Has Our True Strength Potential Revealed Itself?

 We all have great strength in us and we all have incredible gifts that we don't always know we posses. The true potential in ourselves can be fearful to understand but it also goes without saying that we overcompensate and let ego take over and not give a second thought to what is the real deal and what we want others to see. Strength is more than physical and it never hurts to have a great amount of physical strength but our true potential is where we channel our emotions, mental intentions and physicality into one super power as oppose to separate entities.  

It has been said we can only access very little of our true strength at it's peak. What if we learned to channel our strength that it goes higher than we have always perceived to be. Some people learn visualization techniques, breathing patterns, controlled emotions and what the real intentions are; what if we can learn all those things at the same time, not just little pieces here and there? If anything, we are our own worst critic and when we fear ourselves or overwhelm the ego, it can be dangerous and keep us from reaching our true potential that is just waiting to explode.

This is where the incredible system CoreForce Energy comes into play. The ability to access the body and mind's abilities to strike with such ferocious strength, speed, endurance and flow that it couldn't be comprehended by other means. What if we had abilities to lift a little heavier with more reps, run even 1/10th faster than our top speed, hit harder and with greater precision  in a fight, have greater endurance and gas out an opponent with ease or even go up a flight of stairs like it was almost walking on air? CFE can show you all those things with simple terms just about anyone can understand and have lesser chances of getting injured. 

We all want to know how powerful we really are but there's always something holding us back and it could be anything, more often than not it's ourselves because we don't understand the true nature of who we are inside and out. In the wise words of Yoda "you must unlearn what you have learned", we need to channel our true strengths into understanding the harnessing and the applications to open the door to ourselves. It's about taking what we know and apply it from a different perspective to reveal what is the real deal in how we create the real strength within us.

I know this all sounds like Hocus Pocus bullshit, I thought so too but I felt like I needed to learn this anyway because most of my life has been finding out the truest form of myself. It's still going on but have learned so much from CFE that it's gotten smaller and smaller about finding my true strengths. Because of the techniques I learned and applying them to certain aspects in my day to day life, my mind has not just absorbed what it has learned but also expanded to areas I never thought could go. I may have changed how I train over the years but I never truly stopped expanding my discoveries into CFE and it has helped me in the long run than anything else.

I still feel my physical strength hasn't peaked and things are just getting started. That's where the true power of CFE lies; when you apply the techniques, it reveals your strength in ways you didn't think was possible and potentially expands that strength over and and over as time goes on. The power we have in ourselves is far stronger than we think it is. We have to expand ourselves in order to open those doors to what has been there all along. It's almost as if you can create such strength and power in the blink of an eye it'll blow someone's mind. Does it take practice? Of course it does like anything else but it creates such an atmosphere that it becomes addicting to learn. 

Find out for yourself and see if CoreForce Energy can WORK for you. You have the potential to see results in less than a day as opposed to what someone can see in weeks, months or even years of training. It is THAT awesome. 

Coming To Grips With A Fallen Brother

 

Some say in life you should never meet your heroes because they just might disappoint you. This case is not only the opposite but on a scale many couldn't possibly imagine. Not only did me and quite a number of people meet our hero, he never disappoint, he made life that much more gratifying and beautiful to live in. To say my heart and my soul is now torn is not only an understatement, it also can't be hidden. 

Bud Jeffries has left this earth and not only is it something I never thought I'd say or find out so soon in this lifetime, it just doesn't sound real or believable. This past Friday, I get a message on Instagram from Mike "The Machine" Bruce showing what Bud's Wife wrote to Dennis Rogers that Bud had died and like those times you hear in movies I just screamed "no, no, no" and just lost it. I literally felt my whole being come crashing and being in such shock that my emotions just poured out of me just like when I found out my stepfather died the same exact day 19 years apart. 

He was more than a man among men, the strongman's strongman and an athletic barbarian, he was a rare soul that deserved to be here longer than he should've. A man with such compassion, lust for life and a presence that would make anyone in a room or even a whole building take notice. There was something very few in this crazy world had and that was the will to showcase what it means to be a human being with such genuine love for others that can't be matched by any other means. He was that man and there won't be anyone like him again.

I had known about Bud since about 2005-2006 and maybe spoke to him once or twice for a few years after that but I officially met him at a seminar in San Jose, CA that he hosted with Logan Christopher in April of 2011. The first time I looked over and saw him, it was like seeing a master of different arts walk in and just flood the place with energy that just made you feel powerful inside. I had never known anything like that before or since. I got to know him a little while we took a lunch break one day and sat with him and Noah at a 5 Guys Burger Joint across the way. It was the casual asking of questions and what he's like and all that, wanted him to give me some pointers on some things and during the seminar, I couldn't help but wanting to learn from him and I felt at times I annoyed him but he never showed it and he was humble. 

Over a period of 2 and a half years since that time, I occasionally messaged him and seeing how he was doing and then I found out he was doing a show in Spokane, WA which is less than an hour from here in Idaho and I jumped at the chance to have dinner with him and hang out. He came by and we did some training together and went to a Texas Roadhouse. This is where the ball started rolling and spending real one on one time and learning from one another. This was just before Thanksgiving in 2013 and after he did his time, he came back again and spent two nights at my house. This was February of 2014 and we did three shows together in Coeur D' Alene, Athol & Sandpoint. He did his anti-bullying speeches, feats and other things, I got to perform some Phonebook Tearing and Bent a 60 penny nail in a nose to mat bridge at least once or twice. It was a bonding experience that will never leave me. He took me under his wing and became brothers by that point. 

I learned so much from him and he became more than just a role model, he became a part of my family. He put knowledge and wisdom on me that nobody can ever take away and when I wasn't being true to myself when I would talk to him, he didn't let up on me and told me how much value I had and that I'm an amazing person with such strength inside and out and never ever judged me. Very few in my life ever gave me that and showed such compassion and understanding. He was the hero I was looking for after my stepdad died, it took me 8 years to find him and not only did it happen, it made me feel I truly belonged to something and keep that fire inside me to do what I love and share it. 

Years later, I was engaged and Bud was the first man I wanted to call and ask to officiate my wedding. He not only agreed but also because the theme we were going for, he dressed up literally like Obi-Wan Kenobi. It turned more of a laugh into a thing where I couldn't believe he would do that for us. When he came up here to do the wedding, I was such a wreck and emotions were all over the place, he was calm and collected to keep me on track and helped me with training, giving me ideas to enhance what I wanted to do and kept me distracted in a way that regardless of what was going on with me during those 4 days, I was ready to be married and give everything I had. I couldn't have done it without him and I will be convinced of that for the rest of my life. 

He ended up leaving a day early because his wife Heather had some physical issues back home and Bud couldn't wait any longer to be there for her. That's a real man folks, that's love beyond reasoning. The last time I ever saw him was when I hugged him, thanked him for everything and he drove off. 

Little did I know that would be the very last time I got to spend time with him up close. It's just so damn eerie and unbelievable he's not here in this physical form anymore. I wish he was still here to know that after me and my wife adopt a son, Bud would be in his middle name. I want my son to know who he was and that not only was Bud Superman to me and others around the world, that I would pass on what I learned from him and do everything in my being to be as compassionate, understanding and love even remotely as much as he showed to me and the people in his life.  

The last conversation we ever had was on messenger and we had talked about how he was doing and what he wanted to change to be better not only for himself but for anything else. He would like and put a little note on my videos every now and then which I always appreciated and will miss. The last set of words he ever wrote to me was wishing me and my family Merry Xmas after I wished him the same. I love you my brother, I will miss you everyday and know that you were and still are my guardian angel, the man I needed in my life and that your legacy will live on forever in the hearts of everyone you touched. I'm grateful and honored for everything you taught me and that I have Heather's back always whenever. 

RIP Bud, say hi to Noah for us and we all will share your stories and antics for all. 

The Young Gun And The Wise Man

 Generation after generation, we learn from various people from all walks of life about all kinds of things. The young and eager find out certain aspects of life through a format and sometimes can be a pain in the ass and wants to move along faster, sometimes they take patience to heart and slowly progress but at the end, takes the lessons and goes on his own path. The wise man, who has taken lessons from his years of being taught or in some cases self-taught and passes on to the next generation and finds certain aspects of the emotional investment. 

It doesn't matter if you're young or old, there's always something we can learn from somebody and we learn things that didn't always involve google or social media. People have a history to such a degree that at times we can't always comprehend because of their background, what they learned and what they applied. Now it can be rough to understand who we learn from or what we have become because of our upbringing, what we did or didn't do and if we become similar or the complete opposite of whom we learned from. 

In my life, I learned from a good number of people from friends to family, to complete strangers and mentors along the way. I learned what works, what not to do and observed people from different perspectives. I'm still learning all these things and for good reason. There are some people in life that we shouldn't learn from but as fate would have it, we learn anyway and we find out in ourselves if we become the young gun or the wise man or both. In a literal sense, there's always going to be a young kid looking for something and is eager to learn either from someone or learn and wise up on his own but the wise man however is different because he's learned so much and has either stopped learning or has a continuation from another perspective. What has he truly learned that has made him wise and is he wise from a general stand point or to something specific which is a very different ball game.

Sometimes, the people we learn from, we become the complete opposite of  because what they taught us can have major consequences in life and something didn't feel right or they just taught us to be an asshole when in fact that's not always what you want to be in life. Sometimes we are taught in another extreme direction that it can be confusing as hell and it's hard to form a decision of using that extreme teaching or forming something different. There needs to be some kind of balance where we can shift from one thing to another in the right format but often times we tend to shift in more of a direction that we didn't have a choice in or were pushed in that direction because it was meant to happen at a certain point in time.

Now because there are people from all walks of life, they'll teach you things you'll either take with gusto and wisdom or shrug it off and go somewhere else. Hell there are people out there today that'll tell you that if you wear a mask you're not a man, you're a pussy but there are others that'll tell you wearing a mask keeps you safe, in my opinion, it's your choice and it shouldn't be held against you if you make a choice that works for you. Some are wise enough to make a choice and move forward with it and maybe things will happen and maybe they won't. Others are the young guns who are still learning and figuring out what works and what doesn't for them. 

I say, be a bit a bit of both, be wise in some aspect but also have the mindset of a young gun and learn things that you can use later on. We all learn something and we're either going to grow from it or it'll eventually die out and we go somewhere else, either way, life will throw you a curveball at the most unexpected times.

The Joy Of Creating Workouts At Just About Any Given Time

 It's never easy to find a good time or place to train but when you understand the fundamentals and have studied many forms of exercise, you'll be able to create any workout no matter where you are. Most understand the concept of working out at home, a park, a hotel room, on the staircase of a building or on top of a skyscraper like in Chicago or New York for crying out loud but it becomes much more than just where you train.

Time for the most part is an illusion and it's more of a construct to how we apply economically and restrict the human mind to thinking we have so little time for anything other than the aspects of work and financial responsibilities. For those who want to play along, we have 24 hours in a single day, that's 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. Think about that, when you look at time from another perspective, you will find that even the fewest minutes or even 30 seconds can be used to do something that will make you stronger, healthier and/or fit regardless of where you are. 

We have become an exhausted society where time is used for some of the most ridiculous things, even in fitness it can make you go bonkers how crazy certain workouts can turn someone into a raving lunatic or such a fanatic that it consumes their soul in the most negative ways. Yes in many ways, we can and have made things productive and thrived but on the deepest level, we still have a lot to learn on how "time" is being spent. 

I have studied enough methods of exercise that no matter what environment I'm in, I can find a way to train and so can you. The question is, what could you do regardless of where you are at any given time? It's not easy and you have responsibilities and you have exhausted your brain or body from whatever your job is, the kids, the elderly in-laws, the mortgage, the laundry, the bills, the overwhelming abundance of craziness, you still have a choice to do something that could work for you. 

Out of all the years I've been training, I wasn't always motivated or ready or even happy to train and I was in some shitty moods as well but I made a choice. That's what it comes down to is making a choice. I love to train so much that even after breakups, fights, deaths, tired from moving, having no sleep or overslept, cuts, bruises, minor injuries, frustrations, anger and going through anxiety and traumas, I always made a choice to do some kind of training whether it was mediocre or highly intense. 

My joy comes from the love I have and what it gives back that brings the rewards. I can be in a crappy neighborhood scared out of my mind or sit in an arena or stadium around 10-45,000 people with bits of moments of anxiety and still do a workout without anyone knowing. I've done workouts on a plane next to strangers. If you find joy in something, it can help you find a positive solution regardless of how you feel, where you are and how to channel certain situations. 

Make choices that show how you can define yourself and make the best of them. Some days will be harder than others, some will feel like a breeze and there will be days that you have no clue as to what you can come up with and it becomes instinctive more than just thinking about it. Find joy in something and use it for nearly any given time. Time is just an illusion but the joy in something is a choice you get to make. Hope it's a good one. 

Unusual Conditioning Style

 Focusing on conditioning shows off many benefits but because there are so many programs, where do you go to find top of the line methods for it that doesn't involve some textbook trainer that wouldn't last in a real world conditioning setting? Many have made fitness complicated because of all the confusion and overwhelming aspects of what is told what works and what is pure bullshit. Fitness Influencers, celebrity trainers, cookie cutter programs and countless gadgets in infomercials have taken the core of strength and conditioning and made it into a big pile of useless crap that many in the world couldn't handle if they tried.

Simplicity is the key to real results by far. Anyone who says otherwise are probably the same people who think crossfit is a long lasting method of exercise, it really isn't. Becoming a stronger human being takes real effort, but it doesn't have to go as far as the amount of time those people on "The Biggest Loser" were training. When you learn simple programs, you learn the true ins and outs of what real training is all about. Notice I didn't say to follow a program, I said to learn one; when you follow a program, that's something entirely different. Following means you do step by step exclusively for that program and when you're doing something different outside of it, it doesn't have the same benefit. When you learn, you find things that format something later on like how to properly do a technique on something and use it to program something for yourself later. 

It is important to work an exercise with proper technique or teaching the body to respond to a technique but everybody is different so mechanics don't always work the same way. When you can train with great intensity but also develop a system that creates an injury-proof body as much as possible, you're forming what the body's potential can really aspire to. 

Earlier today, I tried a workout that was inspired by Bud Jeffries' Power Building Isometric Superset Program  where I did a movement exercise and supersetted with an Isometric exercise. This is a unique outlook on how to develop a different level of conditioning and combining things together to create strength at a greater pace. Here's what I did.....

Farmer's Carry the Darth Vader Kettlbell (70 lbs.) 2 times (1 revolution each hand)

Than immediately picked up and Bear Hugged a 50 lb Sandbell in a Wall Sit for a minimum of 30 seconds or more

Did this for several rounds (around 6 or 7) just to get an idea of what really hits. The idea is to work a tough exercise and than hold an isometric to build that extra level of fatigue. Breath control is tested big time on this and this really hits the whole body including your grip, core stabilization, muscle activation, leg conditioning and your nerves. Although it's a lung burner, I also felt lighter and faster afterwards and had some pep in my step. When it came to the wall sit, I did the best to control my breathing and really feel my legs and the squeezing of the sandbell as I held it until about 70-75% fatigue and keep going. This really targets different aspects of physical and mental conditioning yet it's so simple to do. 

When it comes to training, learn how to do certain things but make your style unique and set your own rules of bettering yourself. It shouldn't take you hours to train, less than 30 minutes would be enough to kick your ass if you do it right. Train with conviction and focus and things will fall into place.  

Do You Have A Minute To Talk About.....

 At some point in our lives, especially in the U.S, we have had that knock on the door and we would answer with someone on the other end saying "Do you have a minute to talk about our lord and savior?" or something about Jehovah? I'm not against anyone who practices religion (unless it's to spout harmful acts or throw in guilt to get you to listen or convert) but there comes a time for some to practice the "Nancy Reagan Method" of just say NO!!!

Sometimes a minute can feel like an eternity but it also at times can go by very fast and we don't even know what hit us. For many, 60 seconds can be a life changing moment whether good or bad yet it also can be just a blip that doesn't mean anything but that minute always have something, even if we don't always know it.

When it comes to exercise, many don't always realize how a single minute can alter an entire session or become so intense, it's all you'll do the rest of the day. Think about it, running on a treadmill may not feel like much after a minute but what if you did a full minute of burpees, bear crawls, push-ups or holding a wall sit? Many in the world could not do a full minute of any of those. How about creating sets that lead up to a minute like say 6 sets of 10 sec sprints? Pro Athletes at times would only do that during certain training days and they're spent afterwards and for good reason. 

One minute whether you're a beginner or a seasoned expert can change the way you look at things from another perspective. Today, I so far did a mini workout of just Bear Crawling for 1 minute and felt really good, I felt a little more alert, the brain fog evaporated and felt looser, all that in a single minute. Some workouts take an hour to really feel something but one minute had many benefits already in place.

Never underestimate the power of what one minute can do for you. Your entire life can change, your future can be altered to a much greater path and when you exercise, one minute can put you on the path to greater health, strength, flexibility and more. 

 

The Depths Of The Deep Squat

 

Having a good set of legs can do wonders for you especially if they're strong and limber. The big thing is, if you don't maintain solid flexibility and realistic strength in your legs, it won't be long before they become a pain in the ass. You can lift a ton of weight, do the splits, run for miles and do hundreds of squats but if you have trouble getting up or getting into a deep squat and holding it, what was the real point of all those other things?

As we get older, it is important we respect and adapt to how our bodies begin to change and learn the true value of being able to do things that may seem so simple and easy to one person but to someone 50 and over, it is a blessing and a godsend that we are able to keep things in check and still have abilities that the average person doesn't. We as a people take for granted many times that in our youth, we feel invincible and can take on the world but before we know it, we are in walkers, getting hip replacements, knee problems, joint deterioration and feeling like broken down old dogs. It's nothing to scoff at.

Holding a squat as low as ass to grass nearly may be not all that much to the untrained eye but in reality, there's more going on than most would believe. It opens up the hips, can relieve pressure on the low back and strengthens the joints around the knees and ankles. A lot of people have trouble not only getting into a deep squat but even if they did, they don't have the strength or the flexibility/coordination to stand back up with ease. If you look at many people in Asia & Africa, you'll notice they will work, play or even just sit in a deep squat for long periods of time and very few get injured. 

From a western point of view, the deep squat has been a feared exercise because you see people like lifters, farmers, baseball players and laborers develop bad knees and hip and joint problems as they get older because they've held or done so much squatting over their lifetime that it's become problematic and having hips and knees replaced more often than practically anywhere else. The realism behind that is that when certain tasks become repetitive over a period of time, yes it can happen but there's more to it than just repetitive movements or being in awkward positions. 

When you really train the very depths of the deep squat, depending on your condition and health, there are incredible benefits that are way overlooked. I've trained my legs over many years and rarely if ever got injured since my big injury at 20, sure I've been sore many times but never had severe joint problems. I attribute the way I can hold a deep squat for a solid period of time was because of my training from Hindu Squats, Step Ups, Isometrics and the dynamic flexibility leg exercises I've done over the years. Someone once asked me to hold the deepest squat I could for 10 minutes because they didn't believe it was possible, I did it with ease. Once you understand how the deep squat is worked, it becomes almost meditative by just breathing and sinking into it with no tension. 

A squat is more than just a squat, it's a natural aspect of the human condition and it's not about how long you can hold it or if you squat so low that your ass is touching the ground, it's about using it to maintain your health and overall well being, it's like physical medicine for the muscles, joints, organs and your raspatory system. Some people can't do it because of severe problems hey have developed which is sad and it's heartbreaking that has happened but for those who still have a chance, make it work for you and do it for your health and overall fitness. 

Why Micro Training Kicks Ass

A key aspect of being in good physical condition is to be able to take on physical tasks whenever it's needed. Yesterday was one of the worst snow days this winter so far here in Northern Idaho as it came down hard on and off from 9pm Wednesday night to about 7 yesterday hitting at a peak of 8 inches ground level to nearly 14 inches in the mountains. 

This was the most I've had to shovel snow as I went out 6 times starting at 2:30 in the morning until about 6 O'clock in the evening moving snow for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. Some of it was powdery but quite a bit got heavy and building little mountains of snow around the front yard and around a space my wife parks her car. Very few people have shovels in this neighborhood and have snow plows. The only time you see someone else around here that uses a shovel is if the plow breaks down or there's bits of snow left to kick off. So, I ended up being one of the few who was burning energy like crazy.

Between rounds of shoveling, to keep my energy up, I did various exercises throughout the day. From doing 360's with a Sandbell to Push-ups, Step-Ups and Isometrics, these little Micro Workouts kept me alert and ready for when I was going out again. If anyone understands that yes Shoveling Snow isn't a special thing and many people do it but statistics have shown that if you're not in good shape and you just go out and do a very demanding physical task, it can get dangerous for some people. Cold weather alone is tough to deal with at times because even though you have good clothing on to stay warm, you're still burning off calories just to stay warm overall, add in something like Shoveling Snow, you're working harder than you normally would. It has led to Heart Failure in some people and has had people drop dead from overexertion. 

Around my 5th round of Shoveling, I ended up helping a neighbor's son get his car into the driveway because it got stuck within feet of the driveway. Me, and the neighbor's 2 sons were digging around the car because the snow had scrunched up under and around. The car couldn't move for about several minutes so I was hauling ass just to get snow out around it. Ended up pushing the car a couple times to add some umph as it was in gear. We got it into the driveway but it came at an exhausting price. I'm glad I was able to help but that drained me for a while. 

This is where Micro Workouts can be a godsend because when you need to be ready for something like this, it's important to realize that even the little things can have a huge impact on how you handle certain tasks at any given time. Picking up and carrying weight for 5-10 minutes may not seem like much but it gets your blood going, it strengthens your muscles for the the work you might put in later among other things. Isometrics are definitely the "game genie" of fitness because when you strengthen the joints and tendons, your whole body will have a stronger outlook on the physical movements you need to do at times. 

(For those reading who don't understand what Game Genie means.....The Game Genie was a device for various video game consoles back in the day such as Sega, Nintendo & Super Nintendo where you can get cheats and secrets to various games that had "glitches" in them where you can acquire certain things such as infinite lives, invincibility, unlimited weapons, level selection and be able to run faster and jump higher.) 

Whether you shovel snow, do landscaping, brick building, breaking concrete or something like dry walling, it's important to be in good shape because these things can be very taxing and yes you can be in good shape from doing them by themselves because over time it becomes second nature and your body has adapted to the stress but, some micro training can give you that extra boost of energy and keep you alert and on your toes. 

Micro Workouts give you the opportunity to train with the little window of time you can use to keep yourself in shape for whatever the day's tasks you may need to do and stay on top of your physical well being. Those few minutes can be life saving and help you be in better health than just either doing one big workout or nothing at all. 

Stay strong and stay healthy as long as you can throughout this life and do amazingly awesome things when you are needed and to be strong and fit for yourself and the people in your life.

New Years And Isometrics Experiment

 Happy Belated New Year's Everyone. It's a time of reflection and moving forward with new goals and making this year as awesome as possible little by little. Finding new things to discover, train a little differently and learning new skills. 

Do you have any resolutions? Seriously, I hate that word because it doesn't hold any true meaning and 95-98% of the time, most people stop after two weeks of mainly anything that they try to jump into the deep end of. When it comes to experimentation, it's important to remember that coming in cocky and becoming too excited can spell disaster if you're not aware of the consequences. That's why if you have any new goals you want to set, start small and built yourself up, even if it's microscopic. It's ok to come into things a little scared and not completely knowing the outcome or what will happen in the middle. 

For me, New Years is more about not just starting fresh but learning what is possible for what's to come. It's worth noting that focusing on what is important and not focus on what you don't want is better suited to understanding the real light shining at the end of the tunnel. There will be ups and downs and not everything you do will be perfect, but you keep moving forward inch by inch because you never know what will have an incredible effect on you. 

An experiment I was playing with over the last few days before the clock struck Midnight was a different area of Isometrics that I wanted to see happen. In the spirit of Steve Justa and learning a few things from a book called Overcoming Isometrics, I got the idea of utilizing Isos in what I call "10 Breath Isometrics." It's an idea where you hold certain exercises (in the overcoming style even though it could be used in yielding Isos as well) for a maximum of 10 Breaths...

The first 9 breaths are as deep as possible while contracting at 40-60% of your strength like an aerobic hold but on the 10th breath, you exhale as you contract hard at 70-75% of your strength for 7-12 seconds. Deep Breathing mixed with great intensity at the end potentially has incredible benefits in how you become efficient at Isometric Training. It also allows you to find out how long you can hold for those first 9 breaths and go hard on the 10th. Some people just like timing a hold which is great but that's still focusing more on the timing than what's really going on. This is geared towards focusing on your breathing as best as possible and because of this, you can go longer than you may have previously and than on that last breath, use the last bit of strength. 

I would still recommend the "ssss" sound on the 10th breath but if you wish to just go as hard as you can on that last one and just breathe out, go for it. Another alternative if you're not ready to go hard on that last breath, just stay at that 40-60% strength level and breathe deeply and keep it to a aerobic hold. Test it out and see how it is for you. This isn't some secret new way to do Isometrics but it is different than what is usually written and how to do them. I've gotten a few workouts out of it and it feels amazing especially the aftereffects with the strength and speed that is generated. You can use a strap, a towel, that is immoveable. 

For the Yielding Isometrics (like a plank for example), you can just do 10 deep breaths. How long is each breath? That's hard to say, some can inhale and exhale only in a 10 second period, others can go longer so experiment and learn how good your breathing is. The big thing is focusing on the breath and not so much on the actual time held. Give it a whirl. 

It's great to try new things, just don't try so hard where you hurt yourself, be aware and if something feels off, it's best to stop. Listen to your intuition and utilize what works best for you. Be amazingly awesome during the New Year and make the most of what is possible. 

Here's a video I made that demonstrates the "10 Breath" Isometric Experiment.  

Is Having Six Pack Abs Really That Important?

 All over Social Media, you'll find ad after ad after ad of programs and promotions on how to develop 6 pack abs and getting down to such a ridiculous amount of body fat and telling everyone that yours is the straw that stirs the drink. Mainly Hollywood is obsessed with image and will do anything to make someone look good (or look like shit depending on the circumstance) to the point where photoshopping is the norm, we as a society on social media thrive on making certain things look like a million bucks but what is the reality?

Youtube, Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok have become the go to places for How-To videos that last ranging from 20-30 seconds to well over an hour and very few or a fraction can really tell the difference to what is bullshit and what is legit. For the most part, unless you plan on being a star to millions and don't care about the consequences, you can convince plenty of people (if done right) on how to get abs so good looking that heads will turn. This is not realistic and certainly not the true way to go about it.

Having a six pack does have its benefits and it's helped some reach Olympic levels of greatness but the reality is, in order to maintain it, it can get harder and harder as we age. Having powerful muscles or even sleek looking abs didn't get everyone who had them anywhere, some of the greatest athletes had a six pack but never reached levels of legendary status. Even some of the best known fighters with a six pack don't even have a winning career record. Having a six pack can do wonders for some but for the rest, it's not worth achieving if it costs your health and well being.

The late Karl Gotch used to talk about the difference between counterfeit muscles and conditioned muscles; he said that the counterfeit muscles the majority of the time (mainly in bodybuilding) were the ones that looked amazing but that was it, those muscles were mainly stiff, couldn't take a hit, very immobile and didn't have a chance in hell on lasting very long in realistic situations. Conditioned muscles didn't always look like a million bucks but could go the distance if needed, can take a punch, durable, had less chances of getting injured and had great flexibility. 

Does this mean you shouldn't build six pack abs? Here's where the truth lies....It isn't wrong to develop awesome looking muscles or in this case washboard type abs however, it is more important to find the balance of developing a physique but also having the conditioning to go with it. Sometimes conditioning the abs is far more worth it than to simply just build a look. some of the old-time strongmen of the vaudeville era didn't just look incredible, they had strength and fitness to go with the physique and can do things most couldn't dream of at the time. Otto Arco, Maxick, Zass, Sandow and others had physiques that even to this day would make people's jaws drop but unlike many bodybuilders and "influencers" today, they also had strength and conditioning that is so legendary, it's hard to believe. 

So if you plan on developing a strong six pack but also give it a good look, use fitness and eating habits that are realistic and achievable through progressive training. Build a core that can take a hit and can go, you don't need to do 1000 crunches or do 100's of sit-ups to make that happen, work exercises that challenge the core muscles like an Ab Wheel or better yet a Power Wheel, do Isometric holds that target the core along with the whole body (Fist Planks, Side Planks, Superman Holds, Iso Crunch, Hollow/Arch Body Holds, V-Up Holds ect.). Condition the core first, than work on building a look for it cause if all you care about is the look, eventually sooner than later, you're increasing your chances of developing injuries that you may not be able to come back from.