Dopa Yellow Stretch Band For Better Posture

Dopamineo goes beyond just their big bands for intense workouts, they even have 2 types of bands that are incredible for stretching and helping with posture. The first one is their Blue Bolt Band which is a very short implement that you can use for various stretches but also to help with keeping you away from that hump you may create while sitting doing desk work or just working on your laptop. It doesn't stretch out very far, just enough to feel it. On a podcast made by wrestlers, they have this contest to see if anyone can break the Bolt, many tried and all failed. It's one of the most durable bands out there just like the workout bands.

The yellow stretch Band is similar to using a chest expander but it's much lighter to use and for obvious reasons. There are all sorts of exercises you can do with this thing. Do Pull Aparts overhand and underhand, dislocates like you would with a stick or a towel, side bends, deadlifts, punches, shadow wrestling drills and others. Great for aligning the upper back and making the chest pop like the rip expansions of the old timers like Maxick & Arco. Some bodybuilders today use it to keep the shoulders and back from stiffening up. 

It's mainly used for wrestlers and MMA Fighters as a warm up to their regular training doing various stretches and pulls to get the muscles going for the upcoming practice and then use the longer bands as a post practice conditioning workout. It's very versatile and can fit inside a duffle bag or even the pouch in a sweater. Take it out with you to a park or the beach, in your hotel room or on a break at work to get some mobility and flexibility training in. 

I'll use at times to loosen myself up. You can even tie it to your thighs to do side to side walks for the hip flexors which can go a long way to staying mobile for the hips. That particular workout with this band should really only be a few minutes, you can use it for strength if you wish doing chest presses, curls, shoulder presses and all that by having one hand under the knot you make and the other in the middle of the band so it feels slightly heavy but still stretchable. There's even a way to do Isometric Pulls by folding it a bit and pull as hard as you can for 10-30 seconds, it's not going to stretch much, maybe a couple inches and that's it but to keep it there is tough as hell. 

You can do your regular stretches with it by placing the middle on the soles of your feet and do stretches for the hamstrings, hip flexors and low back. Stretching doesn't have to be boring and using a band can help creating a longer stretch by progressively moving the hands up or down on the band. The great thing is, it's nearly impossible to break so the chances of it snapping on you are very slim. The only caution is to be careful how you place for certain stretches cause it can slide so I would recommend wearing shoes that have a good holding spot where the band won't slide as much. That's really it on the cons in my opinion. 

Grab a band or set of bands NOW and get a bad ass deal of getting the yellow stretch band, the blue bolt band and a carry bag for your bands with your order (Buy 1 Get 3). Strengthening those areas go a long way for a good quality life and having solid mobility in your later years. Stretch peacefully but also with intent. Get 10% OFF your order by using the discount code POWERANDMIGHT. Be amazingly awesome. I'll put up a video soon to show some stretches and dynamic pulls you can do. 

Resting And Recovering: A Realistic Look At Training

Often times during our training, we will push our bodies to limits we never have gone to and it gives us that feeling of accomplishment. But what about the next day? Do we just chill out and slack off as we recover and rest like we have the flu? That's not what you do or should do. The truth is, it is important to do something everyday or as often as possible. That doesn't mean you go hardcore or beat the shit out of your body everyday, that's not practical or realistic. 

There are going to be days where everything isn't always there and your body needs time to heal, what can you do in that time as you heal? Instead of sleeping all day and not do a damn thing (unless you're so beat up and/or in the hospital), you can do a few minutes of stretching or doing less intense exercise. If all you can do is go for a walk or do less intense Isometrics than do so. You never stop training, you just adapt to what your body is capable of for that time to recover. Some say recovery is just a gym term, that's complete bullshit, yeah your body can adapt to many things but if you don't take the time to heal the body, in some form or another, you can end up being very useless in the things you do in your life. 

Some days I'll do my deck of cards workouts or some other form of intense training either in one shot or throughout the day, other days I'll do small things like basic animal moves at a slower pace or stretch my body out and focus on something that doesn't require being a maniac or a sadistic fitness enthusiast. Some days (on a rare occasion) I'll be sore as hell either from training, shoveling snow or whatever and do things to keep myself moving but not to the point where I'm ready to die. It's awesome to challenge yourself but it's not worth your long term existence if you beat it to a  bloody pulp just to prove how tough you are.

I believe in recovery training to keep things flowing, keep up with maintenance and be able to "rest" until my body can go hard again which at times takes a day or two, other times it takes a week but I always feel the need to do something. Doing joint loosening sessions is great, Isometrics are great, flexibility work is great, all these things are useful when you apply the realistic approach to training the body. For joint loosening, it's to keep the body healthy so you don't become so brittle and full of aches and pains. For Isometrics, it's for maintaining strength without moving and being able to do some intense training without the need to compensate. Flexibility training is like joint loosening or mobility work by maintaining the body's ability to flow and keep going without putting so much stress on the nervous system and putting the muscles and tendons/ligaments at risk. 

Too many people like to throw in how hard they can go and doing everything possible to prove that they can harder than anyone else. It's the trend of social media influencers that think they know more than the old timers and/or understand that you can only push the body so far. Most of the time, they don't give a flying fuck about your recovery or rest, all they care about is going until you possibly end up in the ER because you did this many kettlebell swings or lifted this much weight you weren't meant to do or hell do 500 Push-ups, Run 10 miles, Sprint 600 Yards, 1000 Squats and Deadlift 300 lbs 100 times in the span of an hour or less and doing that 5 times a week. You train according to what you can do on particular days, that doesn't mean you stop training, it just means to some things to recharge and other things when you're at your peak level. 

I haven't taken a day off since I was 21 years old and I've pushed my body hard on a lot of days but I've also gave my body some time to recharge by doing things that still had me moving but not to break down so much that I can't move at all. I've done rough sessions in BJJ, I've gone through killer strongman workouts, dozens upon dozens of decks of cards, sprint training, gymnastics, nasty cardio and conditioning and yet still managed to work on mobility, flexibility and less intense training when it weas needed. You DO what you CAN every single day, you don't have to sacrifice your body in the name of fitness. 

Don't try to prove how hardcore you are, prove to yourself that you can come up with things regardless and what is possible. Listen to your body and not the bullshit influence that has wrecked many people. Be amazingly awesome. Be smart about your training.

Being Smart About Training

 Training for the most part is about discovery and learning the ins and outs of what gives you the best benefit and what doesn't. We get excited and full of enthusiasm but sometimes that could blind us because if we don't find that focus on the mind and the muscles synergistically, it could bite us in the ass. When my sciatica was over the first time around, I literally jumped for joy like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins almost doing Step In Time and it felt great. I was excited and so eager to get back to being my best self again. For a period, it was awesome and was doing the things I was able to do before, but it didn't last as long as I hoped and it came back at me with a vengeance, I was blinded by the excitement and it bit me in the ass.

Dealing with the pain, the boring stretches and trying to move around, I had to rethink things and make decisions for myself I never thought I had to. Once the pain slowly subsided over the next few weeks and I was moving better without feeling like dying, I had to think more intelligently about how I did things and what I needed to do to become stronger. Being more methodical, deliberate and with stronger intentions, I focused on the technique, where I was feeling it and making the most of my capabilities instead of going gung ho like a dumbass. My flexibility and strength was coming back and the pain was going away. I was being smarter about what I was doing.

This thing is basically done, just some tenderness in my hip but it's manageable and I'm getting more explosiveness in my movements. I didn't do Step In Time this time around and I channeled my excitement into my training with better focus using my brains as well as my body. Because of the recent demos I've done with the Dopa Band and doing actual workouts where the big focus is on the legs, it has made a huge difference in my recovery and rehab. I'm not going as hard as I could be but that's ok because I'm being smart about letting things come naturally and it shows. Weeks ago, I couldn't do jack shit what I could do right now and I'm proud to have pulled it off. 

I discovered new things about myself and I've wised up and saw things in a different light. I love to train hard and making it count but it's important to utilize intelligence in order to train for the long haul. Being smart about when to go hard and when to back off is a bit of a process but that's part of the journey. With the Dopa Band, it makes you want to go gung ho but there's a way to modify it to train your body without having to go all Rocky 4 on it. It is as of right now one of the most bad ass equipment I've ever invested in and I believe many can benefit from it. Sure it's mainly used by wrestlers and MMA fighters but come on, I'm no wrestler by any stretch (at least no where near the level of what these people demonstrate) but I do believe in being prepared and having enough conditioning to fall back on that's inspired by wrestlers and MMA Fighters. Doing drills, punches, squats, step ups, bear crawls, duck walks, modified sprints and even suplexes. 

Right now, I'm just training to just feel good really and let my attributes naturally come on their own. I have no desire to be competitive except only to myself and who knows if I ever get on the mat again. My workouts are meant to just to stay healthy and being ready if certain situations occur, other than that, I don't want to fear having to look over my shoulder or have this macho need to fight unless I have to. Train to be ready but you don't have to act as if you're walking down a dark alley 24/7 anxious about someone jumping you, that's no way to live. Live peacefully with as awesome vibes as possible. Keep being amazingly awesome.    

Don't forget to check out the Dopamineo Bands and get 10% OFF your order when you use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to all of you. 

Healing Up And Taking On Different Style Of Resistance Cable Training

 Very grateful this thing is almost over and making up some lost time on training and other things. I'm walking way more now without pain; putting my headphones on listening to bad ass metal and going for 15-20 minute walks to ease back into it. Working on various flows of animal movement at a steady pace (using exercises from Movement 20XX) especially for my legs like last night which felt great and slept a little better but it still needs improvement. Things are definitely looking up. 

While researching some new ways to train, I came across these bands from this company called Dopamineo which is based on the west coast I think that these two phenomenal wrestlers started. They took the concept of bands that have been used by Russian wrestlers for decades and developed bands that lasted longer, have a greater stretch and takes the format to another level. Although the bands are more used for wrestling (Folkstyle, Freestyle, Greco-Roman), these can be used for many other sports and MMA style training. The size of the bands (or how they're stretched) utilizes a weight-class formula to determine which set is best. I ordered the heavyweight cable which is for athletes or people over 205 lbs. 

I know I can never even remotely do what these bad ass athletes can do with these things but I took a chance on them and want to see what I can do for maintenance training and eventually get back to strength and conditioning. They should arrive tomorrow or at max another couple days so I'm excited to test this fucker out. The videos I've seen these men and women do are insane and take training to a different level, hell one demo clip showed three wrestlers on their rest day and even the exercises they were using were explosive, powerful, fast and incredible to watch. If that's a rest day than I wouldn't want to mess with these guys even at their most vulnerable, the conditioning is just out there.

I've always admired wrestlers and their style of training from Frank Gotch to guys like Jordan Burroughs and Cain Velasquez. I went out for wrestling in high school but it didn't pan out for me and to this day I wished something was better to make me keep doing it. BTW, in that same room training, a future MMA Fighter was cut above the rest and was one of the go to guys on that team and that was Luke Rockhold. Even back then, he was awesome, I wish I got to know him more. Over the years, I learned about many wrestlers and watching guys like Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle were favorites but researching guys like Lou Thesz, Frank Gotch, George Hackenshmidt, Alexander Karelin, Ad Santel, Farmer Burns, Dan Gable, Karl Gotch and many more made me understand the true aspect of history and what it took for those guys to still be mentioned either long after they were gone or retired from the mat. 

Cables has been a part of my training for more than 15 years using mainly lifeline cables such as the Chest Expander, TNT Cables, Portable Power Jumper and a few others. They've helped immensely in keeping me in shape. I've rarely ever used cables outside of Lifeline's because that's all I really knew when it came to that kind of training. I've seen cables other athletes used and seeing skits of Lesnar training for his Summer Slam match with the Rock way 20+ years ago but never ventured out on other styles of cable training until now so this should be interesting. Always looking to evolve and gain knowledge so this specific cable is going to be fun to use. 

Because of this recent weight loss, it's going to be different in the way I train. I'm not going to be as explosive yet and hell I have some strength and conditioning to make up for so working with this cable methodically and at a pace that gives me a foundation isn't going to be easy but sure as shit is going to make things physical and test me in a different light. Am I nervous about this thing? A little but if I'm going to get strong again, adding this will be awesome. Hell, I wish I found this years ago when I was in BJJ or just doing my conditioning training but hey, it's time to slowly get back to being me again and maybe, just maybe be even fitter and better conditioned than before. I did say that when I turn 40 that I want to be in the best shape of my life and this is another tool to get me there. 

Time to crank up the volume and get my ass kicked by an object that weighs less than a couple pounds used by some of the very best athletes on the planet. Keep at it everyone and never stop being amazingly awesome.     

Weight Loss, Animals & Rollouts

 Yesterday I weighed in for the first time since this injury came back and last I checked I was around 248, just a touch below 249. The pain levels vary from a 3 to a 9 depending when it flares up but when I'm in pain, I literally have little to no appetite so whenever I ate, it was when it was at bay enough to eat. That didn't happen a whole lot. I'd be lucky to eat once a day, very lucky to eat 2 meals but they weren't very big. When I weighed in, I was shocked that I lost quite a bit of weight in a short amount of time. It came up at 238.8 lbs and that scared the hell out of me. It was mainly the little appetite I had and the mere fact that I haven't done workouts to maintain muscle mass.

Sometimes things like that give you a wake up call. It's good to lose weight but at the same time when you're in pain and you can barely even eat or walk around long enough to do much, losing weight can suck and not the healthy way to do it. My appetite is slowly coming back but it's no where near what I can normally eat. Regularly, I can eat a good steak and rice or have nearly half dozen eggs with bacon without issues but I haven't eaten any of that and even if I did, the stress prevents me from even finishing my food which isn't good. 

My workouts have been almost nothing but stretches, squatting down throughout the day to ease the pain from walking and occasional animal workouts. The animal training is getting better little by little since I've focused on mainly just moving with technique, coordination and paying attention to my flexibility. I did try to focus on speed at one point but something didn't click yet so I switched to being more methodical, deliberate and just the technique with a slower pace. It started working where I went from doing 7 rounds of a flow (from Movement 20XX) that was a struggle to 12 rounds (5, 5 and 2) doing movements that focused on coordination, flexibility and agility. That animal workout yesterday felt great and didn't feel pain and did some heat and ice afterwards. 

I wanted to try something today that I was hesitant to do since I didn't want to fuck anything up. I wanted to see what I can do with the Ab Wheel and test out my Back & Core Strength. After the first couple reps, it started to feel good, kept going and nothing felt wrong or anything and before I knew it, I did 25 Rollouts in a row. That was enough because I didn't want to push it any further than I had to and it was a good mini workout. Didn't feel pain but I knew where the point was on my back and it was annoying than painful so I took it as a good sign that my strength is coming back even microscopically. 

The thing I really need to figure more out now is being able to sleep decently. Since this whole thing started back up, 4 hours of sleep a night was my luck of the draw and if I was relaxed enough during the day, I would doze off for a bit but not long. It sucks and the thing that helps with recovery mostly is sleep and I barely get that. It is what it is but I'm doing what's possible right now. With this weight loss as well, it may help the recovery process but it's not the ideal way to drop weight and I can't let myself develop atrophy and lose the muscle I worked so hard to build. Hasn't been easy and have had bouts of anger, depression, frustration, doubts and being on an up and down mental state. Just hate it man. 

I hate seeing anyone suffer and it's not living a good life if you're in pain to the point where you alienate yourself from loved ones. I've done it and I'm not proud of it because I can be a very social person. When you have been in such pain that you go into this dark and depressive episode where you don't want help and distancing yourself from the people you love, if you let it go on too long, it becomes something you never wanted. Do what you can if you're in pain but don't let it destroy your humanity. Keep being amazingly awesome and stay healthy physically and mentally as long as you can. You never know what could pop up on you.   

Putting The "Free" In Freedom Of Exercise

 From a training perspective, spending time on it should be the only thing that costs you but alas the reality is, in order to train successfully, it does cost some dough if you want to learn from the best. However, investing in a course that gives you the real freedom to move and do some cool stuff is as great as you can get. That doesn't mean the quality of a course is equal to the investment you put in. 

When you research and find top quality information, it's important to be vigilant in how you proceed with that investment. If you're looking for top quality courses on a budget, check out my Fitness Courses For Under $10 article for some bad ass info that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Now, if you got enough saved up to where you're looking for long term training that keeps going without having to invest more than you need to, this is where it can get interesting. I've invested in many courses over the years and at this point, very few utilize the best quality of not just exercises and routines but how to apply them outside of their given program. 

I firmly believe whatever you choose to invest in, make the most of it if possible otherwise you spent your hard earned money on something that looks promising but is pure shit. Think about this for a second, there are books out there that costs on average of 35-250 dollars for a KINDLE on only training specific body parts or specific exercises at a time like one for squats, one for push-ups, one on pull-ups, one on just calisthenics alone and one on jump roping. Don't get me started on the paperbacks or hardcovers, it's ridiculous. The cost effectiveness isn't really there for somebody even if they're willing to put in the work, you might as well take out a mortgage to pay for all that. The guy selling them is also kind of what you call skinny fat, he "can" do these things but has a look that is relatively unappealing and some of the time looks like a hobo with fancy shades on. 

When it comes to cost effective and long term programming, I have found that very few can match the likes of Vahva Fitness. It's one of the best quality of training information around today. Once you buy a program, it's there for life and doesn't require much if at all to pay for more when they do addons with that specific program. Movement 20XX for example shows you how to progressively get better at various movements using nothing more than your own bodyweight. It has calisthenics, it has animal style movements, it has isometric type training and teaches you how to tie them all in together inside of one program. You get flow routines, animal movements you can do exclusively, push-up training to build up to levels of crawling, flexibility training, monthly workout routines and a hell of a lot more. This is all you can have with the cost of a one year membership to a typical gym. This alone would set you pretty much for life when it comes to bodyweight training.

Warrior 20XX is a course that creates more specific routines based on the type of goals you're looking for (Strength, Fat Burning, Muscle Density and others). You get to pick and choose whether to train 2x a week or more if you wish and learn exercises for specific body parts to train. It isn't the same as bodybuilding or purely "isolated" movements, everything comes into play but you target certain muscles more than others which can strengthen your weak points to create a complete physique. You can choose to do bodyweight, use a dumbbell or a kettlebell to do the exercises and routines, you can even create your own workouts once you mastered the basics and progressions. Along with all that, there are Bonus Routines with exercises and minimal equipment not shown in the main program which doesn't cost you a thing to learn. 

Athlete 20XX is just about as bad ass as you can get when it comes to specific training for conditioning and sports specific type training for beginners, intermediate and advanced routines. It goes into phases to give you the best progressions possible without the wear and tear on your joints and utilize the quality of speed, strength, mobility, performance and more. It focus on keeping the core tight to be most efficient with the exercises you are performing. 

Just one of these individually can do wonders for your health, fitness and physique. The guy who does all of these programs is not only fit like a Greek god but can go and has stupid conditioning and long term strength. One of the bonus routines he does is taken from a wrestling workout from Finland that has conditioned the very best athletes of that country. If you want to save more in the long run, getting all three programs is the best option. It may seem expensive but if you look at it from a perspective, that cost is a lifetime guarantee. They truly give you the freedom of training as you can create your own programs using one or all three throughout the week, one for one week, one for another or mesh-up anyway you see fit. Make it your own and build your own style. Learn new exercises as they come up and never have to worry about monthly fees or annual fees that can hinder your finances. 

Remember about the cost of the kindle books I mentioned earlier? The same guy that sells them, also has a "forum" or "membership program that costs around 1200 bucks annually, for a 5 year term, that's around 6000 out of your pocket. If you get all 3 Vahva Fitness courses, that's it, you don't need to pay more than what you're getting and be set for life, once again, no annual fees. Check it out for yourself, believe me when I tell you, these are a hell of a better investment than most and as a practitioner of Movement 20XX, you can learn some of the best movements on the planet and find your creative side that builds you flexibility in your spine, easy or hard beastly moves that take your strength to another level and create flows that tackle your conditioning to its very core without counting reps or sets. 

Be free to make your own style and invest in YOU without any financial burdens later on. Be amazingly awesome and move with grace, power and athletically strong. 

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Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Rhodiola 

Being Flexible Is Not Just About Stretching

Being limber and mobile is a couple key aspects to have in our lives otherwise, we would be walking around like Frankenstein (which in many cases today we are). Let alone look like the Walking Dead, being stiff isn't really all that fun. As we get older, we start to lose a few things here and there slowly and at times faster than others but there are ways to fix this. You don't have to be a contortionist or some incredibly flexible Gymnast or Cirque De Soleil performer but having solid flexibility throughout life keeps us as young as we can. 

Although I'm more in tuned with stretching routines or workouts that involve more dynamic movements like Joint Loosening, Animal Moves, some Bodyweight Exercises and from the Mace/Clubs I do like the old school stretching exercises that is supplementary to all those things. In the wintertime, when it starts to really come down, shoveling snow can be a hell of a workout especially if it's heavy slush, so it's important to have the muscles, joints and ligaments prepared for the task at hand. Being out in the cold a while can really tighten up the muscles so take some time before and after to relax them and keep them loose but not too loose, we don't want to be walking around like someone's higher than the International Space Station.

Stretching may seem silly to some people because they want to get to the training right off the bat and dig into that workout hard. The problem is, that can bite us in the ass if we're not careful. That's why we must keep up with the maintenance in order to perform at our best. It's why I start off nearly everyday with some form of flexibility, mobility and/or joint loosening work, at night I do my best to get in my bridges (wrestler's, front and occasionally gymnastic) hold the front and back bridges for 3 minutes each and the gymnastic bridge as long as needed. I love being able to move the way I need to and have had stints of being so damn stiff I couldn't get out of bed in my late teens.

Being flexible is more than just stretching, it's about giving your body the tools it needs to be in better health and well-being. I've known many who've been through the ringer and are so tight and knotted that they can barely tie their shoes let alone try to get out of bed without feeling some sort of pain. Remember that old adage no pain, no gain? Complete bullshit. Yes pain is telling you you're not dead but at the same time, pain is something nobody wants to really live with. If you're a laborer, a soldier, a cop, a fireman or a sadistic crossfitter maybe you're use to pain and it's a part of who you are and sacrificing your body for so long will make you so damn miserable it's unbearable.  

Stretching and Flexibility work doesn't have to be boring either, you can learn some cool dynamic moves, animal exercises that stretch many areas of the body, qi gong, mobility type training and bodyweight exercises like Bridging & Hindu Pushups. They all have a place in developing your elasticity and keeping it strong as long as you're consistent. Find some form of way to keep yourself in shape beyond just moving weight around or doing hundreds of pushups and/or squats. Use exercises that can heal and help you recover so you can have that energy, that drive and be able to perform great tasks while as a job or recreationally. One of the things to help slowing the aging process, limberness and strength to stay relaxed. The better your flexibility, the less chances of injuries.

Be flexible and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Flow Through Your Workouts

Going hardcore in a workout isn't always a bad thing and people just push themselves to the brink of collapse is the boost to their ego; but going hardcore doesn't always mean you should a lot of the time unless it "may be" a micro workout of some sorts. Flowing through a workout where you're challenging yourself but it feels to you almost effortless is one of the coolest things you can do.

These days because of the inspiration from Vahva Fitness, my brain has been fiddling with ideas and coming up with flows and combos, learning the flow routines from Vahva and developing better flexibility and agility with great energy and enthusiasm. It's almost like the excitement never stops and have used specific flows for my flexibility, conditioning and coordination. Taking a few exercises and putting them together to create something fun to do is what is keeping me coming back.

My favorite exercises to use in my flow training are the Over Reach, 180 Degree Jumps and the Scorpion. Utilizing these three with other exercises and you've got a hell of a foundation. I even will use them in a freestyle manner where they randomly go with other exercises in a workout where I come up with exercises on the spot. This routine I do here, would be considered freestyle since I didn't have the exercises in a specific order and was coming up with stuff at the top of my head.

Some workouts I'll just do a couple moves and just switch from one to the other like this demo of the Scorpion & Over Reach Combo to work my flexibility and coordination. One exercise I've learned lately that I'm still figuring out how to do properly is called in Vahva Fitness the King Crab. It's not an impossible move but to coordinate it and move in the manner can challenging since you're up off your heels and walk sideways. I did a video of just Holding The Position in an Isometric format to build strength so when I do more of the movement, I'm use to being in that position. I like to use themes every now and then and this move made me think of a scene in Fantastic Beasts: The Secret Of Dumbledore where the main protagonist has to go through a cave and these "Fire Crabs" are ready to strike him and he has to move like them to distract them. 

 When it comes to conditioning, flows can have a profound impact depending on how you do them. When you use jumping movements or crawls in a sprint like fashion while quickly switching from one thing to another can really fire up the lungs. A workout I did yesterday was a combo of the Scorpion, Over Reach and Bear Crawling. Do the first two moves than do a 5-10 yard crawl and walk back and repeat for as many rounds as possible. I did about 10 and that was enough. When you get out of breath, walk it off until it has subsided and keep going, don't sit down or bend over and heave, breathe deeply and keep things flowing. Vahva also has great workouts that target various muscle groups but also shows you step by step how to do a flow properly and progress by adding speed and smoothness. 

Another great combo that will get you out of breath is just crawling and jumping as in Crawl for a distance, get into a squat and do a 180 degree jump or just a regular frog jump and crawl back. Do that for 30 seconds to a minute and you'll be panting like crazy. You can see the video of that below. Workouts should never be boring and moving from one thing to another fast is a great way to get you going. Bodyweight Training is more than just simple pushups, squats, pullups and lunges; you can create things and open up a whole other door to exercising that is limitless and full of curiosity. 

If you really want the complete package and take on a whole plethora of challenges, flows, athletic specialization and conditioning programs, check out the Trinity Bundle from Vahva and combine them for workout regimens that will test even the most elite athletes. Be strong, get conditioned and be amazingly awesome. 

Animal Stretching & Flexibility

Would you believe that Animal Exercises go beyond just warming up or being used for conditioning? What if the method was used to help loosen up the muscles and joints in a stretching routine? Although mainly used for dynamic work, they can also be used in isometric fashion if you understand the mechanics. Most stretching routines are pretty boring and you look stiff as it is as opposed to actually being stiff and trying to loosen up. A good routine can be found here if you want to try it out.

My favorite exercises to really get the body going and have that relaxing feeling is utilizing the Bear Walk, Scorpion Rotation, Over Reach and various moves based on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, add in a few Yoga moves, concentrated stretches and working the spine, knees, elbows and ankles you've got it made. I don't really take breaks in the middle of this workout because I just transition from one exercise to another like a Flow and keep going. The objective is to not speed through it but pace as relaxed as possible, remember it's just mostly stretching.

You don't have to do the transitioning, that's just part of it. If you're new to it, doing them one at a time than two moves, than three and so on until you can do a continuation without having to stop. It's like building up a cardio like routine where you get the benefit of building stamina as you stretch and you can go as long as you need to. There's no limit, once you get the a good routine down for yourself, you can go into a regular workout or just practice flows and combos till you're done for the day. It's all up to you.

I can make an update video of a off the top of my head kind of routine but for now here's a video of a 5 minute routine I did a couple years ago to get you an idea (I've lost weight since then) but it's still a good set of stretches to do at just about anytime when you need it. Stretching should never be boring, it should give you the ability to wake up and feeling good. I've never been a fan of routines and just go with my instincts which works for me. Because of the type of memory I possess, I can take just about any exercise I know and do a flow style set. That's where I feel most like myself instead of trying to follow exactly the same style as someone else, it just doesn't feel right, I'll pick up on stuff and learn the exercises for sure but from a routine stand point, it just feels wrong to me to "follow along." 

The transitioning aspect as you get better, creates more than just stretching the body, you're also stretching your brain to send the nerves into overdrive and be quick on your feet and breathing naturally. When animals stretch like a wildcat or a wolf, they naturally program their bodies to be ready for what lies ahead whether it's on a hunt, a battle for leadership or even when mating occurs. That's what Animal Style Stretching is like, to be able to wake up the body for what the day brings. You never know if you'll be able to help someone in need, to stay healthy to prevent injuries and having the body alert for taking care of loved ones. 

Flexibility is a key to staying young and some of the best stretches in the world come from the inspiration of the Animal Kingdom. Be flexible/limber, be aware and be amazingly awesome. 

Movement Flow & Stretching

Yesterday, I wrote about using movement or sequences of primal type movements as a creative outlet to get in some good workouts but what about stretching? How do you "warm up" for that particular method? You can always utilize certain aspects of joint loosening and stretches like we typically do or take it from aspects like qi gong, gymnastics or from Ginastica Natural. Flexibility and Elasticity is part of the flows used in movement style training. 

Some of the animal movements I do can be used as both stretching and strength training; take for example an Alligator Walk or Hold: Arms wide in a pushup style position and legs as wide as you can and start to walk. This opens up the hips, the shoulders, the chest and the groin muscles. You don't have to go so wide you turn into a contortionist but enough to feel the muscles as you move through the motion. You can also use it as an Isometric where you stop at a certain point in the movement and press the feet and arms into the ground as hard as you can for a few seconds. This can strengthen the joints and help control your body in an awkward position. 

That's just an idea but Eero at Vahva Fitness tackles anything that can be useful when it comes to conditioning, flexibility and flow work to help harness that creativity. From Martial Arts to Gymnastics to Animal Work, Weights, Bodyweight and Flexibility Training, he goes after it all and he's one lean son of a bitch and can back up some pretty cool stuff. Flexibility is a key to all that awesome stuff and being able to work out the kinks is a great way to get you into the things that will challenge your body in ways you didn't think were possible.

The flows in what I call Playful Movement can also be used as stretching routines. You slow them way down to the point where it's not about speed or jumping from one move to the other but practicing changing the moves into a stretch like the Scorpion, Over Reach in a Crab position, some of the crawls like a Tiger or Bear. They can be used to focus on opening channels in the spine, core, hamstrings, shoulders and hips. This is the beauty of this style of training, you can break them down anyway you want and progress at your own pace. Once you feel stretched out, start doing the flows in regular fashion or practice certain exercises so they're smooth in order to transition into the flows. 

Training is meant to be adventurous and getting into the habit of unleashing that primal and creative side within all of us. Get the blood pumping and get wild. Here's a recent video of some of the things you may see in Movement 20XX. For the explosive movements, you can just hold and focus on the areas in the legs to stretch them out instead of jumping. Be Free, go crazy and be amazingly awesome.  

Bridging Between Worlds

The world between mainstream fitness today as opposed to yesteryear can seem like night and day but in a sense, they blend together but in a different context. Back in the day, fitness had it's share of quacks and posers but the real deal focused mainly on conditioning, flexibility and control. Plenty of muscle to go around but in the true sense of what muscle could achieve (this was before the days of Steve Reeves & Reg Park) with the other attributes. Guys like Arco and Maxick were the true muscle gods of their time but they were also very flexible and had greater control over their movements than practically any bodybuilder today.

When you can control your body and become flexible in several positions, there's a sense of well-being there that have a lot to do with how you can go through life. I'm not even talking about Yoga type flexibility but the type where it can be a continuous process of utilizing movements to make things in life better. It's one of the reasons I've always been fond of the Bridge or a blend of Bridging Exercises to establish a solid level of flexibility and condition. The Bridge has become a various blend of training that is used in different systems like Yoga, Gymnastics & Wrestling. It's not even about just training the neck but to control the whole body and developing the awareness of using the body as a single unit.

The two favorites are the Wrestler's Bridge & The Gymnastic Bridge where you practically bend the body to looking like something to cross over. I'm no yogi but over the years those bridges have been a life saver and have given me flexibility, strength and agility that I never thought I'd be able to accomplish in my teenage years. These two have several progressions and each one can be very beneficial but they're not for everyone and I can understand that. For those who do wish to learn them, blend into them little to by little, they're not some exercises you can just jump into, it takes quite a bit of strength to do some of them and takes a certain level of awareness in order to be comfortable being upside down or bending backwards.

When it comes to the Gymnastic Bridge, to me is one of the greatest stretches ever but the strength to get into it can be quite a feat when you're not in the 120-160 lb range lol. To build the strength takes progression but it also takes some coordination and working the body in unison. 

The progressions do need to be proceed with caution but at the same time, can be fun and teaches you how to control your fear of going backwards or getting into the realm of "Bridging Gymnastics" where you learn to fall into a bridge and do kickovers. For the most part, just learning to do the Wrestler's Bridges and Gymnastic Bridges are actually awesome in and of themselves because you don't need to be an Olympic Wrestler or Gymnast to do them. Hell many big guys can't do these so even a 50-100 lb lighter person would have a better speed of progression. They're incredible for conditioning the body in a different light than purely regular stretching or strength training. They can be lifesavers as I've mentioned before.

It is best to learn from a coach who knows how to do them but money can be tight for many so learning from someone who's been there and done that can be learned in a cheaper setting such as this awesome Gem!!! I started out with Matt Furey's Gama Fitness when it came to more of the Bridging progressions but Logan Christopher helped me fill in the blanks and has witnessed me up close and personal do my first kickover in the wrestler's bridge. He truly is one of the gifted ones and I can't thank him enough for that and that day will live with me forever. I've done plenty of stuff since then doing kickovers in workouts, holding a 3 min bridge whenever I feel like it and making the Gymnastic Bridge a go-to for getting that perfect stretch. 

These days, bridging workouts come and go and have done demos on YouTube and Tik Tok to give people ideas on what the progressions look like and how I've performed them. It has become a bridge between worlds as these exercises showcase what the ancients knew all along and what they've evolved into. They do however, have benefits that we still have yet to explain and you can do research on them but for the most part, they develop our bodies in ways that are beautiful and old school. Be careful but also make them a part of your training and see the benefits for yourself.

  

Make Your Own Ingredients

           Thought I was talking about food didn't you? Seriously why would I do that to you after just having the biggest feast of the year? Damn you guys need to pay attention. What I’am going to talk about is creating recipes for workouts, finding those little things that can help build your body like you were cooking an incredible meal.

            It’s important to pick the right ingredients to create something great and exciting. You don’t always know how to find those ingredients so what do you do, experiment. Find the best exercises for you that will give you a run for your money and have you begging for more or you've had enough. To me creating workouts is a lot more fun than looking at someone else’s. Think of it this way, would you rather have crappy Taco Bell or would you like to make your own kick ass tacos with the things you put into it? That’s what a lot of the muscle magazines and other types of training the fitness industry offers, it looks awesome advertised but in the end it’s just going to make you sick and not want to exercise. Build your own set of exercises you learned and see how they work for you and your goals.

            Sometimes every once in a while you want to spice things up. You want to add that extra kick that’ll get right in the heat of your training. I like to work on legs and grip these days because it gets me fired up and I just love challenging those exercises, every now and then my mix of those methods can get a little stale so I’ll add in a couple things like some flexibility work or move around like an animal in the wild just having a good ole time. Sometimes spicy even just a touch can make all the difference just like in your food; even just a hint of something will make it taste completely different than usual.

            Now I know what you’re thinking “dude you have been talking about food so why would you compare workouts with food?” Good question, yes I didn't want you to think about food but at the same time food & exercise go together like a horse and carriage, the carriage isn't going to pull itself now is it? The ultimate ingredient for having a great workout isn't always what you came up with, there’s only one that is missing that most people don’t put into and it gives them that extra push, that will to keep going and that’s your determination, add that in with everything else and see how far you go. Without it you’re just having random mixes and you don’t have the right idea how to turn it into something incredible.

            Create what you want, find your own recipe and experiment with it. It’s not always going to come out good but once you find the right ingredients it’ll be the best workouts you've ever had and it’s organic and full of freedom. Don’t copy someone else’s ingredients otherwise you’re just second guessing yourself and don’t have the will power to say “What can I do with this and how can make it be just as good if not better?” Be yourself and turn into a mighty chef of fitness. Get to it and have fun.

Functional Fitness: Sometimes Lost In Translation

In 1998, the year of my 50^th birthday, I decided to quit my comfortable but unfulfilling sales rep job and become a fitness professional. After getting certified (just means legal) I started working at a popular local fitness and tennis center as a trainer. It didn’t take long, about 6 months, before I knew their corporate centered business model was not what I envisioned for myself. So I left on good terms to open my own personal training business, Functional Fitness, in 1999. I thought my business name was so clever and unique at the time I birthed it. Soon however, everything I read was functional this and functional that, and I sensed a dilution of my “unique name.”

The concept of functional fitness still captures the essence of what I think fitness programs should be aiming for and that is the ability to perform our daily activities (ADL’s). Western culture seems to demand a “what’s new and exciting” approach to all things we consume, including fitness. For example, we have all seen various types of group exercises classes ebb and flow over the years. We started with aerobics, then step aerobics, Tae Bo, core classes, body pump, spin classes, Pilates and the list goes on.

I support anything that gets people up and moving. My point is the fitness industry keeps trying to redefine what fitness is, how to achieve it, and then put a full court marketing press to get people to buy into it. Originally, group exercise classes were led by highly energetic charismatic instructors with microphones, prompting everyone to follow along. Fortunately there have been some improvements in instructor education so that safe progressions are now usually offered for those unable to keep up.

Probably one of the most pervasive myths around these types of classes is that the longer and harder you work, the more pounds are going to melt off your body. The religion of “cardio” was born and anointed as the ultimate fat burning tool. The truth is as one of my mentors says: “You can’t out exercise poor nutrition.” We as fitness professionals need to be honest with people about the relationship between nutrition, exercise, and weight loss. Frankly, we have done a very poor job of physically educating the public when it comes to what fitness is and how each person might achieve it.

Over the years, there have been many systems of training offered but the ones that make the most sense to me have four components in common. I believe I first heard this from Paul Chek and later Mark Verstegan as a template for training. We call these the Four Pillars of Human Movement. There are other components that should be part of a training program but the bare essentials are: (1) Gait/locomotion, (2) Level Changes, (3) Pushing/Pulling, and (4) Rotation.

In essence every healthy human needs to be able to perform these movements at some level to complete their activities of daily living. Whether we are talking about the senior population or high level athletes, the only difference is in the training variables of: intensity, frequency, loads, volume etc.

Let’s look at exactly we are talking about with each pillar and some examples.

Gait/Locomotion:

Using our two ends of the spectrum, seniors need to be able to walk efficiently and safely at a minimum. Athletes may need to be able to run, sprint, change directions, and jump to meet the demands of their sport. I also include as locomotion anything that takes us from point A to point B (under our own power), to include: cycling, rowing, swimming, etc. All programs (for healthy people) should have a form of this component present appropriate for the population and goals of the participants.

Level Changes:

This includes any movements that change the level of our bodies such as: Squatting, split squatting, lunges, hip hinges, deadlifts, step-ups, jumping, etc. Comparing our two ends of the activity spectrum, seniors need to be able to squat onto and off of a toilet or chair (at a minimum). Athletes may need to develop more strength and power to improve their running speed or jumping ability. Because of our cultural bias towards sitting so much, we have almost universally, tight hip flexors, and weak glutes throughout most populations. Obviously appropriate progressions are necessary to meet the needs or demands of different populations. Ultimately all healthy individuals need to be able to perform level changes efficiently and safely.

Pushing and Pulling:

We will combine these two opposing movements to keep our model (Four Pillars) simple. There are basically only three directions we tend to push and pull things: (1) High push overhead or a high pull like a pull-up; (2) Horizontal push, as in a push-up or horizontal pull like a body row, and (3) Low push, as in pushing up out of a hole or a low pull like bringing an object from the floor to a counter. Considering our senior population they need to be able to put something overhead on a shelf (high push), push a lawn mower or shopping cart (horizontal push), or push into the arms of their chair to help them get up. The examples for athletes are more obvious, pressing weights overhead, doing push-ups for training, pulling a weighted bar from the floor during training.

Rotation:

This movement pattern isn’t often regarded as necessary but any activity that requires, swinging something (bat, racquet, club) or throwing activity (baseball) requires rotational capability. Conversely, there are movements that when performed, require that the body stabilize and NOT rotate. So training rotation involves both the initiation of rotation and prevention of rotation. Most of the time when people tweak their backs, the mechanism of injury is some type of rotation with flexion. The key to using rotation effectively and safely requires proper alignment throughout the kinetic chain.”  This usually means we are in an upright position, using our legs/feet to push into the ground, transferring that energy through a stable trunk (core) and out through our arm as in a throwing or swinging motion.

There is a phenomenon known as the “serape effect” (described by Logan), which observes the diagonal arrangement of the core muscles as they cross the torso. There is a direct relationship between the shoulders and the hips to facilitate or prevent rotation. If for example you are throwing a ball with your right arm, you are pushing through your right hip and your left shoulder rotates quickly to allow your right arm to follow through. Gait/walking/running is another example of the relationship of shoulders and hips. We walk/run in a contra-lateral fashion with the right foot forward, left arm forward, producing forward motion via rotation.

There are times when we are asymmetrically loaded i.e. carrying a suitcase on one side. The core muscular needs to stabilize and actively prevent rotation/flexion to protect the spine. The examples given also remind us that the “core” musculature is reactive in nature. Yes, we can do some core isolation exercises during training but ultimately it’s when we are using our arm/legs that the core muscles react to both complete the movement and prevent excess rotation to protect the spine.

Thus the Four Pillars of Human Movement can serve as a template for guiding your training. If you can integrate each pillar into your training you will go a long way towards maintaining your ability to perform your particular activities of daily living efficiently and safely. There are other elements of fitness that can be considered as well depending on the demands upon your body. Additional elements like: balance, agility, coordination, endurance, flexibility, joint mobility, and power are critical to optimize the Four Pillars. Many of these can be included in your warm-up. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss all the possible elements of fitness. It is my hope that you will consider structuring your exercise around the Four Pillars and sprinkle in some of the other elements mentioned. One other consideration is to vary the plane of motion you are level changing, pushing/pulling, and even running in. Most people only think about training in a linear fashion. Try mixing in some lateral and rotational variations to your pillar movements i.e. lateral split squats, rotational lunges, standing single arm cable presses and pulls, lateral shuffle runs.

Finally once you are comfortable with working the Pillars in all planes of motion, look for ways to integrate as many Pillars into one exercise. Typically we call these compound movements i.e. Squat and press (level change and high push), Split Squat and row (level change and horizontal pull). How about incorporating three pillars in one exercise? Try a walking lunge with medicine ball rotation (gait, level change, and rotation). Another example:  Squat with a single kettlebell, touch the floor, clean the kettlebell to the “rack position,” then press overhead rotationally by pivoting your same side hip/foot as you are pressing with. Wow that’s got a level change, a low pull (clean), a press (high push), and rotation! A senior might perform this type of movement naturally with a small box on the floor, picking it up (squatting/pulling) and then pushing overhead up onto a shelf.

I hope this article has sparked your curiosity to explore bodyweight movements and resisted exercises from a fresh perspective. Once you have mastered some of the bodyweight basics like squatting, push-ups, body rows, and planks you can start exploring the use of bands, cables, dumbbells, kettlebells, suspension training etc. You see it doesn't really matter what implement you use, it’s all about the movement (pillars). While not specifically stated here it is strongly suggested that most of your training be done in a standing position (that’s where life happens). Typical exercise machines are not going to train your pillar movements like free standing exercise where balance, core stability, proprioception, and gravity are waiting to challenge your body.

If you are uncertain about how to start this type of program I encourage you to consult with a local fitness professional. Talk to your friends or gym members about who they would recommend. Be sure to interview them (you are the boss). Make sure that they understand what you want to accomplish and ask them to explain how they would progress you. If possible find a professional that has a Functional Movement Screen certification. This seven-movement screen is what many fitness professionals use to determine how and where to start you on your path. Any exercise program needs to be first and foremost safe and effective and that is facilitated by proper progression. Don’t ever be intimidated to ask your instructor questions or tell them that something doesn’t feel right or hurts. You need to be responsible for your experience so always communicate accurately what you are feeling.

I welcome your comments, thoughts, and questions. Please feel free to contact me at: mailto:ken@zealcenter.com

If you would enjoy learning more I put out a weekly blog that includes an exercise of the week and random information and thoughts about living in Ecuador. The blog can be found at: http://www.zealcenter.com/blog

Be Well…Be Fit,

Ken

Powerful Functional Legs

             It is one of the most solid foundations to have strong, agile, functional and powerful legs. If you’re in a sport, your legs are your carryover. You can’t kick a soccer ball, score a touchdown, jump shoot a basketball or run the bases in baseball without the use of your legs. It is important to have the best legs possible, not just in sports but in real life, if you’re in law enforcement you might need to run down a suspect, if you’re a strongman you might need to use your legs for certain feats like bending or maybe pulling a large object like a truck possibly. You see way too many guys in the gym that have flamingo legs meaning large upper body and bird legs. Never fall for this.

            Having a powerful lower body is essential to the many things life offers but power doesn't always mean super strong, it’s crucial to also have flexible and supple joints, tendons and ligaments. I know this all too well because of the recovery from my accident 8 years ago. I started out with squats but as I learned flexibility training it became more important. Stretching is a key to lifelong health so it’s important to find the best ways to keep you from having burned out legs as you get older. Remember to learn to relax as you stretch, the key is to release tension because the more relaxed you are, you can be more explosive and powerful later on.

            We all know the key to superhuman legs is squats but that’s not the only exercise that builds them. Squats are usually the straight up and down exercise but what about directional movements or isometric holds for different directions. When you lift odd objects, your legs aren't always going to go up and down, you need to move in different patterns to lift certain things like Rocks, kegs, logs and furniture. You want to keep strong in every direction possible. Think of it like wrestling; you don’t always shoot in for the kill, you need to shift the body for certain moves or holds that require flexibility otherwise you’re just going to be stiff and you’re down for the count.

            The single most important reason the legs need to be super strong is because they also build crazy lung power which amps up your conditioning. I have repeated it so many times but certain people need to get this planted into their brain, the late Karl Gotch has said “Conditioning is your best hold.” This means the more conditioned you are, the longer you can go and can stay in the game. This goes for everything. Endurance is essential and yes it’s possible to have big legs and still have insane stamina (Great Gama anyone). You don’t always need high volume training to build endurance and certain things won’t build lung power the way you might think. Powerful muscle and endurance go hand in hand. Keep your legs strong, supple and crazy powerful because you never know when they might come in handy when the time calls for them. 

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.  

Get the Complete Super Human Workshop Videos

There’s about 15 hours worth of training information available here!

Go Here To Find Out Why

This includes from the massive and massively strong Dru Patrick:

8 Day a Week Program for Massive Strength and Muscle
Bench Press Secrets from the Raw World Bench Press Champion
Pulling a Monster Deadlift

For you bodyweight guys Logan Christopher taught his most complete info ever on:

Front and Back Lever Training
The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups

The amazing Bud Jeffries covered what he does best…stuff no one else is talking about

Extreme Power with Isometrics Volume 2
Myofascial Mobility: The Next Evolution of Mobility Training to Unlock Your Body
The Mind Force Training Behind Big Bending (which largely futures his son Noah Jeffries)

And then Eric Guttmann showing you how to stay young and healthy by going outside the box

Agility and Explosiveness Workout
Moving Freely for Life: Full Body Mobility

There is something for everybody and that’s the great thing.

Learn It All Here

With workshops in the past they’ve only released the whole set. Either buy it or not. Those where your only choices.

Now Logan has told me they’re trying something different.

You can pick up any one course (complete by itself) you want. You can get two, three or five if you want too.

You can also get the whole shebang for a substantial discount.

Not only that but for those of you who like DVD’s they’re available. For those that want to pay less and be able to download the videos to your computer there’s that option too.

There’s a lot more details over here so check out this page.

Check It Right Here

Ben Bergman

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Is this the next evolution of mobility training?

Mobility training has been popular now for many years. There are lots of teachers.

I personally like to use it for loosening up the joints and ligaments to keep my body flexible and supple.

But the truth is, besides maybe a few adaptations and maybe some new exercises, there hasn’t really been anything new in the field for years...

Until now!

I’m certainly intrigued by this idea. Go watch this video to find out all about it.

Ben Bergman

P.S. Is it a way to get better in tune with your body and better correct or prevent injuries?

You be the judge.

The Only Drug You Should Be Taking

 There are all sorts of ways to take this to relax and that to wake up but most of it is drugs or meds that can most likely kill you than help you. Even modern bodybuilders take drugs to build extra muscle to gain an edge in their competition just like other athletes and such. Drugs for the most part is the easy way out f your problems and lets face it, those commercials where they tell you the side-effects are far worse than what you're trying to get rid of. Unless you're dying than maybe but seriously, there are much better ways to get yourself healthy.

 If there was one drug that has no side-effects and works better than any drug or PEDs out there is consistent work ethic and training smart with an effective exercise program and eating good foods and stay away from junk food as much as possible. I may not have the best nutrition going on but I do my best to keep it going and keep building muscle and energy. When you build a goal and you set on training with consistency and putting in the time, you will accomplish what you want.

 The old-time strongmen of the early 20^th century such as Maxick, John Grimek, George Hackenshmidt, Charles Atlas and others never even took drugs because they didn't exist in their time and yet with smart training and good nutrition they built some serious muscle and lived longer than your average bodybuilder or athlete today. Finding a program isn't easy to find or is it? Seriously though when you look at certain methods that have worked for god knows how long and gave you a sense of overcoming your own obstacles wouldn't you want to use that to have the body you want?

 Back in my late teens, I was a big kid (still am but as an adult) and I got up in lifting heavy weights rather quickly and every now and then either as a joke or actually asking I was asked if I was taking steroids because I had already reached 300 pounds in the deadlift and leg pressed nearly 950 while benching 260 and curling with 50-60 pound dumbbells but I was nowhere near the shape or strength that I have now compared to back then and yet I got asked that sketchy question that many athletes go through but to this day since I was asked it I continue to say no and you know why? I wanted to earn those lifts and earn the strength I wanted to gain. I'm much stronger and more built now and still say I'm earning it. A shortcut in your training is like cheating on a math test, you see the answers but what are you really learning from it. If you are looking to build great strength, awesome flexibility and insane endurance, taking a shortcut will do you more harm than good, trust me I've tried it by skipping progressions and ending up hurting myself. If you want something bad enough, earn it and earn it with passion, heart and will to get what you want.  

 The best program you can do won’t come from a magazine or following someone on a DVD, the best one is the one that works for you no matter what your schedule is and no matter what you want to do. Make it work for you and stick to it, one way or another you'll find the right one. Things don't happen overnight, they are earned with sweat, a work ethic and heart to create something out of nothing. Don't take the short way out, you won't like what you’ll find in the end if you do, taking a shortcut in most cases is dangerous and however cool it looks now, it'll bite you in the ass in the end. Respect yourself and your body by earning and using consistency to create your best physique along with lifelong strength, vitality, flexibility and stamina for years to come.  

Building Eagle Claws

Building strength in the fingers, hands, wrists and the entire lower arm can make you or break you in a workout or anything you need your hands for. We need our hands to build things and create things so is it essential to build a level of strength, flexibility and dexterity that helps us in our everyday lives? I believe so. There are many ways to build a solid steel grip but there are other ways to keep the tendons strong and durable no matter what you do.

 The lower arm area all the way down to the fingertips is the most neglected parts of the human body in exercise. You won’t get by much with just wrist curls and a few isolated circular movements; you are learning to build that area by squeezing, flexing, extending, push, pull and working the individual fingers. It is important to master all these factors because if you don’t have strong hands, you won’t be able to pick up a weight no matter how big your arms it’s not going to happen. What if you need to fix something with a wrench or screwdriver and don’t have the hand strength to twist and turn, that would suck and if you work using those types of tools you won’t be at your job for long.

 When I talk about building eagle claws, I’m not just referring to training the entire lower arm to claw somebody in a fight or having great strength to do amazing things, I’m referring to creating great strength, flexibility and dexterity no matter what you want to do with your life. It doesn't matter if you’re a musician, athlete, entertainer, carpenter, construction worker or landscape artist, you will have great attributes if you gave yourself the chance to learn. How about curing Carpal Tunnel and never needing to wear a brace ever again, be less prone to injury and be able to heal quicker with exercises that work the entire region and not just that area but the shoulders, the arms and the trapezoids.

 One of the best conditioning programs ever assembled is the use of Animal Exercises. You can learn how to move like an animal in the wild and teach your body to burn fat, build muscle, increase the strength in your organs, tendons, muscles and so much more for only a few minutes a day. Now how about amplifying those exercises once you have mastered them, begin to do some on your fingertips, this type of training alone can build crazy strength in your lower arm in ways you can never get from machines. Having a solid steel grip and power in your lower arm can help increase your strength in other areas, it’ll help you pick up weights better, and it’ll help your grappling game much more efficient and if you’re into Arm Wrestling, look out because you’ll be ripping those guys up in no time.

 Getting started is like everything else, begin where you’re at and progress from there, work certain exercises that keep the blood flowing and ready to go. Spread exercises throughout the day so you can keep that energy flowing and use certain tools to help the grip. One of the coolest tools I like for building grip strength is called Fat Gripz, these babies will take thick bar training to a whole new level and you can attach them to just about any dumbbell or barbell but if you’re a bodyweight guy, you can attach them to your pull-up bar to increase the difficulty. I use these for building strength and endurance in Arm Wrestling using my lifeline Chest Expander. Progress is a very important factor because once something becomes easy; you want to continue to challenge yourself so you increase the difficulty by a small percentage. Even Rock Climbers have to progress otherwise if they jump in too soon, they’ll fall off much quicker and that can mean certain death so it’s important to build progression.

 No matter how you slice, strong hands equals a strong body because when you have the strength to pick up really heavy weight or be able to twist off certain objects with a wrench or even pick up groceries for that matter, your hands are the tools that open doors to everything you pretty much do. Even doing certain Feats Of Strength requires strong hands, you can build as much strength as you want in every other area in your body but if you’re hands aren't up to par, you’re pretty much done. Complete the whole package by training as many areas as possible including your lower arm, you’ll be amazed how weak or strong your hands are certain situations so my suggestion is make those hands work for you and build a foundation to have the strongest and most functional hands as possible.     

Building Power And Might The Old Fashioned Way

Ladies and Gentleman, this guest post is one I've been waiting years to finally put up and today's guest is the man that got me my start in the Physical Culture world, a man who's faught his way back from a back injury to bcoming one of the strongest pound for pound athletes in the world today. You know him as the Garage Warrior but also in our circle of friends he's known as the Duke. I give you Mr. Tyler Bramlett.....

The Top 11 Things You Are Doing That Will Prevent You From Being Super Human

 

By Tyler Bramlett

 It’ is well known in strength circles that the abilities of men in the past far exceed the abilities of even our strongest men today. Why is it that with greater technology, better understanding of the human body and a firm understanding of biochemistry we are becoming weaker and weaker?

 In this article I want to identify the top 11 things you are possibly doing every day that are preventing you from getting stronger, living longer and looking good naked.

Let’s get started.

 

# 1 – Not Lifting Enough Weight

 You may think your lifting heavy, but compare yourself to the weightlifting legends of the past. Guys like John Grimek, Henry Stineborn, Arthur Saxon, Eugene Sandow and Herman Goerner. Can you curl 200lbs, how about strict press 300lbs or more? In the days before squat racks Henry “Milo” Steinborn could pick a 550lb barbell off the ground lean it onto his shoulders, perform a set of squats and then return it to the ground. Can you do even 50% of this?

 If not you may need to focus on lifting heavy more often. Try to get as close to these following numbers as possible and you will be considered a strong man. 600lb deadlift, 500lb squat, 400lb bench press, 300lb clean and press, 200lb curl, 200lb bent press, 150lb one arm snatch. Go test your maxes in these 7 lifts right now and see how far you are from world class!

 

# 2 – Not Doing Enough Volume Training With Heavy Weights

 Lifting heavy is crucial, but in order to get good lifting heavy you must also practice with heavy weights. I was having a discussion with my good friend Logan Christopher recently and we both agreed that the biggest hole in both of our games was training hard moves for high volume.

 Now, this doesn’t mean repping out to failure but rather taking a challenging movement like pressing to handstand or clean and jerking 85% of your max weight and repeating it over and over again until it becomes easy. Take any move you really want to be good at and choose a challenging weight or progression and practice it over and over until you master it and it feels easy!

 

# 3 – Not Doing Enough Bodyweight Strength Training

Almost every great strongman of the past did some form of bodyweight training. The great wrestlers of India used bodyweight training to build their great strength and endurance and many of the old time strongmen used bodyweight training to bulletproof their joints and make them stronger and livelonger. So, what should you focus on?

 Here’s my top 5 bodyweight movements, handstand progressions, bridging progressions, hip and leg strength drills, pullup progressions and abdominal progressions. What are these progressions? Check out #4…

 

# 4 – Not Using Proper Movement Progressions

 The basic principal behind movement progression is that you should always be making the movements you are working on harder and harder. A simple way to think about this is in gymnastics. You don’t go for the iron cross on the first day, instead you follow a intelligently designed movement progression mastering each exercise along the way until you are the proud owner of the iron cross. For more info on this check out a new product I created called the warrior warm up a 5 step guide to mastering movement.

 

# 5 – Not Staying Flexible Enough

 Flexibility is highly underrated in the strength world of today. Very few strong men I meet have a good degree of flexibility. In fact the only 2 that come to mind are Pavel Tsatsouline and Bud Jeffries. If you can deadlift over 500lbs and do the side splits, ignore this section, otherwise listen up!

 In order for you to stay lifting in your older years, you need to build flexibility. Being flexible will reduce your chances of injuries and keep you moving for longer and longevity is the name of the game. Stretch daily and make sure you work on the following 5 stretches; Pike Stretch, Gymnast Bridge, Front Splits, Side Splits and Downward Dog.

 

# 6 – Not Doing Enough Variety (Or Doing Too Much Variety)

 Old timers all had their pet lifts, but that didn’t stop them from practicing other moves in hopes to build their balance strength and coordination. This one is quite simple. Master a handful of moves, write down 5 different things you need to accomplish before you die and work on those 5 huge goals as often as possible. From there have fun, cross train and enjoy trying different movements. This way you can have your focus but still practice variety.

 

# 7 – Always Working To Your Max

 Working to your max or working to failure sends your body a very distinct message. It says you are always close to failure or even worse in a bodybuilders case you are failing to lift this weight. The easiest way to get discouraged and lose momentum is to fail when you are exercising. So follow this simple rule…

 Never fail on an exercise, always leave when you have succeeded. I know from personal experience how many different times I thought I could add juts 5 more lbs to the bar and then failed. Take your PR’s and walk, that’s the bottom line!

 

# 8 – Not Using The Best Movements

 Obviously some exercises are better then others, if this wasn’t the caste then every dumbbell benching meathead would be all around strong rather then looking like he has toothpicks for legs. Pick exercises that work the whole body and work them hard. From there train your weak links (usually the hands and core) and you are good to go.

 Here are some of the best exercises you can choose to master; snatches, clean and presses or jerks, deadlifts, squats, bench pressing, dips, handstand pushups, pullups, bridging gymnastics, bent presses, etc. Look to the exercises that used to be done in the 1800’s to find a comprehensive list of awesome drills you should use

 

# 9 – Eating Low Quality Foods

 Fueling your body poorly will hinder you from making any real progress. The old timers ate piles of high quality natural food and did nothing else. So fuel your body with high quality organic foods and focus on eating the foods with the most bang for the buck.

 Here are my favorite muscle building foods: Organ meats (liver, kidneys etc.), bone broths, all meat, fish and eggs, all veggies, some fruits, nuts and seeds, high quality grass fed dairy and superfoods like pine pollen, goji berries and more.

 

# 10 – Not Focusing On Recovery

 To sustain hard training you also have to be an expert at recovery. Many of the strongmen of the past did this for a living. Meaning they woke up, lifted weights, practiced bodyweight movements, worked their grip, ate good food and then rested, stretched, got massages, took cold baths and slept as much as they could.

 If you want to be strong healthy and recover well from your workouts, make sure you stretch, get periodic massages, sleep well and focus on how well you are recovering. Someone once told me that there is no such thing as overtraining, just under recovering, I believe this!

 

# 11 - Ignoring Your Internal Energy

 The shaolin monks probably are one of the best examples of mastering their internal energy or life force. Their focused meditation allows them to perform superhuman feats of strength and endurance. You need this too!

 In order to build your vital life force and increase your ability to perform the impossible I highly recommend a minimum of 10 minutes a day collecting energy. This doesn’t have to be in the form of a seated meditation. You can instead go for a walk (preferably barefoot), and breathe deep, imagining your are inhaling white light and then exhaling all the bad stuff.

 Guys like Bud Jeffries and Logan Christopher are mixing meditative practices and energy work within their training to enhance their strength and power. Try adding in 10 deep breathes before each heavy lift and see what it does for your overall training.

 Well, there you have it, the 11 things I see that could be holes in your game. But I don’t want to leave you empty handed and feeling depressed because you don’t measure up to the men of the past. So here is what I want you to do so you can get the best results from this information.

 

1.      Identify which of the 11 things you are weakest in

2.      Write a plan to change that weak link and apply it for 21 days

3.      Revisit this list and identify the next weakest link

4.      Write a plan to change that weak link and apply it for 21 days

5.      REPEAT!

That’s all there is too it, Good luck!

 

Tyler Bramlett is the creator of www.garagewarrior.com a Blog dedicated to helping people get stronger, live longer, look good naked, find your purpose and live the life of your dreams. He is a highly knowledgeable expert in performance based training, nutrition, psychological motivation and he is the author of The Warrior Warm Up which can be found at www.thewarriorwarmup.com