Learning From A Physical Culturist

 I have doing exercise since I was a little kid in PE and first got a taste of Weight Training when I was an early teen. After High School I joined a gym and learned from a few guys here and there but never made a big impact with them and just didn't get it. After my accident back in 2005, I began learning just a few things from a book called Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. When I began walking again and was cleared to train, I dedicated myself to get stronger and healthier and it just happens that one of my good friends lived only literally a couple doors down, we call him the Duke but to a lot of people today you know him as the Garage Warrior Tyler Bramlett. He was the first guy that taught me real conditioning and mental toughness. This was my stepping stone into Physical Culture.

 One of the guys Tyler had me research on was Karl Gotch, the man who’s considered the God of Pro Wrestling in Japan, one of the first things I learned was how to use bodyweight exercises on a deeper level. I had already done some work on the deck of cards workouts but another thing I learned later on was “You think you know, you’re dead.” Getting that stuck in my head I understood that if you want to be great, you got to keep learning. Just because you know a thing or two doesn't make you a superior expert, you keep testing yourself and when you pass your knowledge onto others you want them to succeed more than you did, if you don’t than you’re not a good coach and you haven’t learned a damn thing.

 Another great wrestler of the old days was Billy Robinson who has quoted saying “You learn how to learn” by this he means no matter what you do in life or in training you keep filling your head like a sponge and although you could be a master later on, you will always be the student. Understanding this isn't easy because you've done so many things in your life and yet you feel there’s nothing left but only have touched the surface. In nearly 8 years of being in the Physical Culture world, I have learned more than most guys my age have learned in their entire life and yet I haven’t even peaked the mountain. Constantly learning helps you become more successful, doing things one day at a time.

  Taking foundations from different elements of training gives you variety and teaches you which ones to work with and not to work with. Taking from Tyler and other guys it is essential to build your style and learn how to maximize them with different parts from different people. If you just do the same stuff over and over and expect something different to happen you’re on your way to be insane (literally). The ability to find your own style makes you unique and although most people don’t like change it’ll make them think twice about what they do.

 A golden rule in the Physical Culture world that made me learn the hard way with a few guys is the level of respect. Respecting others who have made big impacts, small ones and even crossed in the middle should be respected. I’m not saying you should like everything someone puts out, hell I can’t stand some of the crap that’s out today but I give those men and women credit for doing what they think is best. There’s guys out there who hate weights but love bodyweight, some loathe bodyweight and embrace weights and then there’s guys who are caught in the middle like me, Tyler, Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher and many of the old-timers. We all have our own opinions of what works, what doesn't and what can be improved but in the end you learn respect not just to them but yourself because the moment you learn to respect that you are as a person and/or athlete, the bigger your opportunities will be.

 There’s always going to be debates on who’s the best of the best but in my opinion there’s no such person. Each Physical Culturist over the last 100+ years has had something that made them successful and they’re the best at it. I’m not going to compare who’s great at what and who’s the most successful because come on that’s just a waste of time and you’re not going to accomplish much. There’s a lot of great strongmen, wrestlers, steel benders, hand balancers, bodybuilders and others that are no different than you and me, just have something special about them that you can also find within yourself.

 To truly understand Physical Culture it’s a lifelong journey from your beginnings up until the day you die, there’s no real destination. You constantly learn, take things from different places and mold them together creating your own jigsaw puzzle so do speak. It’s finding who you are as a person physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Help Each Other, Don’t Bully Each Other

In life there are many things that we cannot stop from happening and one of them is bullies. There have been organizations around the country including one my friend Bud Jeffries is apart of. Behind one good there’s always a bad guy and bullies just happen to be there. In the fitness world it’s no different, sometimes it’s worse and sometimes it’s just a pain in the ass. Being a bully doesn’t get you anywhere.

 I have been through it just like every other kid as a teenager and even before that and trust me when I say this; I have had certain issues about it that I can’t mention here. Some punk who thinks the world revolves around him makes up his own rules and doesn’t give a damn about the people he hurts. I’ve seen guys in the gym give a few kids a hard time because they can’t lift or pick up the same amount of weight they can. Stealing a kid’s bike or beating them because they can’t defend themselves doesn’t make you a real person, just makes you look like a punk with no morals. Overcoming your experiences with bullies isn’t the easiest thing around but with the right encouragement and support, you can a great person overcoming a traumatic experience(s).

 Ever heard of the story of Charles Atlas, some dumbass comes up and he’s all chiseled and macho as it can get, kicks sand in this kid’s face and walks off with his girl. That’s one way to look at a bully. The kid vowed to make it right and went home and began an exercise program and within a few short months went from a scrawny teen to a bonified muscle man and came back to the beach and just knocked the living hell out of his tormenter. Now I’m not saying violence is the answer because it isn’t but you can turn yourself into something beyond which you use to be. The key thing is to not change who you are as a person but to bring up the volume of whom you are, once shy but now a confident individual.

 We all have had a bully in our time whether we want to admit it or not and we all need to have that little support to teach us how to be there for others even when we hit rock bottom. Doing some training no matter what it is can build your character and your life the way it was meant to. Some people like to train so they’ll look better and look down at others and tell them they can’t do it or it’s not worth their time helping them, I’m sorry but that’s one definition of an asshole. Helping each other get past bad experiences means showing love and support and helping them cope in their own special way. For me it was becoming stronger both physically and mentally, I hit the gym and I became bigger than I ever thought but than I learned from a special group of people that taught me how to help others and give them a reason to become something more than themselves. If it takes one person, you have done right, take a group to help, you’re golden, take a community and you are reaching the mountain top.

 Bullies are really no better than we are, in my opinion, there’s no such thing as a random bully, every single one has a tragic story behind them and sometimes you can’t help them and other times it takes more than one person to straighten them out. For those guys and girls that pick on or giving that other person shit, think about what you’re doing, do you really know what they’re going through to give them that much hurt? Don’t be that person, you’re meant for more than that and that don’t mean you’re the king or queen, it means you’re meant for certain things that can make you the person beyond who you think you are. Hurting someone never has a good outcome and it doesn’t take too many words to trigger a certain amount of emotional pain let alone physical pain. Look inside yourself and find out the real reason you’re tormenting someone.

 Role models are a sketchy topic; we have role models in sports, entertainment and in our community but do we really understand the term Role Model? A Role Model is a person you look up to and want to establish yourself as because they give you hope and a reason to do the thing you love to do. In my opinion, there are very few role models out there that are as important to that person than who they really are. I have had role models my whole life starting with the sports I use to watch, I wanted to be like Michael Jordan or a Barry Sanders and even wanted to be like Dr. Dre believe it or not because I was going through a Rap phase at the time. As I got older, I started understanding who my true role models are and they are the very same people I mention in article after article after article, these are the men and woman I want to mold myself after and build myself in a way that is similar to what they preach.

 Being helpful goes a long way and it’s important to establish that presence of strength and being there for the people that matter most. The first to remember though is in order to help others you must establish by helping yourself and learn from people that support and love you for whom you are not what they want you to be; who you want to be is up to you. Once you have conquered this, than you take your first steps by helping those who need that support and love, that doesn’t mean spend your whole life trying to save everyone but help out every once in a while, build a foundation. Find your way to help someone and teach them strengths you have created and teach them to build their own. That’s a real person, not some punk who wants to make everything his, it’s not ethical and it’s not right.

 

Off Topic: There are still tickets available to the Wizards Of Strength Workshop in San Diego, CA and we have a new book waiting for you by the Nebraskan Wildman himself Steve Justa.

Be Proud To Wake Up In The Morning

Most people really hate getting up in the morning because they have to work or take care of kids and feel like crap from some of those nightless sleeps. To avoid this, practice your thinking and how it helps you be energized when you do wake up in the morning. The usual thinking “god I hate waking up, 5 more minutes.” How often have you heard that one whether you’re working, going to school or whatever? Changing your thinking can make you or break you as you decide what to do when you wake up.

 Creating a mindset using positive thinking and the will to say to yourself “I’m getting up and it’s going to be awesome.” Being able to create Vitality is a powerful and effective tool to build that energy that just makes you fly with gusto and vigor. Waking up shouldn’t be a bad thing, it should be a great thing because when that sun hits you in the morning and that warmth just surrounds your body, it really feels good.

 One of the best things you can do when you wake up is waking up with a smile and give your body great and powerful energy that just nourishes your system where when you get up you’re ready for whatever the day lies ahead. Exercising in the morning is a vital ingredient to your success in creating energy that gives you strength and power throughout the day. Now I’m not saying you wake up and have no choice but to exercise, what I’am saying however is that exercise, even for 5 minutes can be the best start to your day. A key component is to strengthen your body from the inside meaning by breathing deeply and when you stretch make it an Isometric exercise by squeezing the muscles for a few seconds and let that energy flow out as you exhale. Trust me it’s worth the try.

 Strengthening your joints after getting up is crucial because keeping them loose brings not only great energy but gives you great power and strength to do things throughout the day. Believe me, 15 minutes of loosening your joints is not all that long and it keeps you from being stiff and slow. A lot of people don’t do this and this is why there’s aching backs, stiff necks, tight shoulders, crackling ankles and bad knees. Being able to move without aching is a beautiful feeling and your body can move faster and more efficient when you have taken care of the pieces that hold your body together. Too many focus more on muscle than on tendons and ligaments and that’s not a good thing as that can lead to injuries you don’t want or don’t need at all, it’s better to pull a muscle than rip a tendon, I know trust me, I’ve gotten my legs broken.

 The number one key ingredient to having a great wake up call is the one thing mot take for granted and that’s Deep Breathing. There’s an old saying from Martin Farmer Burns which you can find here, said “Deep Breathing exercises alone can make many a weak man strong and many a sick man well.” When you breathe, you’re taking in life that is needed, we can go for weeks without food, days without water but can’t hold our breath for more than a few minutes before we pass out or end up dead. Breathing deeply after waking up and bringing in that powerful energy goes a long way to having better health,stronger immune systems and fighting off diseases like heart problems, diabetes, insomnia, lung issues, all kinds of things. If all else before diet and exercise, learning how to breathe should be your health’s number one priority and you can do this by meditation, qi gong, a favorite using a system to build super strength and speed or even working on Isometric Exercise. Don’t forget to breathe and wake up with power, positive energy and unlimited vigor. 

Superhuman Strength & Endurance Within Its Reach

To know Physical Culture is to know its history and majesty of pure and natural strength & conditioning with the fullest intent to create the ultimate athlete. Many of the men and women have come and gone. One however out of very few that has taken a grasp on the real important aspects of Physical Culture and mold the old-time methods and scrambled together the very best of what makes the ultimate athlete and that's strongman Big Bud Jeffries.

He has taken some of the biggest courses around and molded them to help you become the fittest person you can become. To develop such strength and endurance takes observation, will, believing you will get strong and work together the best to create strength & stamina at the same time. Not many people believe this is possible and if it is how is it done? Is it amount of weight? Is it amount of sets and reps? Is it conditioning along with Strength? Well its all these things and then some.

At Strongerman.com you will find the best of the best when it comes to developing Superhuman efforts of Power, Strength, Stamina, Flexibility and Muscle/Tendon building all at the same time. These methods have been passed down over the last century by men like Bob Hoffman, Eugene Sandow, Aurthur Saxon, Maxick, Otto Arco, George Hackenshmidt, John Grimek, Reg Park, Brooks Kubik, Bradley J. Steiner, Thomas Inch & many, many more.

Take a look at what you will find at this Monstrosity of a strength website.....

Twisted Conditioning 1

&

Twisted Conditioning 2

Strength & Endurance For Martial Artists

How To Squat 900 lbs.

Secrets Of Massive Functional Muscle

& More....

Bud in my opinion and quite a few others...He's a modern day Paul Anderson and has become one of if not the strongest of super-heavyweights drug-free and has overcome obsticals that would make your mother cry and he's still living large and incharge and keep a level of strength and stamina that is somewhat not human. So stop on by at Strongerman.com and find out the true and time-tested methods of our forefathers of physical culture.

Chest Expander Can Create Super Strength

Back in the early days at the height of the industrial revolution there were a few physical culturists who gained fame by writing course after course on physical fitness and health. Some of these were doctors, gym owners, gymnasts, wrestlers and strongmen. During that time period cable training was relatively new at the time when machines weren't big yet and some of these cables you can use just about anywhere. Within them were steel springs that that the cables were attached to and you can stretch them as long as 18 inches. Some of the biggest names in Physical Culture at the time used them such as Eugene Sandow, Earl Liederman, Charles Atlas, Joseph Greenstein a.k.a The Mighty Atom and Grip Extrodinare Thomas Inch.

As time went on throughout America the cables sometimes were the stable of a person's fitness program and for good reason. Two Strongmen from two different eras held courses on this type of training. They were Joe Bonomo and Reg Park. Bonomo a legendary strongman was also in films as an actor and stuntman and performed feats of strength. Reg Park was and still is today considered one of the greatest bodybuilders of his generation winning major titles such as a multiple time Mr. Universe. He was one of the first bodybuilders to bench press 500 lbs. and one of the remaining few at that time that concentrated on physique as well as strength.

Nowadays the steel spring cables are replaced by one of the biggest manufacturing fitness companies in the world at Lifeline USA ran by Father and Son Bobby & Jon Hinds. They have invented some of the best peices of fitness equipment that some people have replaced weights with in using rubber cables. The new and improved Chest Expnder is one of the focal points on upper body strength and conditioning. With enough colored cables to replace an entire rack of dumbbells you can build strength and progression within seconds. I have played around with it every now and then and it always gives me a great workout and why? Because the chest expander hits your upper body from a variety of angles that nor weights or bodyweight exercises can touch.

With the thousands of dollars on a weight rack you can get these bad boys for a fraction of the price and they last a long time. You save money from going to the gym, you can pack them up in a breifcase and travel anywhere in the world and get a workout in. Believe me when I tell you this it can make your life a whole lot easier and convient for your workouts so you don't have to waste time waiting to get to a machine or which dumbbell or barbell to use. You can work out on the lake, in the sand, at home, in a hotel room, in your office hell you can even workout in the damn woods if you chose to do so there are endless possibilities for you to train in. Also it doesn't take much time either. 10 minutes with the Chest Expander would be all you need to get a brutal workout where you'll be breathing hard and gaining flexibility while putting on strength and functional muscle. If thats not enough for you then check out my friend Bud Jeffries and his course Alternative Conditioning Series where he teaches a simpler and convient way to train using clubs, hammers, maces, an Iso Ring, the Portable Power Jumper and even a more indepth look into the (drum roll please.....) chest expander.

Go and take a look. You will see that the chest expander will do wonders for you and your body. Learn as many as 20+ exercises with this one peice of equipment. You can have a whole gym in just this one bad boy. Go ahead take a peak.

Super Human Training Series

Becoming strong is a must have for any man or woman and for good reason. Being strong doesn’t mean you need to have big muscles or look like Fabio and whatnot. Being strong has a sense of purpose and it can mean anything. You can get strong at weights, bodyweight, bending steel, using kettle bells or lift odd objects whatever you want to achieve. Yet in order to become strong you must first have a will to push through limits you never knew you had. Yes you got to start out slow and patiently in order to get used to the training but also to learn from the best in order to achieve the best.

Learning from the best in what you want to achieve can help you reach to heights you never thought possible. Take it from me who learned from ghost writers as a weight lifter and then when I started learning from the real experts my results shot like a rocket and haven’t stopped learning since.

What if you can learn and have it on a monthly basis and learn from the strongest and most intelligent men in their field? Trust me ladies there’s something in there for you as well. You can be personally coached through a DVD and through online concepts, exercises and techniques. You can even get a full makeover in your training if you look hard enough. This friend is the Super Human Training Series conducted by Logan Christopher &Bud Jeffries. They both share a common goal in getting you on the right track to success in your strength & conditioning. I should know because I have personally been coached by both of them at one time or another and they have always something to bring to the table when it comes to strength and fitness.

It’s without question that these two strength giants have a love for teaching you the best way they know how but they’re not alone. Some of the strongest men and women are right behind them showing you the path to super human. Plus if you sign up with an activation fee you will get access to online resources of strength, fitness, grip techniques, audio & video interviews, plus a few free bonuses including Kettle Bell swinging, super human strength & endurance & more if you sign up now. Take a chance and get yourself on the path to success. 

Super Human Workshop Is On The Way

There have been fitness seminars, strongman workshops, health retreats and qi gong classes but there has never been a Super Human Workshop......A place for men and women of all fitness levels to not just take their training to the next level but to create a power inside you shoot through the heavens, over the moon and surge through the stars. Become the person you want to be and get the power and strength to back it up.......Here's a little of what you'll find...

Pushing Your Maximum Strength While Under Extreme Conditioning Loads

How to get the third cardio...Long Conditioning with strength

Correct Your Push-up that 90% of people make one major mistake on

Progress your Strength Work incorperating Bodyweight & Weight Training Exercises

Learn the basic Feats Of Strength (Steel Bending, Phonebook Tearing and Ripping Decks Of Cards)

Increasing Your Strength whether you're a meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan

Faster Results in the Bridge (Wrestler & Gymnastic)

Plus Many More.........

How can you not want to go to this. Any strongman worth his salt should be there and whoever wants to jump start their strength & conditioning. Now who are the Hosts of this Historic Event....

Logan Christopher..........

A premier strongman on the rise and one of the best trainees around as of late....His new record of 301 KB Snatches w/ a 24kg KB is just utterly incredible and the only man on the planet that i've heard (And Seen) that can stay in a perfect wrestler's bridge while holding 2 KB's and have concrete block broken on top of his torso. He is without question one of the strongest men on the planet at his size. You will see that this man is very knowledgeable in his work with Exercise, Nutrition, Mental Power & Strongmanism. Learn his story from scrawny high school football player to a 6'2 185 lbs. strongman with the strength to pull vehicals with his hair.

Bud Jeffries..............

A man who has overcome more adversity in his lifetime then most people will show you point by point, word for word how you can walk over your own adversities and then some. He is the World's Strongest Man at 5'11 and 275 lbs. He has records that can expand an encyclipedia for example....

3000 KB Swings

1000 lbs. Squat (Starting At Bottom Position)

2000+ Push-ups

1000+ Bodyweight Squats

Pulling A School Bus

Thats just a bit of what this man has accomplished but at this Workshop he's not going to brag about his records, he's gonna show you how to create the power you want to take your strength to the next level and how you can amplify your endurance whether you're 150 or 375 pounds. Thats right Bud was once nearly 400 pounds but yet can go long distance in a MMA fight or in a workout that would make most men puke. During a one year span he lost a total of 110 lbs. with the KB Swing as a main conditioning tool along with proper nutrition. That should tell you that he can give you the idea that its not impossible to lose bodyfat and not just lose bodyfat but still leave you with strength that you can still hold. Believe it or not after losing all that weight Bud's strength stayed at a staggering 90%. To most thats pretty good but for someone like Bud with the strength he has thats unbelieveable.

Look For Details in the links below and to get a bit of what these guys are and who has shared their secrets with them here is a little product that they have put together to share the secrets of Super Human Training.

Super Human Training Workshop











 









 








Come Out to San Jose, CA April 15th-17th and find the new you or better yet find the person you want to become. Hope I'll See You There.

Small or Big You Have The Ability To Be Super Strong

When you visualize the image of a strongman what do you see? Cannonball Biceps? Thourobread Legs? Horseshoe Triceps? A V-Taper Back? Thats what many would think you nee to have to be strong when infact you don't need to have major built muscles. When a strongman performs a feat of strength (legit ones) he doesn't just incorperate muscles, he throws in muscle fibers, tendon power and the will to push through pain. It doesn't matter how big you are or how small you are, you can develop your body into a superhuman with proper training, an iron will and the ability to want to reach the next level. Here are the names of some strongmen small and big that you'd be surprised that are as strong and powerful far more then how they look....

Joseph Greenstein aka The Mighty Atom: At the peak of his career as a strongman he was no more then 5'4 and weighed just around 155 pounds. He was able to bend objects that just seemed impossible to the human eye. How can a man that size bend things like spikes, Iron Bars into various shapes, pull a car with his teeth, hold back an airplane with his hair. Its hard to believe that a man did all this but its true. He took various methods and put them together in a way that almost no one on earth can touch and was a feared man at one point because not only was he incredibly strong but he was also a wrestler that rarely ever lost. What was his secret?

Lawrence Farman aka Slim The Hammerman: At 8 years old his parents took him to a market and while the parents shopped, the young boy sat at a table and watched the Mighty Atom in his "old age" bend spikes and talk of nutrition and health. 10 years later this same young boy grew to a rugged muscular man and was still going to the Market to watch Atom do what he does best. This same man was working at a rock quarry where he smashed rock after rock for hours and hours on end. He became so strong that at 6'6 230 pounds, he can pick up a 16 pound sledgehammer from the floor by levering the bottom of the handle. Atom took a look at this and just couldn't believe a man can do this. Atom took on the Rugged man as his protege' and taught him the secrets of strongmanism and 20 years later, this guy sets a world record in all places Madison Square Garden and lifted and levered 2 hammers weighing in at 28 pounds each would put as much as 1760 inch pounds on his wrists. Within a 10-12 year period he started to peak and get stronger. Most men would think peaking is in their 20's and yet this guy peaked beyond 40. How the hell do you do that?

Otto Arco: The man of muscle control is one of the most developed men that ever lived during the golden age of Physical Culture. His poses were not only unique but were the stuff of legends. He not only had a superior physique but he had more then enough power to back up being one of the first men to press double-bodyweight at his size of 140 pounds at a height of 5'5. Where did he get his power from? What were the things he took to get that muscular? Is it genetics? Believe it or not he lifted weights, hand balance, ate whole foods and practiced gymnastics/wrestling, with the exception of surreal muscle control he never took steroids or took so?

How awesome would it be to learn the best of the best and develop a powerful physique whether you weigh 150 pounds or 300 pounds? Is it really possible to create strength and superior stamina, flexibility and nerves of steel without steroids or supplements? Just ask these guys and tell me if it isn't possible.....










 









 

Whats With All The Damn Links

As many of you have seen, I have banners and text links on the right-hand side of the blog because I'am apart of the affiliate programs and whatever one buys from one of my links I get a certain percentage out of it. Now am I in this for the money? I don't think so, if I was I would need to do far more work to promote them. Unlike wanting just money out of it I want to spread the word on them as well because I have personally used the various products and they work wonders without needing to say it twice. What you see is what I have used and go by. For bodyweight exercise I practice Bridging, squats and Animal Exercise very often & its never boring for me and it shouldn't be for anyone else.

I cannot express enough how awesome most of these products are and the athletes who work these products to me are the best of the best in their profession. Take Logan Christopher for example. A man at 6'2 and 180 pounds can juggle weights that the average man can only dream of. His strength is that much greater then some heavyweights. I'm 250 pounds and there are some things I would never attempt to do. That tells you size doesn't matter if you put yourself in a state of mind where you can be powerful no matter how big or small you are. His flexiblity is just as incredible as his strength as he's got some of the most controlled flexibility i've ever seen....Being able to fall back into a bridge then kicking over and standing up all in one fluid motion is not easy at all let alone being able to do it at 6'2  thats how controlled he is over his body. Anything he has to offer I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. He can take a weak individual and turn him into a athlete and not just on building strength and power but can teach you how to tap into your mind and bring out power within you that you never have done before. He is that damn good.

Bud Jeffries is another individual who has tremendous power. He is the exact opposite to Logan as far as size and strength goes. At 5'11 and 275 pounds he can take 100 pound dumbbells and make them look like 3 pounders. He's one of the strongest men on the planet hitting weight that would make the average man want to run for the hills. He has lifted half a ton in the squat starting in the bottom position, he's been able to lift heavy logs, carry large rocks and move kettlebells like they were lightweights. Regardless of his strength he is also one of the most flexible superheavyweights as well, able to do the splits, get into a bridge (both wrestler and gymnastic) and can stretch further then most men 20-30 pounds lighter then him. If you want to combine the best in weights, bodyweight and odd objects he is your man and if you feel he isn't then get the Twisted Conditioning series and see for yourself how much you can develop for overall strength and pure ferocious power.

Ryan Pitts would be the next guy on this list of athletes because he has helped bring back an old-time physical culture tradition and thats the Indian Clubs and The Mace. These weapons of exercise destruction has taken wrestlers to the very brink of the sport in Europe, Asia, India & Iran and everywhere else inbetween. You think you know conditioning, you haven't seen a damn thing until you have used the Clubs & The Mace. Once you get your hands on these bad boys you'll start to feel more powerful and more agile. Plus if you're a real stud get some sledgehammers and take the Mace to a whole new level of superior strength and power and work the grip unlike anything else. Even if you're not a wrestler these peices of equipment can be used by anyone who is willing to take the challenge and even has light weighted clubs and maces to help you get started or as an advanced athlete you will learn how to move your upper body in various directions to build shoulder and wrist agility that can help recover joint pain and carpal tunnel.

These guys know what they are talking about and are willing to help anyone who is up to the challenge and take his or her first steps to becoming a superior athlete and a rugged human being. Give these guys a chance and take your rightful place in Physical Culture. Spread the word of exercise and health and get rid of weakness and fear. Theres an old saying...

"Weakness is a crime...Don't be a criminal."

Getting Back To Basics & Why

Isolated training is really only good for one thing and thats rehabbing. The muscles and tendons were designed to be able to do multiple things while doing a single act. Push-ups for example are not just a chest exercise, it works the wrists, chest, arms, abs, shoulders and legs. Why would you need to work one specific muscle when you can get the whole shabang. Say you're in manual labor and had to dig ditches, stack bricks, break concrete blocks or move heavy objects....all of these do not require just one type of muscle group, they work multiple muscle groups so you're getting quite a workout in and of itself. That was just an example but it doesn't matter if you're an athlete, average joe, laborer or what, yes it takes some specific muscles to work something but for the most part you want to be able to use as many muscles as you can because if you work a specific muscle group too long you're prone to injury. Exercise in working multiple groups adds more benefit then just isolating.

Working out doesn't always mean you have to work the same muscles all the time, change things up make it interesting, instead of doing lateral raises why not do presses, instead of leg extensions do squats, why not take out the pull-downs and actually try pull-ups. When it really gets down to it, basic exercises are the way to go. Ask any strongman or look at and read of the old-timers and you will find the same thing. Isolation sucks because the body was not made to function that way it was meant to move and use multiple muscles to work that movement. Even in weightlifting, basic exercises like presses, squats, curls and dealifts are really all one needs to get in awesome physical shape. If you want to add variety why not add a sandbag or a few rocks and kettlebells to the mix. Practice performing basic movements whether bodyweight or weights either way they work like a charm and can build wonders beyond your imagination.

Want to learn the best in basic exercises and take a look at the banners and texts of guys like Logan Christopher, Bud Jeffries, Ryan Pitts and Pavel. Check them out and never look at isolation exercises again.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

How Can Training Be So Twisted

Whether you like it or not certain training methods are just crap. You do 30 minutes on the treadmill and an hour of whatever weights you lift and that's your workout. Seriously, how generic do you have to be and dull I might add. Training is suppose to be interesting, fun and mysterious. You should be getting cardio and strength training at the same time and using different implements. If I wanted serious conditioning and I was into lifting weights I'd want to be hitting stones, swinging heavy clubs and pressing logs. The way I look at is if you're serious about training, you have to be creative and adapt to heavy training. Most of all you have to be really "twisted" in order to get the results you want. Functional training requires being able to use different angles and move in awkward positions. What you can look at is Bud Jeffries' Twisted Conditioning Series. Work into equipment that can not only build strength but surreal stamina and scary conditioning. The man is one sick bastard to come up with a gameplan like this, but that makes him that much more of a genius at what he does. Check out below and see for yourself.


Twisted Conditioning

Twisted Conditioning 2

Secrets Of The Old-Time Strongmen

Some of the biggest names in weightlifting shared certain secrets on how to not only increase their strength but how to build tendon and ligement strength as well. Back in the early days of Physical Culture there were strongmen that didn't just lift weights and do bodyweight exercise....They added an arsenal of training methods to not only experiment with but it helped their advantage that much more. Back when gyms were just on the uprise there men across the country who couldn't get to a gym either because it was too far away or because they didn't have the money to pay for the equipment themselves to use at home so they improvised a lot and tested different methods and found exercises that not only made them very strong but it helped carry over to when they could use weights. There were exercises that tackled very differently then weights and challenged the body from different angles and were in different shapes and sizes hence the name Odd Object Lifting. Say you had a barrel laying around or a sandbag....You can do a good amount of training using these objects and can turn your body into a conditioning machine.

Odd Objects are not barbells and dumbbells they are peices of equipment that can come from whatever you have. Here are a few Examples....

Barrels

Kegs

Logs

Sandbags

Hammers

Rocks

Concrete Blocks

All these would be considered odd objects to train with. A man who has mastered these time and time again is strongman Steve Justa. If you never heard of him he is considered one of the strongest men in the world and has written a book called Rock, Iron, Steel. You can find that on the Ironmind Website or at Functional Strength owned by John Wood. Justa is best known for training in his backyard and lifting very heavy weight ranging from 500 pounds to 2000 pounds. He carries scrap iron, lifts heavy barrels and carries a yoke that weighs as much as a beetle car. I have very high respect for what he does and is a genius in the realm of strength training. Another man whom I have high respects is Strongman Bud Jeffries. He has a DVD series covering many exercises on odd object lifting and the way he teaches you how to handle them are just incredible. I've played around with Barrels, Rocks and Sandbags myself and I will tell you without blinking twice they are ass-kickers and once you learn to adapt them into your training you will get stronger.

Think of it this way, with barbells and dumbbells you can only move them in limited directions. Now what if you can move a weight in more directions and still gain strength? That be a better way to look at it in my book. George Hackenschmidt once said that to be strong overall you have to adapt to more then just limited movement. If you want to get strong you have to work different angles while working major muscle groups. If you think lifting a 135 pound barbell is the same as lifting a 135 pound barrel it isnt. It takes far more strength and stability to lift a barrel because you can't tell which way it'll go so you have to shift your weight and grip it much differently and not in the same places as a barbell. Odd Objects teaches the muscles how to stabilize differently and how it makes adapt over and over. Go check out Bud's DVD Series and then find out for yourself how awkward it really feels. Train smart and train effectively according to your training needs.

Odd Object Lifting Series

What Alternatives Do You Want To Spice Up Your Workouts?

Whether you lift weights, do bodyweight or both they are incredible in various areas to make your training not only efficiant but can turn you into a strength machine. We all have ways to train and we can find many exercises to either build mucle, lose weight, tone up or just become flat out strong. Weights have great value for building muscle and has been proven for decades (even before steroids). Bodyweight exercise have exercises that not only build phenomenal power and explosiveness but are superior to weights in the amount of Range Of Motion used for unlimited amount of exercises.

With all that well and good its apperant to realize there are methods out there that neither weights nor bodyweight exercises can touch. How would you feel to do various training methods that can build power from various angles and take control of greater strength and better stabilization. Here are a few ideas to get you going.....

Cables

Hammers

Maces

Rocks

All of these can turn your body into a machine in ways that nothing else can touch. Building strength in many angles can help you in many areas whether you're in a sport or training for competition or just want to shapen your muscles that put you ahead of the competition. Bud Jeffries on the other hand can help bring all of these things to you if you make the effort. I have worked with cables and hammers and believe me these will take your strength to levels you never knew you had. Even the simplest exercise from a rubber cable can improve your joints and build muscle in ways that not many other methods can touch. Bud may seem like a super-heavyweight that doesn't have a chance of being flexible and he's just all strength but I can assure you he's beyond strong and has strength that most men would kill for. He has a series of DVDs called Alternative Conditioning which features methods of training that people can work on if they can't get to a gym or want to try something if bodyweight exercise don't have the answer.

Take a look at what they can do and get on the bandwagon. Its never too late to learn and build up ferocious strength and power.  Click below and read what this Strongman has to say on the subject.

Alternative Conditioning Series

Squats & Push-ups....The Foundations For Superior Bodyweight Conditioning

When you learn bodyweight exercises the first 2 types anyone should learn and master are the Push-up & The Squat. The reason why for these is because they lay the foundation for total body conditioning. There are many variations of them but only a few surpass the true monument for superior exercise. In the early days of Physical Culture, men and women of either bodybuilding, weightlifting or gymnastics trained in Squats and Push-ups because they knew how much power they can build to help assist their training. Some of the biggest names did these exercises such as:

Charles Atlas

John Grimek

Otto Arco

Maxick

Alois P. Swoboda

Steve Stanko

Earl Liederman

Great Gama

Ect......

At one time or another all these men performed push-ups and squats. At high reps they combine a great deal of strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. High Rep Squats performed correctly build ammense lung power and superior conditioning and they know it gets them in high regard when it comes to competition. It takes a great deal of mental awareness and strength to do great reps. Whether its 100 or 1000 you will take your physical and mental game to the next level. I for one have done over 300 reps a day for a while and I once went over 1000. Regardless of your fitness level, if you learn to work and adapt you can become strong and vital. Once you reach a certain level you can increase your HGH Levels which helps boost testosterone and helps you stay younger.

One guy that can help get you there is considered the world's strongest man drug-free and thats the big 'ol southern man Bud Jeffries. In his time of training he has recorded the following.....

1000 Pound Squat (Starting From The Bottom Position)

2000 Push-ups

3000 Squats

2000+ Kettlebell Swings

Pulled A School Bus

Bends & Scrolls Long Steel Bars

Those are just a few to mention but no matter how you slice it the man knows conditioning and has done it as a super-heavyweight at a BW of 380 Pounds. He now is at just under 275. He still performs as a strongman all over the country. Yet inspite of all this he still uses BW Squats and Push-ups. He's put together a series of the two exercises in DVD sets and both Videos have multiple variations that can be suited for any need and adaption. Bring you level of conditioning to new heights and be on the look out for more muscle, more stamina, more mental power and great physical strength waiting within you. Are you up for the Challenge.

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Squats

Ultimate Bodyweight Conditioning - Push Ups