The Kroc Files
With Matt Kroczaleski

by EFS Staff






If you’re a new subscriber to the EFS newsletter, or you’re not yet familiar with our sponsored athletes and you’re looking for a world class powerlifter with whom you can identify in terms of a constant struggle to find a place for training – in this case, some of the most brutally intense training you’ll ever see - amidst the clutter and confusion of a busy-as-hell life, it’s time to learn about Grand Ledge, Michigan’s Matt Kroczaleski.

Best known, perhaps, for his win in the 220lbs class at the 2006 Arnold Classic – 926 squat, 660 bench and 755 deadlift for a 2341 total - Matt has since both astounded and fascinated the powerlifting world by producing an impressive series of YouTube videos demonstrating his rather unique style of heavy, high-rep training. Since these clips hit the internet, thousands of EFS devotees have added “Kroc Rows” and “Kroc Curls” to their routines in hopes of capturing even a fraction of the intensity Matt brings to the platform.

If you’re focused on your career goals in a profession requiring inordinate amounts of your time, and you’re wondering how to incorporate serious training into your life, it’ll be well worth your while to peruse Matt’s training log on this site for some of the most practical, pragmatic advice you’ll ever read about the best ways to go about things. As a pharmacist – working twelve hour shifts standing at a computer with no lunch or dinner breaks – Matt has spent years refining his time management and training economy skills, and much of what he’s learned is right here on this website waiting to be discovered.

What’s been going on with you late



I’m currently preparing for the WPO Finals at the California Fit Expo, which is being held in Los Angeles on February 17th. I’ll be competing at 220lbs for probably the last time, with my goal being to total over 2500lbs and attain the all-time highest total in the 220lb class. After this I’ll be making the move to gain weight and I plan to move to the 242’s - and eventually the 275’s, where I feel I will be capable of doing my best lifting.

Right now my focus in training is on rehabbing a partial lat tear I sustained on October 27th at the Wolverine Open on my second attempt deadlift at 788lbs. I tore the lat at the insertion under the rear delt, in the proximity of where the triceps also tie in. It seems to be healing pretty well and I feel that it’s probably at 80-90% of its former strength right now. I pulled some light deadlifts for the first time since the meet last week, and I have no doubts that I’ll be 100% by the time I compete at the WPO finals.

My other priority in training is to get my bench up where it should be. I have the strength to be a mid-700-pound bencher but I’m missing something with the shirt and not getting anywhere near what I should be out of it. I’m going to be trying some new things in training and working with Rob Luyando to get my bench where it should be. If I’m successful in that endeavor, I have no doubts that 2500+ in the total is well within my capabilities. My squat is feeling great and I’ve been hitting some PR’s for training in just briefs over the last several weeks, with my current best being an easy 835. I plan to hit 900 in just briefs prior to the WPO finals.

On the business side of things, I’m still working on my DVD and have recently enlisted the help of someone new to get things the way I want them to be. I’m having a hard time not being overly particular about the content and quality of the DVD, and that has caused me to take a lot more time with it than I had originally anticipated. I’ve also decided to include the footage of my last meet at 220 in the DVD (the 2008 WPO Finals), which means the DVD won't be completed and ready for sale until the early spring of 2008. I know there are a lot of guys out there waiting for this, and I apologize for the long delay, but I can assure them the wait will be well worth it when everything is completed. I’m also looking at putting some "Kroc" t-shirts together, and I have some hardcore designs in mind that I think people will really like.

I’m also in the process of writing a series of articles about psychological conditioning and how to apply that to training. The first part of this series is nearly complete and should be up on the EFS website within the next week or so. Anyone that has seen the videos from the Boston Seminar or the interviews I have done with Elite will know that I believe the mental aspect of the game to be more important than anything else. I believe your mindset and mental toughness are paramount in determining how far you’ll be able to push your physical strength. I think these articles will contain something different from what people have heard before and if taken to heart will really be able to help people achieve their goals in life - athletically, professionally or personally.

Q&A:



In one of your now-infamous videos, you were filmed deadlifting 655 lbs for five reps. Is there anything specific that got you to that point with deadlifting? Should lifters pull more frequently like the Eastern Europeans do?



What has helped build my deadlift most, from day one, is deadlifting. Upper back strength is also key. My favorite assistance exercises are heavy dumbbell rows, chins and heavy shrugs. I think fancy fluff exercises that require very light weights are probably of the least value. The body needs to be put under heavy stresses in order to force it to adapt and get stronger. How often you need to pull is highly individualized and will change over time. You can condition yourself to be able to pull more often over time but I don't feel that there’s any special benefit in doing this strength-wise. There are some good Eastern European deadlifters, but there have always been plenty of great American deadlifters as well. Mental toughness, discipline and desire are far more important in achieving athletic success than any specific program.

My training partners and I pull raw every other week on average - usually working up to singles - and do heavy upper back assistance work twice per week year round. What we do works but I think (our results) are a greater indication that we train in a great atmosphere. We push each other hard, constantly challenge each other, and each of us truly believes we should be stronger than the next guy. We all want to be on top and will accept nothing less. These are the biggest reasons for our success.

You’ve mentioned your series of articles on the mental aspects of training. What can we expect to learn about the things you’ve picked up over the years?



In my mind the most important traits any champion possesses is their mindset and mental toughness. If you look at all of the champions in powerlifting, or any and all sports for that matter, what commonalities do they share? What do they all do that is the same?

The training programs of every champion are different - sometimes drastically so. Their beliefs on recovery and nutrition vary widely as well. In my opinion, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they all possess what I like to refer to as a champion's mindset. This consists of many different key aspects. I believe the most important of these are confidence, discipline and motivation/desire.

Champions all believe with total confidence that they will reach their goals and they will never allow anyone to convince them otherwise - not friends, not family, not even their coaches. They’re all very motivated and use this to work insanely hard, with lots of effort in the gym and outside of it. They’re always hungry. They put out max effort all the time, not just before big meets or when trying to impress others.

They’re also disciplined and consistent in their training. This is day in day out, year in year out. Most champs have been training for years and years before they reach the elite level in any sport, and it hasn’t been half-ass training, either. It’s been gut-busting, balls-to-the-wall intense hard work.

Mental toughness has been a huge key for me. All the guys that train with me or know me will tell you this. I’ve learned to develop absolute confidence in my abilities to achieve any goal I set my mind to. I know that sounds arrogant, but it's not because of what it involves in realizing what must be done in order to achieve a goal and then doing the work that must be done without excuses in order to make it happen.

I’ve become very good with this with regard to injuries. Many people don't know this but three weeks before the ‘06 Arnold I was on crutches and couldn't even stand, let alone walk. I had injured my IT band, and there was a lot of swelling, fluid and pain around my left knee. For a few days I thought there was no way I could still be ready for the Arnold, but then I thought everything over and sent an email out to my friends about two weeks out telling them that I would will my knee to get better and I gave them a 100% guarantee that I would be at the meet. I would lift there and the knee would hold or I would break it off trying.

As it turned out, my knee healed up quickly and I squatted an easy 926 without wraps and I haven’t had a problem since. I can't even tell you why my knee got better, and neither can the doctors. All I can tell you is that I decided to make it happen and I believed in my heart that it would. The mind is a powerful tool. Learn to use it.

Given what we’ve seen on your videos, what’s your opinion on training to failure with assistance work?



Training to failure on assistance work depends on a lot of variables including volume, % of max, rep range, etc. This is really a complicated topic without a simple yes or no answer. You have to constantly monitor how your body feels, and if you’re truly overtraining, then obviously you need to cut back somewhere to prevent that. However, overtraining also involves a lot of other things like sleep, diet, external stressors and your overall training template.

The best advice I can give you is that while training to failure can be beneficial at times, it’s not necessary or desirable to train that way at all times. What’s more important is to be able to make increases from workout to workout in the amount of weight used or number of reps performed. Scale back the training to failure where you feel it’s necessary and perhaps look at including deload workouts periodically to prevent overtraining.

In conclusion, a Kroczaleski family holiday story…



Thanksgiving - or any holiday for that matter - is always a lot of fun when my family gets together. There's nothing like slapping the **** out of my brothers in between bites of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. A couple of Easters ago, I slapped my youngest brother (Chris) upside the head in retaliation for his sneak attack fifteen minutes prior and starched the poor little bastard. He was literally out on his feet and I had a good laugh as I watched his eyes roll to the back of his head.

Somehow he managed to regain consciousness just before he hit the deck, and with his body in a position that resembled a world class limbo-stick attempt, he stumbled backwards but managed to avoid going down. My mom was pissed because Chris had just filled a 24oz glass with pop, and during his brief bout of unconsciousness he poured all of it out on the floor.

Always the instigator, Kdogg (my middle brother Kurt) encouraged Chris to retaliate and to try taking another poke at me. Wisely, Chris decided not to but Kurt wouldn't let the issue die. At a surprise party that was thrown for me after I won the Arnold a year later, Kdogg actually offered Chris $100 to punch me in the face as hard as he could in front of everyone. Evidently Chris was very close to taking the bet, but a mutual friend of ours caught wind of the plan and advised Chris of the foolishness of his actions, knowing that I wouldn’t let such an act go without punishment.

I’m going to have to start sharing more stories from the Kroczaleski Boy's "Book of Tales," as there are some hilarious ones. Maybe next time I’ll tell the story of the time Kdogg was about to throw a beating on Chris (for something I'm sure was deserving of the punishment) and Chris yelled out "That's it, I'm calling Matt!" and Kdogg proceeded to rip the phone out of the wall, replying, "YOU AIN’T CALLIN' NO ONE!"

Did I mention this took place at my Mom's house? Good times!!!