Brutalized Conditioning: Animals & Slam Ball Hell

 On Monday, I wanted to test myself to see where my conditioning was at and safe to say, it was one of the hardest workouts I've done in a while. Did other workouts where they were a challenge but nothing like where it tested your sanity along with making the lungs seem like you're going to die LOL.

Thought I'd get into some animal training since it has been a while. Used my deck of cards to do the 4 Animals/Exercises I normally do....

Bear Crawls

Crab Walks

Half/Quarter Squat Walk (Bigfoot Walks)

Duck Walks

Doubled up on the reps and even about 10-15 cards in, I felt like quitting and I was breathing pretty heavily, I kept going anyways. These are no joke and will test you like no other. Finished with a 1000 total reps of these and yet, the workout wasn't even over.

I wanted to really amp it up by doing a finisher with the 20 lb Slam Ball I have and target my explosiveness. Went for 5 minutes doing a 15 on, 15 off protocol. Got in about 4-5 slams per round and slamming that fucker on grass just hits different. This wasn't just a finisher, it was to burn more calories like it was going out of style and build that mental toughness. More than just cardio, it's hell on earth and the battle rages on you against the system you created for yourself. This is the type of training where with other things, you won't tire out as quickly. This is not the typical workout you see many 40 year olds doing so, I wanted to find out what my capabilities were. 

Sometimes you got to go through hell to see what you're made of and what you expect out of yourself. This type of training is more than just exercise and getting in a few quick things, this is the type of hell that makes humans question their mental and physical stability along with testing themselves at peak levels of conditioning. No question pro/world class athletes can probably do this far better than me and it would be hard to try to keep up with that kind of person but at over 40 and not a professional or even calling myself World Class, I believe I did pretty damn well with this and I'd love to test this out with somebody sometime.

Conditioning comes in many forms and the idea for even as you get older is to maintain a level where you don't get tired doing things and can go as long as needed and have that lasting strength and endurance. When you have the ability to go and able to wear out others, it's a great feeling. Karl Gotch said it best "Conditioning is your greatest hold". Fitness is more than just trying to look good, it's about feeling better, being able to do things with less chances of getting injured and being able to have strength that lasts rather than temporarily. The world seems different when you are able to be fit and handle things with grace yet powerful at the same time.

Hellish workouts have their place as a challenge but don't frequent them as it can come back to bite you in the ass. Will I try this again, maybe or switch things up doing the dopa band and sledgehammer work. Strength & Cardio is part of the puzzle but when you throw in the mental aspects, it teaches you how precious and important having those attributes is. Be amazingly awesome and do what's possible. Challenge yourself but don't go so far you can't move or get injured. 

Getting The Most Out Of A Workout In Under 30 Minutes

One of the things I've always advocated about training was the importance of self discovery. Finding out what you're capable of doing and testing waters you've never been in, or at least took things to a different level. Just about any workout should be done using simplistic exercises and programming a progressive system that amplifies the workout's ability to make you stronger, more agile and as injury proof as possible. 

This workout I did yesterday went up a notch for me. Did only three exercises by doing the first two as a superset and used the third as a finisher to get that extra oomph in the conditioning department. A very rugged conditioning workout you might say that hits just about everything and can be a hell of a carryover. Here's how it went.....

-Superset (20 minutes non stop)

Bear Hug Carry 50 lb Sandbell for 20 Yards

20 Step Ups (10 per leg)

Immediately went into the finisher by doing my Bear Crawl Sprints for 10 Rounds at 10 Sec on/20 Sec off for approximately 5 minutes. 

The finisher was pretty brutal because my muscles were already hammered from the 20 min superset workout. It was a test to see what I can push on while fatigued. Just starting out on it is hard enough, imagine it as a finisher to something else. Felt great though, I didn't end up on my knees and beg the universe to let me breathe and didn't lie down to catch my breath. After it was over, I walked around and feeling everything in my body and breathing as deeply as I can. Talk about the best damn shower you can ever take. 

Once everything settled and felt "normal" (I hate that word), got some good food in me by having leftover eggs and sausage with a touch of shredded cheese and sliced up chinese pork. Tasted incredible man. Conditioning can go a long way and making you a machine. If you want to give this a shot, just remember that it doesn't discriminate and will try to beat your ass into the ground. It's simple but hard as hell and most people may not be able to handle it cause there's no literally almost no rest with the exception of walking back and getting into the bear crawl position. This isn't your typical run of the mill gym/home type workout, it's meant to try and break you and pin you to the ground. For nearly 30 minutes you're testing your mental strength and seeing what's possible without acting like you're going to die. The moment you start bringing it into your mind, you're dead. 

I never push to the brink of passing out or being so damn fatigued that I can't move my body because that is dangerous and focusing more on your ego than being aware of what your mind and body can and can't do. Do what's possible and listen to your body. The moment I was done, I got some water and jumped into the shower. Condition your body to make it stronger in the long run, not to the point where you'll end up not being able to move for a month. Training is about discovery, curiosity, grit and getting the most out of yourself possible without spending useless hours on it. Again this was less than 30 minutes and it's a bitch to pull off yet it is one hell of a workout that would humble just about anybody. 

Stay strong, keep getting better and be amazingly awesome.