WELCOME Steve

[Jesse Marunde]

hey folks, Steve Kirit, two time strongest man in America just joined the board. He's a little shy, but I'm sure he'll respond to any posts directed towards him.

Jesse

[Mike Westerling]

It's great to have another great strength athlete here. I am happy to be able to learn from you guys. I have asked this question to others but I'd love to hear anything you could add.

What do you feel help with gripping the atlas stones? I seem to have a problem gripping anything over 300 without tacky. And even 300 is hit or miss depending on the day. It's getting better but I'd love to hear any advice you could give.

Thanks,
Mike

[Jamie T]

Glad To Have You On The Board .. It's Good To Get The Views From The Top Guys In The Sport.. I Look Forward To Reading Your Thoughts.

Jamie

[Steve Kirit]

Thank you, but jesse, that's the first time anyone referred to me as shy.

In reference to the stone post......the remedy is easy. Get a sandbag and wrap it with layers of duct tape. Make it weigh anywhere from 120-180 but no more than this. flatten it out a bit so it is not a perfect circle and lays closer to the ground than an atlas stone. Use no chalk when lifting it, the tape will make it nice and slick. Lift it to chest position for reps, up to 10 at a time (you want to do more than any number of stones you'll lift in a contest). Squeeze tight with your hands, and focus on speed. it will build your hands, inner forearms, and biceps like nothing else. When you go back to lift stones in a few weeks, they will be easy!

[John Hughes]

Great to have Steve here, another experienced vet here.


Jesse why don't you give Steve the 'Vet' or 'Mod' status.

[Jesse Marunde]

good idea John.

Steve, good advise for a shy guy.

Jesse

[Steve Mac]

You 2 guys look so cute with your brightly colored t shirts and your pastoral setting.

[Callie Marunde]

Hi Scuba! Nice to have you here!

Callie

[Steve Pulcinella]

Hey Kirit are we going to go catch a phillies game again this summer or what? Ha ha!

[Callie Marunde]

Can J and I come too!! hahe

Callie

[Steve Kirit]

thanks Callie. Hey Steve, I want to keep to my same routine there so sure.....my experience in Philly was good.

[Jesse Marunde]

Can I PLEEEEEEEASE come to Philly? I promise I won't hurt any of the mooses...

Jesse

[Callie Marunde]

Don't trust him! always with tricks up his sleeve! :)
C

[Steve Pulcinella]

I don't know Jess, I have tried so hard to get you in the Philly show again but he just isn't budging. I'm bummed, we had fun last year. Hey Kirit, I'll warn all the chicks at the Lagoon that you are coming back in a few months so they can line up.

[Steve Mac]

Can I PLEEEEEEEASE come to Philly? I promise I won't hurt any of the mooses...

Jesse

They are meeses you big dummy.

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

Steve K.,

What makes the sandbag pickups more effective than doing pin rows? Is is the lower pickup, the slickness of the tape? Just curious, I'll probably give them a try in either case.

Thanks

[Mike Westerling]

Thank you, but jesse, that's the first time anyone referred to me as shy.

In reference to the stone post......the remedy is easy. Get a sandbag and wrap it with layers of duct tape. Make it weigh anywhere from 120-180 but no more than this. flatten it out a bit so it is not a perfect circle and lays closer to the ground than an atlas stone. Use no chalk when lifting it, the tape will make it nice and slick. Lift it to chest position for reps, up to 10 at a time (you want to do more than any number of stones you'll lift in a contest). Squeeze tight with your hands, and focus on speed. it will build your hands, inner forearms, and biceps like nothing else. When you go back to lift stones in a few weeks, they will be easy!

By the way, are you saying I shouldn't be training with the stones during this time?

[Steve Kirit]

in reference to the pin rows question.... the taped sandbag mimics a stone lift and is hard on the hands and lower forearms.

Mike-It will not hurt you to back off the actual stone lifting for a few weeks. Too often people train with stones and the trouble with that is stones are very close to a max lift....example..the 5 stones in a contest are your MAX lift.....you dont always train your max lift to build strength right?

Pulling reps on a low impact apparatus that is difficult to handle will build strength quickly and safely and stimulate the fibers you have not been working when attempting the heavy stones. These fibers will, however, be recruited to help your lift the next time you pull a heavy stone. If you are going to try this let me know how it works for you.

Steve

[Steve Kirit]

Steve P.
line 'em up--i don't want Al gettin' mad at me again though

[Mike Westerling]

in reference to the pin rows question.... the taped sandbag mimics a stone lift and is hard on the hands and lower forearms.

Mike-It will not hurt you to back off the actual stone lifting for a few weeks. Too often people train with stones and the trouble with that is stones are very close to a max lift....example..the 5 stones in a contest are your MAX lift.....you dont always train your max lift to build strength right?

Pulling reps on a low impact apparatus that is difficult to handle will build strength quickly and safely and stimulate the fibers you have not been working when attempting the heavy stones. These fibers will, however, be recruited to help your lift the next time you pull a heavy stone. If you are going to try this let me know how it works for you.

Steve

Makes sense. I went out got the stuff and made a 120 lb bag and a 180 lb bag. I'm psyched to try it next Monday which has been my pull day. Just so you know I've only trained on the stones a few times as the gym that has them is hard for me to get to on a regular basis. I just made a stone this weekend and I'm looking forward to using that once it's cured and the holes are filled. Thanks again. I really apreciate the advice.
-Mike

[Steve Pulcinella]

Kirit, I'll let you borrow some from my line, you're line ain't looking so good!

[Jesse Marunde]

Carefull Kirit, I think I see some wiskers in Steve P.'s line... :confused:

[Ryan Phillips]

hahaha thats funny as

[J. Alexander]

In reference to the stone post......the remedy is easy. Get a sandbag and wrap it with layers of duct tape. Make it weigh anywhere from 120-180 but no more than this. flatten it out a bit so it is not a perfect circle and lays closer to the ground than an atlas stone. Use no chalk when lifting it, the tape will make it nice and slick. Lift it to chest position for reps, up to 10 at a time (you want to do more than any number of stones you'll lift in a contest). Squeeze tight with your hands, and focus on speed. it will build your hands, inner forearms, and biceps like nothing else. When you go back to lift stones in a few weeks, they will be easy!

I set this up today, and tried them. I used two, 80lbs bags of concrete mix, (that's what I had handy) and wrapped them up and together with duct tape.

I laid them flat on the ground and stood over them (straddled) like I was about to pick up a stone, and pulled it to my chest. Kinda like a row, I guess. I did this for 3 sets of 10.

Does that sound like how you would expect them done? I know my biceps, hands and forearms were screamin', so I hope I did them right. Thanks for the tip, and let me know if I did them right.:)

[Steve Kirit]

Sounds good J. I think you got the effect you want. It's a good safe way to really build those stone lifting muscle groups in the arms.

[J. Alexander]

Sounds good J. I think you got the effect you want. It's a good safe way to really build those stone lifting muscle groups in the arms.

Cool.

They really f***ed with my hands, forearms and biceps really good. *LOL* Now I have to show some others who are interested, and make a video for some others who don't live near me. *LOL* Thanks man.

Gonna lay off training the stones themselves for a couple weeks and do these, then attack that damn 318 that has been pissing me off, and see how it goes....*LOL*

BTW, "J" stands for "James".......;) Or "Joker", depending on the board....:)

[Mike Westerling]

Steve,
I tried the sandbag rows today and I really liked them. I wasn't sure whether to grab them the long way or the short way so I did 2 sets of each way. I definately felt everything working and I look forward to the improvements that are bound to come.
Thanks again
Mike

[J. Alexander]

Steve,
I tried the sandbag rows today and I really liked them. I wasn't sure whether to grab them the long way or the short way so I did 2 sets of each way. I definately felt everything working and I look forward to the improvements that are bound to come.
Thanks again
Mike

Yeah, I tried them both ways today, too. I found the short way to be harder, so that's probably how I'll keep doing them.

[Steve Kirit]

Hmm, very good point and good question,

I would say to do both ways but if you are finding the short more difficult, focus on that.

I am training a group of 8 H.S. football players and I have them lifting 60, 90, 110 pound sandbags and doing front squats with them. their strength is growing very, very rapidly on them.

I'm glad you guys like the sandbag training, I never really had access to alot of equipment when I started out so I had to devise training methods. I was really hitting the sandbags hard when I loaded Art Mcdermotts 440 stone in Boston a couple years back. I worked my way up to a 250 sandbag for like ten reps (believe me, that was DAMN hard) Then I went a few places and trained stones a couple times....it just felt like once Ihad tacky on I could break any stone off the ground with little trouble. I hope you guys enjoy similiar success.

Steve