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Here are the video clips from this past weekends grip competition at Al’ Dino Gym in Abilene, Kansas.



Al’s gym is amazing and a place that inspires great lifting to occur. I had a tremendous day of lifting, setting all-time records in 4 out of 5 events.

This performance was needed as I make my final training preparations for the upcoming Arnold Classic – Mighty Mitts competition, March 5 and 6.

This past August I was asked to make a presentation for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Illinois State Clinic about kettlebell lifting and how trainers can benefit by using this great tool.  Below is a slideshow of my powerpoint presentation that I made Saturday, Dec. 12.

Sean Armstead hosted a great clinic at his training facility Phenomenal Fitness at 1450 S. Michigan in downtown Chicago.

Day of Strength 2009 was amazing. The day started at 10am as athletes, coaches, trainers, parents and strength enthusists from as far away as Ballito, South Africa gathered to experience all that Durniat Strength has to offer.

10:30am –

Gary Bess began his Squat Demonstration.  Gary is a USAPL drug-free lifter who gave everyone present a run down of his squat technique and training.  He then warmed-up and completed a very deep set of 3 reps at 505 lbs.  As Gary stated, if you are not squatting deep in your training, then you are not really training.  As an athlete, you must have this exercise in your program.

11:30am –

Scott Overholt started into some Joint Mobility drills with the guests getting their bodies ready for the bodyweight training drills that were to come next.  Lots of athletes quickly discovered just how challenging using just your bosy for resistence can be.  Scott finished his presentation demonstrating how to maintain inside positioning on an opponent either on the mat or by an unfortunate self-defense confrontation.

12:30pm –

We took a break from the presentations and went outside for some tire flipping and that turned into some atlas stone lifting.  I have 3 sizes of tires; 300, 850 and 1100 lbs.  Everyone that tried had success with the 300 lbs. tire and many were able to get the 850 to turn over.  A few tried their might against the 1100 lbs. tire, but few were able to get the beast to yield to their efforts.  From there, some of the experienced stone lifters had fun lifting the lighter stones onto the platforms of varying heights.  I was fortunate enough to lift the heavy stone of the day at 294 lbs.  A 405 lbs. stone is present for anyone who wishes to come by and train.

1pm –

Roger LaPointe from Atomic Athletic began his Indian Club lecture.  For many, the indian clubs were an unknown form of training, but one that interested many before the day began.  Roger is an expert in this area and he demostrated the tremendous benefit to the shoulder girdle the club offer.  Roger had many different sizes of clubs on had and many participants purchased clubs that day.

2pm -

We went back outside for the Buehler’s truck pull.  The Buehler’s Food Market donated a 15,000 lbs. semi truck for us to pull at the event.  I was the first to pull the truck across the parking lot, and a few others also had success with pulling the big rig.

3pm –

Adriane Blewitt started into her throwing demostration; beginning with track and field shot putting and then tranferring into the scottish highland game throws.  Adriane is now the Track and Field coach at Tiffin University and is a 7-time National Champion thrower, currently she is the 3rd ranked female highlands game competitor in the world.

4pm –

Some participants were itching to bend some steel, twist some horseshoes open and destroy a few phone books.  When I made it inside, groups had formed and shards of playing cards, phone books and bent steel were littering the floor.  I made my way to the far lifting platform and I added the 1-arm axle deadlift to the mix.  Others went after some big sledgehammer levers, with Terence Mitchell taking top honors at 22.5 lbs. 2-hand pinch was contested and blobs were lifted.  Soon some Dinnie Stone replicas were put together and many took there turn trying to lift.


Too much to remember it all.  Here is a highlight video to give you a sense of what happened: