It’s hard to grasp just how strong gorillas are compared to humans. Everyone has heard the estimates that the average gorilla is 6 to 20 times stronger than the average man. Imagine if you were JUST twice as strong as the average guy? Wouldn’t that be awesome?
Let’s talk about what “gorilla strength” means in terms of your average workout. Let’s say that a strong adult man can bench 300lbs; 6 times that would be 1,800lbs, and 20 times that would be 6,000lbs!
How about the deadlift and squat? An average strong man should be able to deadlift two times his bodyweight, so if you’re 200lbs, you should be deadlifting 400lbs. That means Mr. Gorilla is out-lifting you by a whopping 2,000lbs (2,400lbs lift) to 7,600lbs (8,000lbs lift). On the squat, say the average strongman could lift 1.5 times his bodyweight, so 300lbs (again for a 200lb man); the gorilla could outlift you by 1,500lbs to 5,700lbs!
Now, this is a wild oversimplification of measuring the strength of humans versus gorillas, but you get the point… those things are f#@$ing strong! While it’s probably not possible to gain that kind of strength without an exo-suit or insane genetic engineering, it IS possible to swing one of those jerks’ heads around like YOU’RE the beast.
It’s called the Gorilla Clean, and it involves an alternating kettlebell clean movement with two 32kg (70lb) Gorilla Primal Bells. It might not be the same as lifting 2,000lbs plus, but it will test your strength like nothing else can and have you feeling like a beast before, during, and after your workout.
How to do the Kettlebell Gorilla Clean Exercise
Step 1 – The Starting Position
The Gorilla Clean involves alternating two 32kg Primal Bells into the rack position. What makes it difficult is that you’ll need to time it perfectly to catch the kettlebell in the rack position while simultaneously locking your arm at the bottom and absorbing the impact with your legs. To make this transition happen smoothly, starting off correctly is essential.
Rack the kettlebell up on one side, leaving the second kettlebell on the ground in between your feet. Remember that a proper rack position involves resting the kettlebell in the nook of your elbow, keeping your wrist straight; your forearm should be bent towards your centerline.
Perform a kettlebell Front Squat with your free arm straight, pointing directly towards the ground with your palm out. At the bottom of the squat, find the kettlebell, firmly grasp the handle and stand up.
Step 2 – The Transfer
Timing the transfer of the Gorilla Clean is the most difficult part of the movement. To start, do a very short range squat while keeping your body as vertical as possible. From here, quickly stand straight up while dropping the kettlebell in the rack position towards the ground. At the same time, perform a Dead Hang Clean with the opposite arm. If done correctly, both kettlebells should be even with each other directly in front of you for a brief instant.
Step 3 – The Catch
The kettlebell that was hanging in front of you should be flying into the rack position, while the kettlebell that was in the rack position should be dropping towards the ground. While this is happening, you should be dropping your hips slightly to gently “catch” the kettlebells in the flipped starting position simultaneously. As soon as the kettlebells land, go back to Step 1 and repeat on the opposite side.
Real badasses can perform the Gorilla Clean movement using two, 32kg Primal Bells for 20 reps without stopping for rest. Perfect your form, then see if you could do it!
If you’d like to see this movement in action, check it out at https://www.onnit.com/academy/kettlebell-exercise-gorilla-clean/
Check out Onnit Academy for more Kettlebell Exercises. If want the Primal Bell, click the banner below:
AUTHOR: Mark de Grasse
AUTHOR BIO: Mark de Grasse is the Chief Fitness Officer of Onnit Labs, heading up the Onnit Academy. He is also the founder and editor of My Mad Methods Magazine, a publication dedicated to unconventional training methods since 2010. With a primary goal of bringing the greatest amount of people to an optimal “functional” standard, Mark has dedicated years of his life to networking with coaches and trainers who are willing to step outside the box when it comes to fitness. Working with hundreds of fitness professionals around the world, Mark collects their knowledge in the form of articles, pictures, and videos, and organizes them to make the greatest global impact. He is the editor, graphic designer, writer, and photographer of the publication.
AUTHOR LINKS:
– Personal URL: http://www.markdegrasse.com
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This is workout #1 from my Spartan Training System 10-Week Program. The program is progressive so as you move on through the weeks, the workouts get tougher, longer and change to keep you from plateauing.
Day 1 Workout 1
For this workout you will need a Kettlebell, Dumbbells, Stability Ball and Bodyweight. You will perform each exercise for 30 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds rest. There will be a timer and modified exercise versions on the screen
Exercises
Kettlebell Swing
Push Ups
Burpees
Abs In and Outs
DB Rows
Forward Lunges
Stability Ball/Swiss Ball Planks
Goblet Squats
Jumping Jacks
Side Plank Reach Unders
Get it Done!
In this video I demonstrate how to do the burpee exercise. One of the most common burpee injuries is the lower back and this video will describe ways to prevent back problems due to incorrect or sloppy technique while doing burpees.
How to Perform a Burpee
• Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you
• Kick your feet backwards until you are in the push up position maintaining a straight back.
• Without pausing, jump your feet back forward between your hands and jump up as high as you can.
• Return to the start position
• Make sure you explode up into the air
• You should maintain a fast pace for this exercise
If you have any Back Pain then check out this FREE Health Alert: 5 Pitfalls at the Gym Leading to Back Pain
Download Your Free Health Alert Here
It’s a unique and entertaining way using Mad Mitch, the Worlds Angriest Trainer, to show the 5 Pitfalls in the Gym Leading to Back Pain
They call him the angriest trainer in the world because he can’t stand it when people do dumb stuff at the gym including dangerous exercises and horrible stretches.
Funk trains with Eric Wong who shows 3 common mistakes made when performing the Power Clean. Olympic Lifts are great way to build strength and power fast. Great for MMA, Martial Arts and Combat Athletes.
The Power Clean
Mistake #1 – Too much Biceps – Pulling the bar up using your biceps too much
Correction – Full Body extension through the knees hips and shoulders
Mistake #2 – Hip Down and Squatting the Bar Up From the Bottom Position – Mistake is keeping your hips down and the bottom of the movement and using a squatting motion to get the bar up off the ground with your hip down
Correction – Your Hips should be first up, drive then forward and then use the full body extension – more like a deadlift
Mistake #3 – Lifting the Bar off the Floor Too Fast – Trying to lift the bar rapidly off the floor
Correction – move a little slower when lifting off the floor and control the bar and motion then explode into full body extension
Start with narrow feet using hook grip and once you get to the top of the movement you split the feet and drop into a mini squat and stand up slowly
Get Eric Wong’s Mastering the Olympic Lifts Program
http://tinyurl.com/Olympic-Lifts-Program
If you want to take you Strength and Conditioning training to the next level and develop “SICK” explosive power quickly then take advantage this program.
Here what the Mastering Olympic Lift Program Entails
• Component #1 – Mobility and Strength Assessment: after performing these assessments you’ll pinpoint exactly where to start to get on your way to being an Olympic lifter
• Component #2 – Corrective Mobility Warm-up: this dynamic warm-up includes the best exercises to fix all of the common areas of restriction that prevent you from proper execution of the lifts
• Component #3 – BIOMECH BREAKDOWN: Eric analyzes and breakdown each phase of the lift in easy to understand language so you can fully visualize exactly how the lifts are to be performed
• Component #4 – Rapid Mastery Training Sequence: this is where the rubber meets the road and you progress through 4 distinct phases of training on your way to mastery of the world’s most explosive lifts – no filler and no fluff – just everything you need to know to start lifting properly
• Component #5 – Over 1 hour of high quality, detailed instructional exercise videos so you can see exactly how everything is to be performed
This is perfect for athletes that want to gain 7-9 lbs of muscle during the 8-week program. You only train three times per week so that you can still go to practice on the other days.
The best part about this workout is that it builds explosive muscle you can use for your sport and it does so with minimal soreness!
http://tinyurl.com/Olympic-Lifts-Program
HOW TO SQUAT: YOUR GUIDE TO SQUAT TRAINING (VIDEOS)IN THIS POST:BARBELL SQUATS VIDEO – FUNK ROBERTSHOW TO SQUAT TUTORIAL VIDEO – MIKE WESTREDALSQUAT TRAINING TECHNIQUES AND TIPS 5 VIDEOS- DEISEL CREWBARBELL SQUATS VIDEO – FUNK ROBERTS
As much as I love my interval circuits, plyometrics, sprints and explosive plyometrics for conditioning, pure strength workouts need to be an essential part of your overall training in order to help you be a well-rounded.
Sometimes I will head to the gym for a leg workout, especially with all the plyometrics and jumping in my other workouts, I need to ensure my quads and legs are strong.
Funk deep squats with 225lbs
The quads take the brunt of the force when I am doing plyometric exercises. If your quads are weak and you are jumping around or running, you may start to feel pain in the knees – potentially a Patellar Tendon Tear (Patellar tendonitis)
Patellar tendonitis is most common in people who participate in activities that require running or jumping.
While it is more common in runners, it is sometimes referred to as “jumper’s knee.” – Orthoinfo http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00512As part of the core strength exercises and variations (Bench Press, Deadlifts, Cleans, Presses, Pull Ups) you should include in your training , squats variations is a MUST DO for the MMA athlete.
Squats are great for strength building because of the weight loaded on the entire body.
Squats (along with deadlifts) is one of the best exercises (compound, ground-based movements) that you can include in your strength program. If done right, there are many benefits of the squats.
An MMA training and conditioning program should include deep squats using a barbell, added resistance and bodyweight. The reason being are deep squats simulate changing levels, for example when setting up to attack your opponent for an explosive takedown.
The squat is an exercise that set you up to advance to movements like overhead squats, front squats, back squats, clean and jerk, snatches, etc. The squat will increase flexibility, coordination, strength, muscle endurance and balance to name a few.
HOW TO SQUAT WITH MIKE WESTERDALSquat Technique – Powerlifting Style Squat With Mike Westerdal
Mike Westerdal is a buddy and Strength Coach that I admire quite a bot. He has so much knowledge and when it comes to squatting, his decade of experience will help you get the proper instruction for this exercise. Check out Mike’s video on proper technique in the barbell squat:
Squat Technique – Powerlifting Style Squat With Mike WesterdalSQUAT TRAINING TECHNIQUES AND TIPS – DEISEL CREWJim Smith from Deisel Crew gives you great insight and tips for Barbell Squats
☆ How to Squat ☆ Squat Tip #1 – Elbows Down, Chest Up
How to Squat ☆ Squat Tip #2 – Setting the Lats
How to Squat ☆ Squat Tip #3 – Setting the Lower Back
☆ How to Squat ☆ Squat Tip #4 – Fewest Steps Possible
How to Squat ☆ Squat Tip #5 – The Double Breath
How to Load the Squat
A barbell can be loaded with:
• straight weight (barbell + olympic weights)
• chains
• elastic bands
Odd objects can also be used for squats:
• sandbags
• kegs
• kettlebells
• rocks
Odd objects can be held in different positions when you squat with them:
• shouldered
• bear hug
• overhead
• front racked
• zercher
Squat Benefits:
• build strength and enhance power potential
• add massive lower body muscle
• develop core strength and rigidity
• injury prevention
• knee tracking, stability
• glute, quad, hamstring activation
• ankle mobility (full back squats)
• hip mobility (box squats)
• confidence
How to Squat:
High Bar Back Squats
1. Setup under the center of the bar with it resting on your upper traps
2. Place your hands wide on the bar, squeeze your back tight as you pull your hands toward the center as far as you can
3. Lock hands on bar with very tight grip
4. Rotate elbows down (facing the ground) and straighten the wrists
5. Take a deep breath, hold it
6. Unrack bar and step backward, getting into your stance with as minimal steps as possible
7. Feet should be approximately shoulder width apart with toes pointed outward at a comfortable angle for your body type, typically any where from 10 – 45 degree angle
8. Let air out, and reset air pulling chest upward and ensuring elbows are facing down, head should remain forward to slightly up
9. With weight on the middle of your feet (not toes) shift hips backward
10. As the hips move backward, drop down into the hole maintaining an upright torso position tracking the knees over your toes (imagine there is a string attached to your chest keeping it up and facing forward)
11. Descend until you reach the bottom position (as far as you can go)
12. Still holding your air, drive upward out of the hole locking the hips forward at the peak with a powerful glute contraction.
13. Repeat steps 4-12.
Squat Considerations:
1. I am Falling Forward in the Hole
1. Technique – Keep the elbows facing downward, the chest up and don’t let your air out
2. Strength – incorporate more 45 degree back extensions, good mornings (with various bars), kb pullthroughs, pull-ups, bottoms up squats or chain suspended squats,
2. I Get Stuck in the Hole
1. Technique – Don’t let the weight shift, make sure it is centered in the middle of your foot, band resisted squats, pause squats, kb front squats
2. Strength – incorporate more full range back squats, improve ankle mobility, lunge variations
3. I Can’t Get Low Enough
1. Technique – for back squats place with the foot position, slightly wider or narrower to find your particular groove, try different bar positions on your back as well
2. Mobility – improve ankle, hip and upper back mobility
TO READ MORE OF THIS AMAZING SQUAT INFORMATION CLICK THIS LINK
http://www.dieselcrew.com/how-to-squat
Let’s talk about what “gorilla strength” means in terms of your average workout. Let’s say that a strong adult man can bench 300lbs; 6 times that would be 1,800lbs, and 20 times that would be 6,000lbs!
How about the deadlift and squat? An average strong man should be able to deadlift two times his bodyweight, so if you’re 200lbs, you should be deadlifting 400lbs. That means Mr. Gorilla is out-lifting you by a whopping 2,000lbs (2,400lbs lift) to 7,600lbs (8,000lbs lift). On the squat, say the average strongman could lift 1.5 times his bodyweight, so 300lbs (again for a 200lb man); the gorilla could outlift you by 1,500lbs to 5,700lbs!
Now, this is a wild oversimplification of measuring the strength of humans versus gorillas, but you get the point… those things are f#@$ing strong! While it’s probably not possible to gain that kind of strength without an exo-suit or insane genetic engineering, it IS possible to swing one of those jerks’ heads around like YOU’RE the beast.
It’s called the Gorilla Clean, and it involves an alternating kettlebell clean movement with two 32kg (70lb) Gorilla Primal Bells. It might not be the same as lifting 2,000lbs plus, but it will test your strength like nothing else can and have you feeling like a beast before, during, and after your workout.
The Gorilla Clean involves alternating two 32kg Primal Bells into the rack position. What makes it difficult is that you’ll need to time it perfectly to catch the kettlebell in the rack position while simultaneously locking your arm at the bottom and absorbing the impact with your legs. To make this transition happen smoothly, starting off correctly is essential.
Rack the kettlebell up on one side, leaving the second kettlebell on the ground in between your feet. Remember that a proper rack position involves resting the kettlebell in the nook of your elbow, keeping your wrist straight; your forearm should be bent towards your centerline.
Perform a kettlebell Front Squat with your free arm straight, pointing directly towards the ground with your palm out. At the bottom of the squat, find the kettlebell, firmly grasp the handle and stand up.
Timing the transfer of the Gorilla Clean is the most difficult part of the movement. To start, do a very short range squat while keeping your body as vertical as possible. From here, quickly stand straight up while dropping the kettlebell in the rack position towards the ground. At the same time, perform a Dead Hang Clean with the opposite arm. If done correctly, both kettlebells should be even with each other directly in front of you for a brief instant.
The kettlebell that was hanging in front of you should be flying into the rack position, while the kettlebell that was in the rack position should be dropping towards the ground. While this is happening, you should be dropping your hips slightly to gently “catch” the kettlebells in the flipped starting position simultaneously. As soon as the kettlebells land, go back to Step 1 and repeat on the opposite side.
Real badasses can perform the Gorilla Clean movement using two, 32kg Primal Bells for 20 reps without stopping for rest. Perfect your form, then see if you could do it!
If you’d like to see this movement in action, check it out at https://www.onnit.com/academy/kettlebell-exercise-gorilla-clean/
Check out Onnit Academy for more Kettlebell Exercises. If want the Primal Bell, click the banner below:
