The Farmer Vs. The Machine

 

If there was ever a competition to determine certain aspects on what it means to have a strong neck, it be two powerhouse wrestlers that defied the meaning of Neck Strength. Farmer Burns and Marine Mike "The Machine" Bruce come to mind and I want to break down why.

First off, although they come from completely different backgrounds and training style, there's no question both men have a higher IQ on Submission Grappling than many today and out of the two, Mike is very underrated. He came from beginnings that would put a lot of average guys in therapy but he persevered and became one of the strongest guys for his size pound for pound and a great athlete overall in his prime.

Martin Burns was born during the most important war in American History and busted his ass to take care of his family even at an early age. He made wrestling an artform but knew what it took to cripple somebody if he wanted to. Arguably the greatest hooker of any generation but was also most likely the GOAT when it came to being a coach. If you ever understood the dominance of Frank Gotch, you can thank the Farmer for that and many other champions he developed. 

When it comes to training the neck, these two alone are in many aspects without equal. Both devoted time and training to make their neck as strong as possible while also maintaining health. Mike trained in an era during the early UFC years and became a hell of a grappler and fighter training under coaches like Tim Gillett. In a time where steroids and other drugs were growing in sports, this bad ass marine never went that route and relied heavily on good old fashioned conditioning, crazy heavy strength training and old time strongmen principles by bending steel such as spikes and horseshoes. He was trained in the old time strongman feats by Bud Jeffries and because of Bud's guidance and wisdom, Mike developed a level of performing strongman very few if any can comprehend. 

Burns was not only a man of principle, he was heavily into systems that weren't considered the norm at the time and utilized the idea that although conditioning was a priority for wrestling, the ability to practice precision and timing made the biggest difference and reading an opponent with such accuracy that getting them into practically any position he wanted, made him one of the most dangerous wrestlers of all time. The man rarely ever lost a bout and this was in a time where contests were mostly legit and had scientific entities along with tactics that broke bones, shattered tendons and destroyed the spirit of any man that tested him. 

Both men made an impact in their time and although the Farmer is more famous of the two, there's no question that Mike had an impact on others in the shadows. Now the purpose of this post is to look at their styles when it came to training the neck. They knew the ins and outs of neck training for their sport but took things to a level most are baffled to this day when you dig into what they did. 

Burns' biggest known feat of Neck Strength was the Hangman's Noose Feat where he trained his neck to the degree of not only developing a 20 incher on a 165 lb frame but can hang from the noose itself for a solid of period of time and not get injured or for that matter die. If you could choke out the Farmer, you might as well be celebrated as royalty because the man's neck was so freakishly strong, it was damn near impossible. In his book Lessons In Wrestling & Physical Culture, he puts quite a stint of neck training where you do self resistance exercises and bridges to create a powerful entity and even threw in rocking in the front bridge until fatigue. How can you go wrong with that?

For Mike? If it came to the science and hardcore truth about training the neck next to Ted Williams teaching you how to hit a baseball, it ranks right at that level of greatness. There wasn't a method The Machine didn't do that made his neck a force of nature. From heavy weights, to high rep training, band work, bridges and more, it is above and beyond what others before or since have accumulated. When it came to feats of strength, even the Farmer would question Mike's sanity because he made almost the hangman's noose look like a joke. Mike had steel bars bent across his throat. Even Horseshoes didn't stand a chance, Mike had them bent and it is incredible the way it is done. It's hard enough bending horseshoes with your bare hands but to have them bent across the throat where it could easily crush the windpipe of a normal human being is just nuts.

Who would win in a contest of this context? I would put my money on Mike and this isn't about being biased, when you look into the feats and the training methods, Mike took it steps further than Burns did. Wrestling wise, even Mike might say Burns was the better wrestler because with Catch in Burns' time, you had to learn how to cripple someone and get dirty when it was called upon because back then, there weren't big payoffs let alone medical modalities. Mike could still go if he wanted to and knows how to break a limb but he also has that marine mentality. Not taking away anything from either man, they both could fight in ways that question a lot of other guys' manhood with the way they handle themselves. 

If you want to have the strongest neck possible, check out Mike's Channel on YouTube on Building A Thick Neck . Want to train without weights or doing bridges, check out the Neck Flex that also uses a resistance band. Train myself with these little fuckers and will do a total of 300 or more reps hitting 25-50 in different directions. Keeps my neck at around 18 inches in my 40's. Be amazingly awesome and keep things going. A strong neck could save your life one day. 

The Legend Of Danny Hodge: Toughness That Shattered Steel And Forged Iron Through Physical Dominance

In today's world of Social Media where you'll find so called "Tough Guys", you'll find many would actually tap out when the pressure gets real. You want to talk about toughness, it could be argued very few can be tougher than the Superman from Oklahoma. A man that was raw and stood on a mountain of incredible strength that very few if any can even comprehend.

Born in the midst of the great depression in 1932 in the town of Perry, Hodge wasn't the type of guy that chased fame and sure as hell didn't care about gimmicks. Danny was a man among men that was forged in the fire of a hardscrabble life. On the mat, in the ring and the incredible feats of strength he performed, it almost sounded like tall tales of American Myth. When you realize that it was real, it just makes things all the more jaw dropping. He wasn't some polished athlete, he was what the words "hard work" stood for; built himself on farm work, working in oil fields and had the spirit of a fucking lion that roared in the faces of broken bones, car crashes and whatever opponent wanted to test him.

His resume in amateur wrestling seems like a myth in a and of itself. At Oklahoma University, nobody could take him down and this isn't a metaphor, this is literal. In his insane 46 victories, 36 of them alone were pins. Not one, not two, but three NCAA Titles at 177 lbs. Was awarded Outstanding Wrestling honors and in a 10 Day Stretch, won the NCAA Title, AAU Greco Title & AAU Freestyle Title. All pins. Won silver in the 56' Olympics but there was some controversy due to political crap and questionable calls that robbed him of the Gold. 

Although not his particular style of grappling, Hodge was efficient in hooking and had such bad ass grip strength that he can turn pliers into scrap and crush apples into pieces with his bare hands. Even by his 80's, he was still able to accomplish these feats. Nature gave him the tools and life gave him the opportunity to weaponize them. 

In Pro Wrestling, he dominated in a time where it had more colorful characters than legit shooters who could perform. They were a dying breed and Hodge was one of the last men to step in the ring without some crazy gimmick or character. He was his own man and people still ate it up. A multi-time Junior Heavyweight champ in the NWA and wasn't the typical performer that would dance around or cut promos. He just got in the ring, stretched you if you didn't follow the script and made sure you were there to do a job and not go off the rails around the boys or the promoters. There's even a story where he taught a wanna-be a lesson in humility that was giving Jim Ross a hard time. The guy never stood a chance against Danny. 

He was also a Golden Gloves Boxer with an undefeated streak as well, going 17-0. There are great wrestlers and great boxers but very few if any had the honor of being a champion in both sports. He wasn't just tough, he was as resilient as they come with the way he was brought up and how he had to get himself out of situations that would make most men bury themselves in various dark entities. It was pure hell if there ever was one. Growing up with an alcoholic father and a mother that had severe depression, home burning down before he was 10 years old that left his mother burned around 70% of her body, it was these things that made him learn lessons beyond what a normal body should've. He pushed himself hard through it all, enlisting in the Navy and wrestled bears while building a body that was compact but packed a punch more than anybody can dream of. 

You want to talk about a test? Back in 1976, he drove home after a match and fell asleep at the wheel, crashed his car and going into a lake. He broke his neck and while most men would've been dead and gone, he survived and recovered. Although miraculous, it was also time for him to leave the boots in the ring. He still showed up in some capacity, inspiring other wrestlers and performing his strength feats to crowds and lived in in his hometown until death finally took him on Xmas in 2020 at 88 years old. Despite having dementia in his later years, he still had a presence, an aura that was uncanny and powerful. You weren't meeting just an old time wrestler, you were looking into the eyes of a man told death to fuck off for a long time. 

What made this man special went beyond his grip strength, accomplishments on the mat or in the ring, it was his attitude. Coming from a time of the Dust Bowl poverty stricken era, he kept fighting and made himself into a legendary figure that some of the best shooters of the modern era admired. He never used steroids or needed media attention; just pure power, determination and a grip that was astoundingly epic. He was a reminder of what real men were and built: Legacies that overshadowed the record books.

Today, the Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded to the best wrestler in NCAA Wrestling. What the Heisman Trophy is to College Football, Danny's award is to College Wrestling and it wasn't by accident. It was to showcase what dominance looks like. He set the standard, leaving a trail of crushed apples screaming opponents and an inspiration to athletes everywhere. Real power isn't loud, it's relentless and unbreakable. 

Train hard, be a force of nature and honor the legends that came before you. Be amazingly awesome. 

Deceptive Strength: Developing Freak-Like Power Without Looking Like A Oversized Cartoon Character

 

Many gym goers will not only chase the mirror muscles but will sprint towards it with extreme determination without considering the consequences and hidden aspects of what it means to have those "muscles". A great book obliterates one of the greatest lies in Fitness Culture, that you need to be huge in order to be strong. 

The author; Logan Christopher, was once as weak as a little puppy and went on to become pound for pound one of the strongest men I've ever witnessed and one of the most gifted strongmen the world needs to know more of. From steel bending to deadlifting over 500 lbs, making handstand push-ups look effortless and juggling 40kg Kettlebells (this isn't a typo, its real as it gets). Even with all these accomplishments, he stayed very lean and incredibly compact. He wasn't nor ever will be a bloated bodybuilder. It is just raw and awesome strength & power that turns heads for all the right reasons. 

His inspiration was drawn from the old time strongmen of yesteryear: Mighty Atom, Alexander Zass and Arthur Saxon whom didn't look all that menacing in street clothes but DE-STROYED various feats of strength that to the naked eye seemed impossible. This particular guide not 1 or 2 but 5 factors that show the importance of strength beyond muscular size. You'll be getting 25 key concepts to how you can apply this, 50 exercises that showcase classic moves that built men and 20 workouts that embeds into your brain on the aspects of skill-strength, the power in your tendons, harnessing leverage and intelligible progressions over nonsensical hypertrophy.   

Train to learn how to use your genetics and not against you. Master how to signal your body, timing your nutrition and thinking outside the box that gives you the true key ingredients of the methods the old timers used. This book is over 140 pages of no bullshit wisdom that blends the old school secrets of the strongest men of their time and modern day scientific research.

Don't just look strong, become it with a fucking vengeance without having to take steroids or hgh or any of that crap. Get your hands on Deceptive Strength and forge the kind of super powers that last. Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it. 

Training Through Grief And Emotional Rollercoasters

 When certain aspects of life hit you especially after losing a loved one, you still give yourself the time to do what gives you the ability to process in your own way and get the most out of what is possible. Even if its just finding a way to play around it. For me, it was my training.

During those 3 days, I did a total of 4 workouts. First day was traveling day and getting settled in. I did Isometrics at the airport to keep active and then after unpacking and winding down, I went out and did a 500 Rep Circuit with my Dopa Band. Feeling the cool ocean air and just getting that groove in. Nothing hardcore or anything, just doing what I love. It was good to be active and doing what was possible for me in the moment.

Second day, I got up around 430 in the morning cause sleeping just didn't happen a whole lot considering what was going to be a hell of a day. Around after 5 or so, I took my band out, feeling the cool, crisp air in the California Fog. Didn't feel that cold to me but it wasn't very warm out either, then again, what I put myself through did help heat up my body and looking like steam coming off of my body while I trained. I did a 720 Rep Circuit of 6 Exercises, 10 Reps each for 12 Rounds. It was my only workout of the day and I'm glad I had the discipline to do it before things rolled.

Third day, another traveling day, getting up at 4 in the morning to hit up a flight with a layover and then to our final landing which hit around 2 ish. Didn't even get home until sometime after 5 for certain reasons and the only workout I really wanted to do was a round of Isometrics with the WorldFit Iso Trainer. Just enough to get that burst of energy blasting and strengthening the muscles and tendons after a long day. 

Working out in this series of events is more than just discipline, it's knowing that despite the chaotic rollercoaster rides that includes dealing with loss, there's still something you can do even for a few minutes that brings maybe a bit of comfort and making the effort that you can do a quick thing for yourself so later you can be there for others in the present moment. I'm not saying its required or anything but I do encourage you that if you're going through tragedy or dealing with something of this caliber, find an opportunity to do even a small micro workout to help you cope with what has happened around you. When things like this come around, emotions can be very high but can also make you crash hard and people can do some crazy shit when emotions run high and a good workout is a far better choice than certain alternatives.

Those workouts (or at least that morning circuit) gave me the strength I needed beyond the physical to help me be present with the people I care very much about and just be. Sometimes we get anxious and full of adrenaline that it briefly makes us unable to think clearly and possibly go off the rails. For me, it was about fighting back what would've made feel things more than I already was and lose some focus on what mattered that day. It helped me focus but also allowed me to express my emotions in the way I needed them to be instead of possibly becoming unpredictable. 

Our world may have stopped for a short time but it gave us opportunities to learn how we move forward individually and as a family. From an individual stand point, we all did things differently but it also bonded us. As a family, yeah we are scattered and live lives in different places but when push comes to shove, when we are all together, we have our quirks and our interests in things but we also have each other and knew that we were going to be ok. Even in the end, my grandma knew we were going to be ok.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and keep being amazingly awesome. 

The World Stood Still For 3 Days

 The last 3 days have been a rollercoaster that took a toll on all that were a part of the events that unfolded. All had their own individual set of grieving but it was the togetherness that kept things moving forward. Emotions were at their peak levels, some were higher than others but you knew and felt the raw and authenticity of those emotions even beyond reasoning or understanding.

For 3 days, the world stood still as my family prepared, went through and going through the process after of saying goodbye to my grandmother. The funeral in and of itself was the toughest of them all for obvious reasons but it was also a sight of genuine love and coming together that made that tough day not so much easier but tightening what we all needed. Each other. The woman that truly started it all with us was laid to rest with every generation that came after her celebrating her life and bringing memories that will last a lifetime. When I say every generation, it's not an exaggeration; her two children, her 6 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren all attended. She lived to see all these people be born and grow. 

My grandmother left behind a legacy that is the stuff of legends. Born into a world that had arguably the greatest boom in American history, lived through the great depression, saw many presidents sworn in, saw a man walk on the moon, held multiple jobs, ran an antique store, raised two kids by herself, retired at the age of 83, was still a child when the Babe hit 60 and so much more. But, like the above, saw every generation born and grow, the oldest being almost 24 and the youngest being around 8, not many people can say that. She was 105 and gave us something to remember and cherish.

Our world will never be the same again especially to her two kids, my father and my aunt. To us grandkids, no more nights of laughter, confiding and being with the person that helped shape us individually. If there was ever someone who knew how to keep fighting to the bitter end, it was her. She was the closest to us that was considered immortal and if the words "There can be only one" had a name, it was my grandmother's. For her great-grandkids, they learned the hand that held us before them and will live on knowing where they came from and what she represented in the very depths of the human soul that will never be duplicated. 

I'm grateful to have seen this woman live for so long it's still mind boggling. To have lived as long as she did with the way she ate and drank, it ought to be scientifically studied. I don't think there was ever a time she turned us away, she lifted us up when we were at our low points, she carried our pain, our sorrows and she taught us what it means to be a family.

I had the honor of helping her go into the earth next to at least two of her siblings and her parents. I helped one of my sisters read a passage in the bible so she wouldn't do it alone. I got to read my Beacon Of Light Article to all who attended the luncheon after the service upon request of my dad and was happy to do it. I was helped by a nephew, my brother, my uncle and my brother-in law to carry her to the hearse and to her burial place. It was one of those surreal moments that will never fade. 

My siblings, cousins and I all have memories that will carry in our hearts forever and she gave us all something that will never leave us, her hand on our shoulders as she watches us continue on in our lives to be there for the ones we love as she had done for us unconditionally. I will miss her everyday and use her lessons that have been instilled since the day I was born. She was and always will be the greatest strength that our family ever had.