Awesome story, dude! Sorry it took me so long to respond. But I started cracking up when I read your post. An asian guy with glasses carrying a big-ass log through the city. I know why those guys were speechless. They were probably saying stuff like “yo, yo…this Asian Superman just totally blew his cover.” HAHA! Where the heck was i!? I would’ve gotten that on film, dude! Rock on, RL.

I went to steal a large piece of chopped tree from my neighbor’s yard…having no experience felling trees I can tell you they’re heavy (and I deadlift a respectable 415 so far). I was carrying it down my block which is a busy street, and people were flabbergasted (I have glasses too and am Asian so those things really throw people off). I dropped the damn thing and damn, was it loud! I was playing with it, and when some kids came out (I’m a student living in a student house)…they totally ignored me! I guess they were speechless as to WTF they just saw…a guy standing over a log!

I forgot to share another opinion. If you REALLY think about it? Shouldn’t you say that barbells are actually the odd objects? And the equipment mentioned above—are real world strength building objects? Granted, barbells were made for the sole purpose of lifting. Howver, in all my years of flipping 300-600 pound tractor tires, or swinging an Ax to chop wood (a sledgehammer in your case), lifting oil barrels from here to there, lifting and flipping big ole’ logs. That stuff is not exactly odd? It’s real ‘work’ ya know? As i said before, you will rarely ever come across an object where it has a sphere-like bar for you to grasp on? Technically, this makes me think barbells and dumbbells are the odd objects if you think about it?

Also…another great exercise that I realize that was not mentioned in depth above–dragging/pulling/pushing/&carrying weight. Everybody should seriously include this in their training. How many times in the past were you required to carry a table or a large box from here to there. It was tough, right? Or did any of your cars break down at midnight and you had to push it for 2 miles? I sure hope i was not the only one who did that…then again, I don’t want ya’ll to go through that either! haha! if you are able to drag/pull/push/carry a tremendous amount of weight for large distances–you will be in incredible shape. trust me. There will always come a time when you will have to do that in one way or another.

Simply push your car around as mentioned. Drag a tractor tire. Carry a 300 pound sandbag in a bearhug position for 100 yard…the same for a keg. shoulder whatever and walk for a distance. I once shouldered a 120 pound gristly log and walked for 3 miles alternating shoulders. I once tied on 100 pounds of rusted chains onto my upperbody and walked three miles. I pushed a car for 2 miles with nobody driving the damn thing because everybody was to busy sleeping, dammit. haha! really…or just tie a rope to your keg…drag it. Think about it this way, men. If you were in the woods with your friends, girlfriend, or family. Suppose one of them got hurt? Wouldn’t you like to know you could carry whoever and even if they weighed 120-300lbs and carried them for 3-5 miles to safety?

If you like my way of thinking, give it hell.

I believe that this is important to share with the hundreds of men out there who are looking for real strength, and this post would be the best way to start. I grew up in the country–so needless to say, I was around a lot of logs, boulders, tractor tires, sledgehammers, kegs/oil barrels. I am one of those guys who people would say “Damn, that kid got farmboy strength”

When I did get into barbell lifting–I eventually was able to deadlift 700 pounds. I am only using this example–I am not throwing all my stats out. I was probably 190-200 when I could deadlift that much. Then I really started thinking about it. There is almost nothing out there in the ‘outside world’ where one will grasp onto a specific 1.67 inch olympic barbell or whatever the measurement is. Say, if you’re a lifting a couch–or a heavy box, table, engine, barrel, kegs, logs. Do you see a specific sphere like bar for you to grasp onto? Not really, man? Back then, i didn’t ‘train per se’…with the odd objects. I just used them one way or another for whatever the purpose was.So, I decided to literally train with almost all the equipment mentioned above. Now get this—an oil barrel can go up to 500 pounds. ya’ll heard of shouldering a barrel right? Technically, that is superior to the deadlift…because just shouldering the barrel requires you to first–mimic the deadlift motion then heaving a LIVE ‘water sloshing’ barrel that you have to seriously muscle out and place it on your shoulder. Once you are able to shoulder 300lb kegs and oil barrels, especially with your grip in the most gruelling manner as possible–you will quickly realize the deadlift is …well…a second favorite? But hands down, the best barbell movement to do is the deadlift.

I cannot tell you how many times when I had my Big ole’ muscular buddies coming over to my place. I do not look like those dudes…and sometimes they seriously underestimate me until they realize they cannot challenge me in or out of the gym and I owe my strength to odd objects, really. Time and time again, i would ask my buddy to simply just clean and press a 115 pound keg with water in it. Sounds easy, right? Tell me why these guys who could clean and press 225lbs with ease and some up to 300 could not even get one rep???? It’s a joke! I’ll tell you why…a keg fights back. All this odd object training wil generate and build tremendous power that few will match in or out of the gym, fellas. and last of all–maybe the best reason of all…how can you NOT feel manly hoisting a 300 pound rock, log, or keg to your shoulders? That’s brute strength right there! Have a go at it, fellas. You’ll be glad you did! So…thanks Joe for the post!

Get a think, heavy rope. Pull it and wrap it in a circle at the other end. Repeat the process. This works your whole upper body, and especially your forearms and shoulders. The twisting motion is great.

Same thick, heavy rope: throw one end over a tree, or something over your head that is strong. Just pull the rope over the branch/pull-up bar straight down one hand at a time. Go for extension.

I did put up a video a few weeks on how to combine ropes and sandbag construction – because the problem with the sandbags are they eventually leak (woodpellets being MUCH better than actual sand).

Here is what we use – http://synergy-athletics.com/effective-strength-training/no-leak-diy-sandbag-trick/

Thanks for commenting and adding that info!

Joe