Going To The Movies In Your Mind?

Visualization isn't the easiest thing to learn but it can be a really fun experience and shift gears towards what you want and how you apply it to your life. I'm constantly learning this and seeing my goals from a different perspective that is unique and something that I get excited to do. It's more than just meditation, beyond just visualizing something and more so than just watching a flick in your mind's eye. Theater Of The Mind is a technique that has you seeing yourself achieve your goals as if it was happening on the big screen, watching yourself triumph over your obstacles, making things happen and projecting yourself into another realm of positive and amazingly awesome things.

Picture yourself in your own movie theater, sitting in your chair/row/balcony and watching from a 1st person point of view what it would be like to see your dreams become a reality. What would it feel like, what would it sound like and what would your emotions be? As a practitioner of this, it is very powerful and has helped achieve things I didn't realize at the time were possible. I have used it to lift more than 400 pounds in the deadlift, used it to achieve a solid level of sales and survive in sparring sessions of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You can do this anytime, anywhere that is quiet and you can concentrate.

There's more to it than just looking at your goals; it teaches you what to look for, how to turn up the volume, step by step markings of what to visualize and how to plant your goals onto the screen themselves. What are your goals? What do you wish to see and what will bring you your greatest strengths, will and imagery that is powerful?

Get Theater Of The Mind and learn the deepest details of seeing your superhuman self on the big screen.

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Do You Have To Be Loyal To A Specific Program?

When we learn something new that is exciting and gets us results, we tend to stick to that program and not see the others as another form of exercise. There are some die-hard enthusiasts out there using specific programs that have either become life changing, a change of pace or that it is the one-all-be-all. To tell you the truth, I know what it's like to be die-hard and do a program that just doesn't compare to others but the fact of the matter is, no program is created equal and none are the end-all-be-all.

True there are some programs I do like that i'm head over heels for like animal movements, isometrics and using a deck of cards for reps doing hammer work when I'm in that mode but I don't have that worship, needy and desperate need to do style that many people have. It doesn't make them bad people or any of those things but there comes a time where it is ok to experiment and mix things up. It has some similarities to meeting and having a relationship with some people, it's new and exciting but you don't always know the real deal until you have dug deep into the heart of it/them and see the true side to certain things.

Many people treat one program as if it was a marriage; it's rough on certain days, it's amazing on others but in the end, you can't live without it. I see it from another perspective; I don't see just one program as a thing I would do the rest of my life, I see everything I have learned and mold it into the perfect program for me. Taking the qualities, the flaws, the pros and cons plus trusting in it what I feel that invests my time and energy. It's like Weird Science where the two kids took a computer and created the perfect woman that has beauty, brains and a bit of a wild side and although it worked, they ended up learning something out of it they never expected. I take the very best that are like puzzle pieces and create a the best picture just for me but I also nurture it, take it for what it is and let it teach me things nothing else can.

What does this have to do with loyalty? There's nothing wrong with it but if you don't have a great investment in it, how can you manage your full heart and soul into it? Loyalty is a word thrown around a lot and not just in fitness and loyalty can be deadly if it's around the wrong kind of people. It is the same thing with exercise, it may look cool and you invest yourself in it but will it give anything back? Just like a relationship, you get what you put into and it goes both ways otherwise why call it a relationship? Invest what works for you and you put what you feel is worth it and if it works the way it was meant to, it'll give back more than you'll expect. Be loyal to yourself and what you invest in and the thing you put yourself into will give back, just pay attention to it.

Magnify Your Conditioning By Doing Superhero Circuits

The best workouts should not last more than 45 min. to an hour because you want to get the most out of the session and have a tiny bit left in the tank. There's nothing wrong with challenging yourself but you also don't want your energy too depleted either. Utilize your training with purpose and passion but also be smart and use it to your advantage. That's one of the reasons why circuits play a huge role in amplifying your conditioning. Take 4 exercises or more and hit them hard using repetitions you can do and go from one exercise to another with no rest. There are so many ways to train this way but for someone like me, I like the style of using a theme that would pump someone up and want to get into it.

Superhero Circuits is a personal favorite of mine when I'm in the mood to really tackle a workout. Although my interest is mainly animals, isometrics and just playing; it's fun to do something different and have a blast with it. What if you could do a workout based on heroes like Batman, Green Lantern, Black Widow, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow & Wolverine? Maybe you're not big on superheroes but into the villains; how about Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Bane or others? When you have an interest in something and it gets you fired up and full of passion and love for exercise, what do you think your results will be? Chances are you'll be in far better shape mentally and physically than just going through the motions. It may be better than nothing but if you don't have that fire, they won't come the way they're truly meant to.

Circuits are no joke and if you're not ready for them, you're in for a rude awakening when you try one for the first time. The 1st time I did the Batman Workout, I could barely breathe and was shaking from head to toe and that was the first few rounds and that was with the two minute rest periods. I progressed and got it not once but several times doing 10 solid rounds. It is a hell of a workout and if you want to get in shape fast and anywhere at anytime this will do it.

That's another great benefit of these workouts is that you can do them anywhere and anytime; in a hotel room, at the park, in a cabin, on the beach, during a work break or after getting out of bed. They're also incredible for those that travel because it's not always fun to keep traveling to a gym and if you're short on time like needing to get to a meeting or going to a theme park like Disneyland, you want to be in and out stat. Hitting the weights is always fun don't get me wrong but it's ok to step back and work on just your bodyweight and enjoy yourself the rest of the time. Another great set of benefits is that you can adjust the level of the intensity by your level of fitness, if you can't do any of the level of sets with the allotted repetitions, cut the reps in half and build up until you can do it. Whatever works for you, make it happen and eventually, you'll be breezing through some of these like a boss.


To find these great gems go here from google.

Sometimes You Just Have To Let Loose And Go Ape S*it

Working out can be a real chore to some people and forcing themselves to do something for the sake of just doing it can hinder progress. Whenever I'm in a rut or just need a break from regular training, I just go all out and be wild. Moving like my spirit animal the Gorilla. It creates a more fun atmosphere and just cut loose and be me. Being yourself in your training can be scary and want to be someone else because you're too concerned of what others may think.

There are times where I just don't know what to do because i'm not a routine guy and when I try to be it doesn't last long, not that i'm not motivated, just not interested and want to be different. I love doing different workouts but there's something about moving like a wild primate that just feels right and when my instincts kick in, I don't have a choice I just go for it.

Now when I mean going Ape S*it, i'm not talking about bouncing off the walls and smashing everything in a ground and pound style; it's crawling, hanging, jumping and just letting everything out in a productive way. It's one of the things that gets me in a better mood utilizing animal movements. It's letting me have the freedom, the ability to really use my imagination and create what I WANT, not what everyone thinks I may want or have to do.

Let loose every once in a while. Might do you some good. Be wild, be free and just go. If you can't be yourself, you're not really training.

Is It Better To Look Good Than To Feel Good?

In the 80's on Saturday Night Live, Billy Crystal played a character that was an aristocrat that would rather look damn good than to feel good about himself. More like a hollow outlook on life that many people tend to follow without realizing it. The motto of his character Fernando was "Darlings, it is better to look good than to feel good you know what i'm saying?" Now what does this relate to? Well for decades, even centuries, image is a powerful thing and it has made many people successful, many others suffer but also makes it an importance beyond the reality of the body's true meaning.

Image is just a speck of the real outlook to how a person can be physically, mentally and emotionally. It brings up the targeted audience in the fitness industry where image far outweighs the feel of a person. You see the pictures in the magazines, on the stage, on tv; looking directly at you and judging the appearance. Just about anybody can look good with the right tools and elements that make up the image of that individual but yet what is the image? What is the first thing you notice about a person with tattoos, a rock hard body, the way they sit, their posture or the way they do things in your surroundings? It's a rarity to say "what do I feel" than to say "what do I see".

A lot of us have an issue with our image and who or what we want to be on the outside but what about the inside? The irony is the feelling tends to come out more what you just see from the exterior but many can also hide what they feel by projecting themselves into a world that what you see is nowhere near what's on the inside. You'll ind people that say "what you see is what you get" but the trouble is that it is more rare than we want to believe whether someone says it or says it to themselves. I at times see a horrible image of myself and hear doubts, fears and feel hopeless but yet I don't always show that. We hide our emotions and our feelings because in some cases, we are taught to do that and only show what we want you to see because if you knew the truth, it would make us vulnerable and conflicted plus it's breaking down the world we built around ourselves we strive to keep locked and sealed.

Looking good can make you successful and even maybe get you an endorsement or having your face on a box of cereal or in a commercial selling stuff that is already sketchy in the first place. Just looking good however, comes with a price and if you let it consume you, it throws away the real aspects of your true self and letting the outside judge you more on the exterior than what the interior really has in stored. I'm no model, I don't have six pack abs or 20 inch arms, for the most part I'm just solid physically but my true self has passion, compassion, emotional rollercoasters, a memory that is both a blessing and a curse, I'm very happy most of the time but I do have my downfalls of being a pain in the ass at times, it's a fact lol. I don't strive to look like a greek god or even come close to looking like a young Brad Pitt, but I do what I can to be good hearted, train to the best of my abilities, play, have fun and be good to somebody who's having a rough time.

You don't need to be crazy good looking to live a full life. The funny thing is, what you see from a good looking person is like this; they look like Zeus or Aphrodite on the outside but on the inside they can be like Medusa or Hades and you won't even know it until it becomes painfully obvious and then it's too late. Some people who don't have the MIS (Model Image of Society) are the sweetest, most caring and all around amazingly awesome people on the planet. It takes guts to really feel something than to cover it up with an image some are not proud of and are ashamed to wear.

Image on the outside is like a painting made of colors, expressions and little details that take on a life of their own but the feeling is in the self image, it goes beyond the colors, the expressions and the little details; it is a larger world that is the hardest to master and to express the emotional content and hitting a surface that for many take decades to find, some never reach it because to them, feeling something is a weakness and if you express those feelings, you're going to lose your image. So let me ask you again.....Is it better to look good than to feel? Some people have both, many have one or the other, the real question is, which one do you plan on using to make yourself real to the world?



Herb Of The Day: Sea Buckthorn 

Animal Isometrics And Developing Strength In An Even Greater Unique Aspect Of Muscular Power And Conditioning

I see things differently and not always look at one aspect of training as the end-all-be-all. Isometrics are very underrated compared to other forms of mainstream fitness yet it is one of the most important elements that will take your strength, speed and agility to a whole other realm where possibilities are endless. You can do Isometrics just about anywhere and anytime whether using equipment or not and it doesn't matter if you're a beginner or an advanced athlete.

Isometrics have been used for centuries and have been done in ways we still have yet to discover. It has helped men and women get strong and powerful from a variety of positions that are endless and have aided them in countless sports, everyday life, rehab, military training, yoga, wrestling and law enforcement. One form of isometrics that I have rediscovered is through the holding positions used in Animal style movements. Now what are isometrics exactly? It is the element that has you holding a position against an immovable object or against yourself.

For Animal Isometrics, these will build strength from angles not normally used in typical Isometric fashion. If you were to do a crawling movement, you can take a step and then press your hands and feet into the ground as hard as you can for up to 10 seconds or less. This builds the foundation for holding yourself up and engaging your body in a unique way. What about jumping or leg movements? Well for example the Frog Jump; obviously you can't hold an isometric in mid air unless you have the gift of flight so how about holding the frog jump in mid squat to full squat and contracting the muscles hard in that position. Breathe out doing an "sssss" or "fffff" sound, never hold your breath on any isometric contraction as this can lead to hypertension, unwanted blood pressure and even headaches.

For beginners, this builds that foundational strength and creates that surge of power in the tendons and joints. Balance is crucial especially for those over 40. When you can build strong tendons and ligaments, the rest will fall into place. Another great aspect of Isometrics especially utilizing in mimicking animals where you can lessen the intensity of a contraction and just hold yourself up in a position and stay there as long as you can. If you can hold a crab exercise for over a minute, that builds some serious tendon strength, how about a flamingo hold? Being able to squat or balance on one leg for five minutes is tough as hell but imagine the strength you'll have in your knees, ankles and overall leg power and explosiveness.

If you're an advanced athlete and have done animal movements for a while, start holding positions and see where your strength takes you. Imagine being a little faster, have greater intuition and developing a greater skill in the mind/muscle connection. You'll have lesser chances of getting injured and think of the strength you'll have if you're in a combat sport. If you're in MMA, think about what it be like to be explosive and take down your opponent with ease, have pinning power beyond belief, punch with such force that a knockout is inevitable, be able to slap on submissions because your grip will be so strong that they can't get away and be able to squeeze without much effort that you'll be like a freaking anaconda.

Make Isometrics a part of your arsenal, especially in the ways of the animal.



Herb Of The Day:  Thor's Hammer Formula

The Effectiveness is in the Combination
All of these together is designed to be stronger than just one alone. If you talked to a consultant you might be able to figure out which of these four steps is the needed one for you. But why not just take care of everything all at once?

Just a single herb can work wonders for any one person. However, people are different. So when you have a blend like this of five herbs, you’re better ensured of getting great effects as they all work through all the different possibly dis-functions.

And as you’ve seen, the effects of these herbs extend beyond the one main function we aim it at. There will be side effects. Good ones! Though you may take this formula for performance in the bedroom don’t be surprised when you notice better health and effectiveness in other areas of your life.*

One wife commented, “That’s the hardest your d*ck has ever been!” Another guy said, “Is this thing going to stop?!?”*

A Vacation For Your Nerves

Do you ever grab life by the throat and squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of a single experience? Maybe you escaped to a jaw-dropping beach one weekend. You basked in the glow of the red sun while listening to the ocean serenade you with its crashing waves.

Chances are, you know the sedative feeling a vacation can give you when you do it right. You’re present, relaxed and everything comes just a little easier to you.

Only problem is — you eventually go back to your day-to-day routine. The kind where you’re getting whacked at all day by a barrage of problems. Pressure to succeed at work, countless tasks to carry out and a slew of lurking issues you aren’t even aware of yet.

Soon you’re all wound up again, and those amazing feelings you felt not too long ago seem a far cry away now.

But there are ways to recreate that powerful feeling you felt on your last getaway without having to go on another adventure.

One herb, Reishi Mushroom, is designed to evoke the same sense of calm and contentment you enjoyed while away from your hectic life.

(I am also sharing this with you because to for a LIMITED TIME its on sale. Only $24.99. Check it out here)

Nicknamed ‘Tonic of the Emperors,’ Reishi contains a vast amount of these magic things called triterpenes. A Triterpene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon derived from a C30 precursor known as Squalene.

Squalene makes up half of the liver oil found in certain species of sharks and is otherwise widely distributed in nature, most commonly in olive oil. It also synthesizes hormones, including Vitamin D and cholesterol.

Upon entering the body, Triterpenes work to tonify the liver.

As you might know, your liver is an important organ in the human body. It helps cleanse your blood of any toxic chemicals like sugar, processed or fast foods, alcohol, tobacco and various environmental hazards.

The liver also works with the nervous system. Lipids, glucose and metabolites acquired from eating and drinking trigger the nervous system to make certain physiological changes.

When you tax your liver by consuming harmful substances, you can find yourself on the bad end of these physiological changes. You can feel symptoms including chronic fatigue, nausea or vomiting, and abdominal pain. This can also lead to long-term diseases such as obesity, fatty liver disease, and liver cancer.

But, when the triterpenes in Reishi work to nourish the liver, it triggers the nervous system to produce a calming and grounded effect. This puts you in a more relaxed state.

Learn more about Reishi here and and start feeling calmer and more relaxed today!

National Mushroom Months: Top 5 Therapeutic Mushrooms

Hi There,

Mushrooms are amazing. Did you know that we’re genetically closer to mushrooms than we are to plants?

And that some mushrooms do many things similar to humans such as produce vitamin D?

In nature, symbiotically with plants, fungal mycelium provides immune system benefits to plants in exchange for food.

They can do much the same for us.

Check out this complete list of Medicinal Mushrooms for health and performance here, and learn how these mushrooms can change your life.

Among the best of the best, we will talk about...

Learn all about some of the therapeutic used of mushroom here

Reishi is the most highly revered mushroom (and herb overall) in Chinese medicine because of it’s many benefits. For helping the immune system, for supporting your mood, it is hard to beat.

Chaga, the King of Mushrooms, is newer on the scene but is just as powerful…just in different ways. The key benefit of this mushroom is how it helps to support your DNA. And really there is so much more.

Cordyceps is known as the mushroom for athletes for how it helps with lung capacity and endurance. This mushroom, and the effects of it, are what got me into herbalism in the first place! We feature the lesser known, but still highly powerful, Cordyceps militaris.

Lion’s mane mushroom, given that name because of its appearance, is being scientifically investigated for its benefits to the brain and nervous system, as it supports nerve growth factor (NGF).

7 Mushroom Alchemy Tincture This 7 mushroom blend is one above the rest. Strategically designed to support in overall health this tincture contains Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Shiitake, Maitake, Artist’s Conk, Turkey Tail. A powerful combination to support almost every function.

and... Its National Mushroom Month!!! Celebrating mushrooms everywhere you can save on your first purchase of Reishi Mushroom ON SALE until Monday 9/10/18 for $24.99

If It Is Not Interesting, Don't Do It

We at times like to push ourselves and get caught up in the moment of a workout that just fuels us up even when we're exhausted. That to me is a fun way to look at things and also yet very rarely, we do things we're not particularly interested in but we push on anyway; although some just don't have that in them, specifically yours truly.

I get so excited at times to do a workout but despite the excitement, if it doesn't peak my interest, it goes away faster than the flash. One workout recently I got excited for was the Matt Furey Exercise Bible; a deck of cards workout I have done many times in the past but whenever I do it now, I lose interest fast and it doesn't appeal to me that much anymore. Unless I'm forced into a place where I can't go out then maybe I'll do my best to push through it but for the most part, I just can't stay motivated to be in one friggin spot the entire workout. It isn't an issue whether I can do it or not but rather the issue of staying interested to stay with it doing ONLY 4 exercises and feeling others that are left out.

BTW everyone, this concerns only fitness; there are some things in life you just have to do whether you're interested or not. You can't just not be interested in pay your bills or taking care of your kid or just not do your job. What I'm talking about is that if there's a program you just flat out can't be interested in but keep doing it anyway, there's something wrong there and it could hurt you mentally as well as physically.

There have been workouts where I wanted to quit but I was so into it that it just made it more exciting to have that other side of the coin to say "keep going." That's why I love the Animal Dice Game so much; it brings excitement, challenging factors and the will to keep going even after just pouring sweat, getting exhausted and wanting to die. If I need a break, I can just do an animal that's a deep breathing exercise and keep the workout going. This workout alone, gets me more excited and motivated than regular calisthenics and can adjust them to however I want. Here's a good analogy (one that I noticed in my soon to be 9 year old niece) that being in one spot can drive a person crazy especially if you're hyper and need to move so you get up and run around and get that energy out; this is me most of the time when I'm not watching movies/shows or working/promoting. I feel the need to get up and move.

I guess a reason why I do shift to other workouts that don't involve animals is because maybe I want to make the person who came up with them proud and show that I'm like their other trainees. The problem is that over a number of years, I realize more and more that yes these programs work but they won't always work for me and I have to follow my own path in order to be happy. I'm more than willing to learn from them and pick up little things but I just cannot put myself in a position where I have to do their program down to the very "T". DDP Yoga for example; one of the greatest programs of all time, I learned it and did the workouts following along but it became too repetitive for me and if I know the exercises by heart, I have the right to come up with my own style of the program. I can't follow along a workout after a brief period because I literally hate having to follow the same speed and tempo as everyone else, it's not how I operate.

I have a unique brain setup and it makes me operate in ways that have been a struggle with me ever since I got the meningitis. Unless you've had meningitis or have a grasp understanding of someone who has gone through it, you can't possibly understand what it's like for them to do things that aren't in the norm of regular brain functioning. I don't have the luxury of having the same interests as the general population, I see things differently, react differently and even say things differently that has gotten me into trouble and even has put an end to relationships not just girlfriends but other friends as well and it has even cost me some jobs I did. Very few people in my life understand the process I go through and have stuck by me through it all. I was forced to learn things in very specific ways and don't have a firm understanding of general everyday things so in some cases, I've had to learn certain things nobody else can teach me and whoever has tried most of the time has failed or I have failed them and it wasn't through lack of trying but because my interests are unique and following through with them. The basic summary of this paragraph is that if it doesn't interest me; sooner rather than later, I'll quit something right then and there, get frustrated and overwhelmed and basically shut down mentally.

This part of the article is not about taking pity on me and I'm not asking for sympathy, it is being open and honest about who I'am and what others may go through that you may not realize. There are people out there that have a lot of interests but only made for them and the people around them just cannot connect with it or that person can't connect with others and there are some people out there such as myself that can connect with a lot of people and can be interested in a plethora of things yet still struggle with a lot of things in everyday life.

When you find things that are interesting to you, hold onto it and let it become a passion; not so much an obsession but a passion that fuels your soul and you can be excited regardless if it's on a 1-10 scale. Learn things that give you that rush and have it reap many possibilities for you.


FYI- Lost Empire Herbs is having a Labor Day Sale where you can 15% Off of ALL products. Put in the code LD15 when you checkout.

The Importance Of Stretching That I've Come To Realize

Stretching wasn't always the biggest thing with me because on many days even cold, I was just ready to go and I could go whether it was weights, bodyweight, kettlebells or animal style movements because I could get a good stretch just by doing the workout. That was when I was younger and didn't know any better. Sure I did stretching routines but never as a warm up or part of my training, mainly separate from the two. Now that I'm older and slightly wiser and understanding more from my previous injuries especially in my lower back that maybe stretching ought be a key component to enhance my performance with greater intent.

The one thing that I have gotten back into more and more is relearning the aspects of Dynamic Stretching, Isometric Stretching and keeping the joint loosened. I always felt intuitive when it came to training regardless of what it was but I began to notice how my body reacts and although I'm still in pretty damn good shape, what if I made it better even by 5% and utilized the knowledge I gained in my 20's along with supplementing certain aspects of conditioning along with my intuition. Sometimes I make shit up as I go along which I'm really good at but adding a small element to get me to another level using techniques on stretching on a more strategic level.

I have an idea to experiment with stretching that I haven't fully committed yet but going to see how it goes. Nothing definite because I don't want to jinx it, but I would start the day with dynamic stretching, deep breathing, joint loosening and working my neck using the Neck Chi Gong method that I learned from Matt Furey and than do some training later in the day and do isometric stretching as a cool down and recover quicker. I've only done this once or twice and I feel a major difference. You can have all the knowledge in the world but there will be times where even the greatest expert may have a "duh" moment or subconsciously do some stupid stuff to realize there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and things change over time and learn from your mistakes.

It is important to stretch but it's also important to stretch the right way. There are stretches out there that are not meant for certain people and some stretches can even hurt you more than help you. I have had problems from certain stretches that were taught to me but I learned some very good ones and they have helped my body in ways I cannot truly explain. It takes trial and error but in the end, if you can find the key stretches that not only work but can make you feel like a fighting machine with power behind it, you can perform at your highest level and make it look easy.

I got this book on Kindle called Stretching: Exercises Bible - Learn How To Stretch With Dynamic Stretching And Flexibility Exercises where it takes on the aspects of a multitude of stretching programs molded into one using techniques in Deep Breathing, Energy Drills, Dynamic Movement & Static/Isometric Stretching. I have seen many of the exercises in the book and have done the majority of them in the past so they're virtually identical to the program I previously have done. They were a reminder of what I need to do to maintain my body's ability to stay in shape in the long haul, not just for conditioning but lifelong flexibility that will keep me youthful in later years. This is an amazing book and has routines for specific sports and morning & night programs. You don't have to do all the exercises in the same day, use them to give your body that extra juice to stay healthy without getting injured. It doesn't matter if you're a Martial Artist, a football player, baseball player, hockey player or someone who wants to gain greater flexibility from not training after so long. It gives you the opportunity to gain knowledge and learn more about not just being flexible but mobile and strong as well. It's more than just stretching the muscles, it goes deeper to the joints and ligaments along with developing a greater connection to the mind and body.

Make stretching a part of your arsenal and not always as a warm up or a cool down but as a part of your ability to keep things loose and release tension throughout the day if needed. I use some exercises to stretch after sitting or to get things kicking if i'm groggy. Learn and form your own routines and see your results as soon as that same day possibly; others have made progress in less than a few weeks and a few in less than a week, it all depends but get the best results in the time you were meant to make.


Herb Of The Day: Men's Megadose Hormone Package

Can Warming Up Be A Good Thing Or A Bad Thing?

Do you ever do a warm-up routine and than go after your workout? What kind of warm-up do you do; stretches, yoga, jogging, lifting lighter weights, loosen the joints? I've noticed over the years that warming up isn't always the best choice depending on the circumstances. Do you ever see a Gazelle stretching before being chased by a lion or a cheetah? No and why is that; because if you're in a life or death situation, having a warm up could get you killed. Some people regardless of age are so energetic that warming up isn't a big thing and can function in training sessions without issues.

As we do get older, it is important to keep tabs on our muscles and joints but warming up in a general sense won't always help maintain muscular and joint health. I believe in finding ways to get the blood flowing within a few minutes to get the juices going but if you're taking more than 20 minutes to warm up for an hour long session in addition, that could ruin your progress because there is way too much time being used when you don't need that much time. However, if you're very tense and have had previous injuries than maybe a few stretches won't hurt you but it is important to do exercises that release tension, open up channels in the body and giving the body a bit of a kick before doing something strenuous.

I have knocked hard on Warming Up in the past but now i'm closer to 35 and already have tension in my lower back, effects of scar tissue from my accident at 20 and an off and on bad right knee so I do have to think more of the health and shape my body is in. If i'm doing something like BJJ, I do some exercises before sparring like dynamic flexibility training, Animal Flow, stretches from Combat Conditioning or other animal movements to loosen up the areas I need to stay in a sparring match. Most of the time I rarely ever warm up and itch my way to going full boar. With the Animal Dice Game, I don't completely go full speed, I let my body get acclimated to the exercises and within a couple minutes I'm good to go.

The bad thing about warming up in my opinion and from personal experience is that if you do exercises that tire you quickly, you're not going to have a full and bad ass workout. Another is that if you warm up too long and with the wrong kind of stretches for your structure, you can injure yourself even quicker before your training really starts. There are awesome stretches to do and doing something like Animal Flow for even 5 minutes is a lot of fun and gets that motivational energy flowing. I sometimes like to start off the day with Isometrics or exercises based on CoreForce Energy. I'm very intuitive in what I do and I normally don't always go by being told to do this or that.

I truly believe in flowing with your body and if it's out of balance and you're so damn stiff that moving is painful than you need to find out what you can do and maybe even get an adjustment. I know what it's like to be so stiff that every muscle aches and cracks each inch you move so I feel your pain but even if that happens, sometimes just sitting and slowly rolling the joints can work wonders and on some days where I don't feel like doing anything strenuous, I just do joint loosening or holding a few postures or hang from the pull-up bar to loosen my spine.

If you feel the need to warm up, make it interesting and fun; do deep breathing, loosen up the joints, hold postures and depending on your condition, just do a few minutes of what you can and get in on your training from there.



Herb Of The Day: Nettle Root

Hotel Workout Ideas & Tips

Traveling on the road shouldn't damper you from your training and it's important to not only keep an open mind, but willing to adjust to exercise you can be in control of. From our recent road to Lake Tahoe and back, I got in my head to do animal movements while in a hotel room. Now if you ever read my posts on facebook about the Frontier Motel in Winnemucca, NV than you you know we don't need to get into that but at the Regency, I did some Bear Crawls & Tiger Walks the morning we left for Tahoe.

In the next hotel we stayed at in Baker City, Oregon I did another workout of animals. Now, I should give you a fair warning that if you're above people, be careful how you jump and if they're screeches in the floor because you never know if somebody wants to come bang on your door and tell you to knock it off. Hotel Workouts can be a lifesaver for those who are dedicated to fitness and want to stay in shape. Granted nowadays, a hotel for the most part has a higher percentage of having a gym on the premises than say 30-40 years ago. It's not ideal to always lift weights in a hotel room so bodyweight exercises are the next option or doing Isometrics, Charles Atlas type training or using cables like from Lifeline Fitness.

A great idea for Hotel training is doing a circuit of up to 9 exercises and going for rounds or for time. They don't take up a lot of time and you stay fit while getting ready for the next trek on your road trip or before catching a cab to take you to the airport. After 21 plus years of doing all sorts of fitness training, I can say that no matter where I go, I can figure out exactly what workout to do. You don't need years of expertise to learn the value of training anywhere but it is important to know what can be useful and utilizing the best possible scenarios.

I've been in shitty hotels, beautiful looking and a few downright Fugly (Frontier, Sahara e.g) and managed to get some training in. Some had a gym I used but mainly kept it bodyweight based because if you just so happen to have weights around and something happens in the hotel room, you better know how to back it up otherwise you can wreck some stuff in that place if you're not careful.

The best alternative to weights hands down is Cables and/or the power wheel; if you have a door attachment, you can have an endless variety of exercises and doing some rollouts for the core is an awesome bonus. Want to spice it up and really get cooking; use a deck of cards and do some push-ups and squats. Nature Boy Ric Flair did card decks for exercise during his time in Mid-Atlantic when gyms weren't always available in the territory and worked up to 400 reps each of push-ups, squats and sit-ups.

There's no need to be lazy and not train just because you're on the road. It opens up the brain to become more creative and learn what you can use and the knowledge of figuring out the best ways to make exercise a product of your imagination. Be creative and find the best exercises for traveling and making it worthwhile anywhere you go.

Dynamic Stretching: Animal Style

Flexibility and Mobility are key components to having an overall structure of attributes contributing to the body's full capabilities. You can have the best looking muscles but if you can't really move, what good is it for you? Stretching is a powerful ingredient but how can you get the most out of it if you keep hearing what's good, what's bad and what's worst? Coming from leg injuries, I value what gaining flexibility has done and stretching with the intent of not over lengthening a muscle but keeping mobile, loose and opened up.

Getting back to doing the Animal Flow program has only been a short time but already feeling better with my body and stretching out my spine has become more of a priority. I do love static style stretching but that's usually before bed or after a workout; with utilizing transitions, combos and stretching the body as I move puts me into another state. It's almost like meditation; I can't sit or stand still to mediate, it's very difficult but moving makes it more fun and a greater learning experience.

Warming up can be done in a variety of ways but the very best gives you the greatest benefit and I'm learning more and more as I get older even though i'm 34, having a warm up doesn't have to suck or be dreaded. The spine and legs are our greatest asset and by the time we hit 40 and beyond, it's a couple of the first things to go if we don't maintain it. Animal Flow is a powerful element of bodyweight training that combines various disciplines but mainly yoga and gymnastics in a different context.

The experience itself can be intimidating but never fret, there's a series of progressions that takes you step by step to teach you how to control the movements and how to hold specific positions that will build your strength from the ground up. Warm up by having fun and learning how to make your body more flexible using great methods that can be used in a variety of ways.

Why bother with boring exercises when you can have the time of your life and find your creative side. Animal Flow is beyond building flexibility, it adds an element that brings you great joy and you get to play like you were a kid again. Let the child in you out and harness your imagination while getting fit.

Moving Like A Wild Animal Is A Gift From Nature

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"- Charles Caleb Colton

As children, we imitate what we see and mimic actions, body language and form traces of the personalities we imitate. Sometimes what we mimic won't always be a good thing because it can lead down a road where we may not know better but we also don't understand the concepts of right and wrong. It is important to set a prime example and if it is good and we construct morals and the teachings of how to treat other human beings, that quote would make the ultimate for others in their lives.

Animals are amazing teachers and mimicking their movements sets a form of natural wonders for us humans. Movement is life and we don't always move through the natural order of things. We are taught this and that, being shoved certain things down our throat as if it was life or death and sometimes what we are taught doesn't always benefit the treatment of another human being.

Moving like an animal is not just physically getting into position and crawling, hopping, jumping and coordinating but what it really does is imitate the concept of freedom; the freedom to express the body and hone skills that not only strengthen the body but also the brain as well. Moving like an animal is a gift from nature itself. The idea of expressing yourself through the spirit and teachings of the animal kingdom brings another level of discovering ourselves in the form of natural movement.

Although we don't want to be as violent or territorial as wild animals, it is important to realize that growth comes from getting ideas on how to apply what is being taught. Animal Movement provides the ideals of challenging the body in a manner of learning how the muscles work, how the brain subjects the nerves and impulses to form the movement and using the imagination to get the very best out of applying our strengths and motor skills that we may need in other areas of our lives. It is a gift that we can't ignore and a great aspect of teaching anyone from young to old how to get the most out of the body on all three planes of our structure: Physical, Mental & Emotional.

Work within your ability and progress with the best of intentions because as you get better, you become greater equipped with knowledge and wisdom. Imitate what is pure and beautiful.

Tips On Recovery

There's going to be days where the body needs to rest and heal. I'm not saying rest completely but do some form of exercise that is softer, less strenuous and lower intensity. One of the things I love to do for a recovery day is doing deep breathing exercises or focus more on keeping the joints and ligaments loose and generate blood flow to the structure of the muscles.

There's a fine line between being sore and being in pain, a lot of trainees have experienced both but some cannot tell the difference. Being sore in a nutshell is not being able to move as you normally would after a day of training and it feels like a weight is being held on you and it feels like you're carrying more on your shoulders. Being in pain means it's sharper and certain areas of the body hurt like hell and pain is pushing the body passed its threshold. I've been through both and as much as I can take it, i'm one of those people that just can't tolerate it. Some people take pain differently and if they have a sadistic way of handling it, good for them.

Recovery is that other side of the coin where the body can still do amazing things but at a lower level and help the body heal. Qi Gong is a phenomenal tool for recovery because some styles are low impact and have a way of decreasing the load on the body and strengthen the internal organs. Yoga is another great recovery tool, I do DDP Yoga from time to time because again, it is low impact but can get a lot done and stretching the muscles along with strengthening the joints.

A personal favorite is obviously animal movements because you can vary the intensity, speed and coordination of the movements to where by slowing down and concentrating on the movement or than the muscles themselves, it can be a powerful entity of being able to recover. Animal Moves stretch the muscles and if you practice a certain sequence or combo, it can be a lot of fun. Dynamic Stretching is amazing too because as you move and lengthen the body, it opens up the meridians of the body and opens up channels that can decrease tension in the muscles plus with the addition of deep breathing and focusing on the muscles, you're giving the body a chance to heal quicker for your next training session.

There's no such thing as a day off when it comes to training. You do something everyday whether it's a hardcore day or a taking it easy day. Your body will come back and fully charged when you use the right tools and exercises for you. Forcing recovery can hold you back because if you don't listen to your body, it'll bite you in the ass and you'll pay the price. However, I would take over recovery over overtraining any day but there's a balance and the body is a well-oiled machine that does need maintenance and as we age, it becomes more critical. Nobody has the same training style at age 60 as opposed to their 20's; things change and the body needs greater upkeep but it shouldn't stop you from having a healthy and long life full of wonders and happiness both physically and mentally.

Older folks need greater recovery but can still do awesome things in their training if they put their mind to it. Many just let themselves go and just let age take a hold on them and just wither away. Yes, you can't do the same things as you were younger but that doesn't mean you should stop being fit into your golden years. Research what you can use to recover and make the most out of your training you body can handle. Everybody is different but it can still do amazing things. Recover with intention and listen to your body. 

Berry Madness: How This Herbal Berry Can Enhance Your Well Being

Good Morning Everyone. Let me ask you a couple things......

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Some of its most popular attributes are its ability to support liver detoxification, improve focus and memory, increase alertness, improve night vision, and more (to learn more click here for the all the details).

This pungent, bright, sweet, sour and bitter berry is loaded with antioxidants, these antioxidant work with the body to maintain, balance, and fight off Free Radicals which can cause cellular damage and oxidation within the body. Adding supplement such as Schisandra into our diet give our bodies the ability to maintain antioxidants for this purpose.

This one's for you Greg Russell, read the review he left about Schisandra…

“I absolutely love the flavor of the 5 flavor fruit! This is one that we run out of all too soon. I would honestly love to see a larger sized bag available, maybe even a special in a Miron jar! Definitely cleared the brain fog and aided in more focus, like that of Rhodiola, with faster response time,… maybe it’s just me, but I love a tonic herb that helps keep the neurons firing quickly with many other benefits aside from that great perk. Didn’t have it long enough for a 100-day trial, but wish I did and miss it so. Great quality too. That basically goes without saying, when discussing Lost Empire Herbs. Many thousand thank yous, Christopher brothers!”

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Staying Fit With Animal Movements For Life

As we get older, our bodies tend to become a little bit less each year than when we were young. We recover differently, shift methods in order to maintain because working out in your 20's as oppose to your 30's, 40's and beyond aren't going to be the same and why would it? It is important to maintain health and keeping our bones strong in the long haul. Very few look like a million bucks at the age of 40 and beyond and even more have to take some form of therapy in order to keep hormones balanced. This is where I love how Animal Movements can keep the body in check.

Animal moves have you constantly shifting and learning how to coordinate your body's ability to stay strong, flexible and agile in awkward positions. You don't have to be a speed demon to maintain shape or build crazy muscle but it is critical to utilize your muscles, ligaments and bones regardless of age. Moving at a pace that works well for you and taking as much time as needed to recover and keep going. This way, it brings out a greater sense of development and being able to move with consistency and muscular strength.

In other countries like in Asia, India and parts of Africa, movement is essential for redefining age and long term health. Animal moves focus on strengthening the structure and keeping blood flowing throughout the cells and spinal cord. One of the first things to go as we age is our legs and it's very true. Our legs carry us and have the strongest form of the skeletal system. Squatting has a very important role so utilizing the squat along with movement such as in duck walks, chimp walks and others; In Japan, a version of the duck walk helps keep knee joints healthy and contain powerful muscular conditioning for long term results in the legs.

Another reason to move like an animal is the way it consistently creates brain power through movement and thinking into the movement. Dementia, Alzheimer's and other brain deformations have become more common than we want to believe and it is important to keep our brains strong well into our golden years. Many people do brain games such as sudoku, crossword puzzles and other games to keep their brains sharp but sometimes it isn't enough. If you're still able to move, you can do so with exercise. Yeah sure at 60 you're not going to do 500 push-ups or jump really far but you can do little forms of crawling, balancing and walking to keep the mind and body sharp as a tack.

You don't have to even do big movements, small steps and holding basic positions will work your body amazingly. Think about it, just doing 100 steps of a bear crawl or holding a squat a few minutes a day can do wonders for your body and you can adjust them for your structure. A very fun exercise to do to help get the blood flowing is what's called the Octopus in Animal Kingdom Conditioning; this exercise doesn't have you doing very much but when done correctly, it warms up and conditions the muscles and joints in the legs, shoulders, hips and chest because it can get you breathing pretty quick. If you're not up to par on the full extent of the movement, make adjustments and still get great benefit out of it. Just 1 minute of this exercise can do wonders at any age and if you do opposite arm and opposite leg movements, you're strengthening the brain and generating power in the stems.

Don't ever settle and let your body deteriorate because you're just getting older, you deserve to live with great strength and health until death comes to take you. Work your body accordingly and have fun because being in a wheelchair and letting the body rot is no way to live. Be fit at any age and keep your joints and your brain healthy. 

Compassion Isn't A Weakness

I know what it is liked to be bullied, ridiculed, humiliated and beaten down physically and emotionally. Nothing comes close to feeling weak as a person. To this day, I have days where I have self doubt and feeling like what I do isn't good enough; but then I'm reminded of who I'am as a person and what I do matters. I have developed a sense of compassion for people and showing what is important to be a human being.

Compassion is never a sign of weakness but there are people out there that want to take advantage of that and use you for your compassion to extend their own agendas. It's happened to me a time or two so never feel like you're the only one. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop having a heart for someone. Not everyone is in a war where violence is the answer. A lot of people these days do get offended by words which makes even my generation not the easiest to deal with but at the same time, words have gotten people killed for eons, its not just in 2018.

Compassion is a sign that you have a good heart and it makes you a stronger person if you have dealt with physical, emotional or mental trauma; hell even maybe all three. Some people just want to watch the world burn and feel like they're the king or queen and actually believing compassion is a sign of weakness.

In my training, it's not just for getting fit, its more on the development of becoming the strongest version of myself. Learning how to apply movement using my brain and body as a tool. My brain can only go so far because of the truma happened to me as a baby but it doesn't stop me from finding my passions and sharing it with the world. Everybody has a strength and weakness, it's the yin and yang of our DNA and as we grow not just in physical form but mentally as well, we learn what's right and what's wrong. The trouble is, many grow up never understanding the true meaning of what it's like to be a human being an realize that not everyone is against YOU and seeing the world and it's people as weaklings.

Emotional weakness is mainly used by people that don't truly understand a person's story. There's a fine line between pitying them and seeing them as emotionally weak. You grow up learning that many people are weak because they can't hold a job or aren't strong enough for their family. I have been down that road where jobs weren't easy to come by and just applying anywhere doesn't always mean you're going to get it and even if you did get it, how are you physically and mentally connected to that job? I found a job that not only pays good but I'm very passionate about it, I put my heart and soul into it. I get to share with the world my passion, my struggles, my triumphs and what gives me purpose about fitness, supplements, seminars and giving people the opportunity to find fun and exciting ways to exercise whether it's for sports, lifestyle, conditioning, overall strength or whatever they decide to get into.

Showing compassion means you have a reason to care for another human being. You feel for a person and giving yourself emotionally to be there for a person. Not everyone is going to show you the same courtesy which for them is ok. They have a different life and they have their own way of showing something but it's not always going to be pretty. Also just because I show compassion doesn't always mean i'm going to be a nice guy. Everyone has their limits to be kind and sympathetic. I do care about people but I understand what's right and what's wrong and have stepped up for people and defended them, not always physically but if you piss me off, you're going to see why you shouldn't.

Some people are just flat out cold, manipulative and full of hate that they put out these harsh rants about others and just don't care whether they're getting backlashes or not and in their own world, that's just fine with them. There are many out there that just don't give a shit and just piss on human beings that are considered emotionally weak and won't amount to anything. Granted there are people in this world that could use a tune up but at the same time, it doesn't matter how old you are, finding yourself is the biggest journey every human being has. Some have found themselves whether it's good, bad or ugly; others have pressed the reset button and rediscovering who they are but there are others that haven't found themselves yet and never made the opportunity to reach it. Our full potential is never complete without discovering our true selves.

This world is a harsh world in a lot of areas, very dark, gritty and full of loathing and hatred that sometimes showing compassion isn't enough, but it is start to send a message to the world that being harsh isn't the answer and learning to be good to one another. What I want to send to you today is that the world is a mighty big place but for others, its very small and the people within them have the potential to be a kind, warm hearted person that has a heart and soul for one another.

The Struggles Of Stationary Movements

Ever since I've become an Animal Movement fanatic, I have struggled with regular stationary bodyweight and implement used exercises. Before I had no problem doing Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, Mountain Climbers, Burpees and sprinting in place but for some reason especially recently; very few exercises actually keep me interested from a stationary standpoint because they're fun to do and I get a lot of joy out of it. Most of the time now, whenever I do certain exercises, I lose interest fast and at times I don't know why. My body responded well before but now it feels like whenever I do them, it feels like I'm in jail and I have too little space.

Don't get me wrong, bodyweight exercises, weights, sandbells, cables and the Slamball are all phenomenal in their own right and are essential to fitness in some form or another but if you have space and you can use it beyond just going up and down or side to side in one spot, why not use it? We all know the cliche' of "Anytime, Anywhere" and it is true but at the same time if you're just in one spot, why aren't you using the space that's really around you?

Very often now whenever I hear the word stationary, I think of being locked in a cell and have nowhere to go. To me it sounds negative and overwhelming sometimes. Yeah you can do many exercises wherever you go but if you stick to exercises in just one spot of space what is really going on there? Maybe because I'm getting older and understanding things more and seeing things from a different perspective but I'am telling you flat out, I feel a lot more free doing things that get me moving around more than 2ft x 2ft form of space. You have to understand, movement is movement regardless but also where is the true freedom in the space you can truly use?

I use to love doing Hindu Squats and Hindu Push-ups on a whim and loved doing different types of burpees or various weights but it just seems like I get more out of using the real amount of space that has unlimited potential. It got me thinking from a wrestling perspective. When I had my two sessions in BJJ, somewhere where I was fighting and getting the best position although I wasn't anywhere near the positions I truly wanted to be in, you don't wrestle in just a single spot. You wrestle standing, on the ground, you move around in space and time to find the best position for an offensive move or defending yourself. The mat is like a planet, there are so many places you can go. Think about that for a second. Do you have a clue what it's like to wrestle and fight somebody in a small confined space? I sure as hell don't. If that happens, it doesn't matter how good you are or how much of an ass kicking you get, if you're so limited, where's the real potential to have some form of an edge?

This is one of the things I truly love and understand about Animal Movements; it's learning how to utilize the space you can truly own and operate without being limited to a single spot. When an animal fights, it uses every resource it has and is aware of to bring the fight to their advantage; wrestling and exercise in general ought to have a similar philosophy, to use every resource of space possible to get the most out of your mind and body. If you have a group of people in a short space and need to train the best way possible that's one thing, it's another to truly be open to the possibility of getting every ounce of space you can use and progress your body's condition to the next level. If the weather is good enough for me, I'll go out and use up every single inch of space I can muster, but if it's too damn hot or too cold, than I stay in but use every inch of space I know of. I have done animal moves in the bedroom, a hotel room, my office and the garage; have thrown implements and walked with them in the space I can use. Being in spot for me now sucks big time and I don't want to waste energy being so limited yet find a way to use every inch of where I'm at.

If you have an idea of what I'm talking about when it comes to being conflicted to one spot, watch the movie Bronson with Tom Hardy, there is a scene where he is locked up to a cell where the length of the cage/cell is only large enough to where standing is almost the only option and if you had to sit, you'd have to be pretty damn flexible. That's what I feel like at times when I do certain exercises, there is a lot more behind me but because I'm in one little spot, it feels no bigger than the room i'm in. In a nutshell, claustrophobic is the word i'm looking for.

Don't limit yourself, use every spare of space around you to get the very maximum of your potential.

Learn the way of the animal by going here.

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My Thoughts On Johnny Grube And The Wildman Training Philosophy (Uncensored)

From time to time, I dabble in promoting various products and reviewing books and courses. So today I'm going to talk about a style of training that has good points and bad points plus a little on the author of this philosophy. First off, I just want to say what I'm going to go into will be something many may hate on and I will hear about it sooner or later, good or bad but I feel the need to let people know on this.

Johnny Grube.....A blue collar, no nonsense and no bullshit type of roughneck that has a lot to talk about on fitness but promoting mainly himself and ranting about the world we live in today. A manual laborer and former pro wrestler (indies basically) who just seems to not talk about almost anything positive in his posts. He is a poster child for bodyweight training and the ideals behind it using basic movements, isometrics and semi-creative workouts that work within a degree.

The Wildman Training philosophy isn't catered to a general audience and doesn't seem to put in a positive image even to an audience he is catered to...Himself and rough-housed blue collar men. I do like the idea of how to use bodyweight training along with the minimal to no equipment needed to get in awesome shape, but that's the extent of my faith in this guy.

I have two of his books, the Wildman Training Program and his Playground Training Manual. They're both fantastic books in the sense where it teaches the bare basic principles of bodyweight fitness and using what's available. Beyond that is more than worth reading. As far as fitness goes, he's got some great points but personality wise, I find him to be a major asshole and one hardcore fucked up individual.

This style brings valuable info on why manual labor is a hard and brutal form of training even by the standards of a job. I've done my share of manual labor and yeah it is tough and it's not meant for individuals who aren't willing to put in the work. His rants however are not only off the wall but come off as negative, stressful and full of bullshit that destroys the image of today. There are very few things I agree with but wouldn't put it anywhere near the context he throws it in. He sees the men of today (from a general sense) as weak and full of vanity. Now don't get me wrong, there a lot of guys out there even in my generation that could catch up on a few things but to break them down and destroy any form of humanity, that's messed up and need some serious therapy.

I don't know what kind of life he was brought up on, how he treats his wife or his kids but what you will read about in his posts tend to come up Homophobic,  Racist, brutality towards kids and just flats out manhandles the fitness industry as if its some demonic form of evil. I was friends with him once on social media and at one time was able to handle his little tantrums and comments towards certain people but I put out a post one day about a story of a grandfather who accepted his grandson for being gay (before and after this boy's mother completely cut him out of her life because of her beliefs) and Johnny just proceeds to tarnish, belittle and ridicule this story. On top of that, one of my family members stepped up and put his two cents in and John just attacked him and acted like a fucking 5 year old and just goes off on who is my uncle. This opened my eyes to what kind of person he was and continues to act like.

As far as i'm concerned, fitness wise, he has done a lot and can make a solid case as to how it works and what exercises can be used in a quick fashion along with awesome levels of conditioning and stamina but after that, he's nothing more than a self-centered, conniving, redneck and sincere form of asshole that I ever heard of. Unlike him, I care about my fellow human being and anyone who attacks others without knowing the full story is one fucked up dickhead who probably hasn't been laid since his last kid was born. As a person, he's a negative piece of shit that needs to grow the fuck up and have a little more compassion in his life. I don't normally put that out there about people but when you have seen so much hatred in a person's words, it makes you wonder how the fuck can anyone want to be around that even by 10 damn feet. 

I do care about where the fitness industry has gone and some of it I don't like but that's not for me to judge or destroy a person's way of doing things. I say what I feel but at the same time, nobody should have to live with that kind of negativity. Maybe he's the loki of the fitness world, a person of mischief and cause of chaos and despair that lives vicariously out of hurting others and is full of himself. 

The only thing I have in common with this Stick-Up-His-Ass, unworldly person that calls himself a human being is passion for fitness. Yes, his style is off the wall and has some value as to what being in shape can really do but on the other side of the coin, he needs to grow a heart and let go of the bullshit the world is in and look for what is awesome, breathtaking and full of hope, love and wonders that make us great people in a lot of ways. I don't even think the guy bleeds red, probably more like a dark and very brown color that needs to be checked by a doctor. 

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We are still using reaping the incredible benefits of Maca.

Black Maca is a root and in the mustard family, and looks similar to that of a potato.

It is an adaptogen. Which means it increases the body’s ability to defend itself against both physical and mental weakening.

RICH in amino acids, carbohydrates, and minerals, including calcium, phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, iron, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B12, C, and E.

It enhances the endocrine system and all of its glands, hormones, and functions.

The BENEFITS of BLACK MACA include:

Increase energy, endurance & stamina
Boost sex drive & enhances fertility
Improves physical and emotional well-being
Promotes mental clarity
Balance hormones
Relives PMS, Menstruation & Menopause

How do you take Black Maca Powder?

It can be added to your protein shakes or fruit smoothies, coffee, yogurt, or mixed in cereal, oatmeal, or even pancake/waffle mixes.

It has a sweet flavor and blends well. And the gelatinized powder (form on sale) is easier to digest.

Everybody’s daily regimen and lifestyle can benefit from Black Maca.

And thanks to an extra shipment we just received, we’re offering a special deal…

BUY 2 GET 1 FREE!

You MUST use coupon code: FREEMACA

(Add 3 bags to your cart, use the coupon code and the savings will automatically update with at checkout) *Gelatinized powder only!

This is one superfood you’ll want to stock up on!

ORDER HERE TODAY!

Explosive Conditioning: Star Wars Style

It is always fun to use a theme to amp up workouts. It gives that extra motivation and another idea to get more in tuned with training. Some themes are a little off the wall than others and some workouts are flat out nuts but if you took the simple exercises and molded them into a workout using a theme and little to no equipment, you can make it fun and challenging plus coming back for more.

This past week I got the Death Star Slam Ball from Onnit. On that site they have a lot of cool stuff to use for training from bad ass looking kettlebells, colored Battling Ropes and even barbell plates based on the Superhero Captain America. Their Kettlebell line has made another set of best sellers in the form of Star Wars. As you may have noticed in some of my posts and on social media that i'm a geek for Star Wars; not to the degree of battling over which Franchise is better Star Wars or Star Trek but a geek to where I have collected all the films, many books, a shrine in the living room mainly of Yoda and posters. I told myself, one day I will get a product from the Star Wars line and I made it happen.

I have used slam balls and medicine balls in the past which are very effective and can give you a hell of a workout. The Death Star Slam Ball is very unique in the sense tat it isn't the typical ball you would see in the gym; this bad ass motha doesn't just have a cool shape but can take a beating and last longer than the average ball. Weighing 20 pounds, it may not seem like much but once you get your hands on it and start training, a whole new world opens up. To me this is a great way to not only geek out but get in some awesome training as well. Slam Ball training has been around a while now and due to the popularity of Crossfit, it's become a staple in many athletes' arsenal. There are many exercises you can do with this thing and will get your body going one way or another.

The first few workouts with it I keep it simple and only go as far as I need to and not force anything. It's great for a full workout, a warm up or a finisher and you will have your lungs firing, your legs quivering and your core will get pummeled (in a good way). Just the typical pickup and slamming it down hard alone will get you cooked in no time. Most workouts don't last more than 20 minutes and depending on your fitness level, you can make the workout easy or as hard as you want.

One of the things I really like is that if I have excess energy or need to get some frustration out (not all of us live like a happy go lucky harry), I'll just take that sucker and thrust it down as many times as possible until i'm just completely done and calmed down. Now I'm not saying you should ever train angry or ready to go on a murdering spree but it is an alternative to have a more positive outlook to channel aggression. It is very effective and it can keep you in line. We all have those days where you just need to take out some aggression and use a way to calm down so why not get in shape to channel that.

Although not every Star Wars fan works out, it can be encouraging to get fit and get more out of life than just being a fan. Don't get me wrong, I'm a nerd at heart and I go to conventions, buy comics, pay to get a picture taken with a celeb or cosplayer, be trivial around people and have fun debates with people from time to time but I also love to be strong, conditioned and full of energy and vigor. It has become an epidemic that fitness isn't a part of many people's lives and more and more we as a society tend to let ourselves go. What would it feel like to you to not only geek out and have fun but have great physical strength, stamina and agility at the same time? Can you imagine feeling like you had the strength of vader, the stamina of Darth Maul, the speed of a jedi? I would put up a lot to have that kind of power, to never tire and move with great agility but power behind it too.

The Death Star Slam ball may not destroy planets, but it can destroy unwanted fat and put on great muscle and definition while giving you the ability to tear into athletic endeavors like a boss. Think about it for a moment; having physical attributes that will make people be in awe of, a competitor fear you because you can last far longer than expected, the ability to tap into your strength reserves in ways that many wouldn't know how to react to and think what it would be like to have hormones that would make a teenager look weak and burn fat during and after a workout. The amount of fat you can lose, the weight just flying off and having muscle that not only looks awesome but has show to go with it too.

Get it today....May The Force Be With You.

Desire Thyroid Telomeres And More

In recent days mush research has been conducted on Ashwagandha.

The benefits of ashwagandha can help lower stress, reduce cortisol, improve sleep, provide neuroprotection, support the thyroid and much more.

GREAT FOR MEN AND WOMEN!

Let’s get specific on this one.

How about for women?

While Ashwagandha has a reputation as a men's herb...it is at least equally useful for women, possibly even more so.

While the sex hormones haven't been studied, sexual health has. And Ashwagandha improved every function they looked at. Desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction and more.

Not bad...

Plus, there is a new hypothyroid study published just a few months ago that showed Ashwagandha was helpful in those cases.

As thyroid issues are more common in women...and very few herbs really help...this is great news!

What else? A cell line study showing Ashwagandha improves telomerase activity! For those that aren’t familiar telomeres are the end-caps of DNA and are one of the leading theories on what causes aging and death. Improving this activity means it would solidly be an anti-aging substance.

Three solid studies showing effects on anxiety, because of how it interacts with GABA receptors.

I have to tell you I already loved our spagyric Ashwagandha Tincture.

AFTER READING ALL THIS RESEARCH YOU HAVE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF.

Head on over to this page where you can read more details about these studies, plus much more. As always, you can also find the links to our references so you can check them out for yourself.

Right now, to celebrate you can get this amazing herb for $5 OFF per bottle.

HURRY, ORDER YOURS TODAY because this special won't last long!

The Humbling Experience Of Being On The Mat Again

On Thursday, me and the fiance went on a 5 mile hike and had a blast on it. Fairly easy and using techniques I learned from CoreForce Energy to make the walking a lot more interesting. After settling a while, my girl dropped me off at the gym and went to get her nails done. I went in the MMA room just to get in some good ole exercise but ended up talking myself into the Jiu Jitsu class.

I haven't wrestled since November of 2002 when I tried out for Ameteur Wrestling back in High School. I knew I was in for a rude awakening and I was going to use my CoreForce Techniques to get myself by, but the sad thing is, I was nowhere near at my full strength and with my body being shot from the hike and not eating at all in that point of the day. I will say on record that I got the living crap beat out of me. I was gassed within a matter of a couple minutes in those 5 min rounds. For the most part, i'm in decent shape from all the stuff I do but my brain and body just wasn't home that day and I was pinned, tapping like Morse Code and just couldn't get a hold of anyone.

It was on one side of the coin a very fun and incredible learning experience. Going toe to toe with a UFC fighter and a couple of solid blue belts it was a check off a bucket list if there ever was one. The other side of that, I was beating myself up more than they did and barely slept a wink. I just kept kicking myself thinking "I know I could've done better than that" and other things but the one thing that kept coming up especially from my girl was that; with my disadvantage that day, I did everything that was meant to happen and although I choked out and leg locked left and right and crooked, I held out the best to my abilities at the time. Take it for what it is and knowing that even after not being on the mat for nearly 16 years, its ok.

The guys gave me props for my effort and acknowledged for my will to be on the mat despite my horrifying way of showing it. Even the coach Pablo Alfonso gave me props and a ton of tips which I desperately needed. You can have all the knowledge in the world but applying it is a whole different realm and I learned this the hard way. Got whelps, sore neck and sore ankles but I still survived the best I could with a smile on my face. It goes back to the old saying about boxing "you're only prepared until you get punched in the face" and it's the same with wrestling/jiu jitsu "you're only prepared until someone gets their hands on you." Whatever sport you go out for, let the ego aside and be humble, learn and acknowledge your opponent. I do want to get back on the mat and this time have far better energy and more suited up mentally. I don't know if i'll be any better but they haven't seen the last of me.

The Simplicity Of Animal Movements

We live in a society where making things complicated (knowingly or not) is the norm and the Fitness industry is no different. You find programs that have major holes and reeking of bullshit that it is hard to fathom whether it works or not. For the most part, a lot of programs do work but not the way you want to believe. You see a lot of these programs cater to a specific audience or the general population and expect that demographic to take the workout schemes and ads at the word of the author, trainers or by every positive review. The biggest thing many programs lack is simplicity.

Simplicity is basically taking the most basic elements and molding them into a easy to follow progression system where an individual can take on the tasks without overthinking and being stress-free about it. The problem is however, as an individual, it can be very difficult to determine what is simple and what can look confusing. This is where I feel Animal Style Movements have the greatest form of simplicity. Forget the trendy versions of Animal Movement for a second and let's focus on the realistic arena of Animal Moves that have the formation of the best possible version of mimicry.

Take the Bear Crawl, very simple movement, get on all fours with your ass in the air and start moving in all sorts of directions. There's really only 2 variations there is in this case, slow and fast as hell. This exercise alone can be done by just about anybody from young to old and can be modified to a person's level. Let's take it for what it is and not break down every single little mechanic that would only confuse somebody.

Another great movement is the Frog Jump, building that explosiveness and leg strength; you squat down as low as possible and than jump, easy to remember. If you're not keen to have the ability to jump, just touch the floor with your palms in the squat position, once you get better, do little jumps in place, than big ones, next jump forward and so on. The major problems with simplicity is that many people think it is not enough or not interesting enough and want a variety which ironically gets them into trouble and not wanting to do the program all together.

Have you ever watched an animal program like Planet Earth, Monkey Planet or any show based on Wildlife in Africa, Alaska, Europe? We are just captivated by how animals move and as kids, we had the wild imagination of being our favorite animals. What happened to that excitement and enthusiasm? I'll tell you what happened; life, growing up and being told that those childish games shouldn't be done anymore. Why can't we just go back and be wild and free? The truth is, we can but with modifications. As kids, we had energy like no tomorrow and had great time learning things and figuring things out on a whim. As adults, we become more analytical, complicating things and stopped showing the passion and curiosity. We need to get back to these things but on a level that works for us because in this generation, we have let kids use too many electronics and not enough play time to get in the habit of using the body as a form of tool to develop our minds, motor skills and coordination using various areas of the brain.

This is where the simplicity of Animal Movements come in, we get to go back to that state of child-like entities but with a greater purpose because let's face it, as we get older our bodies begin to change and not always for the better so it is important to have an upkeep and take hold of the idea of keeping our bones, muscles and even our brains strong. Animal Moves generate a lot of brain activity, producing muscular definition, building hormones and reduce pain. I may still be a young buck compared to those over 40, 50, 60 and 70 but I'm not going to let my body just take hold of old age, at nearly 34 I'm in the best shape I've been in but I also want to keep that up as long as I can with that enthusiasm and drive. 34 may not be old to many but many people in my age range are already letting themselves go or overdoing it to the degree where injuries are more common and takes longer to recover.

Be simple regardless o your age and get moving with the best of intentions. Do it at your own pace but also make it fun and interesting. The more you utilize your imagination with movement, the better off you'll be.

Beyond Exercise: The Practice Of Seeing Animals As Gods

For eons, mankind has been fascinated by the wild animal in some form or another. Even in ancient times, animals worshipped as deities or the embodiment of god or as gods. The shaolin monks mimicked animals for practicing martial arts, the greeks saw the Bull as a being beyond the physical of a beast, the lion is called king of the beasts, cats were considered deities of ancient Egypt and other animals such as the Turtle were represented as a symbol of longevity.

Animals throughout history were seeing as mystics or mythological representation of our imagination. Look at stories about Dragons, the mythical Griffin that is a mixture of the Eagle & Lion, the amphomorphic Greek/Roman god Pan that has the upper body of a man and the lower body of the Goat representing our inner desires, the wild of the forest and living life to the fullest. The wolf has always looked at from two different sides such as the evil incarnation of man becoming the beat within or the ideal leader of the pack.

It's a desire to be a part of nature even though in today's society we have lost sight to what makes us hone our instincts, our inner power to fight and reveal our taste for mating. It is a fact that we cannot develop the realistic strength and condition of animals in their respective skill set, it's just not possible. We can however, adapt our human strengths and create other skills that has allowed us to run, jump, climb, crawl and condition for sport. In early man, we hunted, fished, used our minds to take down the toughest beasts in order to survive but, there was still a level of respect of man and animal. That respect is based on primal fear and when the dawn of civilization came about, we used animals in many ways, more cruel than others but we also bowed down to them in fear of killing us if we pissed them off.

We celebrate animals, they're part of the signs of the zodiac, they're represented in either evil or good (depending on your intrepertations) and used in many stories including the bible. In Greek Mythology, Hercules conquered many animals on his quest of the 12 Labors; he killed what was thought an unkillable lion and used his Mane as protective armor, destroyed the Hydra and even a wild boar. Early Fairy Tales depicted animals mainly as a hellish entities, giving us a reason to not go into the woods or trust a snake in the jungle, get involved with a Mermaid or piss off a family of bears. Animals gave us lessons in how to treat life and using your conscience to make choices and decisions that will affect your journey one way or another.

Whether you see Animals as Gods, deities or just plain mystical; it is important to respect what they can do and what they represent on this earth whether they were real or mythological. We may eat animals as food but good meat brings us nourishment, testosterone giving properties and giving man strength and primal power. When we practice the art of movement, mimicking their actions, we become more in tuned with nature itself, getting our bodies back to a more primal state and opening up our inner beast to develop the real strength and power of the species that came before us. We are bringing forth more of the respect, the natural laws and giving feedback to what makes us animals ourselves.