Enhancing Performance Using Breathing Techniques

"Deep Breathing Exercises alone, if done right, will make many a weak an strong and many a sick man well."- Farmer Burns (Catch Wrestler 1861-1937)

Everyday we take a breath and never really give it a second thought, it's our biggest thing to do in this life because without the breath, we'd be dead. Go weeks at a time a time, days without water but yet only last minutes without breathing, it is something we do take for granted.

When it comes to fitness, there are techniques to not make us perform better but recover better as well. In most mainstream training ideals, the breath is very little talked about and although you can move good weight, can't walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. Even the most conditioned fighters in the world at times can't last 3x5 min rounds in a fight so, what more can you do to keep up the endurance while reserving your strength?

When I was in high school, breathing techniques didn't really exist or weren't really even taught and I can move some weight but I couldn't run if my life depended on it and was always slow and having little to no endurance. Between 18-20 years old, I was in the gym learning on my own different ways to handle weights and did some circuit training but I still had no real stamina and just felt drained a lot of time. My warm-up was just walking to the gym which was about 15-16 minutes but by the time I got there, I felt like crap.

After my injuries and learning the exercises from Combat Conditioning, I started picking up on how to really breathe when I moved and as I got better and my reps were getting higher and higher, my endurance shot through the roof and my strength had a lasting effect, not just temporarily. I had far better cardio and lasting strength than I ever did in my teens and I felt like I can take on the world.

I wanted to learn more on how deep breathing or specific techniques helped increase my endurance and kept up my conditioning. Learned what chest breathing did, intercostal, diaphramic, holding the breath and others so I took what I felt was best and ran with it. Some of the very best techniques I learned were from Garin Bader's CoreForce Energy System and not only gave me a fun way to perform better but be able to do things outside of my workouts I never had before. Learning how to breathe in certain situations and putting mental imagery and sound-making with it made things quite interesting. I moved smoother, protected me from injuries, handle awkward movements and more.

When I was in Jiu Jitsu, I learned the hard way that the breath was more important than using my strength. After many years of training, I was good at breathing but focused more on how to use my strength and it bit me in the ass. I was winded moments after getting on the mat at first and I felt that something had to be done. I started letting my body relax a bit more and ore instead of using tension cause in some methods that was what was taught. Once I relaxed and used some of the CFE Techniques, 5 min rounds didn't feel as difficult, still got my ass kicked but the guys started to see what kind of strength I really possessed and had trouble putting me in some holds and even escaped a choke hold that was really clamped on.

I did some research on the Breath Of Fire and Diaphragmatic Breathing  that the Gracies used to keep themselves in awesome shape throughout a fight and practicing this techniques has opened another door in how I can perform better. It isn't an easy technique to learn but once I got used to it, it made my workouts better. I then started learning techniques from Matt Furey on how to relax even more to move faster without using so much tension if any. I used these techniques recently with the Matt Furey Exercise Bible and even with doubling the squats, I finished the deck in 35 minutes which was the fastest I have ever done with those specific exercises and didn't feel winded or tense.

There are some techniques that just don't work for some people and I have found even after one practice that certain aspects of chest breathing or intercostal breathing just freaking suck. I have found that the better you can relax, the better you can perform in most cases, yes you need tension in some forms of exercise like olympic weightlifting or powerlifting, things of that nature but in performing or moving throughout everyday life, the less you have unnecessary tension, the better you will be.

To learn more on the phenomenal methods of breathing, check out these courses......

Upgrade Your Breath

CoreForce Energy

Introduction to Qigong Exercise for Beginners with Lee Holden

7 Minutes of Magic: Recharge Your Body Each Day with Qi Gong

Getting Fit Like Wonder Woman

In a few months, the sequel to Wonder Woman will be in Theaters. I'm looking forward to it as i'm a fan of the DC Universe and quite frankly I find strong women to be freaking bad asses. When you grow up around strong women like I have with 2 sisters, my mom, my second mother and my grandmother who is still kicking at 98, you learn a thing or two and it's not a good thing to piss off a woman who has some strong german and italian in her veins.

Many female warriors aren't always given the credit they deserve and because us men live in a dominant world in many countries where women are secondary or even third on a list and not seen as equal. Now there are facts that women have certain physical attributes that can never match a man but there are things that man can never match a woman beyond those attributes. They have strength most of us men cannot comprehend but i'm not talking just physical strength, the ability to endure mentally and physically, emotional comprehension and the ability to fight. If they have the skills, they can beat the living hell out of you.

For women, getting fit isn't as easy as it is for us guys for a lot of reasons and this isn't a knock to anyone. The process of our bodies are different and building muscle takes different roads but it all leads down to the same path one way or another. When I talk about muscle, I' not talking those jacked up girls from the Crossfit Games, they've got way more things going on there than just lifting and working out like maniacs, i'm not even talking the sleek and toned model types either, I'm talking about what's in the middle. The type of muscle that has true meaning and functionality where you can still be feminine but not the bodybuilder type. For all intents and purposes, you can be a curvy girl and still be healthy with the right tools, you can also be athletic looking and not be bulky, it's what you're shooting for and using the tools to get you there.

To get into the strength aspects of women, it's important to understand that in certain cases, the training is different, not by a ton but to the degree where whether it's bodyweight exercise, weightlifting, Yoga, Pilates or whatever, train according to the needs that your structure makes the exercises you practice moves with intent. That sounds weird I know but after training my wife and other women when I was in college, I learned to target different exercises through different body types.

When it comes to fit women, I'm looking at ladies like Vanessa Raymond, Melody Schoenfeld, Kirsten Tulloch whom you can find on Instagram @littletank and others such as Tara Scott that does work on Kettlebells, Swinging The Clubs/Mace and Movement/Flow Training. These women practice fitness in a variety of ways that you won't need to look much elsewhere. Combined have decades of experience from bodybuilding to dancing, kettlebell training, bodyweight exercise, strongman training, conditioning and more, they are the real deal and can take you places that you didn't think were possible. If you learned from even just one of them, you're getting knowledge that most female trainers today couldn't even handle but if you learned from all four, you might as well be Wonder Woman yourself.

If you want to get an idea of getting fit like the Amazon Princess, check out Darebee.com for workouts that are exclusive for women, they're mainly bodyweight and some are tough as hell that even men might struggle with....

Talk about a whole new meaning to the term, "Working out like a girl."

It Is Never Easy Posting Your Results

The last time I can ever remember being skinny was around the age of 10 and 11, so for 25+ years, I was a heavy kid. By the time I was 13 in middle school I was close to 200 lbs at a height of 5'4. As I got older and was hitting weights more often throughout high school, I put on some muscle but not much to show for. I couldn't run for the life of me, had less than average stamina, ok strength and very little flexibility. I didn't know what fitness can really do until I got into Track & Field doing the Shot Put & Discus and I wasn't very good at that either lol, throwing just under 33ft shot and over 100ft in the Discus.

Hitting the gym for nearly 2 years after high school got me pretty strong but wasn't fit according to certain standards and than my leg injuries happened, you know the story and that old chestnut. Learning the hard way of becoming fit without rehab wasn't without doubts but I was set in my ways and made the choice to become fit, not look like a greek god or anything like that but fit in the sense where yes physical changes were made but having real strength, stamina and flexibility was where I wanted to go.

Over the years, learning and experimenting with so many different programs and dieting that I have come to accept the fact that being big, at least my definition of big was a great protector but also being fit at the same time made me more useful. I know deep down I don't ever want to be skinny again or have a tight waist and V-Shaped but have a build that is meant for something and can carry me with a level of conditioning that not many guys at my size has.

Some have told me to look more fit like a fighter, some have told me to hit more of the iron again to develop mass that gears towards my size and one other person said I was in the top 3% of the strongest men in the world; they're all good things to say but the more they say it, the more reasons to stick to my choices of what I find to be fit. I'm not a fighter or a Combat Athlete in general but if somebody tries to test me just remember i'll keep going until I can't, weights were fun while they lasted and every now and then I get a bite but I'm happy not hitting weights (barbells, dumbbells, machines) any time soon and saying that i'm in the top 3% is pushing to the extremes, the compliment is a nice gesture but I don't deserve that kind of praise.

I have shown results of my training a few times over the years but it's been some time recently and wanted to share with you what I have done. I'll admit it's scary as hell. It takes courage to show what you have accomplished and SOME people recently can't stand it and it makes things all that much sweeter. I'm not ripped or have veins trying to push out of my skin and certainly a far cry from having extremely low body fat but it's a work in progress and training differently shows that. I love what I have accomplished and will continue to do so because this is my passion and I love being in great shape at 35. I'm fitter now than I ever was in my teens and have improved since being in my 20's.

People make certain choices, I made the choice to become the fittest I can be and still be happy in my life. Everyday I make the choice to either workout or not and some days are far harder than others but it always takes me back to when I was laid up in that hospital bed and thinking of what I HAD to do to walk again and choosing to rehab on my own. It was never about motivation, it was a choice and the risks I was willing to take.

Because of programs like Combat Conditioning, Animal Exercises, Isometrics and the variety of equipment I have, I get to challenge myself every single day and make the most of what is possible for me to do. It's ok to be scared to show people your starts and your updates but don't let fear tear you down for what you can accomplish and rise up to even inspire one person who is afraid to show themselves.

The 12 Days Of Combat Conditioning

For almost 2 weeks straight, I've been doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible that consists of Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers. I haven't been this consistent with this area of the Combat Conditioning System in a very long time and I'm glad it's becoming a habit again; slowly of course.

The first few days were tough as hell and felt like quitting multiple times but I just couldn't let go of feeling that the deck could be my best friend instead of a competitive enemy. It got better each day though and although some days are harder than others, you get through it despite having some mental lapses. It is a rediscovery of what gave me the strength and stamina to build my legs back from the severe breaks in my shin and ankles.

My timing on the cards isn't a priority of mine and i'll tell you why; I hate having to compete against the clock for one and 2, I just want to enjoy the journey. I used to do just push-ups and squats and would finish within 18-25 min but because of the tension I carry in my lower back if I go too fast, I'm risking injury. I'm letting speed come natural and focus more on my breathing and form than compete against time. I do love that I'm getting in better shape and it makes me work hard but I need to be smart as well. I keep my timing around 38-45 min of a workout.

As I get better and able to relax more as I move through the deck, I'll add a few more of the Combat Conditioning Exercises. Although these four exercises are more than enough for most people, I like to do things throughout the day so as I progress, I'll throw in some Reverse Push-ups, Jumpers, Bridges, Handstand Holds, Skipping the Ropeless Jump Rope and others. For me, it's about the journey and being able to move fluidly and not rely on timing, if I only have a few minutes, I'll do some exercises and be happy with it.

Some people feel that they need to do a minimum of 30 minutes or more straight of exercise because that's what they believe will keep them in shape and that's what they were taught to do, my wife tends to have that mindset and although noble, it doesn't help her much if she's also trying to work an 8 hour shift, drive to and from work at a minimum of 40+ minutes and also try to calm down and eat dinner after dealing with various people all day. I do have a tendency to get on her about that and I know I come off like a dick about it but I'm doing the best I can to come from a place of love and encouragement. Slightly going off topic but if you're one of those people who wants to get exercise in, use the time that is possible and do what you can in the span of time you have. Very rarely these days where people have sometimes 2-3 jobs to support themselves or their families have 30 minutes they can devote to exercise. Learn the time you are open to doing or get up earlier before work and do maybe a few push-ups and some squats, do 10 minutes of jumping rope if that's all you have for the day to do and nothing else, don't always let the difficulties of life steer you away from being fit.

Fitness is hard work and it takes discipline, patience and mental toughness but it doesn't have to be a chore and felt like you are going to hate it. Not everybody can be fit like those in the infomercials and not all programs are created equal. Find what gives YOU the best benefit and adjust to what you're willing to devote time to. I'll admit, I'm one of those rare people who devotes to exercise 365 days a year and have been for nearly 15 of those years so I can't see myself in somebody else's shoes but I do encourage YOU to exercise even for a few minutes each day or 2-3 times a week if that's all you have. Life as it is can steer you away from so much but it is up to YOU to fight back and train the best way at the time and fight back without putting so much stress on yourself. Treat exercise as a way to feel better and never treat it like a necessity or something you HAVE to do and feel miserable.

That's what I love about Combat Conditioning, you can do it whenever you want, virtually wherever you want and it doesn't take up a ton of time. Whether for 2 minutes or 2 hours, this system can be used how you see fit and make your own schedule. Make the most of what you can, not what you can't and not force or cram in so much it'll make you anxiety-prone. It is a journey, not a destination and everyone has 24 hours in a day, if you want it bad enough, you'll get the time in.

Mental Conditioning By Using The Theater Of The Mind Technique

When we train, sometimes we psych ourselves up to be prepared for "battle" and fight the exercise(s) that stand in our way of becoming a stronger version of ourselves in physical form. What we envision takes action and at times, surprises us with results we didn't expect. As I go into a workout, I don't expect a damn thing but I do want to discover that hidden strength that fuels the fire within me to keep going even though I don't always express it from the outside.

When I started back on the Matt Furey Exercise Bible, I just wanted to see if I was still capable of doing it after being away from it for quite some time. I kept picturing myself as if it never left me and pretended I was like one of the Hindu Wrestlers, training for the next series of matches and thought of nothing but my conditioning and the way I saw myself breathing and making the exercises not about speed but about precision and awareness. I have so far done this workout everyday for 9 straight days without fail which is the most consistent in years.

As each day passed and kept beating the deck, I started using different techniques to not only protect myself from injury but use mental imagery and literally put certain electrical spheres around my body as if I had something in my hands even though there was nothing there. I naturally gravitated to Garin Bader's CoreForce Energy System and it paid off big time as it increased my strength and endurance really fast. With that in mind, I'm also naturally setting another bar to my repertoire of conditioning my mind to get better not only for this particular workout but for whatever else outside of it.

For a while in the past, I did the Theater Of The Mind technique with my own version of how I saw things play out and set it in motion. From workouts to writing to even picturing as if I was sitting next to fictional characters from comics and mythology and they talk me through what they see for me and how I can apply what they see. Yeah, it sounds that i'm whacked out and off my rocker but that's just how my mind operated and it worked. Seeing yourself as more than what you are is what we all strive to accomplish, many of us see far less than our true selves and when we think that way, it transitions into our reality. Our imagination is a powerful tool that shouldn't be taken too lightly and the more we learn to understand it and learn from it, the better our way of seeing the world becomes.

When we think of something bad, it shifts to how we view the world and see bad things happen all around us even though at times nothing ever happens in front of us. I do realize people come from broken homes and have seen shit nobody should ever go through yet some of those very same people saw something entirely different in their mind and despite the anger, the heartache, the abuse and the torture, they became successful and transformed themselves into amazing human beings. The opposite has also happened, people who come from happy homes have had visions of a bad world and it consumed them so much they became broken and prisoners of their own reality.

Practicing the Theater Of The Mind technique isn't easy and it's not something you can learn in a day, it takes time, patience, concentration and above all, a sense of awareness of what you see. My way of the technique was that I would picture myself as if I was in a movie theater but instead of being there by myself, I sat next to certain characters say like Pan the Satyr for example; he would show me what I was and will be at my very best not only in how strong and conditioned I was but showed me my writing style getting better and seeing more and more by people who were not only interested but learned from it. Someone can have a very different technique in this method and make themselves the strongest version of themselves.

What if you can picture as if you were Superhuman? Be able to accomplish things with very little to no effort, absorb energy that is full of life, powerful electricity running through you and feel as if you can do anything you set your mind to. It doesn't matter if you're a waiter, a businessman, an athlete, someone who wants to get in shape or a garbage man; if you can see yourself at your absolute best with no limitations, how far does it go? We have the power to become stronger than we have normally perceived to be and the more we see and believe in what is in our Theater Of The Mind, the more it'll transition into our physical reality. In our imagination, we can be whatever we want, do things we don't physically do and be able to say something as if it was so easy it's not even funny. Think of it as mental steroids.

Harness this technique with your own goals and ambitions and see where it leads you. Become more powerful in your business, get stronger and better at your sport, feel music like never before and if you even happen to be a Pizza Delivery person, picture what it would be like to be the very best in that profession. The power is within you and it's time to become the best version of yourself.       

 

3 Days Straight Of The Matt Furey Exercise Bible

On Monday, I had an urge to do Matt Furey's Exercise Bible which is a deck of cards consisting of Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers. It's been a long time since I completely went through the deck and the last few attempts recently I stopped because it got boring. Apparently I had a bug up my ass and felt the need to actually finish it this time. I changed the repetitions around so I'll be able to do it without feeling boredom.

2-10 Were Face Value

Face Cards Were (K=13, Q=12 & J=11)

Aces Were 14

Jokers Are 25-50

The first day, it was rough and had to adjust the V-Ups in certain variations just so I don't hurt myself. I made it through but because I haven't done these exercises together in quite some time, I felt out of shape. If I needed rest, I would do slight stretching or use my Ropeless Jump Rope to keep myself going cause if I rested like most people would, I wouldn't have the strength to continue. The second day felt slightly easier and hardly did other variations of the V-Ups and rested slightly less as went through the deck. Today however was the toughest because I do feel quite sore and I wasn't sure of myself if I was going to pull through. I wanted to die around the middle of the deck but something told me to keep going and that I got this. To say it was a rude awakening would be an understatement but felt so rewarding when it was over.

I have beaten the deck on a number of occasions with various exercises such as 500 Hindu Squats with one deck, 200 Ab Wheel Rollouts & 500 Step Ups with another, over 1000 reps striking the tire with my sledgehammer and of course just Hindu Push-ups & Hindu Squats. Doing 4 exercises with a deck can be a completely different animal and because the exercises come up at random, you never know what will show up. I had reduced some numbers for the exercises because its been some time since I pushed that hard with those exercises in particular together. It was an experience that's for sure and I will one day get back to where I was doing numbers that Furey provided for the cards consistently. 

As you may or may not know, deck of card workouts are no joke and it has been said that if you're supreme condition, you would speed up through a deck in a certain amount of time. My times on the cards throughout the years varied from 18 minutes to just over 45 min. and I've done different workouts where I varied in speed and tempo. My objective regardless of the workout is not to always rely on speed because if all you do is trying to go fast, fast, fast, you could end up losing form and your breathing might get out of whack. I want to be able to journey through the workout, be aware of my breathing and be in control throughout the workout. I also want to let my body naturally speed up as I get stronger and better but I'm not looking to set world records.

One way to do this workout isn't to do reps at all but do Isometric Postures either for seconds or for breaths. I have done both and neither one will be a cake walk, matter of fact, you might love doing reps more than holding positions. Just an Isometric workout with these exercises will test your strength in ways you never knew existed. I was so damn high after one workout it felt like time stood still and my body was in the most beautiful blissful state. It is one of the best experiences of all time when it came to training. It brought a whole new meaning to the term Isometric Conditioning.

If you can't get a hold of this particular deck, you can create it with your own deck and here's how you determine the exercises.......

Diamonds= Hindu Push-ups

Hearts= Hindu Squats

Spades= V-Ups

Clubs= Tablemakers

How long will I continue to do this routine, no freaking clue. If I'm determined, I'll keep up with it, if I've had enough, take a little time off but it is a hell of a workout and it's awesome to do practically anywhere and anytime. Conditioning for the whole body and can be done in a variety of ways using different variations of the exercises. Have fun with it and if you are, try doing it twice in a row. 

Why I Never Sit Down In Training

When you do a workout, at times after finishing a set, you'll want to sit and chill for a bit or play around with your phone and twiddle your thumbs and text somebody or something; this is a bad idea. Training is a sacred time and it's better IMO to keep moving and not stopping because you're focusing most of your energy into the exercises you do and what is called active recovery keeps your body from going into complete rest mode.

Now unless you're an athlete (Pro or Ameteur), it's a different ball game because you're training for a specific sport and the set up is quite different than someone who is just working out. Competing or training for competition takes a different mindset and rules of engagement in how your workouts are set up. Personal Trainers have a different set of rules in how they apply the set up for the person their training; each person is different and they'll either work them to death or aren't always clear how that person handles their way of doing things.

My way of training even by a year has been very different. I haven't done 500 Hindu Squat Workouts this consistently since 2017 and even then the workouts were night and day. These days, I don't do 500 straight through, I use the deck of cards which I have written about and if I need a break, it is because at times I carry a lot of tension in my lower back and need to let it wind down, this brings me to the point where the title of this post becomes relevant. If I end up sitting down in the middle of a workout or even an exercise, I might as well end it there because I could get too comfortable and not want to continue, so i'll either walk around so I can keep moving or I would grab the Ropeless Jump Rope. This keeps me from being too comfortable in the middle of my training.

Personally, I don't like sitting down, especially if i'm breathing really hard because certain things in the body can be rushed too fast and one of two things can happen when you get up....One, you're either struggling just to stand and your body might end up aching like crazy or two, you stand up too fast and you get dizzy AF and you'll have to rest even more just regain your damn composure. That's an extreme way of putting it. I've pushed myself so hard that one time in the gym, I nearly blacked out and felt like I was having a heart attack, this was at 19 years old BTW.

The best way that keeps me going these days where I don't have to sit down and continue working out is using Active Recovery. Using the Ropeless Jump Rope as a way of "rest" keeps my mind sharp and helps with my breathing so when I'm ready for another set or number of reps with the cards or during my animal workout game, I'll have the strength and endurance to go at it again. This keeps up my endurance and works my conditioning as well. When I do Circuit Workouts like from Darebee, my objective is to not rest whatsoever unless I mark off the set and then move on to the next without hesitation, this is a real test of your conditioning.

If I'm going to be sitting, it's either writing, watching a movie or tv show, talking to people or messing around on my phone promoting stuff or hell when my wife works out and needs my help pointing things out to her, never when I actually train. The sign that tells me that you absolutely have to sit down in a workout is you pushed a little too hard. I look at it like it's a wrestling match at times, there's no rest in wrestling so when you workout, you keep moving, you can slow down a time or two but never stop. You tweak a few things or you listen to your body but the less time you completely rest, the more in shape you'll be.

You could say that completely resting is a weakness, it is to an extent so I'm not completely throwing it out. If you're a beginner and learning how things go than sure, take a seat if you need to or you're at an advanced age but if you're in good shape or even pretty damn awesome shape, sitting shouldn't even be an option unless it's a wall sit. Keep moving and if you need to slow down, do so but DO NOT STOP until your workout is done. This is a test of mental toughness.

Bodyweight Exercises For Real Life

From a general POV, Bodyweight Exercises have a lot to offer in terms of a solid construct of fitness. The problem with today's aspects of Bodyweight Training is that it's not treated as a sacred area of developing practical and proper applications for real world situations and is treated mainly as a source believed only used for endurance and doesn't generate a lot of strength. You can develop insane skills and build a crazy physique like those Barstarzz guys or do things that create great skill for certain competition but where does it go in the real world?

In things like Crossfit, they push to their absolute limit without regard for safety and practical applications. Most of the time, the pull up in that system isn't a true pull up and they're setting themselves up for injuries beyond their understanding. A real pull up develops strength for real life and has a greater rate of building an injury proof back, shoulders, arms and core. If you want to test your endurance and your lung power, go for a good hike, one of the best exercises for developing stamina for hiking is the Step-Up.

The basic principles of Bodyweight Training is to develop what Johnny Grube refers to "Conditioned Strength", you know I've written about him in the past and even though I don't agree with him on certain things, I have high respect for his conditioning. If you can't carry firewood without getting winded or be able to walk up stairs easily, there's something you need to do in order to counter those things. You're not going to be able to chop firewood from benching or able to swim by doing machine curls but if you apply exercises such as animal movements, squats, core work and sprints, you'll be in shape for days.

I have said that most Bodyweight Exercises are boring to me because once you get into the high reps within the triple digits, where do you really go after that? That doesn't mean they don't work like a charm, they most certainly do and I can attest to it by being able to do things that don't get winded in real life, I've hiked for long periods of time, chopped wood without losing strength and can swim pretty well. A key aspect to have a hold on is how you breathe, the better your breathing, the more endurance you have period. This is a critical element in a combat situation and I learned the hard way that if you can't control your breathing, you might as well be dead. In No-Gi Grappling, at first I was putting too much emphasis on my strength and not seeing how my breath work went and I was gassing out quicker than you can say "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Little by little, I relaxed a bit more and focused on my breathing while rolling and was lasting longer in rounds.

You don't need to do hundreds of crunches and you certainly don't need to do muscle up upon muscle up to use your training in the real world. Use the basics down to a T and that's really all you need. You can gain more advanced skills but the basics will save your ass more than those advanced moves ever will. Also, if you're getting injured in training more than in the real world, there's something wrong there. In training, it's more controlled and applying things that are useful and learning what works, but in real life, not everything is in our control and sometimes injuries at times are inevitable but we do the best we can to not let that happen.

Get in condition not just to look like a million bucks but to use it when the time comes to either go on hikes, help a friend move, do some labor as a job or to help people in need or to even save a life. 

Animal Movement: The Fun Way To Get In Awesome Shape

A lot of us have suffered through tough workouts and two ways have gone about it; we either strive and push through or we suffer more by pushing through. Through blood, sweat, tears and screaming a time or two, going through certain workouts in my experience never seemed to satisfy a craving for finding the most enjoyable, until I became a fanatic on Animal Movement Conditioning.

Some people will say if you enjoy your workouts, you're not doing it right. I do believe in discipline and striving to improve everyday plus working hard for what I want to achieve. Suffering in training at times is only temporary but over time, it can make you worse than when you started. That's not to say you shouldn't work hard, bust your ass but with intention and not suffer serious injury.

When it comes to Animal Movements, they make me bust my ass and push through the mental barriers more than any other system and for good reason. I don't feel bored and you can be creative in more ways than with typical calisthenics. The fun part about it is it drives you to work hard without realizing you're working hard. Hard work takes discipline, there's no way around that and many successful people busted their ass to get where they wanted to be but there's an opposite side of the coin too; many people who worked hard, showed up and be more than the other person has not only suffered physically and mentally but have gotten the short end of the stick and were never truly recognized for their efforts.

Life is too damn short to live in a suffering state so why not make the most of it even the darkest hours. Life already has you by the balls or if you're a woman, make you feel less of yourself and push your state of mind into a frenzy that can be difficult to get out of. The point I'm making in the case of working out with animal movements is that you don't have to suffer and when you move and feel free, you can take that mindset and work hard outside of that with a better vibe of positive outlooks.

I never felt right when I just dread through a workout and go through the motions and just act like life is just as worse. The power of moving like an animal creates the mindset of having a great adventure and that's what it teaches about life, to quote Peter Pan from the film Hook he says at the very end "to live, would be an awfully big adventure." I've said many times that the Animal Dice Game teaches you to expect the unexpected, to not be afraid of what comes next and see it as a way to play and view things from another perspective, to transform and use your imagination and that is one of the greatest things to strive for in life as well.

Move like an animal and you'll never look at exercise the same way again. It makes you work hard while having a great time and challenging yourself outside normal fitness methods and developing your body that gives you long-term strength, insane cardio, both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, balance (especially if you're over 40), coordination and functional muscles. You can make it high impact or low impact, short or long and it brings out the kid within all of us. It makes you calmer if you're hyperactive, burns calories like crazy and can turn you into a fitness machine in record time. Work hard and play hard at the same time. 

Ropeless Jump Roping

Almost sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? Although it isn't very appealing, I don't go for things that look like a million bucks but I do go for things that could work for me. For as long as I can remember, I was never really coordinated whether I was in sports or whatever. I did get good at some things but I never had an equal level of either side of my body. Hence why I was always hesitant with Jump Roping.

As a kid I did the different Jump Rope games we do and played around with a rope in various PE classes over the years but no matter how hard I worked at it, I just never clicked with it, getting hit all the time, never could count my jumps well and couldn't last a minute without to save my life without getting smacked somewhere. Only less than a few years ago, I decided to try the Ropeless Jump Rope. I figured, what the hell I'll give it a chance. Again, I wasn't very coordinated but something felt right with this thing. My practice had better results and yeah it's not the same as a regular jump rope but I can learn all the same exercises without getting smacked around.

Some may ask "What the hell is that? Why not just use a real rope or not have anything and just jump?" They're not wrong, I could just use a real rope, I have a few that even my wife uses from time to time but I like the feeling of having something in my hands and work my body as if it was a regular rope. I can skip, I can sprint in place, jump side to side, do lunges, walk, march, crisscross and other things plus I can use it as a workout on it's own or use it a active recovery tool during regular workouts.

I have done a full 10 minute workout with it non stop and it has been said that 10 minutes of rope skipping is the equivalent to 30 minutes of running. My calves were sore as hell but it was a great workout that had great benefits including cardiovascular conditioning. My main purpose of it is to either wake myself up or as warm up/cool down and between rolls of my animal dice game. The jumping in between rolls of my animal game varies in speed, sometimes I'll run in place or jog in place and when my breath is back at a level where I'm comfortable, I'll go back to the game and continue without feeling tired or fatigued. This helps with keeping up my endurance and not sit around or walk around breathing like a maniac.

Whether you're a beginner or a professional athlete, the ropeless jump rope can be a great tool for anyone and like me, it saves the frustration and feeling discouraged because we don't have the coordination so you can get the job done when you need to. Jump Roping has been a tool for many people that need some solid conditioning, cardiovascular/muscular endurance, stamina and speed. From MMA Fighters to Hockey Players, Baseball stars, Olympic Wrestlers, Average Joes and High School/College Jocks, it's helped many become successful in their endeavor and it's great for people who just want to get in shape.

Reap the benefits of regular jump roping by grabbing the Ropeless Jump Rope and have fun with workouts that will take you to the next level.

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In Our Imagination The Wild Is A Beautiful Place

What would it be like to live in the jungle? Surrounded by a beautiful forest, come and go as you please, no worries on predators and able to thrive without effort. You get to transform into any animal you wish and play as you develop the great attributes that makes animals be in incredible shape: Strength, Endurance, Stamina, Flexibility, Balance, Coordination and developing Power in the Tendons & Ligaments. You have no enemies and you live in harmony. Pretty cool huh?

When I play the Animal Dice Game, I picture in my mind that I'm at my strongest and most conditioned. Always prepared and know by memory which animal to do and transform into that animal, even for a few seconds. The game is always different, the list is the same but it's never in the same order twice and the body is always on alert as it moves in awkward positions. When I play this game, I feel right at home, I get to live out a fantasy in action and get to move in unusual ways as opposed to regular calisthenics.

It becomes a meditation that dives in much deeper than just sitting and letting the mind go blank. Although I know i'm in a garage or a hotel room or out in a field in real time when I play, I do go into a place in my mind and pretend I'm there than where I actually am. Being able to crouch like a Tiger, crawl like a crab, waddle like a duck and walk/run like a bear to me brings out a whole other level of mind setting than doing hundreds of push-ups, squats and/or lifting. I have done literally thousands upon thousands of reps/steps with animal movement and it doesn't seem to get boring, once i'm in a groove, I go into a trance-like state and just keep going.

The only time I even remotely feel human is when I need to break away from breathing a little too hard but unlike a human, I don't sit or walk around like a zombie, I take out my ropeless jump rope and skip to not only keep up my stamina but stay alert and aware of what I'm doing. When my breath has better control, I put down the rope and get back to rolling the dice and moving. Today alone I did 885 Reps/Steps of Animal Movement and skipped the rope only twice, three times if you count the warm up and it felt incredible. I felt high as a kite and was feeling very happy and grateful. From meditation to joint loosening to doing deck of cards workouts, I've never felt as high or happy than when I do animal moves.

It's not just about fitness or testing the limits of my endurance, it's about enjoying what you do while you work hard and constantly using your brain and your limbs. Moving like a wild animal is by no means easy and it can be difficult to learn for some people, but once you're able to handle the movements and can go for a good 20 minutes or more, you're in for the ride of your life and there's constant room for improvement. No movement will ever be perfect and just like Disneyland, you're never going to be done and there will always be something to build on.



Want to develop Animal Strength & Conditioning, check out Animal Workouts that are on the right side of the blog. Get both the book and DVD for an awesome low price. Learn to do some bad ass moves and move like you're in the jungle.

Legs Feed The Wolf

This title is a quote made by Kurt Russell who played Coach Herb Brooks in the incredible film Miracle that is based on the 1980 U.S Hockey Team and how they overcame the unbeatable Russians. Although talent is a great asset, Brooks however took an approach that made the definition of a winner and has been used by all kinds of athletes and coaches and that was the value of CONDITIONING. 

The scene that tackles what Coach Brooks wanted out of his team was a punishment these young studs needed to learn. A few of them played a game and were distracted by a few blondes and brunettes in the stands and the coach took notice. Got them onto the ice after the game, exhausted and ready to sleep off the rest of the night, were told to run wind sprints. This drill was one of the most hated yet effective methods in their arsenal and they learned the hard way of what it's like to be pushed to the absolute limit. 

In most cases, conditioning is what defines a person's abilities whether on the court, the ice, the mat or on the field. You can have amazing talent, technique and charisma like Hulk Hogan but if you get winded before anything ends or just after it even starts, everything goes out the window. Lombardi would say "Fatigue makes cowards of us all" and even Karl Gotch would say things like "The most expensive car won't run without gas, oil and water." Being in top condition can be the true testament to how you apply yourself in your sport or even in a fight.

What this quote in particular means is that in order for the strongest wolf packs to survive, they need to be aware, be able to endure long distances and have strength even in the most crucial situations so they can eat and live to fight another day. If the wolf isn't in condition, it will starve and potentially die quicker. What does this mean for us humans? Beyond just sports, we need strong legs and legs that can go the distance for certain types of labor, able to move in our jobs that require  a lot of walking and at times endure heavy moving of furniture and climbing. 

As we age, one of the first areas of the body to lose it's abilities are the legs. Bad knees, weak ankles, injury prone quads and the joints surrounding the hips and groin. I've always understood the value of having long term strength in my legs since I was in my early 20's and I treasure every moment that i'm able to do things that can be beneficial to others and not get blown up. When you train both the muscles and the joints and ligaments with great intention, you have a recipe for developing powerful legs. In our society when it comes to fitness it's all about muscles, muscles and muscles and not enough focus on strengthening the very things that keep us together. Having a pulled muscle heals much faster than a broken bone or torn ligaments and if you do the research, there are more injuries to the tendons than anything else in the body.

One workout I did recently that would condition the legs to a great degree is taking a deck of cards and doing Hindu Squats & Step Ups. Although I prefer animal movements, this workout not only kicked my ass but made me appreciate and respect more on how the legs are so critical to the human body. Made the red cards Step Ups & the black cards Hindu Squats I managed to get through the entire deck but if I started to feel like I was breathing too hard and take a little break I would skip with my ropeless jump rope until my breath was under control and I can go again. This was such a great workout that I didn't feel sore the next day and my knees felt amazing. This had a combination of going down one movement and moving up with another, working the quads and calves in a different format. The total came out to 225 Hindu Squats & 450 Step Ups. 

Having strong muscles is one thing but strong tendons and ligaments will help you reduce injuries and be able to keep going. Some of the most conditioned athletes such as Ed Strangler Lewis, Herschel Walker, Rickey Henderson, Jarmoir Jagr & John Havlicek had legs that made them legendary in their sport and had stamina that stood above the rest in their sport and that helped them go on to hall of fame careers. 

Like the Wolf, condition your legs in the best ways possible and as you get older, keep them maintained so you can prevent possible injuries and/or having replacements in your hips and knees. It is a sure fire to live a quality life when you can still go no matter what your age. 

    

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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