Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Deck Of Destiny

              One of my favorite workouts is simply using a deck of cards and going as far as I can go. He didn't create it but he certainly gave it greater purpose especially if you’re a combat athlete and that was Karl Gotch. If you were to get in superior condition it was important to stick with the fundamentals and that was squats, push-ups and bridging. With the deck, you just shuffle them however you want and when you flip one card you do that many push-ups or squats, face value is up to 15, Aces are 20 and Jokers are 25-50.

Numbered As Is

Aces- 20

Face Cards- 15

Jokers-25/50

            Once you have it down and you can finish the deck in a reasonable amount of time (keep it under 45 min.), you can switch things around, make certain parts of the cards different types of push-up and/or squats along with an abdominal exercise or maybe add in pull-ups that’ll be an ass kicker. It’s good to switch things up, keep the body working in different directions and ways that’ll keep your heart rate up and challenging your body to a different degree. My shortest time with the cards ever was just over 21 min. and that’s cruising, that’s just on various push-ups and squats, however with only 4 exercises it takes me just under 45 min. at a time.

            Gotch always found that conditioning was the base for every combat sport and in general all sports for that matter. You can do all the techniques in your sport all you want but if you can’t last very long on the mat or on the field even on the court you might as well walk out the door. Another legendary sports figure whose conditioning training helped bring a series of championships was the late John Wooden of NCAA Basketball lore at UCLA. If his guys weren't up to par to stay in the game efficiently, they didn't get to play much, it was this golden rule that put his teams in the best of the best during the 60’s and 70’s that had Hall Of Famers such as Kareem Abdul Jabarr and Bill Walton. This type of training gives your workouts a twist because it’s never the same every time so there’s no guess work it’s just there.

            When it comes to timing, you should attempt to finish the deck with as little rest as possible to the point where you’re just zooming like lightning. In the beginning, you might need to rest after a few cards to catch your breath and let the tension out because of the lactic acid build up. Each workout should have a little less rest than the last time so you can build that endurance and your mental strength. A key component to learn is that after a while, your form might be a little off, this happens often so do your best to keep your form as best as possible because if you start to get sloppy, it’s going to bite you in the ass.

            If you want to jump up to a level of conditioning that is different and a bit more hardcore than doing reps, do the deck in an Isometric format. You’re probably wondering “how the hell do you do that?” Instead of doing reps, you hold a certain position for time either for a few seconds or a few breaths for example, you got a 5 and it’s a squat, you can hold a horse stance or wall sit and hold for 5 seconds or take in 5 breaths. Jokers are a killer and you’d be in great shape if you can hold a position for up to 50 breaths but 50 seconds is still ok. This takes your body to a level most never dare go to. At best this kind of workout can take as long as an hour or more, that’s a lot of trying to hold still.


            The deck can work in many ways and no matter how you do it, if you can do the whole deck you’re in reasonably good shape. Gotch took to a level only a small group has ever achieved and that’s doubling the number of squats and kept the push-ups as is. I once read he did the deck twice in a row, no wonder he was a beast on the mat. It’s a lot of fun to work on and you can do it just about anywhere at anytime. See how you do it and how it can work for you. 

Sunday, May 26, 2013

To Bridge Or Not To Bridge??? That Is The Question





            Is it not wise to build a mighty neck & back? For he that is weak in the electric embodiment of one’s core shall deteriorate with fierce consequence. A neck that holds the head up high with great confidence and soaring charisma must be strong that he must practice to save his body from a hunch and painful muscle.

            Fear is a piercing for those that not practice. It is this fear that thee doesn't take one step closer to his true potential with the ability to become not just strong but agile and fearlessness that brings forth his soul’s purpose to achieve inner strength. To practice is to be within the deepest reaches of one’s heart and purpose to leap with both feet and making thyself more wanted to be strong.

            The power of one’s spine is to a soul’s strength. The strength of man’s back is a source of great admiration, the might of his bones and muscle is a leap to perhaps a superhuman entity for which very few men can accomplish. It is within man’s birthright to be strong in many facets of life and only that crossing is from being weak to being powerful.

            Is it in the interest of thee that can fall with grace? Most fear because of their lonesome, they will be hurt and not tackle that darkness. Are there not angels that are there for guidance? There are angels but there’s also a blessing of a friend that can guide you and help you fall back with confidence and inner power. To fall back, one must reach down into his very soul to build the power to take another leap into becoming a being of no fear and not dwelling on putting his body at risk, with great practice, greater energy becomes.


            One must tell thyself to make way of crossing past the darkness and kicking over to the other side with will and the ability to fight. The more practice, the less you need to fight. An agile body doesn't happen overnight just like the cities of the Roman, Greek and Persian empires of the remote past. Your body is a temple of Great Power. Not everyone can enjoy this power but for most it is within your grasp to take whole of which is yours to keep. To Bridge takes patience, with great patience comes confidence, confidence becomes power.  

Friday, May 24, 2013

Forearm Development


          



             One of the most neglected part of the body is the lower arm. If you trained it well you have developed a powerful grip, strong tendons and your lifts can become much easier to handle. Developing the forearm can be done in many ways but not always what you think. In the magazines you see the wrist curls and reverse wrist curls and that’s just about it. Bodybuilders pump up the muscle to make it look bigger but in the end that’s all it is a pump. In the world of old school physical culture however you can develop the lower arm in ways that make bodybuilders look like little chumps.

            There are a lot of ways to get a strong and developed forearm and some of them have nothing to with isolating the muscle. Want to develop a powerful grip, work your hands in different ways like Fingertip Push-ups, Bending Steel, picking up Odd Objects and moving Partial Lifting. For Bodyweight type training, work your fingers in different exercises like pull-ups, chin-ups, Isometrics pulls and pressing into walls all of these work the lower arm like crazy. Some people like using grippers (and I’m not talking about those dumb little colored ones that has 5 pounds of pressure) which you can close for a number of reps but one of the things I've experimented with is just closing and holding it locked. If you can close the trainer/#1/#2 relatively easily it can get boring just repping it out all the time, instead, close it and see how long you can last, developing that crushing strength in a different way.

            An important look at how the forearm is developed is not always through Muscle Building. Just doing that alone is just a closed minded way to build your body and you can only build so much muscle till you get injured. However, if you work the tendons and ligaments of the hands, wrists and elbows, you’re building strength in a way that makes you more powerful and far stronger in the long run. Arm Wrestling Training really works well for forearm development because you’re building on tendon power as well as muscle. When you train in this manner, work on high repetitions somewhere up to 50 reps per arm per set. The stronger your tendons are, the stronger you will be.

            One last thing to look at for building a super strong lower arm is to use a thick bar, this puts more stress on the lower arm because you have to grip hard enough to hold on to it. Thick bars make you work far harder than a regular bar. Say you’re doing a bench press with a weight that you can do 10 good reps with a regular bar, put in a thick bar with the same weight; your reps will be cut down to about half the amount. Since thick bars are very expensive, there’s another way to make a bar thicker, grab yourself some Fat Gripz. These babies you can take to any gym and put on any normal bar or dumbbell, you can even put them on your in-home pull-up bar whatever you’d like to do to make it a little more challenging.

            With Fat Gripz and the way you train hard, you can build up more natural growth hormone and develop muscle and strength at a more rapid rate because the more of the muscle fibers break down, the more muscle gets developed and because you’re working the body at a different pace and difficulty, your strength grows later on as well. I love building strength in my grip and its fun doing something that’s out of the norm and you develop muscle an strength in a way most will never get. Take your time and remember, even Popeye wasn't born with those big forearms; he had to develop them someway. These are just ideas to give you a sense of how to create your own style of forearm development and help you achieve a level of strength that’s just insane.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Karl Gotch & Conditioning


             





             It’s important to understand that if you want to the very best in your sport or in your training, you want to be in the best condition as possible. Karl Gotch put this rule to a level not many want to achieve. It doesn't matter if you’re in Wrestling, Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey or Soccer for that matter, you can have all the gnarly skills you want but if you can’t last the way you need to, you’re done. A lot of people seem to have this notion that if you just train a little and work on the skills you’ll be fine. Wrong. Conditioning and technique go together like a Horse & Carriage, one without the other is worthless.

            When it comes down to conditioning, there are many ways to do it and like everything else, it takes time and patience and building your mental strength as well. One of the things I admired about Gotch was how he can make cardio look like a firestorm with just a good old deck of cards. I’m sure he might not be the first to come up with this concept but he did make it worth it in gold. Take a deck of cards, shuffle them and get to work. This makes training a little different because it’s never the same workout twice. If you can get through the deck, you’re in pretty decent shape and if you do it twice in the same workout you’re a terror practically on the mat, floor or on the field.

            The cards have a way to test your mind power and see how far you’re willing to push yourself. Yes it takes progression to work up to a full deck but after that it’s more of a mental game than a physical. The more you generate power in your mind; the body will give in and do more. It’s the mind/muscle connection that brings together the most powerful type of training of all.

            Remember about basic exercises? This is no different and your best shot is to stick with the fundamentals as best as possible when it comes to bodyweight…Push-ups, Squats and Bridging. These three alone can be beneficial to your health and strength training because there are many variations of them, some are easy, some are harder than others but once you have them down and you can train hard on them, you have the idea of mastering your own body in a way most will never understand. Like the old man once said “Conditioning is your best hold.”

Monday, May 20, 2013

Getting Back To Basics


           Basic exercises are the true measures of what can be done in fitness whether it’s weights or bodyweight the principles still apply…

Presses

Pulls

Squats


            It’s important to use these principles with the best intentions because you’ll get the best results using these elements, you can add in supplemental exercises for extra variety but the more consistent you use these four the more you’ll get out of it.

            Sometimes we progress to higher stages of development that we move on without thinking too much of how we got there in the first place. Yes it’s important to progress and advancing yourself to harder types of training but in the end it all comes back to the basics and how it gives us the foundation to bring us higher and higher to where we want to go.

            The single most important ideal for being a great trainee is to not copy someone else’s program but to create your own with the basic principles and there are endless ways of doing them. Doing what works best for you is the journey of finding one’s self and that although you can get ideas on how to do things you’ll want to learn how you can create something on your own that you enjoy and making it challenging for you and you alone.

            There are countless attributes but the best ones stay within the realm of the basic principles and that’s…..

Strength

Stamina

Speed

Agility

Reflex

            All five of these attributes should be planted into your brain at all times not because it’s just a few words but when it comes down to it you’ll need them in whatever you’re doing whether it’s in sports, training for conditioning or whatever. For some who have read, I like saying to have fun and although it’s important to have that, there’s also times to get down to brass tacks and get the job done whether it’s for a specific goal, in competition, in training and in life. Do what you can but never be satisfied, keep moving, keep driving and keep achieving the things you want to do. No matter how tough things are, come back to the basics and use them to bring you back up because they will always be there when you need them. 

Friday, May 17, 2013

Born To Be Wild


            




           Ever since I was little I loved that song. It was one of my first rock songs at a very early age. Rock in the late 60’s was a cultural change in the system throughout the Vietnam War and people wanted to be able to live and be free from the political crap Nixon was throwing and having the country behave like civilized people (yeah sure the hippies loved that and the Black Panthers). Songs like this gave you a reason to be alive and because of it, it became timeless.

            We were born as a race of beings to be strong and fit, conquer our own destiny and live the world the way we choose to. Over the last few decades, that’s become a daydream as people today because of the obesity “epidemic” just throw themselves away, eating terribly, partying like it’s the end of 1999 and just take advantage of the things that are giving to them. It doesn't matter if you’re black, white, yellow, brown, green or blue you are still a human being and there’s still a chance to become healthy again.

            One of the keys to becoming super strong and fit as a fiddle is the ability to open your mind. Have a mindset that you can live forever and feel as if you’re invincible. Now I’m not saying you should test this theory with stupid ideals but when I say feeling invincible, I mean in the sense where you learn to channel your energy. Reality is we can’t live forever like Conner or Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod but we can learn to live a lot longer than we are told to be. Hell I don’t care what anyone says I want to be 100 and still walking and talking and moving as best as I can without being in pain as much as possible. Most people who get older feel like it’s going down from there and just living the life of an older person and this starts right around 40-50. What a load of crock.

            To be strong and fit, it takes guts to go out and do something. Want to lift weights at 85, why not? You’re in your 60’s and retired, why not have fun and embrace what you have and do something that will get you over those dumb plateaus. Love what you have achieved in your life but never be satisfied of what you can do more of. I’m nearly 30 years old, some say that I’m still young and vibrant; others say it’s the trend of going downhill and even there are others who just have nothing better to do than be bitter than turning a certain decade starting at 30, for me I haven’t nearly peaked yet and I still have a lot more to achieve that I haven’t begun to touch yet so bring it on.

            Being wild isn't about getting drunk with your buddies or doing stupid shit that you’ll regret later on sooner or later but it’s about adventure, going to different places, finding new people to meet, taking a chance on finding that spark in your life and living it to the fullest that is positive and wholesome to you. Embrace it and live with great vitality and vigor, move freely and believe that there’s more to life than dwelling on past failures, things that you hate and the people you don’t need in your life. Everything happens for a reason and however you choose to do it is your choice. Find something that you love and make it work for you because when we finally reach that time of death, how do you want to go out?

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Going Back To The Bridge








              Lately I've switched my training around to Bridging and Sprinting to gain some agility, speed and awareness along with burning off bodyfat which has helped a great deal in a short amount of time but the Bridging however is the toughest of them all. A bridge routine can either make you or break depending what your level is at. To understand bridging, it really goes back to Karl Gotch’s DVD Conditioning For Combat Sports where I first learned about Bridging Gymnastics from a visual stand point. The amount of Agility you gain from it is insane and being able to handle your bodyweight in a manner most are afraid of.

            The key component of Bridging whether it’s on the head or hands alone is that it stretches the body in ways not many other programs can give you. The ability to stretch the spine to give that curvature in the spine is essential to lifelong health and functional fitness. Granted it’s not for everyone especially if you've had bone spurs in the neck or have had a mess of injuries to the spine but with the right training, most people can learn how to do the bridge, if you’re brave enough you can take it to the next step and that’s falling into a bridge and progressing kicking over and back while in the position.

            One of the all-time greats in the realm of Physical Culture George F. Jowett once said In both man and the other male beasts, the neck has always been the true indication of the quality and quantity of his concentrated nerve power. A strong healthy man always has a powerful neck, and he always will have one.” He was right because if you look at how strong a man’s neck is that is congruent with the spine, it gives a whole new meaning to the term superhuman. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you have a flexible and strong spine, the rest of your body feeds off that power and energy.

            Our spines are like the electric cord of the human body, it sends nerves into the brain that feeds us our way of thinking and how our body is able to move. If your spine isn't strong enough it has a bigger chance of making you paralyzed everywhere. Give your spine the fuel it needs and your neck should be right along with it.

            Karl Gotch always figured Bridging is a major key to getting in serious shape and I’m not making that argument because I've done a lot of different training methods and Bridging Gymnastics always cooks me in the shortest amount of time because you’re working every single muscle in the body and you’re working your spine and neck to a degree where the stronger you get at it the stronger you’ll be overall. I always admired the way how Bridging works and it takes quite a bit of guts and some serious awareness to do some of the things Bridging Gymnastics offers.

            I've had the great opportunity to learn it from a couple guys and taught it to a few people myself plus being one of the heaviest guys to fall back into a bridge, kick over and kick back at a bodyweight of 238+ pounds. It’s exhilarating and exciting to do something most people can’t. Even if you’re a lighter person and you’re able to do it is still amazing in itself. It’s also fun as hell once you get it down and doing some crazy stunts. If you got the guts to take your training to another level, learn the kick ass ways to bridge, it is one hell of a way to get in shape and it gives you benefits you wouldn't believe.  



Monday, May 13, 2013

Summer Is Around The Corner


           





           It’s almost beach season, school’s almost out, weather is getting warmer and people are flocking to beach sites. Some of you want that beach body that gives you a reason to take your shirt off, go jump in the water and make certain people make their heads turn. It’s a great goal to build a cool looking body. For women they want that toned abs, sexy, legs, one hell of an ass and a chest that makes guys say “daamn.” For guys it’s the powerful arms, washboard abs, legs that can go on forever, broad shoulders, maybe some mighty mitts and a chest that makes you stand out. It’s human nature to have attraction and magnetism so we focus mostly on the physical part. Not a bad thing but there’s still something missing.

            Physical appearance has had its share of good and bad sides to it and some people will do whatever it takes to look incredible but yet it costs them their health. Some people get Botox injections, take steroids to build extra muscle and some even get plastic surgery just to get a certain look but come on. We were made for a reason and we have the choice to do what we want with it but in my opinion if you truly want the confidence with your appearance, make the time and effort to do it, gain strength both internally and externally along with being as healthy as possible both inside and out, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you’re going to look like a cover model, might as well be strong to go with it.

            When it’s hot out, your body needs more water to hydrate because when you sweat, although toxins are fuming out of the body, you still need to keep your body running. Drink as much water as you can. Vitamin D is essential to your body’s nutrients and the sun is perfect for that. You remember if you use too much of anything it’s not good for you? Well the sun is no different. Keep your time out in the sun as best as possible because if you’re out too much, it’ll get you burned and you’ll be peeling skin for days.

            Sun screen is debatable when it comes down to it; there have been studies that it has a chance to cause cancer so if you plan on using it, don’t use a ton. I rarely ever wear it in the summer and I've done just fine, keep yourself in the water, when you need to dry off, go for it but throw a shirt on to keep your torso cool (don’t ever wear black, I've learned the hard way), put the towel around your legs and just kick back in a chair or on the sand or whatever. A good hour in the sun is pretty good as far as I know. If you’re  planning on spending an entire day at the beach, do intervals of being in water, drying off and keeping cool till the next time around. Getting a natural tan is good so I’d stay away from those shitty tanning beds, it’s not good for you so be safe.

            For the most part, have fun. Summer is about having a great time. Out with friends, family, kick ass BBQ’s, going to the beach, playing ball, run on the sand, jump off docks and best of all, kicking back in the sun and feeling like a billion bucks. If you want to build a body that you can be proud of, make the effort and do it within reason, train hard, eat as clean as possible, rest up and be yourself. Swimming is a great exercise and works the whole body from head to toe, not big on swimming, lift weights, do some hand balancing, be a wild animal do whatever you want, it’s summer damn it get your ass out there and make things happen for you.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Do You Have Bad Days?


            




             At times when you’re training, there are days when some things just aren't there, your mind isn't focused and you just have frustration outside the session. It’s tough to do something when you’re having a bad day but in the end, that’s actually one of the best times to train because when you take out your frustration on the weights or doing bodyweight, use that drive to push harder and when those endorphins kick in, everything just seems to be at ease.

            What made you have a bad day? Broke up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, lose your job, got so caught up with work you just feel like you can’t train or better yet, you probably lost a loved one and it’s eating you up that they’re gone and your mind isn’t in the right place. I know what it’s like to have some of these very same issues, it’s tough and you want to do it badly or maybe you just don’t want to but yet there shouldn't be an excuse to do some exercise even for a minute you’re still doing something. I've lost 3 family members in the last 8 years or so, got fired from my job, broke up with 4 different women that I loved and cared about and felt so depressed that I just didn't have it in me but something inside told me to do it anyway even maybe half-ass it, at least do something and I still felt better afterwards. Not saying this to brag or tell you that I’m better than you I’m not, what I’am saying is that no matter how much life throws at you or how bad things get, you’re still here and you have capabilities to do something that might save your life, trust me.

            Why do I believe it’s good to train on a bad day, it’s because you have something that can give you some light back into your life, putting all that anger, shame, frustration or whatever into use and making the best of it, adrenaline is a little higher, you might even break a record or 2, hell sometimes you might have to shout or yell and just make it happen. There’s no need to be violent, ever but you can use a bad day to a positive use and create something or just wing it either way, you’re being productive and you give it whatever you have in the tank. In the end, you made a difference, you didn't hurt anybody, you didn't go out and get drunk, and you didn't take drugs to take the pain away.

            Training can be a great form of therapy; whatever you have won’t judge you. There are no excuses. You may be human and you have the right to a bad day every now and then because it happens to the best of us but you have a choice to keep draining yourself mentally or getting out there and busting your ass till you’re so damn high everything you had that was bad before is gone. Everything is a choice, what are you going to do about it?




Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Build A Connection Outside


            Training out in the open has a special feeling to it, out in the open air, building that connection to the earth and gaining a perspective of what it was like to do things from a long time ago. It’s fun to go run, jump, play and do all kinds of things with the right imagination and having a bit of that inner child in you.

            Unlike a closed in space of a gym, you have total freedom out in the open, go running on the grass or on a field at a park, move around like an animal out in the wild and give your body that Vitamin D it needs to help the skin. Being free gives you opportunities you can’t get from other places. Imagine being at a park, running around, having a good time, do a few exercises here and there or if you’re like my good friend Bud Jeffries, try to find some heavy ass stones to lift.

            The ability to go anywhere and do all sorts of things is our birthright, exploring, trying different things, being in beautiful places and making the best of it. Training outside is more natural, getting out in the sun or maybe even in the snow a bit. Being in the snow builds a level of toughness and you burn more calories I believe in the snow because your body is like an automatic heater, it has to keep warm and your body’s nervous system kicks into a different gear. In the sun like in the summer, your body’s cooling system is shifted and you have to hydrate more.

            The best time I believe to train outside is in the morning, the air is fresher and the connection is better between you and the earth. When it comes to weather however I prefer the summertime when the sun’s out, its warm, bringing something to drink to keep you hydrated and just have a grand old time, if you live by the ocean or a lake, go jump in and go swimming, got a pool, use it and have fun. The snow can be fun too but you might not last as long and you want to wear what you can to keep you warm but being in the snow has it’s benefits. In the snow it builds a different type of mental toughness and it builds character in a certain way, sometimes you have to walk somewhere and it’s less than 20 degrees out, that’s just insane and I wouldn't do it in shorts trust me.

            Get your ass outside as much as you can, there’s a whole world to see and you can train in ways you never have before, it’s like being a kid again and you’re playing on the playground. Have fun, be adventurous and explore. You never know what you’ll find.

Monday, May 6, 2013

A Workout That’ll Take Your Breath Away




           




             Before I tell you a great workout I have discovered I wanted to give you an important asset in your training and that’s conditioning. I know you've probably read and heard me say it pretty damn often but yet it bears repeating. When you’re really good at something and you can go for a quite a period of time while having plenty left in the tank you’re in great condition. Karl Gotch couldn't have said it better “Conditioning is your greatest hold.” It takes mental toughness to be in superior condition, sure you can have great physical attributes but if your mind isn't in the right place it’s all worth nothing.

            This workout is based on an inspiration from the recent events that Bud Jeffries has demonstrated with the use of a sledgehammer and how you can perform different variations and combinations with that hammer to other exercises. Because of this, I like to practice certain things one at a time and sometimes just one exercise the entire workout because it hits everything in the entire body. This workout is fun, interesting, gives you a little time to breathe and best yet, you never know what reps you’ll come up with next.

            To make this workout possible you’ll need 5 important things…..A good sharp pencil or pen, paper to write own (trust me this comes in handy), a 20 sided die, either a sledgehammer or a mighty Thor Hammer (my personal favorite) and a nice solid tire to hit. Each of this is as equally important as the workout itself. The reason why is because when you roll the die, you come up with a set of reps that you can either leave as is or double even triple the amount but because it be hard to remember them its best to write them down which should be your rest period. If you really want to add anything I suggest a watch so you can time yourself and keep track of your progress.

            Why did I choose the 20-sided die? Because I like variety and not knowing what can come up next, it keeps things fresh and it makes not have the same workout twice. You can use the reps anyway you want, you can leave them as is like I said earlier, or make it more interesting by doubling or tripling the amount of reps. You can go as high as 10 reps or maybe 100 who knows. I use the die at times when I do my Animal Training and play around with it kind of like a game.

            How does this workout go?

-Well, you roll the die, whatever number comes up you do that many reps hitting the tire using both hands and switching the top and bottom hands to make it even. Say you rolled a 20 for example, you can do 10 reps left over right and switch to right over left to make it 20 or do 20 reps L/R then 20 R/L to make it 40.

-Write own the number of reps to keep track so you don’t lose how many you’d like to do. In the beginning do about 10 rolls to get the idea, build it up to however you want and then you can time yourself, 5 minutes, 10 min. whatever and be sure to keep moving, roll the die, write the reps and get back to it.
-Make a goal to how many reps you want to hit in a certain amount of time but also keep good form (its important believe me).

            This builds cardio in ways that just blows many things out of the water; it’s a step closer to how the old-time laborers worked the mines, quarries and construction, breaking down concrete, stone and rock. To do this workout for an hour is a hell of a way to build up your conditioning and stamina while also building crazy strength in the arms, back, legs, your grip, your abs, your lung power and your coordination.

            Build up slowly and start with a amount of time that’s comfortable, then challenge it, make the reps less or more, if you start to get tired after doing a high level of reps, lower the amount but keep going. I once went 30 min. doing this workout and hit just nearly 1500 reps. Once your conditioning is at a certain level keep it consistent so you can challenge it and keep a good rhythm and don’t forget to breathe. This is no cake walk and your mental training is tested a great deal once you get past certain times like 20 min. or 30 min. Make it fun and interesting and try different combinations to amp up your training even more. Have fun and enjoy. 

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Let The Hammer Fall


As of late because of the influence from Super Strongman Bud Jeffries, Sledgehammer Training has been going like hot cakes and why is that? We all realize a hammer is just a hammer or is it, what’s the significance of having this monstrous looking object? It is actually one of the most important tools that can be used to jack up your conditioning like burgers to a grill. You don’t need to look like pretty boy Chris Hemsworth of Thor fame or the folk legend John Henry, hell you don’t need massive muscles to be able to handle it but yet if you want to take a hold of that Hammer, you need a slice of mind power to even take a few exercises on.

            When you bring that powerful hammer down and hit a good solid tire, picture that tire as if it was someone trying to kill you or you have to dig the biggest hole or better yet, picture in your mind, that you’re taking down a building or structure say a pyramid or knocking holes as if you were in the Temple Of Doom alongside Indiana Jones, he’ got the whip, you got the hammer. Training with a different mindset can change your body’s movement within the snap of your fingers, if you just picture hitting a tire that’s cool and all but where the passion in that is, it’s pretty dull. Your tire is your enemy, make it your bitch.

            One of the coolest hammers there is, is Thor’s Hammer. Just being able to hold that thing has something special, something that gives you power and strength the moment you use it. When you train with it, it’s almost like you’re striking fear into those who can’t do it or handle it. For having that Thor mindset, you want to make that Hammer feel worthy only to you, nobody else and picture as if someone else tried to use your hammer but can’t move it like you, swing it like you or even strike terror into a tire like. It’s a feeling like in the movie; nobody can move the Hammer except Thor, in the Legend of King Arthur pulling the Sword From The Stone only one is worthy to take hold of the sword. I love shit like that, kind of reminds me of another reference, in Highlander there can be only one. Might as well be you.

            The sound of striking a hammer is powerful, thunderous even mystical that even the great God himself can be proud of and hearing the sound of Odin cheering your way to victory. Victory isn't always a winning title but victory is the inner power within that fights even when he’s struck down in the face of battle and keeps going until his dying breath. Thunder & Lightning are at your feet; just waiting for you to take what’s yours and pass that knowledge onto those who deserve its power and its secrets. You are powerful, strong and cunning and within you is a soul that is waiting to unleash hell and give everything you have to make everything worth while. Let the hammer fall and make that hammer apart of you as the sword is to the Samurai. Feel it, see it and hear the power of the gods giving you the power you deserve. 

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