The Circus of Mars

Today (5/21/2024), I stumbled upon a wondrous pearl from the depths of my early writing (2010)—a sunken treasure swallowed by the vast ocean of Google Documents. "Monstrous Strength" is a 10-volume series of body-targeted and function-specific strength training programs inspired by fearsome monsters of myth and legend. Written during a time when I was actively pursuing an MMA career and training to be a Circus Strongman, I believed these volumes were forever lost. However, it seems the Fates have conspired to unleash these mythic beasts upon the world once more. Here is an excerpt from my soon-to-be-released Kraken program: --- The original date of writing is 7/9/2010. **Kraken Strength Training Program** Few creatures stir the unconscious mind like the Kraken. This massive, mysterious beast rises from unfathomable depths, feeding on whatever it finds, leaving destruction in its wake. Alien in nature, the Kraken emerges from our darkest dreams only to return to those unexplo...

The following is my original blog post (updated with better grammar and sentence structure) reflecting my unique early work on "pagan" mythology and strength training. My interaction inspired Heroic Evolution's Queen Maeve program with strongwoman  Robin Coleman   ( who took 3rd place in the 2001 World's Strongest Woman in Zambia, Africa ). Unfortunately, my presently defunct Heroic Evolution never produced this strength program, and it remains an unrealized dream.    Queen Maeve: Strong enough for a man but made for a woman. 8/16/11 Hail Queen Maeve! In all of Ireland, only one woman held the keys to real power—a force of nature that made men tremble with both fear and desire. Her name is Queen Maeve. Queen Maeve is a woman second to no man. She is drop-dead gorgeous, strong as a bull, and said to have slain whole legions of men on the battlefield and in the bed chamber. Queen Maeve is unquestionably the alpha female. In Irish myth, she is a Queen and a goddess of s...

Below is my original blog post (updated with somewhat better grammar and sentence structure) reflecting my one-of-a-kind early work on "pagan" mythology and strength training. The original post can be found here on my Blog,  Circus of Mars.  The Hercules program was inspired by old-time strongmen like Henry Higgins, Auther Saxon, and Eugene Sandow. These men attained strength, which is still largely unmatched, using highly focused and abbreviated programs. Modeling their example, I engineered an "old-time" strongman course utilizing 12 full-body exercises (or labors) and a heavy dumbbell. Unfortunately, my now-defunct Heroic Evolution never produced this strength program, and it remains an unrealized dream. Hercules, Through works and not grace alone 08/07/11 The name Hercules conjures images of raw, unbridled strength and rugged masculinity. Hercules was born of a union between the mortal woman Alcmena and Zeus, king of the Gods. While divine blood runs through his...