In this episode, Jujimufu takes a trip to get deadlift help from ol’ Spud. Jujimufu says “Marc broke down my deadlift, gave me help with speed deadlift training, deadlift setup, and deadlift accessory exercises, and more!” What knowledge bombs might you learn watching this? Buckle up!
Marc Bartley was one of the premier 275-pound lifters in the world. At the 2005 Arnold Classic he squatted a huge 1058. Marc has been competing in powerlifting for over 6 years and has used the IPA, APF, USAPL and the WPO to showcase his strength. He currently owns Total Gym in South Carolina. He holds two degrees from the University of South Carolina; one in finance and one in economics. His best lifts include a 1058 squat, 700 pound bench press and a 722 deadlift. His best total is 2463.
In this Episode of Barbell Shrugged:
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Preface: This article was written along time ago but I still do all of these to this day. To date, I have been sled dragging for over 20 years. I have added hundreds of variations over the years and this is just a basic run down to get you going. Sled dragging is simple way to get rep work in and add volume to your training. It is a easy way to pump blood, increase aerobic capacity in training and in general work on movements you dislike in general. Sled dragging is great for rehab as well. You also get some fresh air and step away from the general gym formats that are driven by the masses and social media. Enjoy this time and detox your brain!
Dynamic Exercises
All of these exercises should be done for reps. We work on a track and set the rep number and then flow from one exercise to the next with the same rep scheme.
1. Pec Fly: The basic! Put your hands inside the loops of the upper body strap. Raise your arms until they are perpendicular to your shoulders with a slight bend at your elbow. As you walk forward let the weight pull your arms back like doing a traditional pec fly on a machine. Go to the point you feel most comfortable and then contract like you were going to clap your hands only with your arms extended. As you walk forward, repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Try to keep tension on the strap at all times.
2. Bench Press With A Sled (with no bench, weird huh?): There are two types of presses. Sled press number one is simply a bench press with the upper body strap. Place your hands inside the loops with strap pressure in palms of your hands. You will set up as if you were lying on a bench holding the bar over your chest. As you move forward the straps will pull your hands back. When you reach your hands reach your chest or a little deeper past the chest, press the straps out until your arms are locked. You can tuck the elbows in by your sides or hold them high like a bodybuilder press. Basically, you are performing a standing, walking bench press.
The second option is to press with a light bar or a stick of some sort like a broomstick. Run the stick through the strap loops. Hold the stick at whatever grip you want to work, pressing and walking the same as if you were just using the straps. Bring the bar back until it touches your chest like in a true bench press.
3. Overhead Triceps and Lateral One Arm French Press: This two hand overhead triceps extension starts with the hands holding the straps, arms straight overhead. As you walk forward, bend your arms at the elbows then extend them straight up again. You will find a rhythm as you begin walking and the weight will pull your arms back. I use this exercise a lot especially when my shoulders are beat up from static work. Basically it will look like a dumbbell French press behind your head.
The one arm is different in that you will walk sideways (laterally) holding the loops in one hand. Your arm will start straight overhead and as you move laterally, let the arm bend at the elbow. When your hand gets behind your head, simply extend the arm back to the locked position overhead. Repeat and repeat and repeat…
4. Overhead Triceps Shoulder and Triceps Roll: This rotational exercise starts with your hands inside the loops of the strap and arms fully extended at shoulder height in front of you. Keep your arms locked as you move forward. Once you get moving, your hands will move up as you bend them. They will look like they are coming at your head (which they are, sort of!) Once your hands reach eye level, you start to rotate from your shoulder (not your arms) behind your head until they can go no further. Then extend them back out to the start position. This is one of my favorites for triceps and shoulder work.
5. Triceps Kickback While Walking Backwards: This is one where you will be walking backwards while bent at the waist with your tail pushed back. It is the same as a two handed dumbbell kickback only you use the straps and sled. With your hands inside the loops you will bend over. As you walk backwards let your arms bend at the elbow. Then extend backwards behind you as far as possible. You will be in the bent position the entire time so make sure you are pushing your tail back and loading your hamstrings or your low back will start to complain.
6. Two Handed Backwards Rear Delts: This exercise should be a staple in your rear deltoid arsenal. Grab the strap on the outside of the loops. As you walk backwards, extend your arms away from you (straight out in front). When they are full extended pull them back and up slightly so you look like a “Y”. (Whatever you do, don’t break out into YMCA by the Village People. That would be very bad for your bad ass sled dragging image.) Keep your arms locked as much as possible on the contraction (pull). Contract your delts hard at the top of the “Y”. Release the strap until your arms are fully extended again and the strap tightens back up again. Here is another way to think about this exercise. Hold your arms up in a “Y” positions and then keep them straight while you clap. Your hands will end up around waist level for the clap, then back out for the “Y” rear delt contraction. When you contract from the bottom position, your legs will push too. This is fine. Allow this to happen.
7. Front Raise: This is a forward walking movement. It is the same as a barbell or dumbbell front raise. Only your hands are inside the strap loops to start, palms facing behind your, arms by your sides. As you walk raise the straps until they are just past parallel to the ground. Keep walking forward and slowly lower your arms back to your sides. Keep tension on the strap the entire movement.
8. Rear Walking Low Row: This is a sled dragging modification of the seated row. You walk backwards till your arms are fully extended and then row the straps to your waist/sides. Keep tension on the strap the entire time.
9. One Arm Side Raise Laterally: Grab both ends on the straps with one hand. You will be walking sideways for this movement and your arm will be straight and almost locked. As you move sideways, move your arm across your body, when it can go no further, you
extend it away from your body just like a dumbbell side raise. Keep the tension on the strap the entire time. Switch sides after you reach your rep range or till you burn it out.
10. Backwards biceps and One Arm Curl: For the backwards bicep curl just grab the strap loops in each hand and walk backwards curling the loops towards your chest. As you release and walk backwards keep the tension on the strap the entire time. When your arms are fully extended in front of you again, repeat the curls. The key is the constant tension on the biceps.
11. Forward Standing Rotator: Hold your arms bent at 90 degrees with the strap loops in each hand. Walk forward till the slack is out of the strap, then pull your hands down while keep the elbow at shoulder height so that the movement comes from the shoulder complex. Once you can go no further with the upper arm, walk forward pulling the sled. Allow the hand to go back up to the 90 degree position. You will look like football goal posts in the top position.
12. One Arm Rear Delt: Grab both ends of the upper body sled strap in one hand. You will be walking backwards. It is the same as the two handed rear deltoid exercise in essence but you are only using one arm. Your arm will be extended out in front of you. As you walk backwards the strap will lose its slack. When your arm is fully extended in front of you, then you will pull your arm out and away from your body. The end position will have your arm in the “Y” position like you were screaming “YEAH”. Concentration during this exercise is on the rear deltoid contraction.
13. One Arm Side Triceps Extension: This exercise is like the start position of a low cable triceps extension across the body. You will be bent over at the waist with your butt pushed back. You will walk sideways and as the strap pulls your arm across your chest, you will then reverse it and extend the arm away from your chest. Your fist will face the ground at the end of the movement. As you walk again, your arm will go back across your chest, let it bend at the elbow so your hand touches your chest. Your hand will be inside both loops with the pressure of the strap on the side of the hand/palm.
14. Backwards Front Raise: This is one of the more difficult moves because you have to walk backwards and keep your arms straight while trying to do the front raise. Arms start at your sides with your hands outside the loop holding the top of the strap loop. Raise your arms almost to a locked out military press, then release and walk backwards till the loops pull your arms back down to your sides and repeat! Very light weight or none at all is recommended.
Static Hold Exercises
All of these exercises are performed by getting into the correct position and then holding that position while walking with the sled.
15. Iron Cross: I hate this one! It is very easy to perform but hell to hold for very long. Begin by holding your arms by your sides at or close to shoulder height, parallel to the ground. You should have a slight bend (very slight bend) at your elbow like a pec fly movement. If you have seen the gymnastics dudes doing the Iron Cross on the rings, you are doing the same thing only holding the position and walking with the sled. We go a distance of about 25 yards before stopping to regroup. Hold on and pray!
16. Overhead Hold: This exercise requires you to put your hands straight overhead and walking while holding the straps in side the loops and on the lower part of the palm. A trick I like to use is to keep the arms locked but allow them to move backwards some so it resembles an overhead locked Olympic Jerk or Snatch. You should allow your shoulders to pack into the socket for more stability.
17. 90 Degree Rotator Forwards and Backwards: These exercises are executed holding the arms and elbows in a 90 degree position. To perform each, one is walking forwards and the other is a backwards walk. The backwards is the hardest to hold and work. You can hold the loops which is tougher or you can put your arms inside the loops and pull the loops up onto your biceps (if they fit) for more support.
18. Press Positions (Lower with a Pec Stretch and High Bodybuilder Press Holds): For the lower pec hold grab the strap loops and hold them with your elbows tucked at 45 degrees, like a normal bench press. The hand position is right at chest level or slightly above. (It can also be where you feel you are weakest on the bench). Hold this position and walk forward.
The bodybuilder hold is simply a press where the arms and elbows are at shoulder level and 90 degrees. Press positions can vary to any part of the press where you feel weak. Hint: Move the positions up and down and try to feel where it is hardest to hold and work on that. The hands are inside the loops with the bottom portion of the palm where the strap will sit on the hand.
19. One Arm 90 Degree Military and One Arm Overhead: This static exercise starts with one arm straight up and the other one in a 90 degree position. You will walk forwards and hold as long as possible then switch positions on each side so it is opposite of the first one. Alternate back and forth.
20. Backwards Row Hold: This static move involves walking backwards with the upper body strap pulled close to the sides and around the belly button area. Push the chest up and contract the shoulder blades while pulling. Basically, you are holding the ending position of a seated row. Hold this while walking backwards as long as possible.
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For more detail about us (Spud-Inc-Straps). Please feel free to call us 803-788-2852 or to message us visiting our Contact page and you can visit our Facebook page.
The Story:
My plan was to do my usual three 10 min walks and or sled drag action, but my parents decided to wreck their truck and flip it on its side on the way to Indiana. They were headed up to see my uncle for Thanksgiving and to pick up a 1963 convertible Galaxie 500 that my dad had bought. They were only about an hour away from Columbia when the accident occurred. They came into town for a nice lunch before making the nine hour trip up to Holton, IN. After lunch they were on their way and I got the call about an hour later. We rushed up there to get them and by grace neither were hurt and only seemed to have a minor scratch here and there. My Dad, who also has a thing for late 90s early 2000s Ranger trucks had spent a lot of time rebuilding the motor and fixing up this one – about 5 grand total in motor and tires and it is now complete wash.
When we got there the right-side top was crushed in where it flipped. Basically, my mom was staring at the dirt and looking up at my Dad hanging up on his seat belt. Some bystanders helped break out the windshield and pulled him out and then pulled my mother out. We did not get there until the truck had been towed away and the accident was cleared.
Both of my parents were there normal stoic selves. She just turned 79 and he 74 and they both acted like nothing had really happened. Once the truck was off loaded, we began to unload everything to my truck. Sounds easy enough, except my Dad is a hoarder and basically is prepared for any apocalyptic event that beyond calculations could occur. Luckily it was quitting time at the tow yard and they all wanted was to go home so one of the fellas helped us unload all the crap. My Dad likes to tell everyone what he has in the truck (what type of motor and other parts) so a couple of the guys came by and were salivating at the opportunity they could imagine. Hoping he would leave it to be totaled by insurance for them to then squabble over it, I readily assured them that he would take it home no matter the cost.
The back of my truck was completely full and as all Dad’s do, he asked if I had it under control and was I sure I didn’t need his help strapping it down. It is always funny to me when parents don’t trust their grown kids to do anything. I know everyone else has the same issue with their parents.
Once we got everything tied down, after the strapping had met Dad’s approval, we were on our way home. On the trip up to get them, of course there was construction causing miles of backup in the south bound lane. We were hoping to maybe skate by some of it on the way back, but that pipe dream was gone quickly as we passed up a couple of opportunities to get off and take an alternate route and rammed right into the traffic. We had just passed the last exit to get off. I guess our thinking was that the jam would not even occur as if magic intervened. Yeah, no magic fairy tale for us, and it was actually longer it felt like when we gleefully rode by it on the way up. As we hit the jam full on little did we know that it would last an hour and a half of eeking along. Once we cleared that, I was thinking ‘aight’, ramp that up to reckless driving speed!. That happened for about 20 minutes until Round 2 of construction on another section jammed us up. It surprised me to run into the second jam and as I hit the breaks not trying to lock them up, I automatically braced my other arm across Pops. Not really sure whether we would get rammed from behind, I darted eyes to the mirrors. The people behind us managed not to hit us but a few cars back, I saw a car slam and spin into the cables in the middle of the interstate. It looked like the cables caught the car in like a spider web and pulled it back in. Whew I thought but also wished the best for the people in that car. Also considering my night vision is dog shit now, it continued to be a harrowing and nerve-racking drive home. It is another older moment I used to make fun of but now I see shadows and weird flying things.
In the way back meantime to the beginning of the traffic jam, the wonderful wife starts asking my Dad questions about his life from the beginning. Like most kids, he told me some of these stories many times, but being a boy on the go, I remember little. She says she just asks questions, but they always seem to be more than that and it always opens people up. My Dad got on a roll from his life as a boy to what led him to join the Air Force at 18 to his two tours in Vietnam, two in Thailand and one in Korea. A multitude of things, I had no idea about as our family ain’t talkers, well except my Dad when you ask him things. We got all the stories from working on farms for .25 cent an hour, learning how to work on bombs (all kinds) that went on such historic planes as the Blackbird SR-71 to yelling at a General in the Air Force. He has been a lot of places and seen a lot of things…
My frustration with the traffic jam was still there but hearing all the stories that made him tick were marvelous to listen to. The detail was still there as he remembered people’s names working down family trees on his side on throughout his career was pretty incredible as I can barely remember my own name. As the stories went on, you could hear his voice get strong as he transported himself back to his younger and more vibrant days. As I listened and enjoyed the stories, I also understood a little more about the way I am. You are more like your parents then you ever want to believe as we all struggle to be that individual making what we think is our own particular way. The outcome maybe different but the way is often the same. Nothing wrong with that. Thanks Wifey.
November 19, 2019
* Activations with Tim Tam
* (1) 30 min walk
November 20, 2019
* (1) 20 min walk.
* Tim tam activations and boomstick
* Reverse hyper with hack squat pause sets of 5. 6 rounds
* Rack pulls conventional and sumo for 3 reps each working up to 4 plates. Pause right off pin with pause right before letting off at pin
* Finished training with ropes for 30 sec followed by 50 yard drags for 10 mins time nonstop
November 21, 2019
* Pulled new harness material on magic carpet sled for 10 min plus (2) 10 min walks.
* Activations
* Reverse Hypers 6 sets 4 pre, 2 post
* SSB squats. Worked up to 335ish after many sets.
November 24, 2019
* One lap sled 2 plates, (2) 10 min walks
* Activations with Tim Tam
* Reverse Hyper 3×12
* Bench worked up to 405×1 off softee and back down for 3 drop sets. Happy with the 405 Pretty clean. Had more but the song said let it be so obliged.
* Fat ball tricep push downs 8 sets
November 25, 2019
* (2) 10 min walks
* Lots of activations with the Tim Tam and boomstick. Chest and arms were beat up from benching yesterday so did some BT work on them for 8 mins a arm
* Accessory work
* One hand swings for 8 min going from 12kgx10, 16kgx8, 20kgx5m 24kgx3
* Super wide neutral grip pulls with pauses and breathing work again. 8 sets
* Some light stretching with band and Tim Tam
November 27, 2019
* Activations with Tim Tam
* Reverse hypers 4 pre, 2 post
* Dr Squat strap front squats on pit shark. Rep sets to warm up 3×8, pause/tempo for remainder 5×3 averaging 1 min a set
* Post that did 2 rounds of stomps for 15 sec, hold for 30 sec at top and 15 more sec stomp
* Used Squat buddy for deadlift. Working with a add on add to work the compression at top (basically hold the adductor and hammy together) and other angle to have a adjustable strength levels. Worked up to 405x3x3 with slight pause off floor. No back issues so canned it there.
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For more detail about us (Spud-Inc-Straps). Please feel free to call us 803-788-2852 or to message us visiting our Contact page and you can visit our Facebook page.