Rock, Iron, Steel - The Book of Strength, and my personal approach

This is one of my favourite books of all time. In it, Steve Justa lays bare his training methodology- which is so far removed from the pump and preening routines going about nowadays that it is iconoclastic in many ways.

Forget about “intervals” and going for the burn, or any other “functional” training you know about. He espouses sensible and intelligent hard work, and diligent application of one’s self to mastering strength, rather than simply getting owned by a workout.

His definition of functional training is unlike most people’s or trainer’s definition. Today, most people understand it to mean any movement or lift which mimics what used to be manual labour only decades ago or, performing a function of some sort (and somehow heavy barbell lifting or bodyweight lifting is not functional?). Dragging, odd-angle lifts, hammers, tyre flips, throws, or sadly, rehab exercises used as primary exercises, are all deemed functional. Those that approach movements that might be used on a farm are getting closer to the man’s approach. The idea is sound, and there is some anecdotal evidence to back up farming manual labour as a viable mode of strength development. Athletes that are of a rural background are often more injury resistant and respond physically to strength and conditioning programs more effectively than those of a more urban upbringing.

Steve Justa’s methods lie just beyond the farmboy manual labour mimicry, by adding a more mature and manly approach to developing strength.

I am not going to reveal much more about the contents of his work, as I would rather the reader pursue this on their own and open their perspective to what it truly means to be “functional” and strong. To my understanding the book is now out of print, but there are copies available through amazon.com. Again, it’s well worth the effort of tracking it down and getting your hands on it.

I mention the book as I am taking a different approach to my own training.

I am going to follow his Singles Workout Strategy No.6, except with slight twists to make it more effective for kettlebell implementation. It does mean a number of kettlebell sizes will be required, which may put this outside the realm of some enthusiasts, but it gives you a decent idea as to his approach.

30-40 kettlebell lifts

1.       Perform all 30-40 lifts every second or third day. For myself, that will be M-W-F template.
2.       Perform 1 single in each lift, with 30-90sec rest between lifts.
3.       Use kettlebells that are challenging enough to limit you to a couple of reps or less, without psyching up for the lift or too much of a warmup.
4.       Max out each lift once a month.

Don’t need to max all lifts in the same session, kettlebells aren’t heavy enough. If you feel you can get a double in a lift you could only get a single with previously, then go for it. Just stay away from lifting “on the nerve”. In other words, leave a rep or two in reserve.

Occassionally, try a heavier kettlebell, if it goes up smoothly, then stay with it. If you’re feeling in the dumps, lift lighter kettlebells or choose easier variations.

One possible way to structure this session would be incorporating a; Push, Pull, Hip Hinge, Squat, and a movement for the Core. Then perform as many circuits as you like. I would limit each session to 60mins or less, so you’re moving at a decent pace. 

Place more complex or demanding lifts earlier in the session. This goes for unstable movements before stable, and ballistics before grinds.

I will also be doing additional training on top of this, but I will reveal that later on, once I have some results.

If anybody tries this, let me know how you went. I will post up progress every month or so.