The Cult In Physical Culture

Ever since the world was introduced to Pumping Iron, fitness became a phenomenon much larger than ever before. Long before that film turned people on going to the gym, fitness was more geared towards bodybuilders that had more of a closed circuit with a following and mail-order courses were the norm with the most famous being Charles Atlas' Dynamic Tension. There were gyms around the country but nowhere near the quantity it is today.

If you wanted to get fit, you either learned by word of mouth where to find a gym or you found a course in various ads throughout countless magazines and you learned the ins and outs of lifting weights or doing calisthenics in school or through sports training. Gym training for all intents and purposes was geared towards bodybuilding, Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Some sports training. There was a time when sports coaches banned their athletes from lifting weights because they thought they had slowed them down. It turns out that wasn't always the case. 

Back to what this topic is really about. As far back as anyone that ever wrote anything on fitness, somehow, there would be some kind of following. An extreme variation of this is some authors would make claims and instead of trying to help people get fit, it would be more like a snake-oil salesman and put ideas in people's heads that they're method is the very best and nothing else will give you what that method gave. It's marketing and prying on a demographic, that's all it really was and not all courses were that bad and had great success along with people who lived their lives for the better.

When fitness goes to the level of becoming more like a cult in some circles, that's where certain tend to become sketchy. Dynamic Tension was overall very successful and promoted great ideas for fitness, nutrition and what a boy can learn to become more of a man, it worked. The pros did outweigh more than the cons but it's not a course to turn someone superhuman and like a bible thumper, many people thought of it as such. When you treat a course beyond what it is and not think for yourself, you can get caught in a trap.

Here's another example, Alois P. Swoboda's course on Conscience Evolution & Fitness Course. Back before there was Maxick, Charles Atlas and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Swoboda developed a course for exercises purely as a means for living a healthy life without needing weights or other apparatus and focused solely on tension exercises and various calisthenics. Some of the claims he made up were way out there and for all intents and purposes, he was a quack and hard to tell what was truly believable. The people he said that did his course was a list of politicians, lumberjacks, athletes and even Harry Houdini and Charles Atlas which I'll admit is reaching it. He was what you would call a cult leader and claimed nothing came close and his method was the end-all be all. Even at the point where he claimed limbs would grown back, talk about messed up.

This was the norm for many physical culturists back in the day and quite a few were far more famous than others because look at the times back then; there was no internet, no cell phones, no way to truly prove what the best was and many claims never seemed to be real to believe yet many flocked and never had a second thought. It's scary sometimes how people are more like sheep than human.

Many of these courses worked and people changed their lives for the better, some weren't always so lucky and no matter how much they followed it to the T, they either got hurt or didn't understand what they were doing and just went with it without thinking for themselves. Like a typical cult, you want to believe everything a leader tells you, you become one-dimensional and you no longer focus on your individuality, you want to escape to something and if there's any hint of realistic approaches, it becomes painful to bare. Other Physical Culturists or those that claimed to be, pried on people's emotions and self doubt asking them general questions but coming at them with an iron fist while they put a smile on as they do it.

My friend John Peterson is another example of a Physical Culturist that has been known to go off the deep end a time or two and not realize he is drowning. His heart is in the right place and I've learned a lot from him, some good and some pretty damn bad. He does get a bad rap about what he does or claims but without question, he is a fanatic about exercise especially on refurbishing Dynamic Tension in 21st Century Society. His style of training changes quite often, he'll talk about high volume calisthenics one day, weight vest training the next or recently on Isometrics. He has had a bad few years and won't go into detail what those really were and some he has talked to me about were extremely dark but he has delayed his "latest" course so many times, the number is more than the books I've read over my lifetime. I loved his work on Pushing Yourself To Power and has one of the best books on Isometrics out there (even though it's a carbon copy of 7 Seconds To A Perfect Body) but his followers treated it as a one dimensional thing and acted like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, bullshit, they were stuck in their own head and barely had a good physique to show for it.

Fitness courses in a nutshell, are nothing more than suggestions and ideas that doesn't really have anything new and takes bits and pieces of past courses and molded into a method or series of methods that reflect today's society. Don't misunderstand me, I love promoting various people and I love their work and had the pleasure of experiencing the very best but no single course that has ever been written is the GOAT. You can take the very best of what you learned and mold it to your individual goals or ideas that suit your needs. To be the very fittest you can be, you can't rely on one method unless it is all you can do and your body has extreme limitations, stick to the basics, find what suits you and what interests you. Not everybody is going to do crossfit or strongman and not everyone is going to get fit through MMA style conditioning, it's just not going to happen. Pick what interests you the most and adjust your goals to get the most out of your fitness.

Follow your own path, not strictly from a fitness manual.

Stationary Movements Have Become More Boring Than Result Producing

When I do have the chance to do calisthenics or work with cables or a wheel, I only do enough to where I feel good and I'm not stressing over things but lately around 90% of the time, my mindset is not in that mode of doing calisthenics anymore. Most who are into bodyweight training, get into that mindset and have a better will to improve on them. For me, regardless of the workout, I get bored really fast and not because i'm out of shape or anything, I've done hundreds of push-ups, thousands of squats, tons of sit-ups, step-ups, pull ups and others and quite frankly, it doesn't feel appealing to me anymore.

People who throw certain calisthenics or stationary movements down your throat and say they're the best of all fitness isn't true in the overall general sense. Bodyweight exercises do work, there's no question about it and can produce off the chain results if you do them right, but if your mind and body aren't there, no matter how good you can do them, won't bring the results you truly crave. As far as i'm concerned, if you're in one spot for an entire workout, you might as well as be in prison. That's what it feels like most of the time these days. I love to move around, feel free and go wherever I please, you can't really do that with typical calisthenics.

This is merely my observation for myself, as an individual, it is critical to understand what you want out of your workouts, stock up as much knowledge as you can and practice what suits you the best. As for everyone else, feel free to explore whatever brings you the best out of yourself. The only stationary exercises that keep me interested is Isometrics and maybe my Ropeless Jump Rope.

I use to love doing push-ups, squats and various circuits of bodyweight exercises and every once in a blue moon, if I have an itch I do them but Animal Movements to me are the GOAT when it comes to exercise period. I may not do 100 Push-ups in a row and I'm not going to do 500 Squats everyday but get me in a bear crawl or move around like an ape and you will no one happier than me. My mood is day and night when it comes to animals and calisthenics.

I'm nearing 15 years of doing exercise every single day and that's a long ass time for most people and changes have been made, things go away, some come back, others are a new experience but the most consistent form of conditioning and fitness for me has been Animal Movements. Literally 10's of thousands of animal reps/steps and I never grow bored from it, I can't say the same with other bodyweight exercises. At 35, I've experienced so much in the world of Physical Culture and when it comes to fitness over my whole life, I've been doing it for nearly 22 years. I'm still no expert on anything but I feel blessed with the knowledge I have accumulated and learned what works and what doesn't.

This isn't about trashing calisthenics or saying they're useless because they're not and should be practiced with intent and understanding how they work and experiencing some tough workouts from them but their place isn't 100% with me anymore like they use to be. They're a phase and they'll come and go. Continue to learn and develop your own evolution in your fitness journey because we are all unique and not looked at needing to be the same or worship a method like it's a cult. You have your own journey, with your knowledge, you can create anything you set your mind to. If your heart is into something, go after it with passion and fire in your soul, if you don't have the heart for it, don't do it cause it'll just bring heartache.

Isometric Straps

We're always discovering something in the fitness world and some of it is downright laughable but there are others that are worth value beyond the dollar. Although Isometrics has been around for centuries and the most convenient form of Isometrics is through resisting limb against limb, it's good to find things that target other areas of the muscle and build tendon strength from angles Bodyweight won't apply.

The only strap I use is John Peterson's Isometric Power Belt and it has worked great for me but I would also experiment with other forms of Isometric Equipment when the time comes. Say for example the WorldFit Iso Trainer would be another awesome option and would be cheaper for most people to buy. They're both travel friendly, you can adjust to do various exercises and can help you achieve incredible strength. 

When it comes to equipment, very few can have both dynamic and isometric components and the Hook from Bruce Tackett is one of those ingenious pieces of equipment. The Hook can be used in a variety of ways that is top notch and that is the use of Isometrics with a strap or you can use the handles to put bands in and use it for expander training. That's pretty damn cool. Cable Training, Suspension Training & Isometrics can all be used with this thing and one day I will have it in my hands. Virtually no limit to what you can achieve.

Strength Training goes beyond just muscles, it's about training the tendons and ligaments to a different level and having strength that is useful, practical and even lifesaving. Isometrics has exercises you can do at so many freaking angles, it would take a lifetime to figure out them all. Some of the greatest athletes have used Isometrics to their advantage and when it comes to experimentation, guys like Steve Justa, Bud Jeffries, Bruce Lee, Alexander Zass and Dan Gable are the top of a list that extends more than I can mention. 

Steve Justa used Isos to heal his body and strengthen himself in ways that would baffle even the slightest expert on the subject today. Bud Jeffries has worked tirelessly on building strength from every angle in so many aspects it would take an encyclopedia to name every exercise he has experimented on and Isometrics is no exception. Alexander Zass is the Godfather of Isometric Training and has claimed that title for well over 100 years; getting caught 4 times as a POW in WW1 and not only escaping but tearing apart what was meant to shackle him and doing feats of strength an extreme few would ever have the balls to attempt. 

Bruce Lee was one of the biggest names to ever come out of Hollywood and Hong Kong Cinema through his philosophy and background of Martial Arts that people still talk about and practice to this day. He used Isometrics to strengthen a terrible back injury and through his practice of this method, had one of the best physiques for a man his size. His striking was so fast that directors and cameramen had to tell him to slow down because they couldn't see his punches. 

Dan Gable's Pinning Strength was one of the many results with using Isometrics in his quest to dominate the Ameteur Wrestling scene. Even wrestling guys twice his size made them feel they were in quicksand when Gable would have them down on the mat. He would practice Isometrics as often as he could and even broke a desk or two in his classrooms. Although an advocate of high volume calisthenics, weight training and running, his conditioning wasn't complete without Isometric Training. At the '72 Olympics, not one opponent scored a point on him and getting a gold medal was practically in his grasp from the very first round. 

What can you accomplish with Isometric Training? Whether it's with equipment or not, it can be essential and even crucial to your success either in sports, health or everyday living. Train with the best and learn the key elements that make Isometrics work in your favor. 

Rope Skipping Can Be Your Best Friend

Now that the new year is here, it's time to discover other possibilities to make your workouts interesting and keeping up with your ability to keep going. As you know, I'm a fanatic on certain areas of conditioning and learning different styles to test my mental and physical abilities. I know full well I'm not a pro athlete and as a fan of real wrestling like Catch & Folkstyle/Greco-Roman Amateur Wrestling, I can never be in the type of condition those men and women are in, but I can however, learn how to handle my body to stay healthy but challenge the norm of just working out.

Rope Skipping has been a staple for athletes for decades from Combat to Football, Olympic Champions, Soccer Players and Wrestlers; so it's safe to say that it can be very beneficial and sometimes overlooked with the way technology is today. I'm not very coordinated with the typical jump rope, I never really was and couldn't put myself through getting smacked all the time. That's where I went with the Weighted Ropeless Jump Rope (sounds like an oxymoron don't you think?) where it cuts out the smacking and do exercises that a regular jump rope provides.

When I would do workouts like the Animal Dice Game, Deck Of Card Workouts, HIIT or swinging the Indian Clubs or the Mace, I would walk around and breathe deeply as an active recovery, I didn't want to just stand there or sit down, I wanted to keep moving but every now and then, I would feel fatigue set in faster from that and my recovery didn't feel right. I started trying something different which I'm sure many athletes learned either from themselves or by a coach which was to use the rope for the active recovery. During my Animal Workouts, if I felt fatigue set in or to the point where my breathing was hard, I'd back off for a bit, take up the Rope and work my legs with focused breathing until I felt ready again. So this has been successful for me and it keeps my endurance levels going and was able to accomplish, 500, 600, 700 and even 800+ Reps/Steps of a workout still feeling energized and not fatigued.

Even if you use a regular jump rope or speed rope, this can be a hell of a step towards developing some serious physical conditioning. It keeps the calories burning, it strengthens the heart and the lungs and builds real world fitness. Start with a warm up of a couple minutes just to get the blood flowing, do your workout and as you "rest", skip until you feel ready again, keep going and then use it a finisher (optional).

Test this out for yourself and see how you do. You don't have to sprint as you recover, just do enough where you're moving at a moderate pace, pay attention to your breathing and have at it. This can help keep you from being tired and able to keep going with less risk of injury. Some like to sit and rest or walk around and breathe deeply like I was but in order to be in awesome shape, you have to keep moving and give your a body a "break" without actually fully resting. Train until you feel like you've done enough. You can be crazy strong but if you don't last long, it can bite you in the ass later. Be healthy, stay in top condition regardless of your age and have a blast wit what you do.

Last Workouts Of The Year

I envy those who don't have to shovel slush and powdery snow lol. It is quite a workout and today I had to do it twice. Snow shoveling all in all is real world fitness where you are tested in many ways including cardio, conditioned strength, grip, rotation and pulling. This is where I do feel blessed to be in shape and not get tired and have strong tendons along with functional muscle.

Today along with shoveling, just keeping my joints healthy and strengthening my tendons and ligaments with Isometric Exercises using John Peterson's Isometric Belt. If you haven't picked that up, I suggest you do, great piece of equipment and a hell of a traveling companion for strength training on the road. If you prefer a cheaper route for Iso Straps yet still very effective, grab the WorldFit Iso Trainer or Bruce Tackett's Isometric/Suspension Trainer. Either one will build great strength and it can be a hell of a cardio workout if you do it right.

Yesterday I did Joint Loosening, Matt Furey's Neck Chi Kung Workout (which I learned from his Membership Site), 500 Hindu Squats and finished off the night with the Front & Back Bridges for 3 minutes each. Some days, I take it easy and do less intense exercise and others, I see what I can do to push myself. It's a learning process and you pick up on things while listening to your body and being aware of what is worth doing and not getting injured in the process.

I mainly shovel snow to help my wife get out of the driveway so she can go to work and take care of the Berms that block the driveway when the ploughs come. They can be a royal pain in the ass but I like making things a tad easier for my girl and helping out a neighbor doesn't hurt either. Believe it or not, I do like to shovel snow and put on some tunes to let the time pass by. If you do have to shovel snow, it is good to be in shape because you never know how heavy or how much snow you need to get rid of in order to either get to work, an emergency pops up or just for the sake of being safe lol.

I'm grateful that Isometrics, animal movements, bridges and keeping my joints healthy helps me do things without getting injured and be able to keep my body strong so I can be helpful when the time calls for it. I would hate it if I got injured and couldn't help my wife cause then she'd have to get up even earlier to get the snow out and try to get ready for work at the same time. She just got a new position at another Albertson's store that's a 40-50 minute commute and it would suck if she had to do that on her own. I'm so proud of her and being able to move up in her company is an amazing achievement so I make sure she does have the ability to drive off without getting caught in the driveway.

Train with a purpose and be able to help out when you can. Be strong to be helpful and condition your body with long term strength and great cardio that lasts. Happy New Year everyone. Be safe, have fun and welcome to 2020.

Star Wars Slamboree

Conditioning comes in many forms and utilizes different aspects for building lung power, long-term strength and endurance. Some exercises to develop solid conditioning are very useful like certain bodyweight exercises like Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, Punching Sit-Ups, Step Ups, Bear Crawling and others but it's not always easy to stay interested. It takes a lot of discipline to do these things and not just for a sport but to stay in top shape in the long run.

Certain equipment can yield incredible results with being in great condition like Battling Ropes, the Clean & Jerk for reps, airdyne bikes and so on but how far does it go with certain equipment? You can't always take a rope or a kettlebell with you on the road, so you do what's possible with what you have in the moment. In my garage gym, there's plenty to go around to get in a brutal workout but very few can top the Death Star Slam Ball.

Slam Balls are a phenomenal workout tool especially for developing conditioning in an explosive manner. That sudden burst of speed and power and firing up the lungs with great intensity. From time to time, I'll play around with the DSSB and make up little things to get going or use as a finisher. From circuits to finishers, it can kick your ass in ways very few can.

This thing weighs no more than 20 lbs but even that can help turn you into a machine with the right exercises and tempo. Just slamming it alone for 30 seconds will get you winded but what about rotational movements, tossing it over the shoulder or picking it up and pressing it over head? One of my favorite exercises is to toss over the shoulder for as many reps as possible in a certain amount of time. I once did 62 reps in 5 minutes with this exercises and that was a hell of a lung burner.

Unlike a Stormtrooper, don't miss on having the best tools to get you in awesome shape and do so that is fun, tough and full of awesome results. Slam away and obliterate the unwanted fat like the Death Star destroying a planet. It is good to be in shape but it's also fun being a geek/nerd at the same time. It is more common these days to be a part of Fandom and be in awesome shape.

It Is Time For A Fresh Start

The New Year is upon us. Many people starting fresh with goals, resolutions and more. For me, it's not goals or resolutions but creating intentions. I intend to take things one day at a time, build relationships, work with better enthusiasm and keep away from the damn forums lol.

This year has been a hell of a rollercoaster, some great, some awful and others pretty damn amazing. Got married, read a few more books, had many reflections on who I'am supposed to be as opposed to who I WANT to be. Learned a little more about myself and what keeps me happy and developing acceptance. There were a few times I've lost sight of myself and focused so much on what others thought of me instead of what I truly thought of myself.

I will admit, I got caught up way too freaking much of the forums online. My brother in strength, Bud Jeffries advised me so heartedly to stay off of them, my wife did the same thing and I'm ashamed that I didn't listen or even hear enough with the best intentions. I was addicted, getting frustrated with myself and was driving myself crazy almost daily with updates of the latest thread that was putting a mental strain on psyche. It was like a train wreck that I couldn't help but stare at and just felt miserable but in awe at the same time.

I've been called many names on these different places, a couple I've mentioned on this blog and got caught up in engaging and making it seem like I have split personality when in reality, I couldn't see what I was really doing and that was pouring gasoline on the fire in my mind and giving those jerks what they wanted. One forum had a couple people that were cool with me but others intended to call me out and just sucked me into the rabbit hole of "keyboard fighting" and I hated that I put myself in that position. The other was nothing more than a bunch of guys who spend their time calling out someone else and play school girl gossip games of "who can we go after today?"

I have to let that part of me go, one day at a time. I love my friends, my wife, my family and I appreciate the positive feedback I get from time to time. I know I'm putting a target on my back for some and it is time to just accept for what it is, although they're being negative and I've been negative towards them, I do appreciate in some sick and twisted way of what they do because if you don't get the best from both positive and negative points of view, how do you know if you're doing something right?

There's always going to be some troll or some group that will criticize everything you do and make up their own assumptions without knowing a damn thing about you on the deepest level. I pity them and I hope they find peace someday. Anyone who has truly been around me for an extended period of time knows who I really am on a deeper level and has accepted me for me. All in all, I can get along with just about anybody young or old and I do my best to treat people the way I want to be treated and I help those I love and care about without hesitation and if I have your back, you know I don't shy away from it.

A fresh start isn't about changing who you are, it's about learning who you become from moving forward and taking things one day at a time, it's a journey and no matter where it leads you, make the most of what you have and love with the best intentions. Those forums aren't meant for me anymore, I have made friends, I've made "keyboard enemies" and I don't regret WALKING away from them. It's time to make 2020, the best year to come.

Taste In Music

I have at times posted on social media what I listened to in my workouts. It's mainly Heavy Metal and Hard Rock from such bands such as Metallica, Van Canto, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, Sirenia, Godsmack and others but the real roots to my love for music was long before these bands ever existed. I had read about Kenny Lynch (Singer of the 60's song Up On The Roof) who died recently and listened to that version of the song and it brought back many memories from my childhood.

As a kid in the 90's, I did listen to bands like Alice In Chains, Sugar Ray & Rappers like Snoop, Dre & Ice Cube but my big love of music at the time was bands from the 50's-70's. My mother exposed me to some of the best from the past like the Beach Boys, Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Temptations, The Drifters, Jan & Dean and the Marcels. Both my parents were teenagers of the 1960's and heard that everywhere but in my generation, it was more of a dying art and very few kids and adults in their 20's at the time barely even knew who these bands were. Just about everywhere my mo took me in her little Honda CRX, I listened to the oldies on CD or on Cassette (For you young kids out there). 

Living in Santa Cruz, CA was purely beach bands of course but one of my favorites that I lost count listening to by the time I was 12 was the Drifters- Under The Boardwalk. It was so fun listening to that on the way to the Beach Boardwalk and as I got older, I would do the Bass Line of the song. I would rock out to CCR even to this day and I always carry a smile on my face even on those hard days.

My family on my dad's side would go to Lake Tahoe every year since the early 70's and for two weeks out of the year, we would be crammed to 1 or 2 cabins (Now 3) and have adventures that would last a lifetime. One of those memories was one day me and my aunt were driving back from somewhere and she would pop on a tape of different bands and the two I remember really on that day was the Marcels- Blue Moon & Moody Blues- Knights In White Satin. It was funny how she described White Satin saying it was about a knight falling in love with a princess, when it was clearly not. 

Whenever I went to any beach, I always heard a Beach Boys song in my head or remembering the lyrics to Jan & Dean's Dead Man's Curve while driving with my mom. It was engraved into me at an early age this was some of the best music of any generation. Although I like some music that's played today, nothing will ever beat the classics and that Doo Wop  style like Blue Moon or hearing the harmony and pick me up tune to My Girl by the Temptations. 

These groups and songs are alive because of the memories we have. Even in the dark days of racism, segregation and Civil Rights acts, there was beautiful and kick ass music. Hell, even the best guitarist of that era was Jimmy Hendrix man, whaling it at Woodstock with the NATIONAL FREAKING ANTHEM (The GOAT of all versions of our American Song). With the emergence of Black Sabbath, CCR, Led Zeppelin, you had a generation that thrived on rebellion and sticking it to the man. Music today even with those my age, it doesn't have the same affect and the will to stand up for something through music. 

In Junior High, I was in the Choir and did shows at schools, an Assisted Living Facility and even performed once or twice at the Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz doing different songs like Downtown by Petula Clark and Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton. My memories of that time was meeting a girl who was in my class and I ended up having my first make out session with and getting to meet Jack O'neill the Surfing Mogul on our bus (I think it was that same weekend lol). Those were definitely fond memories. 

The more I write, the more memories just keep popping up. With a strong memory, music is really a factor in it because whenever a certain song comes on, I get chills and remember certain moments as if they happened 5 minutes ago. It's a part of your soul and brings a certain happiness to your heart and that's what music of that early era is to me. 

It doesn't matter if you're young or old, these groups and sons are Timeless.  

The more I write, it seems the more memories keep popping up  

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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.

Click here to learn more about it.

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!”

Kyle Montgomery —

“I went through my first bag of Black Ant Extract and absolutely love it. I can really feel a difference in my energy right off. My sex drive got a little boost as well which is never a bad thing. I’m wondering if it’s safe to take it along with Tongkat Ali and Pine Pollen. I currently have them as well. Is that safe? Is it overkill? Someone help, please. Great product though… I will be ordering more… depending on if it’s safe to use all three together.”

Tap into the power of polyphenols.

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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.