Showing posts with label Muscle Control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muscle Control. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2014
I’m Talking About DDP Yoga
Yoga for decades even centuries has had a reputation for being a soft, spiritual plus a tough form of exercise. It's supposed to enlighten your body and give off an emotional release with spiritual guidance. The type of Yoga I'm talking about doesn't enlighten (unless you let it) and will beat you to the ground with the way it is taught. It can still be spiritual but in a more aggressive way with a touch of kick ass cardio and Muscle Control that will jump start your heart rate. Diamond Dallas Page has taken one of the oldest systems in the world and taken it to another level with his style of hardcore training and no impact conditioning and strength training.
I was taught in my early 20's that if you want to get the best out of your training, you learn to be self-reliant; listening to your own body and understanding your own physiology to create the workouts that ae suitable to you and your goals. DDP Yoga embodies this concept when it's leader suggests (even demands) to "Make the DDP Yoga program your own." I love that and that's why I continue to do it. It's the ability to modify whatever you wish to work on and you can make the exercises as easy or as hard as you need to. Granted there are some exercises that elite athletes have trouble with it still becomes a factor when you create more strength, gain flexibility, build a powerful body and taking a beating from the workouts. Don't take my word for it, give it a shot yourself. It's not any of that P90X or Insanity crap that can actually hurt you more than help you. This system is so unique it takes classic strength training mixed with martial arts and cardio into a series of exercises some may have seen but with a whole new twist. It is this unique style that gives off powerful energy as you will find out from doing these exercises.
To become efficient, you must practice and stay consistent. Now there's a difference between practicing poorly and practicing good form, one way or another if you practice enough, the results will come from that practice. I do the DDP Yoga program nearly every day, practicing the moves I want to get good at and get better at. I do follow a workout from time to time but in my experiences, I follow my own workouts by arranging exercises to my liking and not trying to imitate another person because it's not fun trying to keep up with someone on a video. This does not mean you shouldn't do the workouts, if you want to do them go for it, study them and put some zest into them. To truly experience making DDP Yoga your own, you study the exercises as best as possible like his basic Diamond Dozen or certain exercises in the workouts he performs and build that around what you want to do and making them into your own style of a workout. Be consistent and you can't go wrong.
The number thing that you won't be able to control is that if you follow a workout or create your own; you better be prepared to get your ass kicked. There's no way around it, it will take you to the woodshed and pin you down for the count. You will sweat, you'll be screaming obscenities and you will be breathing harder than a wrestler who just spent an hour on the mat (slight exaggeration) but you get the picture. Be bold and take the beating with a positive image that you'll become fitter, stronger, healthier and gain more flexibility without ever attacking the joints. Too many people only work on muscles more than joints/tendons/ligaments because it's the muscles that stand out. What about the very things that holds those muscles together, if you pull a muscle sure it hurts but it'll heal faster than a joint because if that attachment breaks it takes far longer to heal so isn't it fitting to strengthen those and have them be strong? Get the workout that has taken the world by storm. It has saved the careers of some of the biggest names in wrestling like Chris Jericho, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and the Bad Guy Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall. It has changed the lives of countless people who have banded together in a membership site which you can join for free and get encouragement and support from these very same people.
The benefits of this system are so long I can only mention a few but each one is worth the price of the program many times over including…..
-No impact on the joints
-Building great cardio that will burn fat and gain muscle by creating your own dynamic resistance
-Gaining flexibility that will give you energy and that youthfulness you had when you were young
-Lose weight and build muscle
-Help gain new athleticism for your sport or athletic endeavor
And many more
Take a chance and get this program and live your life at 90%. When you buy the workouts you will also receive MP3's of all the workouts so you can listen to them anywhere. Follow DDP on Youtube and others on Twitter. Own your life NOW!!!
Be awesome, happy Monday everyone and welcome to the DDP Yoga Express. It ain't your mama's Yoga.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Yoga With A Bad Ass Attitude
I like certain programs that are unique and sticking to the basics, not complicated and has some great use for the imagination. One day I decided to check out what DDP Yoga was because I heard about ex-pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page doing this Yoga gig. As a researcher and an athlete it helps to learn a thing or two from people you've actually heard of and a system that you have studied on. When I saw what it's about, I was in awe and it was refreshing. This isn't your typical studio vegan health nut Yoga, its Yoga with an attitude. I studied the exercises as I possibly can and tried a few of the workouts and it just clicked. I don't like doing other people's workouts, as you know I love creating my own workouts with various systems. This works.
I already knew quite a few of the poses in the DDP Yoga system from other programs I've studied and used but he makes them a little different. He uses Muscle Control (calls it Dynamic Resistance) to turn the exercises into a cardio type workout while also building strength and flexibility. The exercises are similar but he names them very differently, mostly after certain pro wrestlers and football analogies but that's cool to me and makes the workouts interesting. He doesn't sugarcoat anything and goes right between the eyes. It's amazing how this guy expresses himself in a unique way. He won't tell you it's going to be a sweet and old fashioned workout, it's going to be tough, you'll curse and you'll be sweating your ass off; he'll actually say that. For me, it's awesome to find something that is unique and having fun with it and believe me I make my workouts as easy or as tough as hell as I want and I wouldn't want it any other way.
His advanced program DDP Extreme isn't just tough, it makes elite athletes look like chumps. One of the exercises he does is push-ups but in a damn handstand non supported; the man is 6'4 around 230 lbs. That's insane and his flexibility is incredible. I've tried a few of the exercises and I was dying after a few minutes, he does this for practically a whole hour. It does look like a bit of an infomercial when you first see the promos of it and normally I wouldn't look twice at things that have to do with Infomercials but it caught my eye and I like to think he's got that bad ass physical culture side to him that is raw, uncensored and in your face and I love that. If anyone can do his Psycho Workout all the way through you have my respect.
Dallas is the real deal. Most ex-wrestlers have trouble having a life after being in the spotlight, believe it or not this guy became a wrestler when most athletes are ready to retire. He just made it happen and led a new career that gave people faith that you can make a difference not just for other people but more importantly for yourself. He has helped thousands of people and even practically saved two great wrestling Icons Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) and Jake "The Snake" Roberts from their own self destructive paths. Dallas has seen it all practically in wrestling, he's won the world title 3 times, wrestled the biggest names in the wrestling business and knows the hardships of being on the road and being plagued with injuries. He made a name for himself a second time around and turned one of the oldest forms of exercise into one of the most hardcore systems around. Take a look at DDP Yoga and see for yourself how awesome it can be and that it's no longer a smooth ride to blissfulness, you earn it with sweat, tough exercises and more expressive personality.
Be awesome guys and Dallas, you are one incredible man and I thank you for what you have done.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Creating A Flow
This isn't how to build flow using energetic training (Chi Kung) but it helps. What I do want to tell you is, you can create a flow of putting exercises together whatever they may be, could be DDP Yoga, Squat Training, Muscle Control, lifting heavy weight or Farmer's Walk; you can put some of the most intense and even the toughest exercises together and create your own energy by how you move, your breathing and how you bring them together in sequence like a circuit or just resting than moving to the next exercise. It's a practice that develops not only great physical strength but building internal power. Most people believe in order to channel your energy internally you have to do training of that sorts, not always true.
Finding that rhythm for you may not be easy or maybe it will, it's up to you to figure that out. Following someone else's workout is great no question but the other side of that is it doesn't always flow with you because you didn't come up with it, you're just following someone else. Some people don't like me saying that but you know what, I've learned from experience when you build your own workout and it flows for you, it is so much more worthy than just trying to "Keep up" with the other person. I love DDP Yoga it is one of the best systems in conditioning today and combines many elements I'm interested in but as I've said with every other program I like, I learn and study the exercises but I don't feel good about trying to keep up with that person's program when I can just come up with a workout of my own that is just as intense or more and I'm getting greater benefit out of it. "Make it your own" as DDP would say and I have been following that motto for many years nearly a decade actually. Find a rhythm that works for you.
One of the most important aspects of creating your own flowing sequence no matter how intense or the tempo might be is pacing yourself. Most who buy those infomercial crap just want to jump in and not consider the consequences. In reality you are not meant to try to keep up with the people on the DVD, you are meant to build yourself up and keep up with yourself. If you just try to go as fast as they do or anyone for that matter, you're missing out on building your own style and doing your best to flow for you not to see if you're just as good as they are. Nobody is better than the next guy, some have more experience and their bodies can handle greater stress but they're no better than you. You are one person and you need to give yourself a chance to make something out of yourself.
This is my favorite part about the article where I get to tell you about being creative. You can follow along with someone else and just be a mindless sheep or you can break the rules and just make shit up. Let me put it this way; you understand the basics of your program whatever it might be so now, just make up the workout, learn how your body flows through each exercise and follow your intuition about what to do next, follow your instincts, listen to your body and feel in your mind what gives you the most benefit. I rarely ever do the same workout twice in the same week because after doing the same exercises in the same sequence over and over it becomes boring to me real quick. I don't want to feel I'm stuck in this routine, I want to be free to make my own choices and go with how I move and exercises that give the freedom to breathe, stretch and just let my imagination run its course. That's the beauty of just making up your own workout is the use of your imagination and tapping into that power that resides within you and you don't even realize it. Build a flow that creates your own bliss, your own intensity and the only person you should be keeping up with is yourself. No one else has your body and your strength and/or weaknesses so why should you try to keep up with everyone else? Think outside the box and do something out of the norm that only you decide how intense it will be, what the tempo is and making it work for you and nobody else.
Have a great weekend everyone. Be awesome and train hard. Next Friday will have me writing my last article for the next few weeks as I will be in California for my 30th Birthday celebration. You are the most bad ass people I've ever had the pleasure writing for. You all inspire me to do what I love. Keep reading and find the best resources for you or your friends/family.
Labels:
Be You,
Be Your Own Trainer,
Create,
DDP Yoga,
Energy,
Farmer's Walk,
Flow,
Follow Your Own Path,
Free Yourself,
intensity,
Make It Up,
Mix,
Move Freely,
Muscle Control,
Speed,
Squats,
Tempo
Monday, June 16, 2014
There is Fitness And Than There Is DDP Yoga
For most people Yoga is a tough, hot and just a simple style
of postures ranging from easy to nearly world-class. Yoga has been around for
countless ages. What most don’t know is that Yoga originally were for warriors,
older folks and for wrestlers in the Middle East
because the training gave them the strength, agility and flexibility to be able
to handle battle and matches that can last long periods of time. For the older
folks, it was a way to stay in shape as they got older and were some of the
wisest people of that time. It’s kind of fitting when an ex-pro wrestler takes
an ancient art and turns it into something different, a little edgy and it has
a lot of benefit for any ages. It’s not the typical style(s) most people have
heard of, it’s practically revolutionary.
Back in the
WCW days especially during the Monday Night Wars you had some of the best
talent in the business including Hulk Hogan, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero,
Scott Hall (Razor Ramon), Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Sting and a man named
Diamond Dallas Page. DDP was in his early 40’s and only been in the business a
few years, most at that age have been in wrestling more than 15 years or more.
It’s not everyday you see a guy that age and that less amount of experience
(years wise) and can handle his own not just physically but to control the
crowd and get them psyched for his signature move; The Diamond Cutter. After
the MNWs have ended, DDP signed with WWE and had a great build up to face the
Undertaker. They had some good matches but Dallas was just plagued with injuries as most
wrestlers do so he ended up retiring.
After a
number of years trying to get over the injuries, he gave Yoga a shot and this
made his comeback in a whole other realm. He created something different out of
it and made it in his own way and it worked. He bring a whole new meaning to
the term Awesome Training. I’ve done some Yoga in the past doing various holds
and postures from books and DVDs that had similar styles just a different
format but DDP Yoga is just great in the sense where I know what it’s like to
make things unique and different and I love doing Muscle Control and he adds
that element in his program, he calls it Dynamic Resistance.
The one
thing I always look for is how fun a program can be and mixed in with what I
already am doing or can supplement with. DDP Yoga is fun to do and I find it
fascinating about Dallas ’
passion and his eagerness to bring power and awesome charisma to his style of
training. I’m not big on fads or who is the best guru or any of that crap but I
admire what DDP has done and the exercises he shows are pretty cool and it’s
something I would continue to learn.
For the
most part if you know what I represent and have read countless times; I don’t
really follow programs to the letter and for good reason. I take and learn
exercises that interest me and mold them into my own unique style and change it
up often because I do get bored and want to have a change of pace. I don’t like
following other peoples workouts because it makes me feel that if I did, I
won’t have the creativity I so crave and practice. So no offense to DDP or any
of the badass men and women I’ve learned from but don’t expect me to actually
go through the pre-set workouts. I practice creating my own style and molding
exercises I’ve learned.
DDP Yoga
can easily be put into other styles. Some people like just doing a person’s
program and that’s awesome, just not for me. He is a one of a kind athlete,
passionate and love for what he does and I admire guys like him and hope one
day get a chance to speak with him either on the phone or in person.
Be awesome guys and have a great start to the week.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
4 Ways You Can Add Isometric Exercises To Your Current Routine
I've always been a fan of Isometrics no only for building superior strength but to learn how to focus on a single point without moving a muscle. When done right, Isometrics can increase your strength, create vitality & health, give you an incredible body and doesn't take up much of your day to get awesome results. There are different ways to include Isometrics but here are a few main ones to get you going......
1. Use Isometrics as a finisher:
Isometric Exercises are intense and build strength quickly. By adding an isometric whole body exercise to the end of your workout you fatigue the entire body to a greater degree.
What do I mean by Whole Body Isometrics?There are several isometric exercises that incorporate the entire body. Try this for example. Stand next to a wall. Place your hands on the wall about chest level. Get in a low lunge position and push against the wall with all of your strength.
Did you feel your whole body engage? I bet you did. You’ll feel it from your calves and quads up to your shoulders and arms.
Do this exercise for 30-60 seconds as a “finisher” to your current routine and you’ll be blasted.
2. Use Isometrics in your Super Sets:
A super set is a combination of exercises that you do immediately without taking a rest in between.
One example is doing push ups and pull ups. You start off doing a set of push ups then after you fatigue you go straight into pull ups. That’s a super set because you do one exercise after the other.
However, try adding an isometric into the mix and you’ll increase the difficulty of your super set. For instance, you can add palm pushes right after you do push ups and isometric pull ups after the normal pull ups.
Here’s how to do palm pushes. Place your hands together in a prayer position. Push your hands together as tightly as you can. Do it for 30 seconds. This works the chest muscle group which is why you would want to do it right after the push ups.
Here’s how to do isometric pull ups. Lift yourself up on a pull up bar and hold the position with your elbows at a 45 degree angle. Do it as long as you can. This works the back muscles which is why you would want to do it right after the normal pull ups.
Adding both isometric exercises to your super set will fatigue your muscles so much more quickly.
3. Include Isometrics To Your Drop Sets:
A drop set is a series of exercises that are slightly less difficult than the previous exercise. Each exercise works the same muscle group but you recruit more muscle fibers and tear them after each step.
Most drop sets are used in combination with weights. Let’s take dumbbell curls which work the biceps, as an example.
A typical drop set is to start with a weight that you can do for 8-12 reps. Then once you fatigue fully, you grab a lighter weight and try to do as many as you can. Then you keep repeating this process until you can’t even lift a 10-15 lb dumbbell.
Try this: After you drop down in weight, while doing a drop set, lift your arms so they are in a 90 degree angle and squeeze them as hard as you can for 30 seconds. Do this before each drop and the pump will be amazing.
4. Do Isometrics During Your Recovery Period:
Exercise programs that are focused on strength or muscular gains need to incorporate rest days. Your body needs time to recover and “take a break” from very intense physical activity.
Isometric exercises can be done on active recovery days to help recover from typical strength programs.
I don’t recommend that you do a 30 minute isometric routine on your off days. Yet, you can certainly spend 5-10 minutes moving through some isometric postures to keep your muscles engaged.
If you’re interested in seeing a full 8 week isometric training plan to help you build strength and size, check out my fitness buddy Todd’s Isometric Strength program. Its super intense!
There you have it to get you started in your Isometric Training. Remember to ease up on the tension at first because Isometrics can be very exhausting. Build yourself up and that Isometrics can be used for Muscle Control, Speed Strength and many more.
8 Week Isometric Strength Training Program
1. Use Isometrics as a finisher:
Isometric Exercises are intense and build strength quickly. By adding an isometric whole body exercise to the end of your workout you fatigue the entire body to a greater degree.
What do I mean by Whole Body Isometrics?There are several isometric exercises that incorporate the entire body. Try this for example. Stand next to a wall. Place your hands on the wall about chest level. Get in a low lunge position and push against the wall with all of your strength.
Did you feel your whole body engage? I bet you did. You’ll feel it from your calves and quads up to your shoulders and arms.
Do this exercise for 30-60 seconds as a “finisher” to your current routine and you’ll be blasted.
2. Use Isometrics in your Super Sets:
A super set is a combination of exercises that you do immediately without taking a rest in between.
One example is doing push ups and pull ups. You start off doing a set of push ups then after you fatigue you go straight into pull ups. That’s a super set because you do one exercise after the other.
However, try adding an isometric into the mix and you’ll increase the difficulty of your super set. For instance, you can add palm pushes right after you do push ups and isometric pull ups after the normal pull ups.
Here’s how to do palm pushes. Place your hands together in a prayer position. Push your hands together as tightly as you can. Do it for 30 seconds. This works the chest muscle group which is why you would want to do it right after the push ups.
Here’s how to do isometric pull ups. Lift yourself up on a pull up bar and hold the position with your elbows at a 45 degree angle. Do it as long as you can. This works the back muscles which is why you would want to do it right after the normal pull ups.
Adding both isometric exercises to your super set will fatigue your muscles so much more quickly.
3. Include Isometrics To Your Drop Sets:
A drop set is a series of exercises that are slightly less difficult than the previous exercise. Each exercise works the same muscle group but you recruit more muscle fibers and tear them after each step.
Most drop sets are used in combination with weights. Let’s take dumbbell curls which work the biceps, as an example.
A typical drop set is to start with a weight that you can do for 8-12 reps. Then once you fatigue fully, you grab a lighter weight and try to do as many as you can. Then you keep repeating this process until you can’t even lift a 10-15 lb dumbbell.
Try this: After you drop down in weight, while doing a drop set, lift your arms so they are in a 90 degree angle and squeeze them as hard as you can for 30 seconds. Do this before each drop and the pump will be amazing.
4. Do Isometrics During Your Recovery Period:
Exercise programs that are focused on strength or muscular gains need to incorporate rest days. Your body needs time to recover and “take a break” from very intense physical activity.
Isometric exercises can be done on active recovery days to help recover from typical strength programs.
I don’t recommend that you do a 30 minute isometric routine on your off days. Yet, you can certainly spend 5-10 minutes moving through some isometric postures to keep your muscles engaged.
If you’re interested in seeing a full 8 week isometric training plan to help you build strength and size, check out my fitness buddy Todd’s Isometric Strength program. Its super intense!
There you have it to get you started in your Isometric Training. Remember to ease up on the tension at first because Isometrics can be very exhausting. Build yourself up and that Isometrics can be used for Muscle Control, Speed Strength and many more.
8 Week Isometric Strength Training Program
Friday, December 13, 2013
Mixing Muscle Control Into Your Workouts
The Art of Muscle Control was a staple for many of the old
time physical culturists such as Otto Arco, Maxick, Sandow, John Grimek, Saxon
and also the mighty George Hackenshmidt. When you think into the muscles and
learning your own physiology, you’re finding out how your own body works in
ways no one else can. In your workouts where you’re lifting maybe heavy
weights, pull-ups, kettlebell snatches and/or working with Sledgehammer; mixing
in Muscle Control can give you that extra edge in the flow of blood moving into
the muscles and keeping them fresh and going just a tad longer.
I've been
experimenting with this lately because I want to find out how I can last a
little bit longer or flow better in my workouts so after I do a set of an
exercise say swinging the mace 100 times; I would superset it with a muscle
control exercise. There are many ways to do Muscle Control but my style isn't just flexing and relaxing it’s moving through an entire range of motion, this
style is called FMT a.k.a Focused Muscular Tension kind of the Charles Atlas
Tension exercises. There are a series of exercises in FMT and all of them
require a focus on the muscles being worked so not only am I building certain
muscular power in my training but also keeping my mind focused and breathing
deeply so that when “Resting” I’m really adding more flow to my muscles by
giving them oxygenated blood. This is one way to look at building your Chi or
life-force in your body so you can keep your body going more smoothly, more
focused and not just resting the muscles.
Deep
Breathing is a key factor in any exercise because it can make a huge difference
in how weak or strong you are. Correct Breathing with natural flow of your
body’s movements creates a much more complete image on how you build muscle,
utilizing the stabilizers and where you’re focused in. If you plan on doing
this, experiment with your own style of muscle control, mix things up to get a
feel for what has you flowing and keeping that “Strength/Endurance” factor that
helps you down the road to burning fat, building natural and functional muscle
and tendon strength.
When I say
mix up I mean keep doing what you've always planned on training but after each
set do a Muscle Control Exercise and mix those up and try different ones. This
is after you've mastered the Muscle Control Exercises in and of themselves
because if you haven’t you’re not going to find that same effect that controls
the flow of your muscles and the blood you want flowing. At first these
exercises may be a bit unusual and feel a bit weird but keep practicing, find
the ones that keep you interested and fresh.
Friday, November 1, 2013
The Journey To Super Muscle
We all share a certain journey in our lives, our journey
starts usually when we’re born but also there is a journey where it’s not
always where you’ll go in life, it could be something you want to go after. In
the case of strength training, some of us in the Physical Culture world are on
a journey to create Super Muscle. What is Super Muscle you might ask? Is it
having a big burly body like a Mr. Olympia? Is it having the body of a
Powerlifter or is it having a body that can do all sorts of things? That is
entirely up to you and what your goals are. To me, Super Muscle is having a
strong, powerful and enduring body and learning to use it in many ways like
lifting heavy weights, doing tough bodyweight exercises kind of similar to a
Gymnast and doing high octane conditioning using various tools and programs
that keeps you functional and channeling your inner power.
There are
people who say because of a certain age or genetics; they can’t build a great
deal of muscle mass. Not true. Sure you may not look like another Arnold
Schwarzenegger or Ronnie Coleman but you can build good solid and mighty
muscle. Back in the golden age of Physical Culture there were men and women who
at first were sickly, weak, overweight, and thin down to the bone but somehow
managed to build crazy amounts of muscle and this was long before steroids and
high level supplements became the stuff to build muscle. To give you an
example, a man named Maxick who was a sick kid, didn't have a chance in hell in
his youth to live a long and healthy life yet persevered and became a legend in
weightlifting and bodybuilding by becoming one of the first men in his weight
class (145 lbs.) to lift double bodyweight in the overhead press and was able
to control the muscles in his body to move any which way he wanted. No matter
what your age or by genetics big or small, you can create great muscle.
In my
opinion, Functional Muscle is far superior to today’s Bodybuilding type muscle.
By functional I mean using your body to levels where it’s useful and can be
used in a variety of everyday situations. Bodybuilding muscle is isolating
specific parts of the body and not being able to use it in most everyday
situations. Take for example my friend Bud Jeffries, one of the strongest men
in the world (drug-free I might add) who’s around 6’1 and over 275 lbs. yet
when you first look at him he doesn't look like the functional type of
strongman but yet he’s extremely agile for his size, very agile and one of the
most conditioned athletes of any size. He is one of the embodiments of Super
Muscle.
On your
journey to develop Super Muscle, remember to work with other attributes because
just building muscle isn’t always going to cut it. Learn to be agile, work on
flexibility, build your balance and very importantly exercise your tendons an
ligaments, they are the very foundation for your Super Muscle development
otherwise you’re building useless muscles that can bite you in the ass. Here’s
some ways to build Super Muscle…..
Do Hard Bodyweight Exercises
Learn Muscle Control
Be Flexible
Do Thick Bar Lifting (Fat Gripz are optional to put on the
bar or dumbbell)
Self Resistance Exercise
All of
these are very useful and you don’t have to do all of them, pick what works for
you and run with it. Building Super Muscle isn't some thing you can get
overnight, it takes time but you don’t have to punish yourself. Have fun, use
your imagination and be creative. Your results will come when you make progress
a little each time to make big gains. Do what works for you and have a blast
with it. It’s only a matter of time before you achieve levels of strength you
never believed at first but now are in your grasp.
Picture yourself getting there, be mindful and get into the habit on never giving up
what you want.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Superhuman Fitness
Training has a meaning for different people and most of the
time; they never take action to drive for what they really want. They want
results fast but never put in the effort to put in the work it takes to get fit
and strong. Some use aerobics as a workout and if that’s what they like more
power to them but that’s not the kind of fitness I’m talking about. Others have
used Crossfit to get in awesome shape; I’m all for pushing yourself but again
not the kind of fitness I’m talking about. So what kind of fitness am I talking
about?
Taking
fitness to a superhuman level requires not just effort but the will to progress
by mastery. When you go to the gym, how many people do you see going from
exercise to exercise like it’s a supermarket? They pick exercises and throw
them in without looking at the big picture. Like a grocery list, you want to
get what’s on it and not subject yourself to getting more than you have to.
Take that concept and put it into training. Find the exercises you want to
master. The fewer you want to master the better because it teaches you how to
focus on what you’re doing and progress to a higher level of the exercise
whether it’s more sets/reps, a more advanced version, changing the speed and
tempo whatever. Mastery is a key to reaching superhuman potential.
The biggest
key is your imagination. Without it, you’ll just strolling along, not making
any real progress, you might get some results but no where near the results
you’re looking for. When you’re training, think into your exercises, picture
yourself in a certain situation. Lifting Odd Objects like a keg or log for
example; picture as if you’re in a place where it’s crucial for those things to
be lifted. You’re in a big warehouse and those kegs of beer or whatever you see
in them need to be carried onto a truck and sent out, time is of the essence
and if you don’t make your quota you’re going to lose your job. Random I know
but if it’s your job to make a certain quota wouldn't you want to keep it?
You can use
your imagination for anything you wish. Got a Sledgehammer and a tire, picture
yourself in the woods, chopping down some lumber to take home and either built
your home or bring in firewood to help keep you and your family warm so they
don’t freeze to death. Each time you hit that tire, there’s more wood to put on
the fire place, more wood to build something. Like Isometrics, push against the
wall and picture yourself as if you’re in ancient Egypt and you’re moving
blocks of heavy stone to help build the pyramids, or picture yourself in a
secret chamber where gravity really takes you down (for you Dragonball Z fans)
and the only way to stay up and move is by Muscle Control that gives you the
strength to do any exercise you wish.
These are
just examples but whatever you’d like to come up with be sure to focus and
never let go of it. It’s like being able to fly like Peter Pan; sprinkle some
pixie dust and think happy thoughts so in real life it be your feeling and
energy as your pixie dust and your imagination is your happy thoughts, bring
them together and magic happens.
A food for
thought if you want to become superhuman is to be challenge yourself at the
right time and know when to back off but never being satisfied. When will you
know to challenge yourself? It’ll come when you feel the need for a challenge,
push yourself a little harder, do a few extra sets and reps, and test a new
variation whatever it might be but sooner or later it’ll happen. Stepping back
after a challenge doesn't mean you’re giving up, it means you want to get
better and you need to rest up but again it doesn't mean you’re done.
Progress
your way up, take a step back if you need to and challenge yourself often. A
Superhuman doesn't prance around like a pretty boy, he challenges himself, he
rises above those who don’t have the drive but also help those find that drive
and show them how they can rise themselves. Want to be Superhuman; you have the
power to be. It’s within you.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Muscle Control Journey
Well where do I start? First to introduce myself I am Lewis
Lindsey Jr. Well from the time I was young I had always admired the strength in
others be it physical or mental. Throughout my life me along
with my brother Jarell have always seen examples of both from different folks.
One of the main ones my father Lewis Sr who was 5’6 and served in Vietnam had
always shown signs of strength.
Lifting up my
mom who at the time was heavier and on top of that losing her ability to
walk due to MS he was holding a dead weight but he made it look easy. In terms
of their mental strength my father held on strong throughout the years even
after having his Strokes and Heart Attacks he still maintained his sense of
humor and will power until the end of his life in 2005. I remember this story
my mom use to tell me at the time. She would talk about this story all the time
where the ambulance was trying to pick up my mom who at this point is losing
her ability to walk so their lifting dead weight.
My father wasn't a big guy by looks but while
these pretty big guys were struggling to lift my mom up together he was able to
do it singlehandedly. I can believe that
as I've seen him on the regular do things like this and that became my
motivation to want to be able to gain that strength mentally and physically. So
by the age of 10 I was already lifting my mom up who at the time was dead weight
and around the high 200 range. My brother in law was also another man of great
strength doing many feats of strength himself both in the mental and physical
department. So I had those influences early in life. I also without realizing
it was introduced to isometrics by my brother in law as he would have me
sometimes do wall sits and push up holds then but years later when I would see
my younger brother again I would be reintroduced to it like he was.
I would look up the likes of Bruce Lee one of
my favorite fighters and philosophers and saw how he also incorporated
isometrics in his daily routine from reading his books. My Jarell also shared
with me 7 Seconds to a Perfect Body by Paul O Brien(now legally Batman O Brien)
and got more into isometrics. I was definitely seeing that I was getting
stronger but didn't have control of the strength which was pretty scary for
people(laughing) so I had to first learn to control it. So then one day with my
brother I learned about Maxick and Muscle Control. I learned the need to
control my muscle well my body through the mind and I learned to not so much
tense the muscles but rather to relax them.
I believe I started muscle control since April to now July 28, 2013. My
muscles feel less tense and more rubbery and I notice I have a little more
control of my muscles and though I haven’t yet gotten complete control I can
see I’m on the pathway there and I look forward to continuing this journey and
want to share that with others would want to get into Isometrics and Muscle
Control. I have great respect for the likes of Benjamin Bergman, Batman O Brien
and other modern strongmen who continue to keep this legendary culture alive
and being willing to teach others. I can say my journey isn’t over and I only
have more to grow and I indeed will.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
5 Tips To Help You Gain Muscle
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Drew Stegman. I looked over his site and I find him very interesting in his approach to weightlifting, bodybuilding and Nutrition. Its basic, simple and no B.S when it comes to building the muscle you want. Without further ado here is the 5 steps to help those who want to gain muscle fast.....
With everybody these days trying to lose fat, it’s fairly easy to
forget about the importance of muscle on your body. Whether you simply want to increase your metabolism or look at yourself in
the mirror and know that you’re totally hot and ripped, muscle mass is
necessary to do so.
Here are five simple ways to build muscle, rather you’re trying to pack on a few pounds or you want to look
like a professional bodybuilder:
1. Cut Back on the
Cardio: Doing cardiovascular exercise is fantastic if
your goal is weight loss, since it allows you to burn additional calories and
gets your heart rate up into its target zone. But if your goal is to gain
muscle, I’d recommend cutting back on the cardio a bit. Too much cardio can
actually burn muscle, which is the case with the long-distance marathon runner;
sure they might be lean and have no fat on their body, but they’re lacking in
the muscle department. This doesn't mean that you should ignore cardio
completely, but definitely cut back on the long distance stuff. I would limit
your cardio to no more than three 30-minute sessions each week and spend the
rest of your time and effort focusing on lifting weights.
2. Don't Overdo It: Many bodybuilders, weightlifters, fitness enthusiasts and even
average gym goers all make the same mistake – they overtrain. When it comes to
most things in life, more is better, but when it comes to building muscle,
doing more will simply end in failure. If you overtrain, you’re either going to
get injured or simply get burnt out. Whatever the case, you won’t be able to
build any muscle and if you get injured, obviously you’ll be out of the gym for
weeks or months at a time. So keep your weightlifting sessions under an hour
and don’t workout more than 5 days per week. Even with five days per week,
you’re still pushing it – I’d even recommend scaling that back to 3-4 days per
week.
3. Mix Things Up: Why would you want to
do the same thing over and over again anyway? Variety is what keeps people from
getting bored in life and when it comes to packing on muscle, things are no
different. Your muscles (and body for that matter) all operate under one simple
principle. Once they get comfortable with what they’re doing, they stop
adapting. And when they stop adapting, they stop growing. Always make sure
you’re switching up your workouts every 4-6 weeks, so you can keep your muscles
constantly confused and in the state of muscle growth. Trust me, you won’t
regret this decision once you finally decide to give it a full-blown shot.
4. Keep Eating: Many people focus on calorie restriction when trying to lose
weight, which is completely understandable. But when you’re trying to gain
muscle, you need to play by a different set of rules. Quite simply, you have to
eat big to get big. If you’re not supplying your body constantly with the
nutrients and calories it needs to grow, then don’t expect to get very big. But
you can’t eat anything – you need to consume a constant balance of protein,
healthy fats, complex carbs and fruits and vegetables as well. If you starve
your muscles, they’ll wither away, so don’t let that happen to you.
5. Take a Break: Remember point two. Even if you’re mixing up your workouts and
continually confusing your body, you won’t gain much muscle if you workout too
much. In fact, you’ll probably find that you gain the most amount of muscle
when you’re resting. Many people don’t realize that muscle growth does not
occur in the gym; it occurs outside of the gym when you are resting and eating.
When you hit the gym, you’re breaking down your muscles and then your body has
to go back and rebuild those muscles once you've broken them down. But if
you’re always working out, you’re body won’t have enough of an opportunity to
rebuild these broken down muscles, so they won’t grow. Every six months or so,
take a rest week and you’ll be amazed at the effect it has on your body; not to
mention your state of mind. Your mind and body will make a full recovery and
you’ll be more than ready to hit the gym once this rest week has ended.
This was an article written by Drew Stegman.
For more muscle building tips check out his website: http://how2gainmusclefast.com/
Thursday, November 15, 2012
The Art Of Bodybuilding Without Ever Picking Up A Weight
Going to the gym can be fun, exciting and learn a few things
about fitness but most people don’t have time for it or since gyms these days
don’t have real world-class training and instruction for lifelong health and
fitness it’s better you find alternatives. There are those who also don’t have
much money since the economy has become a bit of a downward spiral what can one
do to get fit? I’m a fan of old school bodybuilding and I’m talking about long
before the Arnolds and the Lou Ferrignos, I’m talking of guys like Bill Pearl,
John Grimek, Reg Park, Otto Arco, Maxick and the likes.
There have been decade(s) long debates about building muscle
and how to acquire it, some say you need to lift weights, some say do
bodyweight exercises and others have certain things in between. I feel from my
own experience you don’t need a gym to get in awesome shape and certainly don’t
need weights to build muscle. One of my all-time favorite methods is what’s
called VRT or Visualized Resistance Training. This is a system where you mimic
lifting a heavy weight using the mind/muscle connection and use tension to move
through the exercise. This is another look at Muscle Control, being able to
move individual muscles however you want. In bodybuilding today and yesteryear
this is a look at posing.
Using your own tension and resistance creates blood in your
body hence forth the pump you get from an exercise. Think of a curl that
targets the biceps, you do a certain amount of reps and blood rushes to the
muscles and builds a pump, you can do the same exact thing without ever lifting
a weight. You can create any exercise you want with this program, you can
visualize lifting a car or pulling on the toughest of cables. It’s all about
using your imagination while flexing the muscles in a dynamic movement. This is
effective because not only does it build muscle but it protects the joints and
can give you a bit of a cardio workout from breathing hard after doing an
exercise.
This was created by one of the most underrated Physical
Culturists of our time named Greg Mangan who discovered the way to a better
alternative from weightlifting. Not saying weights are bad this is just another
option you can use to get a quick workout in anytime, anywhere. Infusing the
mind/muscle connection is the key ingredient to this program and Greg will show
you how that works. In his course he even states you don’t have to do the
routine layed out for you, you can create any type of routine you want. I once
tried some bodybuilding programs from the champions in Joe Weider’s Ultimate
Bodybuilding book and they wiped me out and I didn’t have to switch stations,
just stand or sit where you are and have at it.
Muscle Control is one of the coolest and mot effective ways
to build muscle and did you know that when Arnold was winning his 7 Olympia
titles, he would stop lifting 6 weeks before contest to work on his posing to
build that definition and symmetry and it worked, that’s another look at Muscle
Control, forget the steroids and all that crap this was done back in the early
20th century, Sandow did the same thing and one of the greatest
artists of MC was a man named Maxick who looked like he was carved from
granite. Lifting weights is fun to do I get that and whenever I do hit the gym
once in a blue moon I want to hammer out as much as I can get my hands on but
at the same time it does get expensive and gym memberships are crazy expensive
and only less than 5% of those who do go to the gym actually do it the other
95% quit after a while because they get burned out and are tired of driving,
changing and god forbid wait for some douche to get off his set so you can do
your thing.
You have a choice and you have more options than you realize. Don’t
get frustrated trying to get fit, find alternatives that suit your lifestyle,
this could be one of them and you don’t need to do 2 hours of training for this
to be effective, 20 minutes a day is really all you need and if you don’t have
that amount of time, start with just a minute and work your way up. Make it
happen for you.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
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 20th 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.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Muscle Control For Arm Wrestling
You’re on the table, arm is locked and loaded for the match of your life, muscles contract and you’re ready for battle, ready, set and go.Muscle Control is one of the best forms of conditioning your body to contract and relax whenever you want. You can use Muscle Control for just about anything, even lifting an imaginary weight. In an arm wrestling match, it’s not just how strong you are or if you have the biggest arms on the planet, it’s the ability to contract the muscles needed and the strength of your tendons to keep your opponent at bay. Imagine yourself in a match and you’re teaching your body to use the specific muscles needed and eventually it becomes a full body contraction.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Getting In Shape While Gambling
When was the last time you heard about doing that? When you
gamble, you usually sit at a table or a slot machine and sometimes you stand at
the Roulette wheels. Now this might be the most interesting and very unusual
way to stay in shape while money is being won or lost so let me give you my
take on it.
Labels:
Bud Jeffries,
Cards,
control,
Exercise,
gambling,
Isometrics,
Legendary Strength,
Legs,
Logan Christopher,
Machine,
muscle,
Muscle Control,
Muscle Reminders,
Resistance,
self,
Slot,
Squeeze,
Table
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Training Ideas For A Sunburn
Recently I went to a lake here in hot Coeur D’Alene via Hayden, ID and had a blast, went swimming, bent some nails, chilled out on the dock and hung out with a friend but that very night I had a sunburn that looked so f’cking red, it looked like I was spray painted. It was pretty bad and whenever I get sunburned, I feel stiff and my muscles ache like crazy. The next morning, my body ached like crazy and couldn’t sleep most of the night anyway.
Keep your body and skin healthy plus keep your muscles and joints mobile so if this should ever happen to you, you will have a few tools at your disposal and also do some research on natural lotions and sunblock to find what can work to help heal faster and more efficient, most sunblock and lotions these days don’t do much. Keep having a kick ass summer and stay strong and healthy.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Swimming, Nail Bending & Isometrics
So far across the country, the summer is in full blossom,
heading to the beach, hiking, running, playing and plenty of parks to go to
with the kids however in Idaho, I’d like to call it MPD weather (Multiple
Personality Disorder). It’s almost as like weather by Sybil, the temperatures
change everyday and it can rain or be hot within a given minute. Hell it’s had
thunderstorms and rain off and on lately, when it is warm out you better make
sure to take advantage it. That’s why as of late I’ve been going to a lake a
couple miles away to go for a dip in the water and just have a blast. When I do
go I’d like to bring my cell for music on Pandora, bring a few bottles of water
and vitamin drinks and best of all, and bring my 60D penny nails to mess around
with. No I don’t show off for all the kids and pretty girls there, I like to do
a little training while I’m out in the sun and practice various styles.
At this particular lake, you can view the mountains and green
trees right in front of you and just see the beautiful sight of nature and the
flow of the water just rolling by. I like doing various Muscle Control and
visualize myself as one of the old school bodybuilders from back in the day, I
realize I’m not at that level but come on, a little exercise while baking in
the sun and looking at nature won’t kill you, who knows, a girl might come up
and ask what you’re up to and you just have this big smile on your face. Just
doing a few flexes and having fun with the people with you or just yourself,
who cares who’s looking at you; you’re having fun that’s what really matters.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Make Just About Any Angle Your Strength
The legendary Catch Wrestler Karl Gotch once said that to become strong and agile you always work your muscle from every possible angle. Muscles grow and look larger than life but like everything else there’s a consequence, if you work too much muscle and not enough of your tendons, you will be more vulnerable to injury. Isometrics is the key method not to just hit a muscle from a certain angle but every angle imaginable. Holding a certain position and hammering in only that particular spot will give you a sense of great strength from that position. One of the beauties of Isos is if you hit a spot where you can’t go anywhere else, that’s where you press, pull, squat or whatever to get beyond that position and no matter how you slice it, your strength will skyrocket with enough practice.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Big Muscles Don’t Mean Jack Shit
In every major muscle magazine, you’ll find a minimum of 3
articles that “teach” you how to build giant looking muscles. Come on are you
fucking kidding me, most of these guys can’t write a single program that shows
any realistic approach to building massive muscles with functional strength.
Having big muscles can actually ruin your chances of having success in your
exercise program, sure some are genetically built to have big muscles and still
find a way to be extremely flexible and very strong. If you don’t believe that
then take a look at a couple of muscle bound looking guys I know of.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Steel Cords From Isometrics
Picture for a moment and see your tendons and ligaments as if they were cords of steel and it would take a ton of pressure to break if they can break. Those cords are not only stupid strong but just as supple with a dose of great flexibility and power at the same time. Would you want that kind of strength? I bet you do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)