Last weekend I took a trip up to see my friends and colleagues at Defrancos.  It was great to be in “the atmosphere” that we all have come to know is the number one ingredient in anyone’s training program.  It was a great day.  I got a chance to talk with a few choice strength coaches that I haven’t seen in some time.  The Jersey Jackal was teaching proper box squat form as well as boasting about all the dirty girls he hooks up with after longs nights bouncing.  Jeff Carr caught my ear about how he went home for a few days to do some hunting in the middle of the country with BIG animals and pitch black nights.  He was so excited to talk about his hometown that I thought I started to hear the banjo playing from 1972 Burt Reynolds Classic “Deliverence”.  Boy I’m glad I was born and raised in the dirty jerz.  Say what you want about our state.  Mid-west boys aren’t right in the head either.  The best part of the day actually happened when i first walked in to Joe’s facility.  Joe had a few copies of his documentary “STRONG” and gave me one.  I was pumped.  I couldn’t wait to come home and pop this baby in.  I had seen the trailer,  I took part in a strongman competition with one of my athletes,  I had experienced the atmosphere and now it was time to sit back and watch this on my big plasma screen.

This movie was AMAZING. It is amazing on so many different levels. You get an inside look on how Joe grew up and why is the man he is today. It shows the STRENGTH that the Defranco family possesses and it is no wonder Joe has shown so many athletes how to become champions. It gives you an in-depth look at some of the athletes and where they come from and how they have overcome obstacles. They are moments in the movie where you will get emotional and there are moments where you will want to run your head through a wall due to over excitement.   The bottom line is it is a great piece of work and for ANYONE that has EVER played a sport or had a family member that has played a sport to not get this movie is silly. Just watch the trailer again and you will get it what I mean and if you don’t than I feel bad for ya.  I can’t say enough about this movie so just go and buy it.

Here is the link : STRONG!

It is no wonder that Joe DeFranco is one of the most in demand strength coaches in the world.  He has built his reputation simply by producing amazing results with his athletes.  I have had the opportunity to review his latest manual and it is one of his best products out there.  I have all of Joe’s DVD’s & manuals and they all have a TREMENDOUS amount of valuable information.  The Combine Prep E-Book is another awesome tool in my toolbox.  It goes into the meat & potatoes of how to prepare athletes right from the start.  There is no fluff,  just straight training which produces REAL RESULTS.  The 12 week template Joe gives in this manual is invaluable to any strength coaches library.  Although it is directed torward the football player looking to improve his combine results,  this manual and template can be used and integrated into almost any other athlete’s training program to produce POWERFUL RESULTS for any sport out there.

If you are a coach, parent , trainer, or athlete, I highly suggest you order DeFrancos Combine Prep as soon as possible.  It will help you achieve your results on the field that much faster.  It is made for true champions!

We have a new piece of equipment at our facility that has been a lot of fun to use. It is Ropes Gone Wild and it is a tremendous conditioning tool. What the body must do create a wave with the ropes and keep that wave constant which is based on the idea of undulation. The Ropes come in different size lengths as well as different size thickness. Check out the video below to get an idea of how it works. You can purchase the ropes at Ropes Gone Wild.

They are very easy to learn, not too complicated yet provide great cardiovascular training in a fun and user friendly way. It is also a great tool for improving your grip strength. We have been using the ropes with everyone from our fighters to our seniors.