The Hill And You

 It can be a love/hate relationship and sometimes you just want to quit but when you push because you know what's at stake, you find out what you're capable of. Now that can be a lot of things in life and some will take it to extremes even to the point of extreme conditions to prove how tough they are but in the end, there has to be balance amongst the chaos. For this specific reason I'm going with Hill Sprints here.

When you're at the hill and you sprint up that son of a bitch like your life depended on it, there's a lot of things going on that many don't realize. The hill can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how you do it and treat it as such because believe it or not, that hill is like a coach. I teaches you what you're doing wrong, how to correct your stride, how you proceed with the right speed and how to apply the strength of your fortitude to its demanding presence. If you have someone to go sprinting with, that's great and you could push each other and encourage each other but even that is rare to find unless you're training for a sport like Football or Wrestling or MMA. The majority of the time, a Hill Sprinter is by him/herself, locked onto a specific goal with nothing but the clothes on their back, the surroundings and the ground they're sprinting on.

Hill Sprints are of a different animal than other forms of Strength Training or Interval Training. The hill fights you and wants you to not be able to tackle it's angle or dimensions. It doesn't want you to succeed but you push on anyway. It can be intimidating and it can even speak to you saying "you can't beat me, I'll make you feel like you're dying inside" or something along the lines of "Try me and find out what it feels like to know you need everything just to even get pass me by a few yards." It doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care where you come from, it doesn't matter what color, creed or if you're a world champion, it will beat you to a metaphorical pulp if you let it get to you. 

As of late, I've completed about 70 Sprints so far in my training and it doesn't get any easier. I've had to reduce the number of sprints because I did sense something wrong after doing too many of them too soon and that hill was laughing in my face. I still managed them but I was going back home on fumes and my body was in shock along with shot to shit. When I reduced the number to 5 sprints instead of 10 per session, things felt better, I felt stronger both during and after. The hill taught me a valuable lesson and that's to never underestimate its ability to kick your ass and ravage your ignorance. I don't sprint at 100% cause that would only be a few seconds and my legs would be shot, I sprint just hard enough to go for 10-15 seconds to hit that sweet spot. That gives me the opportunity to show that hill that I'm listening to not only it but to my body and finding that balance of going hard but not to the point of possibly getting hurt. 

The progression is simple and I nearly found out the hard way that simplistic progression and not all out high number of sprints is the way to go. I'm not Walter Payton or a Shamrock or Brock Lesnar, I can only be me. Right now I'm in the final week of doing 5 Sprints per session, by next week I'll be going after 6 for a max of 4 weeks and then add 1 more and so on and so forth. I don't bring my cell, I don't bring a backpack or water bottle with me, just the clothes I wear and the shoes on my feet to get me there. Walk to the hill, do my sprints, walk home and that's my workout. Depending on how many sprints I do, door to door takes about an hour or so from the time it takes to get get there, sprint and go back. There's beautiful trees, a cool park nearby and nobody bothers me unless they honk their horns driving by to cheer me on or give me a thumbs up. It is seriously one of the friendliest places I've ever been in. Most of the time with people coming by, I just nod and have us both be on our way. 

The hill I run on is a hill where my grandmother-in-law lives next to and it's a hill that leads up to the mountain where my Father-In-Law lives. Beautiful hill to even just climb up and there's a little trail on the side of the mountain that overlooks the road leading to the lake. Nobody bothers anybody, very civil and very little of the time you see an asshole drive by or some nutjob trying to see how fast he can go in his pickup with a MAGA Sticker & Gun Rack on the window. Always careful where I'm at and aware of any cars coming by cause the lane is barely small enough for a bike. When I walk back down to recover, I shift over to the ditch on the side. 

It's not the steepest hill but it is fun to sprint on and every now and then, you get some deer close by just sitting or looking on. If you like Hill Sprints and have a hill near by, use it to the best of your abilities, just be careful depending where it is. Keep being amazingly awesome and hope you have a great start to the week. 

The Difference Between Being Euphoric And Being A Zombie

 

The first 3 workouts of my current sprint training program didn't start off on the right foot so do speak. I started out at 10 sprints a session and without realizing it, it just didn't seem right. Something was off especially after the sprints and walking back home. When I did my third session and finally understood what I was feeling, I changed it up and went down a few notches. After each of the first three sessions, I was feeling like a zombie walking home. No energy, walking on fumes and feeling dead inside. It felt like shit and my body didn't completely respond well until I decided to make one change. Reduce the amount of sprints to half of what I was doing and progressively build up to 8-10 again.

When I made this one small change, it became something bigger than the previous three workouts. Cutting the sprints down to 5 not only changed my outlook on the workouts but felt the complete opposite of what I was doing before. I felt that I did enough but still had something left in the tank. I felt a sense of euphoria, that happy energy and bustling with life and vitality. Walking back home felt great and easy. Here's the main difference between the two opposing effects of being euphoric and feeling like a zombie: The feeling of euphoria is like a 70's Hippie in a meadow, just feeling great and high without an ounce of hate or negative feelings towards the world. Feeling like a zombie however; feels like nothing matters, the world goes on but you have no life in you, there's no usefulness and the feeling of no purpose, you just don't give a shit. Your body is moving or being still but there's nothingness as well, the energy feels empty and no sense of vitality whatsoever. 

This isn't just a feeling from sprint training, these can happy during any form of training or having such a long day at work or during work that it either sucks the life out of you or give you a reason to be happy and full of life. To me, training is about having something left in the tank but also feel like there's vigor and power that still runs strong while feeling great at the end. If your workout ends where there's nothing left and there's no life or energy coming from you internally or externally, there's something wrong there. If you're a competitor training for a sport, sure you want to work hard and make efforts to go against the competition but if there's no energy left for when the game even starts and you're just playing without an ounce of vital energy, what good was all that practice for? Practice with the intention of being at your best before, during and after whether it's a workout, training for a sport, at your job or whatever that keeps you being vitally strong. 

Now when it comes to awareness, you should always be aware of your surroundings. When you're naturally high and full of euphoria, you still know where you are and what's going on. When you're high out of your skull and have no sense of awareness whatsoever, that has a very high risk of killing you. Overdosing and things like that is what I can't condone and taking drugs to feel good just isn't right. Be vital and strong in your euphoric state with a solid sense of awareness. Don't go so far that that not only life is sucked out of you but there's no energy and strength left to do anything that it seems like you're dead but still moving. Be amazingly awesome and live with happiness and strength.   

Do Binaural Beats Work?

 

First off, what in the bloody hell are Binaural Beats? It's the perception of sound we create in our brains. If there is two tones we hear each at a different frequency and each in a different ear, our brain creates a third that we can hear. That third tone is a Binaural Beat. Our tolerance for various frequencies depends on the individual but the idea is to promote relaxation and be put into a deep state of meditative like format. Whether for a few minutes or for several hours, massaging the brain can have a profound affect positively on our psyches. That doesn't mean we should overdue it. Like training the body, we have to progressively build up and keep a balanced level of tolerance in order to strengthen the brain. 

I've been listening to a lot of these lately and varied the volume I use on my headphones and my speakers. Ranging from meditative music for increasing dopamine (the happy hormone) to testosterone/HGH and even attracting unexpected money from sales. I don't go all day listening to these but depending on what I want to do or to keep my energy levels up, I listen to different tracks. I would loop one track over and over for about up to 15 minutes or so since some are just over 2 minutes long while others may be over 5-10. During my Dao Zou Training (meditatively walking backwards), I would listen to Becoming Happy which is over 10 1/2 minutes long and would listen to this three times. This is supposed to help with ridding the mind of negative thoughts and energy and strengthening serotonin and dopamine while increasing positive thoughts and energy. Yeah it sounds very "New Agey" but hey, it's far better than popping pills and taking loads of muscle relaxers. I listen to this at night before going to bed and so far it has worked and I sleep like a rock, calm and relaxed. 

These kinds of beats have been around a while and has roots in ancient shamanic rituals where music and surroundings put you into a deep state of meditation where you relax the mind and body to heal or have some other worldly type of experience. Almost like those who have taken LSD or Shrooms to go somewhere else in their mind. This has been taken to extremes and yes drugs are bad (in my bad Mr. Mackey voice) but we all want to escape reality at one point or another. With listening to these Beats on YouTube, this is a safer option but you do have to be careful so you don't have volume up so high it could lead to some hearing loss and create headaches. Keep them to a volume that you can hear but are comfortable with and immersing yourself in it. 

With regards to the Testosterone/HGH frequencies, there are some things to be skeptical about especially when it comes to the description of what they do. Some sound a little off the rails but I give it a chance and just listen and do my best to naturally feel the vibrations and what gives the brain a reason to send those neurons to the areas where Testosterone and HGH lead to which is mainly in the sex organs. Creating blood flow and having that surge of masculine energy and sexual vibrancy. Again it sounds weird and there's a reason to be skeptical. Nothing wrong with giving it a shot just to see how it feels. It may not always work instantly but in my recent experiences, listening to them a few times a day on loop like maybe no more than 3-4 times (time can go by fast with these) for a week may give you some insights to how the body feels. One of my favorites to listen to is called Unleash Your Masculinity- Super Testosterone Subliminal For Male Potency, Muscle Gain & Confidence. Talk about a mouth full, it's around 10:40 long and has a lot of vibrational sounds along with using some kind of synthesizer which at times really hits you but it feels good and energetic. I listen to this track once, maybe twice at a time and always come out of it feeling great and feeling like a weight has been lifted and ready to go. 

There are many other styles of frequencies used to target many things for the mind and body like healing certain areas, bone strengthening, recovery, getting rid of cobwebs, enhancing your focus and concentration, sleep, losing weight, gaining weight, attracting wealth, attracting soulmates, stronger estrogen for women, various testosterone building frequencies, helping migraines, brain strengthening and a hell of a lot more. Whatever you may want to work on or enhance, give these a try and see what could work for you. If they don't and you just don't see them doing anything for you, than it doesn't work for you. That's ok, we all experiment with something and sometimes certain things don't work. I find them to be very powerful and helpful. I mainly use them to keep my energy up especially for training and when I'm ready to go to sleep, I have one or two videos to listen to for a period and feel ready to fall asleep. 

Here are some of the channels to look up on Youtube. You don't have to watch the videos, just listen and feel, that's it. On some of them, you can multi-task like doing dishes or writing or even working out. Just don't listen to these while driving or operating heavy machinery. 

Good Vibes Binaural Beats 

Positive Vibes

Inner Peace

Vastu- Meditation, Brainwaves & Healing

Binaural Beats Frequency Wizard

There's tons of others and all have their pros and cons but quite a few are powerful and potent. Last time, being skeptical is very understandable and reasonably so, shit I never thought of listening to stuff like this but I gave it a shot and they work very well for me. Just the feeling of my brain relaxing and getting thoughts and negative crap out of head was the start of it. This is a hell of a lot better than turning to drugs or drinking to stun your sorrows. Be safe, listen with intent and keep being amazingly awesome. 

The Historical Significance Of Movement Training

 Today is going to be a history lesson (sounds boring but I'll do my best to make it as fun as I can). We're going back in time to look at the origins of Movement Training. Some good info here along with learning the benefits, positives and even the negatives. Sit back, put pedal to the medal and let's jump time at 88 miles per hour.

The time? About 10,000 years ago. As you may know (but just in case you didn't), animals don't actually need to do any form of exercise, our ancestors before the age of Crop Circles or the Agriculture Revolution didn't need to do any form of exercise either. Based on the harsh and cruel realities of life as it was, the environment of that time forced the man to be strong, incredible agile and about as athletic as it could get. Now we can even go back to the future into the 20th century (A century of our modern times) and you'll find that the most common person was in pretty good shape from the physical labor they put themselves through. The greats like Farmer Burns, Bob Peoples and others were laborers that went on to become legends in their chosen endeavor. For back then, it was part of people's lives.

Even before the 1900's, there wasn't a need to do movement type training or exercise unless you specifically wanted to obtain a physique or be fit for war, dance or even sports for that matter. From a human race perspective, we've always been interested in the potential of what the human body can do and what it could develop into in terms of building a mighty physique. When the first Olympics were going on many thousands of years ago and the rise of martial arts throughout the centuries, the ability and capability of the human body was tested in every way you can imagine. Rituals are still practiced to this day in various formats. Innovations in our modern world today have made life a bit easier and had us feel a little laidback so to speak but also stressed as hell in many cases. The quality of life has skyrocketed but in terms of the physique, it could use a tune up big time. When that vitality and vigor starts to dwindle, the mind will soon follow suit.

Many people today do lack mental toughness which could use a tune up as well and our emotional resilience does need some tough love but not so brutalized it drives a person to insanity so it's more of an individual thing. Physically moving and doing things like carrying, lifting or similarities to labor were a natural part of life and has gone by the wayside. It can create issues but we can do the best we can to move daily and as often as possible. Go for walks, lift rocks, carry sandbags, sprint on a hill or some grass, climb, hike, ride a bike, swim; whatever you can do to keep yourself from turning into the Vampire Blob from Blade. 

What else can be a solution to this? Learn from the masters of the early 1900's that took these problems head on and formed the era of Physical Culture. The precursor to MovNat was started by George Hebert whom developed the method of Natural Movement where he utilized patterns that many needed for optimal health. These included running, walking, stretching, throwing, lifting, climbing and many other things that consisted of what a human is capable or "relearn" what it means to move like a human. Bodybuilding was right alongside this with the likes of Eugene Sandow, Bobby Pandour, Maxick, Fred Rollon and others due to performing strongmen who displayed incredible muscularity. This wasn't just about muscle building either, this was more on the emphasis of function. Before the steroid era, guys like John Grimek experimented with so many things and even invented a few things as well to build an incredible body that helped many around the world. He was even an awesome gymnast, talk about training everything even though he was considered at the time a Heavyweight. 

Bodybuilders of that time were geniuses at finding what was possible to train with real intentions and not turn to drugs. If anyone really connected bodybuilding and mental power was the great Maxick. The guy could make any muscle be on their own and move with ease. Another thing was the use of light weights instead of going heavy to reduce the wear and tear on the joints. From the heart of Germany, another Physical Culturists emerged by the name of Joe Pilates. He was originally a gymnast and bodybuilder who went to become a boxer, circus act, a wrestler and a self-defense teacher. His study of Yoga and the movement of wild animals was intense. This level of experimentation was incredibly high to the degree where his method of training that now bares his name taught you how to focus the mind and control your body with such effectiveness that it was insanely efficient.

In the Eastern part of the world, many martial arts masters were so far ahead of their time that it's mind blowing like the ways of Qi Gong. From the east as well, yoga masters taught incredible aspects of flexibility and breathing techniques. Before it became a run of the mill McDonalds level of franchising, Yoga was a pinnacle practice of keeping the body healthy and strong long into old age. The real practices still go on today but few and far between.   

In the era of PED's and marketing, we've become so sidetracked it's not even funny. The days of old have seem to become more of a "lost art" and a way of saying like Indiana Jones "It belongs in a museum" type of mentality. However; in the last 25+ years or so, the style of Natural Training has brought on a second wind of popularity due to people like Rickson Gracie who learned his conditioning techniques from Brazilian Yoga teacher Orlando Cani. Gracie learned the aspects of animal crawling combing the elements of Pilates and Yoga. In Russia, Systema was a hit after the fall of the Soviet Union which is now considered to be a Martial Art. It's more than just a self defense system; it puts a high emphasis on Strength Training and Breathing Techniques. 

As the years go on, we keep developing and re-introducing the old style with modern twists and progressively bringing back that heart and soul of what the old-timers did so long ago. With the help of people of Mike Fitch, Eero Westerburg, Erwan Le Corre, Matt Schifferle and others, we can make a difference in how we bring back not only that quality of life but the practice of movement and play/experimentation to stay strong and healthy until the day we die. 

Hope this was a good learning experience and it shows you what we can do to keep the ball rolling. Be amazingly awesome and get moving.  

100 Seconds Of Fat Melting Training Like Nazis Standing Next To The Ark

 

Certain aspects of training can be hard as hell and you do the best of what your body allows you. Even with a strong mind, your body is quite capable of more than we give credit but there's always a limit that reaches maximum. In Sprint Training, no matter who you are, your top speed only lasts mere seconds. In those seconds however, you are training your body to tackle fat like Kevin Greene took down quarterbacks; hard, fast and with ferocious intensity. 

Sprints separate the men from the boys and turns them into lean, mean fighting machines nearly as fast as the Flash. You can have your life flash before your eyes and still see what it would be like to go so hard that you are fighting for your life at the same time. Sprints are primal, intense and full of benefits that we often ignore because of the various things that it does or doesn't do. In simple terms, Sprint Training gives off Warrior Vibes.

For 10 seconds at a time, you can imagine many things to make this as intense as it's meant to be: Chasing down somebody, running from an animal, racing your shadow, being a character, being a real life superhuman or whatever you choose to do, make it so you're creating the fastest version of yourself. Those 10 seconds can determine the ability to burn off fat at a rate that's almost unbelievable to comprehend. Now imagine working those 10 seconds multiple times and rest 2-3x as long in order to recover. It's Strength Training in its simplest form; no complicated things to do, no machines, no gym noise, nothing but you and the ground. 

Hill Sprints however make fat burning the ultimate workout that ground sprints doesn't get passed. Even by mere inches, Hills make your ground work better and you take on a whole new meaning to the words "Mental Toughness." This past Thursday and yesterday, I took on a Hill nearby the house and went as hard as my body allowed me for 10 Sprints at 10 seconds at a time. I wasn't always my fastest, but went hard as I possibly could and made each sprint and my recovery count. It's that time of year where flowers bloom, the weather gets warmer and the days are longer. It's time to hit the Hill to really make the most of what you want to achieve in having a lean physique fast. 

Like the Nazis standing and getting melted by an ancient and powerful box, your fat won't stand a chance with Hill Sprinting. Like always, pay attention to form but at the same time, pay attention to your intentions as well. This isn't some climb up a hill and going for a hike, you're going to work at the hardest you can possibly make it for those few seconds of training. Intensity is the key and your will to go hard as if your life depended on it. 100 seconds is all of the time it takes to induce the largest amount of Growth Hormone and Testosterone possible. Be able to breathe better, sleep better, eat more and feel that urge of sexual energy that every guy wants to feel. 

Training this way is only needed 2-3x a week and it's best to start off with a small number of sets and seconds if you haven't done them in a while. 4x8-10 seconds would be a good starting point, that's a max of 40 seconds of work. Each month, add one sprint and a few seconds to progressively get more out of it. Max sprints IMO shouldn't be more than 20-30 seconds and on most days, 10-15 is more than enough. Max amount of Sprints shouldn't be more than 10 because you're training merely to get leaner and stronger, you're not trying to match Walter Payton who did so many damn sprints it's a miracle his legs didn't fall off his body. At full speed may not be more than a few seconds and probably no more than 10. It's very difficult if not impossible to stay at 100% speed for 30 seconds. 

To build a program on Hill Sprints, check out Josh Bryant's 6-Week Sprint Training Guide to get you started. Also check out his Speed Training book.

Be fast, run hard and keep being amazingly awesome. 

A Realistic Outlook On Bodyweight Leg Training

Over the years, doing various aspect of Leg Training from Squats to Animal Movements and Sprinting has given my legs some serious strength and overall conditioning. From doing 1000 Hindu Squats in 33 minutes, 10-10 Sec. Sprints, Horse Stances, Overcoming Isometric Squats, tons of Duck Walks, 1000's upon 1000's of Step Ups, it has been a blessing to be able to do these things and still make progress. 

From a realistic stand point, it doesn't come right away and had to make adjustments and modifications along the way but training the legs goes beyond just building muscle and being strong long-term, it's about finding ways to prevent injuries as much as possible, train hard but not get so sore that you can't get out of bed or even be so stiff that walking hurts (at 19 I know what that was like and don't wish it on anyone). It's the ability to train and strengthen the bones, tendons and ligaments. Another plus to consistent leg work is the ability to generate great levels of HGH and natural testosterone. 

Now granted the things I've been able to do are nothing compared to people I know and have witnessed first hand so I'm no superman or world record holder. I do however know how to adapt, what to look for and who to listen to when it comes to training using simple and advanced methods of training. There are people out there who are far more skilled than me so I learn from them and work with what makes it work for my body. Logan Christopher is one of those guys. His knowledge is unbelievable and teaches far better than most people. 

In this case, I'm going to give you a small rundown on how he can help you jack up your leg training to another level utilizing simple bodyweight movements and a couple implements to create some killer workouts. His feats alone are worth the price of this type of training. What does some of this training entail? Let's take a gander....

Gaining A Full Range Of Motion Squat

For us humans, a natural position is to go all the way down and sit in a full squat. In most places in the world, this is a position where games are played, eating some good food and even resting. Here in the states however, it's not so much of these things and we treat the full squat like it's some kind of demon that tears down our knees and we sit in chairs way too much. Ultimate Guide To Bodyweight Squats can teach you how to reverse this. It teaches how to create the best form for you since not everyone learns the same way to go to Ass To Grass. Breathing patterns for performance, squatting mistakes to avoid and also to use a time challenge to hit your comfortable spot and stay there. 

Learning this and from other people, I can hold a deep squat for 10 minutes or more if I felt like and not feel pain or strain whatsoever. It helped build my flexibility and mental state. I've even meditated in this position and time just flew by. 

Squat Variations

With a variety of Squat Exercises to choose from, you can learn how to take your leg training to another level and not just hitting a certain number of reps. I'm talking about building a great level of flexibility in the hips, ankles and knees. Be able to explode on command with variations that makes you jump like a wildcat in the jungle. How to utilize multiple variations so you can get the best out of your training than just sticking to one type of squat for extended periods of time. You're getting more than 20 Variations here.

Building Up Reps For Conditioning

A short but important video on how you can build up to doing 500-1000 Squats in a single set that is effective in how you move forward in your quest for awesome leg conditioning. This is great for those who've hit plateaus and want to up the ante to amplify their training for sports, challenges and daily training. 

Tips On The Pistol Squat

This is for the nutballs who want to take their leg training to another stage of the game and perform awesome Pistol Squats. Learn specific exercises to help with your flexibility. The way you breathe and place your hands to make them easier while also using a Stomp. If you want to make Pistol Squats your bitch, this is for you crazy fuckers. 

Beyond The Pistol

Take your one-legged training up another level that separates you from the crazy to the clinically insane. Shrimp Squats, Dragon Squats, Weighted Pistols and other exercises to really test the limits of your leg training. Learn about assisted squats to help you progress to each phase, how come many big men never pull off the Dragon Squat, stretches that specifically target the exercises and exact hand positions that are crucial to the Shrimp Squat and Double Shrimp Squats (this one's a doozer). 

Get invested in your leg training. With more than 15 years of training with various Squats, Logan has been through the ringer and has tested everything he has learned so he can pass it onto you and show you the do's and don'ts of progressive leg training. When it comes to pricing, this is a steal in comparison to most courses and not some rinky dink Squat Course that charges you 149 bucks for a damn hardcover or 50 bucks for a KINDLE of just typical variations and that's it. With this course going on right now, you can get the videos and e-book for less than $100 and you'll get far more variations, instructions on what to do to progress, safety guidelines to avoid injuries at a much greater rate and train for real world flexibility, strength, conditioning, balance and a hell of a lot more. Don't settle for low quality at a ridiculous price, set your sights on the real deal that makes your investment worth while and get treated to one of the best Physical Culturists of the past 20 years. 

Get those legs going, have fun and keep being amazingly awesome. 

An Ideal Look At How To Strengthen Your Structure

 Let's set aside the typical muscle building stuff for a moment and look at the idea of strengthening the body that's unorthodox, old school and forgotten in today's world where you build real strength in your bones, tendons & ligaments. The true masters of this concept aren't your run of the mill personal trainers and gym-goers that go by textbooks more than real experience. The true masters were the Old-Time Strongmen of yesteryear that made strength not only a priority, but a product of health and longevity. 

Believe me it is possible to achieve a level of strength that would make just about any bodybuilder or "influencer" run home and hide under their beds and be able to do so without the use of steroids or PED's. Most of us weren't born with genetic gifts, even me. I was sick when I was little if you've ever heard or read my story and it took me a long time to achieve the strength I've attained but I did it and don't underestimate the fucking fact that you can too.

You see, I tried the dumb bodybuilding workouts and had some decent strength but nowhere near the level I wanted and should've had stupid strength and vitality by the time I was 18-20; I didn't. I didn't understand the real old school ways of Strength Training until I had my accident and started researching everything on how to heal myself. I learned some bad ass stuff from the strongest people on the planet and I got to perform some crazy feats of strength along with building a level of knowledge that is almost lost if not forgotten in today's Gen Z society. Strengthen Your Structure is a product of what the Old-Timers used to build strength that would fathom even strongmen today. 

Just about most training ideals focus more on the muscles than anything else and damn it me and several others have an issue with that. The muscles may grow in size, but does size also equal strength? Muscles and even Strength are just parts of a puzzle that goes beyond what many trainers do today. A major set of keys is to build Bone Strength, the Tendons & the Ligaments as well. It's the structure that holds everything together. Think about the most common injuries; torn ACLs, ripped Cartilage, fractured ankles and hips. With SYS, you can work on training these areas to reduce injuries as much as possible. Although it's not a complete program or meant to be, it can still aid in building a powerful body beyond just good looking muscles.

It builds connective tissue but did you also know it helps aid in boosting your hormones? Think about it, the amount of Testosterone and HGH you can achieve with some of the exercises in this course is incredible and do a better job than what the classic Squat will do. Add in the intensity to "Structure Training", holy shit talk about jacked stimulation. This is partly based on doing Partials as you can use more weight than a full range of motion. 

Back to injury proofing...Because of the great loads you can utilize more than a full lift, this has the high potential if not certain to actually thicken the bone structure. This can aid in avoiding Osteoporosis as we age. These exercises also put you in awkward positions under the load. If you do this consistently in a safe manner of course, you'll be in far more condition and ready to tackle things when you are in those positions. 

If there was a question of how powerful the old-time strongmen really were, this was part of the puzzle in their journey. I've done some exercises where I did a partial press of 405 overhead, partial deadlift of nearly 500 lbs and even rowing a 130 lb dumbbell for multiple reps. They can be brutal. Because of these along with the other things I've done, I've bent spikes, torn phonebooks, slammed tires with a 75 lb sledgehammer and deadlifted a thick handled 125 lb Dumbbell. 

Power up learning from this bad boy and get strength that would make the old timers proud and show what these "influencers" today are missing out on. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone. 

Close Grip Pull-Ups: An Elusive Bicep Building Exercise

 Many experts in the fitness field believe that one of if not the best bicep builder is by doing Pull-Ups. When it comes to specifics, the Close-Grip Pull-Up/Chin-Up target the biceps at their peak for strength and building muscle. Is the Close-Grip superior for the biceps? Let's take a look....

It's also noted that they can be very beneficial once you've practiced them. So why the Close-Grip? How can they be superior for arm development or more importantly targeting the Biceps? Maybe it has to do with the Lats being in a mechanically awkward and even a disadvantaged position when the arms are so close together. Because of the awkward position, the arms are doing the majority of the work if not all of it. Because of this, they're tough to pull off and if you haven't done regular pull-ups or chin-ups, I wouldn't recommend you start out with Close-Grips, build that foundation to take that next step.

Once you've got the regular ones down or even a neutral grip, start testing out the Close-Grip style, for building the strength and understanding the mechanics of them, I would start with Isometrics whether by hanging or hitting the three positions (low, middle, top) for a period so your body can get the idea of what it's like being in those positions. After a period, go after full reps if possible. Listen to your body and don't force it, let the strength comes naturally cause there's a lot more than just getting your chin up and over the bar. Once you start doing reps, you may notice some development in the forearms, brachialis and biceps when you utilize the Close-Grip Pull-up/Chin-up. Even the great Arnold Schwarzenegger thought the Close-Grip was a great exercise.

Here's another good question, how close should the grip be? It's recommended that the hands are hitting each other directly or around 6 inches apart. Some people may have some issues due to shoulder alignment and possible injuries or previous injuries so I would say if you could work around that great but don't put yourself at risk otherwise things could get worse. Make it a point to have healthy shoulders, hands, wrists, elbows and obviously the back. Everyone has different areas of mobility as well so use what gives you the best quality of the movement along with being comfortable to do them. 

What would be a good routine for Close-Grip Work? Commonly the 21's have been the most effective for people but like I said before, some work their body differently so adjust accordingly. What are the 21's? Remember this is where you have evolved to doing a good amount of reps at this point and have the strength to do them...The 21's is where you perform reps at a 7-7-7 ratio in this format...7 Reps bottom to half pulls, 7 Reps mid to top (as in start at the middle and hit the top of the movement) and 7 Reps at Full Movement from the bottom to the very top. Do all 21 in a row performing 3 sets each. Now if this is too much especially in the beginning when you are just starting to rep them out, you can start at a 6-6-6 ratio or even a 5-5-5 but if you're a complete beginner, it's recommended to use some assistance to build the strength such as using bands like the Lifeline Pull Up Revolution Assistance System

If the Close-Grip Pull-up/Chin-up is really uncomfortable for you because of wrist issues, the Swissies & Swisses45 can do great things for you and you can still build incredible strength and muscle. You can get these at 10% OFF when you use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to you. I want you be evolve and progress comfortably, meaning let it be natural and let the speed and performance build up without pushing so hard that you either end up injured or doing too much too soon. Have fun, build some killer muscle and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Blasting Your Bodyweight With Funk Roberts

 Let's get a glimpse of the bad ass course from the man Funk Roberts....

When it comes to bodyweight training, there's all kinds of things out there that promise the opportunity of getting in such awesome shape that heads will turn, jack up your HGH and burn stubborn fat like butter in a frying pan. You see it all the time especially on Social Media with these influencers that may have some skill but wouldn't know his ass from his elbow. 

There isn't always guarantees and what you put into it will be your results. It can be difficult to obtain a bad ass physique, hell for some, having a bit more muscle than the month before is better than nothing. Very few courses on this planet take you to a level that pits you against some crazy trainees. One of my favorite forms of conditioning is circuit training where you take a few exercises and blast them for a period of time and rest a bit or less and keep going until you've completed your task. That's what Metabolic Bodyweight Blasters 2.0 will do, it will make you work hard as hell but only for a small window of time in comparison to an hour or more of workouts. 

Be able to do this kind of training anywhere at anytime. Short, intense and fat blasting training that uses compound movements, timed rest periods and maximizes the entire session to get the most of your workouts. Send yourself into the stratosphere with workouts that utilizes muscular endurance, strength, Isometrics, Calisthenics and more. No body part will be left out. Warm-Ups are included along with demo videos, guide, nutrition plan, Live Monthly coaching on Facebook with Funk himself and a hell of a lot more.

Take this workout program to your hotel room, out at the park, in your backyard, at the beach in Barbados, touring Europe, next to the Andes Mountains or wherever, this will kick your ass anywhere. That's the beauty of a program like this, your body is the only weight you'll need and the training may be hard but it feels incredible afterwards. I've done workouts with this myself a time or two and if its too easy for you than you might as well join up with either the Justice League or the Avengers with the kind of conditioning you have. It's powerful and it will tell you what your weaknesses and strengths are pretty damn quick. 

Grab Metabolic Bodyweight Blasters 2.0 NOW and reap the benefits of some of the most intense Bodyweight Training on the planet. Get fit, be strong and keep being amazingly awesome. For questions about this program and other Funk Programs, email Mr. Roberts and I'm sure he can answer more about this than I ever could. 

Isometrics In The Days Of Zass Compared To Today

 Isometric Training has gone through many variations over the years from the days of the Shaolin, Yoga and throughout the 60's. The man that took Isometric Training to a peak until many decades later was Alexander Zass who utilized Isometrics to create the best strength program for building tendons and ligaments which evidently helped solidify him as one of the greatest strongmen of all-time. Using handles and an adjustable chain, Zass turned simple and advanced exercises into a powerhouse of training modalities that still baffles those in the Physical Culture World today.

Although he was around 5'7 and 170 lbs, Zass had strength that many today can't even fathom. The way he bent steel was extraordinary and the musculature would make even today's physique contestants look weak. His style of Isometrics can still be seen today from another perspective. Very few famous strongmen since then have really dug into the very depths of Isometric Training and some even refer to Charles Atlas as an Isometric Advocate. Although Atlas did practice certain aspects of Isometrics, Dynamic Tension wasn't an actual Isometric intended program. The exercises done in DT can be used as Isometric Exercises but it was never programmed that way. 

In today's world of miss/complicated information, gadgets, gizmos, gimmicks, equipment that is sometimes a little out there and costs more than a down payment of a car, Isometrics is pushed more to the side and even fewer people truly practice it as an art and programmed training system. I would think in some ways, Zass would be rolling in his grave in shame to what has become in Physical Culture. Don't get me wrong, some of the stuff today is good and some people really go after Isometrics with a vengeance such as the Bioneer, Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project, Johnny Grube, the mysterious Paul Wade with the Iso-Chain and others. The two biggest advocates of Isometrics in their time were Bud Jeffries & Steve Justa. In their time here on this big blue, green and crazy rock we call earth, they were experimenting with Isometrics more than anybody else. They came up with stuff some of us are still doing today and there were things they were doing most wouldn't even try to attempt cause of how crazy they were. Justa himself was doing workouts that lasted hours, did holds that ranged from 3 seconds to over 5 minutes and exercises that hit angles more than the Wonkavator went around a city in England. They were revolutionary in the modern era, they were our generation's Zass.

More studies have been done in recent times on Isometrics but it's still not so much a taboo in fitness but more of a Black Sheep in the world of Fitness in the sense that it's pushed to the side and doesn't get the attention that it deserves. It isn't sexy or glamorous looking unless you see some crazy motherfuckers at a playground in New York where exercise is treated like the badassery of Basketball in Rucker Park. One of the best authors today on the subject of Isometrics is Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project who's enthusiasm is just contagious. His take on using your bodyweight and/or minimal equipment goes to another level of building muscle and strength. His style of Hybrid Isometrics takes strength training to another realm of 21st century Physical Culture. Although guys like Steve Maxwell gives a ton of credit and powerful admirations to Isometrics, Matt brings that youthful and simplistic approach that's relatable to a younger audience. Maxwell is a legend no question and his style works great with most people, I'm just a bigger fan of Matt's approach. I find he brings more energy and excitement as oppose to Maxwell who's a bit more low key, still simple and full of knowledge since he's been training longer than most trainers today have been alive. 

I will always say that the best Isometric Equipment is the Transformetrics Isometric Power Belt but it's hard to promote that since it never really got off the ground. You can use just about anything to do Isometrics with and some have made DIY equipment like Maxwell, Schifferle and the late Bruce Tackett that made the Hook. Today's big products on Iso Training is more geared towards the Bullworker (like the Iso-Bow) and the Worldfit Iso Trainer. These are incredible for training Isometrics and can be used by anybody from the couch potato to the world-class athlete. Create workouts that take your fitness into the stratosphere. Zass would be a big fan of these. 

Practice Isometrics regardless of your age and make them interesting, simple and as low-skilled as they can be because those are the best exercises that will get the job done. Build strength most would be baffled by and lessen your chances of injuries. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone. 

Another piece of equipment that is great for Isometric Training is using The Rings, grab a set and use my Discount Code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout to get 10% OFF.