max contraction
The Ivanko Super Gripper
Our home gym has a small but respectable collection of grip tools. A few Iron Mind Captains of Crush grippers, an Iron Mind Rolling Thunder revolving deadlift handle, pinch-gripping block and 15″ loading pin, and my favorite, the Ivanko Super Gripper. While all of them have their place, if I could only keep one it would be the Ivanko.
The biggest advantage of the Ivanko over spring grippers is the ability to adjust the resistance from about 45 up to 345 pounds in over 50 steps. This exceeds the range of the first nine Captains of Crush grippers, from the 60 pound Sport to the 322 pound number 3.5. Only the Captains of Crush number 4 is harder to close than the Ivanko at it’s hardest setting, requiring a massive 365 pounds of force. This should be of little practical concern to most people, however, since only five people have ever officially closed the number 4 › Continue reading
Interview with Josh Trentine, NGA and IDFA Natural Pro Bodybuilder
The following interview was originally posted on baye.com in late 2006.
Josh Trentine is the CEO of Overload Personal Training and a natural bodybuilding competitor. He has been competing successfully for years using high intensity training, and turned pro this year in both the NGA and IDFA after taking 1st places in both the 2006 Natural USA and 2006 Canadian Classic.
Drew Baye: How did you get involved in bodybuilding?
Josh Trentine: I watched my first contest, when I was 20 years old. The next year, I found out there would be a natural Mr. Ohio, and I entered (21 years old). At the time, I was using the typical high volume approach that the muscle mags promote. I was training at least 2 hours a day six to seven days per week, many times two sessions per day, not including a bunch of cardio. I hit the stage that year at a whopping 159 lbs.
Drew Baye: So when did you make the switch to H.I.T. training and what prompted you to do so?
Josh Trentine: I continued to compete for the next 2 years, until I was 23. During this time, through the process of trial and error, I gradually reduced my volume, and got better, and better results. › Continue reading
Isometrics: Static Holds and Static Contraction Training
The term isometrics refers to exercise protocols primarily involving isometric muscular contraction, during which no shortening or lengthening of the muscle occurs. Traditional isometric protocols typically involved the sudden application of a maximal contraction lasting 10 to 15 seconds. Current popular isometric protocols vary considerably in duration, from less than 6 seconds in John Little’s Max Contraction training, to over two minutes in Ken Hutchins version of Timed Static Contraction. Some popular high intensity training methods, such as the late Mike Mentzer’s Static Holds and John Little’s Omega Sets, incorporate both an isometric and dynamic component, usually involving an isometric contraction followed by a partial or full range negative. › Continue reading