4 Animals And 1100 Reps Later

 When you need a pick me up or even the urge to challenge yourself, sometimes you just go with your gut and hope for the best. This morning, I wanted to do some Animal Conditioning and did my Deck Of Cards Animal Workout. Doubled the reps/steps to really sink things in and feel the wrath of the wild. The animals were as follows....

Bear

Crab

Sasquatch

Duck

-The way the deck of cards goes....

Hearts = Bear Crawls

Diamonds = Crab Walks 

Clubs = Sasquatch Walks

Spades = Duck Walks

-Rep Count

King/Jack/Queen = 20

Ace = 32

Joker = 100

2-10 = Doubled

All together, its 1000 total reps. Crazy thing is, I had three jokers in the deck I used so it came out to 1100. A lot of crawling and walking in a half squat and full squat. The only rest was getting up and flipping a card, that was it. For the Animal I did for the jokers it was 100 Steps of the Sasquatch. Walking in that position for a period of time really puts tension in the thighs and works the tendons and ligaments with a vengeance. It's almost walking in a wrestler's stance or a football stance getting ready for a tackle. 

This particular workout hits practically every muscle in the body and you can move in all sorts of directions and revs up your cardio that is unbelievable. Awesome conditioning for combat sports, health, coordination, agility, upper & lower body strength. Doesn't take very long (just around 30 minutes or so) and targets quite a bit of the brain since you need to send the nerves to the muscles to keep them going and stay balanced. It's like a jolt to the noggin along with building lung power. 

Training is an adventure and when you can play like a beast in the wild (even a duck), it makes your workout all the more enjoyable. With a workout like this, it's like a game and you can create the difficulty. Have fun and keep being amazingly awesome. 

The Fun Of Doing Feats Of Strength

          Back in the vaudeville days of the early 20^th century and even today in some areas, there were men and women performing various feats of strength that would get the crowd roaring and make their jaws drop in amazement. In the fitness world today, almost nobody does even a few feats because it’s not up to their standards and don’t want to go to that other level but I believe you’re a little different. You can learn various feats because the human body is capable of doing things we still haven't discovered yet.

            When you train in certain feats whether it’s nail bending, card tearing, ripping phone books in half, scrolling steel or even pick up an awkward heavy object; make it interesting, find what makes them fun to do and perform in a way that’s geared towards who you are and what you represent. I've seen guys who try to copy another’s performance or try to be something they're not but I've also seen guys who have a unique way of performing or even just training to where yes it’s a little odd but it’s cool at the same time. Being unique is never a bad thing, you are one person and you have the right to become anything you want to be if you set your mind to it.

            Even if you don't aspire to be a performing strongman you can still make the most out of your strength feats by just playing around and build your body a little differently. Some people take aerobics classes, run on the treadmill, lift weights, do complicated programs (Insanity anyone?) but then there are those who do things a little out of the ordinary, they use their bodies in ways most would run away from. Imagine steel that’s not meant to bend just melt in your very own hands or tearing up decks of cards like a piece of paper or lever heavy sledgehammers to your face without smashing into it. It is beautiful when you get it down to a “T”. One of my favorite feats which I have performed in front of more than 600 kids and adults is where I bend a 6 inch spike into a U while holding the wrestler’s bridge with my nose touching the floor. Most people can't even hold a bridge like that let alone bend a spike that big so it’s an awesome feeling to be able to do that. Work on different feats and find ones that you find exciting to you and want to perform the most of, this helps you find your niche and find your creative side.

            Taking certain feats to a new level is the fascinating thing in the world of Physical Culture. On video I've seen a guy rip a deck of cards while being hung by his neck, another in person where he had a plate on his stomach and someone from 8-10ft up drops a bowling ball on top of it, why not rip a phonebook while hanging upside down; there are many unique ways to do a feat but I advise you to not go so crazy like a WWE show but you can do things that nobody else can do and that’s where taking it to another level is just that much sweeter. You have more power in you than you would believe and you have gifts that people would envy but never think you’re not good enough. You want to be different and you are different so do what makes you happy. Don’t be someone else, they’re already taken, be who you are and have fun with it. 

Technology Has It’s Purpose To A Degree

            In the world of modern technology, it’s everywhere from computers to cell phones, satellites all over the globe, little robots that can do certain things, apps that have just about every single piece of information you can find and it’s all mostly unnecessary in the fitness world. There are ways to work around that however. There was a time when there was no internet, no cell phones, no computers to give us the slightest bit of info and the closest to entertainment you found was in a movie theater, the radio, Burlesque shows, Vaudeville and the Circus. You actually had to find a way to make life interesting whether it was working on a farm, wrestling with many sparring partners at a YMCA and sometimes the nearest town was miles away and had to ride a horse or in a carriage.

            Machines today have their reason and some of them are good to use but when it comes to exercise, most machines don’t really do anything for you because of how fixated they are. Some people can use technology to their advantage in their training; I was never fond of the treadmill but somehow certain people like them and use them in the gym or their home. To take advantage of this while being productive there has been ways of people getting fit from a treadmill while working at the same time. A great friend of mine Tyler from Garage Warrior has his laptop attached to his treadmill so while he’s doing emails and writing up articles, he can get in a brisk walk at the same time so he’s making something useful.

            To be fit in my opinion is to be as old school about it as possible with as limited machining and technology as possible. Learn to be more wild-like and open to getting strong, certain people like lat pulldowns for the back muscles but in the end if you want a great powerful back stick to basic exercises like Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Deadlifts and DB/BB Rows. When you move a barbell/dumbbell or even your own bodyweight, it’s a different feel; you’re part of a tradition in a modern era that is overrun by microwaves and technological distractions. Learn how the old-timers trained, you don’t have to be exactly like them but learn to use their example of how being fit and strong really is. Lift odd objects to find out how your muscles work in an awkward and unstable position, learn to use your body like an animal seeing how you move with constant change and direction.

            Since there are so many freaking apps for fitness there are only two or three I've ever found that is truly useful, the Tabata apps and the Deck Of Cards. Tabata training is basically an interval training system where you do 4 minutes of intense exercise with 20 sec. on and 10 sec. off ratio, this app can be great for short and timed training. I use it for animal type training. The deck of cards app is by far the very best one I have found that gives you a workout that is never the same and it’s an unlimited deck where you can do an infinite number of cards. You can pick up to 4 exercises that you can type in and you’re off and running, after you do a certain exercise on the card, press a button to go to the next one and it’ll tell you how many reps to do for that particular card, sucks it doesn't have jokers though.

            We can use technology to our advantage in the way we train but you have to be smart about it, let it work for you. Stick to the basics as best as you can and have a kick ass time with them but don’t let technology run your whole way of training, overall its best to turn off your computer, cell phone, radio and just be free to do whatever you want. It’s all about how you find things that work best for you.

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. 

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.”

Getting In Shape While Gambling

 When was the last time you heard about doing that? When you gamble, you usually sit at a table or a slot machine and sometimes you stand at the Roulette wheels. Now this might be the most interesting and very unusual way to stay in shape while money is being won or lost so let me give you my take on it.

 Billions of dollars are being put into thousands upon thousands of slot machines and being thrown down on the tables just edging for someone to get their ass kicked or get rich and possibly come out even. Now think about this for a moment, there’s another set of dollar making business that people waste their money on and that’s the typical chrome and fern commercial gyms that they put a few bucks down and don’t bother showing up and their bills get rung up. The difference is, you can win at Gambling but in the gym you have to earn your body and that’s where most people give up and just drop the gym all together.

 If you live in places like Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Coeur D’Alene or the eastern parts of Washington, there are a few places to go to put your betting money on. I can bet you can get in shape while at the casinos and no one will ever know. This is no way of saying, you should workout at a casino because come on, as funs as it would be for you, there are others who don’t give a damn and will walk away from you. This is just a simple suggestion to use to remind your muscles that you can do something in between pulls on the machine or doing something while playing the cards or the wheel. Let me give you an example, you sit at a slot machine, doesn’t matter what it is (unless it’s that kick ass Wheel Of Fortune), you can do Isometrics or Muscle Control while you play. After your first pull, squeeze the lever as hard as you can for 10 seconds, that’s it, than you play and while those things are spinning you can press your hand against the side of the machine. See you just did a little of exercise.

 One of my favorite types of training is from the Charles Atlas course and doing self resistance exercise. After I do a turn on a machine I would do curls by resisting one arm against another and after do another turn, than I would do something like squeeze my feet down on the ground to build some tendon and leg strength. Don’t waste your energy just sitting there like you just threw your house away, if you want to play a little bit, why not give your body a chance to do some work, in a small twisted way, you’re paying money to exercise, plus if you win, it makes things that much sweeter.

 To me Gambling really is a waste of time and there are people who are addicted so bad with it that they end up losing everything. This is for those that want to put a few dollars down and have a little fun with no reason to overdue it. It’s like exercise, if you overdue it, you can get hurt, when you gamble and you’re putting too much into it, you can hurt your mental state and I better hope you never have to use a loan shark and get your legs broken, that to me for yourself is adding insult to injury, literally. If you want to have a little fun, why not give your muscles a run for their money and use small but effective exercise which you can learn where no one will ever know you’re doing them. I know what it’s like to win big and lose just as bad so hopefully you never have to go through losing a bunch of money. There’s time for fun and there’s time to just walk away, like exercise, you can only do what you’re body is capable of and there are times when you just need to catch your breath and call it a day, gambling might be a bit harder but it’s the same thing, if you’re losing and its not helping you, walk away and move on or just get out and go home. Be safe and get your exercises in my friend.

Being Creative For The Karl Gotch Bible

The old-time wrestler created or should I say found one of the greatest ways to get in great condition whether for combat sports or whatever. He would have his wrestlers/students work with a deck of cards, shuffle them around and have them see how far they would go. Usually in this manner it be the Hindu Squats and Hindu Push-ups which to Karl himself said to be the foundational exercises for optimal conditioning.

As time went on some wrestling teams or organizations would have their wrestlers play around with the deck and came up with other exercises like sit-ups, pull-ups and others to keep their wrestlers guessing because in competition you never know what's going to happen so this teaches you how to be prepared for the unexpected. Wrestlers in Japan seemed to like this type of conditioning so much that it became one of their tests (I believe) and it made some of the wrestlers practically unstoppable. I don't know if the deck was used in other countries but if they have it shows.

Next time you feel your training is not going anywhere or you're bored and want to change things up, get a god damn deck of cards and pick 2-4 types of exercises and see how long you can go. Time yourself. I have beaten the deck many times but I can tell you first hand that if you jump in too quickly you're gonna be sore like a mofo for days. My best time with just push-ups and squats was around 20-25 min. and with just 4 exercises its roughly 45 min. and I try to take as little breaks as possible because in wrestling there is no rest.

Do you need to be a wrestler to do this? Hell no. I'm certainly not one and wouldn't wanna mess with one. This type of training can be used by anyone who has the desire to get in shape, lose weight, build muscle and burn off fat like theres no tomorrow. I respect men like Gotch, Billy Robinson, Gama, Thesz and other old-timer so thats why I give them credit for building conditioning programs like this. If you're going to talk about old-timers and they're programs for christ sakes show them some respect and never give excuses about these types of programs. At first this type of program will be hard and it may seem impossible but don't give up. I couldn't finish 10 cards at first thats how bad I was and now after training for so long I can beat the deck just about any time I wanted. When you can finish a deck and you're sweating from head to toe and you have a smile on your face and want more either right there or later on, you are one tough son of a bitch and a hell of a conditioned athlete.

It takes more then physical strength, endurance and flexibility to beat the deck, it takes a sharp mind, laser-like focus, concentration and if you think about it, it takes the mind of a great warrior or better yet the mind-power of a REAL Wrestler. As of right now I just do push-ups and Hindu Squats/Jumpers but not just typical standard Push-ups but I do many variations to keep my body guessing and to use different things for different muscles. Be creative and learn how to beat your own deck.

Poker Conditioning

One of the best ways to get in super condition is not through bike riding or running for miles on end. Take out a deck of cards and draw/shuffle them 2-3 times. Now flip a card over and do a number of reps of squats or push-ups. Try finishing the entire deck with good form. At a good clip this shouldn't be more then 25-30 min. Its one of the most brutal workouts you can be put through just ask the japanese wrestlers.

 This type of training was built by one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time Karl Gotch. Nicknamed "The God Of Pro Wrestling" in Japan cause not only did he influence pro wrestling and martial arts but a real test of ones conditioning training. He put the wrestlers through workouts that would make Dan Gable think twice about. Not only can you get a hell of a workout but it makes your mind much sharper and more balance for your workout and how much you can handle.

 Try out the push-up and squat workout and after doing the entire deck try other exercises like v-ups, isometrics ect. If you want to get into super condition w/out the use of weights and find other forms of training in the deck of cards these are the way to go.

Matt Furey

Scientific Wrestling and look for Submission Master and Conditioning For Combat Sports

Yours in Power & Might

Ben