Some Americans seem to think anything that is European must be cool and maybe it is, I dunno. But I do know I have a Hungarian Core Blaster and it is cool. Now I have a home-brew Bulgarian Training Bag and it too is cool. For the uninitiated, these are fitness implements and why else would you be here, right?

To add to my odd collection, I will one day acquire a Danish Viking Mace on a Chain, but first I must get acquainted with my newly-named Big Sausage Bag, BSB.

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Yes, I suppose you could call this a power stare

With it’s infomercial-sounding name, the Hungarian Core Blaster is nothing more than a loadable pin. One of it’s uses is in a strongman event called Power Stairs.

The best way I know to describe power stairs is deadlifting up stairs for weight and time.

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Monday, 1/12/09

Rest Day. My CNS is smoked from yesterday’s deadlift day. Started off the week a rest day? WTF? Check the rest of the week. I really did more!

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Using the plans from Dave Draper’s site, (I call it version 1.0). Ross Enamait made his and packs on the weight. Read the rest of this entry

Monday. 12/1/08

Rest Day

Tuesday, 12/2/08

Today was the first day I trained in the new gym, American Gym, formerly Tommy’s Boxing Gym. It was great to plug an iPod playlist into the stereo and pump the volume and not bother anyone. This will be great!

Snatch doubles: 45/45/65/65/ to warm-up.

90/90/95/95/95/100.

Power Clean doubles:

115/111/116/121/155/155

Form on both lifts sucked as did the weight. I finished off some 2-man decline medicine ball sit-ups with Jon Curry. 3×12-15. I also did a set on the floor with an Ab Mat and another set on an Ab Mat but no med ball.

Wednesday, 12/3/08

No training. My allergies kicked my butt.

Thursday, 12/4/08

DE Squats, x 2:

60% @ 205#, 4 sets
65% @ 225#, 4 sets
70% @ 240#, 4 sets

DE Deadlift singles:

60% @ 275#, 4 sets
65% @ 300#, 4 sets
70% @ 325#, 4 sets

Hungarian Core Blaster Swings, x 10:

80/80/80/90/90/90

Friday, 12/5/08:

Overhead Squats:

45×10/88×6/111×3/131×2/133×2/133×2/143×2/143×2

Sandbag, 80#

Shoulder Squat: 5 each shoulder x 2
Zercher Squat: 10/10
Back Squat: 10/10
Overhead Squat: 5/5
Single Leg Squats: 5 each leg

Kettlebell Snatch, 24 kg:

7×10

Saturday, 12/6/08

45# Thrusters, 3×20

Sandbag Clean & Squat, 2×10
Sandbag Step-up & Squat, 2×10
Sandbag Clean & Step up, 2×10

Sunday, 12/7/08

Rest Day

Monday, 11/24/08

Rest Day

Tuesday, 11/25/08

Snatch Clusters (2+2):

45/65/75/85/95 total 20 reps

Front Squats, x2:

135/135/155/165/175/185/205/215.

Kettlebell Swings, 53# H2H: 20
Kettlebell Snatches, 53#: 2×20

Hungarian Core Blaster:

80×10x2
85×10x2
90×10x2

Wednesday, 11/26/08

Squat Clean Clusters, 2+2

115/115/115/135/135

Box Squats, 10 x 2

60% 1RM @ 205 x 5
70% 1RM @ 240 x 5

Thursday, 11/27/08

Big Rest Day, Bigger Eating Day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, 11/28/08

Back Squats, x 3 up to 85% 1RM:

135×5/185×5/
225/245/265/275/285/295/300

GHD Sit-ups: 5×10, between Back Squat sets
Back Extensions: 5×10, between Back Squat sets

Good Mornings, x 2:

95/105/115/135/135

Saturday, 11/29/08

DE Deadlifts, x 2: 1 minute rest between sets

60% 1RM @ 275#, 6×2
70% 1RM: @ 325#, 6×2

Hungarian Core Blaster Swings x 10:

80# x 3 sets
90# x 5 sets

135×10

Sunday, 11/20/08

Snatch, x 2:

45/65/70/75/80/85/
95/95/100, missed 2nd/100/100/100/100.

GD Sit-ups, between snatch sets: 7x 10

Bench Press doubles:

45×10/95×10/115×5.
135/155/185/190/195/200/200/195.

Several of my workouts have featured a device called the “Hungarian Core Blaster” which supposedly comes from Hungarian Hammer Throwin’ Olympians as an effective training tool.  Masters hammer thrower Todd Taylor is shown using the device in issue 20 of Dan John’s newsletter, “Get Up”.

I like to think of it as a “poor man’s kettlebell” at least for swings. It is really a plate-loaded pin. In the picture above, you see my version 2.0 which is a standard 2″ diameter barbell sleeve with a 1″ hole drilled near the top. The handle is just a 9″ x  3/4″ piece of pipe. (I may go to a 7/8″ piece instead). You have all the benefits of kettlebell swinging except you only need one of these, which weighs only 5 lbs. I can easily take the HCB to my gym and use the plates there, although anything larger than 25 lb plates is going to bang the inside of my short legs!

If you don’t have access to an old barbell sleeve, you can make your own core blaster out of plumbers pipe for under $15 (My version 2.0 cost me all of $5). You just can’t beat the cost to benefit ratio of this simple little device!

You could also buy one online from Sorinex Exercise Equipment. Whichever way you choose, adding the HCB to your home gym is a great addition for posterior chain work and an awesome cardio workout.

Go to straightothebar.com to see the Sorinex HCB in action.

There are several other exercises you can do with the HCB. I have done sumo deadlifts and power pull and shrugs up a flight of stairs. Let me know if you come up with any others!

Below you can see versions 1.0 and 2.0 from my “arsenal”.

Hungarian Core Blaster, kettlebell swings, Sorinex, Dave Draper, Dan John, Get Up,

Monday 10/20/08

My CNS is still down from the ME day on Saturday for the “RippeTotal” so I wasn’t at full strength. Grip work is what I selected today using the axle.

Shoulder Press, 5×5:

105/125/135/130/130.

Deadlift:

105×5/195×5/200×3/195×3/195 single and no grip left for more. On the triples my grip was going fast on the 3rd rep.

Tuesday, 10/21/08

Gonna try and keep this a light week and back off a bit.

Snatch:

65×3/75×3/85
Clusters: 90 (2+2)/90 (2+2)/93 (2+2)/93 (2+2)/93 (2+2)

Wednesday, 10/22/08

Rest Day

Thursday, 10/23/08

Hungarian Core Blaster Swings

55×25/55×25/70×25/70×25/85×15/85×15/100×10/100×10/125×5/125×5.

125×5/105×10/85×15/70×25/55×25. 60-90 second rest between sets.

Total Volume: 18, 125#

Friday, October 10/24/08

Sumo Deadlifts w/Hungarian Core Blaster

With both my feet elevated on blocks, I did the following:

95×10/95×10/140×10/140×10/185×10/185×10/200×10/200×10. 1 minute rest between sets.

Saturday, 10/25/08

Squat Clean clusters:

88 (4 singles)/108 (2+2)/131 (2+2)/135 (2+2)/135 (2+2)/135 (2+2)/135 (2+2)

Snatch clusters, from the hang:

65 (2+2)/88 (2+2)/88 (2+2)/88 (2+2)

Sunday, 10/26/08

Rest Day

Monday, 10/14/08

Hang Squat Snatch, Clusters

88/90
Cluster, 2 + 2: 90/90/
Cluster, 1 + 1 + 1: 93/93/93

Hang Power Cleans, Clusters

135
Cluster, 2 + 2: 137/137/140/143/143

Front Squats, 5 x 5:

145/170/185/200/200

Tuesday, 10/14/08

Oly Drills with empty bar. I did scarecrows, tall snatches and tall cleans, hang snatches, drop balance, hang cleans. My object is to get my hips activated for the second pull.

To finish, I brought out the Hungarian Core Blaster and did (kettlebell) swings.

75×15x2/85×15x2/100×15x2.

Wednesday, 10/15/08

Rest Day

Thursday, 10/16/08

Burgener warm-ups, x 3

Hang Squat Snatch:

45×3/65×3/75×3/87
Clusters: 5 sets of 90 (2+2)

Hang Snatch Clean:

135×2
Clusters: 3 sets 125 (2+2)

Clean Grip RDLs:

155×5/255×5/255×5/255×5

Friday, 10/17/08

Rest Day

Saturday, 10/18/08

Crossfit Total

Back Squats:

Warm-ups, 45×10/45×10/135×5/185×5/225×3/265/285/305.
Work Sets, 325/335/340. All PRs.

Shoulder Press:

Warm-ups, 45×10/65×10/95×5.
Work Set, 145/165/185.

Deadlift:

Warm-ups, 135×10/225×5/315/405
Work Set, 425/435f/435.

Sunday, 10/19/08

No workouts, just football!

Packers beat Indy 34-14!

Monday, 8/11/08

In 20 minutes, count rounds of:
5 overhead squats, 45#
10 GHD sit-ups
10 hip extensions

Total: 14 rounds

Tuesday, 8/12/09

Warmed up with a short jog and into some light kettlebell stuff.

With a 20 kg kettlebell,

2×50 Figure 8’s, 2×15 Goblet Squats, 2×20 Overhead Squats,

2 Hands Anyhow with a 16 and 24 kg bell

Kettlebell Swings, 32 kg, 2H: 4×20

Kettlebell Swings, 32 kg, 1: 4×20

100# Sandbag Zercher Squats: 5×5

Wednesday, 8/13/08

Rest Day

Thursday, 8/14/08

Burgener warm-ups x 3

Hang Snatch:
65×3/75×3/80×3/ 2 position: 90×2/90×2/95×2/100×2/105×3

Back Squat. 5×5
135/185/225/245/235

Deadlift, 5×5
225/275/315/335/315

Hungarian Core Blaster
78×10/78×10/103×10/103×10/1003×10/103×10

AbMat sit-ups
4×30

Friday, 8/15/08

Rest Day

Saturday, 8/16/08

BB Snatch, x 2:

65/65/70/75/80/88/95/95/100/

Single + 3 OHS

105/105

Sunday, 8/17/08

Warmed up by doing empty bar overhead squats starting wide and finishing with a clean grip. 6×3.

Squat clean + 3 front squats: 88

Squat Clean + 3 Presses: 88/95/115

Squat Clean singles + 3 Push Presses: 135/135/145/159/159/164 (97% 1RM)

Now for the fun stuff…

I found a rock at the back of the gym and decided to kneel in front of it and clean and press it. I cleaned it 5x and on each clean pressed it 3-5 times. Great core training as there is no hip and leg play. I got tight and lifted. After that, I walked it about 75 meters and put my new implement on the scale where it weighed in at 80#.