The Benefits Of Qi Gong

Qi Gong is the practice of building your body from the inside out. It's the elements on which you practice more than just building muscle, you're developing strength and power in your tendons, ligaments and joints. It is not something you want to rush in like a cardio workout; you'll get enough just by practicing the deep breathing and various movements. Qi Gong isn't a race, it's an enduring journey on finding your inner self and making it stronger and more powerful.

In each of us there is a spirit that is connected with our body; some call it god, others say it's universal and some even believe the yin and yang of our spirituality, there are 2 sides to everything sometimes 3. I believe there is such a thing as Physical Spirituality where we learn to connect ourselves internally through physical application. I'm not referring to weights or bodyweight exercises in general but movements based on the flow of energy and using the guiding power within our bones and not always our muscles. We become so obsessed with the outer appearance that we forget that our internal body is neglected. Both must be treated equally and learned through our mind and body as if it were one thing.

The benefits of Qi Gong go way beyond training the body to relax and have a soft but effective power behind it. You could heal injuries, develop your tendons with such fierceness people would be in awe by it. Imagine living pain-free, have a spring in your step, flush out toxins, have a powerful body for sports, move with greater agility yet become so strong it would be tough for someone to move you. Your energy filled to the brim that generates flexibility and strength at the same time. Open up your esteem with smiles and looking younger and brighter. Expand your brain cells and develop greater memory that could whip Alzheimer's' ass and have a more calming demeanor.

For the most part, most of the population these days care about muscles; how big they are, are they worth the strength based on the look alone and most of the time they aren't unless you're in strongman, mma or working hard manual labor. Qi Gong goes beyond the muscles, it develops them in a way that is ancient and full of various possibilities that are better health wise than the size of your biceps or your chest and it certainly doesn't give a rat's ass how sculpted your abs are. Qi Gong is about strength that has more value than the look, it channels real power in your bones and the importance of your internal organs. Anyone can build muscle in some form but if your organs aren't doing so well, no supplement or highly trained doctors might be able to save you. I've been practicing Qi Gong off and on for a few years and I've learned that it's not always the technique that gets you energized, it's the flow and the ability to relax and be loose. My energy has skyrocket since going back to it doing different styles for my neck, legs and wrists that connect with the entire muscular structure. If you're not flowing right, you become tense, disoriented and could amplify blood pressure and low lung capacity; if you're flowing with the right training you are more relaxed, agile, practically pain-free in both the brain and the body itself. You have greater speed, flexibility and mobile with a sense of buzzing energy in your veins.

To learn more about Qi Gong & its extreme benefits I highly recommend you look into Matt Furey's Furey Faithful Program and learn the ancient secrets to longevity, flexibility, health and fitness that goes beyond bodyweight exercise and/or using implements. I trust his judgement and because of his teachings I've added other things that are feeling easier to do and I have greater sense of awareness and intuitive power that is intense and yet relaxed at the same time.

Hiking For A Greater Connection

When you're out in nature, it feels different; even if you're not use to it there's something special and full of fondness if you allow yourself to it. After going on a hike today with my special girl, I felt a sense of connection with the earth. I wouldn't recommend being in humid weather if you haven't done it in a long time unless you're in decent shape. It brings out a sensation in your body not just physical but internal as well. It's important to breathe as deeply as possible. If you are a shallow breather, you won't last very long and you'll need to rest more than usual. Play your way into it.

Movement can be used in many ways but it's biggest value is how you are connected with your movement in your body not just physically but by your breath, the way you sense the energy, the feeling of the environment surrounding you and the wholesome love of what you are moving to. Hiking is a style of movement to where it becomes more than just walking; it's a form of balancing, keeping your body on a narrow path and having to move your feet throughout various terrain, it's not always a straight line and you have to keep yourself stabilized throughout most of the trek. Depending on the type of trail you follow, it won't always feel the same, can be bumpier or smoother during certain periods and the weather can be different. If it's humid out you're gonna need a good load of water to carry because you will sweat. You may have to crawl sometimes, you never know what kind of trail you can get yourself into and your legs will get a hell of a workout plus your lungs.

Deep Breathing is essential in all areas of life yet the majority of us take it for granted. If you're a solid hiker, you can build some serious lung power. I've hiked up mountains at elevations as high as nearly 9000ft and it can be brutal because of the thin air and the way gravity can hit you. Learn to connect with your breath and understand it's true nature, the greater your breathing, the greater your stamina. Don't think deep breathing builds muscle? Think again. Powering up your chest and keeping the stomach tucked, you can build some serious muscle in your body, it becomes more than a leg builder, it becomes a chest builder, creating strong abdominals and you're working your arms. Connect with your breath and you will get stronger.

Build up to a level of hiking where you are comfortable and progressing each time you go. Say you only go a mile all together to start, take some time to recover or when you feel like going again, then go a little further say half a mile longer. Build up until you can do a full trail and see how your endurance has skyrocketed. I miss hiking and would like to do it more often and i'm in pretty good shape to do quite the trail, just a matter of timing and keeping up my deep breathing training. Helps if the joints are loose and you have that spring in your step. Got a place to hike? Go for it, be with nature and feel another sense of connection with the earth you can't get from a laptop or something full of wires and electronics, nature is the connection of the soul.

Play & A Challenge

I hate to see people suffer and not have the ability to move around and just be apart of the world by playing. Not talking about teasing or being an ass more like playing with different forms of movement and learning new skills or progressing your skill level. No need to analyze everything, learn what you would you like to do and make it interesting for you. It doesn't have to be like some guru who tries to program you with this or that. Have fun with your movements and play around with what can work for you; even if you're in a wheelchair, throw punches, learn to crawl on your hands (wear gloves if you're a germiphob), push yourself up the stairs whatever you set your mind to, there are possibilities.

Make the right choices of play; what I mean by that is getting into the mindset of not just blindly running around like a crazed lunatic (although there might be some entertainment in that) but learn your skills and be enthusiastic about it, don't try to rush things or feel like you are punishing yourself, live it up and practice with intent. Movement is beautiful but it takes time to learn, you can't be a master on the rings in one day or become an expert of Animal Flow in one week, it takes time and patience plus it's great to have an imagination and to block out those who say you can't do it or you're too old and need to be cautious. Make it work for you.

Speaking of play, I thought I'd play with the idea of challenging my favorite Avenger Captain America (Chris Evans) to do a unassisted handstand push-up. Calling out the man himself to do something I don't think he would do in everyday life since he's an actor and training while shooting a film as the good ole Cap. With this challenge i'am encouraging him to go that extra mile and add a small piece of element in his training. You can read about my challenge here. I believe he can do it and if he accepts my challenge I will donate $50 to a charity of his choosing. As a fan and a fitness nerd, I wanted to have a little fun and go do something a little off the wall and something I have never done. It would be a cool thing to do and since he busts his ass keeping the Cap character fit as a fiddle, let's up the ante and see if he can do one of the most difficult push-ups around. Hand Balancing is a powerful and fun way to be athletic and get super strong in the upper body, plus it doesn't hurt to get the legs worked too.

With that in mind, I encourage all of you to share this and help me spread this out to him and get his attention. I'm calling him out and holding him accountable by taking his physicality to an additional spectrum. He is a wonderful actor and there aren't too many movies left for him to play Steve Rogers possibly so let's make this happen while he still has a few films left in him. Let's give it a whirl and ask him the million dollar question....Chris, do you have the balls to take this challenge and do you accept or walk away?

Rest Is Also Training

The ability to recover is essential in any form of training. Letting the body repair itself when it needs to is a means to build and rise within your being. Push too hard all the time without truly resting can kill you more than you'll believe. The body does grow stronger but in order for that to happen you need to give yourself a break.

I don't believe in "rest" days in the sense where you don't do anything on a non training day but use those those for reflection and what I call Recovery Workouts; training sessions that aren't vigorous and builds your energy from within. You can do Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Bua Gua or whatever internal arts you wish to practice, as long as you're keeping the blood flowing in a relaxed state you can possibly recover faster.

I believe in the power of healing whether it's from physical injuries or brain trauma or emotional imbalances. It takes practice but there ways to heal yourself. Exercise is great but also learning how to rest and program yourself into a meditative state that eases your well being and other things. I like resting my body for a day after a hard workout or if I get so worked up I just train until my body is ready to shut down and my body can rest. Be productive and not violent about finding ways to rest and let your body take care of itself both internally and externally.

The real strength is not in your muscles but in your mind. When you combine the mind/muscle connection as if they were one and the same, you are capable of doing many things. If your mind is full of stress and negativity your body will follow and it's not pretty; however the same can be said about the body, if it becomes too jittery and you're all over the place and your focus isn't in the right state of mind, your brain can turn on you and bring those neurons into that level of stress that can lead to inflammation, heart problems, physical injuries, low self-esteem and could bring harm onto yourself or others if you're not careful. Give yourself the opportunity to rest and recuperate so you can function at your very best. Training is not always trying to be the strongest or who can outlast who in the gym and it's definitely not about pushing your body to the limit every single day. When you have the amount of recovery you need, your focus shifts and your strength can reach new levels. Rest doesn't always mean sleeping 10 hours a day but being able to take the time and let yourself breathe and get into that relaxed state. Cool things happen when you are rested.

Be Playful

Like the Joker says in The Dark Knight "Why so serious?" Not trying to be dark or anything but seriously though when did we stop being a playful human being and become so cautious of every little thing. In fitness some people take their workouts way too literal and try this ride or die mentality and just feel like it's Hardcore, Hardcore and more Hardcore. I'm all for pushing yourself and doing things to amplify your potential (minus the roids) but come on people, lighten up a little. There are too many things in this world that have a negative entity so how about we be a little more playful shall we.

I love the ability to move and play with different things like Animal Flow, MovNat, Hand Balancing and a few swings with the Mace & Sledgehammer. Although it's been seen a lot more lately yet not enough people realize the beauty in Movement. Using your body like the men and women of ancient times that crawled, jumped, climbed, swam and had to balance themselves in order to survive; we don't have to go into survival mode but developing these skills and making an adventure out of it brings more of your potential to a level you didn't think was possible. Yeah yeah we have these "gyms" that help you move but in reality, these are more isolated and could actually kill you more than help you live longer and healthier. When you're so limited in movement it takes away the love and nature of your body's abilities to do what it was born to do. You didn't come out of a womb to do ab crunches on a machine or use a stepper to work your legs; you had to learn to crawl first, roll over, rock yourself to get up, squat, stand up and walk, you even had to teach yourself to climb up on the couch. That's where the true learning and beauty comes from, a young toddler who doesn't over think things and thinks to him/herself "gee is my back straight to squat like this or are my legs up too high to lift" they do what they do and if they fail, they get up and keep trying.

It's important to understand technique and how to work your body according to the way your built but that's beside the point; overthinking leads to less involvement in your quest to move and do so with an open mind and doing something unique and beautiful as opposed to locking yourself up mentally and act like a stiff plus asking this and that in a very annoying way. Be instinctive, value what you can learn to create whether it's a series of exercises in a circuit, a combination of different moves, a routine that perks you up and makes you feel alive inside. It's not always what you do on the outside, its about opening yourself up from within.

A kid that plays has a wild imagination, he sees things no one else sees and moves that body to his creativity. They see scenarios in their heads we can't even fathom or remotely begin to understand (and how can we, we grew up so imagination doesn't exist with us like that anymore). You don't have act childish when you train but do your best to be more child-like; create your own world and live it as if you really could, soar through the air like a jet making sounds, crawl like your favorite animal, swim as if you were Tarzan saving Jane from a croc, duck and roll like Indiana Jones whatever your mind can come up with. Master your own way to move, be inspired by those who dare to think outside the box, have dreams that you want to see come true. Release your inner child. Magical things can happen.

Fitness On A Budget

Not everyone can afford gym memberships and even if you did pay $10 a month at Planet Fitness; it won't have the type of things that can truly make you crazy strong and feel good about yourself both in and out. Besides you can build your own gym in your home or garage on an inexpensive budget if you play it right. Trust me though, buying machines and a bunch of useless infomercial fitness will kill your wallet, like the knight in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade he says "You must choose, but choose wisely." Spend your money on things that matter and when it comes to fitness, do your research and put what you spend on for real strength and health.

When you really look at it, some of the best workouts are free of charge; things like body weight exercises, lifting heavy rocks, climbing a tree, playing on the Ape Bars and running sprints at a big track or field. When in doubt and want to still get strong, you can always have those when you look in the right places. You have options most don't ever realize and you can be one of those unique people who can expand their minds and look to fitness in a whole new light, plus it doesn't hurt having a great system of exercises you can tackle for free at Darebee, those guys show you that some of the best training is right there and don't need to pay one red cent.

If you happen to want to get some equipment, get things that are the real deal, none of those thousand dollar machines or a dumbbell rack that can turn to rust (however having a few dumbbells and a barbell with plates wouldn't be a bad stretch). Save your money for what you'd like to get. I once saved up to get an epic sledgehammer because I loved the type of training it brings. Took me a while but I made it happen, get some cool cables from Lifeline USA or the Power Wheel to really hammer out those abs you seem to want. Get DVDs that aren't in the mainstream that are unique and training that is not always heard of in the main fitness world. I'm not saying go spend thousands of dollars on a bunch of stuff, build up to it and save when you need to for your house, family, food and supplement activities. Money isn't the root to happiness.

Use your budget wisely and treat yourself to a cool "toy" to use for your next training session or get courses that spice up your learning and research what they're about. Youtube can be a great asset for research but it's nothing compared to learning from a real master of his trade and shows you what you can do for yourself and not bust your balls just so they can make a buck. Save up for a seminar you wish to go to, make it happen for you and do something worthwhile to you. Even if it takes you a couple years to save up and you only went for 1-4 days, if you're determined, it will come to you. Invest in your health, not useless knockoffs.

The Ultimate Home and Travel Bodyweight and Dumbbell Workout System

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Channeling Your Freedom Of Movement

Since the rebirth of natural movement (or Functional Fitness in mainstream fitness) we have been told to just move. Practice the incredible elements of movement like jumping, crawling, swimming, squatting, rotating, swinging, climbing, balancing and more. Physically moving is a powerful idea but just moving isn't always enough. Nobody just moves on body rows or balances on a bosu ball; it has to come from within to make the movement more meaningful and more of a guide than just a technique. It's more than physical; it's spiritual, openness, passion and living.

Many people love being told what to do, hell they don't always they're being sucked into the powerlessness without blinking twice. How sad is that. You have more power in you than you believe to be. Being told what to do gives you "structure", a reason to do something and you don't question it because otherwise what the hell you gonna do? I defy that crap, I learn things that give me meaning and I lead by my own example not what some shmuck with a napoleon complex thinks he can order me on. I move and train by my own principles, my philosophy and my own style of learning. Want more power over others, do certain things for yourself, learn what you're passionate about and live it fiercely everyday of your life. It's not easy and it's not always simple but it gives you more of the character that brings out the best in you.

The passion in your movement says a lot about who you are as a person. How do you breathe, where do you want to move in space, what brings you that life giving experience of moving through all sorts of planes? I believe in many systems I have learned over the years, I may not always agree with the philosophy but that's the beauty of it; creating something for you that inspires what you want to learn and continue to grow. Channel that passion, the fire that drives you and move the way you were meant to. Want to be an animal? Move like Tarzan? Do Gymnastics? Be a hand balancer? Why not all of them? It's all about what you're passionate about and sharing it to spread inspiration and love of giving back so whoever is passionate about their endeavors never feel like they can't do it.

Live in your creativity. Take it to another level and open your mind that expands the universe because when you're short minded; you become limited and you only do only a few things. Expand it to where you see yourself getting better, making something harder, more complex and unique that it's a point where you are the very best in your own style. Imitating others is great but it's not enough to reach your full potential, you have to do things that only you can compile together and makes you stand out. Be creative and let your imagination blossom otherwise you'll just be another human being trying to fit in the crowd.

Tradition Won't Always Help You Move Forward

Traditions are basically certain things people celebrate or do something that requires what happened in the past. There are holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, going to certain places, rituals, traditions involving old school mates and whatever else you can come up with. They are past tendencies that places people to have remembrance or utilizing certain concepts on the new generation. Don't get me wrong, I love certain traditions like Xmas, Halloween, my moments on the day I broke my legs, celebrating with friends and family and all that but I don't define myself having a tradition that is purely on someone else's.

Xmas is at least to me is a great time of year; forget about the horrifying shopping, the organizing of get togethers and having a mess of food to clean up, I see it as a time to be with the people you love whether it's with one person or a hundred and sharing the smiles and laughter plus giving to others. To me that's a great tradition, I'm not religious or go to church or anything like that and I don't see it to celebrate Jesus' B-day yet it's the last big celebration before new years start; the winter solstice and a time to share the light among a darker season. Some traditions do work I highly believe that but only some of the time, not all the time. If some of these traditions were perfect and nothing is balanced, it be boring or too mushy hell it may even make you want to say "screw this" at times. The one tradition I do believe in is not a holiday or a seasonal celebration or even a symbol of made up history; it's the tradition of basic and creative exercise and movement where you use the concepts of the old school teachers of the past (sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it?) and use them in the modern age where technology and anyone with the name "certified" trainer is written on someone's forged certificate runs rampant yet still give the knowledge that was passed down more than 100 years ago. Have a tradition but don't always rely on it.

You can't rely on your past exploits because if you do the same thing for too long and not grasp the concept of change then i'm sorry you're just fooling yourself. I'm not saying a holiday is celebrating the same thing every year, people have different ways to use general traditions that they've cooped up among themselves i'm all for that but on the other hand; if you can't accept change it's going to happen whether you like it or not. Some people want to break a tradition within their group, some die and aren't around anymore, others are tired of the same old boring stuff year after year or days whatever. The past has already happened, you can't expect the same things to go on that started in 1914 as oppose to now, it doesn't always work that way. In order to move forward you might need to break a few eggs, take a stand and do something that's worth while to you. You can still have your traditions but don't use the past to inspire you, use your imagination to make a twist and bringing old school and new school together and make it interesting. I come from a family that gets together for practically everything (at least they use to) and yet some of those traditions have become rather dull at times and they just do the same things over and over, some of it's positive and often times can be negative but there's no balance, no grasp of doing something a little different that can spice up the joint and it certainly doesn't help when you try to cram in 10-20 people in a small ass living room. Make a change, do something crazy (not hurting yourself type crazy), do things that excite you that gets their attention not to make it about you or them but because there's something worth doing that brings a new ideal way of making a tradition an adventure.

Develop your own traditions. Do something unique that only you or a group of you want to do and have fun with. A tradition for me is celebrating the day I broke my legs. It's fitting for me and since I celebrated my 10 year anniversary this past Friday on the 15th, I do it to not reflect of the bones that broke but how far I have come and doing something fun that gets my legs jumping and squatting and moving like a man possessed for adventure because 10 years ago I couldn't F*cking walk let alone jump and squat. Traditions are a piece of what's dear to you, don't always need to do someone else's traditions otherwise when are you going to come up with something on your own that truly means something. Make it your own or have family/friends do it with you because sometimes the same old things become just that and yet many people think it's magically going to have a breakthrough and all will be good as new, not gonna happen unless you do something different about it.

The Awe Of Hand Balancing

As with most real training ideals, the cool stuff are fun to learn but difficult to master. Hand Balancing happens to be one of the most purest forms of Bodyweight Training that is difficult to master because of the ability to center your gravity in a relatively unknown format for most individuals. It's a skill and a very adventurous way to build the upper body in a very athletic fashion and do different moves and holds.

Many of the old-time physical culturists were hand balancers such as Bob Jones, Maxick, John Grimek, Doug Hepburn, Bert Asserati and others but unlike the majority of them; Bob Jones was the man among men of Hand Balancing, he can do things on his hands most would ever dream of and he did it in style too. Balancing on clubs, the way he'd get into a handstand and many other things. Even superheroes have gotten in on the act like Spider-man and such. If a hero had all these abilities why can't they be super athletic; i'm sure Batman can do Handstands, Captain America, Black Panther, Iron Fist and maybe others. Athleticism comes in all shapes and sizes but Handstands especially unassisted is one of the most beautiful feats ever performed period.

To really understand Hand Balancing is to learn your center of gravity; being able to balance in the right place with the right shift of the stabilizing muscles (mainly your Core) and flexing the muscles of the body in a specific fashion. Some have an arch in their handstand, some are more straight like a gymnast and others have their arms and/or feet widened to hit that base of leverage. The concentration needs to be in pure laser-like fashion otherwise you won't be able to handle the load. I have found that I could get into an unassisted handstand if I widen my arms and shoulders because of the thickness in my upper back and hold up decently using as straight legged as possible. I still have a lot to learn but at my size (5'10 255+ lbs.) it's amazing i'm able to hold it at all, just the other day I tried Unassisted Handstand Push-ups and managed several partial ones. Will be up soon on Youtube, you won't want to miss it.

Now as far as isometrics is concerned it is by far one of the most powerful forms of training there is on the planet, many different ways to do them but what do you believe is the ultimate Isometric? From my experience and practicing countless positions I'm convinced the Handstand Unassisted & Wall Variation is the greatest Isometric Exercise. People will have a different view based on their own knowledge and experience but you won't convince me otherwise, I don't care about the structure of the body or that it's blatantly impossible or whatever. If you're willing to learn and can build a solid base, make Hand Balancing part of your training, learn the fundamentals and do something most can't do or won't attempt to do.

Training Ideals From The Dragon Ball Saga

In a cartoon, you can exaggerate practically anything from the expressions on people's faces to out of whack storylines and even how someone trains. In real life we may not be as extreme as animation is but we do have ways to push ourselves to the very limits. One thing Goku takes really seriously is how far he's willing to push himself, even those like Vegeta take it to the extreme but the big thing they have in common is making their training get into some unbelievable elements. We may not have a gravity room to do our training but there are ways to be creative in how you push yourself.

Out main hero is very inspiring in how he trains (if you haven't seen it I suggest you take up on it). He uses mainly his Bodyweight and the Enviornment around him. Even in Gravity Training he just powers out his body whether it's 20X Gravity or more than 100X. People give a bad rap about using only your bodyweight but most of those people don't know a damn clue since their dependent on their celery sticks, treadmill running, machine loving lives to make them feel better about themselves. The real training is using your natural surroundings by sprinting, swimming, lifting logs or rocks, push-ups, squats, crawling, jumping and more. You get more in connection with the earth if you train in a more natural setting. If you want to amp up your training using basic bodyweight movements such as pushing, pulling, squatting and ab work; use various resistance stuff like weight vests and ankle/wrist weights to make the load heavier and pushing your body to the next level.

Speaking of resistance type training using only bodyweight; we may not be able to use a Gravity Room to pull us down and make us push harder but we can do certain things like the vests and the weights on our wrists and ankles but there's also levels of speed you can experiment on. Slow down the tempo of certain exercises like push-ups for example, instead of doing the same speed, take it down a notch and go a little slower to really work the stabilizer muscles and utilize your whole body to move, make a count going down and up, slow down so much it takes you a minute up and down; that is brutal. Animal Movements are another outlook to move your body for example instead of the typical bear crawl; move your body in this manner but flex the body as you move not so much isometrically but enough to where you're moving at a slower pace and your whole body feels like it's being pulled down like in the Gravity Room. Be creative and train with intention.

One thing you'll notice about how hard you train is how hungry and sleepy as hell you get after a hard and adventurous session. For me I've trained so hard at times not only do I nap a little after a good solid workout but I need to eat like a beast on a mission. I sometimes bought two big sub sandwiches or had a bowel of cereal with meats, eggs and chicken depending on what i have and top it off with 2 glasses of raw milk. I even get Panda Express and have nearly 2 of the three entree dinners just to satisfy my hunger. Unlike Goku who eats everything in sight when he's hungry, I know when my body has had enough. When you eat plenty of awesome food and sleep well, you will build muscle period. Train like your life depended on it, sort of like how Goku and Krillin from the first Dragon Ball series trained by swimming against sharks, climbed steep mountains, ran carrying milk, busted their ass on manual labor and working their hands on farm fields. You don't need to be that extreme everyday but if you want the best out of making yourself stronger and better looking, train your ass off and eat when you're hungry and sleep when you need to even if its a 30 min. nap during the day to recharge but sleep between a good 6-9 hours depending on how much recovery you need. Live on simple things and not feel like you need some crazy diet that drives people nuts and forces themselves to do.

Spring Chicken Into Summer Magic

 

Spring is a magical time of year where new life is blossoming in nature, love shines throughout the land and the power of movement comes alive. It's time to reclaim your health and your strength by playing with various movements out in the crisp fresh air. Movement is where the true fun begins.

Be mindful to open your mind to new things, types of training you never experienced before; start your journey with movement and play on the grass at the park, playground, near water, in your yard or wherever you decide. Let your imagination blossom and place yourself in the mindset of learning to move. It's not easy at first and some can't always get out and do stuff due to circumstances but even then even in a wheelchair you can use your upper body to move and do something fun and exciting. When you close yourself off, your body goes with it and you won't develop the way you were meant to using the potential you can ascend.

Summer is about warmth, soaking up the sun, going to your favorite beach or pool and just live with gusto and life. Drop the tablet, put your phone on vibrate and feel the connection between yourself and the earth. Sounds hippyish doesn't it? Well maybe a tad but you will gain a more valuable asset in nature by practicing feeling the fresh air, letting that powerful scent of life bloom into your veins and get a hold of your inner being by physically moving your body in various ways; run, walk, climb, lift, crawl, swim and use your body when no one else dares to try and duplicate. Go do some Hand Balancing, dance, roll out the Power Wheel, throw around a steelbell and have a blast doing any or all of it. Train for life, not a temporary pass by just so you can remotely look like a fake supermodel. 

The most important aspect of movement is not to just practice being physical or doing cool moves; hell don't even think about trying to one up your idol, move like you're at peace. Letting the flow flourish out and remove yourself from the crap that may run in your life. Life is too short to feel all the negative B.S. Be at peace with who you are, not what others want you to be. Your life is a gift, nurture it and spring into action while living in the summer of your heart. 

Beautifully Enriched & Powerful

Why should you be condemned to a machine? Hell why really settle for a stationary area to move in? For the most part, many people in fitness rely on or are dependent being in one stationary place like they've confined themselves in a cage. It's understandable being in one position to move and you can a million different things like push-ups, squats, weights and even running in place yet the greatest thing is to be able to move around as much of your environment as possible. Unless harsh weather is a factor, being outside brings new life to your movements. Be able to crawl, jump, swing, climb, swim, balance and sprint. Machines are your jail bars and you will be very limited.

The body was meant to adapt. Unless you're recovering from injuries or are a boobybuilder, isolating the body is a bad idea. Working on one part of the body multiple times overtaxes the joints and ligaments to a degree where the rest of the body has to keep up and when they don't it'll collapse on itself. We have abilities we have yet to realize. The body is the most programmed piece of operative machinery, it can adapt to particular moves, able to withstand quite a bit of punishment and have the ability to take on some amazing tasks. Never limit yourself, find a good of variety of things that will hit you from every angle as possible.

When most start out, they don't realize how fragile they are, sure they can push a little but it's also important to know that building a foundation is a starting point in the journey, not a fork in the road like most people believe. Also when you're starting out, do not ever push past your limits the first time around or go all hardcore, I know it's exciting and you're doing something new but don't make the mistake of pushing it beyond your starting points; otherwise you will get hurt and you could possibly be paying medical bills that you don't want. Let your body adapt to what it's doing and little by little, begin that ascend on the ladder of progression.

Never settle for a one-all-be all system, when you do that, you're isolating yourself from what could really reach your peak potential but it's also important to realize that doing a million things won't get the job done either. Keep things to a minimum as best as possible and if you want to do more things in a single session, mix and match your favorite programs. It isn't rocket science but it won't be easy either, besides in order to gain through progression you can't take the easy route.

When it comes down to it, we are movement, our bodies are our guide to the world and moving through space in various ways teaches us how to journey our spiritual and physical boundaries and where it can take us if we are willing to take steps into places most are too afraid to do. We push ourselves but most of the time in the very wrong way and we end up discouraged, hurt, tied down in our minds and we end up quitting when we are just going down that road. Be playful, develop a skill, challenge the norm and never settle for modern traditions or mainstream ideals; be different and become the greatest version of yourself.

From A Few Minutes To An Hour

You can't always plan what happens out of your control. Timing won't always be on your side so it's important to improvise when you least expect it. Sometimes we have that open window for an hour so we train for that hour. Don't be discouraged because you won't always get the time in to train. People get so worked up at times that they forget that they actually did something instead of nothing. It's one of the reasons why I like training periodically throughout the day where when I have a few minutes i'll do a few exercises to stay in my realm. I normally don't go for more than 30 minutes unless i'm doing qi gong and time passes by without knowing it, it has happened on occasions.

When you feel completely wired up and need a way to chill out, go do what you need to do; hit the gym, go hard on animal movements, do sprints, lift rocks if you have them, practice Hand Balancing whatever you feel is right to get all that energy out of your system. Kids especially could do some crazy training not to push them to the brink of ultra exhaustion but to give them that release so they can focus and be alert in a calming matter. If your energy levels are low and having low-self esteem, fix it any way you can that is productive and positive; its tough being motivated when you're low on energy but you have choices and possibilities.

There are ways to learn on how to stay efficient in your training but at times it can hit you like a bolt of lightning or it may not be enough. If you train too long more than you need to, it can drain you and leave you fatigued & aching everywhere that isn't necessary; however if your training is too short that you're not feeling anything or you don't feel it hitting the spot, the results may not be coming and it won't be enough for your body to get into that hormonal stage. Do what's comfortable for you but do enough to where you feel satisfied, not broken down or feel like things aren't going right.

Value the time you have the opportunity to use. Find your range of time and use it the best way you can. You won't always be able to train at a specific time because time doesn't stop just so you can get a workout in. Make it a habit to say "whatever time I can use, I will make the best of it." Don't expect to able to train every single day for an hour straight unless you're actually in a sport otherwise things pop up that are out of your control. Learn to use the time you have to get what you want out of it.

Odysseus And Fitness

When you devise a fitness program, it's important to also be able to use your brain in order to craft up one. It's not always about picking the number of exercises or how many reps and sets, it's about developing intelligence and strategy for what your goals are. Most programs today are very out of whack and not have any real meaning behind them, it's basically doing highly scientific research but with a neanderthal brain behind the scribbles. Very rare do we see those who have the intelligence and strategic outlook for what gives us the greatest benefit. Just like in the story of the Odyssey, one man uses his brain on a frequent basis in order to achieve his goal.

Odysseus was a master strategist and quite possibly the most famous mortal in Greek Mythology. Like every strategist, he doesn't have a perfect rap sheet; he's made mistakes and it cost him dearly but yet he pulls through and crafts up some of the very best successful attempts in order to achieve his goal whether it was in the Trojan War, Sailing home, defeating a monster or whatever. In fitness, it is important to have a strategy and keeping track of how you progress. We strategize in our own unique way and some of us don't always come through but others have and like the Trojan War veteran it took them many years to get where they are at. Weightlifters spend years getting to a certain weight that could break a world record, gymnasts spend years training before heading for the Olympics and it sometimes takes a number of years for a sports team to win a championship (Boston Red Sox anyone?). If you want to craft a great strategy for the goals you want to achieve, you can't half-ass it or do one big giant set of plans to put on the table, you need to find where you want to go, what are your best options and what you are willing to put in.

No matter what the strategy is or how intelligent you are, you can't expect the outcome all the time if ever. It's an unknown journey using what you have and what you are doing little by little even by the smallest fraction. Odysseus thought it take him a number of weeks, months even to get back home after ten years in the war but yet not everything goes according to plan because it took him nearly another 10 years just to get home to his wife Penelope and his grown up son. He fought hard on everything he did to sail back to his kingdom and come hell or high water he made it back and did it with sheer guts and a powerful will. You may have a plan set for a program that will get you fit in this many weeks or that many months if you stick to it and yet at the end of it you may find yourself disappointed or overwhelmed that it's over you don't know. You can write out whatever you want and stick to your guns and train the way you planned it out but things change. You can't expect the outcome because it hasn't even happened yet and unless you're psychic or or some kind of sorcerer I don't believe anyone can see the future even out of the starting gate. Live the journey.

The one thing a person with good intelligence has in order to strategize his system is to to adapt and be able to improvise when certain things don't go according to plan. You can't rely on the same old habits otherwise you will be using the definition of insanity and that's "doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result." Be bold and take risks because playing it safe and easy doesn't get you higher up in the rankings of your own strategy. Be willing to take things to the next level little by little and you will have something bigger at the end and you'll be a different person because of it. Don't rely on the same old habits, make that little leap up your own mountain. Little by little Odysseus triumphed in the end even though he had obstacles and went through challenges that seemed impossible but he never gave up. He's one character we can all relate to and he's one of those many classic heroes that has pushed his intelligence to the max and although it took him longer than he planned, he still made it home and won back the woman he loves. Take this into consideration the next time you need motivation strategizing a system of your training.

Utilizing Themes To Peak Interest

With the recent trailer put out for Batman V Superman which you can see here it's shaping up to be a new era in the world of film making, now that Marvel has dominated so far it's only fitting for DC to start catching up. Speaking of catching up, it's important you catch up on becoming awesomely fit and i'm not talking looking good for beach season i'm talking all year round and keeping yourself as fit as you can. Superheroes are all the rage these days in films and it's only been since the era comic books ruled the world that young boys and girls dream of becoming like their favorite superheroes. Becoming fit is not just something to shrug off for a month and getting only decent things out of it; it is a responsibility to the individual as a human being to be strong, agile and becoming something beyond your normal self. Being fit helps you in ways you can't always imagine. To children, their parents and/or a relative/guardian are the only people that really count on them, being fit is about being able to play and keep up with them, give them hope for a stronger life and teaching them life lessons. You are a child's hero whether you like it or not. Maybe you don't have kids but looking at fitness from another perspective helps you learn things about yourself and sometimes fighting to survive just like a superhero.

Let's face it, boring workouts suck...period. When you take a series of exercises and use this bland and extremely tedious idea to either push someone so damn hard or take them on a boring road explaining the jargon and having no personality behind it. Exercise is meant to push you to the next level but it doesn't have to be a punishment or someone yelling obscenities at you. You build a foundation and put forth the effort yet it's also important to make it feel like an adventure. Make a theme or game out of it so you can live out your imagination and expand your mind while taking little steps to the next level of progression. That's why I love the website Darebee; a fitness website dedicated to helping people get fit for free and have a kick ass personality behind it. They take these circuits and build a real fun theme out of them, not use stupid little girly names so us guys can feel like an idiot trying to break a world record doing a workout called Fran or whatever. It is not being sexist i'm just pointing out that there are some assholes who try to make you believe because you don't hold up to their standards you're inferior. That's where Darebee comes in, you have options to pick themed workouts people can relate to and feel like they can be open with their imagination; plus they have different levels that help you find your place and whether you're a complete beginner or a super fit veteran there is something for everyone, we all start somewhere and there are people who look for a challenge.

In order to get the best out of your training, you can't do the typical boring crap you see in the magazines and quite frankly it's pretty awful that those morons try to get people to do those workouts when clearly they're not ready for them. Go do something outside the norm, take the basics and turn them into something amazing. What would it be like for a woman to workout like their favorite superheroes like Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Black Widow and other female dominated characters; women want to feel empowered, know they do amount to something and that they can be strong and fit too. For guys come on who wouldn't want to feel like training in the ways of Batman, Superman, Arrow, Thor and other muscle built character? That just makes my blood rush when there's a cool way to feel out and get that adrenaline flowing doing a great circuit based on characters in comics, tv, fighting and sports. Spice it up and blast through a workout like it was meant for you to have and dominate.

Many people have responsibilities and obligations that require their attention but that shouldn't stop them from getting fit so they can feel a little ease; be able to run a little faster to get to somewhere, strength to carry groceries, swim with your kids, have the endurance to play with them for long periods of time, be ready for a date, get homework done, energized for the work day and because of the short time it takes for these workouts, you can be in this blissful state of happiness and endorphins kicking in for the rest of your day. Do your training before work or before going to bed, you have options and workouts like these will help you in the long run. Be able to train anywhere when it's convenient for you and not spend so much time on it. Your training sessions can range anywhere from 5-30 minutes long. Use them for traveling and can be used in a hotel room, at the park, there's even a workout called The Super X workout for those who are in wheelchairs. Be able to compromise your time without stressing over it. The levels of progression is through sets of exercises back to back...LVL 1 is three sets of a circuit, LVL 2 is five sets of a circuit and LVL 3 is seven sets of a circuit; if you're really ambitious and want to take it to that bad ass level go ten sets of a circuit. Train at your own pace and make it interesting for you, if you can't hit a certain level yet that's ok you're still doing something and it will come in time. People love themes especially if it shows their inner love for characters growing up and fantasized about. Make it work for you and bring your A game to another level doing something awesome and fun plus a challenge to keep things interesting.

Amplify Your Energy

In all of us we have great power we don't always recognize or believe to be there. Some who think have it believe it to be the power of god in them, invisible energy source, the kabbala, supercharged resurgence of strength; I like to call it our universal power. It can be very scary from what isn't known or understandable so we do things to make ourselves not feel that fear or do what's easy for us. To tell you the truth, not everything in life is what it always seems. We don't always know what's going to happen whether internally or outside of us through our eyes, sense of smell and what we feel. How can we have so much strength in ourselves and yet it only lasts for a short period of time? What makes this power so great that we are forced to hold it in and let it out in extreme conditions? It's important to learn and answer these questions not from the most recent expert or the technical babble scientists tend to make and sure as hell isn't always coming from a guru or teacher but from ourselves.

The way to truly understand this concept is to leave what you may already think behind and learn how to bring your mind and body together and infusing them as if they were the same thing. The nature of our greatest power is to align our imagination with our movements. At first you may  be analyzing  the process of trying to figure out what goes where, you do this turn, move forward that way or over-thinking your movements. You're not alone, i've done it too. To practice with effeciency is to stop thinking so much and breathe, listen to the sounds in your imagination, feel the world inside of you and picture yourself living with unbelievable strength and speed; fire off as a jet that is flexible and mobile, feel as if you were a mighty god with a superhuman grip, be able to change into any wild animal and use your intense strength against your predators. Imagine anything you want, use it to heighten your senses and put them into action. Using the muscles needed for what you want, be in command of them as if you were the general and they were your soldiers that will follow you to the bitter end. Relax and breathe into your movements that can become more fluid, graceful but at the same time feel like inpenetrable armor that infuses your body with invincibility. Amplify your energy through your thoughts and putting it into the physicality.

With enough practice, you can make the choice to turn it on or off like flipping a switch. Use it whenever you need it and it'll be on your command. When you feel your strength turning on, you will get sensations and energetic vibes that is difficult to explain. Your movements will be greater, your body language will be understandable and the way you talk will have a profound impact. You won't just have great physical strength and crazy speed, it goes beyond that and it will change your entire outlook on life and physical training.

To go on another perspective, speed and strength are just the beginning. You will feel and sense things around you, harnessing your intuition and prompting your levels of your voice and the way you walk & talk. With practice, you can enhance your stamina for everyday activities and responsibilities you may have. Power is not always physical, it's actually more mental once you really get it. The mental is the key and the physical is the opening of the door. Take it one step at a time, don't learn it all at once, take little steps and don't rush it. Pace yourself and progress according to your level. Image the greatest version of yourself and live within the power you have achieved.

Self Mastery And Its Significance

Everyone is unique in some form or another. We can't learn the same exact movements in the same exact form. Because of our structure and body to weight ratio it's important to modify the movement you are practicing no matter what it is. Some believe that people need to do the same movement at the same pace and have the same amount of time on it and that is very arrogent. You can't have a 15 year old kid do the same stuff as an 75 year old great grandfather, it's just unethical and can have dire consequences. Learn to use your body that is sustainable and achieveable on your own accord. It's one of the key things to developing self mastery.

Nobody learns a push-up the same exact way because not everyone has a good source of balance and arm strength. You can however break down the push-up into bits in order to become efficient in it like for example starting on the knees and holding yourself up in the up position. After a while you begin to progress to various areas and work on certain parts using whole body movements. Learn what you want to learn but be profecient and build yourself up. Sometimes you push yourself so hard you need to back off for a while, focus on something else. In Animal Flow, you learn the value of your movement whether you're a complete beginner or advanced veteran, overweight or shredded it doesn't matter. Learn according to your own pace and handeling your body by modifying what you need to.

There's no such thing as the one-all-be-all system because people have different levels of fitness that can't be processed the same way. In order to be at your very best, you need to develop your own style of training and it's only significant to you. There are people who do only bodyweight, some do the olympic lifts, others to animal exercises, do self resistance, people training around injuries and even there are those who have a Tarzan complex and just live the adventure of movement. Whatever it is you want to do go for it and make it work for you. Master your movements because they're interesting to you and not because someone out there said if you did this or that you're an idiot. At the end of the day we are still human that have things going on in our lives we don't always have control over. Developing your own system of training shows you what kind of person you are, how your personality is congruent with your level of exercise and it brings a new sense of individuality through the choices you wanted to make and what they have become because of it.

We all start somewhere and no matter what we do, there's someone else out in the world doing something far greater than we can achieve, nothing wrong with that. We have our own ways to progress to a level of difficulty; yet many people stick to the easiest things and never want to find out their true potential. I don't believe in what's always easy, I believe in what's interesting and seeing how far I can take it. I rarely have ever gotten injured doing what I do but I would never do anything I feel intuitively that can cause me major harm. I'm no daredevil or some crossfit junkie or a tootsie roll loving Planet Fitness groupie but I put myself into forms of training that helps take my imagination to another level and being creative and interested. I have taken some of the most boring exercises imaginable and turn them into cool moves and projected scenarios in my mind that shifted into action. Do things at your own pace; the significance of self mastery is doing what works for you and making it suitable to your personality & gives you that power of internal bliss in your soul. Most importantly is turning something that sucks into something that is playful and you making the best of it.

You Must Choose Wisely

Remember that moment in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade where if you chose the wrong chalice or cup something bad will happen? Of course you do. However it's tough to choose something where there is so much damn variety it becomes confusing. You never know what you'll end with, you can end up with something as glamorous and full of sparks and looking like an award winning Broadway but you may also choose something more simple and have the feeling of no more or less while you go for something with no hidden agendas or anything stabbing you in the back because it turns out to be something that just wasn't worth it. This happens pretty often in the world of fitness & exercise because although we have a great deal of options there's also that burden of picking the right things for you.

Picking certain things can be tough and can bring certain consequences like injuries, burn outs, soreness/tightness you don't want and doing something that could cost you your life; so in order to find the right type of training for you, you have to experiment with a few things. Sometimes you may not certain programs right away or something doesn't suit you so you move on to something else. Whatever makes you happy and gives you the greatest benefit in your journey, stick with those and you can't go wrong. If you like Hand Balancing; do cool stuff to learn about that and, if you like grip training you find ways to train that way, if you like lift heavy objects than who's stopping you from making that happen go lift heavy stuff. I'm more of training with an overall base where I pick and choose things that happen to be in my head and I run with it, if it's something i'm interested in than I go with it. Don't be so picky to the point where there's only these specific things but you can't get around to them very much, never put yourself through that.

The real aspect of finding the thing you are choosing to do is to make it a journey and utilize your will to learn and go with what's important to you. Choosing can be hard but it's not rocket science, you either like something or you don't it's that simple. Don't dread what you don't like, live within the things you do enjoy and it brings passion into your life because as you may have noticed, when we do things we don't like we tend to be slower a little unfocused and we resent the fact that what we don't like makes us feel worse than it should. Go with the journey, toss away what doesn't work and focus on the stuff that does. Nobody's perfect and things won't always turn out the way you thought they would but there's always something awesome to come along and the journey is just part of the fun if you lead yourself in that belief. How we think determines what our actions will so if you think excitement and fun, you're going to attract that; if you attract the opposite well you get the picture.

Make your own choices. What you choose to do something will always follow and it won't always be in your control. In the fitness world you have a million things to choose from but only the smallest fraction of that will end up working for you so be wise about what you're going to do and make it work for you, if you're not happy change it or do something else. Once it really hits you, you'll want that feeling all the time even if you do something different a little everyday because you never know what mood you'll be in or how long you'll want to do something. Be instinctive and be passionate about what you do. Don't focus on the hate, bring in the kick ass moments and shatter the goals you want to achieve because at the end of the day, we're just human finding and working towards the things that keep us living. So choose and choose wisely for as the true journey will bring you life but the false and hateful journey will take it from you.

Hitting Goals And Doing What You Love

Goals are like your own personal treasure, they're meant for you to have and have feeling that richness and have that feeling of taking the world by storm. You can share your treasure if you wish but it's important to realize it is yours and no one can take it away from you because you have an internal bond that just won't go away. You don't need to be greedy and brag about what you have achieved or won yet you can inspire others to go after their own treasure and seek out the adventures to get to them.

Achieving things is a very powerful entity. You don't always feel the need to lose weight or gain muscle or just be fit; it can be a business goal or working towards a certain amount of views that people have seen on your website where they can see your creativity and possibly buy stuff from you. My goal for this blog was really just to see if people would read it or have any inspiration to do something for themselves and just have fun with it. Turns out it became more than that, it spread throughout the world and has been seen in more than 30 countries on 5 contienents with a viewing total of 500,000+; that is insane and I'am so greatful that it made it that far, never expected it. Must be doing something right. Whatever goals you want to achieve, make it worth it to you and you only because nobody is going to set your goals for you, they're your adventures and your struggles. It creates a part of who you are and where you're willing to go.

Don't go after things you hate. Who the hell wants to achieve something that they didn't even want, it's not logical or ethical yet some people seem to do that on occasions. Go after things that are worth while, make a choice of what's important to go after and do everything in your power to achieve it that is productive, sustainable and it makes you happy. People will try to tear you down and tell you that what you're doing is stupid and you'll never do it; well they say that crap because they don't have the drive that you do and they'll only do things according to their standards. Don't be controlled on how you want to achieve a goal.

As I've said before, get the most out of what you want to do. If you don't achieve it the way you were meant to it's ok because the journey ends sometime and you never know where you'll end up. Some people have goals that last for years and as great as that is, there's no guarantees where you'll be at the end of it. It's the journey that comes into play far more than the outcome. Breathe and make your goal interesting and bringing new light to who you are because you could end up a totally dfferent person because you went through many different things, things that didn't have anything to do with your goal but they're apart of the journey. Live and go with the flow. Do what you love and use it in any way that works for you.

3 In 1 Exercise Tool For Everyone

There are three very awesome tools in the world of fitness that an be used for any sports training, conditioning, strength, endurance and many more. These three tools can take you to another level and bring you a world of power while burning fat, gaining muscle and jump up your growth hormone levels for a faster metabolism, recovery and cardio. The three tools are the kettlebell, the dumbbell & the medicine ball. However there are limitations to how you use the grip for these implements which I will get to in a second.

The grip is one of the most important aspects in the strength training world. If you can't grip your implement or a pull-up bar, it's going to be more dificult for you than it needs to be. With the three implements I just mentioned, the limitations are basically in the grip, it's the same grip every time even with the medicine ball; it's a great tool but it only had one standard grip so you can't really do what you would like to do. What if there was a way to do this and not spill out a bunch of money off your card and cash. Get something that gets you doing all the kinds of exercises you like to do and it implies all three implements in one tool that also makes you change your grip every time. I'm talking about the Sandbell; be able to snatch it like a kettlebell, row like a dumbbell, slam like a medicine ball and more with this bad boy.

When it comes down to it, there's got to be some things that are suitable to everyone, what I mean by that is not everything won't be equal because there are some things that are just too dangerous for some people and not everyone from a child's age should use a dumbbell or a kettlebell because they can hurt themselves from all the metal that can land on them, with the sandbell, its more padded and full of sand. It is a fun and effective way to exercise every muscle in the body and adults can get the heavier weights and the kids can have the much lighter weights. Toss it, flip it, play catch, slam it on your floor or on a mat, work your pinch grip by switching hands in the air, use it like a hammerthrow, kids can play catch the carrier; there are so many cool ways to use this. If you're an MMA fighter, you can use it for grip work, takedowns, suplexes for wrestling drills, squats for leg training, Core Work and other cool things. Whatever you feel you want to work on, a Sandbell can help you get there.

From the 8 year old hyper kid to the 65 year old prospect who wants to get in great shape and jump start their hormones for a longer life, strength building and cardio machine. These sandbells can be used by anyone and can be used in dozens upon dozens of ways. Make a game out of it, work on your conditioning for your specific sport, do one-legged movements, work on your snatch test (a 30lb. sandbell is tougher to snatch than a 53 lb. kettlebell), get a super powered grip for arm wrestling, a pinch grip people would fear and get a cardio workout in under 5 minutes. It is so useful and durable that you may even forget about metaled implements all together. Expand your horizons and grab the kind of weight you would like yo use, get one for your young one to play with; it has a strong leather that is very difficult to break so it won't snap on you so even if you slam it with tremendous force the odds of it tearing are in your favor. It is safe, protected padding and it doesn't make a mess or have the sound of metal echoing throughout your place. Take advantage of your fitness and own one or more of these bad boys. you won't regret it.

Your Legs Are Your Wheels

    Ever since my accident and learning to walk and train again, I have made a vow to go into deep research on training the legs and making them stronger not just in the muscles but more importantly the tendons and ligaments. As we age, one of the first things that starts to go physically is our legs, the bones become a little more brittle and the joints get a little weaker and muscles begin to go south. It becomes more and more difficult to even get a good move going and your body just aches like a bitch. It doesn't have to be that way though; you can make a choice to keep your body in incredible shape when you get older like into your 50's and beyond. It's a matter of modifying and building a foundation. Flexibility is your first priority, then you work on strength so you can value the useful of what is working in your body.

 
    Most people think as you age, muscles need to keep strengthened more than anything else; not necessarily true, strength is a factor and should be in on your to do list but for the most part muscles are secondary compared to the joints and ligaments in the body especially in your hips, ankles and feet. How can you really move at all when your joints are all screwed up? Why do you think so many older folks have bad hips and weak ankles? It's not always about aging, its about how you take care of yourself. Sure you're not going to be lifting extremely heavy poundages (but then again what's really stopping you if you wanted to do that) but make it your main focus is strengthen the tendons as much as possible, the muscles will follow when you do the right amount of training. Isometrics are extremely power tendon builders and utilizing Chi Kung methods help you internalize your energy and build strength from the inside. Flexibility is not always about stretching and toe touching, it's about finding that youthful vitality in your bones that is full of vigor and life. Do some joint loosening, stretch your hamstrings efficiently and power up on the hips because they give the lower body some of its greatest power in many areas. I train my legs consistently with plenty of dynamic stretching, joint loosening, isometric stretching, mobility drills and others and I'm in my 30's, I want to be nearly as mobile 50 years from now because of it.

 
    Sprints build powerful legs, period; some people don't always have the luxury of sprinting somewhere or they don't have the strength to move as such but there are always alternatives, sprinting doesn't always mean running, you can do exercises at a much faster pace to get that effect whether it's push-ups, squats, running in place anything that gets their heart rate up quick and with intensity. Circuit Training can be useful mixing exercises together and moving in a fast pace and go round to round with no rest, that alone burns up a lot of fat and puts on muscle. It's all about what works for you and making the best of what you have. I love sprints, however I don't always feel like running so hard I feel like my legs are going to pop off, I can sprint in place and still get the same benefits. Make it work for you and experiment the very best you want to learn and master.

 
    If you want to learn on how to build powerful, agile and enduring legs, talk to an old-time pro wrestler like from the 70's and before. It's not always about entertaining a crowd with theatrical exploits, you also need to keep up with your opponent and work a match to the very end whether it's 10 minutes or 60 minutes. These guys are the very embodiment of superior conditioning. If your legs aren't up to the task neither will the rest of your body. Guys like Ed Strangler Lewis, Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, Frank Gotch, Karl Gotch and even guys like Ben Sharman and Killer Kowalski were exceptional in the conditioning department and hardly broke a sweat within the first 10 minutes of a match (slight exaggeration). Being able to endure a lot and still have some fire burning in the tank is an awesome thing to have. Research on how wrestlers trained their legs, there is some cool stuff you can do and you don't need to do extremely high reps to reap the benefits, just enough to where it works for you and keeps you firing. Having enduring legs is also great for your testosterone and having a high sex drive. Strong legs can carry you in ways that can be useful when you need them too. These guys can teach you things about the legs most sports can't even fathom, why do you think wrestling is the most important sport? Keep your legs strong and agile no matter what your age and prove to yourself that age is just a number and not an ideal outlook of what you were and what you have been led to believe. Your legs are the wheels and your will is the engine and the rest are the various parts needed to keep going. Be awesome my friends.

The Circuits That Keep On Giving

   There are mixed reviews with circuit training as it is with of other methods. These days when you think of Circuits, you think of Crossfit and getting in as many rounds as possible in a certain amount of time. Although that's great for an advanced person but for someone starting out, it can put them in the hospital or in an unwanted grave. Circuits are done where you mesh a certain amount of exercises and do them without rest until you have completed 1 round. Most people can't handle that fast pace and high form of intensity because it takes far more than just strength & endurance, it becomes a mental game of chess and some are great for beginners but others are mostly for those in decent shape. Those long cardio sessions on the treadmill are practically useless unless you plan on training for a competition of some sorts. You'll gain endurance for sure but you'll also lose muscle mass and the ability to burn fat efficiently. If you want a quicker workout that has the same benefits circuits would be the way to go. You can get in a great workout in under 30 minutes with proper rest periods between sets.

 
    Although circuits are good in some order, some of the exercises they put people through most of the time are either boring/generic or far too much for someone to handle when they're not prepared for it. You can however mix your favorite exercises you do know and can use your imagination with to get awesome benefit out of. The key secret to circuit training is not always about speed and short rest periods (although they can be a great factor as you progress) but more on a steady pace with as good of form as possible. You want to have nearly as good form at the end just as much as crisp in the beginning. Once you start slouching and you're in need of an iron lung than you need to stop. If your form or pace is deteriorating as you go along, you can have some severe problems in your joints, muscles and tissue in the ligaments. I'm not a huge fan of plyometrics and I don't think you need to jump as high as possible 10-20 times per circuit so I personally believe especially for those who have had injuries and such ought to keep circuit training as low impact as possible and use very little to no equipment. Unless you're in a specific sport or in need to get in serious shape fast, some equipment would be good to use but really Bodyweight is best.

 
    One site I highly recommend that has circuit workouts for every level of fitness is Darebee where you can choose from well over 100 workouts and programs for your specific goals and needs. This is the next evolution from Neila Rey. These workouts even have themes that anyone can relate to; superheroes, movie characters, books, anime, military, Primal, Circuits For Swimming & Sports and way more than I can mention. These give you an idea on how to take a cool pop culture idea and turn it into a kick ass workout that will have you begging for mercy while having fun as well. Nobody really likes those boring and generic exercise systems that really have no value to the individual who's looking for something interesting to do. I'm all for using the imagination and utilizing basic and advanced exercises to build skills for your everyday life. I didn't like circuits very much until I came to Darebee and found a new realm of ideas to use. Plus it's all free and you can download and print out the workouts into little cards for you to travel with so you don't always have to get on the internet. These are truly some of the very best exercise programs around today and take less time to do than it is to get the gym, dress and getting on a machine (which you may need to wait for). They have programs for strength, weight loss, High Intensity, realistic cardio, fat burning, stamina, flexibility and speed. There are no excuses and you can switch exercises around to suit your needs and goals, modify them if you have to you have that option. They have levels of progression that are simple and straight forward; you can work out up to 3 levels of sets (or 10 sets total in some workouts) and learn how you can make your own progressions.

 
    I'm a hard working guy when it comes to training and have put myself through some of the most intense workouts imaginable so I can safely say if you want to be in great shape, you need to know what your fitness level is otherwise you can get injured or burned out; I was doing Level 3 type workouts for about a week or so and just didn't have it in me afterwards and ended up quitting for a while because I pushed it way too much and I was already in good shape. Build up and remember you don't need to go to the highest level every single workout and because of the limitless amount of circuits at Darebee not every workout is the same, so learn how to adapt and modify a bit so you can get to that high level on a consistent basis but not a frequent basis. If you only have enough in you for 2-3 rounds that day do so but don't push so hard you'll pass out or end up having some kind of lung problem from lack of pure deep breathing oxygen. Keep a close eye on what you do so you can make the very best of it. Circuits are great but if you're not careful, it can bite you in the ass and chew it with a vengeance. There are even custom type workouts in the forum section of the site where you'll find circuits not found in the cards such as the Tarzan Workout, Godzilla, Indiana Jones and others; I even came up with a circuit that professional wrestlers used when they trained and it takes even the most advanced people down for the count. Research on circuits and find what can be suitable for you and make it work for your needs, not for the sake of being able to do them. Have fun and keep going my friend.

Thick Bar For Killer Upper Body

    When it comes to functional strength and super muscle, there are many ways to achieve it but one of the most effective is the use of a Thick Bar or better yet (for a cheaper price) use Fat Gripz and attach them to your favorite barbell and dumbbell for better muscle activation, hell if you want to attach them to a cable machine like Rows, Chest Squeezes, Tricep Pressdowns and Curls. In the early years of Bodybuilding and Strongman, an athlete had to have some serious power in his hands to lift crazy weight or perform specific feats of strength. They needed to increase the strength in their tendons and ligaments of the lower arm in order to lift some of the heaviest weight in the world. Arthur Saxon most likely lifted with Thick Bars in order to help him lift and hold the world record 350+ lbs Bent Press or lift the 448lbs Two Handed Anyhow. John Grimek one of the greatest natural bodybuilders of his time was freakishly strong as well doing the Olympic lifts, presses, deadlifts, pulls and even performed nail bending and card tearing. Fat Gripz save the cost of regular thick bars and can be used for practically any upper body exercise you can use in the gym or in your home gym.

 
    Want to build crazy thickness in the lower arms, get yourself some Fat Gripz. With the amount of effort and activation it creates in the upper body, it will jumpstart those tendons and have the muscle fibers needing to use more power for growth. You won't be able to do the same poundages you normally would do because in order to even get the bar or bell up takes far more effort than normal and it fries you real quick. Say you bench around 315 with a regular bar, no way in hell you'll be able to lift that with 2inch thick (or more) fat grip; you'll most likely hit the 250 lb range at best if you got a good solid grip. Imagine building your upper body strength using these bad boys in pull-ups, talk about build gorilla size forearms or mighty pythons like Popeye. If you're into Arm Wrestling or other sports, having a solid grip is essential to your success and brings a whole new element to your game. Have more pulling power for arm takedowns, more pushing strength for football, better grip for batting and knocking balls into the field or out of the park and why not for Combat Sports like MMA and wrestling; you'll be a beast on the mat.

 
    One of the most effective ways to build natural strength and muscle is to do basic exercises whether bodyweight or weight lifting; presses, pulls and curls are a key to successful muscle building and when you put on the Fat Gripz, you've just jumped into the next evolution of muscle building. When you can do basic exercises with a greater thickness you're activating far more muscle fibers and your body will need to repair itself much greater. Less than a few times a week is best if you're at a good solid level of lifting but if you're a beginner don't even think about doing them yet but it is worth the challenge and you'll gain strength with flying colors. Doing the Basic lifts with Fat Gripz will turn you into a beast, guaranteed.

 
    When you activate multiple muscles in one shot, you're also turning on the growth hormone in your body that allows you for greater muscle growth and natural shaping of the muscles. This also works your strength factor as growth hormone generates more power in the nervous system which switches the muscle fibers to amp up the effort in what you do. When you do long cardio, it's great for endurance but doesn't activate much muscle per say unless you're doing crazy heavy stuff for your cardio like carrying a heavy rock several feet at a time, doing circuits with heavy weight and bodyweight movements. The best person to look into on this is Bud Jeffries who has developed a way to utilize strength and cardio at the same exact time in precise style of training. Natural testosterone is essential for keeping fat low, gaining strength quickly and recovering faster. You do not need steroids and PEDs to get serious muscle. It takes effort and dedication but with the right tools and the right education and physical example you can get some muscle that the old-timers got like Grimek, Reg Park, Bob Peoples, Bruno Sammartino, Saxon and many more.

Movement For Adventure

    Spring is blossoming and new life is rising and it's time to head outside and get some of that crisp air and natural vitamin D. It's time to bring out your inner Tarzan; hang from the "Ape" bars, crawl, swim, swinging, rolling, squatting and of course a sprint or 2. If there ever was an athlete any man should strive for it's the Ape Man himself. He's not full of bloated and overly useless muscles and doesn't pretend to be somebody else or live by someone else's rules. He's a man's man and takes care of business in ways men today can't even fathom. He's the pinnacle of real man's fitness; he doesn't lift barbells are dumbbells even though he probably could do them if given the chance but he moves the way a man should. He's the embodiment of the ultimate athlete. A hero in many ways and man can he move.

 
    Swimming is one of the fascinating and most powerful methods in the world. You work every muscle in your body, you lubricate the tendons and joints plus it feels incredible after being in the water for a while. Swimming makes you mellower and releases stress in ways most methods can't. I always feel like a new man after a good swim in the lake. Think what it would be like to swim and live with vigor and vitality; bringing more life to your nerves and feeling relaxed and at peace. You don't need to swim for miles or tread water for an hour but a few good laps and just diving down in the water feeling like a strong and vibrant fish or shark on the prowl. Bring that sensational endorphin feel into your veins and you can't go wrong.

 
    What of the best ways to take your movement to another level once you've mastered them enough to create a few combos; build scenarios around you, duck under a table, put little platforms around for jumping and imagine them as safety nets as you jump over lava or crocs or whatever it is you want to imagine jumping over. Crawl as if you're under part of a cave and you have only a short amount of time, do a few sprints and imagine you're being chased by a wild tiger or pitting yourself against The Flash in a race. Use your imagination, be creative and utilize your skills in different ways that are interesting to you and brings out a side of you that nobody has seen before, go nuts (just not in crowded area or the street). It's about being free and living out your comfort zone. Take a chance.

 
    For us men, our manhood is at stake in these troubled times of obesity, heart disease and very bad Viagra. Movement sends the body into overdrive and marking your territory in how you move and how open up the body with good solid stretching and utilize multiple muscles per movement. We have the ability to create our own testosterone and whether we're 20 or 100 we can produce high levels of natural growth hormone although it gets harder and harder after a certain age and beyond but there are possibilities and it's time we claimed it. Testosterone gives us vital points in our immune system, helps us recover from strenuous exercise and the sex drive for you my friend can be off the chain, it's really how you apply yourself and taking care of yourself from within and understanding how your body processes through various movement. Never say it's too late to have great testosterone, it's yours but in order to keep it from going low, step it up and find natural ways to keep feeling like an overgrown teenager that is full of vigor and life. Be a man and give your body the fuel it needs. Live with power my friends.

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