Quality Over Quantity W/ No Counting In Ab Wheel Rollouts

Lately, I have been working on doing Rollouts with the Ab Wheel for several minutes a day. I don't pick numbers or go for some kind of record, hell I wouldn't even attempt to try anything even half of what Bob Backlund has done. The way that has worked for me is set a time and do as many quality reps as possible within that time frame. I don't count the reps or go crazy fast, I just breathe and go.

This is a pretty damn good thing cause it gives me opportunities to challenge my core without killing myself or make the muscles ache like I just had a bad burrito from Taco Bell. It keeps my strength up and is a quick micro workout. It's really only 1 of maybe 2-3 methods of core training I do. The quality of the reps is far more important than numbers cause if you're going so far, how many will you do before it even remotely becomes failure? 

It's more than just a core workout, I utilize enough tension (which I'll get to in a second) to hit the arms, shoulders and back to where every single rep is completely controlled and focused. In the realm of tension, I focus on the muscles needed to make the reps work and not just flex and go, I grip the handles hard enough as well so it becomes an Isometric Exercise in the process from that POV. Not looking to build six pack abs or have such a tiny waist, Anna Kendrick can wrap her hands around but to condition and toughen the muscles to where they can take a hit. 

When you flip the switch and stop counting reps, you may find you can do more than you thought as opposed to just be fixated on a certain number. If you have a goal in mind, go for it, find that sweet spot with a number or hit a solid rep/set scheme but if you hit a certain number that you normally can do and don't feel much, you're still getting after it but you're hitting a wall on progress at the same time. If you're so inclined, try the method of setting a timer and do reps, start with a minute and see what you do. The idea isn't to go to failure but to hit enough to where you're feeling it but can still go for reps that mean something beyond just repping it and making Speedy Gonzales slow. Be in control of the movement.

The older I get, the more I'm learning to understand that quality over quantity becomes a necessity. Sure doing 100's of reps of whatever has it's perks and you're in great shape, however; if you can't control or stay within range of the balance and strength needed after a while, where does the number of reps really end with? Don't get me wrong, doing 100's of Step Ups and/or Squats is awesome to do but there comes a time where you learn to pay attention (not always on form per se) to how you move. Nobody is going to have the most perfect form (unless you're an elite gymnast) because not everybody will move the same exact way as the next person. The idea is to train so you can minimize injuries, the ego stuff has its moments but overshadowing it can ruin your chances of being able to do things in the long run. 

Focus on strengthening the body that will make it easier to get out of bed in the morning, to bend down to pick things up, play with the kids, have endurance for both the bedroom and able to do tasks like in Manual Labor or going up a flight of stairs without getting winded. Make the session count, don't rush it, half ass it or work yourself into the ground. Keep being amazingly awesome. 

6 Min Isometric Workout

 Experimenting is part of the fun when it comes to fitness and exercise. You learn what works and you find out where you are when it comes to being in shape. Isometrics are a hell of a way to get in shape and will test your strength and durability if you do them right. Isometrics can also be a test of your cardio cause if you hold for a certain amount of time like 30 seconds to a minute or longer, you may find yourself breathing hard quick.

Most workouts shouldn't take too long, you do what you need to do and move on. You can also do micro workouts or shorter workouts throughout the day like doing a few push-ups and squats in between commercials, do holds, punches, kicks, burpees or do a sequence for a few minutes like a Flow using Animal Exercises and so on. Sometimes I like to do a 5-10 min workout of supersetting a mid push-up hold on my fists and a horse stance back to back doing a 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off going back and forth until those 5-10 min are done, it's a hell of a workout.

This morning after some meditation, I wanted to try something different for an isometric workout. I wanted to see how I would do with supersetting 1 min. Iso Push-ups On Fists (5 sec plank, 5 sec mid hold repeated for 1 min) and a 1 min Horse Stance for a few rounds. Managed 3 and it was pretty tough, struggled a bit on the Iso Push-ups on the last round but made it through. Short Workouts can be intense as hell even though you're not doing a whole lot but a whole lot is going on. With this workout, you're hitting major muscle groups and as a superset, you're working on your conditioning as well. Try even 1 round and see how it feels, many aren't able to do it. 

6 minutes doesn't seem very long and it really isn't but when it comes to Isometrics, it'll feel like hell on earth and you're having issues holding positions that really tackle the tendons and ligaments while strengthening the muscles throughout the body. They toughen you up and give you some awesome speed and power that you don't get with other exercises. Overall, in the words of Elmo from Vision Quest "It's not just 6 minutes, it's what happens in those 6 minutes." 

Be amazingly awesome and test yourself out on different workouts to learn what YOU are capable of.   

The Bear Crawl Workout That Gets You In Rugged Condition Fast

You hear all kinds of ways to describe conditioning or some weird saying like Functional or something along those lines. Before you know it, they become a cliché and its meaning becomes meaningless. Johnny Grube describes his style as "Conditioned Strength" (whatever the fuck that really means since it's probably the most made up term for training) but it's not the worst one I've ever heard. When it comes to conditioning, it should sound ferocious, cunning, manly, old school and something that relates to those who've been through the ringer; something like, "Rugged Conditioning." To me, that sounds like something that's intense, combative, powerful and badass. 

One of the things I've seen Grube do (when he's not ranting like a lunatic and bullying anybody that doesn't share his set of "values") was go hard on his Rogue Bike for several minutes doing a reverse tabata style format which is 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 10 rounds (which roughly totals 5 minutes) and you know where I'm going with this. I took that concept and made it a Bear Crawl workout. Clearly I don't own a Rogue Bike but maybe one day I will but the Bear Crawl is just as awesome to do. I'll give him this, he's awesome at conditioning training and utilizes simplistic approaches to exercise that works for him and I respect his work ethic but outside of that, he just goes off the deep end doing nothing but running his mouth about people that have nothing to do with him or his family and acting like a crazy bigot. 

Let's get back on track, the Bear Crawl Workout that will get you in Rugged Condition fast. It's simple, quick and hits more muscles than you can imagine. With consistency (keeping it to 2-3x a week) it's possible to burn fat like a furnace, put on natural and functional muscle and have you be explosive so you'll be ready for anything. Did I forget to mention that it potentially makes you stronger in the long run and have crazy stamina? What's even crazier is that it can be done practically anywhere and the only thing you need is a HIIT Timer so things are set which you can find on your cell or grab one of those Gym Boss Timers. Hell, I've done this workout in my living room and I feel like a million bucks afterwards. It was one of the first workouts I did after recovering from my Sciatica Injury. 

Being in shape goes far beyond what you see on the outside, you may not look like a model or have that ripped Instagram look but if you can go hard and be able to have gas left in the tank and are healthy, looks aren't always going to matter. Hell you can look like a Skinny Yogi like Rahul Mookerjee or small like Royce Gracie and still be deceptively strong (but that may be pushing it a bit since he likes to brag about what he's "capable" of doing and Royce would destroy someone like Rahul in seconds) but the point is, you can be big, small, tall, short and still be in awesome shape, it's just a matter of what you do to be consistent.  

This would be a hell of a finisher to really kickstart your metabolism after a regular workout or it can a punishment for wrestlers/MMA Fighters to do before and after practice, whatever works. This isn't the type of workout that should be pushed to the side or taken lightly. It's hard, it's rough and it tests you in ways that you didn't think were possible. Despite the doubled amount of rest, you still barely have time to truly catch your breath before the next round. The moment those ten seconds are up you got one of two choices: 1. Stay in the Bear Crawl Position (which isn't really resting still) until you've done all the rounds or 2. Get up and walk to the starting point and get into position for the next round. As Billy Robinson once said "There's no rest in wrestling" neither do you in this workout.

You don't need to be a pro athlete to be in awesome shape but it's important to understand that to be in awesome shape, we take some things from the very best and mold them to our goals and making the most of what our bodies CAN handle.  Be safe, hope you have/had a great 4th Of July, train with great intensity and keep being amazingly awesome. 

 

Micro Animal Workouts

It's never easy getting the time in when it comes to training, that's where short workouts can come in handy as opposed to getting something in for 45 min to an hour or more in one shot. In most cases, just a few minutes will kick your ass, hell if you do it right, 30 seconds to a minute can feel like an eternity. They're intense, hard and yet so freakishly simple many overlook it.

That's one of the things about Animal Workouts that I love. Just doing a few rounds of something can wipe you out just like that. Last night, I did a workout where I took 4 animal movements and did 5 yards each straight through for a total of 20 yards for one set or round. Did a total of 10 of these with breaks in between every 2-3 sets or so because they're intense and will make you breathe hard quick. All together did 200 yards worth of training and I was dead. For most, just half of that would be more than enough but I wanted to see how far I can take it. 

Animals are some of the most challenging exercises anybody can do, sure some are fairly easy and not too difficult but others (as you progress) will work body in ways traditional movements or what have you won't even begin to touch. Like I said before, I'd rather work my ass off doing animals than most stationary exercises. The key to remember however is simplicity. Progressing to higher forms of movements is awesome but if you don't have the basics down, you won't understand the challenges that do lie ahead. You can still take the basic movements and just progress to greater speeds (as long as you stay balanced).

On Sunday, before heading out to watch The Raiders, I did a "quick" workout where I show three rounds of doing Bear Crawls & Crab Walks. Believe it or not, these three were the last three of actually 6-7 rounds because my angles were off and kept getting out of focus with my phone cam. That workout kicked my ass big time and it was just two exercises going one way with one and back with the other. Still fun though and is one of those workouts that can build up an appetite. 

The objective of good training is to make it effective as much as possible and to make it intense while also progressing safely without hurting yourself. Some people have used animal movements as warm ups which is awesome, but as a workout in and of themselves, is a whole other ball game. One of my favorite scenes from the movie Vision Quest is where the wrestling team is warming up doing basically the seal walk like it's a cake walk before getting into pinning drills. The seal walk is basically walking on your hands while keeping the legs nearly limp and no movement from them so in other words basically dragging the legs while intently tightening them in isometric fashion. 

Next time if you got a couple minutes, mark off a few yards and do a bear crawl one way and the crab going back. See how many rounds you can go straight before needing a breather. It's very simple but effective and this workout hits practically everything in the upper body but also will make your legs feel like jello. Just this workout alone can get you in rugged shape and will fire up your lungs faster than the first 30 seconds of a Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat match. Be strong, go hard and be amazingly awesome.

Micro Workouts For More Efficient Training And Time Friendly Options

Time isn't always our friend and because of certain obligations we have in our lives, we have to get things done and feel like it's never enough. It can be stressful doing many things like making sure the bills are paid, are the kids happy and fed, is the house clean, need to pick up the groceries, got this and that appointment, am I going to make it to that meeting on time, I need to get my kid to practice, need to get dinner ready. At some point, either someone has done all of these or at least 3 of them. 

Even when we try to focus on ourselves, it can be stressful too; do I look ok, is my ass too big for this dress, need to get to Yoga class (or wherever you choose to train at), I have to be restrictive about my eating or I won't lose weight, am I eating enough to put on muscle, I need to workout longer but will that take away my time from everyone else? It's that rush, rush, rush and taking on so many priorities, we often forget that there are 24 hours and yes there are things to prioritize, but also it's not good to try to sprint during a whole marathon either. 

Getting some form of exercise in doesn't have to be stressful or complicated like we make so many other things. Sometimes, just a few minutes is all we get but we can also make them count. Micro Workouts have been around a long time but what really is the term Micro Workouts? In a nutshell, it's the idea of doing exercise for a short period of time that can range from a few seconds to like an open window of 15 minutes. It's the concept of using the time you can use to get something going and with the intent of being efficient and utilizing intensity. There's the Tabata concept where you do 20 seconds of hard exercise with 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds (4 minutes all together). Another great one is a favorite where you take two exercises and go back and forth with them as a superset for say like 10 minutes with little to no rest. That might be your workout for the entire day which is great, so don't feel bad because you can't exercise for an hour straight or longer like the magazines and general fitness ideals tell you.

 One workout I did the other day was part of what I'm learning about Suspension Calisthenics and molding the superset concept and making it intense but not impossible to do. If you're into Suspension Training, this is a quick one that doesn't take up a lot of time and targets your core muscles like crazy...

Do 6 Knee Pull-Ins Followed by 16 Mountain Climbers (8 each side) for 3 sets resting as needed in between sets. You can add another set of exercises if you wish like I did or just do that. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes depending on your rest periods. My add on to it was another superset of Suspension Curls & Rows doing 10 each for 3 sets. That workout alone was an ass kicker. For that first superset of the knee pull ins and climbers can be better explained here...I just did the Knee Tuck version without the seesaw move as you'll see. 

Another great Micro Workout is a great Tabata Style of Isometrics focused on the Abs. It involves 4 exercises (In reality only three cause one of them involves side planks for each side) that you do 2 rounds of for 20 on and 10 off for 4 total minutes. You will feel it and not one exercise involves crunches or a sit-up. The workout can be seen here...

You can just use your bodyweight for things like push-ups, squats, lunges, step ups, carrying a heavy bag, animal style movements, you can use light dumbbells if you want, it can even be a sprint session. Don't be afraid to use the time you need to get the job done. You won't always have an hour to get some training in. If you have little ones, use their nap time to get some exercise in. Take the time during commercials of your favorite show to get some blood pumping (this was a favorite for athletes such as Herschel Walker & Rickey Henderson) or doing a few squats or lunges while the gas is being pumped into your car, there are so many ways to do Micro Workouts it's ridiculous. 

Find the strategies that work for you. To learn about this training concept check out the book Micro Workouts by Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project. Be strong, use your time wisely and be amazingly awesome. 

Bullworker Iso Bow

I've been hearing about this piece of equipment for a long time and finally caved in and grabbed a pair of them. Perfect for taking on trips like camping, to a park, train in a hotel room, the lake or wherever. It's a great substitute for my Iso Strap (the Isometric Power Belt) as I can do much shorter versions of exercises without the tail end of the strap.

This thing isn't just for Isometric Training, it can even be used for Iso-Dynamic or in other words Isotonic meaning as you move you're also contracting. I've seen several videos of people using them but a favorite is from Primal Play Virtuoso Rocannon MacGregor (aka The Zenkahuna) with his Isometric & Flow Workouts. This guy makes exercise look adventurous and fun to do. Some of my inspiration for quick and fun workouts is from him and his 2 Girl Power Athletes Tara Scott & Marga Madhuri. Together, their sequences are breathtaking and full of expression and dance-like movements. Coach Tara is an incredible athlete in her own right and can move as smooth as you can get.

The Iso-Bow comes with a booklet that shows all kinds of exercises from strength training to flexibility training, Isotonic & Isometrics. There are countless others you can come up with but the book provides some kick ass samples and a weekly routine. I'm already having a blast with it and only done a few workouts. I've added it into my Isometric Training and got some ideas on how to combine it with the strap to get even more creative. That's what I love about training, the ideas you can come up with and the creative aspects to form your own style is what makes it so damn beautiful. 

Today, I went out in the fresh air, dressed like I'm going to a beach party and worked on some Isometric Exercises for about 6 minutes. It's not glamorous or anything like that, just me playing around and working a little routine I came up with on the spot. Shook it off after a few exercises cause the contractions are very intense. I focused on taking a few breaths per exercise to really dig into the muscles and strengthen the joints good. About three breaths or so each. Just having a good time and doing something simple is a great way to go. That's what some of Zenkahuna's workouts represent, other exercises and flows are a bit more complex and advanced but once you get the idea of what he does, it's just inspiring.

Just a few minutes with this thing and you're good to go. You don't need to wear yourself out and call it a day, just play enough to where you still have energy left in the tank and feel like you've been challenged but not on the ground wanting to die. It's about the journey, not the destination. You wouldn't read the last page of a kick ass story would you? It's not the ending that makes it amazing, it's the pathway to the ending. 

Check out the video below and grab yourself an Iso-Bow or a pair for you and a loved one, friend, partner or whatever. Stay strong and be Amazingly Awesome.