Heavy Hammer Gym

Insane Training

Title: Insane Training: Garage Training, Powerlifting, Bodybuilding, and All-Out Bad-Ass Workouts

Published: October 2014, St. Martin’s Griffin books

Author: Matt Kroczaleski

-World champion/record holding powerlifting as well as a NPC bodybuilder. 220 lb class world record holder: 2552 lbs: 1003 lb squat, 738 lb bench, and 810 lb deadlift.

Main Theme: Discusses how to lift for maximum strength, use any equipment to train, push yourself to the limits, work through plateaus, and “become the ultimate INSANE TRAINING beast!” (back cover)

Content Summary: Explores the 3 main lifts, expands on more versatile equipment and training techniques, and includes many full length sample programs.

Content Analysis: This book is very organized and easy to read. Uses great wordage and not many editorial errors. It is full of great quotes such as the one on pg. 8

“…I’m referring not only to the correct use of form but also proper weight selection, intelligent programming, appropriate assistance exercises, and knowledge of how changes in technique affect both the primary muscles used and the amount of weight that can be moved.”

Many sample programs show the insane style of training. Discusses proper resistance band training in Chapter 5 more in-depth than other sources. Gives good PR for www.elitefts.com and www.mattkroc.com. Only 2 negative things. Some people could say (not this reviewer) is that the book contains too many programs and doesn’t focus enough on 1 or 2. This is Kroc’s style. Mix it up and train insane. But, the cover and title imply odd-shaped implement training and not much is said about this. I expected more on this end of things in addition to barbell and dumbbell training.

Conclusion: Overall I would highly recommend this book for intermediate to advanced athletes looking to better themselves with intense programming opportunities.

The Strongest Man That Ever Lived (Louis Cyr)

Title: The Strongest Man That Ever Lived (Louis Cyr)

Published: 1927 originally, reproduced in2011 by StrongmanBooks.com

Author: George F. Jowett

– Founder and President of American Continental Weight-Lifters (ACWL), Convinced the AAU to adopt Olympic weight lifting as an official amateur sport in the USA. Editor of Strength magazine from 1925 to 1927, author of many books including “The Key to Might and Muscle.” Jowett published his own magazine “The Bodybuilder” from 1936 to 1937 (10 issues), He also sold a physical culture course entitles Jowett’s Body Sculpture. He advised both Bob Hoffman and Joe Weider in the early days of their respective magazines.

Main Theme: Author’s personal (but informed) opinion that“…chronicles his [Cyr’s] life and many feats of strength that led him to the title of The Strongest Man That Ever Lived.” (back cover)

Content Summary: Covers the life of Louis Cyr from birth to death. Recounts major feats of strength in the old-time strongman circuit of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Content Analysis: Contains information that is probably unknown to the average person and even to the intermediate strength athlete. This biography is done in a very personal and “story-telling” style. The book is very elegantly written, such as the quote on pg. 36

“Then dawned the year of 1891, the epoch-making year in the annals of strengthdom, which brought together from all parts of the universe rivals of immeasurable quality who were to meet and write their names indelibly upon the sands of time…These were the feast years for the sons of Hercules, Titan, Vulcan, Anak, Atlas, and Samson, and around their heroic forms and deeds romance has wrapped a cloak of enthralling magic…caused the primitive seeds of Adam to struggle to the surface for a little while to remind many of us of our utter inefficiency, but, nevertheless, kindled the idealism with us to admire and deify the man that God made.”

The only bad things about the book are some editorial and spelling errors and the fact that the author is not a native English speaker. It is slightly noticeable that English is a second language to the author and that makes a few sections harder to read.

Conclusion: Overall this is a great book for anyone interested in the history of strength competition. It very organized and tells the story of a great man. I highly recommend this book.