A Gym That Fits In A Corner

 The fitness "influencers" these days like to give people the notion of getting fit in order to look pleasing when in reality, the only thing that looks good is how they "apply" exercises that only takes a person so far and only makes it work in the gym. These men and women who most of the time on Social Media either show off their ass or how bad ass they look doing exercises that in more ways than one are way too advanced for the average person. Basics and Simplicity are thrown out the window faster than Superman.

What really gets to me at times is that these kids (Yeah I' am reaching THAT age) don't have the slightest clue on how to apply any real training that is sustainable let alone understand the old school methods and folks in classic books. I'm all for wanting to make a living and promoting yourself and others but there's a breaking point. You don't want to cross that line where it becomes more of a fantasy than what it really is. If you're going to teach others how to train, I believe in teaching not only the basics but the ideals and realistic approaches to training no matter where a person works out, not just in the gym itself.

I'm not the best on how to teach people in a gym because I don't train in one very much anymore as it is but I do know the basics and how to use certain equipment because I learned how to use them and studied the old school training tools. I do however prefer the minimal equipment (Sandbags, Hammers, Cables, Wheels etc.) and use equipment that are utilized regardless if you're at home or traveling. You learn to use what's available even if it's your own bodyweight. I say to this day, if you can put a gym into a small corner that is cost effective, you're golden. You don't need machines that cost thousands of dollars a piece, hell the most expensive piece of equipment I have cost less than 350 dollars and can do more than a 2000 dollar machine can ever do. 

A gym doesn't even need to be surrounded in a corner, it can be put into a small traveling bag like for resistance cables and Isometric Straps. Less than 5 pounds worth and you can still get the workout of your life in. Some guys like to have barbells and dumbbells set up in their garage which is awesome because Strength Training wise, they can be the best pieces you have and even more so if you use Fat Gripz attached to them, I'm all for that but many in the fitness world have a one track mind and don't think 4th Dimensionally (Like Doc Brown tells Marty in Back To The Future 3). When you start thinking unconventionally with an imagination along with being as safe yet challenged, there's a whole world that can be opened up and you don't have to think like the gym is the only place to go to train. 

Some people see the gym as a therapeutic entity which I understand and I'm all for wanting to better yourself and getting out there and doing what you want to do for your physical and mental health but most of the time, people are conditioned to believe that a building full of equipment is the only way to train and outside of that, very little will work which is complete bullshit. I've reached a point in my life where if I wanted to workout at gym, I'll know exactly the type of equipment to use or adapt very fast to ones I've never done before and make it work but I don't have to do that out of necessity, I can come up with a workout in any environment I choose and that's what I want to help people understand. It doesn't matter if you have a 10 x 10 space or have a wilderness to use, exercise can be done anywhere you choose with the right knowledge and mechanics. I like the gym in a corner because I can pick out what I want and just roll with it and get something awesome out of it. 

Training is about self discovery, being creative and having the discipline & drive to train with anything you set your mind to. There's always a way to train but it starts in the mind first and then making the effort to use what's available whether it's just you or a fucking boulder in front of you. Do we need "influencers", in some cases yes because they can be teachers of what not to do and learn from the original influencers that didn't even use supplements let alone steroids. Seriously, I'll take someone like Brooks Kubik or Matt Schifferle & Bud Jeffries over just about 95% of the "trainers" today. 

Be amazingly awesome and absorb fitness with an open mind and not something that only uses a building for. 

Happy New Year 2024

 A new year has begun and things will change but will you adapt to the change or come up with something that will be an excuse not to change? This is the time to take your world by storm by taking small steps leading up to large footprints in your journey. 

Resolutions suck, period. Instead, set goals to create a new and better version of yourself. Learn new exercises, test out workouts you've never done before and be aware of what you strive to become. For me, it's to be in even better shape than the year before because not only do I want to get better, I want be better by the time my birthday rolls around in which I will turn 40. Make the workouts count and keep them alive by making them interesting. 

Things are constantly moving, always in motion is the future as Yoda would say. Training is no different, you train your body in various ways but you're always finding a way to do them. Fitness is not always about looking good, that's merely secondary, it really is about self discovery and creativity. There will be days where you won't have the energy to do all the things you want to accomplish so you do what you can. Do micro workouts, don't push so hard that you end up hardly able to move the next day and find your balance to achieve your goals.

Not going to reveal what my actual goals are but I do want to get better at certain methods like Dopa Band Training and be a bit more consistent with Isometric Training. Be able to play with movements that don't take up a ton of time and write a bit more often. That's the idea for the moment. The Dopa Band will be one of my go to systems of exercise where I can develop my conditioning while maintaining muscle and it can go with me anywhere I can hook it up. Although it's a mainstay for wrestlers, football players, MMA Fighters and other forms of athletics, this thing took me to places in my training that I haven't had in previous years. The only limit is the imagination. 

Look to the horizon when you go for the goals you want to achieve, it won't be easy and sure as hell won't happen overnight but taking small steps and being progressive and adaptable, you'll achieve things this year you didn't think were possible. I believe that for you. Make things happen and do the best to your abilities to create what you want for yourself and those around you. 

Happy New Year everyone and make this one the best yet because life is too damn short to waste what isn't worth doing. Get your hands on some of the best bands on the market today and achieve levels of fitness that aren't the norm and developing a conditioned body that lasts. Get 10% OFF your order when you punch in the Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT. No harm saving a little to achieve something massive. Be amazingly awesome and continue to grow. 

Resistance Cables That Are Affordable

Because of the awesome response from my Chest Expander Article, thought I'd add some more things to the cause for building a body for those on a budget. Even though the most free method of exercise is bodyweight training, some might want to go the extra mile but can't always make it to a gym or afford a weight set which can set you back tens of thousands of dollars. It's more of a construct really and money can be tight for some people especially if you have to take care of a family, a mortgage and the skid mark of life we call BILLS!!!

They say money can't buy happiness and in many cases that's true and even if you're the richest man in the world (or a tanned Cheeto that we called a president at one time), it still can't make you feel as good as kick ass exercise can. That's where if you're on a budget, Resistance Cables can be a great option. Now, there are elastics out there that cost a horrendous amount of money which I never truly understood. Shit there are bands that cost as much if not more than half of a rack of dumbbells. That's why I have stuck with Lifeline Fitness for as long as I have been training the last 17+ years.  

Resistance Cables such as the Chest Expander, TNT System, Portable Power Jumper & Power Push-up Plus can be very beneficial and convenient if you're traveling. Imagine getting in a workout that can be done in your hotel room, while camping, being at a nice park, in your New York penthouse, your cabin in the woods or at a beautiful lake, it can be done just about anywhere. The ability to do all the exercises a gym provides that can be stuffed into a small bag is about as awesome as you can get. Some of the greatest bodybuilders and Physical Culturists such as Fred Rollon, John Grimek, Eugene Sandow and Earl Liederman all used resistance type cable training (originally spring loaded) to aid in their development and had some of the greatest physiques that even to this day can be seen in awe. Think for a moment being able to do the same exercises they did 50-100 years ago. 

You've seen some ideas for the CE especially with a video I put up and how Rollon was said to have built his mighty physique from the Expander almost exclusively. The TNT System is longer and can be used for exercises like the machines in the gym and then some. Get your pulldowns, rows, flys, curls, presses and more with just a simple apparatus that you can adjust resistance in seconds or go from one exercise to the other in a heart beat. I have used this to do supersets with Step Ups that give me the workout I need to stay in top condition and maintain my long-term strength. You can always switch to squats or lunges and still get a great workout in. The Portable Power Jumper is mainly for explosive leg training such as squats, lunges, jump squats and others. I've used it to where I added resistance to Hindu Pushups and the Back Bridge (just be careful not to whack yourself in the crotch area LOL). From time to time I did sets of Hindu Squats with it and puts you in a whole other state of hitting the quads and back.

For the Power Push-up Plus, it goes beyond just doing Push-Ups, you can essentially get in some awesome deadlifts, rows and good mornings for the back to even things out. There's more exercises but I'm just giving you an idea here. Be able to adjust it just by sliding a clip on and make as easy or difficult as you'll need. With all this how much is the cost of these? Overall, depending on your budget, the Chest Expander Set with the handles is around 27 bucks, this alone can be your entire gym for the upper body, the TNT System starts out at around $42 and the cost for additional cables van vary due to the amount of resistance but even the heaviest set of cables is around 20 bucks. The Portable Power Jumper is around $52 but you could find a cheaper price on Amazon like with any of these. You don't need to get any additional cables for this, for the most part, just the set it comes with would be more than enough. The Power Pushup is around $42, I don't know if you need heavier cables for this so just the set alone is really it. Total here, less than $165 for a full starter set. That may sound like a lot but compared to the amount any machine costs that's a fucking fraction. You don't even have to get these all at once and on Amazon, you can find them cheaper and get the same quality. 

For those that are worried about the wear and tear on these cables over time, I got something cool to lay on you guys. I've had only maybe 2-3 cables snap on me ever and had some of the same sets of cables for more than a decade. The thing that I use to keep their elasticity strong for an extended period of time is Armor All Wipes. Just take a sheet and smoothly go up and down on the cable for maybe a few seconds if that and that's it. Very simple and easy to do. You deserve great quality and use simple tools that will get the job done regardless of your budget. I never want you going broke or having to spend your paycheck. Getting in shape shouldn't always cost you an arm and a leg. 

Be strong, stay safe, save some money and be amazingly awesome.