500 Rep Circuit Training With The DopamineO Band

 WELCOME, FOOLISH MORTALS.....

Shit, wrong genre to write about. Had Disneyland on my brain. Anyway, back to our regular scheduled program.

There are a million ways to get fit but only few will ever get you to your destined results that are meant for you. For real, if we all did the same exercises, the same routine, the same pace, the same foods, we'd all still come out different. Some would be better, others will be having issues. We have our own journey and it's important to utilize and learn what's best for us as individuals. Focus on the tasks that gives us the best results and/or be able to be consistent.

Been training a bit more consistently with the Dopa Band lately where I would pick 5 Exercises for 10 Reps each and work them until I've done 10 Rounds of a circuit with them. Usually a Push/Pull/Squat style and do different exercises each time or so to keep things fresh while also experimenting. Most of the time it's a press or fly to start, then rows, squats, footwork or switch things up and work the upper arms or do the propeller move.

Changing things around to keep things fresh is never a bad thing, on some days, I don't always focus on conditioning and quickness; I go for Strength where I stretch the band to where it's difficult to hold onto and work technique. This also gives a perspective of using great tension to build muscle. The only rest I take in between circuits is marking it off or having to adjust the band since at times because of the sweat, the knots slip out and need to reapply them. Can be a pain in the ass but I still maintain focus on what I need to do.

That's one of the things I love about this band and understanding their motto of "Stretching Your Limits", it's not about stretching the band itself, it's stretching your imagination and getting the most out of it when you challenge the norm. Although it's mainly known for wrestlers, judo/bjj players & fighters, it gives you options for overall fitness and you can adjust it just by either making it easy and loose or make it harder by stretching the band to it's heaviest amount of tension. It's not going to snap. I've had this thing on grass, concrete, gym floors, dirt, sand, gravel and carpet yet it still hasn't snapped in the two years I've had it. It truly is arguably the most durable band on the planet. 

What's my reason behind totaling 500 Reps? When I started out many moons ago, doing bodyweight exercises included 500 Squats or Hindu Squats as I should say in a row and that number was the gold standard. I've made it to 1000+ within 3-4 months after I was cleared to walk and train again to rehab on my own. That's the real inspiration and just changed the format from 500 in a row to 500 total working a full body scheme. This works for me and because of the changing of the exercises (at times will do the same routines) it'll take 15-20+ minutes and still reach the destination  I want to get to. 

Hitting multiple variations of the Push/Pull/Squat format, it's a continuation of experimenting, hitting other muscles that help with other things and adjusting the band to what I'm going for whether it's strength & technique or conditioning & cardio. You can mimic just about any machine in the gym and add resistance to your bodyweight exercises like the Hindu Push-up for example where there's the bodyweight version and the added resistance, it's the same movement just applied differently. 

It keeps me on my toes and it works like a fucking charm. Set it up with my Isometric Strap as an anchor and hook the band up to it, knot the two ends and start hammering. I love circuits because they can get shit done in a short amount of time while hitting the muscles effectively. Get in, train, get the fuck out, that's my philosophy. Circuits program you to keep going and handle stress in a very specific way. At first, just focus on technique and go from there, as you go along, you become faster, have better precision and your condition gets better. It can be done as a warm-up or a finisher to your regular routine. Wrestlers use the bands as finishers to nudge their conditioning even further after grueling practices, those are where champions are made. 

Get one or a bundle of them NOW!!! Use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to take some bucks off your order. Go to dopamino.com and start killing it with resistance band training. Be amazingly awesome.   

New Shoes And Getting My Hammer Swing Back

 

I was contemplating getting new shoes and most of the time usually grabbed a pair from either Big 5 or Walmart but this time around I wanted to try something different. Was browsing around one day on social media and a few ads popped up on Barefoot Shoes. I've seen those before and years prior, I've seen the ones where you stick your toes in individually. Heard great things about them for some time and did more research recently to see what could be useful and beneficial. I ended buying a pair that was on sale by this company called Bareway.

Was a bit skeptical and read about the benefits of Barefoot Shoes but it was one of those things where I felt like a change was in order and do something I normally don't do. Picked out the size I wear, they came in and the rest is history. Wore them a few times now and they're stupid comfortable. No slip in the heel, good soles and just enough padding to feel the ground but not feel uneasy that some shoes have.

Always had strong feet and train most of the time barefoot unless I'm working with hammers or something at the park if I'm not playing basketball. Wearing socks as an option rather than a necessity is a hell of a perk. They're light, very flexible and perfectly stabilize my feet. My shoe size is a men's 11 and most shoes I've gotten that were 11 didn't always stabilize my feet and seemed to be off at certain points but I just tolerated it for years and wore them. With these things, holy shit it felt so different and foreign at first but once I started walking, it felt like walking on air. It was unbelievable.

I gave them a whirl doing my DDP Yoga Workout yesterday doing the Double Black Diamond workout that lasted an hour. That workout is fucking insane and was dripping with sweat like a faucet man. With the shoes on, they worked really well and for some reason, made the workout not only more interesting but slightly easier cause I wasn't sliding, most of the time with those workouts I don't but every now and then some moves slip up on me a bit, with these shoes on, not a single slip or slide the entire time.

I highly recommend you get a pair yourself. Like I said they're comfortable and feel amazing walking around. They're water resistant, you can go on hikes, you can run in them, workout in them, practically whatever and reap the benefits of building stronger feet. The type of shoe I got was their Elite Series. You can choose other shoes that are more suitable to your lifestyle or whatever, there's the Nature Series  and the Explorer Option you can look into. Did I forget to mention they were breathable as well and relieves pressure on the joints. 

Aside from getting these bad boys, I also tried out working with my SF Giants Sledgehammer again to see what I can do. Not ready for the more explosive stuff yet, wanted to just work on technique and keeping my back and legs more aligned with the thrust down. I even made a demo of getting back into it and I think I haven't missed a step and my form felt right. Back is straighter, worked a half squat as I brought the hammer down and just did it instinctively. Check it out....

You do what you can in the moment. Like I said, just working out the mechanics again and seeing what I can do without doing anything stupid. I'm not going gung ho on some things like I used to and play around. I still do carries with my sandbells from time to time and doing the sledgehammer strikes again felt comfortable and see what I can progress with. Train to what you can do and build from there. Exercise is about long term health, not temporary moments that may come with regret. Nothing wrong with making a record, just don't make a habit of busting your ass you can't do anything later in life. Be bold but be aware. Too many injuries add up so do what you can to live as pain free as possible. 

Slowly Getting Back Into The Dopamineo Workouts

 Spending the majority of the time on DDP Yoga, I've also been getting back into working my neck more consistently and even thickened it up a bit along with developing greater mobility. That type of training is merely just standing and working the neck in different directions doing 10 reps each way. On the 10th rep, I would hold the position isometrically for a 10 count and move onto the next move. That has helped my spine a lot and its a great short workout before or after a DDP Yoga Session or as an addition to doing Joint Loosening Training.

Another thing that I've been anxious to get back into is the Dopamineo Workouts. Done a few of them so far and filmed doing some basic stuff at a park. I always enjoyed those workouts doing 15-30 minutes of a circuit. Most of the time I was hitting 10 rounds totaling 500 Reps but I also did workouts that went sometimes up to 12-15 rounds within a 30 min. period. Since my recovery however, I've had to either switch things up or slow the pace down and focus on technique which isn't a bad thing. Not trying to be a wrestler or a fighter in training, just keeping myself in shape and being aware of what I do. 

I love circuit training, to me it's one of the best forms of conditioning and keeping yourself going at a good clip while resting as little as possible. With these workouts now, it's more technique than speed. The intensity is still there but I'm not focusing on being so explosive, just enough to where I can keep going with a comfortable pace. Some workouts I won't time them because I don't need to beat the clock or set some kind of record all the time. Enjoying what I can do and have fun doing it while making little goals. 

The video I did was doing some basic moves that I'm getting back into at a park down the road from the house here, it's really no more than like 3-4 blocks if that. Set it up on a tree using my Iso Strap as an anchor and have at it. 

Some moves can be tricky to learn at first but with time and practice, they become like a flow, a sequence if you will of understanding the body's mechanics and mobility. The objective of the band isn't to stretch it so you can't really do much, it's to work just enough resistance so you can feel a movement without being stiff. It's about being smooth, in control and having technique as if you're drilling like in wrestling or martial arts. 

Although inspired by wrestling, it can be used for a lot of other things like swimming and doing road work on the beach or something. I love it for the fitness and cardio aspects of it. It's a great experience to do exercises that are different and formulate a program based on movements used by the most conditioned athletes on the planet. What's even cooler is that these same bands are now being used to train Olympic Athletes such as Freestyle & Greco-Roman Wrestlers and Judo Players. One female Freestyle Wrestler is officially the first to be a 3-time Olympian and part of her training was with this specific type of band. If someone who's dedicated to her sport can pull off an accomplishment like that, imagine the possibilities you can achieve in your own training whether it be for sport, fitness, group training or whatever. 

You can create all sorts of workouts with these bands and take them virtually anywhere. You can use them in a pool or in the ocean, take them to a park, hook it up at home or at the gym, in your hotel room, do a quick session during a break at work, take them on a hike and work them on a trail, in a parking lot or wherever. If you got a partner to train with, he/she can hold the band while you do drills and then switch. Do little games or work together in sequence, use them to challenge each other and whatever can work. 

Don't forget to use my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT to get 10% OFF your order. These are some of the most durable and flexible bands in the world. Some of the best athletes have trained so hard on these that it's a miracle the band hasn't snapped. They're so incredibly strong that Superman would have trouble snapping these. Grab a set for yourself and/or your friends, training partners, family members or students in group sessions. There's bands for kids to use to train for youth groups and to help them stay healthy and have fun with. These things are worth every penny.  

Channel Your Energy To Do Your Bidding

            Everything starts with a thought, we think of things 24/7 but only using some of those thoughts to create action. When it comes to training, many of us think externally, trying to figure out what to lift, what muscles needed, how much weight, the hand and foot positions, is your back straight you catch my drift. We never really see how we can improve from internal points of view.

            If you want to achieve strength at a greater rate, you have to think differently. Knowing the lift or the exercise is only half the battle, think into the exercise itself. What would it feel like to have the surge of power to lift more or do more reps with ease? Your thought process turns into action by how you perceive it.

            Your imagination is the key. Thinking differently creates a different thought and it becomes a different action. Don’t always think of a million things at once; focus on using one thought, one action. Your hands are like magnets, they attract energy, picture your arms that are like steel cords that are fluid but super strong, your body is surging with electricity and every time you breathe, Zeus’ thunderbolt strikes more power into your body. You can make anything in your training happen with the right focus, the creative thought and you imagine something greater than what you already see.

            It’s about rewiring to create superhuman strength, using techniques that instantly charge your body. Create certain sounds that congruent with your thoughts and actions. You can change the very essence of your thoughts and double, triple maybe even quadruple your strength in a matter of seconds. When you master this, it gives you that extra edge and programs your body to do whatever you want. It’s the pinnacle of the mind-muscle connection. A very important detail to think about is using your actions with intent using what Bruce Lee calls Emotional Content. If you are going to lift something or do a particular bodyweight exercise, do it with emotion, do it with feel. When you do this, your strength and power will come much quicker and have more zap to it.