Isometrics & The Legendary Charles Atlas

In the world of Physical Culture, Isometrics and the name Charles Atlas are synonymous but it's not in the same context some people have been led to believe. For decades, for the most part in a funny sense, it was believed that Atlas and Isometric Exercise was part of the same system. Many "experts" and "gurus" alike thought that Dynamic Tension was based on exercises using Isometrics. In truth, it really wasn't and if anybody says different, never understood what Isometrics and Atlas' system really was used for.

There's no denying that Charles Atlas (who's real name was Angelo Siciliano) was one of the most famous men in the history of modern exercise and an advocate for the method of Isometrics. He was a 2 time winner of The Most Perfectly Developed Man award and that contest ended after his two reigns because it was believed he would win every year almost like the Mr. America contest when John Grimek won it twice but the only difference was the contest continued but only a person can win it one time and never participate again. Atlas was a name planted in the brains of many american boys at the time and was a hero to those kids who were skinny during the 30's.

The ads that everyone including many today remember were featured in the back of popular comic books, featuring a young man that was very skinny and bullied, getting sand kicked in his face by a strong and muscular jackass prick. Being embarrassed and ridiculed in front of gorgeous young women, the kid who was named Mac, vowed to never feel like that again. He orders the Charles Atlas course and builds himself up into this superhero looking specimen using only a few chairs and his own bodyweight. The next time Mac goes to the beach, he sees that same jerk giving another boy a hard time and pops him one square in the jaw. With that act of heroism and along with his muscular physique, he got swarmed by pretty girls just going gaga over him.

It's a kick ass tale that truly belonged in a Superhero Story yet it was very true. That really did happen to the young Angelo before he became the man we all know as Charles Atlas. Now why would anyone believe that Dynamic Tension & Isometrics went together hand in hand?

What got most people to believe was the word Tension in the name of the course. Atlas believed in tightening the muscles like we do with Isometrics. The biggest difference is that he applied movement while tensing the muscles so with a name like Dynamic Tension actually means Moving With Tension. Isometrics in Greek means same-length (Iso-Metric) so say you do a Bicep Curl, you're using so much force but you're not moving the muscle as oppose to the word Isotonic which means same-tone (Iso-Tonic) meaning as you use force or tension, you move the muscle in a powerful fashion. Isotonic Exercise is what Charles Atlas taught.

It is said that Atlas learned some of the Isometric And Isotonic Exercises from a guy named Alois P. Swoboda who had one of the first Mail Order Fitness Courses but in reality, the exercises mainly came from another Physical Culturist named Bernarr MacFadden who had courses such as Muscular Power & Beauty and Vitally Supreme. To tell you the truth, I tend to go the route of Macfadden since many of the Atlas Exercises showed up in one of Bernarr's books more than 2 decades before Atlas and business partner Charles Roman revolutionized Dynamic Tension. Atlas also used similar exercises from the legendary Fitness Guru and Vaudeville Strongman Earle Liederman.

There you have it guys, the answer about Charles Atlas & Isometrics. Contrary to popular belief, Atlas did use Isometric Exercise but never taught them. The exercises in Dynamic Tension however, can be made into Isometric Exercises. How cool is that to take exercise and use them in a different context that can still be beneficial? 

Can Strength Be Built Using Isometric Exercise?

Many people around the world debate and think about what the best system is for building strength; from my point of view, a solid program should have you train your body from the inside out. In the terms of building real strength and not just looking strong, Isometric Exercise isn't as popular of a method like many of us physical culturists want it to be and our job is to help educate on the reasons why it can possibly build strength and its purpose in not just exercise but for overall health.

Isometrics in a nutshell, builds tremendous strength out of the tendons, ligaments and the nerves out to our muscles. I've done both styles of training that includes isolating the muscles and targeting the muscles in a compound setting of using multiple muscle groups in a given exercise. Don't neglect the internal principles that could actually bring greater stability to your body within and outwardly.

Frankly I have found that I've gotten stronger both within a short and long-term stand point than with just about an other method I've practiced. Performing styles of Isometrics doing short but crazy intense periods and long holds using less intensity to target the muscles and the surrounding areas for a different effect. Using a program like 7 Seconds To A Perfect Body utilizes the way you maximize the intensity of a contraction for 7-12 seconds. This will give your body a mighty chance of developing strength.

The tension and the intensity of a contraction are the deciding factors that produce muscle growth. Lifting a weight is the external stimulus that makes the muscles tense or contract because the body sees the weight as heavy and recruits many fibers of the muscle to move the weight. Now the more difficult of the weight lifted, the more the fatigue builds up. Isometrics forces you to maximize the level of contraction off the bat and making those muscle fibers fire and fatigue within seconds.

With the combination of Muscle Control and training the large muscle groups, Isometrics lets you get a powerful CNS response that goes into building great endurance along with muscular size. From performing feats of strength such as steel bending, phonebook tearing and rolling a frying pan to helping people move, shoveling snow and even going up flights of stairs, Isometrics have been a blessing and has kept me from being seriously injured in the long run. Make it a part of your regimen and find out the benefits in your health and well being.

If you travel a lot or aren't into doing bodyweight isometrics, check out the WorldFit Iso Trainer.

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The Squat Workout From Hell

I bet you thought this was about doing some crazy weights and doing 20 reps of squats with that weight huh? No no my dear reader; this is about squats you can do anywhere and anytime without any equipment whatsoever. This workout will make you sore yet won't get bored, it changes every time and you can vary the reps or do multiple variations. It'll never, EH EH EH..EVER, make you feel the same way AGAIN (if you're a fan of Chris Jericho, you'll catch that reference).

Squats are THE exercise to build enormous stamina, functional strength and insane conditioning in the legs. You can do them in a variety of ways and at various tempos, repetitions and sets with other exercises. However, when you start to them in high numbers, say over 100, you'll start to notice a few things; your lungs are a little stronger, a bit more pep in your step and even a little more led in your pencil. Leg Training has been a staple for many athletes in all types of sports but one of the very best variations is the Hindu Squat. A foundational exercise in ancient India to build powerful legs for wrestlers that practice the old art of Kushti.

The practice of this exercise comes in different forms but wrestlers of that region plus other middle eastern countries regard it as the ultimate leg exercise. Some wrestlers and other athletes today do it in the hundreds, sometimes 1000 or more. They normally do it at a fast clip and used for speed, conditioning and balance. This is where this workout from hell will come into play.

I've done 500 Squats on many occasions and a couple times 1000 or more. My goal at one time was to see how fast I can do 500 without compromising form and my fastest is under 12 minutes, that's cruising like a motherf*cker man. The first time I did 1000 was in 56 minutes, the next time was 33 minutes on my 33rd Birthday. Although this means with numbers like that you're in pretty good shape but some don't want to have that accolade of being fast and doing that many like an athlete. Some people just want to be in shape and like doing them in sets or like a pyramid set of reps where they can also take a breather every now and then, nothing wrong with that. For someone like me who has a stiff lower back, I don't do the speed demon style anymore, instead I use a workout to do high reps that let's me break away for a bit if I need to and not feel forced to just keep going for the sake of keeping going, I can injure myself that way.

The Squat Workout From Hell would be a good ole fashioned deck of cards where you shuffle, flip a card and have at it until you reached the end. At first, getting through a few cards can be a chore so do what's possible, add 1-3 cards each workout until you can get through a full deck. I do a deck that goes up to 500 altogether and focus solely on the Hindu Squat. I don't time myself but I move as best as I can and if I need a breather to let my back loosen up, I do so but always do my best to finish the deck each time. Here's how you do 500 Reps with a deck of cards.....


2-10 is Face Value

King, Jack, Queen are 10

Aces are 16

Jokers are 50


This workout can be done anywhere and shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to complete. If you were to do them straight through, the idea is 15 minutes or less. I used this workout before going on a hike with my dad last week and it paid off big time. I don't hike all that much so this kept me in great shape for it. You can do it in your hotel room, at a park, on the beach, in the parking lot before going into a restaurant or a grocery store (just be sure to have a towel on hand, might look weird if you're sweating in the middle of an aisle or eating a meal) or you can do it before a sporting event. This is the effectiveness of this workout and it always changes, you can do high reps multiple ways.

Be sure to do loosen up the joints and gradually build up the numbers, you don't want to do 500 off the bat and cold cause it can have some effects that may not feel good. You will be sore the first time around so be sure to recover well and be consistent, in time it'll feel like a cake walk. This is a great way to get in awesome shape and build incredible lung power.

A Fun Trip For A Fun Birthday To My Dad

I don't get to spend much time with my dad these days and for obvious reasons. For a few days last week, I got to celebrate his 70th Birthday and have a wonderful time with my family in Santa Cruz, California. Got some great one on one time with him and having fun conversations about life, sports, what I've been up to and going on a beautiful hike with him on the trails in this mountain area called Medicine Buddha.

Thursday was mainly just getting over the flight down to San Francisco and head back home in Capitola. Nice dinner, catching up and having a few laughs. Friday had a few activities going on including the Hike, even though earlier that morning was doing 500 Hindu Squats to keep my knees in shape for the Hike itself lol. Spent some time with my 98 year old Grandmother and visited/spent the night at my best friend's house with his girl and son. Lots of laughs, a couple movies, dinner and making his girl regret having 2 35+ year olds acting like teenagers in the house.

Saturday was the big day, gathered up most of the family for a photoshoot out in the beautiful california sun along the beach. Headed back to the house for a ton of food and cramming 20+ people in his condo. Caught up with as many people as I can and making rounds, talking to a few of the kids and playing with them a bit. No cake this year but their friend Lisa made this awesome Cobbler that was pretty damn good. Gave my dad a really awesome birthday present of a baseball jersey of his childhood hero Willie Mays (#24) with my dad's last name on it. The moment he saw it, he got a little emotional and went off to change into it, it was a proud moment as a son to do that for him.

Sunday morning I had to leave and head back home. Missing my wife like crazy and was ready to be back home and resume the life man. Next time we see them will highly likely be on our annual family trip to (South) Lake Tahoe and soak up some sun, swim in the lake, do a little gambling and have a good ole fashion family adventure.

Spend some time with the people you love and soak every moment you can, you never know when you'll have those moments again. Cannot wait for what's in stored for the next episode of the family that puts the FUN in DysFUNctional.

The Things That Make You Laugh And Yet Pity Someone At The Same Time

It's come to my understanding that no matter how hard you try at times, you just can't please everyone and what's really the point of doing so? If they're important to you, it may be worth it but in the end, if they're just a bunch of dumbasses talking high school bullshit, they're going to give you shit no matter what you do. You know those mean tweets celebs read on those late night talk shows? I get that type of feeling from certain people that have literally gone out of their way to not only try to discourage me and burn the hell out of what I do and what gives me purpose but also say things that just makes you either want to punch them in the face or cripple them.


"Boybenny is the lowest two faced worm going......he is a true c*nt"

"Benny is a pitiful weak piece of shit. Never trust a guy who pities himself publicly."

"Benny on the other hand, comes in clumsily with all the finesse of the hammers he uses on those tires."

These were said recently on a forum literally dedicated to bashing anyone associated with John Peterson and his Charles Atlas-esqe Training style. I have written about these guys before but these recent comments directed at me are just toppings on a shit cake that they decided to put their energy and life into. First, it did bug me because, quite frankly, no matter how much you put yourself out there, nobody still won't understand the real you until you've been around them. Now, it's just so damn laughable and cowardice that it just makes me feel sorry or them.

It really is fascinating to me that I have that kind of power to make people really irritated and actually form words that would make a highly patient therapist to tell them to shut the hell up. Such a train wreck for those poor unfortunate souls (you heard that in your head listening to Ursula's voice from the Little Mermaid didn't you?) to live a life where you feel the need to belittle and trash someone other than your own group of circle jerks to not only feel good about your miserable lives but actually get off on being a negative prick. I'll admit, I'm not perfect and like a human being things do get sensitive but you move on and live with things that also make you happy and feel worthy in this world.

If you want to check out these poor bastards, by all means lurk around; calling themselves "Aging Macho Men", what you'll find is nothing more than a bunch of "Grown" Men posting about a group of people who are into fitness and trying to find their place in it, even if it's odd and and creepy at times. I take a look every now and then mainly for the entertainment and for someone like me, it's like looking at a car wreck, you don't want to look but it feels like a tractor beam lures you in and you look anyway.

In part, I have really nothing against these "Men" cause for one, they have a right to voice their opinions and make their own conclusions and two, no matter what I do or say, they'll come up with their own version of what they think I' am and stick with it. Anybody who truly knows me knows what kind of person I really am and show it with complete transparency. They don't have even 5% of a clue of who I really am. That one comment about my hammer and the tires, I would love to see a video of them handling a hammer that weighs nearly 60 lbs. I welcome it, i'll give them a positive review about it. And as far as trusting me, there are plenty of people around me that trust me without question so whatever these Gargoyles believe, they hate themselves more because if they want to bash and put a dark cloud over someone else, that's more to say about them than the person their trashing.

The internet is chalk full of those who would rather be miserable and make others feel miserable. Live the best life you can and create positive attitudes, I struggle to do this everyday so you're not alone and I really hope these guys find peace otherwise they're never going to change and they'll keep being miserable people with no chance of developing any real love. One day, I will wake up and not have a thought about them but until then, I really hope they find a different path and do things they're truly capable of doing.

The Game That Makes You Work And Play At The Same Time

Having a fun and exciting workout gives off great energy whether you're a kid or an adult. Working towards certain aspects of training is what keeps you disciplined and full of wonders of what you can accomplish. With all the various exercises and doing hundreds to thousands of repetitions in many workouts, taking on the form of an animal is at the top of my list of having an exciting workout.

I've come to accept that I most likely have ADD and with the way I observe things like thinking back to certain workouts and picturing what I was feeling and how I started really taking a look at my attention span during a workout, it's becoming more and more clear that doing certain workouts will only carry so much attention and I naturally move on to something else. It's not the exercises don't work, I just have a lot of trouble staying consistent with certain things. Hence where moving like an animal gives me what I need to get done in a workout.

The animal dice game that I've raved about a number of times, targets the reality of paying attention to detail both physically and mentally compared to other forms of exercise I've done. With regular calisthenics and doing weighted exercises, the biggest details is technique and repetition and once you get the reps going, there's not a whole lot of thinking to do at least imo; when you do animal movements, it goes beyond repetitions and forming technique, it's paying attention to every movement you do and forcing your whole body to work in unison through crawling, jumping, balancing and more throughout awkward directions.

The order in the ADG is never the same twice and forces you to continually adapt where with other exercises, you create an order and stick to that order throughout the workout and you know what's coming. When I know what's coming, I tend to lose attention more often and yes I have done circuits and things of that nature where you repeat the exercises over and over but after a while, it becomes tedious and you know what is coming. You can never know what's coming and that's what makes the ADG so successful for me because I have to keep working my brain and be prepared no matter what comes up.

Although it's a game, it makes you work hard without feeling like you're working hard. I've gone nearly an hour and a half  doing this workout and I still didn't feel bored or even that fatigued, it's a continuation of sustaining energy and keeping a solid level of conditioned strength. It can be worked in different ways; as a warm-up, as a workout in and of itself, it can be done with a partner for racing or tagging, it can done whether you're a beginner or advanced and you can vary the numbers of repetitions/steps you can do by doing the numbers by themselves or doubled or higher and you can have either small space or a big one. You can do it indoors or outdoors and with some exercises, you can be stationary.

How long does a workout have to be to get results? A good start would be 5 minutes but once you get the hang of it, the sky's the limit; like I said, I once did nearly 90 minutes of this game and I rarely ever go that long in any workout and depending on my mood and where my mind is at, I'll go sometimes for no more than a half hour or 10 minutes. Master the movements and keep improving. I've done this workout to get me to calm down from being so hyper, done to help raise my endorphins from having a rough day and even did it just to wear down me and my wife's niece so she can get some energy out.

The only item you need for this workout really is a dice piece and it can have any number on it and you can pick the exercises you want. You can make a list of animals for each number and if you remember those animals after doing it so many times, the list isn't needed and you can go all over the place. You can do them backwards, forwards, sideways, one legged, fast or slow, used as isometrics or whatever you want to do. There is no limit to what you can come up with for this game.

Have fun and get in kick ass animal shape.


Animal Workouts Book (Kindle Version)

Animal Workouts DVD (Streaming Video)

There's an option you can buy both the Book & DVD together. (:

Slowly Getting Back To Being An Animal Mover

For some time, I was throwing myself into a series of workouts that had me doing circuits, step ups, ab wheel rollouts, card workouts, 500 Hindu Squats and other things. The step ups are great to do from time to time and although I've done them literally in the thousands now, it's time to step back and go back to my roots of animal movement.

In the animal workouts I've done recently which were of the Animal Dice Game, going for 20-30 minutes at a time, it just felt right and feels so awesome to be back in that element. It's a change of pace of not needing to be stationary and have the freedom to move about which is what I missed. Don't get me wrong, the workouts with the cards and the circuits are incredible and it gives you an interesting concept to train hard while learning to make it exciting, but I was getting burned out and at times my mind would just not be there when I did my deck of cards workouts and have to stop smack in the middle even though I've done full decks several times.

Moving like a wild animal is my favorite form of expression and physicality when it comes to exercise. Moving in awkward positions, jumping, crawling and setting a pace where I'm working hard but can still go for an extended period of time. Done thousands of squats and thousands of step ups, I feel my legs could use a little break from them and just have fun moving around. I love doing duck walks again and getting that stretch for my knees. As you may have read in the past, my knees need maintenance every now and then since I had issues with them since I was 10 years old, my right knee in particular.

This won't be an everyday thing or it will I haven't decided yet. I'm going to go by what is right with me and what my mind and body want to do. I'm not a routine guy and i'm not going to force myself into a workout that doesn't feel right at the time but I will do a workout that gives me a reason to be excited to do. It's not easy by any stretch to exercise every single day but if you can find a little something to do even for 5 minutes, it'll be worth it. For me, no exercise for a day is a death sentence and unless i'm in a coma or I can't move my body other than my eyes, I'm doing something.

Slowly getting back into my element of animal movements is my thing at the moment and I can't wait for what's in stored.


Animal Workouts Book

Animal Workouts DVD

(Buy Them Together For Under $50)

The Other Side Of Goal Setting That Nobody Wants To Talk About

Everybody has goals whether we admit them or not. It's good to have goals whether it's losing weight, building muscle, getting on a sports team, making a starting roster, lifting certain weight, developing a business and so on. We read these self-help books and learning how to set goals and what we should strive to do or try to be in a particular point in time.

I have made many goals in my life, I've failed at many of them too and for some of us, we see more of the losses than the wins. If we focused on the wins, we want to keep that streak while some remain the same or use the same strategy or do something different to remain fresh but with something to look forward to. We are taught that if you set a goal, you're going to achieve something beyond yourself or learned that if we set goals but don't achieve them, we are failures and weaklings because we couldn't make something happen.

We are a country that strives to be the very best at just about everything but the truth is, we have failed more times than we care to admit and we never speak of it cause we don't want to lose face in front of people. There are certain goals in life we will never achieve, not because its within reach, but because it is unrealistic and not meant for everyone. Not every tall person will become an NBA Player, not every MMA Fighter will win a world title and not every businessman will be CEO.

I'm not saying every person who plays basketball shouldn't strive to be an NBA Player, not saying an MMA Fighter shouldn't have a goal to be World Champion and I never said a businessman shouldn't have the opportunity to climb the ladder in his company. It's the little goals that tend to make more of an impact than the little ones. Think about it this way, in math, you just don't start out in Calculus; you start with baby steps and take little leaps to rise up in that particular subject. Some people are slower getting there, some will be faster and some will stop at a certain level that their brain capacity can take them. They still achieved a level in math and use it in their daily lives or in some capacity.

When you set a goal, learn the baby steps to get there. Some goals take years to achieve, some even in days or weeks, all in all, get the most out of it and obtain the knowledge from it. Some have failed to the point that they don't see a reason to set a goal anymore and that's not right. We all should strive to reach certain goals that make us proud and bask in the gratitude of doing something others thought couldn't happen. The irony is, many people struggle just stay alive. Their goal is to just get through the day and more often than not can be debilitating and rough.

I struggle creating a routine for myself in working out, I barely last 2 weeks at times and I feel like a failure when I lose that drive to make it work. I would force myself sometimes to push on and although I feel good physically, mentally, I feel like crap and often wonder what the hell i'm doing. I've worked out every single day since the beginning of August, 2005 and there were many days where I didn't want to jack shit but I always seem to tell myself "Do something small like for a minute and that's it." Some of my goals were to see if I can be like fellow athletes I admire and learn their training styles. Bob Backlund is one of them and after going through certain workouts, it's important that I tell you that, the man even today is a damn machine and many world class athletes won't be able to keep up with him; he's on a very unique level of conditioning.

I will tell you right now that if you're striving to be exactly like certain people you admire, as noble as it is, you're in for a rude awakening. They got to where they're at because that's what was meant for them to do. Walt Disney was a great man in his own right and made things happen that nobody can come close to achieving and there will never be an equal to him. There will never be another Michael Jordan, there will never be another Dan Severn and certainly there will never be an Abraham Lincoln. Don't go for being the 2nd version of someone, be the 1st version of you and turn that volume up.

Set goals that make you unique to everyone else. We can't duplicate someone else and what's really the point of that anyway? They're great to learn from and it's not a bad thing to be like them but in the end, we are only one person. There's always going to be someone stronger, faster and more driven but you have an opportunity to make things happen nobody else can fathom. You have something inside many don't have and taking that first step to figuring that out is 100000 times more than many won't even attempt.

Create goals that separates you from the rest of the population. You will achieve them in time, won't always get great feedback from it and not everyone will root for you but if you want it bad enough, you'll find a way and remember to take those baby steps, as the old saying goes, a 1000 mile journey starts with a single step.

The Real Purpose Of Fitness

All over the world, you'll find info about what fitness method works in this capacity or that capacity and the truth of the matter is, it goes beyond a method. It has more to do with what is the true purpose and the realist goals in the long run. Most fitness methods out there are pure garbage or just a rehash of what came before. We are led to believe that in order to get results, we have to be somewhere and use this machine, this set of weights, this type of workouts and work our asses off till we throw up.

Some of us treat fitness as a way to prepare for war or at least the apocalypse which in some sense can be good in the way of challenging yourself and developing levels of strength and conditioning at a higher entity beyond the average person but in the end, where is it truly going? There are some strong ass people out there with real world strength, not just lifting a weight. They carry with them a sense of knowledge, wisdom and understanding the true nature of how to apply exercise for the real world.

We do tend to forget that many of the fitness magazines mainly promote conventional methods and push on the fact that certain actors and athletes train specifically for a role or their sport. The average person cannot train like an elite NFL player or MMA Fighter and certainly does not have the capacity to challenge themselves the same way an actor trains for a role. I have fallen into that category a time or 2 so i'm not immune to not see what the fuss is about and take a leap. The facts are, when an actor trains for a role say like in a Superhero film or an action movie, they have to go through specific workouts and meal plans to suit what the film calls for whether it's bulking up or developing muscle tone, they have trainers supervising them and pushing them for that very purpose. If a regular person tried to do that on their own without any prior knowledge or experience, they can very much get hurt and thrown onto a stretcher and have to pay hospital bills.

Personally, I like being my own guinea pig and experimenting with certain methods and mold different ones together and see where they lead. I have had little minor injuries I'll admit but I've never pushed myself to the brink of blacking out or puking up a storm. I don't even see myself training as hard as many pro athletes cause why would I need to? I'm not getting paid millions of dollars to bust my ass for a sport. The closest training I would ever put myself through would be wrestling or MMA and that barely even goes through lol. I have pushed myself hard and some people call me crazy for what I do but I always look at the bigger picture, to be better tomorrow and not focus on comparing myself to others because it doesn't matter if some train harder or less than me, I make it work and learn from experience the best that I can do.

For my purpose in the long run is to stay fit as possible and adjust to what my body CAN handle and what it CANNOT. I still have no idea what my real capabilities are and although I know certain aspects of me has limitations, I keep finding strong points that I use whether its a workout or not. I had no idea at 35 I can do 500 Step Ups & 200 Ab Wheel Rollouts using a deck of cards, I couldn't imagine doing that in my early 20's; I didn't know that I could do 500 Squats and immediately do a circuit for several rounds. I don't do this all the time but I'm not afraid to find out what I'm capable of doing. A lot of people fear what their purpose is because as the cliche goes, Fear Of The Unknown is the main thing and it's the fear of not knowing or understanding.

Everyone has a real purpose in life, some know it, some don't and others just haven't figured it out YET. We all have a path in this world and it doesn't matter how small or big it is, make the most of it and never forget how you got there and where you started. Every pro was once an amateur, every strongman was once weak and many self-made millionaires/billionaires once knew what it was like to be hungry and have ripped clothing. Be fit both in mind and body and continue to improve even down to the smallest fraction because even something that small can lead you forward.

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Meeting Greg "The Hammer" Valentine

This past Saturday along with my Idaho Family (My Wife Holly, Mother In-Law Sophie, Step-Father In-Law, Brother In-Law Jeremy, Holly & Jeremy's Step Sister Faith, and niece JoJo) went to the Lake City Comic Con here in Coeur D' Alene, ID hosted by Lilac City Comic Con Runner Nathan O'Brien. It was a pretty awesome time despite the heavy rain. Got to walk around and check out some cool stuff like comics, toys, collectibles, costumes and tons more.

There were a few celebrities there, all I knew of but only one was bound to get money out of me for an autograph and picture taken with them and that's the legendary wrestler Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. I've studied bits of his career for as long as I've been a fan of pro wrestling (23+ Years) and is one of the guys I wished I could've seen in his prime. Safe to say I was a fan born in the wrong era LOL. The wrestlers I began with growing up were from the Attitude Era such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H & DX. I started learning more about that business through tapes of my favorites and documentaries such as The Unreal Story Of Professional Wrestling. As I got to understand the basic history and terms of pro wrestling, I began to look more to the early days most notably the 70's and the 80's.

Greg was in the thicket of what were the territories and the emergence of the New Golden Age of wrestling when Vince McMahon Jr. took over and dominated that era of television and PPV's. He had won championships in a lot of the territories such as the NWA & WWE most famously. A former tag team partner of Ric Flair, a guy who can go the distance in a Broadway (60 Min. Draw) and was one of the best Heels (bad guys) in the 80's.

Being trained in the Hart Dungeon and learning the ins and outs from his father the late Johnny Valentine, traveled the world and having matches with some of the biggest names ever. One of his most famous matches was a Dog Collar Match with quite possibly the greatest talker in Pro History history "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at Starrcade '83 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Another match that solidified his status as a exceptional performer was against the WWWF Champion Bob Backlund in a 60 min. draw at Madison Square Garden in 1979.

He's the only 2nd or 3rd Pro Wrestler I had the opportunity to meet up close along with Undertaker and former Karl Gotch Student Tom Puckett (RIP) who mainly did promotions in Japan and other MMA organizations that I had personally worked with. Got to ask Greg a few questions about his career and his thoughts on guys like Flair, Stu Hart & Verne Gagne. He did tell me a funny Ric Flair story where even though Flair was famous for his Drinking binges, he hated Weed, so whenever Greg rolled up a joint around flair or smoked around him, Flair would get pissed. Greg was no slouch himself with the drinking but he told me he prefered Beer & Wine but couldn't stand Whisky.

On the thoughts of Stu & Verne, it was quite the contrast where Stu was a nice guy and Verne was just flat out mean, I'm not surprised by this at all and coming from the horse's mouth, it was quite a confirmation. I think Greg wanted to say Verne was a rotten son of a bitch but I believe he held back and didn't want to swear too much around the crowd of people. I had told him at one time in my life, I wanted to see what getting into the business would be like, he just told me never to pursue it cause the rough toll it takes on family. I knew this and plus even at the time I wanted to which was at All Pro Wrestling in Hayward, CA when Rollin Alexander was alive running the promotion, the money just wasn't there.

I think because he didn't want to reveal his true self to fans, he didn't talk very much about his real opinions so his answers were a little vague and predictable but I can understand and didn't ask him any deep details about his career. Plus there are some things he has said in interviews that I don't agree with and personally, it would probably be difficult to be around him but you never know so overall, as a fan it was a pleasure meeting him and he seemed like a nice guy when I talked to him.

That's my Greg "The Hammer" Valentine story and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet him. If you want to see him on DVD, check out Behind Closed Doors: The Greg Valentine DVD and also check out his interview and match clips with the film 350 Days which talks about the drama, tragedy and crazy stories of traveling 350 Days a year in the wrestling business, amazing film. You can also see shoot interviews he's done like this one with THE HANNIBAL TV.

 

You’ll Be PleasANTly Surprised By These Benefits — They Will GuarANTee It

Today we want to tell you about the most powerful micronutrients on the planet...

Polyphenols.

These are some of the healthiest compounds you can put in your body.

Berries, dark chocolate, beans, and vegetables are just a few common sources of polyphenols.

But do you know where you can find the GREATEST source of polyphenols?

Ants.

Yep. I said A-N-T-S.

Many insects are chock full of polyphenols… but ants take the cake. (And they will, literally… if you leave it out too long!)

No, but seriously, studies prove it.

According to the latest research, ants contain the highest levels of TPI (Total Polyphenol Index) of water solvable extracts of edible insects.

Ants also contain a similar FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant potential) to that of fresh orange juice.

All this power is why we’re proud to offer you a potent version of Black Ant Extract. Completely natural and GMO free.

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The polyphenols in this particular Black Ant Extract…

• Contain heaps of ATP for a potent, instant energy boost (making it great for endurance athletes)
• Enhance weight loss by triggering healthy gut bacteria and promoting optimal digestion
• Boosts levels of ‘feel-good’ serotonin for a more chipper mood
• Boosts immunity and resistance to viruses
• Contains 13x more protein than fish or meat to help you pack on lean muscle mass and recover from workouts faster
• Supercharges libido for better sexual performance
• Reduces cravings for high-sugar, processed foods
• Lowers blood sugar levels

Learn more about the amazing benefits of Black Ant Extract here!

The sheer nutrient density of these small insects is insane. And our customers notice this full-body effect as well.

Here’s what a couple of our customers had to say about their experience while taking Black Ant Extract.

Doug –

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!,” that’s all I have to say about Black Ant Powder. The effect is subtle but apparent and immediate. The effect for me is a feeling of general well-being like my body has been given the nutrition that it requires. My assessment of Black Ant is totally anecdotal but all I can say is ‘I can’t wait to take my Black Ant in the morning!’ I was expecting it to taste horrible but to my delight mixing it with Chaga (imagine coffee) it is practically undetectable as far as taste goes and it is ground so fine it mixes quite well. A ‘Five Star’ product which I plan to purchase again!

Note: I have not been remunerated in any way for this review!”

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Do You Do High Reps Or Do You Not Do High Reps? That Is The Question

Debates can be fun but every now and then, they can can become so annoying that it's no longer a debate but who has the bigger dick and only one person is right. The truth is, high rep and low rep workouts both have qualities over the other and one has a person work on a set of goals that are different. Some people prefer high rep exercise while another work low reps for different reasons but in the end, it's about the individual and their goals.

It's even common to do both in the same workout but the big question is, are high reps really necessary? Don't get me wrong, high rep training is phenomenal with the right format but it isn't the cream of the crop of fitness unless you're a blue-collar roughneck with a hard on for high rep workouts. You can be very fit with high rep training but you also can be fit with low/medium rep training. What are you really shooting for?

My favorite forms of high rep training is deck of cards workouts and circuits that total up to some huge numbers in the end. High reps mainly come in the form of doing a certain number of reps in a set such as 100 Push-ups or 50 Reps of a Barbell Squat, both give you exceptional strength one way or another. Another way to do high reps is by doing an exercise in a period of time say doing Step Ups for 20 minutes or doing 5 minutes of Burpees, either one will kick your ass. Low Rep workouts are mainly for building strength or building strength by firing as many muscle fibers with heavy resistance. This can be done by bodyweight or weights it doesn't matter.

Here's another question that comes up quite a bit in fitness, if you're doing high reps, are you just building endurance and no longer dealing with strength? It's a complicated process to answer because you have people on one side saying there's no way you're building strength but on the other end, you are building strength but in a different way. So what does strength have to do with high reps? A lot actually because when it comes to exercise, the more difficult one is and is done for reps, it's actually a form of building strength or Strength Endurance. Say after doing 50 push-ups, are you building strength? Well, once fatigue sets in and you have that final rep, you're using strength to get that last one in. How about making the exercise more difficult? Do One-Arm Push-ups or Arms Extended Push-ups, if you're doing high reps with either one, that is some serious strength and you have incredible control and power. What about fingertips, Handstands or just one finger, where does it end to tell you you're building only strength?

The fact of the matter is, you're working your body hard regardless if it's high reps or low reps, some prefer one or the other and others do both. Neither one is superior to the other yet both can be tough as hell with the way you apply them. Do what gives you the biggest benefit and go with that. Sometimes, you'll switch things up, other times, you'll just stick to it, its neither right or wrong what you do, the endgame is what you want out of them. Make it interesting and make it an adventure. Kill it one way or another.

Bob Backlund's Deck Of Madness

Setting a goal no matter how small or big can make an impact on you no matter how you slice it. I've put myself through deck of cards workouts in a variety of ways from doing just push-ups and squats to 4 exercise decks, animal movements, one exercise deck of doing nothing but Hindu Squats but never in this fashion before. I had set a goal just to see what was possible with doing Step Ups & Ab Wheel Rollouts.

I've talked about the wheel and mentioned the great wrestler Bob Backlund in an article a while back which you can find here.....The Bob Backlund Workout. Going through phases of doing his workout in supersets that range from going for time non stop with certain reps, using them in circuit training and utilizing other exercises as add ons but what would it be like to go through these exercises using a Deck Of Cards? Most deck workouts are mainly bodyweight and getting the most in a quick fashion or just being a little creative but this felt different.

My goal was just to see how far I got in this workout, the first time around, I barely made it through half the deck. These exercises are no joke and can be exhausting. The second time around, I made it through the whole damn thing. I was determined and yes I did take a few breaks but mainly just to regain composure for a few seconds and get my head straight, I'm going to tell you it was difficult and mentally off the wall to pull through. The exercises themselves weren't difficult, it was the ability to keep going and keeping that mindset at the task at hand.

I don't have a clue if Mr. Backlund has ever done this himself although it wouldn't be a surprise to me. The guy is a machine and the energy of someone in their 20's in a 70 year old body. The exercises aren't impressive by any stretch of the imagination but they can be done by a beginner or world class athletes and have quality results and impressive conditioning. To go an hour straight with either one of them non stop is a testament to incredible endurance and crazy functional strength. Physical Conditioning is a goal most should strive for with a mindset of being fit in the long run.

I'll admit, I don't have the greatest attention span to go for an extended period of time when it comes to workouts and not shy of saying that routines don't sit well with me but if I'm determined to figure out and push through without hurting myself, that I have consistently done for years and it's something I'll always love about my training. That workout gave me another perspective of understanding my abilities to challenge the norm and take something so basic and mold it into a crazy idea. I have read and researched many workouts and exercises with the deck of cards but never on just Step Ups and the Ab Wheel.

There were times where I wanted to stop but something kept hounding me to keep going and get past that hump. It was grueling both physically and mentally and sweating like it was niagara falls was part of the proof that when you push hard, your body lets you know what's going on. The funny thing is, I didn't feel sore the next day, I felt it and knew what I put my body through, but didn't wake up aching or crackling all over. I felt great and had an incredible sense of energy. I did however take it "easy" yesterday by going for a long walk and later on did a small workout of step ups and rollouts doing ten rounds supersetting the exercises of 10 step ups and 5 rollouts.

If you want to give this workout a shot, be sure to have experience and knowledge of handling both and not going for world records in speed. Being fast is important but quality movement especially with the wheel is crucial to success in this workout. If you start to get sloppy, stop cause you can hurt yourself and there's no point of pushing through pain that can land you in the hospital. Challenge yourself but also be aware of what you are doing.

Here's the Rep Scheme for this workout.....

2-10 Are Of Face Value or Per Leg 

Face Cards Are 10 Reps Or 10 Per Leg

Aces Are 16 Reps Or 16 Per Leg

Jokers Are 50 Step Ups Or 25 Per Leg

This workout will test your mental toughness, your conditioning, your strength endurance and more. Your Core will get the workout of a lifetime and your legs will feel like jello. This workout isn't about how fast you can go, it's about the ability to keep going and making quality reps each time. It isn't for beginners and it surely isn't going to turn you into Bob Backlund, that title of crazy is already taken but it sure as hell will make you strong long term and give you immense power in ways you didn't know before.

Hey You Guys....Is Your Testosterone Low? Here Is A Game Changer To Help This

Do you often feel sluggish throughout the day? Even after 8-hours of sleep?

Is there a constant, low hum of tension in your body and you can't figure out why?

Carrying a few extra pounds that you can’t seem to lose?

Do you battle low sex drive? And feel like there’s no way to get it back?

If any of these sound familiar, you could be suffering from low Testosterone.

Low T in men has become increasingly more common these days.

Our environment is rife with pollutants and toxins.

Processed junk food is leaving us fat and sick.

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These herbs will help you…

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Unleash more Free Testosterone — Did you know that sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) renders 98% of your Testosterone useless? That’s why Nettle Root is so important. Nettle Root binds to SHBG, allowing more T to coarse through your system so you actually FEEL the benefits.

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How To SUPERCHARGE Your Energy, Endurance & Mental Focus...NATURALLY!

Have you ever taken one of those ‘pre-workout’ supplements or can drinks from the convenience store?

I’m talking about those energy drinks and powders that contain….

A list of ingredients so complicated they can tongue-tie a chemist
More colors and dyes than your average rainbow
Enough caffeine to energize an elephant for 2 weeks
Claims of ONE major health ingredient (but its barely a trace amount of it)
If you’ve tried these before (and most of us have)...

Then you know the experience I’m talking about.

First, you feel a sudden rush of energy, but it only lasts a little while (if you’re lucky).

Then it all goes south in a hurry.

A DEBILITATING crash BLINDSIDES you.

You feel jittery. Your energy levels tank. Your heart may even start to race.

Then you end up feeling worse than before - all cranky and irritable, so the chances
of you actually finishing out your day productively...becomes IMPOSSIBLE.

No bueno.

Look… lifting heavy at the gym is no easy task. It requires heaps of energy and a desire to power through even when you feel like quitting.

Which is why we’re here to tell you about a way to MAXIMIZE your physical and mental work capacity NATURALLY. And without ANY of those NASTY side effects.

Plus SAVE you a ton of money in the process!

My buddies over at Lost Empire Herbs - a small family-owned company out in California has some super high-quality, all-natural, and more importantly...SAFE alternatives to all that junk being marketed to the mainstream crowd.

These guys have been helping people CRUSH their workout goals and reach their health goals for years. One of their owners is even a renowned Strongman himself, with a LONG record of achieving some pretty impressive physical feats. (Logan Christopher)

LEH has a collection of herbs in their ‘Athlete Bundle’ that is nothing short of amazing!

It contains TWO of their most powerful, natural formulas which were exclusively formulated to increase energy, endurance, strength, and mental focus.

Hercules Pre-Workout Formula
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This Athlete Bundle also includes TWO powerful superfoods known to help increase blood flow and recovery.

Beet Juice Powder (organic)
Gynostemma Tea
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The herbs and formulas in this bundle work to…

Provide SURGING energy levels LONG AFTER the workout
Boost circulation for anti-aging benefits & healthier skin, nails, and hair
Ratchet up endurance so you can TEAR THROUGH lifting plateaus
DECIMATE stress to keep you strong during ‘tough’ moments
These are NOT your average pre-workout herbs.

Each of the herbs in this bundle has been quality tested to contain ZERO fillers or additives, which means MORE potent and MORE gains.

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Core Conditioning With An Ab Wheel And Ditching The Sit-Ups And Crunches

Never was big into sit-ups, leg lifts and worst of all crunches. I use to think ab exercises were done doing thousands of reps and isolating the muscles to get the most benefit. If you're a beginner that's one thing but true Core Conditioning is when the abs are strengthened in a unified entity with the rest of the body. Bridging is amazing for core work because it involuntary contracts the abdominals and stretches the spine and obliques but yet there's more fear in bridging which can be learned to overcome. The most simple things can make the greatest of progress.

If I were to do sit-ups, I'd use a one-two punch combo so I don't feel like I'm isolating the muscles but that gets boring. When it comes to Core Strength nowadays, I go for the Ab Wheel or the three types I have: The Standard Ab Wheel, The Ab Carver Pro & (the best of them all) The Power Wheel. Each one works the core in various formats but the endgame is conditioning the muscles for long term strength and helping prevent injuries.

The Standard Ab Wheel has been around for decades and is a staple for many athletes that can train their core wherever and whenever. The biggest advocate in my mind when it comes to this device is Bob Backlund without a doubt. A former champion pro wrestler that many arguably say is one of the most conditioned men on the planet and for good reason. This device was one of his foundations for developing into a machine that rarely if ever got tired. Doing hundreds upon hundreds of reps and during his career, would do this for over an hour. It's a simple roll out yet a lot of muscles involved in order to be effective because if you get sloppy, you can hurt yourself.

The Ab Carver Pro is a fairly recent device that was brought out by the people that made the Perfect Push-up products. This has a wider base so you can work more of the muscles along your core including the obliques as you can move to the left and right as well. The handles have a better stance to grip and work your arms as well. It does take some getting use to as it has a steel spring that provides resistance and requires solid smooth motion and control. With a solid nutrition plan and workout regimen, you can shrink your gut and develop stronger abs, not just looking strong, you'll be strong.

The Power Wheel all in all is the ultimate out of the three devices because not only more exercises can be executed, but you have the opportunity to do both upper body and lower body training modalities. Invented by Lifeline Fitness' Jon Hinds, he's taken the wheel to another level and revolutionized the way Core Strength & Conditioning is done. You can do Push-ups, Leg Pull-Ins, Rollouts, Walk On Your Hands, Combos and others, think how strong your Core can be in a matter of minutes a day and getting benefits beyond the standard Rollout.

Get the most out of your Core Training and forget doing Hundreds upon Hundreds of Sit-Ups because in order to effectively train your center that way, you'll have to go to harder exercises and find some form of resistance. With Rollouts and other exercises with the wheels, it'll cut your time down big time and make you work the muscles more efficiently and get them stronger from all sorts of angles without isolating them. Get strong and get conditioned with real Core Training.

Hindu Squats Progression Using A Deck Of Cards

In my research, I come across many different ways to use progressions when it comes to a specific exercise, sets and reps schemes and ideas for workouts to keep things interesting. I've recently gotten back into doing Hindu Squats and doing 500 Reps at a time and found a cool way to do the 500 rep workout. Now in the past doing 500-1000 Reps in the Hindu Squats wasn't much of a challenge for me as I could blast through rep after rep with little to no rest doing 500 in under 13 minutes and doing 1000 in 33 minutes wasn't the biggest deal to me but I did have a slight injury to my lower back a couple years ago and it's been going going on and off since.

I felt the need to do 500 Squats again because my mind was there and just wanted to see how I can do them again. Granted, I' am being more careful these days not to hurt myself and do what's possible without aggravating anything. I found a post that had an article written by the late Catch Wrestler Billy Robinson years ago about using the deck of cards to do 500 Hindu Squats. This sounded like a cool idea so I went for it and made it work for me. Whenever I needed to break from the cards for a bit, I'd do so? Not because I was out of breath or my legs couldn't take it, but to keep my back from straining and keep the tension at bay because I've had spasms and they're not fun.

This progression has worked very well with me and as I got better and the soreness is slowly fading, I'm resting less and less and naturally letting my back get stronger without feeling any pain. It's coming along and not guaranteeing anything, let's see how long I can go with this. I'm not a pro athlete or a wrestler so I'm not worried about how good of shape I need to be in, I'm already in shape and doing what works for me. If I need to back off a bit, I do so, if I need a day to do something else, I'll do it. Do what's possible for you and make the most of it, progressing at your pace and being in top shape for you, not anyone else.

Here's how the progression goes with doing 500 Hindu Squats. Take your time with this and if you can't do the full deck right away, don't worry about it. Your body will get acclimated naturally but yet at the same time, it's never the same workout twice as you you never know which card will pop up and make you work...

2-10 = Face Value

Face Cards = 10 Reps

Aces = 16 Reps

Jokers = 50 Reps

Total that up and it'll come out to 500. Do as many cards as you can in the beginning. 500 Squats in and of themselves is no easy task anyway but don't mistake you can't do them. Rest when needed and as you get better, reduce the rest time until you can go through the deck without needing a break at all. Trust me when I say this, it's better to have the jokers in the beginning than in the middle or even the end cause they will kick your ass and if they happen to be towards the end of the deck, be mindful and get though them.

The benefits are incredible with this kind of workout....Phenomenal cardio, strength in the legs, strengthening the tendons of the knees, great lung builder, stamina, muscular endurance, flexibility and making the muscles work without doing the same set of reps twice in a row. Unlike doing 500 in one set or through a countdown, you're doing 500 differently every time. Have fun with this and get those legs cooking. 

Is This Mushroom The Solution To Modern Day Problems?

Are you struggling to keep up with the pace of modern life?

Do you find yourself worrying a lot? Even if nothing is going wrong.

Do you wish you could chill out and ENJOY the present moment WITHOUT fretting over trivial nonsense?

If so, you’re not alone.

More and more people are struggling with stress in our current world than ever before.

Luckily… there’s an all-natural way to banish this anxiousness.

Even better yet…

You can do it naturally. With no dangerous side effects.

Not sure if you knew, but it’s National Mushroom Month.

Mushrooms are a true gift from nature. And there’s one that actually specializes in BANISHING stress.

More on that in a moment.

First, we want to tell you about a sweet deal.

In honor of this great month, some of our friends are giving you a chance to get ANY of their mushrooms at a hefty discount.

As of right now, EVERY one of their mushrooms are 10% off.

That’s ANY mushroom on their site at 10% off.
Use the promo code: MUSHROOM10.

One of those mushrooms specializes in OBLITERATING stress.

Reishi

Reishi is one of the most sacred herbs in all of Chinese Medicine.

Its chemical compounds relax you while also promoting emotional well being.

If you find yourself worrying a lot, Reishi can be a game-changer for you.

Reishi also…

Boosts immunity to protect you against intruders

Promotes sound sleep

Reduces fatigue

Antioxidants to keep you looking young

Imagine quieting your mind so you can enjoy modern technology WITHOUT the overwhelm?

Imagine keeping your cool no matter what the situation?

How much could your life improve if you could tackle any problem with confidence?

Reishi will help you get there. Guaranteed.

And remember… you can have Reishi or ANY other mushroom at 10% off.

Use the promo code: MUSHROOM10.

Click here to pick up a bag today.

Go Straight To Your Mushroom! (*SPECIAL DISCOUNTS*)

It’s that time of year. No… we’re not talking about the fall.

This is WAY better than that.

It’s National Mushroom Month!

Mushrooms are a true gift from nature. They pack MASSIVE immunity, brain, and emotional benefits.

The best part is…

We’re going to show you how to reap those same benefits today. WITHOUT spending a fortune.

OK, let’s get to the deal.

Some of our friends are having a special sale in honor of this great month.

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Use the promo code MUSHROOM10 at checkout.

You can check out all your options here.

Looking for the ultimate immune system tune up?

Try their unique formula — Mushroom Alchemy.

This rare tincture contains seven mushrooms. All of which work to SUPERCHARGE your bodies defense system.

These include…

Reishi — A destroyer of stress. The compounds in Reishi help you relax even in your toughest moments. It also promotes sound sleep for optimal recovery.

Turkey Tail — Rich in Krestin and Peptide. These beta-glucans regenerate natural killer T cells for more firepower against intruders.

Shiitake — A superfood that’s abundant in Eritadenine, a chemical that suppresses lipids to lower cholesterol. It also detoxifies the liver to promote optimal immunity.

Chaga — A remarkable beauty mushroom. Chaga is rich in melanin for glowing skin, hair and nails.

Lion’s Mane — Known as the ‘Brain Mushroom.’ Lion’s Mane triggers Nerve Growth Factor to enhance memory and learning. It also repairs neurons to help recovery from head trauma.

Artist’s Conk — The cousin of Reishi. Artist’s Conk supports the respiratory system, a rare feat for a mushroom.

Maitake — Contains compound SX-fraction which helps regulate blood sugar, cholesterol, and excess fat.

All these Mushrooms provide a full-frontal assault on toxins in your system.

And remember…

You can get Mushroom Alchemy or ANY mushroom at 10% off today.

Use the promo code: MUSHROOM10 at checkout.

Click here to save a bundle AND your immunity today.

Here’s what some of their customers are saying about Mushroom Alchemy Tincture…

Kahroline di Passero –

“I love this Mushroom Alchemy Tincture! From the first day it began working (this after almost a year taking an inferior mushroom blend from some other company). It’s been a couple months now, and I feel as though I couldn’t get sick even if I wanted to! My skin feels more taut and clearer as well!”

Aloixa –

“I was taking mushroom supplements from another company, and over the past year, the results were barely registering. After taking Mushroom Alchemy for only a couple days, the results were amazing!! I’m bright and awake without caffeine, my skin is radiant and strong — like I’ve gained years of youth back! It’s my new must-have supplement!”

Click here to learn more about Mushroom Alchemy.

A Deck Of Cards Workout For The Wild Ones

Boredom can often happen in your fitness journey, so it's time for a change and get the most out of your workout without going through the same exercises in a row. When you get the opportunity to create a variety of workouts that are challenging but have a fun theme to it, it could amplify your results and get you fit in a very short amount of time.

I love training using a deck of cards, one of my favorites years ago was doing Matt Furey's Exercise Bible where you take 4 of his Combat Conditioning exercises and go through the deck using variations that best suit you. Usually it took up to 45 minutes for me to complete it even at a good clip and did it quite often. It's tough and can take down even a world class athlete but there are other variations of a deck of cards workout that you can do; Push-ups & Squats, adding pull ups and burpees, Jumping Jacks & Mountain Climbers ect. Choose from 2-4 exercises that give you a whirl. If it's too much for you in the beginning, start with as many cards as you can and build up to a full deck.

What really cooks me the most and keeps me interested is doing the deck using Animal Movements. Within 20-30 minutes I'm just ready to die yet feel amazing at the same time. I take 4 Animal Movements and go from there using 2 Upper & 2 Lower Body Exercises and work my ass off until that deck is completed. My fastest time in one workout was just over 18 minutes.

Most make the mistake of thinking Animal Moves is just a warm up or for kids when in fact, it takes the concept of world class conditioning and enduring strength that keeps you fit without needing any special equipment. This can have a profound effect on MMA Fighters, Amateur/Pro Wrestlers, Football Players, Hockey Players, Soccer Players and many other sports. This kind of workout develops the upper body in a sense where when you're in continuation of using Crawling movements, you're getting the idea of moving as if your arms were legs. Imagine the long term strength you can have from doing this.

It doesn't take very long and will get you breathing hard fast which can help burn calories even after the workout. When you work the legs, it not only conditions them but also gives you explosive strength, flexibility, agility and strengthens the joints without being high impact. Also builds lung power for those long stretches into a match or a game that gives you an advantage over your opponent by having you tire them out. In sports, being in condition is your greatest asset as you have just that amount left in the tank that really determines a win or a loss.

Many athletes have used the deck as a foundational workout such as Ray Lewis from the Baltimore Ravens, 16 time World Champion Ric Flair, Military Men & Women and others. It's fun, its fast and great for people of all ages. Kids can get a kick out of it and won't see it as a workout but as a game. Can be used in Boot Camps, conditioning in your Martial Arts Classes, Groups, One on One and see who finishes first, Training Camps or at a park & hotel room. Get the most out of it and have fun with it.

Time's Up Ladies And Gents....End Of Summer Sale Ends At Midnight

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