Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Dr. Ken ~ Barrel Lifting at Zuver's GymIt was on July 1st, 1968 that Dr. Ken became the 12th man to lift the Zuver's Gym "challenge" water barrel overhead. Nobody knows exactly how much the barrel weighed but it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-250 lbs. And, if you have done any barrel lifting, you know that it's a whole different deal than a barbell. If you ever get to talk to Dr. Ken, get him to tell you the story on how this came about.
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Barrel Press, Challenge Weight, Dr. Ken Leistner, Odd Object Lifting, Zuver's Hall of Fame Gym
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Keg Training With Kevin TolbertHere's Kevin Tolbert having a little "fun" with a loaded keg, outside Dr. Ken's place, sometime in the 1980's. Kevin was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Michigan for the last few years that I was there -- and yes, he is still training hard. Kevin is currently an assistant strength coach at Stanford University in California.
Labels: Dr. Ken Leistner, Keg Lifting, Keg Training, Kevin Tolbert, Odd Object Lifting, Stanford University, Strength Coach, University of Michigan
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dr. Ken Squatting at Zuver's GymDr. Ken, getting in a (what else?) squat workout at Zuver's Hall of Fame Gym. Needless to say, intense leg work has been a mainstay of the good Doctor's workout for a long time. This also happens to be "The World's Biggest Squat Rack" or at least it was at the time.
Labels: Dr. Ken Leistner, Power Rack, Squat Workout, Zuver's Hall of Fame Gym
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Farmer's WalkGrab a pair of dumbbells, some sandbags, some kettlebells or some Iron Suitcases like former New York Giant (and Dr. Ken trainee) Frank Ferarra above and go for a stroll. That's all there is to "The Farmer's Walk" exercise, and you would be hard pressed to find a better exercise for building grip strength and mental toughness. The Farmer's Walk is one of Brooks Kubik's favorite training methods - and for good reason.
Labels: Dinosaur Training Exercise, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dumbbells, Farmer's Walk, Grip Strength, Iron Suitcase, Kettlebells
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Chain Dragging (Leistner Photo)When you train at Dr. Ken's place, one of the 'fun' exercises you can look forward to is anchor chain dragging. Enjoy!
Labels: Anchor Chain, Chain Dragging, Dr. Ken, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dr. Ken Workout, Dragging, Odd Object, Unusual Training Equipment
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
Pushing, Pulling, Carrying and Dragging"Pushing, Pulling, Carrying and Dragging" pretty much sums up the foundation of a successful training program... and that is exactly what you'll be doing if you stop by Dr. Ken's place for a workout. Here's a look at a few of the unusual pieces of training equipment you'd be using: custom barbells to lift, anchor chain for dragging and other various rusty chunks of iron.
Labels: Anchor Chain, Car Pushing, Carrying, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dr. Ken Workout, Dragging, Odd Object Lifting, Odd Objects, Pulling
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
John Wood: 140-pound Dumbell 1-Arm SnatchYeah, I'm showing off a little on my blog... the one arm snatch has always been a favorite lift of mine, one that I mess around with from time to time just to see where I'm at. It's actually more of a 'power snatch' as I do not dip underneath the weight. If I had half a mind to focus on my technique I have little doubt that I could really push the poundage up there. Anyhow, this shot was taken a few years back on a visit to Dr. Ken's place. Dr. Ken is one of the only guys I know who regularly has 140+ dumbbells on-hand at all times... and they aren't just gathering dust either.
Labels: Dr. Ken, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dumbbell Lift, Dumbbell Snatch, John Wood, one arm snatch
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Tuesday, December 02, 2008
If you ever take a visit to Dr. Ken's place, don't expect to leave without getting in at least one squat workout. Here's a classic shot from Dr. Ken's now-legendary 23 reps x 407 pounds squat session. If I recall Doc weighed in around 165 pounds at the time. You won't find many heavyweights these days who could go that low with 407 pounds once, let alone 23 times!
Dr. Ken Squatting 23 Reps with 407 PoundsLabels: Barbell, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dr. Ken Workout, Squat Workout
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, October 06, 2008
Heavy MetalBarbells are nice... but there's plenty of other fun stuff to lift too. Here's some things you'll find back at my place. Dr. Ken's Iron Suitcases (which you may have seen before in one of Brooks Kubik's videos), an anchor chain, and various other heavy, rusty chunks of metal.
Labels: Anchor Chain, Dr. Ken Leistner, Heavy Metal, Iron Suitcase, Metal, Odd Objects, Strongman Equipment
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Just Another Workout at Dr. Ken's PlaceDespite what you may have read, heard or believe, REAL training is about effort -- but the best part is, if you do it right, you'll get out of it exactly what you put into it, maybe even more.
As you can see, when Dr. Ken trains, he gives it his all... and so should you.
Labels: Anchor Chain, Chain Dragging, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dr. Ken Workout, Dragging, Effort, Odd Object Lifting, Workout Routine
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Kevin TolbertKevin Tolbert is Dr. Ken Leistner's adopted son - and easily one of the strongest men who ever lived. If you've read any of Dr. Ken's writings, especially The Steel Tip Newsletter, you know Kevin's name pretty well.
Kevin went on to play running back at the U.S. Naval Academy. At 5'9" and 220 pounds, Kevin could run a legit 4.5 forty yard dash. As for his marks in the weightroom, here's a few:
Those aren't misprints...
Here's Kevin doing a couple anvil curls while finishing up a workout in Dr. Ken's basement in the mid-1980's. I was fortunate to have Kevin as a strength coach at the University of Michigan for a few years.
Labels: Anvil, Anvil Curls, Anvil Lifting, Bench Press, Dr. Ken Leistner, Kevin Tolbert, Odd Object Lifting, Squat, Steel Tip Newsletter
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wood's WoodWood's Wood is one of the Original Wooden Log Bars which was a gift from Dr. Ken Leistner many moons ago. It's called "Wood's Wood" because that's what is carved into the side of it. -- A Pretty Fitting Name
This is the same Log that appears in Brooks Kubik's "Bags, Barrels and Beyond" training video.
As you can see, this Log is a beast and nearly as tall as I am. It's still good for a workout every now and then but I much prefer the updated model for training.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dr. Ken Leistner, John Wood, Log Bar, Log Press, Log Training, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment, Wooden Log, Woods Wood
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, November 12, 2007
Brooks KubikIf you've read Dinosaur Training, now you can put a face to the name Brooks Kubik.
Brooks walks the walk -- literally!
Here's a shot from a couple of years ago from one of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur training videos where he is going for a "leisurely stroll" around the block with a pair of Dr. Ken's 180-pound iron suitcases.
Before writing Dinosaur Training, Brooks was a state Champion wrestler in high school and went on to win several National Championships in Drug-Free Powerlifting.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Dr. Ken Leistner, Farmer's Walk, Iron Suitcase, Powerlifting, Strongman Equipment, Wrestler
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Anvil Lifting"It would be very beneficial for any competitive athlete to obtain an anvil... Lifting it in various positions will greatly add to one's upper and lower body strength."
-- Dr. Ken Leistner, THE STEEL TIP, Vol 1, No 12, December 1985
Labels: Anvil Lifting, Dr. Ken Leistner, Odd Object Lifting, Steel Tip Newsletter
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, November 03, 2007
The "Original" Original Dr. Ken Log BarHere's a look at one of the original ideas behind Dr. Ken's Log Bar -- an actual log with handles cut into it. This "log" was patterned on an unusual parallel-handled bar used for pressing movements that Dr. Ken trained with down in Lake Helen, Florida when he worked for Arthur Jones.
As is the case with most of Dr. Ken's unusual equipment, this log was a lot of fun to train with and provided many excellent workouts for his trainees.
Labels: Arthur Jones, Dr. Ken Leistner, Equipment, Log Bar, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, July 30, 2007
| Back in the mid 1980's Dr. Ken Leistner started his own newlsletter -- The Steel Tip -- which ran for 36 issues. The issue pictured is Volume I, Number 2 (February 1985) -- The contents include: |  The Steel Tip Newsletter by Dr. Ken Leistner |
Labels: Dr. Ken Leistner, Steel Tip Newsletter
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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