It's Always Good To Have A Backup

Always keeping my training simple, the workouts can vary to either going hard one day and "taking it easy" the next. Physique wise, it could be better and putting in more effort to trim down since I couldn't do a whole lot while I was injured. Keeping an eye on doing more Isometric Style training (with an emphasis on the Hybrid Forms, check out Overcoming Isometrics on that one) and other things. 

I love going to the park and playing basketball and shooting around, some days I bank them in, other days not so much but I enjoy it. Every now and then, some guys would want to shoot around or play one on one. In addition, I like to bring along my Worldfit Iso Trainer and when I'm not shooting, I put the strap around the back of the hoop and do things like Rows, Pushups, Squats, Hangs and Pull-ups. One day not too long ago, I went to the park to shoot around but there was an event going on and there was a promotional jeep covering the side of the court, not wanting to hit the damn vehicle, I had my back up Iso Strap and just did 50 Rows & 50 Push-ups in 5x10 each exercise. Always good to have a back up, after the exercises, went onto the grass and did an animal workout doing my favorite dice game until I was ready to head back home. 

Sometimes you just have to adapt and improvise. You won't always have things align right, the stars won't always be in your favor and you won't always know if you'll get an empty space around you or getting a crowd of people. Do what's possible with what you have. That's one of the reasons why I love Isometrics, they're always there with or without equipment and having the strap in your bag can make up some stuff you're not always able to do. Training is about discovery, conditioning the mind to always have something there and be able to come up with stuff on the fly if needed. It's important to have that knowledge because some workouts may not always be at your disposal so you come up with something doable and something you can do for the moment. 

Find ways to train that will be in your favor, learn to improvise in certain situations and get what you need with what you have at the time even if it's just your own bodyweight. Never settle to just one thing or one type of workout. The knowledge and creativeness you can possess can take you places that many won't or be able to come up with. I mean seriously, who the hell puts a suspension trainer around a basketball hoop and can do an animal workout on the fly? Not many but that's the beauty of being intuitive and understanding what you know and be able to act on a workout you didn't expect to do. When I got to that park, I expected to just normally shoot around, put on some tunes, get some exercises in with the strap and that was it but that didn't happen. There are events that go on about every other weekend at that park and most days, I'm just there by myself with literally no one in the vicinity other than the restaurant right next to it and the houses around the corner. It's peaceful, get a great view of the mountains, getting in fresh air and just having a blast putting on my speakers. On that particular day, I had to do something different and had to tone down the volume I normally use with my speakers to where only I can really hear it and just do a couple of exercises and an animal workout which turned out great and had fun. 

Always good to have a backup in mind whether training or whatever. Hope everyone is having a great summer so far and stay safe tomorrow for Independence Day. Be amazingly awesome. 

Heading Back To My Animal Roots

I go through many phases of training to keep my mind wanting to try new things or experiment with combinations of methods but what draws me back more than anything else is the Animal Movements and the Free Flowing Combos. Hell, I did a 4 1/2 minute workout straight through to this song by Beasto Blanco on the spot and just let the exercises come on their own. It felt great and also felt like a splash of cold water water on my face waking my ass up. It was natural and instinctive. Included Crawling, Stretching, Mobility, Switches, Backward Rolling & Shin To Feet Jumps.

Training this way takes out all the stuff about set & rep schemes and just move. The practice of getting into a flow, breathing into it and let your instincts takeover isn't easy to do but once you get it, there's nothing like it. Sort of like Rickson Gracie going into a meditative state as he moves throughout a workout and let's his intuitiveness handle it instead of just thinking about it and analyzing everything. That's one of the things I'm drawn to, a few sets and reps of something is cool but to go into a place in your mind as the animal within takes over is a whole other ball game that many don't quite understand.

We rarely ever use our instincts and we are told by some that our instincts aren't valued and we need to pay more attention to detail in the sense of thinking too much and analyzing the way we go through life. The analyzing can be good to a degree but at some point we need to learn how to just let go. If you've practiced the mechanics of any exercise method long enough, it becomes a muscle memory and instincts can shoot up depending on the situation. You've done it so many times that it becomes automatic. That's one of the key aspects of Animal Movements and Flow Combos, you practice them until they become a part of you, to the degree where you become something else for a few brief moments and your mind goes blank but your body is flooded with all this Physical Memory (if that's the right term to use).

With the Animal Deck Of Cards, sure there's reps to do. I've gone through enough times to wear the reps or steps are just part of it but I get in tuned to it more than any other type of workout using a deck of cards. It's not just a conditioning type workout, it's not just to get a sweat going and it sure as hell isn't a workout for the sake of working out, it's to embody being animalistic and letting go of all the crap around you. Without the cards, I free flow and see where it leads me. I play and develop that meditative state of just letting certain things take over. That's the true art of physical exercise. 

When I went through that workout while the song played, something just clicked that I haven't experienced in a while. Everything felt right, didn't think about anything else and just had this drive to let the music in and help me in that state of mind. It wasn't like an out of body experience or anything like that but I was in the moment, in the now and get in touch with my inner animal. I was conscious but the thought process wasn't really there and just let the body take over. It was surreal.

When you can train like that, there's no other feeling like it. The world you live in for a mere moment doesn't exist and all that is is the connection to your body and mind, no more, no less. Animal Movements can give you that in ways other exercises can't (at least in my experience). Give them a chance and see where they take you. You don't need to do exercises so damn advanced that they seem impossible, work the basics and form a way to flow through certain things. Let it be fun, challenging and not so much a chore or something that bores you to death. 

Be instinctive, build that mind/muscle connection with the aspects of nature and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Here's a little Push-Up & Scorpion Combo Flow you can try out to get some mobility, coordination, strength and agility. Do this as many times as you like and it can be a warm up or cool down in your regular workout.

How To Become Tarzan In Your Own Way

            In the Jungle, you don’t know what to expect, don’t always where to eat or drink because there’s always something else that might get in your way. You’re constantly on the move and you can go from tree to tree or you run on the ground. To move like a wild animal, you must learn its moving patterns, where to plant your body when you land, which direction to use your arms to get where you want to go. Tarzan is a great reminder of how to use your body and mind.

            When you've been in a certain environment long enough, you know where everything is, you know what can be dangerous and it becomes second nature to you. You can use that to your advantage when you want to train. When you learn how to use your environment as a resource for exercise and fitness, you can take it anywhere and anytime you want. You don’t always need one specific place, when you aren't used to a certain environment, learn how you can make it your strength and learn how you can use it to get in awesome shape.

            One of my friends Ed Baran has a few words that he says called Way Of The Animal, it’s related to how you move like a wild animal in the Jungle, using your body to develop strength and muscle like an animal. It is far healthier and much more natural to move like an animal in the wild than sulking in a gym waiting to use the weights. When you head outside and go to a park, there’s a great connection there. Since kids are back in school as of late, this is the time to reflect on getting them in tuned with their animal counterparts by imitating them to fight off obesity and other forms of illness.

            A thing I have learned over the years that I’m still learning is to follow my intuition meaning how to use my awareness in a mindful way. For me, my intuition is never wrong and whenever something comes up no matter what it is, it’s usually spot on. Like Tarzan from all his time in the Jungle, his intuition is so powerful that it’s kept him alive, it’s helped form a bond with his body and mind when he senses danger and needs to protect himself. Granted yes in the movies he never dies because the script said so but there is some truth to that notion when you learn to follow your instincts and something inside of you is telling you something, you better listen.

            Have fun when you’re learning how to use your intuition, your way of moving around your own environment and practicing the movements of a Jungle animal. Too many of us get stuck in this rut where things are so downward and dull, boring and we don’t give ourselves time to relax and enjoy what we have. I understand you have certain things to deal with in your lives but that doesn't mean you make it harder on yourself to control what you really can do in a more productive and positive way. Channel your energy and learn from somebody like Tarzan, he’s got more issues then you do and yet he still has that child-like quality of him that still plays even in the worst conditions of the Jungle. Be fun and have a kick ass time. 

It’s Crazy, You’re Stupid, You Can’t Do That

           It’s funny how certain people define training ideals. When you do something different or even “traditional” you’ll find how people see you, sure they’ll ask what you’re doing but they’ll always go to the “Wish I can do that” comment. In fitness there are many ways to get in shape, you have crossfit, animal training, Functional Movement, even that P90X or Insanity crap but the one thing to remember is that no matter what you’re doing someone will always give you a hard time and 99.9% of the time they’re the ones who don’t have a clue what real training is.

               

            In Commercial Fitness; you know the lame ads about the new gym in town, the deals of a lifetime, home workouts that you see in the infomercials and don’t get me started on those idiotic ghostwriters in the overrated Muscle Magazines, all of these don’t give you any real benefit of how to be successful in your training. They don’t give you in-depth details about starting from scratch, how to progress at your own level, teach you the value of self-discovery and relying on your own intuition to what can work for you.

            If you plan on using a gym, use equipment that’ll give you the most bang for your buck and that’s being as basic as possible, Barbells, Dumbbells, Racks, pull-up bar and keep the amount of machine work to a minimum if at all. Don’t research on the latest gadget or what machine can give you but instead look to the strength giants of olde, look to how they made their progress and became fit without the use of drugs, heavy supplements or protein shakes. These pioneers used basic formalities to create simple, progressive and useful functional strength and health. There are very few of these guys left and many of them never seem to get the credit when it’s due.

            I firmly believe in the power of intuition, having a sense of feeling through your energy and mind. In order to practice this, it’s best to think outside the norm, using your mind and body together to create an effortless affair of sensing what works, what’s wrong and how to use it to your advantage. Some people can learn fairly easily, others have a tough time and then there are those that have it but can’t accept it because it feels like you’re a crazy person and people will misread the difference between psychic energy and intuition, trust me they’re two very different things. You can follow along with these mainstream fitness fads all you want but in the end, you’re only hurting what’s really inside you, the gift of feeling what gives you the sense of what is useful to you.

            I've gotten looks and even some in my own family give me a hard time about my intuition and make it sound like I’m nuts. When you feel something, there’s energy to it, to me intuition is a version of the Force like in Star Wars. If you learn to believe and listen, you can hear your intuition speak to you. I’m not saying there should be voices in your head or believe in paranoia but what I’m pointing out is that there’s like a Jiminy Cricket, letting your conscience be your guide, telling you and your body what seems right or wrong and how to use it to make yourself successful in anything you want in life. I’m no expert on this and have no clue the science behind it but I really believe when something comes to you and it might be random at times or there’s a sense of energy you’re having don’t just knock it out and move on, listen to it, let it help you. I've learned for nearly a decade that if I want to build on something whether it’s writing, training or even listening to my favorite meditation, I listen to my intuition, it doesn't always have a voice but it gives energy that can be good or bad and I pay attention to it and when that happens, it hasn't failed me yet and whether I like it or not, it’s helping me find my true calling and what works for me in my own training.

            What do you really see? When you train, what feels right to you, what pushes you, what drives you to do the very best or put your best effort? To understand this stop listening to others and learn what you can do that works best for you.

            Want to know a secret? When you watch a DVD of a guy training and ask you to follow along, sure it’s great to get a workout in but in the end it’s just a man or woman working out on your TV, that’s it. To follow the same pace as your DVD trainer is just tedious and boring because you don’t have the same body type, the same speed, the same tempo and don’t always have the same height, the only person you should keep up with is yourself. Learn a technique or two but use your own pace to make your progress. Learn your body’s energy, create your own speed and tempo because you shouldn't need to be as fit as some other person, they’re already taken. See yourself getting fitter each day, learn to be effortless but at the same time make the effort to use what works best for you. Now go do that voodoo that you do so well.

Building Self Mastery

In fitness terms if we want to have the best program we need to find exercises to suit our body's structure and our weight to body ratios. In other words there is no way possible to train the same way if someone at 240 pounds tried the same program with someone at 150 pounds. In the magazines they slide in standard programs and ideas that would fit the average person to become super strong. For the most part the average person can't even touch an ounce of the program they Mags provide.

Back in the early 20th century where Physical Culture boomed and courses were in hundreds of thousands of young wo/men's hands and the programs were obsolete compared to the muscle mags today. A good portion of the courses gave basics to the trainee and taught intermediate and advanced programs to help the progress but unlike the mags today these courses taught how to master your own training. The intuitive part of our brains conjure up where we learn certain things and how things work or not.

When we learn the basics of exercise we should remember that the best program is when which exercises works best for us. The one person who was best at this in his time was Alois P. Swoboda with his course Concious Evolution. In his course for physical training he made custom programs to help his students achieve superior results for their body structure. This taught others how to intuitively create the exercise for themselves to control the muscles.

In lamens terms the only thing that we need to do is learn the basics then intuitively learn the program that best suits us. Work with whats best for you and you alone. Don't really need to do other people's programs.

How to spread out your training

For those of you who have trouble working out during the day and feel that a big workout might wear you out, theres a way to keep your training going to keep your energy up and thats to spread it out during the day. I train everyday 7 days a week and there are times where I can't get in the amount of time of training I want to do so I spread out the workout during the day, doing a few stretches here and there and do some isometrics. You see you don't need to do one large workout everyday or even a few times a week. This is good for traveling as well because you can't always get to a gym and theres the trouble with jet lag when you get off a plane and try to get to a motel. Its a pain in the ass at times. So if you travel do some isometrics while waiting for your plane or even on the plane itself.

You can even workout without anyone knowing about it. Heres an example, every couple years or so I go to disneyland for either my b-day or for a few days in the summer and as I stand in line for the rides I do isometrics by pressing or pulling from different angles on the rails or ropes or even on the wall (try it sometime trust me its fun) and sometimes I would do self resistance exercises. You can workout in the oddest of places even at the happiest place on earth.

Its all about being able to adapt and improvise while on the road or even at home. Take my advise whatever you do don't press down on the fireplace in Mickey's House it would suck to have to pay for it. Thought i'd throw in a little joke, couldn't resist but the important thing is no matter where you are, you can be your own gym.

Aerobic Isometrics!!!!!

When it comes to building strength, there are many different to build it and nothing is really new about that but if theres one peice of training that takes strength training to a whole new level of mental focus and concentration is isometrics. Pick any angle and push/pull as hard as possible up to 7-12 sec. max. Doing this takes laser-like focus and the ability to contract the muscles you want to work and hammering them into submission. Its been used for thousands of years and not only does it strengthen the muscles more importantly it strengthens the tendons. Tendon strength in my opinion is more important then muscle strength because if the tendons arnt strong enough to lift a weight or hold an object you're not going to last too long no matter how big your muscles are.

 Isometrics is also another form of muscle control that was perfected by some of the greatest bodybuilders in early 20th century. Men like Maxick, Otto Arco, Eugene Sandow and even Charles Atlas (CA did not put isometrics in his course but he did learn muscle control to master his poses in competition and shows). The first big name to use the term muscle control was by a man named Alois P. Swoboda. His physical culture course Concious Evolution talked about how energy can be used by internal power. In lamins terms you learn how to contract the muscles at will through focus and learning your own physiology through a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint.

 Isometrics can be used in just about any angle a joint can handle and strengthened. When you learn to hold an isometric for a good period of time you can even decrease the amount of strength you use and add time into a hold. Say you pressed your hands together but only use about 30% worth of power and hold that for a minute. Thats quite a long time but its very beneficial because a lot of things come into play, your body begins to heat up, your mental awareness is increasing your muscles are quivering and your muscle fibers are kicking into overdrive. Aerobic Isometrics means you hold a certain position at less then 50% of your power for 30 sec or longer.

How do you stay motivated?

People have asked me that from time to time, mostly family and friends and I'll give you the same answer I give them and then some for you guys to learn. Its because my passion for training is like a second language that I'm fluent in. It comes natural to me and I never once tell myself to take a day off. A day off leads to 2, then 3, then 6 before you know I'm hardly training at all. A lot of people are unmotivated to train for a plethora of reasons but one main one is time. They always feel they can't exercise because they don't have the time. Well hate to burst your bubble but there are 24 hours in a day so I think its safe to say that in that period of time you can do a minimum of 5 min. worth of exercise.

Its the excuse and the negative attitude people use to think they can't exercise. I use to have that problem too. Being a teen and going to school and at times when I was in the drama club we would have rehearsals until 11 o'clock at night and we'd already be beaten up by then. Exercise back then for me was going to track practice or hitting the iron in weight training.

When I was in high school in my sophomore and junior years, I was on the track team doing the shot put and discus, have practice from 3-5 sometimes 6 everyday, have a small meet every Thursday and the big comps 2 Saturdays a month. That was rugged for me but also I was in the drama class as well before the end of my school day and if we had rehearsals (which was around usually a month or so before the big shows) we'd stay until late at night sometimes so picture this schedule.....remember this includes late in the semester too.....

Mon.-Fri---7:45am-2:45pm (School Day)

Mon.-Fri---3pm-5pm (Track Practice, Or Meet)

Mon.-Fri---6:15pm-11:30pm (Rehearsals in the month before shows)

That was up to almost 16 hours a day at times and yet I still found a way to exercise in that time. Never make excuses and do something. If you're sick then its an exception, get better and get back on the saddle, if you're sore then take it easy and stretch for the day don't overdo it. You can even workout traveling on the road (don't recommend while you're at the wheel driving) but if you're on a plane and are bored, instead of bitching move the ankles around, do deep breathing or better yet do isometrics. Its not easy if you have a hectic schedule but if you throw away the negativity and set excuses aside and just start doing 5min. of exercise and each day add a few sec. to the workout. Before you know it you're having a great workout and you'll have the feeling of accomplishment.

Also another way to stay motivated is to keep your exercises fun and fresh, don't do the same routine twice in the same week and please for Christ sake you don't need to do hours of training to get results (trust me on this) just do a maximum of 20-30min. Marathon workouts are a crock and should really only do one a week really but that's if you're in the mood otherwise don't bother with it. I don't train for more then 45 min. a day and that's spreading it out. I can do a marathon workout if I wanted to but whats the point? Make your training fun, if its sunny out go to a park and move around, play ball or act like a wild animal (don't need to act out the sounds but move like one). Be consistent with yourself and tell yourself that if you don't work out real hard then its no big deal be passive and move smoothly like in tai chi, if you wanna be aggressive then do some kettle bells or high volume squats or push-ups if you can doesn't matter. Work with what you can do. Again I train up to 3 times a day 7 days a week. If I'm not in a good mood then one workout is all i need. If you can't do any reps of an exercise then just hold the positions and your best.

Never fall short of doing your best for you. Train for yourself and train for the love of it. My biggest motivation to train is to train for me, no one else. Make yourself motivated and do whats best for you and make little goals. Like in life the small things can lead to big accomplishments.

How often to workout!!!!!

A lot of people want to know how many times a week do they need to workout to get such and such results. Fact of the matter is we are all different and need to work with whats comfortable to us before we start to really get into hard agressive training. For most on weights its the 3-4 day a week program but others say twice a week is all you need or work a body part once a week. The truth is whatever program you're using, chances are you won't last a month doing it and quit the first chance you get. Now most people would say a 7-day week program is just too much and you're overtraining. Pure Bullshit and you can quote me on that. I train up to 3 times a day for 7 straight days.

 For the most part hardcore training should be done twice a week, moderate training thrice a week and very smooth and relaxed training twice a week, thats 7 days. Thats just my opinion but not many of us have the time because of work, family, paying bills and watching tv when you get home. Now what if you gave yourself the time to train for 5min. a day to start? Sounds compromising and you don't need a gym when you have yourself. Getting to the gym takes time, getting dressed then hopefully when you get to a station no one is using so theres a wasted timeframe. So for safe keeping, start your first 5min. of the day doing a little exercise, actually lets make it one min. that should be enough for you don't you think? Believe it or not 1min. of exercise can be very beneficial because you start out doing a little something, then add 10 seconds each day of exercise and before you know it you'll be doing exercise for a good long time.

Another way of training for a little of your time would be to spread itr out throughout the day on what my friend John Peterson likes to call Greasing The Groove which means you do a little of exercise throughout the day. Say to start with 5 min. you do 2 1/2 in the morning and 2 1/2 at night. That could be your foundation and accomplish something. You don't need to work out for 2 hours a day to get in shape thats just nuts in my opinion. My training during the day is no more then 10-15 min. at a time. I like short workouts and the only time I train longer then an hour in one session is through stretching and deep breathing training. At times the workout goes by so fast an hour can feel like 10 min. I love those kind of workouts. Stop thinking you can't do a little exercise and just do something, make shit up. When you learn to be self reliant on what works for you that brings you closer to self mastery then anything else.

To give you an idea of what my training is like, I rarely ever follow someone elses workout. From all nearly 14 years of training I take the best exercises I have learned and mold them into what works for me. No exercise is ever the same with everyone. We're all of different height, weight even gender because there are some exercises for men that women can't do but its the same for women. Us guys are just more use to exercise (not being sexist i'm not done yet) but at the same time women can be and probably are pound for pound, ounce for ounce stronger then us guys. I'm too much guy so I can't imagine how hard it is for women to train but i'll tell you beautiful ladies this. You can do it even if its just a little stretching, you work far harder in training then us guys and need to build muscle differently. So if you feel you gained weight because the scale says it, after a little exercise I hardly doubt thats fat you're looking at, muscle weighs more then fat.

Do what you can do, even if it takes 1 min. to start give yourself a chance and with a little consistancy and patience I guarantee you you will get the results you want. Changing things up isn't a bad thing either, I change things up all the time because I get bored easily. Find out what works for you, don't let anyone else tell you different because most likely they'll just piss you off and tell you what you're doing is not in their best interest and they're program is the one-all-be-all. What works for you is the one that'll get you results.

Imagination Is Your Power!!!!!

When you put a thought into action it can make or break you as an individual. Like the old saying "Imagination is the elixer of life" you create what you want from thoughts. For most the craziest ideas came from a person's imagination, Edison with films, Einstein with his theories, P.T Barnum with his Circus Empire and some of the strongest men on the planet have had thoughts of what they wanted to do and made themselves into great human beings. Everything starts with a thought and yet this can apply to anything you want in life. For me being in a hospital bed, I imagined myself walking and running like theres no tomorrow and feeling like nothing can touch me and being stronger then anyone.

Well when I finally put it into action I made it possible without putting no less then 1000%. You can do this as well with what you want to do with your life. Now the downside to this is people telling you that you cant do it or make yourself this or that and your ideas to them are just loony and way out of left field. First step to creating your imagination is to leave skeptisism behind and look forward to your accomplishments, now that might mean you'll have obsticals on the way but do not let them stop you otherwise you'll just be another average person.

In fitness you can create the body you desire but you must imagine it and feel what it would be like then put it into action. To me I wanted to be a powerful and conditioned man that could knock out walls and bend tough steel and shred a phonebook in one shot. I made it happen for myself. Now its up to you to find yourself but what will your imagination take you?

Meditation....Better moving or being still?

When it comes to meditation we all want to find out how to reach our inner selves and how we grow from the inside as a human being and being at peace. Its not easy to listen to your own mind while everything around you is cluttered and frustrating. To channel ourselves we need to find a way that works for us and whats best to be at peice. Some people sit some stand and sometimes some move. In Tai Chi you move in fluid motions for a calm and relaxing affect on your body, mind and spirit. In Yoga you hold certain postures and breathe into the body that helps you grow stronger and more efficiant. In Qi Gong you practice all sorts of different things from hitting various pressure points, moving the joints to loosen them out and do different breathing exercises that help not only your body from the outside but more importantly work the internal organs to help create a healthier body.

For me I practice mostly standing and moving but at times I just want to lay down on the floor and just let everything thats bothering me just wash away and let everything flow. Even at certain times for meditation I do movements that jump up my heart rate to the point where i'm satisfied with what I did and just let nature unfold. So thats my practice but yet it can't be the same for everyone else because they are of different structure, personality, physiology and believe it or not psychology and so they need to use what they have to improve themselves. You can't teach someone to be meditative the same way you are because thats not being a teacher and its also not smart nor logical. So can you be meditative by standing or moving well t depends who you are and once you know you answered the question without ever saying a word.