainees (who were 

spectators). I had a group of 9 

participants who were going to compete 

and they were all really eager to begin. 

Not one of the detainees had done such 

a thing before, and their only 

experience with training - was done in 

the gym. 

We began with a kind of workshop, 

where I explained every part of the 

bootcamp's track. Then, after they had 

practiced a few times; I let them carry 

out the whole track individually, but 

without recording the time it took. 

Lastly, I had planned a contest where 

each participant had to complete the 

circuit as fast as possible, and their time 

was recorded by the bootcamp referees. 

THE WARM-UP (10 minutes) 

I started the bootcamp with a 10 

minute warm-up to prepare the 

detainees for the mental and physical 

chore that followed. 

THE LOG-LIFT (the first part) 

After warming up, I started by 

explaining the first component; 

"the log-lift". With the log-lift, it's 

intended that the participants lift the 

tree trunk from the ground, up to above 

the head. After I showed them the 

correct technique, the participants 

practiced a couple of times to get a feel 

for the exercises. The detainees told me 

that exercise was far more difficult than 

they had expected; especially the 

required positioning of the hands while 

controlling the odd-shape of this 

weight. However, they thought it was a 

great experience to lift logs above their 

head. 

THE FARMER'S WALK (the second part) 

The next part of the bootcamp was the 

farmer's walk, which is basically walking 

with a heavy weight in each hand. I used 

two heavy trunks with handles for this 

exercise. I put the cones 20 meters away 

from each other, and each participant 

had to run two laps around the cones 

with a trunk in each hand. I also 

explained this exercise in detail, and it 

was practiced by each participant. 

THE TIRE-PULL (third part) 

I had a long rope (25 meters) attached 

to a small-sized tractor tire and I 

had tightened the tire with a tree 

stump of 37 kilos. The participants 

had to pull the tractor tire until the 

tire touched their feet. It was a 

tough exercise for the detainees 

because of the friction of the tractor 

tire against the asphalt. With the tirepull 

you have different techniques; 

you can either use the strength from 

your legs, or use the strength from 

your upper body and arms. The final 

technique is to make use of the 

whole body, with the arms and legs 

working in unison. 

ANCHOR-CARRYING (the fourth part) 

For the anchor-carry, I used an 

anchor weighing 50 kilos. The 

participants had to carry the anchor 

in the crook of their arms, and then 

walk around the cone and back. The 

distance to the cone was 20 meters. 

For some of the contenders the 

anchor was very hard to carry, but 

they didn't give up. 

THE ATLAS-STONE (the fifth part) 

I had this stone made specifically 

for this bootcamp, not too heavy, but 

heavy enough for the detainees. They 

had to lift the stone from the ground 

up and put it on the barrel. 

THE WHEEL-FLIP (the sixth part) 

For the wheel-flip you use your 

whole-body. I showed the detainees 

the right technique and then they 

were able to practice. For most of the 

participants, the wheel-flip was a big 

challenge to flip such a huge tire 

several times! I had put the cone at 

a distance of 20 meters again and 

they had to rotate the tire until it had 

passed the cone. 

Then it was time for the finals of the 

bootcamp. The participants were 

strained, the mood was right, and so it 

was time to begin. During the finals, the 

participants gave everything they had, 

and encouraged each other - which was 

great to see. Now it was on timemeasurement 

and the one with the 

fastest time was the winner of the boot 

camp. When each participant had taken 

to the track and staggered over the 

finish line completely exhausted, it was 

time for the referees to check their time. 

I had a prize for each participant, they 

all got a sports bottle, certificate and a 

small edition of the sports magazine; 

Unconventional Athletes. For the 

winners of the boot camp, the first, 

second and third place received a medal. 

When I announced the winner, he was 

so happy that he jumped up and 

grabbed me around my neck out of 

sheer happiness. The rest of the day he 

had a big smile on his face. 

The bootcamp behind bars was 

very successful, I received many 

compliments from both management 

and the detainees. For me, it was a 

once in a lifetime experience that I 

will never forget. I also want to thank 

the people who helped me, and made 

it possible for this to happen.

MELODY 

SCHOENFELD 

MAINTAINING THE 

MACHINE! 

AN UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO TENDON 

AND JOINT MAINTENANCE WHEN POWER LIFTING! 

Maintaining superior strength can leave 

you open to injury and one false move 

can put you out of the game. Melody 

tells us how to stay ON TOP and 

minimize the threat. Injuries suck! 

AIM: 

As a competitive power-lifter, I train 

in the sagittal plane a lot and 

squats, deadlifts and bench press 

dominate my training. It is 

imperative that I keep my joints 

healthy and strengthen my muscles 

through different angles and ranges of 

motion, which helps to prevent injury 

and sustains my strength; enabling me 

to operate movements correctly without 

hindering performance in a safe, 

methodical manner. We all know injuries 

suck and how quickly we can lose our 

performance. My basic methods below 

will minimize the risk the best it can: 

MY TOOLS OF CHOICE: 

I employ such tools as the Mace 

(Gada), Bulgarian Bag, and Clubs. 

MY BASIC NON-LINEAR 

MOVEMENT METHODS: 

Bulgarian bag spins: Gada swings, and 

club-swinging provide what I can only 

describe; as overhead rotational 

strength. I find that these movements 

compliment my lifts very nicely. 

BULGARIAN BAG = IMPROVED RANGE OF MOTION 

IN INDIAN AKARAS (TRAINING 

GROUNDS FOR WRESTLERS), 

THE MAIN MOVEMENT 

PERFORMED WITH THE 

GADA IS THE 10-2 SWING" 

METHOD: 

1) To perform a basic Bulgarian Bag 

spin, grab the bag by the pointed, main 

handles (NOT the straps—leave those 

alone for this movement!).


SUMMARY: 

Try to do all of these movements smoothly and 

without stopping. Bulgarian bag spins are generally 

done quickly, with momentum driving the rotation of 

the bag. Several sets of 10-20 spins in each direction. 

MACE MODUS OPERANDI! 

In Indian Akaras (training grounds for wrestlers), the 

main movement performed with the Gada is the 

10-2 swing. 

2) If you are spinning the bag to the left, bring your 

right arm across the front of your body and around 

the left side of your head (your left arm will follow, 

but you’ll want to lead with the right. Otherwise, your 

arms will get tangled.). 

1) Begin with your hands placed very close to each 

other on the handle of 

the mace (like the way 

you might hold a baseball 

bat). Your hands should 

be relatively relaxed, and 

use just enough of a grip 

to maintain hold of the 

mace without it slipping. 

2) Start with your hands 

right in front of your 

stomach or lower chest, 

with the mace very 

close to your body and 

the head of the mace 

pointing straight up. 

3) The bag should now be behind your upper back, 

and your elbows will be bent. Now your left arm will 

start leading, to bring the bag around the right side 

of your head, and the bag will finish down in front of 

you. You will have essentially made a large circle 

around yourself with the bag. 

4) REPS AND SETS: I will generally do these in several 

sets of 10-20 spins - in each direction. 

3) Choke up on the handle if the mace is too heavy for 

you—as you gain strength, you can move your hands 

down the handle more. Drop the mace over one shoulder. 

Again, you want the mace to be very close to your body. 

Swing the mace behind you over to your other shoulder, 

and then pull it over your shoulder so that it “floats” in 

the 10-o-clock position (about a 45 degree angle).

4) Drop it back over the 

shoulder you just pulled it 

from, and swing it behind 

you to the other side, 

floating it at the 2-o-clock 

position. 

3) Now try both arms at the 

same time for roughly 20-30 

repetitions in each direction. 

5) Keep repeating these swings over each shoulder. 

6) REPS AND SETS: You can try doing this for time 

(a 10 minute sessions of 10-2 swings should leave 

you pretty toasty), or you can do it for whatever 

rep scheme works best for you. Try doing half your 

repetitions with your hand-position switched! 

GOLIATH GRIP!!! 

I also supplement my training with a large amount 

of steel bending, phone book tearing, and 

other strongman feats of strength, which have 

given me huge grip training advantage, and has 

helped train my body at angles unlike anything else 

ever has. 

INDIAN CLUB CIRCLE 

A very simple light club movement is a simple arm 

circle. 

1) Grab your clubs so that your pinkies are wrapped 

around the ball ends of the club handles. 

Conclusion 

While the "Three Big 

Lifts" are the heart and 

soul of my training, 

assistance-work at odd 

angles can do amazing 

things for large, sagittal 

lifts. If nothing else, it's 

a lot of fun, helps to 

prevent injury and 

ensures that your range 

of motion gives you 

strong assistance during 

a lift. Don’t just be 

strong, become 

STRONGER! 

Article by Melody Schoenfeld. 

You can contact Melody at the following websites! 

http://www.flawlessfitness.com 

http://www.melodyschoenfeld.blogspot.com 

2) Swing the clubs in a large, vertical circle. I generally 

do this one arm at a time for 20-30 repetitions in 

each direction. 

I also supplement my training with a 

large amount of steel bending and 

phone book tearing


COMBINATION 

TRAINING OF MACE 

AND HEAVY TIRE. 

THE ALL-ROUNDER COMBO: UNCONVENTIONAL 

MUSCULAR CONDITIONING - MAINTENANCE CIRCUIT 

HISTORY OF THE MACE 

The heavy mace or Gada 

was the weapon of choice 

of Hindu soldiers in 

medieval middle ages. 

The warriors often did 

some strength-based 

mace training. The 

warriors, however, trained 

with a heavier version of 

the original mace, usually 

made with a bamboo stick 

and a heavy stone at one 

end. They trained their 

backs, chests, shoulders, 

forearms, and fingers. 

PROCESS TO PROGRESS: 4 BASIC UNONVENTIONAL 

METHODS TO GET YOU STARTED: 

MACE FOR 

MAINTENANCE 

EXERCISE ONE: 

THE MACE 360 

THE AIM AND PRIMARY TARGETS: 

SHOULDERS, CHEST, BACK AND 

FOREARMS. 

Later, the mace was used by 

wrestlers in north India and 

southern Pakistan. 

Nowadays the mace is used 

by all kinds of people who 

wish to train in the 

unconventional way, because 

the mace is a great strength 

and conditioning tool. 

1) Begin by holding the 

mace directly in front of 

you, with your hands 

gripped closely together 

at the end of the handle. 

If this is to heavy; you 

can bring your hands 

closer to the ball. If your 

left hand is above your 

right hand, you’re going 

to push the mace ball 

over your right shoulder. 

2) The mace ball should 

swing behind your back. 

When it reaches your left 

shoulder, pull the mace 

over it so that the mace is 

once again directly in front 

of you. 

3) Repeat this for some 

reps. Switch up your hands 

so that your right hand is 

above your left, and push 

the mace ball over your 

left shoulder. Repeat this 

until your arms are on fire 

(due to lactic acid), rest for 

30 seconds and reengage, 

Do 6 sets of this.

HEAVY-TIRE SLAM 

Slamming is a great total body exercise as it works your core, chest, shoulders, back, grip-power and your upper legs. You will 

notice that your stamina will also improve. So find yourself an old tire, and get to work! 

PROCEDURE 

1) Stand the tire at shoulder height or lay it on the ground, letting the ball of the mace rest on the tire. Hold the mace 

with two hands near the end of the mace. Next hold the mace like you're about to chop some wood, placing one hand at the 

lower end and the other close to the ball of the mace. Bring the mace above your head. While you're hitting the tire, slide 

your upper hand towards the end of the mace, towards the lower hand. You can work one side for reps at a time, or you 

can do alternating slams. 

EXERCISE 2 

MACE GRAVEDIGGERS 

AIM AND PRIMARY TARGETS: 

"Nowadays the mace is 

used by all kinds of 

people who wish to 

train in the 

unconventional way, 

because the mace is a 

great strength and 

conditioning tool." 

Gravediggers are a great core and 

upper body exercise. They work 

your shoulders, lower back, waist 

and grip. This exercise requires 

good core strength, good balance 

and overall stability. Also, this is 

a great conditioning exercise. 

METHOD: 

1) Start by pointing the heavy part of 

the mace down. 

2) Place one hand at the end of the 

mace handle, your other hand will be 

a little less than an arm’s length down 

the shaft of the mace. 

3) Bring the mace down and back 

towards the opposite side of your 

body to the lower arm. Push down on 

the back arm and pull up on the front 

arm to raise the mace above your 

head, pretend like you’re digging a 

hole in the ground with the mace ball.


EXERCISE 3: 

TIRE FLIPS 

AIM AND PRIMARY TARGETS: 

Tire flips are a total-body exercise; it 

works your legs, core, arms and 

shoulders. It requires overall strength 

and good conditioning. If you flip 

the tire once it is good for power 

but if you flip it as fast as possible 

for reps, then you will work on your 

conditioning and strength. 

1) Begin by standing with your feet a 

little wider than shoulder width. 

2) Set your fingers under the tire 

and keep your arm straight (this is to 

protect your bicep from rupturing). 

3) Go in a deep squat and keep your 

spine neutral. Keep your core and 

arms tight. Now push the tire 

diagonally upwards. If you are high 

enough you can put your knee under 

the tire, allowing you to move your 

hands in a pressing stance instead of a 

lifting stance. 

4) Keep moving in the direction where 

you can keep pushing the tire. Let it 

fall down and repeat. 

AN EFFECTIVE APPLICATION TO 

MARTIAL ARTS! 

Combine the exercises above to 

get a workout that is very 

effective for all kinds of martial 

arts. You will work on your 

strength, power, conditioning and 

shoulder mobility. Before you do this 

workout it's very important to do a 

good amount of warming-up. 

WARM UP! 

Rope skipping and a mobility routine. 

PUTTING IT TOGETHER! 

Each exercise is a station, do each station 

for 45 seconds and rest 15 seconds. Rest 1- 

2 minutes between the rounds. Do 4 rounds 

for a 25 minutes workout. 

Stations: 

360 L 

360 R 

Gravediggers L 

Gravediggers R 

Alternate tire slams 

Tire flips 

COOL THE MACHINE! 

Remember to COOL DOWN your engine! 

Let your body chill back to the norm, 

especially if this is the first time you 

have trained with these tools. A good 

stretch routine I recommend is a yoga 

flow, so you can stretch your muscles 

and slow down your heart rate. 

The above workout is a very simple but 

effective practical application to overall 

conditioning within combat sports, it can 

also serve as a general full-body 

maintenance circuit! 

Article by Dennis De Groot 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/721395477918477/?fref=ts 

Website: http://unconventional-training.nl

LEARN FROM THE PAST 

FORGE A STRONGER FUTURE 

MACE MAYHEM WITH THE MACE MASTER RIK BROWN 

THE MACE 

Today, there are people in China 

who can use an abacus faster and 

more accurately than you can use 

a calculator. There are people in 

Japan who can draw a sword 

quicker than you can draw a 

pistol. There are Bow Hunters 

who can bag more game than you 

can with a rifle. As each new 

fitness gadget rushes to get an 

infomercial, I chose to stick with 

ancient ways, even older than oldschool. 

I’m not the best in the 

world at unconventional training, 

or even close to it, but, I am 

absolutely the person who loves 

and enjoys it the most, and this 

love has lead me to discover, 

study, and promote the Mace as 

the premier tool for rotational 

strength, shoulder power and 

injury prevention, along with 

unfailing grip endurance, and 

upper back development. 

HISTORY OF THE MACE 

The Mace started as a weapon. It 

is basically a stone on the end of 

a stick. In India; the word Mace is 

Gada, and it is featured 

prominently in religious paintings 

and is still used today in their 

Kushti, or 

wrestling gyms. In Northern 

Europe, the famous Highland 

Games feature the Hammer 

Throw. These hammers are 

essentially a Mace with a flexible 

handle. The sight of kilted-giants 

throwing them for distance is 

awe-inspiring. These competitive 

games are still going on today, but 

long ago, the purpose of the 

highland games was to develop 

strength for battle, to rise in status 

in your clan, as well as; getting 

first pick for a wife. 

BENEFITS OF MACE TRAINING 

As stated earlier, the circular 

movement of the Mace is 

unparalleled for building explosive 

rational strength. You can’t build 

this kind of useful, productive 

power sitting on a bench. You have 

to MOVE. Remember, linear 

strength is only one instrument in 

the orchestra of vital strength and 

dynamic living. I can assure you; in 

athletics, and in daily life, you are 

called upon for rational movement 

far more often that linear, straight 

line motions. Think also about grip 

endurance. Grip power = crushing 

handshakes, and grip endurance = 

carrying a suitcase from your car to 

upstairs with no problem. 

With athletes, it is grip endurance 

that will give out more than grip 

power. A long set of Mace 

swinging builds the kind of grip 

that holds true till after the 4th 

quarter and beyond the last 

period. 

Mace training comes from parts of 

the world that have no words in 

their language for rotator-cuff 

injury, or carpal-tunnel syndrome. 

Their language lacks the words, 

because their bodies don’t break 

down like our over-fed and underused 

couch living bovine-like 

carcasses. 

You must demand more from your 

training than just “development’. 

You want your investment of time 

and effort to provide you with 

more than just an extra inch of 

muscle here, or an inch of fat loss 

there. That’s called bodybuilding, 

a highly subjective sport. What we 

do is called unconventional 

training, and we demand that our 

training gives us results that are 

not only visible in the mirror, but 

show up as victories on the 

athletic field, in the battles of 

daily living, and result in stronger 

hearts, lower blood pressure, and 

greater vitality.


YOU HAVE TO ASK MORE FROM 

YOUR TRAINING THAN JUST 

EXERCISE 

TIME TO GRIP IT, AND RIP IT! 

THE GRAVE DIGGER 

This movement is not what the Mace is 

conventionally used for, but we are 

unconventional, remember? Besides, this 

movement is not only a supreme warm-up; 

it is a true lung-buster when done for 60 

seconds. It’s easy to learn. If you do 

enough grave-diggers, you’ll stay out of the 

graveyard for many years. 

• Start with the head of the Mace on 

the ground and stand with your left 

foot forward about 18in/45cm in 

front of your right foot. 

• Hold the handle of the Mace with 

your right hand at the very end of 

the handle, and your left hand in the 

middle of the handle. 

• Start digging the grave: Scoop the 

Mace head up until your left hand 

is straight overhead with your arm 

straight (a motion as if you are 

shoveling dirt or snow). 

• Bring the Mace down and get another 

scoop. 

• Don’t count reps. It’s better to go 

for time. Try 30 seconds, then switch 

positions of your feet and your 

hands, and go for 30 more seconds 

with your other foot forward.

THE 10 TO 2 

When people speak of Mace training, 

this is the movement. This movement 

is still being used in competition in 

wrestling gyms (Akharas) in India 

today. If you did nothing else with a 

Mace, this movement alone would 

reward you with bulletproof shoulders 

and terrifying grip-strength unlike 

anything you have tried before. It is 

not particularly easy to learn and the 

internet is loaded with videos of pitiful 

attempts with deplorable form, that 

will surely lead to injury if copied. It 

never fails to amaze me when some 

well-meaning, would-be "Hercules" 

does a few reckless swings with a 

relatively light weight with shaky, 

uncontrolled moves and then lets out 

a victorious yell. Your goal is for 

people who watch you; to notice how 

smooth and controlled the movements 

appear and for them to not be able to 

guess the amount of weight you are 

using, because of the fluidity and 

precision of the repetitions. As a 

professional, I am not concerned with 

what I can almost do, but rather, 

what I can do smoothly, and safely 

(“suavemente” as my Spanish friends 

would say). 

TRUST ME ON THIS: 

• Start slow 

• Stand clear of people, pets, and objects 

• Never be in a rush to increase weight. 

(Correcting performance with light weight 

trumps uncontrolled, jerky attempts with a 

heavy weight) 

» Start with a comfortable stance, feet 

slightly wider than shoulder-width 

apart. Grip a light Mace with your 

hands touching one on top of the 

other, gripping around ¾ of the way 

towards the end of the handle. 

Depending on the length of the 

Mace, the head of the Mace should 

be the height of your head or higher 

when your arms are bent 

at 45 degrees. 

» Whatever hand is on top, let 

the Mace head fall behind the 

opposite shoulder. Example: 

Left hand on top, Mace head 

goes over the right shoulder. 

» Bending your arms as much 

as you can, point your elbows 

straight overhead. When your 

elbows are straight overhead, 

the head of the Mace should 

be behind you, pointed down. 

But because it is moving, it 

won’t stop there. 

» Use its movement and 

momentum to allow the 

Mace head to continue its 

trajectory up the other side of 

your body as you bring your 

elbows down in front of you. 

» When the head of the Mace 

is over your shoulder, but not 

quite straight overhead; this 

is the 10 o’clock position. 

» Let the Mace head fall back 

down and around, up to the 2 

o’clock position on the other 

side. I like to say it’s a dump, 

slide, and a pull essentially.


THE H2H 

You have to ask more from your 

training than just “exercise”. 

The H2H toss is more than just a 

workout, it develops more than just 

muscle, it develops attributes like; 

timing, balance, and the tight, loose, 

tight grip control so vital to athletics. 

• Start with the Mace head on the 

ground at your side while you 

are holding the handle. 

• Slightly squat down and slide 

your hand down the handle. 

• Grip the handle tightly and stand 

upright so that the mace head is 

completely off the floor. 

• Swing the Mace up like a 

hammer-curl, but as the Mace 

head comes to an orderly 

position in front of you, slide your 

hand by slightly loosening your 

grip and let your hand stop at 

the end of the handle where 

it meets the Mace head. 

• Toss the Mace overhead into your 

other hand. You’ll only need to 

slightly clear your head and your 

other hand should be ready to 

catch only a few inches away. 

• Once you catch the Mace, lower 

it in reverse fashion, and repeat. 

This will teach you the tight, 

loose, tight grip 

WHEN 

PEOPLE 

SPEAK 

OF MACE 

TRAINING, 

THIS IS THE 

MOVEMENT’ 

There are other moves that can be done with this wonderful training tool, and I discuss more 

in my free guidebook: “The Illustrated Guide to Mace Training”. (This guidebook is available 

upon request from the editor). 

ARTICLE BY RIK BROWN 

Those interested in hosting or attending should look for details in this magazine or contact 

him on Facebook/Rik Brown or Instagram @mrmaceman

LIGHTWEIGHT COMPACT PORTABLE 

r=111:1Jr:1.--:=i · BOOST ENDURANCE & STAMINA 

• INCREASE ENERGY LEVELS & REDUCE STRESS 

... ,. • BE MORE ALERT, FEEL BETTER & BREATHE BETTER 

• DECREASE BREATHLESSNESS DURING ACTIVITY 

.--1111111 • BECOME LEANER & MORE DURABLE 

• INCREASE YOUR THRESHOLD 

• STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM 

-- ----- • REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF HYPOXIA

GET THAT 

STATIC HOLD! 

THE STREET HANDSTAND USING HIS OWN METHOD TO PREPARE BALANCE 

STRENGTH AND MASTERY, RICHARD BLAKEWAY TALKS US THROUGH HIS RAW 

PREPARATION TO ENSURE SUCCESS! 

ONCE YOU HAVE 

ACHIEVED A SOLID, 

FREESTANDING 

HANDSTAND, FROM 

THERE, THE ENDLESS 

VARIATIONS AND 

POSSIBILITIES ARE 

LIMITLESS. 

Hi, my name Is Richard Blakeway Firstly, learning how to balance on 

and I love to handstand. I have your hands would be a great place to 

been hand-standing obsessively start. Just like how you use your toes 

for around 12 months now and and heel to balance whilst upright, you 

during that time have made some must learn to use your fingertips and 

rapid progressions. I have no the heel of your hand to do the same 

gymnastic experience or relevant whilst upside down. 

qualifications but I consider myself a 

highly skilled hand-stander. 

VERSATILITY AND VARIATION 

Handstanding is, as I will demonstrate 

in this article; the most versatile, 

rewarding and fun static hold you 

can train for. Once you have achieved 

a solid, freestanding handstand, from 

there, the endless variations and 

possibilities are limitless. 

5 SAFE METHODS TO SUCCESS 

Here are a couple of static holds 

that will help you to 

understand and internalize 

whatever actions are required to 

achieve and maintain a solid static 

hold, whilst hand-balancing without 

risk of injury or falling. 

FROG STAND 

In this guide (my guide to “street 

handstand”), I will briefly outline the 

progressions I took to achieve a solid 

handstand, and will then demonstrate 

some of the presses and tricks I have 

used whilst on my hand-standing 

journey. 

HELPING HANDS 

Along with trial and error, there are 

many techniques you can utilize to 

safely learn the handstand, without 

risk of serious Injury. 

1) Place your hands on the floor, 

shoulder-width apart. 

2) Place your knees on the outside of 

the elbows and lift your feet off the 

floor. 

3) If you begin to tip forward press 

your fingertips hard into the ground.


TUCK PLANCHE 

WALL SUPPORTED HANDSTAND 

glutes, your abdominals and point 

your toes towards the ceiling. Press 

into the ground as hard as you can 

whilst continually making 

adjustments with your fingertips 

and the heel of your hands to 

correct any imbalances. 

1) Adopt the same position as the 

frogstand above, but this time 

place your knees inside your arms. 

2) Lift your feet off the ground and 

hold. 

TRIPOD STAND 

The Tripod stand, a great place to 

start learning how to manage your 

body-weight whilst upside down 

safely. 

1) Form a tripod on the floor, with 

your two hands, shoulder-width 

apart, and your head, In front. 

2) Now either gently kick up and 

hold or if you have the core 

strength; lift your legs off the floor 

and press up slowly. 

The most obvious one being the 

wall-supported handstand. 

1) Face the wall, place hands on the 

floor shoulder-width apart (no more 

than 12 inches from the wall), and 

kick up. 

2) Once up, gently pull one leg away 

from the wall so your foot is in-line 

with your hand, and then, once 

stable, bring the remaining foot out 

too. Try to balance for short periods 

of time before allowing your heels 

to rest back on the wall. 

3) Repeat, repeat and repeat! 

4) Once you are stable and 

feel confident performing wallsupported 

handstands I would 

suggest you try wall-supported 

handstand push-ups. This will 

rapidly increase strength in the 

relevant muscle groups for eventual 

freestanding handstands. 

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS 

ENTRY VARIATIONS 

Before I was able to hold a 

freestanding handstand I spent a 

few months learning many of the 

entry-variations. I firmly believe as 

I was trying to press, kick and 

throw myself into handstands; 

from all kinds of angles and with 

varying levels of momentum, I 

rapidly developed relevant 

strength and a deeper 

understanding in how to control 

my body during entry into, and the 

transition into a handstand hold. 

Below, Is the link to a video in 

which I demonstrate a few of my 

favourite entries into handstands, 

try to learn as many of them as you 

can. 

ELBOW STAND 

1) Place your elbows on the floor, 

underneath your shoulders 

2) Now place your forearms and 

hands on the floor In front of you, 

shoulder-width apart. 

3) Gently kick up, and hold. 

All of the drills and progressions 

outlined earlier will help you on 

the road to handstand, but by far 

the best and most effective way to 

learn to handstand is to handstand. 

Simply place your hands on the 

floor, shoulder width apart, 

kick your legs Into the air and try to 

hold and find your balancing point. 

Try to keep your body-weight 

distributed evenly above your 

centre of gravity, which would be 

your hands. Try to engage your 

https://www.youtube.com/ 

watch?v=404On8wuJsw 

HANDSTAND TRICKS 

Once you have a solid freestanding 

handstand and can do freestanding 

handstand push-ups for reps, then 

the real fun can begin. There are so 

many entries, exits, tricks and 

transitions to learn you can quickly 

develop your own style and begin 

to express yourself in limitless 

ways through handstands.

Some, are much more difficult to learn 

than others, but I find the ones were 

harder to learn, were the ones that gave 

me the most satisfaction, as is life. 

Below is a link to a video in which I 

demonstrate a few of my favourite 

handstand tricks that I've learned whilst 

on my handstanding journey. I hope this 

article can help you in some small way. 

Train safe. 

https://www.youtube.com/ 

watch?v=cfBZYbyYopo 

Before I was able to hold a freestanding 

handstand I spent a few months learning 

many of the entry-variations. 

Article by Richard Blakeway 

For any tips/help with training, contact Richard at: 

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnPFIDAPP5zZBZGKbWUQ6ZQ


Plateaued with 

your calisthenics? 

FEAR NOT! 

3 techniques for 

strength and growth 

By Al Kavadlo 

STRENGTH TO GROWTH, 

GROWTH TO STRENGTH 

SHOCK AND GROW 

I hear from a lot of people who’ve 

plateaued on their calisthenics 

training and need my help to get 

stronger. These people have usually 

been doing the same thing for too 

long and their progress has halted. If 

you should find yourself stuck in a rut, 

here are three of my favourite ways 

to mix up your training and shock 

your body into new growth. 

TECH 1 

PYRAMID SETS 

Pyramid sets are a fun way to breathe 

new life into your workout routine. 

Without changing any of your 

routine. 

WHAT IS A PYRAMID SET? 

The term “pyramid set” typically 

refers to multiple sets of an exercise 

(or exercises) with descending or 

ascending numbers of reps in 

concurrent sets. 

EXAMPLE: 

For example, you start with just 1 rep 

on the first set, and then do 2 on the 

second; all the way up to ten. 

Then you can start working your way 

down, like going up and down the 

steps of a pyramid.

ENDURANCE PROTOCOL 

You can do this with a circuit workout 

as well, performing increasing reps 

of several exercises in succession. 

(1 push-up, 1 pull-up, 1 dip, and then; 

2 push-ups, 2 pull-ups, 2 dips, etc.) 

This type of pyramid protocol can 

become a serious endurance challenge 

after a few sets. It’s also a way to 

make a game out of building up your 

conditioning. Changing the number 

of reps not only mixes it up for you 

mentally, it also keeps your body 

guessing. But don’t forget, working out 

is serious business – it isn’t a game! 

TECHNIQUE 2: 

The Rest/Pause Method 

The rest/pause method involves taking 

short breaks during a long set in order 

to get more total reps. 

EXAMPLE: 

Instead of stopping after you reach a 

pre-determined number of, let’s say, 

push-ups, just rest at the top with 

your arms locked out once fatigue 

sets in. Take a breath or two, then 

keep pushing out one rep at a time, 

with several seconds in between reps 

if need be. This will allow you to push 

the boundaries of muscular failure. 

THE PAUSE FACTOR: 

Push-ups are one of the best exercises 

to use this technique with, but rest/ 

pausing works great with pull-ups, 

squats and even muscle-ups. 

I HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO’VE 

PLATEAUED ON THEIR CALISTHENICS TRAINING 

AND NEED MY HELP TO GET STRONGER 

TECHNIQUE 3: 

Supersets: 

A superset involves taking two exercises 

and performing them back-to-back with 

no rest. 

SEQUENCE TO BEAT FAILURE: 

Typically the harder exercise goes 

first and when fatigue is reached, you 

switch to the easier exercise and 

continue repping out. By sequencing 

it this way, you're essentially pushing 

your body beyond failure. 

EXAMPLE: 

Go "down-under". 

Try super-setting Australian pull-ups 

after going to failure on standard 

pull-ups, or do as many pull-ups as 

you can with an overhand grip, then 

come down from the bar, take a deep 

breath and then get back up, and 

bang out a couple more reps with 

your palms facing inward. 

Article by AL Kavadlo 

For any advice or simply to gain tips on training like AL, contact him at: 

Blog - http://www.AlKavadlo.com 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Al.Kavadlo 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlKavadlo 

Instagram - @al_kavadlo


CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE BEST BODYWEIGHT 

AND POWER MOVERS ON THE PLANET 

BECOME A MONSTER AT THE FLARE WITH INTERNET 

SENSATION - THE MAIN MAN, SIMONSTER! 

DO – TRAIN HARD! 

THIS MOVE TAKES 

PRACTICE. 

THE FLARE: An acrobatic 

move that requires the 

athlete to balance the torso 

between each arm while 

swinging the legs beneath 

in a continuous circle, it is 

a fundamental Breakdance 

Power move and a great 

platform to move onto 

harder moves!! 

Hi Si, first of all how did 

you build the muscular 

strength needed to do the 

flare and when did you 

learn this skill? Also, can 

you give us a brief 

outline method? 

I learned the flare when I 

was quite young and 

although my technique is a 

breakdance style, the 

exercises I used to build 

strength 

were 

predominately gymnastics 

exercises.

STRENGTH EXERCISE EXAMPLE: 

1) STRADDLE LEG LIFTS – Sit in a 

straddle position with your palms flat 

on the floor, slowly lift your feet off the 

ground as high as possible (10-20cm is 

fine) whilst keeping your legs straight 

3x15 

2) PLANCHE STRENGTH BASICS – 

tuck planche hold 3xmax (aim 15-30 

seconds) 

4)LEG LIFTS ON A BAR – try to lift 

your toes to the bar keeping your 

knees straight. 3x10. 

BASIC BALLET BAR WORK – lift 

your leg as high as you can in front 

and to the side, keeping your knees 

straight. 3x10 each leg. 

3) PROGRESSIONS TOWARDS V-SIT: 

i) Tuck-sit holds 3xmax 

ii) L-sit holds 3xmax 

iii) L-sit lift to V-sit 3x8 (this is exercise 

is great when you are comfortable with 

L-sit. A spotting partner is also helpful 

to assist with the concentric phase by 

lifting the feet up and pushing the hips 

forward from the lower back) 

The dosages are suggestions only, 

everyone will be at a different level 

and therefore fatigue at different 

points. I think the most important 

thing is that you fatigue during each 

set and I generally perform 3 sets of 

each exercise. 

As helpful as strength is, the flare 

is predominately a technique based 

move and I would dedicate more time 

to practicing the move than strength 

exercises. Much of your strength will 

be acquired by training the move itself. 

How do you improve your balance for 

the flare? can you give us a method/ 

list of brief exercises/drills for this? 

One of the most important things to be 

comfortable with when training for the 

flare; is shifting your weight from hand 

to hand. 

A few good exercises to improve this are: 

1) Front support weight shift: In the 

push up position, lift one hand and 

hold for 5-10 seconds, repeat x5 each 

hand.


2) Front support walks (seal walks): 

With low friction on your feet (e.g. 

socks on floor boards) hold a push up 

position keeping your body rigid like 

a plank, then use your arms to walk 

forwards roughly 5 metres, then repeat 

this backwards. 5 sets. 

3) Back support walks: Same as above 

but in a back support position (front of 

your body facing the ceiling, body 

rigid with legs straight, shoulders 

extended and arms straight). This 

exercise is more difficult, so 5 metres 

may be too much. 

4) If you enjoy handstands: training 

one hand handstands is also a great 

way to practice shifting your weight. 

Repeat: The dosages are suggestions 

only, everyone will be at a different 

level and therefore fatigue at different 

points. I think the most important 

thing is that you fatigue during each 

set and I generally perform 3 sets of 

each exercise. 

seconds. Repeat x3 each side. 

Middle – as above but put your 

hands flat on the floor and try to 

walk your hands as far forward as 

possible, this exercise is about 

trying to get your chest flat on the 

floor rather than trying to make your 

head touch the floor. This ensures you 

are stretching through your hips rather 

than your back. 

What basic exercises can I do to aid 

the progression towards the Flare? 

with perfect technique from the 

get go. Scrape your legs until you’re 

technique is consistent and you’re 

comfortable that the move looks at 

least like an “ugly” flare. Then clean 

your technique up. 

Always try to do one more flare than 

you can i.e. when you’re first 

learning always go for two, even if 

you really scrape the second flare. I 

have seen many people who were 

stuck on one flare merely because 

they were in the habit of doing just 

one flare and never practiced 

multiples. Training multiples from the 

get go has the added benefit that it 

will help you to pick your flares up, 

even if you scrape or make a mistake 

later on down the track. 

Don’t – Be complacent. As above, 

always try to do one more than you 

can. Don’t get too caught up on 

getting it perfect from the start, it will 

look better with practice. 

Have you got any stretching drills to 

aid the flare? 

1) Flexibility: Stretching the shoulders 

into extension. Sit on the floor with 

your hands by your hips, arms straight 

and your fingers pointing behind you 

(supinated wrists). Then keeping your 

hands still, slide your hips forward 

until you feel a stretch in the front of 

your shoulders. 3x30 seconds is the 

dosage I use. 

2) Stretching the straddle/pancake 

position – left, right and middle. 

>Sit on the floor with your legs 

spread 90 degrees, keep your knees 

straight and make sure your knees 

always face the ceiling (i.e. Don’t 

rotate your hips). Try to touch one 

foot with both hands and hold for 30 

The exercises above will help, but the 

most important thing is to practice the 

flare. I encourage people to watch 

some YouTube tutorials (There should 

be a good one by Kaio from Falcrow 

Productions) or visit a local 

breakdancing class. 

To start with, wear socks and feel free 

to scrape the sides your feet on the 

floor, this will help with the 

technique. Once you are comfortable 

with the technique try to clean up 

your flare by no longer scraping your 

feet. 

How difficult is the flare to do? 

I would say flare is a medium 

difficulty move. It definitely takes s 

ome work but most people can 

achieve this. Technically it is much 

easier to get your head around 

compared to an air flare. I find 

flexibility is often the limiting factor. 

Top tips do’s and don’ts 

Do – Train hard! This move takes 

practice. Feel free to scrape your legs 

at first. Nobody gets things perfect 

initially and I think it is both unrealistic 

and detrimental to try to acquire skills 

What exercises or drills are there to 

maintain the flare? 

Once you can do the flare, try to build 

up to 10. At 10 flares I think it’s pretty 

safe to say you’ve got the move 

down pat. From there, just make sure 

you still do flares from time to time. 

“If you don’t use it, you lose it.” For me 

this was by incorporating them into 

combos. Alternatively, you can use 

flares as strength/endurance training 

by training to max out at the end of 

your practice session.

What progressions are there from the 

flare? 

Progression – Flare to handstand is 

definitely one to work! Or flare to 

windmill back to flare, then go for 

numbers! 

How much are the legs involved in the 

flare or is it all arm strength and/or 

technique? 

Leg strength is definitely involved! By 

this, I mean the ability to lift your legs 

whilst keeping your knees straight. 

This can be difficult if it's something 

you haven’t done before. It’s about 

being strong in ranges that are at end 

of range for many people. When I say 

leg strength, how much you can squat 

or how high you can jump is probably 

not important. It’s really about being 

able to lift just the weight of your leg 

(with a straight knee) through a large 

range of movement. This is a 

combination of both strength and 

flexibility. I think the strength and 

flexibility Ballet dancers and gymnasts 

possess is ideal for the flare. 

The exercises outlined in the strength 

section should help you achieve this. 

I WOULD SAY FLARE IS A MEDIUM DIFFICULTY 

MOVE. IT DEFINITELY TAKES SOME WORK 

BUT MOST PEOPLE CAN ACHIEVE THIS. 

FOREWORD: 

It was a great privilege to interview Simon Ata who is one of the top Powermovers and bodyweight strength athletes in 

the world with some very SICK skills. His passion and experience are self-evident both in his writing and videos, his 

attitude is of a humble nature, he just does his thing! Suck up his knowledge folks, it's gold dust! 

You can check out the SIMONSTER with his epic but very concise video demos at: 

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18qIKKOXPF-TVlEFFi_vXQ 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/simonster90?fref=ts


A HARROWING BUT 

VERY INSPIRATIONAL 

STORY 

AN INTERVIEW WITH MATT BETZOLD; 

A PROFESSIONAL MMA FIGHTER 

WHO HAS ONE LEG, BUT IS A FORCE 

TO BE RECKONED WITH! 

Matt you are probably one of the few people who fight 

MMA with one leg, have you always had to fight like 

this?! 

I was in the hospital for 6 weeks or more. Most of 

that time I was in a coma. When I was six I was 

poisoned by a strange man that was living with us. 

You see strange people were always staying with us 

growing up. I come from a family with 5 brothers and 3 

sisters. At this time in my life we had a four-bedroom 

house but my parents still use to bring people from 

the streets in to stay. I ended up in a hospital after 

eating poison that was put in my candy from an 

outsider allowed to stay with us. I ate it and before I 

knew it I was seeing things that weren’t there and 

my fever was crazy high. My mom and dad were 

freaking out and the firemen came and rushed me to 

the hospital. The last thing I remember was getting 

my temp taken and then I woke up with my leg 

gone 6 weeks later and one year older. Like.wtf! I 

didn’t realize my leg was gone until I tried to stand up 

and walk. All I remember is falling out of the bed and 

crying, telling them to put my leg back on. It took 

me some time to realise my leg was gone for good. 

I DO ONE LEGGED SQUATS, I 

DO MY TAKEDOWN DRILLS IN 

THREE FEET OF WATER

Man that’s one hell of a story. So how did 

you start your journey into becoming a 

professional fighter? What inspired you? 

I always liked sports in general, but not 

like I liked boxing, wrestling and martial 

artists like Bruce Lee and Chuck 

Norris. You see wrestling was always a 

part of my family. My dad, all my uncles 

and brothers wrestled at one point or 

another. My brothers and I were always 

boxing fans and looked up to guys like 

Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray etc. We always 

rough-housed with each other and got 

rowdy. I watch the UFC for the first time 

when I was 13 years old and I loved it 

from day one. At that point I never knew 

I would have a chance to get into the 

sport. I was just a fan. 

I have always fought all through school 

just sticking up for myself and others 

who couldn’t. I didn’t let people pick on 

me, but never dreamed I’d be able to 

fight as a professional growing up; I was 

just a normal kid. Well if you can define 

normal that is? I first got in-volved in 

MMA when I was 17. My older brother 

brought me to an MMA event in Phoenix 

Arizona (where I lived at the time) called 

“rage in the cage.” I was hooked once I 

knew this type of stuff was in my 

backyard. So my brother and I 

immediately started training in his 

garage just watching videos and taking 

moves from books and magazines. Every 

moment we had of free time we would 

work on the arts or watch videos. At first 

I was just doing it as a hobby to stay out 

of trouble, get in shape and have fun. 

Then we started going to a MMA/ 

grappling gym in town. 

When did you first compete? 

About six months into training my bro 

and coach at the time talked me into 

competing in a grappling tournament. I 

wasn’t too confident in myself at the 

time so was unsure how I would do. 

Sure enough I took first and did so again 

in my second tournament weeks later. 

When and how did you transition into 

MMA? 

After the grappling Tournament success 

I found a new confidence in myself and 

I started competing at any and every 

chance I could and was doing good. 

Then the next step was; "hey I wonder 

how I would do in MMA fighting?" So I 

asked the local promoter if I could 

fight. He then put me in contact with 

the commission to try and get me 

approved but little did I know I would 

get denied in 2002. So I just kept 

training and competing in grappling. I 

would try again in 2004 but continued 

to get denied until 2009 where I did 

my first sanctioned MMA fight. 

That’s quite a gap from 2002 until 

2009 how did you get full contact fight 

experience in-between then and what 

drives you!? 

Before that I just fought in illegal 

cage matches aka as “Smokers” My 

brother Duane inspired me, all my 

brothers and sisters pushed me and 

were a huge part of my drive to never 

give up my son Cross and my Daughter 

Faith gave me strength to continue. 

God, Mike Tyson Bruce Lee also 

were a huge part of my drive. 

Can you give us a breakdown of your 

record? 

I now have a grappling record of 

172-32 an Ammy record of 4-1 and 

a pro record of 6-5. I've won many 

tournaments but my most cherished 

accomplishments are: 2x world 

champion gold medalist in FILA MMA, 

(the first and only adult American 

to do so) 1x world champion gold 

medalist in FILA grappling, 3x silver 

medalist in FILA grappling, 4x 

Grapplers Quest advanced champion, 

1x silver medalist in the Pan Am 

games in grappling 27x desert quest 

champion. I was the first World 

Fighting Federation champion and 

held that title for almost three years. 

Are you signed with anybody at the 

moment? 

I am currently signed with Legacy, 

which is the forth highest-paying 

organisations in the business and is 

televised all over the world - in over 

75 million homes and is a UFC feeder.


MY OPPONENTS 

HAVE TROUBLE 

PREPARING 

TO FIGHT ME 

BECAUSE MY 

UNORTHODOX 

FIGHTING 

STYLE 

Do you receive any animosity from 

other fighters, organizations, even 

though your skillset is up there with 

some of the best? 

I still have trouble getting fights. Guys 

simply aren’t thrilled to have to fight 

me. For one I am really good and 

talented at what I do. My opponents 

have trouble preparing to fight me 

because my unorthodox fighting style. 

They make excuses as to why they 

can’t fight me. S ome Promoters also 

discriminate on me because of my 

situation. It’s not an easy road but 

it’s what I love and I was never 

good at giving up on my dreams. I 

have so many supporters. The 

doubters probably out-weigh them, 

but I don’t do it for them anyway. 

They both motivate me to keep 

climbing. 

I hear you on the haters, fuel for the 

fire! Can you give us a brief outline on 

some of the exercises you do to 

prepare for your bouts? 

I do one-legged squats, I do my takedown 

drills in three feet of water and 

I do hand stand pushups. I also do a 

lot of boxing and MMA sparring from 

my knees. I do a lot of swimming 

and weight lifting to build strength 

and cardio. I meditate and visualize 

my success in the sport and use my 

imagination to train my mind for this 

grueling lifestyle. I try and make sure 

that no aspect of the game is 

neglected. 

Finally what do you see for the future? 

I am a champion and soon the world 

will know me as such. No ones going 

to hand it over and I wouldn’t want it 

if they did. I’m here to forcefully take 

what is mine. I’m the champ there’s 

no denying that at all. I compensate 

with my one leg by being that guy 

that never quits and always putting 

200 percent in every bit of training I 

do. I make it a point to leave all my 

problems at the door and put all my 

energy in my work when I’m 

grinding. I practice and go until I cant 

go anymore. I train everyday like my 

next fight is a title fight because one 

day it will be. I drill my moves until 

I’m bored with them, then I drill 

some more. 

FOREWORD 

Thanks Matt for your true story, it 

is crazy, inspirational and 

motivational. 

From interviewing Matt I can see 

this dude has a champion's 

mentality, he never gives up and 

gives 200 percent until he 

physically can’t do anymore. He 

compensates for his ailment by 

using some pretty awesome, 

unconventional training 

techniques; enabling him to fight 

as good, and better than an ablebodied 

fighter, making him an 

extremely dangerous opponent, 

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS 

COVER! 

Check Matt Betzold out at 

Facebook: https://www.facebook. 

com/matt.betzold.5?fref=ts http:// 

www.legacyfights.net

ULTIMATE FULL 

BODY WORKOUT! 

wa, Bene, worllout- wa, Less Time 

My Body Action System is perfect for everybody. I teach classes on all levels 

and I can tell you, whether you're starting your first program or you are the 

toughest fighter, you will get an amazing results. Upper cuts! No other products 

works for uppercuts. Use the same product as the Pros do. 

Whal TIie Pros Are Sarina ... 

Amir Perets, Special Forces Trainer: "Bas mixed martial arts program is 

simply second to none. Training with Bas definitely took me to the next level." 

Randy Couture, MMA Heavyweight World Champion: "Great set of workout 

tapes." 

Darrell Dupras, U.S. Collegiate Taekwondo Team: "I've been on two national 

teams. Takes 12 people to work out like that. "

SPRINTING. 

UNCONVENTIONAL TO CONVENTIONAL 

MIND SET, PROTOCOLS AND CONFUSION WITH QUICKNESS. 

SPRINT YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS, PART 1 

SPRINTING TO SUCCESS 

This is the first part of 

many upcoming articles 

exploring, defining & 

understanding sprinting. 

KNOWLEDGE IS EXPERIENCE 

A brief explanation of my 

background, as it relates to running 

from sprinting to long distance. It's 

the foundation for this series of 

articles. I have been involved with 

track & field as a competitor since 

my school-days as well as a certified 

track & field coach. I have had the 

wonderful advantage to have been 

coached by some of the top 

scholastic T&F coaches, as well as 

learning from many world class 

coaches over the decades! There is 

much false & misleading information 

on running & sprinting on blogs, 

web-sites & social media from those 

who “make it up as they go along”! I 

hope to clarify & present true 

science which has been proven 

decade after decade from world class 

trainers, coaches & world-record 

performances.


MINDSET AND PROTOCOLS 

First, 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 2 most important questions one 

must ask are, what you want to achieve 

& what the purpose for speed training 

is. This sets the basis for how one will 

approach & incorporate sprinting into a 

training regimen. The quality of speed & 

strength for human performance is an 

absolute must for success! 

CONFUSION WITH QUICKNESS 

Often fitness enthusiasts confuse 

sprinting with quickness. Sprinting is the 

ability to reach maximum speed in the 

shortest amount of time, and maintaining 

top speed for the longest amount of time. 

A 100m sprinter trains to get from point A 

to point B in the fastest time possible. The 

goal is to sprint in a straight line. 

Quickness is the ability to react as fast as 

possible and develop the ability to change 

direction & respond to the unknown as 

quickly as possible. These body mechanics 

are quite different and must be trained 

differently. 

SAM: STRATEGY, APPAREL, 

MECHANICS 

The technical mechanics between 

sprinting and quickness are also quite 

different. Sprinting ability does not limit 

one to track performance only. A 

sprinter vs a fitness enthusiast vs taskrelated 

requirements such as Special 

Forces, SWAT and law enforcement also 

demand different protocols. 

Special Forces personnel, whom I have 

trained over the years, require 

substantially different approaches to 

speed development, not sprint 

development as compared to a 100m 

sprinter. Special Forces have to run with a 

rucksack, ammo, and boots, running on 

uneven varied surfaces and carrying 

weapons. This has a major impact on 

body mechanics whereas a 100m sprinter 

wears special shoes designed for speed 

on a synthetic rubber track wearing 

apparel designed to be aerodynamic. 

THE SECRET SEVEN METABOLIC 

ENERGY SYSTEMS 

Understanding one’s goals will determine 

how to train by applying knowledge of 

energy systems, muscle fiber & 

neurological pathways. Most folks believe 

that there are only 2 energy systems, 

anaerobic and aerobic. However, there are 

7 metabolic energy systems and each one 

needs to be addressed and trained based 

upon one’s given goals; to optimize 

performance. This is where too many 

fitness enthusiasts and trainers often lack 

in knowledge to properly identify specific 

chemical reactions in the body for sprint/ 

speed success. 

RUN OR REST? 

Next, is to know which muscle fibers 

apply to which training protocols, such as 

Type I, Type IIa & Type IIb. This will have 

a tremendous impact on how to structure 

a sprint/running program. The most 

important application knows the 

neurological pathways and how to 

properly introduce these into a training 

program. There is a very important 

relationship between rest: work ratio and 

understanding intensity or effort: rest 

ratio between repeats/intervals in 

developing speed. These combined 

principles will determine volume/ 

intensity based on one's training cycle. 

THE QUALITY OF SPEED & 

STRENGTH FOR HUMAN 

PERFORMANCE IS AN 

ABSOLUTE MUST FOR 

SUCCESS! 

‘DON’ T BELIEVE THE HYPE’ 

In upcoming articles I will dissect each 

of these key points and how to 

determine what works best for the 

chosen goals, along with the truth 

about common exercises for speed and 

quickness. How they create negative 

motor patterns which will compromise 

speed! I will address the falsehoods of 

hill training, over-speed training, 

kettlebell training, high volume 

running, power lifting for speed 

development, leg curls, lunges, stairrunning, 

treadmills & much more 

misguided agenda-driven information 

which is being promoted all over the 

internet. 

You do not want to miss out on this! 

Article by Stephen Santangelo. 

Stephen will be featured in the 3rd up and coming issue, using his unconventional 

methods to address and identify falsehoods and misguidance of sprinting techniques, 

with a formula to success: UNCONVENTIONAL FOR FUNCTIONAL! 

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

DYNAMITE DIPS, 

FROM FUNDAMENTAL 

TO EXCEPTIONAL 

IRON ARMS TO MAKE YOUR BODY WEIGHT 

FEEL FEATHER-WEIGHT. THE BASIC 

BUILDING BLOCKS TO STRENGTH AND 

CONTROL WITHIN CALISTHENICS 

Article by Adonis Apache 

DIPS - THE UPPER BODY SQUAT! 

Dips including push-ups and pull-ups 

are fundamental exercises and the 

most famous exercises among the 

calisthenics community. You know 

why? This is because they are so 

simple yet so effective in building 

inhuman strength. When it comes to 

the dip, many trainers consider it to 

be the equivalent of an upper body 

squat, and that’s true, think about it, 

the strength you need to support your 

bodyweight with; is done with just 

your own hands. Dips are a great 

exercise for building upper body 

strength and works an incredible 

range of the upper body from triceps, 

to the shoulders, the pecs and the 

core muscles. Considering the 

simplicity of the exercise a lot of 

people will jump to the dip station 

and go for the dip, until they start 

lowering themselves and everything 

starts to change. Half reps, body 

shaking, legs kicking, head bouncing. 

DON’T BE THAT GUY! If you do not 

want to get smashed from the dip 

bars, all you have to do is to focus on 

the progressions that I will mention, 

and in no time dips will be in your 

workout regime. 

Remember, because dips are a fullrange-of-motion 

exercise, it puts a lot 

of stress on and in the shoulder 

girdle. Please take your time and add 

an inch at a time and when you feel 

pain just back off a little and come 

back next time, fresh. Don’t hurry 

and squeeze everything from each 

progression. 

PROGRESS TO PERFECTION! 

THE BASICS 

STEP 1 BENCH DIPS: 

The first step to work up towards 

the full dip is by practicing the 

exercise, with the feet resting on 

the ground and placing your hands 

behind you on a bench, a low bar or 

anything you have for your 

assistance. Support yourself from an 

object with a pronated grip, feet 

resting on the ground in front of 

you, chest up, shoulders down and 

elbows bent. Now go for your first 

repetition. 

Remember to go easy with the range 

of motion. Aim for 15-20 repetitions 

for 3 -4 sets before moving to the 

next progression. 

NEGATIVE STEPS for POSITIVE 

PROGRESS! 

STEP 2 NEGATIVE DIPS 

After feeling comfortable with the 

bench dips its time to move to a 

higher surface; the dip station in 

your local gym, the parallels bars in 

your local park or on two 

perpendicular bars. Be creative with 

your workout. 

Approach the dip station. Jump into a 

straight-arm position and then as 

slowly as possible, lower yourself to 

the bottom, where your hand are next 

to the armpits. Remember that when 

you jump to get to the straight–arm 

position and during the lowering 

phase, focus as hard as possible on 

using the triceps and shoulders. 

Your feet should be straight down at 

all times and don’t compromise the 

technique, this so that you can 

achieve one repetition more, focus on


technique and the numbers will come. 

Your goal here is to take 6-8 seconds 

in a single rep and to lower uniformly. 

Aim for 8-10 repetitions for 2-4 sets. 

STEP 3: FULL DIPS 

After getting familiar with the 

progressions and you have gotten 

stronger and feeling comfortable 

with the range of motion, it's time to 

move to full dips. A full dip is one of 

which the shoulders are lowered to 

hand level. 

The body should be kept straight with 

the core tightened in the support 

position with the shoulder girdle 

depressed. The technique is the same 

as before. Chest out, shoulders down, 

head up and your feet down from you. 

Then lower to the bottom so that the 

hands reach your armpits (or within 

the limits of your flexibility) and push 

back to the top. Try to keep your head 

up while pushing out of dips. Aim for 

12–15 reps for 3–4 sets. 

From here there is an open world to 

discover. Feel free to experiment and 

challenge yourself with other 

advanced progressions like L-sit Dips, 

Russian Dips, Korean Dips, straight-bar 

dips and the list goes on. Try different 

numbers of repetitions; try slow and 

fast tempos, and add weight with a 

dipping belt or a weighted vest. 

Experiment with pyramids and deadstop 

dips. There is no way you can get 

bored with the dip and best of all it 

will give upper body strength you 

never imagined. 

Now go get your dips and leave the 

guys in the gym doing kickbacks. 

Explosive dips, POWER UP! 

RUSSIAN DIPS 

Another dip variation that you should 

aim for is the Russian dip. In this dip 

you will work to be more explosive in 

the movement! And work your 

forearms, and the core more than the 

others. The Russian dip starts out like 

a standard dip but when you reach the 

bottom of the normal range of 

motion, shift your weight back onto 

WHEN IT COMES 

TO THE DIP MANY 

TRAINERS CONSIDER 

IT TO BE THE 

EQUIVALENT OF 

AN UPPER 

BODY SQUAT 

your elbows, putting your forearms in 

contact with the parallel bars. Next, 

shift your weight back onto your hand 

and press yourself up. Russian dips 

are also an excellent preparation to 

learn the transition phase of muscle 

ups. Be careful during the transition 

from back to front - not to dip too low 

and exceed your current level of 

flexibility as you may injure yourself 

by overstretching your sternum. 

Remember, because dips are a full-rangeof-motion 

exercise, it puts a lot of stress on 

and in the shoulder girdle! 

Article by Adonis Apache 

For any info or help with Unconventional training , calisthenics; you can hit 

Adonis up at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adonis.apache 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/apache237/

HENKULES UNCONVENTIONAL 

CONSTRUCTION! 

MAKE YOUR OWN ATLAS STONE! 

EQUIPMENT 

• two half round dustbin lids 

• duct tape 

• concrete 

• water 

• bucket/tub 

• a drilling machine with concrete 

mixer 

• a hand spade 

• a grinder 

METHOD 

1. Obtain the two half round dustbin lids or two objects with similar 

proportions, tape them together so it becomes a round ball. Also 

close the openings of the lids with duct tape this way you can 

get a round mold that’s completely closed. 

2. Then cut with a sharp knife a small opening in the mould, where 

you can pour in the concrete. 

3. During the casting of the concrete, you must use a drill with a 

concrete mixer head, this is to ensure that the concrete becomes 

compact. 

4. When the mould is completely filled, let the concrete dry for 24 

hours. 

5. After 24 hours you can remove the duct tape and carefully remove 

the mold. 

6. You now have a round concrete ball with bumps, you will have to 

grind off these bumps to make the ball smooth, use an angle 

grinder for this. 

7. Now you have a smooth Atlas-stone that you can use for your 

unconventional training!


THE ATLAS-STONE TRAINING 

TECHNIQUE: 

Stone training mainly uses the lower back, glutes, and 

hamstrings, so developing these muscles before you attempt 

to lift a heavy stone is important. 

You must ensure that the ball is close to the barrel that 

you are lifting on to. Begin by dropping your arms over 

your knees and lock your arms around the stone, your 

fingers must be crossed-together for a good grip. Lift the 

stone on your lap and keep the ball against your body. 

When you get up out of the squat position, hold the 

ball firmly against your body and put the stone on the 

barrel with explosive force. 

Always keep your back straight when lifting, 

and lift the first part of this exercise from 

your legs, not with your back.

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SUIT 

=PRO SERIES = 

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STRENGTH 

STAMINA 

POWER & AGILITY 

"I recommend the Mass Suit to anyone who takes their training seriously!" 

-Marcus Kowel 

Swedish Special Forces (Rangers) 

Sportsman of the Year" 2000, at the University of Kent, Canterbury, England. 

Master's Degree in Sports Management at Cal State Long Beach 

www.MASSSUIT.coM

Unconventional Athletes Issue 2

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