Advancing In Short Bending

 

When it comes to being a strongman in the old-time style, one of the main feats to perform is bending a short piece of steel whether it is a nail, bolt, spike, rod or even an extremely tough piece of silverware. Steel Bending is one of the toughest forms of strength there is period. Anyone can lift a weight or pick up an object one way or another but to bend steel is a whole different realm.

 There are different types of Steel to bend. There are even pieces of steel that my not be of the same structure, for example when you bend a 60D Penny Nail, you can find certain types of that nail that can be as easy as it can get but that next nail may not take it so lightly. I have experienced about three types of 60D nails that are extremely easy, a few that are difficult and even one type I can’t bend at all because the structure is different, the size is the same but the steel isn’t. You will come across this in your bending endeavors and be careful what you find and learn the aspects of different steel.

 Progression in Steel Bending is like anything else, you start with that are easy and build yourself up, once that becomes too easy, find ones that are slightly more difficult, after that you find ones that are extremely tough and practice with those. The best form of training for steel bending next to progression is Isometrics. Isometrics give you that positional strength with the case of bending if you hit a spot you can’t bend; you do an isometric contraction until it becomes your strong point.

 The very best benders in the world have frequently used Isometrics to destroy the toughest of short bending objects and because of Isometrics; they have built a level of strength that can be only explained by experience. One of the biggest names in the old-time strongmen-lore is the great Alexander Zass. He was the man at one time in Europe that mangled more steel then anyone at that time, his trademark was long piece bending but he was no stranger to the short styles and what was his main form of conditioning? You guessed it Isometrics. You can find a new book devoted to the beloved Strongman here.

 Whether you’re a performer or a person who wants to have insane strength, short bending is an art and builds levels of strength that you can’t even imagine. Picture this when you learn about Steel Bending….

 

Iron Cord like Forearms

 

Powerful Wrists

 

Hands as tough as rock

 

A strong upper body

 

Eagle Claw like Fingers

 

Tendons that are as strong as Steel

 And there’s plenty more but you get the jist of what I’m saying. I want you to do what you love and if you’re not into Steel Bending that’s fine, there’s plenty of other feats to choose from and many of them are worth putting on a show for because no matter how you slice it, every one loves a strongman.

Learning From The Man Himself

I have been good friends with Logan Christopher for roughly over seven years. He alongside Tyler Bramlett aka Duke T McB are the top two men that let me in the Physical Culture world and taught me everything I know and have learned from some of the best teachers in the game both personally and through courses plus over the phone conversations. If there’s one thing I’m grateful in the world of fitness it’s from them.

 When you have training partners that are also good friends, your training will push you beyond your own abilities. Just because they’re friends has never meant taking it easy on me. Every time I’m around them or Logan in particular, he always has me try some crazy thing like when he had me over at his house when I was in Cali recently he gave a grade 5 hex bolt to bend which I have never even made a kink in my life, since Logan was there to guide me a bit within moments I bent that little monster about ¾ of the way or near full bend and I was shocked.

 Training alongside Logan has been an honor since day one. Believe it or not, he’s seen some of my firsts and possibly some of my only feats such as….

 

First 60 penny nail bend

 

First Grade 5 Bend

 

Falling Back Into A Bridge, Kick over and back

 

Holding a 125 lb. dumbbell with a 2 inch thick handle for ten seconds

 

My one and only time doing 83 reps in 5 min. 53 lb. KB snatch test (never attempted before or since)

 So as you can see, he’s a true coach to me and one of the coolest cats on earth. One of the best things I’ve learned from him and others is how we all help each other get better, its not always who’s better or badder, it’s how we help each other advance in our own training. Personally I know how good I’am but lets face facts, I wouldn’t be that damn good without the Renaissance Man watching my back. I will always be indebted to him for helping me find my own path in Physical Culture.

 Last thing before I brag too much about the Ponytailed freak of nature, when you have good friends to train with, things are a lot more fun and more interesting because you learn new things from one another and teach each other different styles, hell as great the man is, I even taught a couple things but that’s the beauty of it. Having fun is what it’s all about, trust me its better to go through life having fun than being serious and dull. If you have friends out there that you train with, help each other and learn from one another but never forget that the one person you need to train with is not one of your buddies but yourself. Have fun and make things interesting.   

Hard Training= Harder Rest

Every workout should be a small challenge but I believe at least once work a week or a month should be one of the toughest you’ve ever put yourself through. Bust your ass for the exercises that give you the best results and hit them hard with a vengeance.

 Resting is a major factor in your training because rest means recovery and you learn to give your body its time to relax. When I mean rest I don’t always mean between sets, I mean by sleep and letting the body recover overnight. After a hard and brutal session, you’d want to get a good night’s rest which builds hormone levels and builds your metabolic state.

 If there was ever a day I needed to Rest more than anything else was one of the most brutal days of my life. I spent the morning and early afternoon training on hand balancing and even doing some Rock Climbing which I’ve never done in my life. After that tough part of the day, I went to the gym with my sister and her husband and did some brutal lifts with crazy heavy dumbbells, including low reps on the pulldowns up to 270 lbs. and went for reps at the pec deck which maxed at 240 lbs. Pull-ups were added in and plenty of stretching. After the gym, jumped in the pool and did some swimming to cool down my body after a brutal day of training. Can you say insane?

 At the Rock Climbing gym I got to train alongside The Duke and The Renaissance Man a.k.a Tyler Bramlett and Logan Christopher. These 2 were going at it with Handstands, Climbing and various holds that need to be seen to believe. I’ve had a few sessions with these bad asses before and every time I train with them there’s some thing magical in the air.

 When you train this hard or anything hardcore at all, it’s very important you let your body heal and I don’t mean sitting on the couch all day. Sleep and let the body heal itself, eat plenty of natural foods to give your body the nutrients for fast recovery and do little exercises here and there to keep your blood flowing and exercise the joints to keep from injury. Your body adapts to different progressions in whatever you’re doing and it’s not necessary to go hard every day, some of that can lead to injury. Resting your body should be equaled to the training itself as in terms of ratio and various workouts.

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.

 A great notion about isometrics is the way it burns off fat in ways you duplicate with regular cardio exercise and/or weights. The amount of exertion to not move a single muscle but to contract so hard, fat is literally running out of your body is a miracle in itself. Imagine your entire body as if it’s one big steel rod that’s so powerful its scary. Think of having those Popeye forearms having held an isometric whether for 10 seconds or 1 minute, what would it feel like? One of the greatest strongmen of all-time Slim The Hammerman pointed out that just building muscles may not be quite enough to develop the strength you need but to develop your tendons, that’s real power. Arthur Saxon knew this, Bruce Lee knew this, Alexander Zass knew it too and many other physical culturists knew the secret to super strength was tendon strength.

 Isometrics can be done anywhere at anytime. Making them a habit is a key to your vital success in strength, health, mind power, even cardio and flexibility. If you learned Isometrics the way Bud Jeffries and the other old-time strongmen did them, you can create so many attributes into one session and it won’t take you that long either. You want cardio training from isometrics, hold certain positions for about 3 minutes, that’s nothing or is it? Want muscle building; try doing Muscle Control for 10 minutes and find out if you hadn’t gotten a pump yet. This type of training can break through your weak points in every exercise you do, again hold certain points and keep going until you have hit your range of motion. This is one of the best for rehab, pressing a weight, doing pull-ups, going a little further in a stretch; it’s all there for you to take.

 Arguably the greatest wrestler of all-time Gama took isometrics to a level no one before or since has mastered. As a little boy until his competition years, he would get up every morning and tie a belt around a tree and with all his might; he never took down the tree but yet when he wrestled, he threw his opponents like they toys and most of the men he wrestled were monsters not little guys. He once threw a champion wrestler 13 times in 13 minutes, you how much the man weighed, almost 300 lbs. of pure muscle. That is power and strength. When you practice Isometrics, you can learn to exert so much force that it can be the equivalent to doing an insane amount of reps. Want to know another story, how about letting Bud Jeffries tell it and believe me, knowing this story is one of the biggest inspirations to learning this type of training.

 When you exert so much force and with the proper breathing, your muscles will begin to take on a form of great vascularity and muscle pump that you can’t possibly achieve with anything else. One guy who takes vascularity to the max at a level that only a handful have achieved including the greats Bruce Lee and Alexander Zass is my boy Matti Marzel at www.ferociousstrength.com. If you watch some of his videos bending steel, you will notice that during the bends his muscularity changes and for brief moments shows the shrededness of his physique that is just in awe and needs to be seen to believe. The closest I’ve ever seen a man his size have that much muscularity is Bruce Lee and I stand by that statement.

 A key secret in superhuman strength through isometrics is not how much exertion you put into it but how your mind brings to the exertion whether it’s 40% of your power or 100%, the mind makes the body strong so when applying isometrics, dive into the mental side as well and the physical will come right after. This type of training can take you to levels of strength that can only be explained by experience and by those who are best to teach it.

Opening Your Mind To A Whole New World

When it comes to mental strength, people look at certain methods that help open the mind but not enough to walk through the door itself, very few methods do this such as some meditation, chi kung, postures in yoga or even muscle control can be a form of mental training. I have practiced this type of method and it’s given me a new look of the world both reality and imaginative and that’s coloring Mandalas. Mandalas are the different shapes and sizes of patterns that can have many angles and never knowing which one’s come next. To me it’s the adult version of a coloring book.

 Coloring in a Mandala takes practice but it’s a fun and healthy practice as you look inside your mind and see which colors go with certain patterns and shapes. Sometimes depending on your mood, you will find colors to draw in based on that particular mood and you won’t even realize how you did it. The best way in my opinion from personal experience to color mandalas is to use big bright colors that sparkle throughout the patterns and each color represents what you have brought to life. The beauty of this is, there’s no right or wrong and you don’t need to think too much about it. After good practice and finding what colors suit you, you can make your own masterpiece and turn it into your own Picasso or Degas painting that just captures the human eye and opens up a world only you possess and feel as your own.

 As far back as ancient Asian and Egyptian cultures, developing patterns and drawing was a form of meditation to teach the mind and body how to see the world through their own eyes. The Samurai are famous for this type of meditation because they weren’t just trained for battle and the life of the sword but were trained in many arts to view the mind from many angles and from different backgrounds of the mental side of the martial arts.

 One of the very keys to practice while coloring mandalas is to not concentrate so much on what colors go with what pattern, it’s to just learn to be calm and instinctive and opening up your imagination. Just choosing a color to go with a certain pattern isn’t going to help you be calm and instinctive, you choose the colors but the colors will do the work for you as you instinctively color in that pattern that gives you inner comfort and gives you the power to create what you want. This is one of the best ways to be creative because when you look at various patterns no matter how big or how small, you will find one way or another to use your imagination and see the colors in your mind. Even better is to come up with your own patterns and coloring them in. There are pre-made patterns you can find on the net and print them out so you can do what you want with them.

 The great end to coloring mandalas is what comes to life after whether 10 min or 1 hour of drawing it. Bringing a mandala to life is one of those moments that just give you a rush of pure unbelievable happiness that only happens when you make it happen. One way to look at it is, breathing is essential in all forms of training whether physical, mental and spiritual and when you breathe into your mandala, it almost seems like as if reading about God breathing life into Adam and becoming this awesome being with feeling, a body and a soul that is born innocent and pure. Not that I’m religious or anything but for those that are, drawing mandalas is one way to look at different aspects such as that notion from the bible. Find your own mandala, create it the way you want, not how it should be but what you make it to be.

 As kids, coloring was fun to do and saw different drawings of animals and designs of cartoonish delights, as a painter, you see the color and picture beforehand and you grasp it as if you can reach out and touch it with your very own hands, sculptors have that exact same passion and mandalas are no different. At the bottom you’ll see a mandala I colored in over a year ago and it’s still as beautiful today as it was being colored in at the time I did it. It’s fun to see something you can appreciate not just as a person but a creative individual.

Training Like A Superhero

Ever since we were children, we were fantasized by the extraordinary powers of Super Heroes, if you were a DC Comics fan, you were in awe of Superman, loved the gadgets of Batman, wanted to wear the ring of the Green Lantern and if you were a woman, you wanted to battle like Wonder Woman. As a Marvel fan, you wanted to see Spiderman swing through the streets of New York, watched and read about the X-Men and wanted to triumph like Captain America and so on and so forth. Super Heroes are our every fantasy of being strong, fight for injustice and have powers beyond belief than you come back to reality and for some your life sucks to you. It doesn’t always take a Super Hero to do extraordinary things, some people are just like you and me but when that light turns on and you have to run from a mugging or rescuing someone, you can find the strength that goes beyond the levels of your own abilities and I’m here to tell you, you can make those things a reality.

 In reality, we can’t even fathom of having powers or the great minds of our favorite Super Heroes but we can however with the right amount of training, we can turn on that imaginative switch and have the power to pull off many things we couldn’t do before. Think of the Flash, to me he’s the fastest hero next to Superman with blazing speed and explosive strength. Increasing your speed isn’t that far of a stretch. If you learned to tap into your mind on how you can bring your speed up even a small percentage would you do it? If you want blazing speed, you do sprints or move in an exercise very fast. Doing this will not only build your explosiveness but will jump start your metabolism like a bat out of hell. Another look at increasing your speed is through Isometrics. Isometrics teaches you to hold a certain position and stay there, in other words a non moving exercise. If you don’t believe me try it out for yourself.

 When it comes to reflexes, I immediately see Captain America or Spiderman. Their senses are so keen and accurate that whatever jumps at them turns to dust. One of the best ways to learn your reflexes is playing handball, take a tennis ball and bounce it off a wall and see how quick you catch it. One guy who emphasized this greatly was the late Karl Gotch. Reflexes help your awareness and your accuracy to react quickly. Reacting to something will help poise your confidence to get a sense of things around from every possible angle.

 No hero used a hammer better than the Mighty Thor. Hammers are the axes of explosive power, strength, and lever strength. We are fascinated on how a hammer can be used in ways that can’t be duplicated with weights, machines or even bodyweight exercise. It’s also a great stress reliever and you want to pound the living hell out of a tire. To learn Hammer Strength is to take up just that and practice many elements from levering to swinging to holding and everything in between.

 If you took the strongest men on the planet and molded then together, you still won’t have the strength like the Incredible Hulk. Back in the late 70’s, Lou Ferrigno brought the tall, green and powerful to the Silver Screen and nobody did it better than he did. To have that much strength to the point where it would make Hercules scared out of his wits is to build a level of mind and body together to create a level of strength that’s beyond belief. In the movies you see Hulk throw tanks, choppers, and toss cranes like they were softballs. How would that would a realistic approach to training for Hulk-Like strength and power? Progressing lifting heavy objects is one way to do it but if you don’t have access to a gym or weights, you can always find a way to do tire flips, toss kegs, lifting logs, holding up heavy barrels or do partial lifting and get the most bang for your buck. Creating this level of strength has to come from the mind as well and learn to surge that power and tap into level of electrical charge that resides in all of us.

 Spiderman is really the only superhero that has somewhat of a normal build, lean, not heavily muscular and has great definition but has enormous strength for his size and you can develop that as well. If there were any real Spidermen in the world it would be rock climbers, those dudes are just freakishly strong and can climb up the highest of mountains. Another way to be a bit of a web-swinger is learning the strength and agility of a gibbon where you brachiate on your hands like in hand balancing or moving across the monkey bars at the park. Progressing in this manner takes patience but with time you can move in ways that the average person would run for the hills from. Almost like becoming a real life Tarzan. If there was a real life Spiderman in the fitness world, Brad Johnson would be just that. The way he moves is just insane and nobody can do pull-ups like he can.

 We all have special powers within us whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual it all depends on what gives you the most benefit to develop powers of your own. Finding that power within you is more reachable than you would believe. Once you find it and can tap into it anyway you want, you will see what it’s like to have great powers and using them to benefit your goals and to help others. Practice them, learn them and tap into them the best way you can possible because there’s no greater feeling than developing your own superhuman powers.

Kids & Exercise

When you’re a baby, everything is new to you and you explore all sorts of things. Babies are the most observant at this stage of life. As things progress, you begin to crawl, stand, take a few steps than before you know it, you’re off and running. As we get older, we lose sight of being observant and wanting to explore and new things.

 “The world is a mighty big place” which was said by great author and Physical Culture specialist Brooks Kubik. As we get older, the ability to learn increases but the will to learn is very different. Exercise should be one of those frontiers that needs to be explored as much as possible to see what works for us and what doesn’t, gives us the best results, helps us recover after a hard workout and what to use to make our bodies stronger. Wild animals are no different except for the fact they don’t know or even realize that they’re training. A young cub or ape learns its environment through movement and observing the surroundings plays with its own kind to train them for survival.

 Getting older is something we can’t control but we can also grow younger by using the right mindset. Taking a lesson from Peter Pan who never grew up (Unless you saw the movie Hook), he gave us the chance to see what it’s like to have fun and smile with the best of intentions also fighting for what we believe in. My best friend’s dad is the ultimate grown up kid in my opinion and although he lives a responsible life helping his wife and having raised 4 kids, he still treats everyday as if it were a kick ass day (most of the time).

 Training like a wild animal teaches both kids and adults how to have fun and not worry of just exercising but making it worth while and get to explore new ideas of movement and wonder. Kids today need more of that structure than ever before because of the rise in obesity and children not getting enough exercise in both school and out of school. When I was a kid going to daycare, I ran around all the time and playing with the other kids and doing wild and crazy imaginative stuff, I still get to do that for myself now in my late 20’s and still wanting to explore and shoot for new ideas to play around with.

 Kids deserve to be healthy and strong and teaching them a structured form of exercise is not only to keep them from getting diseases like heart problems and diabetes but exercise has been shown to increase the strength of the brain which means they can grow smarter in certain cases so the blood flow is just right. You don’t even have to tell them its exercise it’s more like play and adults can learn this too. Play tag, race, and create an obstacle course or whatever you’d like to do but also do it with them. Family exercising is a great thing to do not just to help you get in shape but for your kids as well and only needing a few minutes before they play video games or watching TV. There are kids however that have certain issues like a disability or are hyper even at a low self-esteem and exercise can help balance those things out.

 Nap time is crucial for a child’s development when it comes to growth and giving the adult some time to relax, put the kid through a little animal exercise by helping him pick out his favorite animal, play with him and sooner or later he’s going to want to sleep whether he likes it or not.  Children need structures but it doesn’t need to have corporal punishment or as a way of torturing the kid but to help him enjoy his disciplines and giving him/her the chance to learn responsibility in a safe and fun manner. It’s all about giving them what they deserve without them ever knowing it.  

The Ultimate Warriors Of Strength & Health

Sounds like a kick ass title huh? Well hate to disappoint you but this isn’t such a positive one. This is mainly a comparison of an 80’s wrestler that took the world by storm but led a series of downfalls and how that’s like with a lot of guys in the fitness industry today. Back in the mid-late 80’s a mighty wrestler full of muscle, charisma and drawing ability captivated crowds and was even thought to be a successor of Hulk Hogan. The man’s name was Jim Helwig better known as The Ultimate Warrior.

 Like anything in business, sports, entertainment you want to make an impact, being different and having a unique look. Warrior certainly had that impact as his ability to draw a crowd was only matched closely to the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and a few others of that era. The way he would run to the ring and shake the ropes, clothesline his opponents and press them up overhead and toss them like rag dolls. The last time I ever saw him wrestle was during his last run in the mid 90’s in the WWE. Warrior certainly was cool looking and was built like he was carved from granite.

 Charisma can be a powerful tool and it captivates someone’s attention and draws them in. That’s a lot like the fitness experts and bodybuilders of today, you’re drawn to their look and how they present a presence that you can’t help but notice. This is where looks can be deceiving and no matter how much you’re drawn to their presence, there’s a dark cloud hanging over them, not all but quite a few.

 One of the things you will learn about Warrior was that as much as he was a crowd favorite, the fact of the matter is he was a horrible wrestler, didn’t know any good holds, had the reputation for not making too many moves look good and didn’t really care at all for wrestling. Money and Fame was his primary goal and I would find it hard to believe he had any history of the business and just wanted to be a crowd pleaser, take his check and just go to the next town. A lot of trainers today are like that too, they’ll show you a few things then leave you in the dust just to get a large check. If you took on at minimum of 10 trainers in gold’s or spa fitness gym, how many actually know their history? Truth is less than one most likely and the only two people they would ever really know of are Jack Lalanne and Arnold Schwarzenegger, maybe Lou Ferrigno but that’s about it. It’s really sad to say the least.

 It pisses me off so much at times that you have an expert in the field of fitness and they hardly have any history background on the world of Physical Culture. Go to a modern gym just about anywhere today and mention names like Otto Arco, John Grimek, Maxick, Martin “Farmer” Burns, Bernarr MacFadden, Karl Gotch, Fred Grubmeyer, The French Apollon, Arthur Saxon and quite possibly the original Hulk George Hackenshmidt. You’d be lucky to find one trainer that knows two of those names, if any higher; he’s not your typical modern trainer.

 Another unique and quite frankly a bizarre trait of the Ultimate Warrior is the way he did promos and interviews. 80% of the time you wouldn’t know a damn thing of what he just said, it sounded cool but it was confusing the rest of the time. He almost like he spoke in tongues and was high as a kite for some of the things he talked about, like the planets or some evil warlock on a distant earthly place and the gods in the heavens it was just breathtakingly awful. Some guys today have that same concept, they try to tell you an exercise and some of the time you wouldn’t have a clue of they’re actually saying. The way they hype themselves up like on the cover of a magazine or bring out a fresh new product on the infomercials that looks great at some point but in the end when you get the product it looks like crap and you thought it would great to get because of what was advertised. It’s one thing to believe in what you’re doing is right, it’s another thing when you show no signs of any life when you keep going in different directions and people won’t know where you’re coming from.

 It’s really deceiving when someone believes in their own hype. Warrior is no exception when his ego reached a brink when he actually changed his name to Warrior and got rid of his original name Jim Helwig. Why he did it, no one knows but one thing is for sure, that spotlight will always have a glare in his eye and never wants to let go of it. Fitness gurus have some of those same problems and never realize it is a problem till it’s too late. One bodybuilder who I won’t mention was a semi big star in his time and had muscles everywhere and had 23 inch arms and can pull off the best poses of his competition, after doing so much steroids and drugs over the years the guy can’t even curl a 45 pound barbell anymore because of the overbearing muscle he has and his tendons are shot to hell.

 It’s never a good idea to let fame get to your head no matter how famous you are because it will take a toll on you physically, emotionally and psychologically. Once that light goes out, it’s very difficult to get that back. Money and Fame are just words but people take it beyond levels of bad nature and just lose sight of what’s really important. Never lose sight of who you truly are and although you can be quite a character, don’t ever turn into that character. Find who you are and stick with it, be your own person and not some outlandish figure with a thirst for power. Make use of who you are and don’t ever forget where you came from good or bad because in the end, somewhere in your heart there’s good in you and you have the power to make that happen.

Got Carpal Tunnel???

This has become a common ailment more then any other time in history. You’re at an office typing all day, playing an instrument till you can’t stand it, gripping too hard on something and yet you can be in a cast for long periods of time if you hurt the fingers. Should it be common to be in handed cast, unable to use your hands the way they’re meant to? I really don’t think so but society today gives people certain things that not only hurts their hands but destroys joints and tendons. If you want to prevent this from happening then you need to learn to keep your hands healthy and strong.

 Another common theme in carpal tunnel is surgery and does it really help? Are your hands any stronger or healthier from being repaired? Most of the time the answer is no because it’ll happen again and before you know it, your hands will be so messed up, you won’t be able to pick up even a toothbrush. Our hands were designed to repair things, fix things, write, pick up, twist and circulate many things that are needed. Now if your hands are so severe from broken bones and don’t have much of a chance than that’s an exception but the fact of the matter is, a broken hand will heal. I have hand problems all my life and don’t have much nerve control on my right hand yet I won’t let that stop me from doing the things I love to do and be able to help people when they need me.

 I firmly believe without a doubt you can heal your hands without surgery and you can make them stronger and healthier then at any other time in your life. When you find the right exercises, you will find out what it’s like to have pain-free hands that flow like water with rich oxygenated blood flowing with strong tendons and ligaments that can tear off a person shirt or even in my physical culture brethrens' cases bend steel and be able to handle use the hands that will have you gasping. It is not too late to have powerful but graceful hands and fingers.

One of the greatest athletes with lightning fast hands was Bruce Lee. The way he handled other martial artists was second to none and his punching and kicking wasn’t just strong, he can also do push-ups with ease on his FINGERTIPS!!!! His fingers and hands were so strong that he can knock a heavy weight man back 5-10 ft from an inch away. Imagine having that kind of power.

 I have known athletes, musicians, entertainers, postal workers, strongmen and carpenters and each one of them must have an immense amount of hand strength to work specific things at a high level. Three musicians I know, a Pianist, cellist and a guitarist all have a gift to play their instruments at a level where everything is precise and graceful with raw emotion and power in their hands that where if none of these attributes were in play, they wouldn’t be able to do their specific instrument.

 Strongmen need strong hands to be able to lift heavyweights, bend steel, rip phonebooks, Juggling kettlebells ect. If they’re hands weren’t strong or fluid, it would be impossible to demonstrate mind-blowing feats of strength. Postal workers are very fluent in how they sort mail and carry loads of it to the trucks, this requires some strength in the hands and fingers otherwise the mail won’t be going anywhere.

 Carpenters have some of the toughest hands around because of the stress that’s put on their hands with tools ranging from hammering, nailing, twisting and holding down certain objects in order to be cut or sawed. The strongest fingers and hands definitely go to climbers whether rock, mountain or even climb and move around certain obstacles on Ninja Warrior.  Rock climbers are the closest to the primates (Apes and monkeys) that have that raw, animalist strength and tendon power that you can’t help but be in awe of. Without those strong hands, don’t look up if you see a guy fall.

 Grip strength and Grip agility is essential not just in certain professions but for daily life. How often do you have trouble opening a jar pickles, most likely often. If you’re hurt and you can’t use your hands than you’re screwed and what can you really do? If you want to be pain-free and have hands that are steel cords but flow like a river than you must learn to use certain exercises that will make that happen.

 A good friend of mine named Garin Bader who is the creator of Core Force Energy, has been a pianist and athlete all his life and very rarely if ever had problems with his hands and this is after learning martial arts to practicing 8-13 hours a day playing the piano to even gliding across the stage on a silk swing during his Musical Magic performances. If you were ever to learn about having powerful and fluid hands, this is the man to learn from.

 Training this way can help heal and revitalize the hands’ circulation and give them the ability to breathe with strength and power in ways you never have imagined before. Don’t ever worry about Carpal Tunnel again and give your hands the food they need in order to help your life in the ways you want to make happen. Never worry about surgery, don’t get hurt opening a door and really don’t trash your hands to the point where they’re use is slim to none. Make those hands strong and your whole body will be strong.  

Are You Not Entertained????

This is the very first guest article in the near 5 years of Power & Might....Please show some love for my man and fellow Physical Culturist, Matti Marzel.....

Is this not why you are here?

Yeah I know, a very weird way to open up an article. But I have very good reasons to start an article this way with these exact questions! Let me explain further…

These 2 questions and the movie scene they come from, have a lot to do with Training and with getting MAJOR RESULTS from your Training in the long run! You see, ALL the very STRONG dudes in the world see their Training as a Fun Journey, an Interesting Quest, or Wild Adventure! Think I’m making this up? Go head and think whatever the hell you like. But instead of being close-minded (like most of the population is nowadays), put all your disbeliefs & pre-programmed thoughts aside and be open-minded for a second and bear with me!

Let’s take an PRIME example of a person that looks at his Training as an Crazy, Wild & Fun Adventure! Yours truly, that’s right! Me, Myself & I! I take myself as an example, because I know more about myself then anyone else in the world, and especially the Physcial Culture World!

The way I look at my own Training, wether it’s in the shortrun or the longrun, is this: Before I train, I take a deep breath, go visualize while I’m under Hypnosis, use Affirmations to install more and greater beliefs in myself, and then I also trigger & fire Anchors in my mind and connect that to my body! After I’v done that and I’m already in a very calm, deep, relaxed & energized state, then I watch a movie scene, listen to music or think about a specific thought in my head!

In this case, we’ll take the movie scene from the CLASSIC movie “Gladiator”! Once I went through all the Visualization, Hypnosis, Affirmations & Anchors. I take (in this case) the “Are you not entertained” movie scene and summon up & call upon specific emotion(s) when I see it, thus using emotional content and channeling those emotional contents in my body and connecting them with the Anchors that I triggered & Fired in my head previously! Put those 2 together, the Emotional Content & the Anchors, and you’ll get Emotional Anchors! You also want to look deeper into Goosebumps and the huge benefits they providde! Wich I go into way more and in deeper details in my FREE Bonus Opt-in report! Wich you can claim on the right hand side of my site once you’ve signed up/subscribed with your name and e-mail adress! Once you’ve read the WHOLE report, you’ll have a way deeper & better understanding of what I’m talking about!

So that’s the FIRST example as to why these questions have to do with Training! Now that we’ve covered the first and MOST important part, let’s move on to the second part, wich is the Training itself! I’m telling you right here and right now! If YOU don’t see and look at your Training as an Fun Journey, an Interesting Quest, or Wild Adventure (or ALL of them together!). Then you’re basically wasting your precious time! Why? Because having these Emotional Content mixed together and intergrated into your Training and every being of your body makes the Training a LOT better, more time efficient & effective in the longrun! And that’s exactly where I’m aiming at in this article: the Longrun!

In other words: Training HARD, Intensively & Productively into very old age! Wich is something a lot of people want, wether they admit it or not! Even when they don’t really know it, it’s somewhere deep inside of them and once they realize it and are smart enough to take actions, then they would enjoy their Training Adventure/Quest/Journey a lot more! Guarenteed!

I’d say the #1 Reason why most of the worlds population don’t want to live into very old age (80+ and above), is because they think & have been brainwashed by the stupid dumbing down society, that when you reach the age of 70, that it’s ALL downhill from that point on. In other words, you can’t possibly become STRONGER, Healthier, More Resillient & Powerful at that age, no way man. But, is that the truth? I’m pretty sure that even the most sickest and weakest people in their old age know and realize somewhere in the back of their minds, that they could STILL be very STRONG, Powerfull, Healthy & Robust! Even when they have reached the age of 70 and beyond.

Being sick and weak at that age, wich is basically just a LACK of excersise & movement (Plus living a sedentary lifestyle, sitting too much, eating junk & crap, not sleeping enough etc. etc.). And that goes for the Body as well as the MIND! And in my humble opinion, the mind even more so then the body. The mind has got to be trained as intensively, hard and dilligently as the body! That way you’ll age Gracefully, Healthy and Strongly, with a lot of life & enthousiasm left in you!

And that brings me to another point of this whole discussion. The reason why almost EVERYBODY in the world loves movies, series & games so much, is because, to be quite honestly, they’re live is just BORING as hell without them. Just think about this for a second, the average Joe goes about his life living like half a robot. He wakes up to an alarm clock (BARF!), hates his own guts because he got woken mercilessly out of his deep sleep (wich is VERY Important btw! And I will deliberate on that in future articles) by that annoying f-cking sound. Then he goes to work, he’s working and socializing with people that he could give a f-ck less about. Acts (as in acting) and puts on a fake smile & persona when he’s at work (most of the time, not always, again this is an example!). Feels even shittier about himself, because he can’t do the things in life he truly enjoyes from deep inside his heart and soul!

Then when the time for work is over, he gets back home. Then he has to do as much FUN stuff as he can, wich is inevitably a lot of sitting and watching the Idiot Box a.k.a TV (wich I said before, but I will say it again, because it’s worth repeating: it’s very bad for you!), but he doesn’t have the time to do ALL of the things he wants to do. And he knows that he has to Train, everbody needs to train, for the reasons discussed earlier and to keep it that way into very old age, and then some! So then he comes up with EXCUSES, wich are actually LIES in Disguise and worth NOTHING! So he makes up these lies and keeps on telling it to himself day in and day out! Untill he reaches an age where his metabolism (wich is very CRUCIAL for anti-aging properties and a whole lot more!) starts to slow down to almost an halt! Wich leaves him feeling older, weaker, more tired, crappier, sicker & basically ready for the SCRAP YARD, so to speak.

But NOOOO, not excersising, god forbid he trains hard, sweats, breathe heavy and actually becomes a lean, mean fighting machine. Because that’s not important at all right? No, it’s better to live an UNFULLFILLING piece of shit life, where you feel like CRAP 90% of the time, if not more. Getting the frustrations out on your loved ones, and basically at the end of the day disrespecting & dishonouring YOURSELF! Wich in my opinion, is so stupid and retarted to do, but hence, MOST people nowadays do that to themselves, men and women alike. Yeah, go figure. In this day and age? What the hell is this world coming to? Right?

Obviously when I said that Excersising & Training is not important, I was being VERY Sarcastic. For the strong dudes, women, family, friends & people that know me, they knew that already. But for the people that are reading this for the first time and only just signed up or started to read articles on my site not so long ago. I’m telling them (YOU!) that I’m being sarcastic over here! Actually being so damn sarcastic makes me feel like CRAP, but I do it for a very good and legit reason, and that is to teach YOU, whoever you are that is reading this, that it doesn’t have to be that way and that you can definitely take charge of your life. Grab it by the throat, shake it upside down and take control of it however you want!

And there’s where Training and living this kind of lifestyle comes in very handy and feels like an Awesome Movie-like Adventure! I literally wake up everyday and say to myself: HELL YEAH, today I’m going on another Adventure, Quest or Journey! Just like Indiana Jones does in his movies (for example, and what a GREAT example that is!). I’m the hero of this Adventure and the good part is, I ALWAYS win in the end! Just like in the movies. First the Hero embarks (either by his own doing or not!) on the Journey, then he stumbles upon his enemy or enemies (wich are Plateaus, TOUGH Mental Excersises, Inner Fears & injuries etc.). He goes against them ALL by himself, fighting against any and all of them 1-by-1 or all together, and defeats them in the end!

In real life however, this translates into the fact that you can and WILL conquer your inner fears, blast through Plateaus, DESTORY & DEMOLISH the TOUGH Mental Excersises & Exterminate Injuries by outsmarting them!

If this doesn’t sound like a Phenomenal and Fun way to look at Training, Physical Culture and the whole lifestyle that goes along with it, then I don’t know what does. Looking at it, living and experiencing it in this way, and from this point of view, is EXACTLY like a movie! A wild thriller-horror-action movie that is! And guess what? YOU’re the Hero and Main Character of the whole damn thing!

So, my 2 Final questions for you, my friend are:

Are You Not Entertained? Is this not why you are here?

Go out there and Kill it like Aurelius Maximus in Gladiator, and give them a show they won’t forget in a lifetime! Go own your Training & most importantly: Your OWN Life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsqJFIJ5lLs

Have at it and Good luck in your Training!

In Strength & Health!

Matti Marzel!!!!!

P.S. If that scene didn’t get you Fired up, Psyched and Hyped as hell to Train Hard & Rip Sh*t up, then my friend, you got a BIG problem and you should check your Estrogen Levels, and Get them the hell out of your body and replace that with big dosesses of High Octane Testosterone! I know Mike Mahler would agree with me for a FULL 100% on this matter!

Can You Become Your Own Avenger? Pt. 5 The Final Chapter

It has come down to this, some of us have waited four years to see this movie come out, some have waited ever since they were a child reading the comic books.  Will it be a great movie? Who knows, it will however impact someone one way or another, I guarantee it. There are even some people who had dreams of becoming an Avenger and have a plethora of powers that will make them stronger, agile, burst with speed and even be more creative in their own endeavors. I’m here to tell you that if you want to become your own Avenger, you got to feel it and find the best resources to find your true powers and grasp them with might, vigor and vitality.

 For most in the Avengers world, we’ve all heard the stories of Thor and his mighty Hammer but what if we really wanted to know the secrets of Thor’s gift of strength and power? We all know Thor is a god among the four heroes yet how does a god get to that level? It really all starts from within. Becoming a god is no easy task and in reality there is nothing more powerful then god himself but yet we can become more powerful then ourselves. You have more power physically and spiritually than you can ever imagine. Just think for a second of having that power, how would you use it? Building yourself from the inside takes practice but at the same time with that practice a rewarding experience that will change the very essence of whom you are and where you want to go.

 The secret to creativity starts with a thought in mind. Being creative shows the uniqueness of who we are as a society not just as individuals. Look at the creativity Tony Stark aka Iron Man shows when he first made that Iron suit in a deep and dark fortress in the middle-eastern desert, as accomplished as he was for rebuilding an empire you can’t substitute success when your life is at stake and this is where he becomes dangerous when he sets his mind to create something that will reward his efforts in the end. In some cases we can relate to that, not building a suit but building our own lives for when we need to be creative the most. If you want to be at your best in any situation, you must have an open mind to find the best resources to create solutions or at least attempt to. It’s being creative that can become your very secret weapon of not only success but to endure the very worst and most of all, the very best of what you can accomplish that will put you ahead of the pack without ever knowing it.

 Captain America without question is the leader of the Avengers and although individually each hero has his/her own agenda, in the end it’s the leader that gets the big reward and the big letdown if he fails. That’s a huge responsibility and that goes for all leaders not just in war but in our society. When you decide to change the very brink of your own individuality whether its becoming fitter, stronger or creating a life that you want, it’s your responsibility to make those things happen and when you take a hold of it, that shows the mark of a true leader because when you lead yourself, you are ready for that next challenge and that’s leading others. Make it your mission to learn to be your own leader.

 I firmly believe that if you practice laser-like focus on anything you wish to accomplish, you want to find that precise accuracy that defines the realm between successes and failure. Look at agent Hawkeye, the most accurate shot of the Avengers. His ability to focus is staggering to say the least. The way he pin points his targets can easily be used in how someone in real life can go after a goal that will hit the nail right on the head. Reaching a goal is not easy and like Archery, you need to practice with the intent of hitting that center, goals are pretty much the same thing, will you accomplish every single goal you attempt? Not always but with practice and the right intent, you will find the right goals to shoot for and one way or another it’s going to hit the center like a bolt of lighting.

 Let’s face it, the Avengers kick major ass and however you slice it, no Avenger is greater than the other, each one has their own great qualities that can be served just as an individual as well as a team. Kicking ass has been a moniker of American culture since the Revolutionary War, wanting to tear down enemies with a vengeance is not only inspirational but at times it can be over the top annoying and out of context. When you really want to be an ass kicker you want a strategy in order to accomplish it but kicking ass doesn’t mean beating someone up or always becoming a solider and go off to war, being a real bad ass is taking charge of who you are and what you represent yourself with vigor, power and might. The real people who are the bad asses take charge of what makes them great and what they’re all about and that can make them dangerous. If you want to be an ass kicker, then learn from some of the best who are bad to the bone powerful and strong not just physically but mentally as well.

 Building your own team of Avengers is not easy but simple nonetheless. You want to build a team of people that have a keen sense of your interests and how each person can be just as important as the other. Each Avenger has his own strength to what he is and what he’s capable of but at the same time each one is very different but each share a common goal and that’s to bring peace to those who want to destroy it. Creating your team is like building a family that will stick with you through thick, thin and thinner and if you truly want to find a role in that team of individuals nothing can stop you. When it comes to a team in my field there are many and I hope I have a role within that team. That team represents the very best in strength and health and when you have a band of brothers and sisters all searching for the same thing, you have a force that will be the focal point of who we are not just as a team but as individuals who help each other.

 To be the very best at something, you got to want it more than anything in your whole life. The desire and drive to reach what you want to be is fierce and has no signs of slowing down and with time, you get better and better and you want to wake up each day feeling strong, confident and have a sense of vitality. One man’s desire to be the very best was none other than Slim The Hammerman. By day he was a rock cutter who destroyed tons and tons of rock, by night he turned into a powerful being of immense proportion as he attempted and later on accomplished being the strongest man at specific feats of strength with his trademark specialty being Hammer Levering. He not only made this happen but it came with a price but yet at the same time, it didn’t stop him from being the very best at what he wanted to do. I’ve known many guys over the years and only a handful ever had that dedication as Big Slim did. If you want to be the strongest person, you go and grab it and never let up on it, that doesn’t mean drop everything in your life but to be the very best you will make the time to do it and be serious about your goal but also build some fun around it because when you love something so much it doesn’t become a goal, it becomes an adventure.

 There are a lot of polls around the internet to see which Avenger you are. If you truly do those polls than you’re really second guessing yourself because there’s a big difference between general testing and observing yourself. If you want to find the true Avenger within you than you must find the qualities that resemble that particular Avenger but seriously though, don’t ever compare yourself to another person or fictional character because there’s more to life than comparing yourself to others. Want to know why I know this? Take one of those dumb ass polls and answer all the questions and I would bet you it won’t come out the way you want it, you’ll be disappointed and you’ll want to redo it over. If you want to become your own Avenger don’t look at something else, look at yourself and see what you can do to become more powerful and more resilient to things that can harm you. Learn to develop your powers from the qualities that you have and find a real positive way to amplify them to make them your own personal quest. That’s one of the true marks of becoming your own Avenger.

 Every Avenger has their a secret power or skill that makes them a valuable asset so why not learn your own secret to what can bring out the power that you truly possess. Learning to harness a powerful force inside you takes practice and there are no shortcuts to what you really want to learn but it can easily be a piece of what you really have and how you develop it. We all have a form of power within us one way or another and it’s different in each of us. The way to explain it is by experiencing it for you. There is an old saying “For those who believe, you don’t need to explain, for those that don’t believe no explanation will do.” If you truly want to harness the power that resides within you, then you got to believe in it, trust it and let it guide in anything that happens in your life.

 In every system of strength training there are tools that will help you achieve what you want but it’s not the tools that get you there, it’s how you use them to get you there. Take for instance, Thor’s Hammer, if you held that hammer in your hands what would it feel like? If you are an open-minded person, you would know that hammer is not just an object or an exercise token of strength, it’s the very presence that will captivate your attention and you will want to wield that hammer with fire, passion and strength and that’s why for most people, its cool looking but also intimidating. A true man or woman of character will take hold of that hammer and find a way to make it his/her strength and bring it to the forefront of making them the strongest they can be. Take a chance and you will see how you can go from being intimidated to the one who’s become intimidating.

 If you ever watched the movie or read the Comics then you know the Shield of Captain America. To me that’s the coolest looking shield ever in my opinion; it’s light, resilient to bullets, protects you and can be used as a weapon all in one form. Having a shield can help you on the road to success. In fitness becoming healthy and strong is a sure fire to shield you from disease and other things but most people either do one or the other and if that’s their choice good for them but I would like it to be more than that. To be both healthy and strong takes different forms and molding them together to create a powerful, creative piece. To really develop a shield physically would be one to train your tendons and ligaments through loosening the joints to doing isometrics. Building this kind of shield helps the body be less prone to injury and helps in recovery of the body’s stress through physical action. Another form of shielding is through strengthening the internal organs from training the body from the inside out. This could done through Muscle Control, a form of Qi Gong, again training the joints in various places and it could done through training the body to where you’re training really intensely for a few seconds and begin to breathe really hard. There are many ways to help shield the body so learn what you can.

 After Captain America realizes what this serum can do for him, he learns that his metabolism runs 4x faster than the average person and that helps him regenerate faster. What if you can have that power to regenerate and have a high metabolism? I would like to think you’ll have greater ability to recover, heal, get stronger, leaner and be able build great natural muscle. When you train hard, I mean really hard, your body’s nervous system kicks into overdrive and your hormones shoot through the roof. You have the ability to stimulate natural Growth Hormone at any age and it all can be done without lethal injections of steroids or taking pills and creams that can probably kill you. Your body is the fiercest machine of anything else on the planet. One way to build a high level of natural HGH is to do Hill Sprints or wind sprints at a track or long stretch of land. Look at how powerful looking sprinters and NFL running backs, they’re some of the most built athletes on the planet and not one was ever more of an exception then Herschel Walker. Doing this for a few seconds and resting for several minutes for very little sets can get your natural growth hormone kick it in gear faster than anything else. When you have a high metabolism and can generate natural muscle growth, you can have a lean body, eat what you want and have better recovery.

 Remember when I talked about Hawkeye? Learning about his Archery skills can actually help you in whatever it is you want in life. Pin point the target you wish to hit and aim for it with the best accuracy you can do, that’s the same as going after a goal and heading straight towards succeeding in it. Learn where to aim and let the universe take its course and put some action into it. Like in Archery, don’t aim too high or too low otherwise you won’t know where that arrow is going to go, aim straight forward and pierce through that point of space.

 Iron Man’s suits are a protective armor with a few weapons at his disposal. How about building your own armor mentally and building a defense strategy to help you get rid of those negative people who don’t want you to succeed or want to dump all their crap on you and making you feel worse. Most people teach in the ways of offensive strategies where you shoot for the goal in mind and run with it, that’s all well in good but what about protection? You need a strategy where you have a defensive line where you can prevent things from happening. One way to look at it is, picture in your mind having a source of great energy that no one you want to get through, it can be a brick wall or a circular form of electricity, either way you want something that works and helps you move forward and get those energy dwellers out of your hair so you can move down the road to success. Think of it as building imaginary armor and like Iron Man, have a few of your best weapons at your disposal. Building on this metaphor can increase your chances of succeeding at what you want if you really learn to harness it.

 Having great power, you have a responsibility to hold onto that power and use for a purpose and not for real personal gain to manipulate others. Each Avenger has their own power they're responsible for, one however is unable to control that power once it’s harnessed but with great concentration and using his intelligence with the best of his abilities, that power can be a great asset to his own curse. You make the choice to do what’s right for you and if you want to learn how you can use that true power within you, you must be responsible for how you use it.

 In my field the real guys don’t teach you how to fly or beat people up or even make you better then the next guy, we want to help you harness the power that can be used to help not only your life but for others. One example would be that I helped a friend move stuff into his Uhaul so he can get to his new place, he told me that’s one of the reasons I trained is to help others when they need it and get heavy things out of the way. There are many other examples but the fact of the matter is, when you train the way we teach you, you will get a better understanding of how fun and responsible it is to have strength and power not just for personal use but use it when it’s needed outside of the workouts, the exercises and the places we train in.

 So for this final chapter, learn the very best of what it takes to become your own Avenger and be there for those that need you in time of need. Harness the power from within and give yourself a chance to shine with the great strength you have developed. Nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams and if no one else believes you, there are those out there who do and I’m one of them. I believe in YOU and I believe in what you can accomplish.

Isometrics: A Golden Key To Super Human Strength

Although everything has been done in the world of Physical Culture we still have much to learn especially when it comes to Isometrics. If there were any true secrets in the realm of super strength, this is it. When done properly, Isometrics get you past plateaus that you never believed existed. It’s no wonder it is one of the most underrated forms of strength training. Those that know its secrets hold the power to unlock true super human powers.

 Focus is a cornerstone in any exercise system whether it’s Muscle Control, lifting a heavy weight, enduring rep after rep or even going long periods of time in one exercise but Isometrics takes on a whole new level of focus and laser-like concentration. It doesn’t matter if you hold a posture for 10 seconds or 10 hours, the focus is still needed and if your mind goes blank, your body will follow. Holding a wrestler’s Bridge for example takes great focus and concentration not just on the body but internally. The real secret to Isometrics is not how long you can hold a posture or how intense the contraction, the real powerful secret is how much internal power you develop.

 Have you ever watched guys like Dennis Rogers, Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher, Pat Poviliatis, Chris Rider and others like them in action? Some of the things they do are just mind blowing and flat out super human. My favorite form of training of these guys is Steel Bending. I would bet you dollars to donuts that you will get more of a reaction from any of these guys bending a extremely tough nail or bar than you would see someone lifting a 600 pound deadlift.

 Steel Bending is a style of strength training that is unique and builds a level of strength that you can’t get from a weight lifter or bodybuilder. I don’t care who you are or where you come from you will sweat and put everything in your body more from bending and shaping a steel bar 3ft or longer than you would going to the gym for an hour. How do you build that level of strength, from Isometrics? Hell yes you do and I’ll tell you why, because Isometrics gives you the power to give everything you have into one full out moment. Bending Steel is one of the best forms of Isometrics you can get.

 If there was ever an athlete that took Isometrics to a level that will never be duplicated is without a doubt quite possibly the world’s greatest wrestler, The Great Gama. Gama was known for his intense and brutal workouts ranging from swimming to wrestling for hours on end to his massive amount of repetitions in Push-ups and Squats and being famous for never losing one match in his entire career which extends to 5000 matches. What you may not have known unless you’re in the circle of Physical Culturists is that Gama was fierce with his takedown and throwing abilities to toss opponents left and right looking like a rag doll. One of his secrets to achieving that level of strength was every morning he would get up, tie a belt or some kind of strap around a tree and try with ferocious intensity and fiery power to take down that tree. He did other forms of Isometrics if I stand corrected but that was a move he was famous for and it made him not only a legend but a force that no one ever wanted to get in the ring with.

 Did I forget to mention that Muscle Control is a style of Isometrics? Damn, I must be slipping at almost 28 but seriously though, practicing the control of your muscles for contracting and relaxing is that of Isometrics and I believe arguably the two greatest superstars to ever do muscle Control was Maxick & Otto Arco. No two men before or since had a level of Muscle Control then those two gents right there. The flexion and extension of the muscles they contracted looked like balloons about to pop out of their veins but did it with grace, fluidity and control unlike anyone else in their time.

 Isometrics gets a bad rap these days because of how it develops blood pressure and that it does more harm than good and this and that but the truth is it’s really all a bunch of crap. If one took the time to actually learn this type of training, they will see that not only will they get stronger physically but internally as well. A lot of people including scientists believe that Isometrics is doing something extremely intense but yet the breath is being held. That’s where the high blood pressure comes in and the head aches, the pulled tendons and the ripped muscle tissue.

 A true Isometric contraction is in the breath. Just like any exercise you inhale and exhale during a movement or a hold. When you hold a posture, you don’t hold your breath now do you? You breathe deeply in order to keep that holding that posture. When you do an intense contraction say for ten seconds do not hold your breath, exhale with power and might. I believe the very best exhale you can do during a very intense contraction would be to make an “ssss” sound, when this happens your body is building more lung power and you’re not just contracting the muscle you want to flex but you’re also contracting the abdominals which in turn makes you strong throughout the entire body. When you hold a certain posture say like the Bridge or a downward facing dog (Hindu Push-up) or even hanging from a pull-up bar, you want to breathe deeply and picture as if you’re breathing into the muscles themselves, believing you’re giving them the oxygen they need to help stay in that posture longer.

 This has been a concept since ancient times and from the old-time yoga instructors to the old-time strongmen, the concept remains the same just in a different juncture. Practice Isometrics often and research the best ways to work them into your own training or just doing them as they are. If you look hard enough and are open-minded, you’ll find yourself in a whole new world of strength training that is better, healthier and more efficient to your bodies needs as oppose to the cardio machines and the pink dumbbells you see too many people doing plus those god damn weight machines that really don’t do diddly squat for you when it comes to functional strength and fitness. The old-timers had it figured out long before we were ever around, listen to them and they will help you, I guarantee it. 

Ferocious With A Vengence

As of late there have been a few strongmen popping up around certain areas around the world. Some ain't very legit and those few that are legit are far and in between. I can tell you first one of those legit strongmen is not only out there but he's hungry and full of fire and passion for the world of Physical Culture. That one man is Matti Merzel.

He burst onto the scene not too long ago compiling feats of strength that need to be seen to believe from bending and breaking wrenches, ripping phonebooks, 6000 Kettlebell Swings and one of the most awe-dropping Snatch test of 304 KB Snatches in 10 min. He hasn't been in the game very long but has already risen through the ranks of one of the fastest growing strongmen in the world today. His passion is unlike any other before or since. He has come into his own using influences by the best modern strongmen today with the likes of Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher, Dennis Rogers, Brooks Kubik, Ryan Pitts, Pat Poviliatis and many more.

From the looks of him, he looks like the typical, athletic and not very muscular looking guy but that's where looks can be deceiving as underneath that type of physique lies one of the most powerful men today and has more will power than anyone thought possible. He is the personification of being an individual who doesn't need big muscles to be extremely strong and gifted in the Super Human Conditioning category. Because of this, he has developed a style of strongmanism that very have ever achieved and plans to break as many records as possible and quite frankly I have every confidence he will achieve those goals. I've talked to him on several occasions sometimes for more then 2 hours and I will say first hand he is one of the most knowledgeable young guys today and has tremendous wisdom for a guy in his mid 20's. He is without question an individual that will speak from the heart and will tell you what he really thinks and I admire guys like him.

Because of his passion for Physical Culture, he has developed a website dedicated to the strongest of the strongest individuals throughout the history of Physical Culture. He wants to help those who are need for guidence into becoming one powerful individual physically, mentally and even Emotionally. So I encourage you to be open-minded and come on over to http://ferociousstrength.com/ and learn all about the journey and well written articles of this up-incoming Strongman including guest articles by other athletes including yours truely. You will find very valuable information that you'll only find in very few places. I also encourage you to sign up for his newsletter where you'll get great info on health, fitness and history on physical culture plus when you sign up you will get a bonus report on how to develop Emotional Anchors, it is a must read and once you apply even a spec of that report, your results will skyrocket and if you apply all of the info I don't want to imagine how far it'll take you not only in your training but your life as well.

The Force Is Real

Let’s get something straight, unless you’re a magician, there’s no way in hell you can levitate objects. Now that we got that out of the way, the force has a lot of truth in how you can generate great strength and speed at the drop of a hat. The way it works is how you incorporate imagination, breathing and the way your body moves. With regular practice you can triple your strength in a shorter amount of time then the amount of years you spent training. With regular practice, you can have matrix-like movement where it’s fluid, graceful and above all strong.

 No matter what you believe in the fitness world, having 20 inch arms, a six pack and a puffy chest won’t mean jack S*it if you look like Tarzan but have the strength of Jane. Real superhuman strength comes from the power of your mind. There’s an old saying, “If you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” The power of belief in your imagination can help you generate strength beyond your own assumptions of how strong you can really be. The mind is your greatest weapon and if you looked deep inside yourself, you can generate real world-class strength without lifting weight or needing to have a muscular body. One man who can show you the most comprehensive system of creating the ultimate strength from the inside is Master Strength Trainer and Concert Virtuoso Garin Bader.

 Yoda said “A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force.” What that means is that your strength has the ability to flow from within and how you see yourself finding that flow of power and your ability to control it any way you want to. The secret is within your imagination and how you can use sounds to test your power. The power of sound can make all the difference of where your strength relies in. Take the “BAM” for example, what does it feel like? In reality it’s powerful but has no give, no speed to go with it and above all, it’s slow and complicated. Now take another word like “WA-KAHH”, the Bruce Lee sound when he knocks out a guy without ever having him known what hit him. What does it sound like? In reality, it’s fast, fluid, and powerful plus builds a torque point that generates momentum that has just as much speed as it has strength. What you want is to generate momentum and find a torque point that shoots like a bolt of lightning and gives you that surge of strength that just flows like water.

 Jack Lalanne once said “Imagination is the elixir of life.” What that means is that the images you can create in your mind can give you a sense of life that can make or break your spirit and confidence. Our imagination is the first thing we think about before we take action kind of like thinking before acting on a certain task. Inventors are extremely imaginative and have created things that help us in our daily lives. The old-time strongmen had imaginations beyond the average person’s own mindset. When they were young and had certain health issues, they imagined themselves being strong and having dreams of being a superhero with the strength of ten men and the body of a Greek god, if you don’t believe me, look up guys like Maxick, Doug Hepburn, Otto Arco, John Grimek, George Hackenshmidt and one of the most beloved men in the history of Physical Culture Joseph Greenstein aka The Mighty Atom.

 When you learn to harness the power of the Force, you can create strength that goes up and up each time you use it and amp up your conditioning to levels unheard of before and do so without causing injury. Garin Bader had made a living harnessing this power and it’s given him a powerful presence not only in his strength but in his performance on the stage with playing the piano, gliding on a silk curtain, using his gifts as a magician and have the key eyes of a magnificent sculptor. The way he has taught this power gives you a whole new perspective on strength training that you won’t find anywhere else and only a handful of masters know its true power.

 Practice this type of training often and you will see a new found confidence in your presence of people, the energy that will feed off of you like electricity and the strength you can develop will stagger your friends and yourself. I’m a student of this practice and because of it’s teachings I can move light on my feet at a bodyweight of over 240 lbs. You will see how everything blends together and gives you the raw power and fluidity of your body that craves strength, that wants that super speed and it all can be yours if you open your mind to it.

Abdominal Training For Superior Strength

When you think of Ab training, you mostly hear about crunches and little side bends and mostly isolating the Abs with little rockers and machines. This is not real world Ab strength training. Our body’s core is all the muscles of the Abdominals from below the breast line all the down just to the top of the sexual organs.

 A lot of people think if you want six pack abs you need to do this many crunches, eat less, do 100’s of side bends and whatever crap that others come up with. Not saying a six pack isn’t a bad thing but really what does it really matter when you have a washboard stomach that can’t take a punch and your organs aren’t strong enough to hold off diseases? Karl Gotch once put it that there are two types of muscles for an athlete or bodybuilder and that “Conditioned Muscle” & Counterfeit Muscle.” These two variations have obvious statements but let me clarify a little, conditioned means that it’s strong, can take a lot whether in a workout or a fight, it’s useful, functional and the organs are strong, counterfeit means basically it looks awesome but than no further than that as you can have great development but that won’t amount to anything if you’re prone to injury.

 Real Abdominal training comes from training the entire body as a unit while keeping a major focus on the Abs. If you look back over 100 years ago, the old-time strongmen had some of the most powerful Abs on the planet. Men like Otto Arco, Maxick, Sandow, Farmer Burns and others all had what would be called punch-proof Abs. Their developments were off the charts and this was long before machines and gadgets. They developed this kind of strength and power by utilizing Muscle Control, full body training, Gymnastics, various sit-ups and Deep Breathing. They became so strong that would be able to handle certain feats that were beyond their own bodyweight. This type of training didn’t take hours a day and never isolated yet some of them had muscles that are still better than the bodybuilders of today.

 One of the true kings of Muscle Control was Otto Arco of Poland. A master of abdominal training that had the ability to wrestle, lift heavy and was one of the purest acrobats in the world at that time. Many came after him but there is only one Otto Arco and unlike bodybuilders today, Arco not only looked incredible but had pure strength and power to back it up. For one of the first 3 men in history to lift overhead double bodyweight it was a real feat to be reckoned with. The ability to control any part of his body was a sight to be hold and very few then can match and chances are slim to none no one can match him today.

 Another facet of phenomenal Ab Training is the Bridge. To most the bridge is either a neck, back or a shoulder exercise but really it is an exercise that works the core to a level unlike any other. If you don’t have good solid strength in your abdominals, the bridge will be difficult to do. Holding a posture is one thing but to do lethal and acrobatic maneuvers is a whole different ball game. Ever heard of the burpee? I’m sure you have, it’s a staple of conditioning that’s practiced in many areas but what about the Bridge Burpee? This makes a regular burpee look like a cake walk as you fall into a bridge either on the hands, head/hands or head alone and you kick over and back, if you’re really athletic you would do this then stand back up. A good bridge builds functional and powerful abs and with power of deep breathing, your core will be difficult to hurt.

 A key ingredient in all of Physical Culture is one of the most neglected forms of modern training and that’s learning to breathe. We today take our breathing for granted but what if I told you that your breath is the source of all your power and strength. Breathing gives us life. We can go long periods of time without food or water but we can only hold our breath for only a few minutes before we start to give out and die. The number one secret to true core strength is in how you breathe.

 You don’t need the skills of a gymnast or the body of bodybuilder and neither do need to have the skills of a wrestler, all you need is a few minutes a day of working your body as a unit and focus on the abdominals. Muscle Control is a healthy practice as it teaches you how to use your mind and body’s connections and with basic gymnastics that anyone can learn from a humble beginner to an advanced athlete. The stronger your core inside and out, the stronger your whole body will be. Learn to take control of your body and your strength & fitness will skyrocket to levels you can’t imagine.