In the corner at Bud Jeffries and Logan Christopher‘s now legendary Super Human Training 2 Workshop in Tallahassee, FL, Ryan Pitts had carefully set out a number of totally-new-to-me but super interesting looking pieces of strength and grip training equipment.
Needless to say we all got hooked on using them at that workshop.
I ended up picking out several items which I’ve been using ever since. They’ve helped challenge my clients, small group trainees, and myself in unusual, unexpected, and incredibly useful ways. Besides, all of this stuff is all a TON of fun.
Listen to this episode of the GiryaGirl Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or directly on the GiryaGirl Podcast website.
Show Notes Below!
Special Guest: Podcast with Master Craftsman, Grip Strength Expert–Ryan Pitts of StrongerGrip.com
- 0:12 How I first found out about Stronger Grip and what they make.
- 0:40 Super Human Training…
- 1:15 How Ryan got started with maces because of legendary strongman Dennis Rogers.
- 1:41 The first maces Ryan ever made…
- 3:15 The benefits of mace swings
- 4:00 The hardest thing about swinging any implement is…
- 4:50 What we used to learn the basic mace movements at Super Human Training when there weren’t enough maces… and why this might be a good way to try it out for the first time.
- 5:35 The effects of taking that first swing.
- 6:00 How I help beginners use my crazy huge mace.
- 6:18 What’s different about the StrongerGrip.com short mace
- 7:14 Conquering “the fear” to swing a mace correctly
- 7:50 How mace and kettlebell swings challenge the grip…
- 8:30 The role of coordination, relaxation for mace swings, sledgehammer swings and slams.
- 9:00 Awareness, reflexes required for sledgehammer slams
- 9:45 Everyone can learn this…
- 9:57 Coming soon from Ryan: SledgehammerCoach.com basic intro to complex drills for sledgehammer.
- 10:15 What do strongman, armwrestling, martial arts, NFL, college athletes have in common?
- 10:45 That time actor Michael Clarke Duncan contacted Ryan…
- 12:08 What happens when you add just a little bit of weight to a loadable mace…
- 13:20 When to move up in weight or not with maces.
- 14:11 But you don’t have to make them massively heavy…
- 14:25 Updated mace loading design!
- 14:44 How to use a “half-tire”
- 15:06 The ideas, feats, and equipment from strongman but for general population for real world strength.
- 15:50 The special value of outdoor training
- 16:05 Zach Even-Esh’s Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning… odd objects, sandbags…
- 16:30 A weird, fun thing to do with sandbags.
- 16:52 “Fun and strength go hand in hand!” – Ryan Pitts
- 17:28 Ryan tried Highland Games for the first time way back on a whim when another competition got cancelled…
- 18:00 How kettlebell training carries over to Highland Games! Ryan placed 2nd in the novice division, first time trying the Games!
- 18:55 Max Shank, Felicia Baker, and others who are into Highland Games and do so well!
- 19:30 Flipping the caber… and overcoming fear
- 20:00 Weight divisions in Highland games…
- 20:50 The tretcherous taper of the caber and how to flip it, step by step.
- 22:25 How Ryan got involved with the World Armwrestling League.
- 23:42 What Ryan is working on next…
- 24:40 Basic mace programming and favorite exercises for beginner to intermediate
- 25:25 How to make mace training all new all over again after you’ve gotten comfortable with it.
- 26:00 We’re recording today at the Factur Makerspace and what will be their dedicated podcast area.
- 27:00 A cool old video that Ryan has on YouTube of his son (9 years old at the time) swinging the short mace… and he’s still swinging them though he’s now taller than Ryan!
- 27:57 It’s easy to teach the mace and club movements to kids, Ryan even taught several local classes how to swing clubs using plastic bowling pins!
- 28:30 We’e both still “playing in the yard” and on monkey bars, making up games and why you should be too!
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