Build A Connection Outside

            Training out in the open has a special feeling to it, out in the open air, building that connection to the earth and gaining a perspective of what it was like to do things from a long time ago. It’s fun to go run, jump, play and do all kinds of things with the right imagination and having a bit of that inner child in you.

            Unlike a closed in space of a gym, you have total freedom out in the open, go running on the grass or on a field at a park, move around like an animal out in the wild and give your body that Vitamin D it needs to help the skin. Being free gives you opportunities you can’t get from other places. Imagine being at a park, running around, having a good time, do a few exercises here and there or if you’re like my good friend Bud Jeffries, try to find some heavy ass stones to lift.

            The ability to go anywhere and do all sorts of things is our birthright, exploring, trying different things, being in beautiful places and making the best of it. Training outside is more natural, getting out in the sun or maybe even in the snow a bit. Being in the snow builds a level of toughness and you burn more calories I believe in the snow because your body is like an automatic heater, it has to keep warm and your body’s nervous system kicks into a different gear. In the sun like in the summer, your body’s cooling system is shifted and you have to hydrate more.

            The best time I believe to train outside is in the morning, the air is fresher and the connection is better between you and the earth. When it comes to weather however I prefer the summertime when the sun’s out, its warm, bringing something to drink to keep you hydrated and just have a grand old time, if you live by the ocean or a lake, go jump in and go swimming, got a pool, use it and have fun. The snow can be fun too but you might not last as long and you want to wear what you can to keep you warm but being in the snow has it’s benefits. In the snow it builds a different type of mental toughness and it builds character in a certain way, sometimes you have to walk somewhere and it’s less than 20 degrees out, that’s just insane and I wouldn't do it in shorts trust me.

            Get your ass outside as much as you can, there’s a whole world to see and you can train in ways you never have before, it’s like being a kid again and you’re playing on the playground. Have fun, be adventurous and explore. You never know what you’ll find.

Making The World Your Little Playground

            It doesn't matter if you’re locked in a cell or have the freedom to run around outside, you can find a way to adapt to training any way you want. A lot of people look at exercise as a closed minded ordeal that you have to be in a gym in order to get results. There are guys in prisons that have very limited space and yet some of them do some basic training methods like push-ups, squats and Isometrics yet are pretty damn fit. What about those who have an outdoor lifestyle, they don’t use smith machines or leg extensions, they use trees, the water, the playgrounds and benches. Imagination is a key to developing the type of fitness you want.

            Anybody can move some kind of weight but if they can’t move their bodies well and handle awkward positions it’s going to bite them in the ass one day. To move with power and grace is essential, you don’t have to move like your instructor exactly to the T but you want to be able to move your body naturally according to the realms of your structure, moving like a wild animal is a great example of this . Move the way you can handle and if you need to progress in certain stages than do so but the more your body moves in a natural state, the stronger and healthier you get.

            A key component in developing your fitness is to find ways to gain that positional strength to help with your Range Of Motion and nothing does that better than Isometrics. When you’re in a locked position, your muscle fibers fire off harder than anything else and because you’re pushing/pulling against an immovable object, your body’s nervous system shifts into overdrive and it causes the fibers to shoot at a higher rate, thus building strength in various positions and building muscle from odd angles that you can’t get anywhere else.

            No matter where you are, you have the world as your playground, in your imagination, you can create anything you want. Believing what you can do can accelerate your progress by 10 fold. If you live on a beach, your imagination can run wild, if you happen to be in prison, it’s a bit tougher but you can still be fit and strong so use what you have but make it count no excuses. Your imagination can work wonders and help you unlock the powers of your potential. There’s no excuse for finding some form of training but the more natural the exercise, the better off you’ll be.