Unconventional Athletes Issue 11

www.unconventionalathletes.com 

CONTENTS 

10 

GET 

BRUTAL WITH THE BATTLE LOG! LEARN TO USE AND 

CONSTRUCT YOUR OWN! 

Drawing from his vast experiences in Unconventional Training, Henk Bakker 

shows you how to turn nature into the ultimate conditioning tool! 

13 

KEEPING 

18 

LEARN 

21 

FROM 

26 

LEARN 

29 

AGE 

32 

FITNESS 

37 

TRIGGERING 

PARKINSONS IN CHECK DRUG FREE! 

THE SUPERMAN OF FITNESS Anthony Catanzaro combines his faith and 

unusual exercise for an Unconventional cure. 

ISOMETRIC HOLDS FOR MENTAL TOUGHNESS! 

Karsten Jensen on pushing past the limits with specialist raining! 

BEING IN A HANDSTAND AND FIREING 

ARROWS FROM THE FEET. 

Learn from Betsy Shuttleworth and her Student, Bella Gantt, the very disciplined 

and Unconventional art of contortion. 

THE BACK LEVER CORRECTLY! 

Progressions to perfection get a solid lever with Antonis Arachovitis 

IS A NUMBER! 67 YEARS YOUNG AND KEEPING CANCER 

IN CHECK WHILST BEASTING THE CALISTHENICS! 

Robert Durbin on defying the odds and gravity! 

FOR ARMAGEDDON, COULD YOU SURVIVE 

A ZOMBIE APOCOLYPSE? 

Learn how to build shelters, fires and exercise for survival combat with John 

Watson 

HYSTERICAL STRENGTH AT WILL! 

From flipping cars to lifting skips learn about Tony Farrugia’s crazy strength! 

Issue 11 - Volume 1


introduction 

ISSUE 11 VOLUME 1 

CEO: Nigel John 

Contributors: 

Anthony Catanzaro 

Betsy Shuttleworth and 

Bella Gannt 

John Watson 

Antonis Aracovitis 

Karsten Jensen 

Henk Bakker 

Tony Farrugia 

Robert Durbin 

Facebook Group: UnconventionalAthletes.Com 

Facebook Business Page: UnconventionalAthletes/ 

Instagram: unconventionalathletes/ 

INQUIRES: 

Email: Unconventionalfit@outlook.com 

Advertising enquires: 

NigelJohn@UnconventionalAthletes.com 

“The difference between 

the impossible and the 

possible lies in a man’s 

determination.” 

- Tommy Lasorda 

Cover Athletes: Anthony Catanzaro 

Disclaimer: 

UnconventionalAthletes.com ltd is a publication/magazine. 

UnconventionalAthletes.com ltd is an online publication/ 

magazine and makes no representation, endorsement, portrayal, 

warranty or guarantee with regards to safety or the 

efficacy of the products or the techniques of training methods 

that are spoken about, debated, or are conversed either 

by writing or pictures/videos that represent the articles 

or any advertisements present in this magazine. UnconventionalAthletes.com 

ltd makes no warranty, guarantee 

representation regarding the use of the techniques, equipment/products, 

purchase of services that are in the United 

Kingdom or elsewhere in the world. It is mandatory that 

you discuss with a health care professional your physical 

health before or if you decide to try the techniques/exercises 

and equipment featured and discussed both literally and 

visually in this magazine. UnconventionalAthletes.com ltd 

takes no liability in your participation from the information 

received in the magazine and thus any participation is considered 

voluntary thus cannot hold responsible either UnconventionalAthletes.com 

ltd or its partners, contributors 

or anybody or products featured in this online publication 

from any harm or injury that may result from participation. 

Top athletes dedicate themselves to 

developing powerful bodies capable 

of astounding results. But even the 

strongest body is compromised by a 

weak mindset. 

Determination is an essential driving 

force behind performance. Issue 11 

features a group of highly skilled 

individuals capable of fusing their 

physical and mental powers with 

great success. 

Exemplifying dedication, Robert Durbin, 

a 67-year-old grandfather battling 

cancer continues to maintain a 

demanding exercise routine which includes 

his jaw-dropping bar workouts. 

Anthony Catanzaro (cover), a life-long 

fitness model, is determined to overcome 

Parkinson’s Disease using a holistic 

approach demanding mental, physical 

and spiritual dedication. 

Then there’s Betsy Shuttleworth and 

her student Bella Gantt, who are dedicated 

to the challenging art of contortion. 

Applying strict guidelines to 

help prevent injury, hours of practice 

have resulted in the execution of 

seemingly impossible tricks expressed 

with grace and fluidity. 

Placing emphasis on developing 

mental toughness, Karsten Jensen 

shares his specific training methods 

designed to bolster stamina and 

endurance. Known for his innate 

physical strength, powerlifter Tony 

Farrugia explains how and why he 

spends time tipping over cars with 

his bare hands. 

For nature lovers, Henk Bakker returns 

to show step-by-step how to 

build brawn along with a versatile 

battering ram from a self-cut log. 

And John Watson, a lifelong outdoorsman 

and athlete, outlines essential 

survival information for those 

who may find themselves in ruthless 

competition with Mother Nature. 

We hope you enjoy your issue of 

Unconventional Athletes Magazine 

and welcome your comments and 

feedback. 

Warm regards, 

Nigel John


Nigel John 

Founder and creator of Unconventional Athletes.com 

Nigel John created Unconventional Athletes Magazine as a 

resource to educate, challenge and inspire athletes to think 

about fitness in new ways. He is partnered with Phantom 

Athletics and sponsored by Mass Suit and is also partnered 

with the Intrepid series an obstacle course event that is the 

hardest on the planet. 

Well-known and respected in the unconventional training 

community, Nigel developed his own system called High 

Octane Training. His program is designed to develop fitness 

to an elite level in a very short period of time with multiple 

applications. A sponsored Athlete and former British 

Commando, Personal Trainer and former professional Muay 

Thai Boxer his knowledge and emphasis on commitment 

and integrity help shape his values and the spirit of this 

Unconventional Training magazine. Nigel was able to walk 

away with just bruised ribs after a prolonged attack by 4+ 

males, this was featured on the BBC News and in the Daily 

Mail Newspaper. 

The athletes featured in Unconventional Athletes Magazine 

embrace progressive, pragmatic approaches to fitness based 

on real experience. Many have overcome hardships and 

serious obstacles and are driven by a passion to reach personal 

goals. Coming from diverse backgrounds, these select, highachieving 

men and women share their strategies and stories 

to contribute to the community of athletes seeking new ways 

to develop skills. 

In addition to featuring unconventional training methods, 

Unconventional Athletes Magazine also provides information 

on specialist training equipment to guide athletes and prevent 

them from falling prey to gimmicks or products making 

unsubstantiated claims. 

Prepare yourself to experience excellence. Join the evolution! 

Website: www.UnconventionalAthletes.Com -Power Of Body Strength Of Mind 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnconventionalAthletes/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unconventionalathletes/ 



CONTRIBUTORS 

HENK BAKKER 

NATIONALITY: DUTCH 

Henk Bakker - Alias Henkules - Henk works at the Department of Justice in a Special Response 

Team to ensure safety against dangerous detainees. Henk had different forms of training such as 

combat, endurance and strength training. Henk’s job now is activity leader and fitness instructor 

at the detention center. He has over twenty-five yea’s experience in strength training. He is also 

a fitness trainer and a bootcamp instructor. Henk’s mission is to motivate and inspire people who 

want to train in an unconventional way. Most of the unconventional training tools are made by 

himself. 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/553936311344546/?fref=ts 

Anthony CATAnzaro 

NATIONALITY: AMERICAN 

Tony Catanzaro, 46, got his first weight set at age 15 and by 18 was working as a male fitness 

model. He has appeared in films, TV shows, magazines, catalogues and on the cover of numerous 

romance novels. Through the years he has participated in natural bodybuilding competitions, 

often placing or winning champion titles in the Middleweight division. Training and helping 

Disclaimer: 

others UnconventionalAthletes.com reach their potential ltd is a publication/magazine. 

through exercise, nutrition and confidence building is what Tony 

finds UnconventionalAthletes.com most rewarding. ltd Diagnosed is an online publication/ with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease, he is dedicated to healing 

himself with natural methods and forgoing drug treatment. He is the owner of Tony’s 

magazine and makes no representation, endorsement, por- 

Fitness 

trayal, warranty or guarantee with regards to safety or the 








Studio in Ozone Park, NY and lives in New York City with the love of his life, his wife, Tina. 












Website: http://www.anthonycatanzaro.com 

WEBSITE: tonycatanzaro.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.catanzaro.121 

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realtonycatanzaro 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tcatanzaro


CONTRIBUTORS 

Betsy Shuttleworth and Bella Gantt 

NATIONALITY: American 

Betsy Shuttleworth, 46, is a flexibility specialist with over 18 years’ experience in contortion 

and over 30 years in dance. Betsy’s formal training and personal experience was ballet/point, 

and as the founder and co-director of Dance Extentions Performing Arts Center (DEPAC) in 

Pennsylvania she continues to teach advanced ballet, a prerequisite for her competing contortion 

students. She has tirelessly pursued guidance in contortion from leaders in the art 

including trainers with Cirque Du Soleil and travels internationally to teach proper warm-up 

and contortion techniques. Devoted to her students, she also accompanies her top performing 

students who have appeared on nationally televised shows and leading circuses in the U.S. and 

internationally. Betsy resides in Eighty-four, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Gary. Bella Gantt 

is her extremely talented student with a very exceptional and unique skill set, read more about 

her in the article. 

Instagram: @bendytrainer 

Website: www.danceextensionpac.com 

Facebook: Dance Extensions Performing Arts Center 

Karsten Jensen 

NATIONALITY: DANISH 

Karsten Yesto, 47, is specialized in Holistic and Individualized and Periodized training programs for 

serious athletes of any kind. He holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of 

Copenhagen and became the first full-time strength coach in the Danish Sports System. (1999-2007) 

His focus is on teaching and exploring through the mind, body, and spiritual ways to realize an athlete’s 

true potential for strength, speed, power and endurance. His coaching style includes forming no 

attachments to any equipment or any one particular form of training. Yesto currently resides in Ontario, 

Canada. 

Website: www.yestostrength.com 

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/Yes-To-Strength-221909754535711/ 

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8FkOOWPBqXGwwKEYXaaZsg 



CONTRIBUTORS 

ADONIS APACHI 

NATIONALITY: GREEK 

Antonis Arachovitis has studied Physical Education and Sport Science in the University of Athens, 

Greece and has a MSc. in Sport Management. From his early years, he has been into sport and 

athletics and has been competitive water – ski athlete until the age of 18 with lots of distinctions. 

Over the last 3 years he has been practicing calisthenics and is one of the most promising 

calisthenics athletes in Greece. He is currently living in Athens, Greece and working as a personal 

trainer. His vision is to get as many people involved in physical activity and help them become 

stronger, in order to live a better life. 

FACEBOOK: https://m.facebook.com/athensrepsteam/ 

INSTAgRAM: @apache_the_chief. 

Robert Durbin 


Robert Durbin, 67, earned the nickname Rock Hard Pawpa for the incredible transformation 

he underwent starting at the age of 57. Retired from the Ford Motor Company, Durbin 

dropped Disclaimer: his 4 pack a day smoking habit and joined the local YMCA in hopes of gaining mobility 

UnconventionalAthletes.com and losing weight. ltd is an In online the course publication/ of one year he lost 60 pounds and by the end of his 


second magazine and year makes wore no representation, a 6-pack instead endorsement, of drinking portrayal, 


them. Highly skilled in Calisthenics, which he 

started 

efficacy of the 

practicing 

products or the 

in 

techniques 

2013, Durbin’s 

of training methods 

well that are as spoken gaining about, debated, him the or are attention conversed either of Barstarzz who made him an honorary member. Di- 

Instagram attracted him a role in an Advil commercial 

as 


agnosed 

or any advertisements 

with colon 

present 

cancer 

in this magazine. 

in 2014, 

UnconventionalAthletes.com 

days he must ltd remain makes no attached warranty, guarantee to an IV drip line/pole. He is currently working on getting 

Durbin continues to workout at a steady level, even on 

the 


a certification 

purchase 

in training. 

of services that 

He 

are 

resides 

in the United 

in Louisville, KY, with his wife of 38 years, Frances, who 

Kingdom or elsewhere in the world. together It is mandatory have 5 that children, 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. 











FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/robert.durbin.752?fref=ts


CONTRIBUTORS 

John WATSon 


John Watson, 46, has been an avid outdoorsman for over 30 years and a self-taught primitive 

wilderness survival expert. He is the lead instructor for Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp as 

well as a local Boy Scout troop leader. His nickname “Razor” stems from keeping his knives, 

tomahawks, axes and hatchets sharp enough to shave. Watson is an active and skilled hunter, 

competitive shooter, fisherman, hiker, tracker and canoeist/kayaker who practices survival skills 

while regularly backpacking and camping. John has also been the 3-time state champion cyclist 

in the 40k road time trial, raced mountain bikes and rock-climbed for 20 years. He continues to 

cross country ski, winter camp and does nature photography as a hobby. John lives in Iowa with 

his teenage son. 

Youtube: RAZORSHARP170 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZombieASC 

Website: http://zasccomms.wixsite.com/zombieasc 

TONY FARRUGIA 

NATIONALITY: MALTESE 

Tony Farrugia, 24, is a self-taught strongman who believes that his brute strength is a trait 

inherited from his grandfather. Starting at age 18, Tony realized his “abnormal strength” when 

he began lifting cars and training with stones. He has never trained in a gym and is firmly 

against using any performance enhancing drugs or even supplements. In addition to lifting 

massive objects, he also bends items such as frying pans, screwdrivers, nails and rips phonebooks 

in half - skills which his steel bending grandfather passed on to him. Tony was born and 

resides in Malta and currently attends university where he is studying to become an English 

teacher. 

INTAgram: tonyfarrugia1 

YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC-dDRlppO1eUD9mjil0DQfw 

YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCoSayDXZepeIyelUaHLlZrQ 

YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCFwap7-MzFGRsFz2EFPfDtw 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009448894145 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonyFarrugiaFeatsOfStrength/ 



Constructing and 

Using a Battle-Log 

By Henk Bakker 

During one of my workouts in a wooded area I got inspired to 

design a training tool suited to training outdoors in nature. So 

it’s no coincidence that I constructed a product from nature. 

I knew from experience that you could do a lot of different 

training exercises with a log. I figured, if I attached handles to 

the log then I could do a lot more exercises with it. So I came 

up with an idea to make the handles out of rope, but they had 

to be strong enough to handle the weight and the movements 

of the log. 

The Battle-Log is a unique training tool designed for 

unconventional athletes who want to do a full-body workout 

with one training tool. Agility, strength and endurance are the 

key capabilities of this multifunctional tool. 

This Battle-Log weighs just over 20 kilos (see pictures). This 

is heavy enough to provide a decent challenge to the body. 

I bought a multifunctional rope and used the Macrame knot 

to make firm handles. (see pictures) 

Disclaimer: 























How to make your own Battle-Log 

First, you need to find a log with a diameter of about 20 cm 

-- the log should be long enough so that you can cut it at 

120cm length.


Tools and materials needed: 

» a log 

» tapeline 

» handsaw 

» nail clamps 

» hammer 

» rope 

» metal fixing plates 

» screwdriver/ machine and (Phillips head) screws 

» a lighter (for cauterizing the end of the rope) 

it is very important that you leave enough space between the 

log and the rope-handles, so you have enough room to hold 

the handles properly. (see picture) 

Fasten the rope-handles well with nail clamps and fasten the 

metal fixing plates with Phillips head screws. At both ends of 

the log I wrapped rope and fastened it with nail clamps, so 

that the trunk will not split so much during use. 

Look carefully at the picture to see the position that the rope 

handles are mounted 

Exercises you can do with the Battle- 

Log 

W ith the Battle-Log, every exercise 

can become a core exercise, a balance 

exercise and an agility exercise. 

The Battle-Log is so versatile that it can 

be pushed, lifted, dragged and flipped. 

The possibilities are extremely varied. 

I will show the top 5 of my favorite 

exercises with the Battle-Log. 

1- The battering-ram exercise 

(alternating) 

2- Power canoeing 

3- Lateral Battle-Log flip 

4- Reverse Battle-Log Lunges halo 

chop 

5- Sumo deadlift to high pull 

1. The battering-ram (alternating) 

3 sets, 45 seconds per exercise (alternating) 

The battering-ram motion is a very cool 

and effective exercise which uses almost 

every muscle in your body. Your fingers 

a nd forearms pull together to hold the 

w eight, your core stabilizes to fight 

a gainst reciprocating movement, your 

shoulder muscles control the acceleration 

and deceleration of the Battle-Log. Also, 

your glutes, calves and quadriceps work 

hard if you go down and up with the log. 

Strong muscles from head to toe. 

R eady to batter away your belly? 

Stand with your feet wide, and put the 

p ressure points on the forefoot, make 

a swinging motion from back to front. 

Move to mid-range of motion (looking 

to increase movement ability.) 

E nsure that movement comes mainly 

from foot/ ankle, hips and your spine. 

Maintain steady and move rhythmically. 

2. Power canoeing exercise 

2 sets, 3 minutes per set. 

A creative option to strengthen the 

core and the muscles in the shoulders, 

a s well as the trunk and forearms, is 

the dry-land paddling exercise perfect 

for kayaking and canoeing. Sit on your 

k nees with legs together. Hold your 

h ands under the Battlle-Log handles, 

w hich sit over the length of the 

B attle-Log, and start with the paddle 

movement. Build up till you’re able to 

“air row” for 3-5 minutes per set. 

3. Lateral Battle-Log flip 

3 sets, 60 seconds per exercise 



» S quat down with the Battle-Log 

flat on the floor. As you stand up, 

flip the Battle-Log up. 

» As it reaches an upright position, 

control the Battle-Log with the 

other hand, taking a lateral shuffle 

and squatting down again as the 

Battle-Log reaches the ground. 

» Repeat the move in the same 

direction, contracting your glutes 

while swapping sides each circuit. 

4. Reverse Battle-Log Lunges halo chop 


» Stand with your feet shoulder 

width, your knees slightly bent. 

Keep the Battle-Log with two 

hands at waist height in front of 

you. 

» Turn the Battle-Log around your 

head, bring your right bicep to your 

right ear, and then turn the Battle- 

Log behind your back. 

» Rotate your torso to the left, 

“CHOP” the Battle-Log like an ax 

down and step with your left leg 

back into a reverse lunge. 

» Now do the movement in reverse, 

lift the Battle-Log up and make a 

circle in the opposite direction. 

Turn your torso to the right and 

step with your right leg back. 

5. Sumo deadlift to high pull 


Squat and grab the Battle-Log 

overhand at the center handle, 

your feet stand a little more than 

shoulder width. Then stand upright 

explosively and pull the Battlelog 

to your shoulders. Go back down 

and repeat. 

Disclaimer: 






















from any harm or injury that may result from participation.


OVERPOWERING 

PARKINSON’S 

Known as “The Superman of Fitness” Anthony Catanzaro, a model and lifelong fitness enthusiast, 

appears to be in perfect condition. But a recent diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease has boldly 

challenged him in unexpected ways. Opting for a drug-free approach, Anthony is relying on his strong 

will, faith, exercise and his uncompromising optimism for an unconventional cure. 



They say there is no 

cure Disclaimer: for Parkinson’s 

disease and that you 

must take the drugs, 

but for me my drug 

has always been 

exercise! 























Can you begin by telling us how you 

were diagnosed with Young Onset 

Parkinson’s Disease? What symptoms 

first made you see a doctor? 

It all started for me back in January 

2013. I knew something was wrong 

with me because I know every inch of 

my body. 

I couldn’t walk more than 1 block 

without my left leg and foot cramping. 

I immediately thought maybe I was 

low on magnesium or potassium, but 

I knew it was more than that. A few 

months had passed, and my condition 

got worse. I was having trouble with 

my left arm and hand. I couldn’t count 

or hold money in my hand. A few more 

months passed and still my condition 

grew worse. I began having problems 

tying my shoes. 

I went to doctor after doctor, and none 

of them knew what was wrong with 

me. I had multiple brain MRI’s, blood 

tests and physical examinations which 

were all normal. But I knew something 

was seriously wrong with me. It 

was then I sought out a Movement 

Disorder Specialist in NYC at Columbia 

University. When she examined me, she 

said I believe you have Young Onset 

Parkinson’s Disease. I went home in 

disbelief thinking she was wrong. Then 

I went to 2 more Movement Disorder 

Specialists after that. They all confirmed 

I had Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. 

They wanted me to begin taking the 

drugs immediately. Being a natural 

bodybuilder my entire life, I have never 

used drugs. So this was not going to be 

any different! It was then that my wife 

Tina had found a natural holistic healer 

online who cured himself of Parkinson’s 

disease within 9 months by doing a 

body, mind and soul healing. The healing 

for the body involves 30 minutes of 

Qigong exercises every morning. The 

mind part requires a positive attitude 

all day long. And the soul part of the 

healing requires Faith. This is called the 

Parkinson’s disease recipe for recovery 

by Howard Shifke. His website is: http:// 

www.fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com 

I was officially diagnosed on June 9 th 

2015. Since then, things have been very 

rough for me, and I know that God has 

a purpose for me and I know that this 

is his will. But I do believe that 100% 

through my undying faith, that I will be 

healed body mind and soul! 

How hard is it to train now with a 

disease that affects the central nervous 

system? 

Having Parkinson’s disease is like being 

wrapped in a straightjacket while 

someone is pushing you back and 

forth and side to side. It is a Movement 

Disorder so anything that involves 

movement, you will have difficulty 

doing, or you will not be able to 

accomplish it at all! I still train 5 days 

a week with weights. I do my cardio on 

the elliptical because it’s kind of hard 

for me to walk. 

With Parkinson’s you lack dopamine, a 

neurotransmitter. Dopamine is like the 

transmission on a car – you can have 

a brand new Ferrari with a powerful 

engine and it’s gorgeous and spotless, 

but without the transmission the car 

just sits there. 

The big difference is that I have changed 

my diet. I’ve lowered my protein a lot, 

by about 50%, and eat more fruits and 

vegetables. Basically, I try to make my 

diet more alkaline and less acidic. When 

you eat a lot of steak, chicken and fish 

the body becomes more acidic. 

Since 1996, I had been on a high 

protein/low carb diet. Although this 

helped me create a beautiful body 

and helped me to win many contests 

and competitions as well as finding 

fame in fitness, it did not help my 

brain. I don’t believe this is how I got 

Parkinson’s though, as I think it comes 

from stress. 

The 3 main causes of Parkinson’s 

disease are: 

1: anger, resentment, frustration 

2: poor diet/ lack of balance 

3: overwork, not enough rest 

So I was a victim of all three. Before 

I had Parkinson’s, I never sat down 

and I always did a million things at 

once. Now, I have trouble getting 

dressed in the morning. I believe that 

Parkinson’s is teaching me a valuable 

lesson in life.


When I get up in the 

morning and Parkinson’s 

disease says stay in bed…. 

I listen to my spirit which 

says GET UP!! 

What type of training do you do now? 

Does it help keep the symptoms in 

check? 

Exercise, without a shadow of a doubt, 

helps relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s 

disease. Since the disease is caused by 

a lack of dopamine, exercise helps to 

release feel good chemicals - which 

include dopamine. But I’m not looking to 

just relieve the symptoms, I’m looking to 

cure myself of the disease completely. 

I do a combination of three types of 

exercise. One is weight lifting to keep 

my strength, second is cardiovascular 

which is walking or elliptical to keep 

my ability to walk and to help with my 

balance, and the third is stretching to 

help with the never-ending stiffness I 

feel all over my body. They say there is 

no cure for Parkinson’s disease and that 

you must take the drugs, but for me my 

drug has always been exercise! 

Issue 11 - Volume 1 

How do you apply your unconventional 

healing and training methods to 

combat symptoms? 

First, I do Qigong exercises every 

morning for 30 minutes, which involves 

cleansing the kidneys, the liver, gall 

bladder, pretty much the entire organ 

and circulatory systems of toxins. 

Secondly is the mental part of the 

therapy which includes positive 

affirmations throughout the entire day. 

Basically mind over matter: Telling my 

body that there is nothing wrong with 

me. Saying over and over in my mind: 

I’m getting better, I’m feeling better etc. 

every day. 

It’s also getting rid of the mind chatter. 

Right away when you get a diagnosis, 

you start thinking, “Oh my God, what 

am I going to do? I’ll be disabled. I’ll 

be in a wheelchair.” But all that does is 

feed the disease with worry. Fear feeds 

everything. If you have cancer, heart 

disease, MS, Parkinson’s or whatever, 

fear is the worst thing. The only person 

who can change you, or can help you, 

is you. 

Lastly, is the soul part of the therapy 

which involves strong Faith in what 

you are doing, and that it is working and 

your soul has no Parkinson’s – believing 

that Parkinson’s is just a physical 

manifestation of what is truly going on 

inside the mind. You must throw away 

all resentment and guilt and make 

peace with God or the Universe or 

whatever creator you believe in. I’m not 

religious, but I am spiritual. 

How do you manage fatigue when 

training? 

I’ve always said kick the tires and light 

the fires when it comes to training. Yes, 

I am tired; yes, I want to give up. But my 

spirit says keep going! I never was one 

of those guys that said I’m tired today 

because I may have missed a meal or 

didn’t get enough sleep or didn’t take 

my supplements. No, I’m the guy that 

believes that power comes from within! 

This is what I’ve always believed in, and 

this is what I still apply today.


When I get up in the morning and 

Parkinson’s disease says stay in bed…. 

I listen to my spirit which says GET UP!! 

The mind is the most powerful tool that 

we have. If you can’t envision it in your 

mind, it’s not going to happen. 

How do you manage stress, which as we 

all know only contributes to illness? 

I had a very nervous childhood. My best 

friend was my dad and he was fifty 

years older than me. When I was 10, 

he was 60 and battling cancer, and I’d 

cry at the end of the driveway waiting 

for him to come back from treatment. 

When I was 15, I started weightlifting 

after watching WWF and was inspired 

by people like Hulk Hogan and Rocky. 

I trained my body naturally and never 

took a drug in my life. I created my body 

with my mind. I’d close my eyes and 

envision it and then get to work at it. 

Stress is all in the mind. It starts in 

the mind and it ends in the mind. But 

unfortunately our bodies become a 

product of the stress. Our muscles 

tighten; our hearts race and we just 

can’t get a good workout. 

To combat stress I listen to my music 

that I have been listening to since 

I began working out at 15…ROCKY! 

When I hear those trumpets, there’s a 

part of me inside that comes alive! I 

don’t know what that part is, but I know 

it’s a good thing because it made me 

the man I am today! 

I believe that strength is 

90% in the mind and 

10% in the body. 

Disclaimer: 























How challenging is balance with 

Parkinson’s? What works for you in 

improving it? 

Balance is a big thing when it comes to 

Parkinson’s disease. It’s called postural 

instability. When I walk my arms are 

in front of me, and I appear extremely 

stiff and I am also slightly bent 

forward. The best exercise that I find 

for balance is putting my back against 

the wall while maintaining an erect 

straight posture. This in return keeps 

me straight and distributes my weight 

equally throughout my entire body. 

Also, walking is very good because it is 

extremely natural and something that 

all of us are built to do, and do a lot of! 

Since your diagnosis has your neuro or 

muscular systems improved with your 

training? If so, how? 

Since I have been diagnosed in June


To combat stress I listen to my music that I have been listening to since I 

began working out at 15…ROCKY! When I hear those trumpets, 

there’s a part of me inside that comes alive! 

of 2015, I have not lost one ounce of 

strength, stamina or endurance. Before 

I started the recipe for recovery, I had 

lost my sense of smell and taste. But 

now my taste and sense of smell are 

completely normal. I also believe I look 

healthier. My skin glows and my eyes 

are white. I thank God I am the vision 

of good health! 

Has your training helped improve 

your outlook on life and coping with 

Parkinson’s? Do you get a good feeling 

after a gritty, hard workout? 

My workouts have definitely changed in 

the form of intensity. I rest a little longer 

between sets. But then I realized that is 

one of the best ways to get a good pump 

when it comes to weight lifting. I used 

to workout with a guy who was hearing 

impaired and he always taught me that 

weight lifting is not like cardio - you 

need to rest between sets sometimes 

2-3 minutes. This way by the time you 

get to your next set you are 100%. 

As far as a positive outlook goes, this is 

something we all need to do regardless 

of having Parkinson’s disease or not. My 

body, my career, my entire life is based 

on my thoughts. Little do people know 

that life is created through thoughts 

and actions. It’s all about energy. People 

who walk around with a good, positive 

light, get good positive things. 

I cannot describe what it feels like to 

suffer with pain and discomfort every 

day, but I do know that it gave me a 

different outlook on life. The simple 

things like putting on a t-shirt that I 

never gave a second thought to made 

me realize that the simple things in life 

are the most precious! 

Overall, would you say your physical 

training has improved your symptoms 

of Parkinson’s making you stronger? 

I would say physically it has helped me 

maintain my strength and flexibility, 

but as far as getting stronger yes it has 

made me 1000 times stronger! 

That brings me to my favorite quote by 

Rocky Balboa: “It’s not about how hard 


you hit, but how hard you can get hit 

and keep moving forward”. That’s how 

winning is done!!! 

I believe that strength is 90% in the mind 

and 10% in the body. Just today, this guy 

was doing deadlifts with his girlfriend 

while I was at the squat rack next to 

them doing squats. He was telling his 

girlfriend that he felt physically good, 

but he just wasn’t into it mentally. 

I looked over to him and said “Psych 

yourself, brother! I have Parkinson’s 

disease, and I battle every day!” He 

looked at me, his eyes opened wide and 

he said WOW! I then said to him that 

NOTHING is impossible! 

Can you offer any positive advice to 

others suffering with Parkinson’s? 

I would say that 99% of all Parkinson’s 

sufferers take the prescription drugs. 

This causes a wide array of problems. 

One is called dyskinesia which is that 

back and forth side to side swaying of 

the body which you may see Michael J. 

Fox and others do. Many others cannot 

walk, talk or think for themselves. This 

is all due to the meds, not the disease. 

The PD meds cause dozens and dozens 

of terrible side effects. True Parkinson’s 

disease is only four symptoms: 

1- Tremor 

2- Stiffness 

3- Slowness of movement 

4- Postural instability 

My advice would be to not take the 

drugs. They do absolutely nothing 

for the disease; they only help to 

temporarily control the symptoms. But 

in return, they cause a wide array of side 

effects which have nothing to do with 

Parkinson’s whatsoever. 

Parkinson’s disease is nothing more 

than God telling you that you are out of 

balance. Those who are not spiritual will 

deny this. But me, being a very spiritual 

person, I believe we are all here for a 

purpose. My entire life I have moved 

beautifully and smoothly. I have been a 

model and a dancer since the age of 18. 

I used to cook and clean…there was NO 

end to my daily activities. Now, a lot of 

this has been taken away from me. But 

what was not taken away from me is 

my heart! And as long as you have your 

heart, you can accomplish ANYTHING!! 

We all know the brain is very powerful, 

but what’s more powerful is your heart, 

and that I have found is where your 

SOUL LIVES! 

What are your plans for the future? 

My plans for the future are simple: cure 

myself of Parkinson’s disease and show 

the world that it is possible through the 

power of the mind! I believe that all 

disease - both mentally and physically - 

begin and end with the mind! 

As for the rest of my life…I will leave 

that up to God because he never let me 

down before, and I know that he will 

not let me down now. 

The Superman 

of fitness will 

fly again!!


LONG DURATION 

ISOMETRIC HOLDS 

TO BUILD MENTAL 

TOUGHNESS 

By Karsten Jensen 

A few years ago I was fortunate enough 

to attend a conference with the legendary 

strongman, John Brookfield, who holds various 

world records that combine extreme levels of 

strength and endurance. John is also – what 

very few people seem to know – the inventor 

of battling ropes. 

At the conference John Brookfield explained 

various elements of his own training including 

how he often works with the same strengthendurance 

based exercise for half an hour 

Disclaimer: 

UnconventionalAthletes.com straight ltd is a publication/magazine. 

- without stopping - specifically to push 


past 

ltd is 

the 

an online 

point 

publication/ 

of discomfort. He feels that this 


warranty or guarantee ability with regards to push to safety past or the the point of discomfort 

efficacy of the products or the helps techniques him of training other methods 


areas of his life. Although 

after recently speaking to Tim Anderson, the 


or any advertisements present inventor this magazine. of Original UnconventionalAthletes.com 

ltd makes of John no warranty, Brookfield, guarantee I was told in actuality he 

Strength, and a good friend 


purchase of 

does 

services that 

exercise 

are in the United 

a lot longer! 


you discuss with a health care Many professional different your types physical of exercises could be used 


and equipment featured and 

for 

discussed 

such extended 

both literally 

sets. 

and 

This article will discuss 








how to use a modified horse stance (a deep 

squat) for extended isometric holds. 

How to do a horse stance 

I have spoken to some martial artists who start 

a little higher – like a half squat – and sink 

down as they fatigue to reach a total time of 1 

hour or longer. 

I prefer to start in parallel to keep the set 

within the 15-30 minute mark. When building 

up to a long set, I train the exercise twice per 

week with two slightly different variations. 

Here are the key points: 

» Thighs parallel to the ground. 

» Stance as wide as possible. 

» Back straight 

» Knees tracking toes (using glutes to drive 

the knees outward.) 

On the 2 nd day of training I use a slightly 

narrower stance.


The program 

I use a pretty straight forward program that is 

based on several principles from The Flexible 

Periodization Method. 

Here are the main guidelines, which can be 

applied to other exercises and/or timelines. 

The specific values that I sometimes use are 

included. 

# 1: Choose a target time between 10 and 30 

minutes 

# 2: Train twice a week with one low volumehigh 

intensity day and one high volume–low 

intensity day. 

The table below lays out the major 

characteristics of the low intensity and the high 

intensity day 

of those elements changes I stand up and take 

the prescribed break before continuing. 

When I can’t start the next segment with 

perfect form and with the awareness of being 

strong, I allow myself a slightly higher position 

in the squat 

Retest your maximal holding time in the 4 th 

week of training. If you still want to pursue this 

style of program then start the cycle over 

» With the same parameters. 

» A more challenging exercise 

» A weighted west added 

» More total time 

» Slightly shorter rest 

If you follow principles of periodization you 

would – as a general rule – do a maximum of 3, 

three week cycles of this format. 

Exercise Total time Rest periods 

Low intensity day Least challenging Higher than target Longer 

High intensity day Most challenging Lower than target Shorter 

Table 1: Primary characteristics of low and high 

intensity training days 

Additional techniques to modulate intensity 

include: 

Low intensity day: Shift the weight from 

side to side with small movements 

High intensity day: Contract thigh muscles 

more than needed to hold the position. 

#3 Increase total time while decreasing rest 

periods in three week patterns. 

The program is based on a combination of 

cluster training and auto regulation while 

increasing the density of training through 

reduced rest periods. 

Total time week 1/2/3 (minutes) Rest Periods week 1/2/3 (seconds) 

Day 1: Horse Stance 21/24/27 60/50/40 

Day 2: Horse Stance 

(extremely wide stance 

12/15/18 40/30/20 

On both days I go into the position and hold 

(one breath at a time with perfect form and 

the awareness of BEING STRONG). When one 

Taking advantage of fatigue 

As mentioned in the beginning of this article, 

these long duration sets offer the opportunity 



to push past the point of discomfort. 

I have worked a lot on the mental aspects of 

training and written an entire manual titled ‘I 

AM Strong’ on the topic. 

Below is an adapted questioning technique 

that changes your perspective on feelings of 

fatigue (the original version can be found in a 

book called To Sell is Human by Daniel H. Pink) 

In each rest period, ask yourself the following 

questions: 

1. What is my rate of perceived fatigue or 

rate of perceived exhaustion on a scale of 

1-10? (1 = no fatigue at all. 10 = completely 

exhausted. Can’t move. Wiped out) 

Listen to the answer. Then ask: 

2. Why didn’t I pick a higher number? 

The power of the two questions lies in 

the second question which challenges 

the athlete/client as to why he/she did 

not pick a higher number. “I am not that 

tired.” “Maybe I could have done one more 

repetition.” etc. 

A third question could be added in some cases. 

For example, when the previous set, interval or 

entire training session resulted in significant 

fatigue and the athlete/client rated the fatigue 

as a 7. 

3. How would you feel if that (the previous 

set, etc.) was only a 1 or a two? 

The third question changes your perspective to 

a point where your capacity is much greater. 

Disclaimer: 








Long or any advertisements duration present in this magazine. sets 


ltd makes opportunity 

no warranty, guarantee 

offer representation regarding the use of the techniques, equipment/products, 

to push purchase of past services that are the in the United 


point of 






discomfort 






Why the quest for true potential? 

On a final note: My quest for exploring our true 

potential began when I was a 9-year-old tennis 

player. The mental, emotional and spiritual side 

was added when I was 13 with a mental training 

tape made by Bjorn Borg. My exploration in 

strength and conditioning was motivated by 

a very slow 100 meter (14.28) time while in 

University. I wondered how you could turn a 

tortoise into a hare, or at least a faster tortoise! 

My aspirations for the future are to continue 

exploring and teaching through mind, body and 

spiritual ways to realize our true potential for 

strength, speed, power and endurance.


The Beauty 

OF BENDING 

Some regard the art of contortion as a freakish endeavor, 

ignoring the multiple skills and dedication behind the practice. 

Betsy Shuttleworth and her student, Bella Gantt, provide some 

insight into this demanding and unconventional discipline. 

What is contortion? 

Contortion is the act of twisting 

or deforming the shape of 

something - in our case, my 

students’ bodies. There are 2 

categories: front bending and 

back bending. My specialty as a 

trainer is back bending. Some 

contortionists can dislocate 

for certain poses, but this is 

not a style I wish to explore 

as I’d be worried about 

loosening ligaments and do not 

have knowledge in this area. 

How important is strength in 

this discipline? 

In my experience the naturally 

flexible have a harder time 

getting stronger because their 

muscles need to strengthen to 

hold certain positions. Whereas 

a strong person can hold poses 

and develop flexibility over 

time. Don’t get me wrong, both 

are achievable – it just depends 



on the individual and their willingness 

to put the time in. If I had to pick the 

most important muscle it would be the 

core, stomach muscles. 

For strength training we do a lot of 

V-ups, pull-ups, push-ups…it makes a 

huge difference. Students need to do 2 

minute wall handstands and not sink in 

their shoulders. 

How long does it normally take to 

become a fully competent contortionist? 

Can it be self-taught? 

It’s not really possible to put a 

timeline on how long it takes to 

reach an advanced level because all 

of our bodies are so different. I have 

students amazing after 2 1/2 years, 

like Bella, and some need more time to 

develop. Disclaimer: Another factor is willingness 























to train extra while not in the studio 

setting. This is key to a contortionist’s 

success as it’s not always easy to 

stay motivated while on your own. 

What self-taught contortionists sometimes 

don’t realize is that lack of strength 

can be highly dangerous to your spine, 

shoulders and neck. Strength training 

is a necessity – no exceptions! If I 

had a choice between a student who 

is strong but not naturally flexible, or a 

flexible student not naturally strong, I’d 

take the strong student. 

How long have you been teaching 

contortion? What made you choose 

such a discipline? 

I have been teaching contortion for 17 

years and dance for 30 years. I was a former 

ballet/point dancer who stumbled into the 

dance school thing when my old teacher 

retired and the students had nowhere to 

go for good ballet training. 

When I received a new student named 

Lindsay who was very flexible and 

could do things I’ve never seen before, I 

started to learn more about contortion. 

All my life I’ve wanted to be different 

and not be like everybody else and this 

inspired me to learn more. 

As a dancer my entire life I had limited 

exposure to other genres or arts which 

left me feeling stale and bored. I wanted 

to educate myself on safe techniques 

to achieve such beautiful positions. 

I learned many techniques including 

Ukrainian, German and Mongolian. I 

travelled and did research and brought 

in the best in the business to educate 

me and my students. 

Have you ever practiced contortion? 

I was never a contortionist. I was a ballet 

dancer, which lends itself with poses 

and flexibility to contortion. I started 

dancing at age 9, started teaching at 

age 15 and went to college for it for a 

while. Interestingly enough, I’d say 98% 

of the time I can tell a student how it 

should feel even though I can’t do it. 

I think from years of having to know 

my body so well, because ballet is so 

brutal, you just learn that. 

Do your students compete? How do 

judges score contestants? 

We do compete at local competitions 

in Pittsburgh, PA, and our contortionists 

do very well receiving very high 

scores, special awards and overall 

placements. But there isn’t in general 

a division that’s called “contortion” so 

a lot of the judges are dance judges 

and aren’t familiar with the contortion 

aspect. A lot of times they offer open 

categories or gymnastic categories 

and that’s where we have to put our 

students. But they don’t like that very 

much because that really isn’t their 

sport. The best place to compete is 

within circus competitions. 

Where do your students perform? 

We are planning to leave town shortly 

for Bella to perform on ‘Little Big Shots’ 

in both Italy and Columbia and she 

will perform on a nationally televised 

show in the U.S. soon, too. Also, we 

performed at the ICC or International 

Contortion Convention in Las Vegas in 

2016 and with Le Petit, which is an allchild 

circus based in Los Angeles. We 

believe in supporting charities and did 

an event with CBS studios to support 

Cystic Fibrosis as well as many other 

events and fundraisers.


Overall would you say this discipline is 

respected and understood? 

Sometimes contortion is not met 

with open arms. Some feel it’s not 

an appropriate art form even though 

there is an open category for such a 

routine. It’s a little frustrating because 

people often do not understand what 

goes in to being able to perform 

such poses. It’s mandatory that my 

competitive contortion students take 

ballet so they have those pretty lines 

and arms, straight knees and pointed 

feet. Contortion is not just about 

being “bendy” it’s about performing the 

flexibility in a way that the audience 

will enjoy the uniqueness and grace of 

it all. 

Tell us about the studio where you 

teach. What types of classes are offered? 

I started Dance Extensions Performing 

Arts Center in 1996 with a room at the 

YMCA, 13 students and $1,000 saved 

up. We are in our 3rd studio location as 

DEPAC kept growing. Due to the growth, 

I brought on Dawn Churney as my Codirector 

over 10 years ago. It was hard 

to give away a piece of my creation but 

I knew she would make it even better 

with her technique, lyrical, jazz, hip hop 

and tap teaching abilities. Besides, 

it was getting to be too much for me. 

She’s really helped put DEPAC on the 

map for dance. 

I currently teach contortion, pointe, 

lyrical and Company ballet. We also 

offer classes in tumbling, Hip Hop, 

tap, jazz, and contemporary dance. We 

currently have about 20 contortion 

students, 10 of them being competitive. 

What’s the youngest age to start learning 

contortion? Do you train adults? 

Whenever they are ready - I’d say 

about 4 or 5 years old. It depends on 

the child. We offer combo classes for 

our youngest students that mixes up 

tumbling, tap, jazz or ballet. It’s for 4-6 

year olds. You can’t bore them by doing 

one thing. 

I work 3 Sundays a month at Fullbody 

Fitness in Brentwood, PA with mostly 

adults who are aerial artists looking to 

increase flexibility. Adults are a pleasure 

to work with as they really work 

hard and celebrate every little success. 

That makes my heart happy! I 

also occasionally train via Skype internationally 

and travel doing flexibility 

workshops at various dance school and 

circus centers as far as Australia. It’s 

very enjoyable to meet new people 

passionate about flexibility. 

Does contortion attract mostly female 

students? 

I feel like there’s a stigma in this area of 

being a performing artist and a guy, like 

it makes you gay. It’s really stupid. Boys 

are reluctant to do it. All of my students 

are females. 

Betsy can you share what you would do 

for someone wanting to try contortion 

for the first time? 

I would start with jumping jacks to get 

the blood flowing and warming up 

their shoulders and hips. People think 

it would be the back to warm-up first, 

but people don’t understand that it’s 

all connected. Then I’d go through 

some strengthening exercises for arms, 

shoulders, abs, hips and legs. (I have 

a few secrets that instantly help with 

flexibility without any pain.) Then I 

would stretch their shoulders, hips and 

splits. Then I would assess their back and 

what I felt they were capable of starting. 

Can you offer any advice to someone 

starting out in contortion and dance? 

The best advice I can give is RESEARCH 

your instructors and trainers. Keep in 

mind also that an amazing performer 

does not guarantee an amazing teacher 

and vice versa. Look for opinions of 

former students. Ask for our Bio’s. 

You cannot be too careful when it 

comes to your back. I have personally 

witnessed many students coming 

from other local dance studios trying 

to mimic contortion moves without 

any education on the art and they have 

backs that have had stress fractures and 

some of their backs are crooked. This 

is so dangerous and it is happening 

everywhere. Don’t trust word of mouth 

-- take the time to research where you 

take your child. 

How fulfilling and rewarding is your job? 

I like seeing my students succeed as I do 

not have any children of my own. Many 

times I have pride in my chest and tears 

on my cheeks when they succeed and feel 

good about themselves. It’s priceless. I 

could not dedicate the time I do to my 

students if I had a family. My husband is 

very supportive thankfully. He loves the 

game of golf when he is not working as 

a successful Physical Therapist. 



Bella how long have you been training 

with Betsy? How did you get into this 

type of training? 

I’ve been training for 2 1/2 years with 

Bella. I got into it when an old teacher 

saw me bending around and told me to 

visit Betsy. 

Contortion is not just about being 

“bendy” it’s about performing the flexibility in a 

way that the audience will enjoy the 

uniqueness and grace of it all. 

How much time do you devote to 

practicing? 

I practice about 3 to 5 hours a day. 

My routine is about 3 minutes 

long. Here are some highlights: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch? 

v=9Qf74qzYElQ 

Disclaimer: 








What’s your favorite trick to perform? 

My favorite move is the bow and arrow, 

but I also like playing around on my 

canes and making handstand combos. 

I have this thing I call “Combo of the 

Day” on my Instagram account. (@ 

dancebella24) I make up new combos 

every day and post them. It helps build 

my strength. I work on variations of 

the bow and arrow trick, like doing it 
















on one cane, blindfolded and shooting 

from a prop that turns. https://www. 

youtube.com/watch?v=O2dM2xL2T3M 

https://www. youtube. com/ 

watch?v=Qo0tQUs_6zQ 

How long did it take to master the bow 

and arrow move? 

It took me a whole year. I practiced for 

hours every week and still do. We started 

by shooting in an elbow stand as it was 

easier to balance. Eventually I improved 

enough to move up to the canes. 

How hard is it to manage to pull the 

bow and remain balanced to hit your 

target? What’s the smallest target 

you’ve hit? 

I can stay balanced and hit the target 

because I use a lot of core strength to 

hold myself on the canes, but I use every 

muscle too. The difficulty rating of this is 

a 10. I use a modified recurved bow. Betsy 

is looking for a company to make one just 

for me and maybe be my sponsor. 

I’ve shot a playing card and break 

balloons, too. That’s fun because the 

noise scares people! I also can do it 

blindfolded. 


v=Y7vAycSJXvo 


v=O2dM2xL2T3M 


v=Qo0tQUs_6zQ 

Bella, besides doing the crazy trick with 

the bow handstand what are your other 

skills? 

My routine includes walking up and 

backwards and sideways on stairs with 

my hands and also doing it on 4’ high 

canes. I do poses like the head frame, 

the Mexican Handstand, which requires 

a lot of counter balancing and shoulder 

strength and head sit in a chest stand. 

I’ve also performed with groups like Le 

Petit Circus. 

http://www.lestudiola.com/le-petitcirque 

I also work with partners, like 

Alexa Siksa. She’s 14. 

What are your plans for the future? 

I’m hoping to perform with Le Petite 

Cirque more, get work modeling as 

a performer or for print work. I’m an 

Ambassador now for Justice so I’ll have 

scheduled appearances. And there 

are always skills to perfect and new 

ones to work on. Betsy is working with 

me partnering in a duet and trio and 

tweaking our work to make it amazing.

,-1,; ),,f:"; (I;'.: . . : .. "·.c; -'I. ..• }-;;-:;;:-'· d..+..•i' --. 

WWW. UNCONVENTIONALATHLETES.COM


GETTING A 

BRUTAL BACK LEVER 

Antonis Arachovitis 

nATionality: Greek 

The back lever is a challenging and 

impressive exercise. It’s one of the 

lower level exercises performed on the 

rings or the bar in gymnastics (A level), 

but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

Besides looking awesome, the back 

lever has many benefits. It’s a wholebody 

exercise with emphasis on the 

back and core. It also requires some 

strength and flexibility in the shoulders 

and arms, and in a typically untrained 

position. Variations of the back lever 

are widely done in bodyweight and 

calisthenics workouts. So, the aim of 

this article is to lay out the progressions 

that can help you master this exercise. 

You can perform the back lever with 

pronated or supinated grip, but the 

last one will put a lot of stress on your 

elbows and biceps if you are not well 

trained. 

WARM UP 

» Shoulder Dislocations 

Take a stick and put your hands shoulder 

width, pass it above your head all the 

way to the back. Perform 3 sets of 15- 

20 reps. If it gets too easy, try adding 

a light weight (2 - 5 kg) or bring your 

hands closer together. 

» German Hang (Skin the cat) + Hold 

The purpose of this exercise is to build 

flexibility in the shoulders as they come 

to full extension. Grab the bar with a 

pronated grip and raise your legs up 

from a hanging position close to the 

bar, now lower your body backwards 

slowly until you reach a full shoulder 

extension (arms behind the back). 

Start slow and time by time add depth 

to your stretch. After some time you 

should be able to reverse the movement 

coming back up to the starting position. 

This dynamic movement is called skin 

the cat, and while hanging in the full 

extension it is called German hang. Try 

to hold the German hang for 3 sets of 

8-12 seconds. 

Disclaimer: 























KEY MOVEMENTS AND 

BODY POSITION 

• Scapula Protraction 

• Squeeze glutes and 

abdominals 

• Hold a straight line with 

neck, shoulders and hips 

• Point your toes 

• Lean forward 

• Breathe 

• Always have someone check 

your form or have a camera 

to self-correct


STEP 1 – TUCK BACK LEVER 

The tuck back lever is the simplest back 

lever progression and the first step to 

master this movement. Grab the bar 

with a pronated grip and get into an 

inverted hang using the skin the cat 

technique. Knees should be tucked 

against the chest by using the hip 

flexors to pull them to the chest. From 

the inverted tuck position start to tense 

the pectorals, latissimus dorsi and the 

anterior shoulder and lower yourself 

down. As soon as your hips reach your 

shoulder level horizontally, we are 

going to tense even harder to hold that 

static position. 

back) from our shoulder through 

the body to the hips. Be aware that 

we increase the difficulty by pushing 

our center of mass slightly further 

away from the shoulders, thus we 

increase the torque at the joint. If this 

progression gets too easy then try to 

hold it with the knees at 90 degrees, 

looking down. 

inverted hang straddle, then lower 

yourself into the back lever position. In 

contrast with the previous progressions 

which the goal was to align the hip 

with the shoulders, now we want to 

facilitate continued alignment from 

hips to knees to the toes. 

STEP 4 – HALF BACK LEVER 

The half back lever technique is where 

all of the joints are aligned - except 

the knees are bent to a 90 degree 

angle. Remember to tense really hard 

with your lower back muscles and the 

glutes in this progression. It is hard 

to maintain this technique, so you can 

use the one-leg back lever. The “one 

leg out” position has one leg out, fully 

straightened from hip to toe - whilst 

the other leg is tucked in as tight as 

possible. 

STEP 3 – STRADDLE BACK LEVER 

This progression depends on your 

flexibility and your quality of your 

straddle, so some proper stretch warm 

up should make it easier. Perform the 

STEP 2 – ADVANCED TUCK BACK LEVER 

In this progression the technique 

is the same as the tuck back lever. 

But instead of holding the knees 

to your chest, we need to contract 

the back muscles to straighten out 

our rounded torso. We are going to 

straighten out the core of our body 

so we can see a straight line (flat 



Disclaimer: 


STEP UnconventionalAthletes.com 5 – FULL BACK LEVER ltd is an online publication/ 

In 

magazine 

this step, 

and makes 

the 

no 

technique 

representation, 

is 

endorsement, 

the same 

portrayal, 


as efficacy the of straddle the products back or the lever techniques but of with training the methods 

that closed are spoken and about, touching. debated, or are conversed Now you either 

legs 


should be working on holding this 


perfect alignment, ltd makes your no warranty, shoulders guarantee 

in 

should representation line regarding up with the use the of the hips, techniques, knees equipment/products, 


and 

Kingdom 

ankles. 

or elsewhere 

You 

in the 

should 

world. It is 

also 

mandatory 

have 

that 

pointed you discuss toes. with a health care professional your physical 



MAINTAINING 


Adding takes no liability static in your movements participation from the to information your 

workout 

received in the 

can 

magazine 

make 

and 

it 

thus 

more 

any 

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participation is considered 





keep you motivated and can add a lot to 

your strength and conditioning. Always 

aim for perfect form. 

» A simple and efficient training protocol 

for maintaining your statics 

is to train them roughly 3 times a 

week. 

» The duration of the holds should 

be 8-12 seconds and aim for about 

5 sets. Keep in mind that as soon 

you progress to more advanced 

progressions, you should take a 

step back from time to time and 

practice the first steps at max hold. 

» Back Lever Lifts 

Choose the progression you feel 

comfortable with and lower down to 

a back lever, hold it for 2-4 seconds 

and raise up to an inverted hang. 

Practice 3-4 reps for about 3-5 sets. 

FAULTS 

» Retracting the scapula 

» Holding a banana shape 

» Not breathing correctly


ROCK HARD 

PAPAW 

Ten years ago, Robert Durbin, a 57-year-old 

retired auto worker, spent his 

time sitting around the house doing 

light woodworking, moderate drinking 

and heavy smoking – about 4 packs a 

day. His ankles, both badly broken on 

the job years earlier, were shackled 

in braces and he switched between 

using a cane and a walker to move his 

overweight body around his Kentucky 

home. The wheelchair his doctors said 

he’d need by the age of 60 awaited him 

in a corner of his room. 

A father of five, the light of Durbin’s life 

was his growing brood of grandchildren, 

although his happiness was stifled 

by his inability to keep up with them. 

He gave thought to exercising to gain 

mobility and strength, but it took a 

serious health scare to jump start him 

into action. 



Discovering a mass behind his ear, Durbin 

was told he needed to have it surgically 

removed. To his surprise the procedure 

was suddenly cancelled when 

the anesthesiologist, after checking 

his lungs, walked out of the operating 

room. 

“I got up from the table and had to 

catch her down the hallway to ask her 

what was going on,” said Durbin. She 

told me: “I don’t want to be responsible 

for your death.”” 

“That scared the daylights out of me 

and I quit smoking cold turkey. That was 

back in 2003.” Weeks later the mass was 

removed, but a saddle block procedure 

was necessary as his lungs needed a 

lot longer to clear. While the growth 

was benign, it triggered a life-changing 

journey which started with him joining 

his local YMCA. 

Never having been in a gym in his 

lifetime, Durbin was ready to call it quits 

after three months of steady effort. “I 

gained 9 pounds…and I told them I could 

do this much at home.” But concerned 

staff members, explaining it was muscle 

mass, encouraged him to continue. 

“The first year at the gym all I did was 

cardio and a little bit of weight on the 

machines. It took me 45 minutes to get 

a mile on the treadmill. But I increased 

over time until I didn’t need my cane and 

then my boots came off and I got tennis 

shoes. Finally, my braces came off.” 

Durbin’s persistence has paid off 

handsomely. His impressively ripped 

66-year-old body now resembles that 

of a 20-something athlete - which is to 

say absolutely nothing like his former 

self. His days have taken on a whole 

new shape, too. 

Waking at 3:30 am after about 5 hours 

of sleep, Durbin begins his workout 

with a 30 minute ab routine – planks, 

crunches and the like - followed by 

about 100 push-ups and 15 minutes on 

his Gazelle for cardio. He then spends 

2 hours at the gym, 7 days a week, 

starting with cardio and warm-ups 

for 45 minutes then moves onto free 

weight work rather than the machines. 

Each day is dedicated to a specific area 

of the body. Thursdays is his push-up 

only day where he’ll do up to 600 pushups 

with a lot of variations – incline, 

decline, one-arm, etc. In the evening he 

repeats his morning home routine. 

Disclaimer: 























The first year at the gym 

all I did was cardio and a 

little bit of weight on the 

machines. It took me 45 

minutes to get a mile on 

the treadmill. 

If that isn’t impressive enough, factor in 

that Durbin has been in a hard battle 

with cancer since February 2014 when 

a 6” section of his colon was surgically 

removed. Seemingly cleared of the Big C, 

in January 2016 it returned showing up 

in lymph nodes, making chemotherapy 

his only treatment option. Two days 

each month Durbin forfeits his workout 

routine for a required 8-hour treatment 

at the hospital. Upon leaving, he wears 

an IV pump attached to a pole for 

2 days. “I work out those days,” says 

Durbin. “I just have to be careful of the 

[IV] line. I have to rest a bit between 

sets now and I lost a lot of weight, but I 

still do just about everything.” 

Five days a week after finishing his 

gym routine, Durbin stops for 30 to 45 

minutes at one of the parks or Walmart 

for extra calisthenics work. “I use one 

of the cart racks in the parking lot to 

do all my flags, my dips and levers. 

They’ve been pretty lenient with me.


K Mart kicked me out due to liabilities. 

Wherever I’ve got something I can hang 

off - I’ll start a workout session.” 

silliness.” For those who want to jump in 

and give it a whirl, Durbin says he gives 

them tips and watches them closely. “I 

take time to show people at the gym 

who are interested in my moves how to 

do them, too. I’m not certified, but I’m 

working on that now.” 

shoulders up because what we do is 

all shoulder work.” His warm-up routine 

includes lifting his arms straight out 

to his sides and then out to the front 

repeatedly for 5 minutes, 4 minutes of 

jumping jacks, 4 sets of 25 push-ups 

and 4 sets of 10 pull-ups. 

As for the future, Durbin says he hopes 

for at least another 20 years. “If this 

cancer doesn’t get me down, I will be 

doing it. You’ve got to set your mind 

that you can do it, and that you are 

going to do it, and 9 times out of 10 

you will.” 

Durbin first started calisthenics-style 

workouts in 2013 after watching online 

videos of Hannibal for King. ”I must 

have seen that first video that a friend 

sent me 10,000 times, and I thought, 

man, I can do that stuff and look how 

he’s cut. Then I checked out YouTube 

videos on Barstarzz and a couple other 

big names. I just watched them, did the 

exercises they recommended and tore 

into it myself.” 

In his town of Lexington, bar work outs 

haven’t really caught on. “No one really 

does it in my area. I’ve been kicked out 

of a couple of [gyms] just for doing 

stuff like flags…” The closest place to 

find like-minded athletes is Evansville, 

Indiana, a 90 mile drive from his home. 

Occasionally he’ll venture there to 

join a small group working out in a 

schoolyard. “They come down to visit 

me now, too,” says Durbin. 

From learning online to posting online, 

word got out about Durbin’s abilities 

though his Instagram. Barstarzz have 

travelled to Louisville to videotape him 

and make him an honorary member, 

and Advil included him in a series 

of commercials showcasing extreme 

athletic activities. Locally, every 

Thursday he draws a crowd of about 

30-40 people at Walmart around noon 

to watch him do what he calls “his 

Some of the moves Durbin is most 

proud of include the clutch flag, the 

back lever and the L-sit air wall. “I’m 

really getting good at my handstands 

and I’m working on a couple of different 

moves with the elbow lever. I do several 

different variations of the dragonfly and 

the air wall - with flutter back into a hip 

rotation air wall, and a whole bunch of 

different ways with that.” 

Works in progress include the full flag 

and one of his own creations – a side 

elbow lever with one arm free, and 

both legs free using the short handles 

on the back extension machine, he’s 

dubbing ‘Rock Hard Pawpa’. “I’m down 

to a little 5 lb. rubber band to assist 

me. I had it down but then I got the 

cancer, and boy that zapped the 

strength out of me. But I’m real close 

to it again.” Two moves still give him 

“the fits” – the front level and the pole 

flag, but he says he’s determined and 

real close to getting them. 

For fellow bar athletes, Durbin says 

bands can be helpful in developing 

moves because they help to take the 

fear out of falling. But he cautions not 

to overuse them or getting dependent 

on them. “Whatever I try with a band, 

I also try without it.” He encourages 

people starting out to not go too fast 

and get hurt. “I preach to warm their 

You’ve got to 

set your mind 

that you can do 

it, and that you 

are going to do it, 

and 9 times out 

of 10 you will 



SURVIVAL SKILLS 

FOR THE OUTDOOR 

ATHLETE 

Disclaimer: 













By John “Razor” Watson 











For athletes who regularly trek through the wilderness - like rock and mountain climbers, 

BASE jumpers and wingsuit enthusiasts - along with those who take to the woods to run, 

hike, bike or workout, remember that Mother Nature isn’t the nurturing type. John “Razor” 

Watson, a survival camp leader and experienced outdoorsman, offers some advice for 

those who plan to workout in the wild or unexpectedly face a very apocalyptic situation.


Shelter. Fire. Water. Food. 

Survival needs do not change due to 

any particular scenario, only the priority 

of these 4 basic needs. 

As the lead instructor of Zombie 

Apocalypse Survival Camp, we 

prepare people to survive the worst 

case scenario, so a lesser scenario 

should be easier to take on. We teach 

based on the law of threes, or “3’s” as 

we call them: You can live 3 minutes 

without air, 3 hours without proper 

shelter depending on your immediate 

environment, 3 days without water 

and 3 weeks without food. The 3’s law 

allows you to prioritize your survival 

needs. Each disaster or situation will 

require you to decide which is more 

important, so let’s break it down into 

the 4 basic needs and decide what your 

situation may require you to do. 

Shelter. If it’s 75 degrees and sunny, 

obviously shelter will most likely be 

the least of your worries. On the other 

hand it is easy to get hypothermia 

without proper shelter when the air 

temperature is freezing and there is 

a bad wind ripping at your body. Now 

it becomes a basic life-need to stop 

losing body heat. 

Your first “shelter” will always be the 

clothing you are wearing. It important 

to always dress according to the worst 

case weather you expect to be outside 

in, and if not dressed for it at least have 

the proper clothing at hand. A simple 

rain suit will keep you dry. It may not 

seem that important, but more people 

succumb to hypothermia in mild temp’s 

45-60 degrees than they do in subfreezing 

climates. 

Generally once the temperature is 

below freezing then rain is not an 

issue and people dress warmer. There 

is cold, and then there is cold and wet. 

Water maximizes heat loss through 

evaporation, cooling and wind doubles 

it with convection, multiplying how 

rapidly you lose body heat. So stay dry! 

It is always a good idea to have a tarp, 

some cordage and a few cheap tent 

stakes stashed in your gear. It’s the 

simplest and lightest shelter system 

you can carry with you. It can be set up 

solely as a wind break to prevent heat 

convection loss or as a stand-alone 

shelter against rain or sun. A tarp can 

be set up in many configurations, so 

if you have multiple members in your 

group with tarps you can combine 

them for serious shelter possibilities. 

You can carry tents also, which are 

great especially in high mosquito 

areas. Keeping the bugs away can be a 

life saver in itself. The only downfall of 

tents is that they are heavier and can 

take up more space. 

With a little practice and some skills, a 

person can construct a decent shelter 

out of just what they find laying on the 

forest floor. These are known as a debris 

hut. These shelters block wind and rain, 

help trap body heat and are quick and 

easy to build without tools. Basically a 

framework of sticks just large enough 

to fit one or two people inside covered 

with leaves, pine boughs and other 

forest litter in layers. Layering sticks, 

leaves, sticks, leaves, sticks, leaves, etc. 

until the walls are at least 24 to 36 

inches deep. This will prevent water 

from seeping through while it rains. 

Shelters can be simple, or elaborate. 

Always let your situation dictate the 

size, style and complicity of your shelter. 

Fire. Why did I put fire next rather than 

water, after all a person can die in 3 

days without water, right? 

Fire can be more important, not only for 

its uses but for its psychological affect. 

We consider fire to be one of the most 

important skills to develop because 

with fire you can keep warm, cook 

food, signal, preserve meat, keep wild 

animals away and purify the all-soimportant 

water you need to survive. 

Fire is a primal need; it plays on our 

psyche far more than we think. It can 

keep panic at bay and having good fire 

skills boosts confidence and gives you 

a center, a focal point to focus on your 

next need. Once you have fire you feel 

like everything will be ok now. It truly is 

an important skill to acquire. 

We believe a person should be able to 

start a fire with at least three methods. 

Some people can’t get a fire going with 

a can of petrol and some logs because 

they don’t understand how fire works, so 

let’s discuss what it takes to build a fire. 

We will start with tinder. Tinder is 

generally a light, dry, fluffy substance 

that will take a spark, a match or even 

refracted light from a lens and ignite 

fairly easily. Some good tinder would 

be birds’ nests, inner bark from some 

trees fluffed with the hands by rolling 

it back and forth (cedar bark is one 

of the best), some plant stalks like 

stinging nettle and milkweed which 

yield excellent fibrous tinder and you 



can find last season’s dead dry stalks 

next to any new growth. 

Then there are things in an urban 

environment like dryer lint, toilet paper, 

newspaper etc. The rule with tinder 

when you gather it, is that you need 

enough to fill your hat. The more you 

have the better off you will be. 

Next in the fire pyramid is kindling. 

Kindling is generally small twigs, dry 

plant stalks or split wood smaller than 

a pencil. If the environment is wet you 

can break dead sticks off standing trees 

and split them with a knife to expose 

the dry wood in the center. You are 

going to want at least a bundle of them 

as large as you can make your thumbs 

and index fingers making a circle. 

And the next step in your fire pyramid 

is fuel; fuel is wood that will burn, 

generally the size of your wrist or 

larger. Although round wood does burn, 

anything larger than your forearm 

should be split allowing thinner edges 

that catch fire readily and burn with 

a higher British thermal unit (BTU). 

Although there are multiple ways to 

build a fire, one thing they all have 

in common is that fire moves up. It 

is always hotter above a flame than 

beside it, so when you build your fire 

you start with your tinder and you 

place your kindling directly above it. 

Generally the best methods are the tipi 

fire and the log cabin fire. (See photo). 

Also great tinder can be made from a 

dead stick by shaving thin curls from 

it, referred to as a fuzz or feather stick. 

These work great for spark based or 

match/ lighter ignition. It is a good 

idea to practice the art of feather 

sticking because in a wet environment 

you can shave the wet wood off the 

dead sticks and then curl the dry wood 

in the center. 

Disclaimer: 























They both allow the tinder to ignite 

the kindling directly above the flame 

and allow plenty of oxygen to feed the 

flame. It is important to gather all your 

tinder, kindling and fuel prior to starting 

the fire so it is readily available. 

There are some primitive techniques to 

start a fire - bow drill, hand drill and fire 

plow are just a few. These are not easy 

and take practice and skill to become 

confident in their use, but if you master 

these techniques you will be able to 

start a fire anywhere, anytime, and that 

is a huge confidence builder. 

Water. Remember the rule of 3’s. Water 

is the second most important thing 

you need to put in your body next to 

oxygen. Three days – but it doesn’t 

take 3 days to start to feel the effects 

of dehydration and your environment 

can cut that 3 days in half if the 

temperature is high, wind is strong and 

sun is beating down.


The average person on an average day 

doing moderate activity needs 2 quarts 

of water just to function normally. When 

the temperature goes up and activity 

goes up, then so do your water needs. 

And without it your life expectancy 

goes down just as fast. After only a few 

hours dehydrated you can have adverse 

side effects like headache, trouble 

focusing, lethargy, and lose the ability 

to reason with common sense. 

When acquiring water to drink there 

are some sources that are fairly safe to 

drink - rain water, dew, a spring if you 

know what to look for, but other than 

that all water needs to be treated to be 

safe to drink. Biological contaminates 

such as Guardia, Cryptosporidium and 

viruses are just a few things that can 

make you seriously sick or even be life 

threatening. The easiest way to clean 

bad water is to boil it. Boiling will kill 

all biological contaminates. It will do 

nothing for chemical contaminates 

such as petroleum products, pesticides 

or other chemical deposits. 

Know your water source!!! Avoid 

standing stagnate water utilize flowing 

clear looking streams and rivers if 

possible. You can decontaminate water 

with household bleach. Two to 3 drops 

per quart or Iodine tablets from your 

local sporting goods or outdoor store 

work well also. 

These generally will make any water 

safe to drink and all you need to do is 

pump it into your water bottle. The life 

straw weighs nothing and easily fits in 

a pocket or hangs on a string around 

your neck. With any method you utilize 

to make water safe always remember to 

utilize the cleanest water you can first. 

It will maximize the life of your filters 

and other chemical decontaminates 

Food. Let’s face it, we all need to eat. 

Yes, we can live weeks or even months 

without real food, but not having proper 

caloric intake can affect not just your 

mood but your ability to concentrate 

and multi-task. Most people think if 

they are in a survival type situation 

they are just going to hunt for food but 

they don’t realize hunting is effort, and 

it’s not always productive. During the 

great depression, game animals were 

hunted to near extinction. People would 

go weeks before even getting a shot 

at a rabbit, but the trappers kept their 


families fed. They weren’t afraid to eat 

the lesser desirable animals (protein is 

protein) and they didn’t have to expend 

much energy to acquire the food source. 

Learning tracking, trapping, and fishing 

techniques are extremely valuable 

tools for anyone wanting to prepare for 

a survival situation. Fishing is a great 

way to stay fed. You can set bank or trot 

lines and spend no time or energy on 

them, come back in a few hours and pull 

in your supper. 

Physical preparation 

Chances are if you’re reading this 

magazine you value fitness, which is 

good. Don’t wait for a disaster to decide 

to get into shape. Start slow and build up. 

After only 

a few hours 

dehydrated you 

can have adverse 

side effects like 

headache, trouble 

focusing, lethargy, 

and lose the ability 

to reason with 

common sense.


Following a disaster (or say the zpoc) 

the importance of long distance 

marathon style endurance will not be 

as necessary as quick sprint to escape 

danger and explosive strength to dig 

out, help carry limp or injured people, 

and of course to fight for your life. 

Anaerobic endurance will be far more 

important than the ability to lightly jog 

20 miles. 

What is anaerobic endurance? When 

your body does work it processes 

fuel and oxygen through the aerobic 

process. During this process the heart 

rate is generally low enough to allow 

fuel waste in the muscles to be carried 

away and replaced with more fuel. This 

is good for long term sustained activity 

such as jogging, swimming and other 

endurance sports. 

Anaerobic is when your activity level 

and heart rate get to high too be 

aerobic. Your muscles can’t flush waste 

out efficiently and lactic acid starts to 

build up. Once a muscle reaches high 

enough lactic acid it will not be able 

to perform and the athlete will hit the 

wall so to speak. 

Anaerobic endurance is built through 

interval training. Pushing your body 

very hard for a set time such as 3 to 

5 minutes then backing off for 2 to 

3 minutes and repeating. This will 

increase the time you can push your 

body’s anaerobic capacity in a true 

life-threatening scenario. If you are 

physically fighting for your life this 

endurance can literally mean the 

difference in life or death, you have to 

be able to outlast your opponent. Make 

no mistake, anaerobic exercise through 

intervals is very hard work. 

Isolated muscle workouts should be 

replaced with large muscle group or 

whole body exercises used to help 

muscles work in conjunction with each 

other for maximum efficiency and 

strength. Exercises that build real world 

strength include: heavy pack long hill 

hikes, log drag, tire flip, sandbag lifts, 

rope drag and buddy carry. These are 

just a few exercises that tax the whole 

body or large muscle groups and 

should be utilized for maximum gains 

in strength and anaerobic endurance. 

The average person 

on an average day 

doing moderate 

activity needs 2 

quarts of water just 

to function normally. 

Disclaimer: 






















from any harm or injury that may result from participation.


BORN WITH 

BRAWN 



Tony Farrugia realized at the age of 18 he must have inherited his 

grandfather’s natural physical strength when he lifted his first car. 

Keeping the family tradition alive, he also practices the 

family art of steel bending. 

Q: Tony, how do you workout to build or 

maintain your level of strength? 

A: I’ve never trained at a gym or with 

conventional equipment, although I 

once tried and successfully overhead 

lifted a 105kg dumbbell. I lift with brute 

strength and little to no technique. I 

first started training by lifting stones 

like my grandfather used to do when 

he was alive. He was abnormally strong 

and well-known in Malta’s capital city 

of Valletta back when they had stone 

lifting competitions there. But I never had 

specific training for lifting. 

Disclaimer: 























Q: What are some of the objects you have 

lifted? 

A: I’ve lifted hundreds of different types of 

cars over the years. I’ve also lifted heavy 

things like vans, stones, safes, skips, giant 

tires, giant logs, pallets…and people! I 

think one of my most impressive feats was 

flipping a 885kg car over. I weigh 115kg. 

I once lifted a small truck weighing over 

3 tons total weight from the back end, so 

over 300kg in the hand. 

Q: Do you stick to a particular diet? 

A: I like eating and drinking lots of milk! 

I’ve never taken any supplements such 

as whey protein or creatine. I’m very antidrug 

and won’t even take supplements.


I lift with brute strength 

and little to no technique. 

Q: What motivates you to do feats of 

strength? 

A: I like doing it! It’s in my blood and it’s 

a good way to relieve stress and anger. It’s 

my passion and it’s a very fun hobby. 

Q: Tell us about the other part of your 

hobby – steel bending. 

A: I learned this skill from my grandfather. 

He was a steel bender, too. I’ve folded up 

frying pans, bent iron bars around my neck, 

ripped phone books in half, bent nails, 

screwdrivers and lots of kinds of tools. 

Q: Have you ever injured yourself doing 

these feats? 

A: Yes, I’ve had many injuries over the years 

- I’ve torn my bicep tendon, tore some 

stomach muscles, broke my hand several 

times, broke toes, my shoulder and nose. 

Q: You like to video your lifts. Do you learn 

anything from watching them? 

A: I haven’t really learned anything from 

my videos. I just like to keep a record of 

my training and see how I continually 

improve. I always have plans to improve, 

and doing new feats of strength that I’ve 

never done before. Something new is 

always good! 

Q: Do you do any other athletic activities? 

A: Besides lifting and bending and ripping 

things, yes! I run, swim, snorkel and 

spearhead fish.

Unconventional Athletes Issue 11

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