SO psyched that the ebook version of Jon Bruney’s new title, The Neuro-Grip Challenge is available! (Paperback is supposed to be ready in about six weeks.) The two images above are just a couple from many cool shots that will give you all kinds of interesting exercise ideas… you should see the stuff that Rob Miller is doing in the book, too! Nearly gravity defying!
You’ll also notice that along with the new info on the Neuro-Grip Challenge eBook page, there are new photos on the Neuro-Grips page too and some of those are crazy fun as well. What I like most about the book is that Jon Bruney drills down into very useful wrist strength and mobility drills that are useful for all skill levels. Though the exercises in the book get super difficult, they also start from the very beginning, something I’ve always loved about the approach in Convict Conditioning.
So, in honor of the ebook release, here’s an intermediate/advanced kettlebell workout that includes a little bit of Neuro-Grip time! Below the workout is a video showing another fun but pretty difficult Neuro-Grip drill that shows you don’t just have to do push-ups (which you may have gathered from the photos at the beginning of this post).
I warmed up with joint mobility exercises, and a few get-ups with no weight (try doing these super slow next time… you’re welcome!).
Now… it’s best if your starting # of reps is either 8, 10, or 12… in any case though, this should NOT be a full on max rep effort for you, 8 reps of dead hang, no thumbs pullups is for me about 70-80% of my max effort. If you’re doing way more pull-up reps–and it’s appropriate for your situation, you might want to consider making your pullups weighted for this workout. On the flip side, if you’re struggling to complete at least 6 pullups (or any pullups) you might want to consider doing very strict bodyweight rows (aka Aussie pullups–because you’re down under the bar) instead. No matter what you choose, all reps in this workout are to be done with the best form you can do!
Decided to also follow the same rule when choosing kettlebells – I used a pair of 18kg for this workout which is not too near my max, but the focus was more on the quality of these reps. For the 2 hand kettlebell swings, I just chose a 26kg kettlebell that had sadly collected a little dust and needed some love. So… choose something that’s “medium heavy” for you 🙂 I’ll put the weights I used below so you can adjust them in the same pattern for your situation.
Now… it’s time for
The DESCENDER!
- 8 Dead hang “tactical” (no thumbs) pull-ups
- 8 Double kettlebell presses (18kg x 2)
- 8 Double kettlebell front squats (18kg x 2)
- 8 Neuro-Grip push-ups
- 8 18kg Kettlebell rows each side
- 20 two hand 26kg kettlebell swings
- 6 Dead hang “tactical” (no thumbs) pull-ups
- 6 Double kettlebell presses (18kg x 2)
- 6 Double kettlebell front squats (18kg x 2)
- 6 Neuro-Grip push-ups
- 6 18kg Kettlebell rows each side
- 20 two hand 26kg kettlebell swings
- 4 Dead hang “tactical” (no thumbs) pull-ups
- 4 Double kettlebell presses (18kg x 2)
- 4 Double kettlebell front squats (18kg x 2)
- 4 Neuro-Grip push-ups
- 4 18kg Kettlebell rows each side
- 20 two hand 26kg kettlebell swings
- 2 Dead hang “tactical” (no thumbs) pull-ups
- 2 Double kettlebell presses (18kg x 2)
- 2 Double kettlebell front squats (18kg x 2)
- 2 Neuro-Grip push-ups
- 2 18kg Kettlebell rows each side
- 20 two hand 26kg kettlebell swings
Now… if you don’t yet have Neuro-Grips, you can replace the Neuro-Grip push-ups and the kettlebell rows with plank rows (aka “renegade rows”) which are also nicely challenging in a different way, if less of a balance challenge than the Neuro-Grip version.
The Descender Demo Video (The 4 reps round… because it made a shorter video and because I already did the full workout… oof!)
As promised, here’s another drill with Neuro-Grips that you can try with or without adding push-ups – its hard either way… especially on the very hard ground I found outside. When you’re first starting with Neuro-Grips I’d recommend trying a surface with JUST a tiny bit of give – short carpet, a thin yoga mat, turf, etc. Just make sure isn’t TOO squishy or it will be more challenging in a different and frustrating way! The toughest surfaces tend to be slick hardwood floors, concrete, and very hard ground like what I found outside today! OOF!
Bonus round: Skill and balance training today with a Neuro-Grip combo and throwing stars (go for 3-5 rounds total if there’s time)
ALSO, and there will be much more about drone racing later, including the very cool and new X-Class drone racing league (giant quadcopter drones!) among other related topics soon. This week has been insanely crazy getting caught up from a quick trip out to a very remote area of Oregon for the West Coast Throwdown and Dronehart retreat drone racing event. Even though we were literally in the middle of nowhere (as in no cell service until we drove towards the main highway for a good 5 miles), some of the absolute top names in drone racing were there, including “ZoeFPV” (FPV means first person view – basically there’s a camera on the drone, and the pilot wears special goggles that look like spiffier versions of VR goggles). Zoe is one of the world’s absolute TOP female drone racing and freestyle pilots and a friend and I were able to learn from her, and help her develop curriculum for beginner pilots like ourselves. I came home with several game-changers and a very generous gift of a cool racing drone setup (I Fedexed to myself instead of trying to stuff it into my luggage, so it’s due to arrive this weekend! YAY! Unboxing video!) It’s really cool and thankfully the drone itself has a sturdy carbon fiber frame which should hold up nicely to whatever spectacular crashes are sure to be part of my near future. I’ve got a lot of cool footage of what is likely the third ever X-Class drone race that was shot on a 3 axis motorized gimbal so it’s super smooth and “ESPN-like”. When I have a chance to edit it, I hope you enjoy it!
Preview on Instagram!
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