The Catcher's Squat Hold

Holding a near ass-to-grass squat can be very beneficial to ensure healthy hips, legs and the spine. Taking the pressure off the lower back, this specific squat also promotes incredible flexibility and a test to strengthening your structure.

It has been called by many names but Catcher's Squat seems very fitting especially to those who understand sports like Baseball. Catchers in the big leagues have incredible explosiveness and endurance to withstand holding a position like this for 9 straight innings day in and day out. The best catchers such as Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Mike Piazza and Jorge Posada were a dominant force at their position for a reason and arguably had loads of flexibility and explosive strength to just jump up and throw the ball to a base with incredible accuracy. It's awesome how long their careers lasted considering not one has yet hit 500 Homeruns.

As toddlers, we almost have stupid flexibility and can hold this for several minutes without feeling a damn thing. As we age, it becomes less important to us to stay that limber and we get caught up in the rigors of life and forgetting what it was like to be very mobile, flexible and strong. Often times we have to use a reset button and start over, learning mechanics and body reassessment to understand the ways of living without pain or stiff muscles/joints. When I was rehabbing after my accident, just doing the Hindu Squats were more than I can bare, I couldn't hold the low squat for more than a few seconds because of the stiffness I had not just from not being able to walk for almost 3 months but not understanding how important it was when I was going to the gym and training beforehand. Now, I can hold this Squat for 10 minutes and feel great. I have a profound respect for farm workers who have to plant, pick and water fruits and vegetables in that position for hours on end. 

In qi gong circles, being able to do this is a basic testament of how good your health is and being able to transition fluidly from a low squat to standing or kicking. Russian Dancers have powerful legs being able to kick in front and sideways in the lowest squat possible. Some of the strongest squatters in the world have flexibility that can't be matched. Some don't think it's relevant at all in how it determines health but just a thing you can do to build flexibility and nothing else coms of it, I humbly can't agree with this but I can understand why. 

You don't have to squat for hours to get the benefits of it but a few minutes a day or a few times during the day can really aid in how you can strengthen your spine through realignment and building supple yet pain-free hips. Many of us sit in a chair way too long and put too much compression on the spine so doing this squat takes away the compression and just sink in and breathe. Even when we go to the bathroom, we're not squatting properly, for best elimination of waste, we need to squat as low as possible, elevate your feet onto a stepstool and relax. 

The body was meant to squat and the universe gave us legs for a reason. Train those legs not just for stamina and strength but like every other part of the body, become supple, flexible and mobile. 

The Changing Of The Tides

Sometimes, there are things you cannot simply change about yourself. You are who you are through experiences, self discovery, observation of your personality towards others and how you apply things. Things change eventually and we can't stop the change any more than we can stop the sun from setting but there are things that will never change because of what you have become and where you move forward.

I do love talking about my workouts and sharing ideas but at the same time, I've always had trouble keeping interested after talking about them. I keep thinking and try so damn hard but alas, every time I talk about my goals or make certain promises of what I'm going to do, my interests sooner or later, they go by the wayside and my motivation and interest doesn't exist anymore with those goals. It's basically a curse I've brought upon myself unintentionally. I' am one of those people for some odd reason, wants to prove to others what I'm capable of doing and yet it comes back to bite me in the ass.

I want to fit in with certain people and I'm confident that I can get along with just about anybody and talk about anything but it becomes apparent that whenever I force myself to fit in somewhere, disaster usually strikes either on my end or theirs. My workouts whether they're short or long shouldn't reflect how much I'm worth to somebody else. Truly the only people that should matter are the ones who encourage me and push me to discover for myself what I can do and learn how to mold it to my own goals and dreams. I know I'm not the only one who feels this, it's human nature to have dreams, goals and fit in because it's tough being alone and understanding your worth in this world.

Sometimes I train because it's what I'm supposed to do and follow someone's protocol down to the very T. My problem with that is, every time I try to just follow a course to the core of it, I become a slave to it and I have no say in how it could truly work for me. It's the way it is and if you can't do it or think you can do better, than you're an idiot. When I started out with Combat Conditioning, I had no idea what the hell what I was getting myself into, I had no real experience with bodyweight exercise, I did it only as a self-rehab program and drilled myself into the program because in a sense I felt that it was what I was told to do. It was painful, agonizing and for weeks during my first run with it, I wanted to quit and give up on myself because at first I was just doing stupid Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats and Bridges. The more I kept with it and learning from my friends Tyler Bramlett & Logan Christopher, I started really discovering a whole other world full of possibilities. 

Quite frankly, after every single course, exercise, program, the amount of time and the hard work I put myself through, one thing always never changed with me and that was that I couldn't stand following others and feeling like I had nothing to call my own. I started creating ways to fit all the things I learned into something that was meant for me, nobody else. The programs do work but it didn't matter who it was, I couldn't last very long doing what they only do. I had to fight for myself and change what I needed to do for me. I can't do Hindu Push-ups exactly like Matt Furey or John Peterson, I can't do Hindu Squats like Karl Gotch did, I can't do Animal Moves exactly like the Baran Brothers or Mike Fitch, hell I can't even do the speed and precision like a Barstarzz Guy doing Pull-ups but what I can do is exercise that my body allows to do with the structure and accuracy it can only do at the time. I can do things many people the same size as me can't and I have convinced myself that if I took a "day off", I would end up dead or in coma before the day's out. 

Change is inevitable but some things will never change because if it comes natural to you, it's what you were meant to do. You'll find things you've never done before and it can be scary and you never truly know if you can do them until you take action but if you force yourself into something and you can't do it but keep pushing it anyway, the majority of the time, it'll end in disaster and it's either going to keep you from what is natural to you or it'll bring you to the brink of always doubting yourself and confidence and the ability to move forward won't exist. Some things are just natural to us whether physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually and when we find that, we work hard to make it stronger. What isn't natural to us, makes us feel fear, doubt and not knowing if it's going to work. 

It is not your job to be like somebody else, they're already taken and even if you're a twin; there's always something different. I can't be a second athlete, businessman, teacher, promoter or even someone in Hollywood; I can only be the 1st me because if I try to be like somebody else, where's my true reason to live or discover who I' am?

Train to what suits everything about you. Put in the work that is synergistic to your being, your personality, your outlook on life and helping others discover themselves. It's a gift to help people discover themselves, it's also murder to humanity when you drive people away from what they're true self is and make them be more like you or have them be a slave to your agenda. 

Isometrics For Core Strength And Better Posture

Working the Core Muscles whether dynamically or Isometrically helps prevent injuries to the lower back and sides but for the most part, many train the Core to have that six pack look and have a thin ass waist. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look like a million bucks but if you don't have the strength and conditioning or the flexibility, looks will only take you so far, they may make you money possibly but you'll be plagued by injuries easier later on in life or sooner.

From an Isometric standpoint, you don't need to do a ton of exercises to work that center of the body. Maybe 3-4 should do the trick if you understand the technique and the breathing aspects. The Core is usually always activated in a lot of exercises as it is because in a lot of cases, you have to be stable in order to pull them off. If you slouch or don't pay attention to the movement or the hold, you're going to pay a hefty price and suffer a hernia or worse.

Karl Gotch talked about the two C's of muscle that gives you a clear distinction to how certain people last or become Injury Proof; there's the Counterfeit Muscle where you have the bodybuilder type look where it looks straight out of a comic book and has a plethora of ripped, shredded and even bulky structures but outside of that, they can't do a damn thing when it comes to fighting and real world cardio. This look burns out faster and if you're tired within a minute, you're a dead man. The second he talked about is called Conditioned Muscle where although you may have an athletic build or carry a bit more body fat, you have a better set of qualities of endurance, long-term strength, agility and flexibility where you have a far lesser chance of being injured. You want to see the difference in action, check out on youtube the fight between Maurice Smith and Mark Coleman in the UFC. Another look at the two major differences would be the Greco-Roman Gold Medal Match between Rulon Gardner and Aleksandr Karelin in the 2000 Olympics.

Two of my favorite Isometric Core Exercises is the Arch & Hollow Body Holds. They target the whole body but at the same time, you're generating great power and stability in the Core Muscles. Great for developing posture and developing injury-proof abs. Another great exercise is one you can do after waking up in the morning or at any time during the day; it's called the Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener. It's very simple to do and this can be done seated, standing or laying down on the back, you inhale as you pull the stomach in, once you hit the full inhale, exhale and and squeeze the abs as you make the "sssss" or "ffff" sound. You'e not just working your abs, you're hitting the transverse muscles, the obliques, the low back and the upper/lower abdominals.

When it comes to Posture, in my personal opinion, the best exercise or Isometric would be to just hang from a pull-up bar, even if you can only hold it for a second that's ok, just build up little by little. This builds a tremendous stretch in the obliques and helps ease tension in the lower back. This exercise alone when practiced regularly, can possibly man handle that slouch you have and get you to that natural upright position. People have even experienced adding an inch or two to their height. Now this isn't to say you'll turn into Shaquille O'Neal but it'll help develop your natural height and have that feeling of being taller than you normally are.

Isometrics for Core Strength and Posture is not just about looking good and having punch-proof abs, those could end up being just a bonus, it's really about creating a better conditioned center of your body and being able to move without putting your back in danger doing small things. Train your Core with efficiently and you'll be rewarded in ways you've never experienced before.

One Body Part A Day Isometrics

Been focusing a lot on Isometrics lately, particularly doing one body part a day from the Neck down. I took ideas from Batman O'Brien's Perfect Body Course and mixed in exercises using both Free Hand and the Isometric Power Belt. I'm already well into my second time around the exercises, hitting shoulders and arms today. Tomorrow is Legs.

Always experimenting with something since I'm not the best at sticking to a routine, but my intention is to cycle around the parts of the body at least 4 times. I'm already nearly half way there so this should be interesting. So far, I like how it's going. Mainly, I love how the workouts don't take very long and I can purely focus on the areas of the body one at a time instead of trying to do so many in one workout. It's all well and good to do multiple body parts but it can also be very draining and Isometrics are crazy enough as it is. 

After you focus on particular body part, you can go after other exercises in your arsenal the rest of the day and work on other areas. At times i'll do animal movements, do a quick workout while filming, go for a walk with my weight vest on, play around with CoreForce Energy Techniques, do some circuit training, mace play, play with the Indian Clubs, whatever tends to pop up into my head. So far my favorite body parts to train are my neck and back. I'm seeing definition and thickness from both areas and that makes me happy. Great seeing results from other areas and I'll take photos when I'm done with my version of the program but I've always seemed to form better results from the neck and back. When I do the back, I use the Belt for those doing the deadlift, upright row, lat pulldown and seated row and then finish off with the 3 minute wrestler's bridge. 

I have been gearing back towards bridging again to get some stretching, strengthening my neck and experimenting with both flat footed and heel up Back Bridges. Because of the rod in my left shin along with the scarring, I have to be careful to not aggrivate that area because it does cause serious discomfort that I don't wish on anybody. I don't have very good flexibility in my ankles anymore so when I do the Back Bridge, I literally can't flatten my feet after a certain point that others can otherwise I'm risking pain and feeling that metal pressing against my skin. Although I can Bridge feet flat for 3 minutes whenever I want, having the heels up seems to take more of the edge off on my shin and ankle and hits more of the thighs and calves and I can get a way better stretch while also bringing the heels closer to my head without discomfort or pain. Don't do things that cause pain, trust me, it's too muh of a bitch to handle for so long.

I'm doing this experiment mainly just to see what it's like to focus on one thing at a time and putting my energy into an area of the body where I don't feel the need to focus on anything else and go with the straight line of just hitting that muscle group. It's a good experiment and if it's something you want to continue to persue, do so, if you're more of working multiple muscle groups, that's awesome. Do what makes you happy and gives you results. If you're not getting the results you crave, change things up, try different things and focus on getting better. Progression is the key. There's so many things you can do with Isometrics and it can make you stronger and help drop unwanted bodyfat. Keep at it and train with intention, not for the sake of just exercising. 

My Thoughts On George Floyd And The Riots

It breaks my heart that human beings do bad shit to each other and end up on the wrong side of humanity. What happened to George Floyd was pretty damn awful and no one should have to die that way. Not all cops are corrupt but if one has a history towards certain people and isn't accounted for his actions, he needs to be removed from being a cop. I forgot the cop's name but I read they found him guilty and hope it brings some peace of mind to George's Family.

The riots in Minneapolis aren't surprising to me and it's downright stupid for the most part. Looting and destroying businesses is not the way it should've gone down. There were riots in Spokane, WA just 40 minutes from where we live in Idaho and my wife works at one of the busiest Albertsons around the Spokane area. I fear for her safety. In Minnesota however, it's fucking crazy how much shit has gone down. The reason why it's not surprising to me is because with the death of Floyd, this was the last straw for people who've already gone crazy for months because of the Covid crap and this triggered something that made many people reach a boiling point. I don't condone their actions and hope justice and order is resolved soon but it's not hard to see that other side of the coin and if you can't see that, you're either blind, ignorant or just don't give a shit.

This won't be the last death that strikes people's hearts and this isn't the last riot that reaches disasterly heights but I do believe in being prepared the best ways you can. I'm just glad that it hasn't reached our City of Coeur D' Alene and for the most part, we live very peacefully out here. Compared to other big towns, it's quiet as a church mouse. We are a gun carrying town which I have both good and not good thoughts about and my wife has a gun. I never held or fired a gun in my life so my thoughts may not be as relevant to you but I will tell you this... I grew up in Santa Cruz, CA where you had Gangs, Hookers, Corrupt Cops, Rapists, The Mentally Ill and more Homeless people than you can count the people at the Boardwalk just roaming around everyday. I never once got jumped, been mugged, beat down or stabbed and yet still walked around the darkest and dirtiest places in that town with my head held high without a gun or a knife on me. I was always ready to defend myself or those around me and I feel blessed I never had to go to drastic measures to do so.

Not many people know this about me but I once had to help break up a big fight between two guys at a Gold's Gym when I was 19-20 years old. Two crazy muscle bound bloodhounds were going at it at the entrance inside the Gym and one of the members was screaming for help, I was about 30 feet away and rushed over there and was one of three guys to get one of them off each other and hold them back. It was only for a minute but that was one of the scariest things I had to do. I could've just sat there and kept going on with my workout but something snapped in me to go help someone in need. It may have been just one of those days where some guys had to bloody each other up but it could've been way worse, so yes I've dealt with seeing the ugliness and the hurt others put on each other especially in an environment where we're supposed to keep something like that from happening and help each other get in shape.

The world is always going to have some form of nastiness and hatred towards one another. It's not going to change any real time soon. We can damn sure however, show people love and kindness when it is needed the most and defend those who can't defend themselves. We can show love through a hug, a note, an article, giving someone a shoulder to cry on or just listen. I was raised to show as much kindness as possible but also be there for people to defend them or myself. I'm not the easiest person to deal with and everything I do for the people around me is coming from a place of love whether it comes off as that or not.

Someone like George Floyd deserves Justice for what happened to him. Did he have the most beautiful past, hell no, but he should never have had to die the way the he did and I hope there is some peace coming to his loved ones. As for the riots, I do believe action should be taken and do their damndest to not have anyone else harmed or murdered. A member of my own family is a cop and an uncle who's a Vietnam Vet was also a cop. I don't believe for a second there isn't a corrupt cop out there but there are plenty of cops who are the best people on the planet and fight everyday to keep their city safe and I'm proud that they serve and protect to the best of their abilities.

The Realities Of Having A Journal Or Diary

Many people write or type in a journal or diary to let out their most powerful thoughts, observations, goals and feelings. It isn't a bad thing to do and it certainly isn't terrible to find something to cope or get things off your chest and leave it in writing. However, unless you're super careful, the odds are someone sooner or later will find that book or entries somewhere at some point in time. Some journals however have been kept locked away to never see daylight again or have been burned to be kept from being found out.

If you ask me, the most secretly kept book in the U.S is highly likely the President's Book Of Secrets that contain things that could change the very foundation and the core of this country for better and far worse than we can possibly imagine. In smaller cases, have you ever found someone's journal or they found yours? What do you think of the person now that you learned what they really thought or what they truly found out about you. Some journals contain entries that can make or destroy a relationship, others talk about how happy they are and what they love about the world and the people around them. 

The reality is whether you have a secret journal or have an open one on social media like a blog or Vlog, it's important to understand that there is a possibility that everything you write or type up, could potentially put a target on your back. I often times felt obligated to write in a journal and today with my fitness journal, I found out that I missed one or two entries and can't remember which days I missed. I have quite a few workout journals that never got to the end and it just makes me mad that I missed out writing in them. 

This isn't a way of telling people not to have a journal or anything like that, if that helps you be successful and you write things that you need to let go of in a certain manner, go for it and I really hope it brings peace and success for you. If you're a blogger like me or someone who puts their thoughts and "rants" on film, you will whether from the get-go or later on, some people who will mock you, despise you and do everything in their crazy minds to prevent you from doing what you want to do and discourage you to stop and find a way to hate you. Granted everybody has an opinion and will go into deep lengths about it (I've done it on a couple occasions lately on Youtube and Facebook) and sometimes, you just got something to say whether it's good or terrible. 

I know fully well what it's like to get caught up in keyboard wars and utilizing Free Speech and express my opinions and observations. When you talk or write, be prepared for what people might say or do. Most of the time, people will just shoot their mouth off and nothing else comes after that but people can be cruel and harsh and act like they don't give a shit and try to destroy you. A written Journal might be the most precious thing they have in this world regardless of what is written; it's their escape, their sanctuary, a fortress of solitude, excalibur, the holy grail of their livelihood and their biggest secrets laid out just for them alone. 

One of the biggest problems with Social Media is the overkill of Freedom Of Speech, words can pound you into an oblivion more than a fight or gun or stabbing ever will. People have died because of things like Cyberbullying, feeling like no matter what they do it's better to not live and being damned if you do and damned if you don't. Seeing from both sides the good and the bad of what Social Media can do to a person. It's a matter of teaching, helping and using a positive format that people can go to or write into that makes them feel safe regardless of what they write, to not be judged, ridiculed and to be themselves. 

There are pros and cons to having a Journal or Diary whether it's for writing down how cute that boy or girl is, the feeling of happiness or sadness, being loved or being abused, scoring the winning touchdown or missed the ball in the most important game of your life at that very moment; anything. Sometimes we write things we don't always mean and it's better to write it down than shout it out and make things far worse. There's a saying that one moment could change everything and whether it's good or bad, that moment will determine how things will go on if at all. A journal can hold a secret so powerful, it could destroy or skyrocket a person's perception for the rest of their life. 

Journals may mean something to someone, other times it's just a book someone put thoughts down and nothing else ever happens and than, there's that thought of being able to still be optimistic that whether someone finds out what you wrote, talked about or typed up, it brings better clarity for all sides and people can still live their lives and not be feared of what they put down. It doesn't happen all the time, but it isn't impossible to happen.  

Creativity Within Simplicity

Mastering the basics is what we must do in order to advance to greater stages whether it's in sports, business, writing and fitness. If you don't master the basics and just jump into an advanced stage without any understanding or the concept of the steps, 99.9% of the time, you'll fail. Very rarely you see someone squeeze by and thrive. Although we process things differently, it's amazing what you can accomplish if you had an understanding of the small steps to reach the biggest heights.

Basics however, in my opinion, shouldn't be boring or lacking in interest. If you find yourself bored or in need to find a way to work those steps, make it worthwhile to you. Everyone is a genius but in order to succeed, we need to find our strengths that utilize what we can do as an individual. The basics are the foundation to what success brings. The better you can climb, the better you'll be successful.

One exercise that is so simple yet tough for most people is the Ab Wheel Rollout. It toughens up the Core and conditions the body that many don't understand the concept of. Crunches and Sit-Ups are good to an extent, they can however cause an injury and too many reps won't make those any stronger. The Ab Wheel isn't foolproof for injuries either but if you have a weak Core, you'll find out soon enough but with practice and learning how to engage the muscles, it can build strength and conditioning that Crunches & Sit-Ups won't even touch. 

Athletes from all over have done some form of Ab Wheel Training and one of the most successful was Bob Backlund who used the Wheel to develop a level of conditioning the General Population can't even possibly fathom. His strength was unusual for a man his size (6' around 225-235 in his prime) and he can go into 60 minute matches without getting tired. His rep count on the wheel consistently was in the hundreds and unlike many of his fellow wrestlers, he was in constant physical condition. 

Now you don't need to do hundreds of reps to get the full benefit of the wheel, just doing them in sets of 25-50 is more than enough and if you're doing 100 or more in a row, you're in elite class. The most I've ever done in a workout was 200 and not in a row. I would use a deck of cards along with doing step-ups to mix it up, calling it the Backlund Deck Of Madness. It's a total of 500 Step-Ups & 200 Rollouts. The most I've ever done in a row was 50 before I got bored.

How can you up the intensity of the exercise? You can do rollouts from Standing (One of the toughest exercises ever and puts a ton of stress on the back), you can do rollouts with two implements for each hand, a really creative way to get some big time intensity is to slap on Fat Gripz and just do the basic rollout from the knees. This really engages more muscles and targets more of the arms along with kicking your Core's ass. If your Wheel has foam on the handles, cut them off and slap on those Gripz. Squeeze the handles and start rolling out. Don't just plant the hands and rollout, work those forearms and that will automatically engage the upper body. You won't do a ton of these for reps but you'll still be building crazy strength and conditioning.

This is just an idea of how to use your creativity with simple exercises. Make it interesting and fun. You're already busting your ass training, why not have a little imagination to go with it, you might be surprised with the results.

Here's a video of doing the basic Rollout for high reps, about 35 to be exact (I wasn't counting until I saw the video and ended up repping out my age lol, pretty funny huh?). 

Here's a pic of what the Fat Gripz look like on the Wheel. Grab a pair here and try it out on your wheel. 

Sometimes Shorter Is Better

It's never truly easy to get in an hour long workout either at the gym or at home. Many people travel everyday for work or commute and work sometimes up to 12 hours a day and have to drive back which is an even bigger pain in the ass. Training is not always about being the fittest, the strongest or the most dedicated, it is often times just getting in what you can even for a few minutes.

Exercises throughout the day can be very beneficial especially if you're incredibly time restricted. Got kids? That's an even bigger obstacle but never believe for one second it is impossible to get in a workout just because you can't do it for 30 minutes or more straight through. For the average person it takes a ton of motivation and dedication to get in a good long workout in the midst of working, commuting, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, it's a lot, but not impossible.

Get up a few minutes earlier before getting ready for work and do some stretching or push-ups and squats, that might be your whole workout for the day which is perfectly fine. Do some Isometrics on your break at work for 5 minutes or do some exercises that don't make you sweat within a minute. When you get home and you're wrecked from your shift, do some deep breathing exercises or a couple mobility drills for your ankles, knees and hips. One thing you can use is what's called the Fit Tap App that works for androids, iphones, Ipads and maybe a couple others. This App gives you exercises you can do throughout the day; they're random so you never know what'll come up next. If an exercise doesn't work, do a modified variation or skip to the next one. You can create a good workout from this or spread it out.

Exercise when done right, gives you that extra boost of energy and puts you into a better state of mind. It strengthens your immune system and gives you greater mental clarity. I love it that it also boosts your brain and keeps you on your toes to stay active. Get the FitTap App and get moving, your body will thank you for it.

Haters Need Love Too

Today is just a wonderful day; birds are singing, people out on their walks and taking my daily dose of Dao Zou Training. Just swimming in an ocean of blissfulness and positive energy. I would like to channel that energy to my adoring haters who have recently messaged me on this blog and on Youtube.

When you get good at something or do a positive thing for people, there's going to be some lovely little "man" or "men" who just want to tear you down. Sometimes they become obsessive and don't do anything more than run their mouth and just give you the hardest time because they like to take advantage of their right to troll you or go blab to their silly little buddies about what you're doing is crap and all that. The truth, it's not really a reflection on you, it's them and how they believe that being an asshole makes them hot shit.

Frankly, they're just another side of a coin that we deal with but hey, maybe they didn't get a lot of love in their life, probably weren't breastfed or didn't kiss a girl until they were 30, it happens. Maybe they got something going on in their life you don't know, they could be a secret crossdresser and like to be called Ma'am, they could be a hypochondriac but in this case, they probably haven't seen or touched a woman in years and just need some good loving or wouldn't know a hold if they held a woman's ass.

Typing and trolling is a game of words and using emojis to "express" yourself doesn't necessarily tell the whole story behind your agenda. You can't see their faces, you don't know if their laughing, crying or thinking what would Charles Manson do if he met Hitler and Ted Bundy in the same bar. The wackadoos of the web have all sorts of weird things going on in their heads but they are human beings too and everyone deserves some kind of love.

Despite your itty bitty tiny dick syndrome comments you just love to bestow upon me, I want to say thank you for all you do. You help me realize everyday what not to do as a person and see that although acceptance takes patience, you are without question a big inspiration for me to continue doing what I love to do. So if you choose to troll and try to kill my vibe, than expect the unexpected. I could respond in a fun way or maybe not at all but if I don't respond, just know that I'm kicking ass living my life and having an amazingly awesome time with the things I have.

Here's my humble and sincere salute to you and all the beautiful nutjobs, morons and ghoulish trolls that are just like you. Have an amazingly awesome day and may the force be with you.

 

A Meditation Walk To Enhance Calmness Tranquility And More

Over the weekend, I thought I'd get to practicing a moving meditation method called Dao Zou. I've written about it in the past and had good results. It's something that seemed cool to get back into to relieve stress and feel calmer throughout the day and have a better peace of mind. I do admit that I have anxiety issues that have been going on for as long as I can remember and after the last times I did Dao Zou, I felt awesome and then I drifted away from it.

So far, I have done 7 sessions of this method, it takes about 30 minutes minimum or 2000+ steps which is the required time or steps to do. I do it in the morning and at night which takes up a total of an hour a day. As of this moment, I feel very much at ease and full of smiles and happy thoughts. Is it a cure for anxiety? I don't believe so and I'm just getting back into it so I don't have a complete opinion on it just yet but I will say I would rather do this than be on medication (which I don't do anyway) and it is very simple to do.

I learned this from Matt Furey and after studying it and learning by paying attention to my breathing and thoughts, it has given me good ideas of what I can do with it. My main way of thinking into this is channeling my thoughts with my breathing by saying certain mantras or using positive imagery to spice things up. My breathing is always through the nose and out the nose and every two to three times I circle an area where I'm doing it I think the following......

Breathe In Calm Mind

Breathe Out Calm Body

Next Would Be......

Breathe In Love

Breathe Out Hate

After That...

Breathe In Happiness

Breathe Out Despair

I have a little fun since I'm a Star Wars fan and channel my inner nerd by Breathing In the word Jedi and breathing out the word Sith and imagine breathing in a blue or green lightsaber and breathing out the Darkside Of The Force to relieve the body of negative energy, fear, anger, worry and others.

It sounds off the wall and seems like some New Age mumbo jumbo and to some people, maybe it is but it is also important to keep an open mind and look at the possibilities of learning what it would feel like to go through the day feeling like a million bucks and doing things that seem effortless. Getting rid of the junk in your head without forcing anything and feeling peaceful almost every minute of the day. Seriously who in their bloody mind wouldn't want that?

Aside from anxiety, I do have a bit of ADD and always doing something whether physically moving or sitting and doing something, my brain often times is all over the place and never really seem to focus on a single thing in the present moment. This method could be something to help channel and set those things aside or maybe go away all together but I do want to get better not just being calmer and have a brighter grin from ear to ear but other things that I have goals for.

I also have a heavy intuition and a memory that baffles people and it doesn't seem believable until you're actually around me. I can recall things or pick up on certain things quicker than most people and have a pretty damn good photographic memory in which I can spell out statistics, certain trivial stuff be able to remember things in the smallest details as if they happened yesterday even though I was like 9 or 10. With Dao Zou, it has been said to enhance memory and open up the brain in a unique way, well that just tells me the sky's the limit to how far that enhancement can go. Almost like getting a dose of the Super Soldier Serum just by the way you walk.

Take a gander and see where it leads, if you feel it's not for you, that's ok. I highly encourage you to give this meditation a chance and open up to the idea of unlocking your true self, a variation of the Force if you will.

A Bear And Chimp Walk Into A Bar

Sounds like the start of a really bad joke, or a good one depending on the context. Either way, these are the two animals that are the stars of our post today. You've read for the umpteenth time about my workouts with animal movements and how awesome they are. Here's another look at how you can make workouts fun and exciting, not just to train but to aid in your conditioning and it is a great game for kids as well.

A favorite of mine is using a deck of cards and the unlimited possibilities of turning a boring workout into something that will kick your ass but love it at the same time. This deck of cards workout will have you huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf that can blow down a brick house. Using just the Bear Crawl and what's called the Chimp Walk for upper and lower body exercises, here's how it goes doing steps as reps, you can go as slow or as fast as you want however, the faster you go, the more challenging it gets.....

Red Cards = Bear Crawls

Black Cards = Chimp Walk

K/Q/J = 20 Reps

Aces = 32 Reps

Jokers = 50 Bear Crawls

2-10 = Doubled Value

This in total will be a total of 500-600 Bear Crawls and 400 Chimp Walks. This can be used as a warm up for athletes or as a stand alone workout that targets your conditioning, coordination, speed, endurance, muscular strength, stamina and more. Bear Crawls alone will put most people down but to add another exercise into the fold, a whole other level bro. How long should you be able to do this? If you can do a full deck at a good clip, shouldn't be more than 15-18 minutes, elite would be around 10-12, that's hauling ass either way but don't move so damn fast you'll be tripping on yourself.

The most elite athletes in the world have done Bear Crawls at one tie or another and for god reason, it hits just about every muscle in the body and gives you incredible lung power so you can stay in the game longer. Have a go at this this workout and give me a shout in how you did. Don't have a ton of space, just go back and forth in the space you do have. If you do have a good amount of space, instead of walking back to the cards to flip one, jog or sprint to make it interesting.

Here's a demo of how I do the Chimp Walk, normally I can go lower than this but I wanted to show what you can do if you're a beginner or don't have a lot of flexibility.

How Long Can You Hold Onto The Dark Lord Of The Sith?

Darth Vader by all accounts is the most badass villain in all of cinema, period. He's ruthless, dominating and has incredible abilities that even the best Jedi are jealous of. To even fight him in a lightsaber duel goes one of two ways; you either have a great set of balls (or chesticals if you're a lady Jedi) or you're just dumb enough to think you can even last long with him. Either way, holding him off long enough is gut wrenching as it is.

When it comes to Isometrics, it can test you in ways that regular exercise just can't. Holding a position or squeezing every fiber of your being for a few seconds takes mental strength to another level. Like training to be a Jedi, it takes patience, concentration, physical attributes and durability. Even as you succeed as a Jedi, it's a tough road, just like Isometrics but a tough road can lead you on a path to mastery and wisdom not many possess.

Isometrics by holding weight is a method that was practiced by strongmen, laborers and other physically active people of the past. Now let's take for example holding out a 3 lb. ball about the size of a softball, put it out in front at shoulder level, doesn't sound hard now does? When your arm starts to get tired, switch arms and keep going, how long did you hold it for? Now imagine a man being able to do this for 8 WHOLE HOURS; this isn't exaggerated either, the legendary Bruce Lee once did this. If anyone was a real life Jedi in his time, it was the Dragon.

When you hold weight for a certain amount of time, it tackles your whole body and takes on a life of its own as you fight to hold on and using muscles you normally don't use and hitting not just the muscles but the tendons, the ligaments, strengthening the bone structure and developing incredible endurance and durability. The Darth Vader Kettlebell weighs 70 lbs which for strength purposes isn't needed more than that but to hold it for an extended period of time can be agonizing if you haven't done it before. Picking up and holding a quarter to half squat for more than 2 minutes is a damn good feat of strength, endurance, durability and power. It toughens you up that's for damn sure.

Start this with maybe a 24kg Kettlebell and work your way up. You can go for more time if you want but the heavier you go, the more focus it becomes on the back, legs, hips and grip. Holding a heavy weight without dropping it can put you in a state you've never been to before.

Want to be faster? Do Isometrics, want that strength from all sorts of angles? Do Isometrics. An exercise like this may not seem like much but there's a ton going on that nobody else sees. Power up and vanquish the Sith Lord with a vengeance.

May The Force Be With You.

My Isometric Power Belt Routine

I have been asked what my routine is with the Isometric Power Belt and as I revealed it in a DM on Instagram, I figured why the hell not and share it with the rest of you. It's not a particular routine I would do everyday and not always in the same order and as you know, I'm not a routine guy so the mere fact that I developed one is pretty unusual for me. It's hard and a little more advanced than most who practice Isometrics. There's not a whole lot of rest between contractions because I also want to get the cardio aspect of it as well, it is also with controlled breathing as possible and meant for not only creating definition but also develop great durability, crazy strength, conditioning and powerful tendons.

This routine is less than 30 minutes which should be at level of time, it's not a speed through and trying to finish within 20 minutes or less, it takes a little time to adjust the strap for the exercises you want to do. Pay attention to your breathing and if you need a break than use it, adjust and go to the next exercise. It is a full body workout. It took me some time to develop this and working different Isometrics from a ton of angles that I picked the best ones I found gave me the most benefit. This can be added to a routine you already do or as a stand-alone (which I prefer) and it burns calories like crazy. This routine should be done at least in the morning because when you're done, you'll still burn calories for a long time and it kicks in your metabolism. Whenever I do this as a morning routine, I always feel hungry afterwards which is unusual because 90-95% of the time, it takes me several hours before feeling hungry after waking up.

Imagine having a routine that doesn't take a ton of time but gets A LOT done and can be done just about anywhere and anytime. You'll be hitting angles and creating incredible positional strength that the rest of the day just might feel like a breeze. Another benefit is that after the workout, you might feel more relaxed and energized and ready to kickstart the day. Don't have 30 minutes and need to spread it out? You can most certainly do that, that would actually be better for you if you're a beginner and do the various muscle groups one at a time throughout the day or do up to three. If you're a complete beginner, you can do certain muscles one day and do the others on other days, it is up to you. 

Here it is (Not in particular order of muscle groups).......

-BICEPS

Reverse Curl (Low, Mid & Up Positions) Each Arm

Hammer Curl (Low, Mid & Up Positions) Each Arm 

Palms Up Curl (Low, Mid & Up Positions) Each Arm

Total: 18 Contractions

-TRICEPS

Tricep Press Down (Low, Mid & Up Positions) Both Arms

Total: 3 Contractions

-BACK

Upright Row (Low, Mid & Up Positions) Both Arms

Deadlift (Low Thigh & Upper Thigh Pull) Both Arms

Total: 5 Contractions

-SHOULDERS

Overhead Press (Low, Mid & Up Positions) Each Arm

Bow & Arrow Pull Left & Right Arm

Total: 5 Contractions

(Other exercises for different days that aren't part of the routine or can be done throughout the day)

Horseshoe Pull or "Lawnmower Pull" (Inspired by Alexander Zass) x 2 Contractions

Handcuff Pull (Front & Behind Back, Mid & Up Positions Of The Front) x 4 Contractions

Shoulder Raises x 18 Contractions

Standing Chest Press x 3 Contractions

So the routine when I do it is a total of 31 Isometric Contractions. It's a hell of a routine and shouldn't be done more than 4 times a week at advanced level otherwise you'll burn out and put your body in overload. You don't want to hurt yourself and please for the love of all that is Physical Culture, breathe dammit. Never, under any circumstances hold the breath when you do the Isometric Contractions, that will skyrocket your blood pressure and cause damage to your internal organs, not to mention a highly possible Aneurysm. This routine is to be with controlled breathing using the "ffff" or "sss" sound as you exhale and concentrated on the muscles at hand. This routine is not meant for everyone so if you have any issues that can cause problems, talk to a doc and if he says don't do it, listen and don't do it. 

Isometrics is a simple method but it takes practice and not for seeing how hard you can contract a muscle. The percentage of a contraction in this routine is no more than 70% of your strength. If you wish to go higher like at 85-95% of your strength (or contraction) than you'll need to rest between exercises as long as needed or cut down the amount of exercises you do. It's about being smart in how you apply Isometrics. If you wish to do Aerobic Isometrics (Contractions at 30-50% capacity for 30 seconds or longer) Do 1 position of the exercises (eg. mid pull/push) and contract the muscle for up to a minute. There are many ways you can do this routine but for the most part, have fun with it and be careful. 

Short Plank Workout That Will Make Your Core Beg For Mercy

When it comes to Isometric Exercise, the most popular that most people know is the Plank. Very simple; just get into a pushup position on your hands or forearms and hold it as long as you can without coming down to your knees. It's simple but not easy. Some people can barely last 30 seconds and others have held it for 5 minutes or more. It does however get boring after a while once you "mastered it."

There are all sorts of variations of the plank that doing just one for an extended period of time would be just limiting yourself. It does hold certain benefits such as building strength in your core, your tendons, shoulders, upper back and more but I feel the longer you can go with a certain variation, it's time to change things up.

Most hold a plank like on the hands or forearms like I mentioned earlier but what if you held it on your fists or fingertips? How about with your arms bent in the mid position or in the superman hold? One workout I did was hold a plank on my fists for over a minute but was also wearing my 20 lb weight vest. I'm around 260-265 lbs so I'm holding up about 65% of my bodyweight in the plank position, so calculate that (260 x .65 = 169 lbs.) and add 20 to that and you have nearly 190 lbs, that's a lot of weight to be holding in that position. That is a good amount of strength being developed.

Now let's kick it up a notch (without the weight vest this time) and do a plank workout where every few breaths or so, you change the hand positions in the plank without coming down. You can change one hand at a time or both hands it's up to you but think how your fired up your core would be if you changed the positioning on a dime. Fist one hand and flat palm the other, both fists, flat hands but the arms are bent, all of that in the plank position.

Some film it to test their durability and to show that Isometrics are an incredible method and telling people to toughen themselves up. It's brutal but its the kind of training many should strive for. I do it because it's fun and finding creative ways to train that could carry over to other areas. Imagine how strong your arms would be overall if you did various plank exercises in one shot and forget sit-ups and crunches, your core will be on fire just holding yourself up let alone changing the hand positions.

In the video below, I do a plank workout where I hold for over 2 minutes changing the positions of my hands in the process. 2 minutes sounds easy but I assure you, it definitely isn't. Try it and see how you do. You will test your strength that is non traditional and working muscles you didn't think would be working. Just trying to be flat is hard enough. If you think a minute on your forearms is easy, than I challenge YOU to do this.

Happy Revenge Of The Fifth

Yesterday was incredible not only was it beautiful out but it was also me and my wife's 1st Anniversary plus it's also cool to be have it on Star Wars Day. Had a great breakfast of Eggs, French Toast & Sausages, went out on a beautiful drive by Coeur D' Alene Lake to a spot called Osprey Point overlooking the water. Taking pictures, talking about our future and spending amazing quality time together. Couldn't be any happier.

My workout mainly that day was just Isometrics using my Isometric Power Belt. Got in plenty of exercises doing curls, pressdowns, upright rows, deadlifts, shoulder presses, bow and arrow pulls and others in Iso Fashion. Hope everyone is having an amazingly awesome day. You can check out our pictures on my facebook.

Isometric Training is such a kick ass method that has you doing all sorts of exercises from limitless angles that also generates incredible strength and surging power in your system. Now for the most part it normally takes me several hours after waking up to even feel hungry but after that Iso Workout yesterday not too long before breakfast, I devoured the food me and my wife made. It's a hell of a fat burner and burning calories after the workout is a big bonus as well. I love using the Strap I have.

Isometrics alone can be a phenomenal workout but in order to get maximal results, adding in some bodyweight exercises, weights and other implements would be ideal. Some like to use isometrics as an addition to their routine, before or after a workout or just a day of Isometrics and the rest of the week do whatever. I like to use Isometrics often as something to do before I do other methods throughout the day or depending on my energy levels, do micro workouts of Isometrics or other other things. It boils down to what gets you going and where you're at that day.

Make your training meaningful and something that makes you proud to be able to do things most can't. Train smart and train with intensity and passion. You can work hard all you want but if the passion and the drive aren't there and all you're doing is digging yourself into a fitness grave, it's not worth your time or your health.

The Frank Gotch Squat Challenge

I normally don't get in the habit of doing certain challenges but one came up that I might try out just to see how it goes. After my legs heal up from some crazy soreness doing hundreds of Hindu Squats the other day I'll give this a chance. It is named after the legendary American Catch As Catch Can Wrestler Frank Gotch (1878-1917).

I first heard of this challenge by the Scottish Wonder Woman Kirsten "LittleTank" Tulloch who got it from I believe Travis Futrell but I'm not entirely sure but it seems one heck of a challenge and a hell of a leg workout. Frank Gotch was to Wrestling back in the early 20th century was what Wayne Gretzky was to Hockey, he dominated opponents and was known as a Hooker; a feared wrestler who knew how to cripple his opponents.

You can learn more about Frank Gotch by getting some of his books on wrestling and his life here.....

The Squat Challenge can be done in different ways (especially if you're a sucker for loving Leg Day) but the main premise is this.....

Hold a half squat or ass to grass squat for 30 seconds

Come up do 1 Bodyweight Squat

Hold for 30 Seconds

Do 2 Bodyweight Squats

Hold for 30 Seconds

Do 3 Bodyweight Squats

Repeat the hold and go up a number of squats until you can't go anymore. Rest 2 minutes than do 5 minutes of as many Squats as you can.

Some might do the full squat hold but I prefer the half squat since you feel more of the legs in that position and as for the squats, I prefer the Hindu Squats. It'll test you that's for sure and you'll feel your legs like jello. Conditioning is an athlete's greatest asset and the more you can outlast the next guy, the better. Challenges can be a change of pace and testing your abilities to see what kind of shape you're in. You don't have to be a wrestler to be in good condition but if you plan on being a wrestler, conditioning is your best friend before technique and sparring/competing. Have fun with this and see how you do.

Some Days Are Just Not As Easy As Others

Ever have one of those days where you just don't have it all there? It happens and sometimes your body just doesn't always cooperate with your mind and your energy isn't all there. I did the deck of cards today doing Hindu Push-Ups & Hindu Squats, managed only half the deck which makes me a little pissed since the last time I did it I went through the whole thing. At least it's better than nothing and still got a good workout out of it.

Over the years, I've managed to get a workout in everyday without fail, rain, snow, the flu, minor injuries and having low and high energy. It's just what I do but I know I'm not superhuman and can go at it 100% every time. The body needs recovery time and when that happens; take a walk/hike, do deep breathing exercises, practice CoreForce Energy, do Aerobic Isometrics, low intensity exercise but at least do something. Today was just a day where my body is thrown off and need to let my body recover a little more plus it's no fun having built up earwax in your ear and half hear out of it (glad I can help with the visual), I did use some removal to help rid of the wax and probably need to do a couple more times than i'll be ok.

Our energies can go way up or way down depending on the situation and it's not always the weather, your zodiac sign or the voice in your head telling you how to feel. Our bodies just have certain days where it's just not there and that's ok. Everybody is different and we all experience various levels of energy. This is more of a lesson of being intuitive and doing what you can do in the point in time. Be careful and listen to your body. Yes there's mind over matter but you can only go for so long before it could bite you in the ass and you can end up really hurt and not do things for a long time. Be smart in your training and trust your instincts.

Recover well my friends and get back to kicking ass when you can.

Hindu Push-Ups And Hindu Squats: A Card Workout For The Ages

Having a solid level of conditioning can be a lifesaver and not just physically. However, being in top shape doesn't come easy but there are smart ways to get in shape and one of the best is through a deck of cards. Having been successful with various decks with multiple variations of exercises, I can say that it does wonders more than what people give it credit for. Karl Gotch believed in it so much it was one of his foundations for developing into a Conditioning Machine. The guy just never seemed to tire.

Karl's style of the bible is through four exercises; The Hindu Push-up, The Hindu Squat, 1/2 Moon Push-ups & Hindu Jumping Squats. He got so good at them that when we wanted to test his limits, he'd triple the number of reps for the exercises or he'd go through the deck more than once, how the hell can you not have crazy stamina from that? I have tried out the 1/2 Moon Push-ups with Gotch's student Tom Puckett when I use to go to the gym with him and for some reason, that push-up never clicked with me, it felt very awkward and doing any proper reps never made it. It's a good variation but it's definitely not meant for everyone.

When I was doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible (Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers) on a consistent basis especially for the many days in a row I did with it this year so far, I got good at them to a degree, my form with tablemakers was never that great because of the way my hips are but doing that many reps with that exercise did help certain areas but I was never truly fond of it. The V-Ups were a little different, my core did get stronger and I like them better than the Tablemakers but when it comes to Core Building, I never truly liked sit-ups and all that, not that they're not good, just not meant for me. My form in Hindu Push-ups however has gotten better and I'm starting to like them more than I did in the past, same with Hindu Squats; I would do mainly up to 500 Squats at a time and with the cards, I don't need to do much of them unless it was a full deck of nothing but Squats.

When you just do the Hindu Push-ups & Hindu Squats, you don't need to do more than those 2. They are the foundation and the multiple variations of them is just icing on the cake. When I do the cards, for face cards for the Hindu Push-up, I use my Push-up Handles and do them with two variations; the hands places horizontally and placed Vertically, this way I'm not working the same set of muscles every time and just do regular Hindu Push-ups for lower numbered cards (so really three variations). Gotch once said "Always work your muscles from every possible angle." 

I've thought about going back to just the Push-ups & Squats and use that for a conditioning program or a foundation for exercises done later in the day so I'm working my body from many directions. My Core Conditioning mainly consists of HIIT, Animal Movements and the Wheel. For a period doing just the Push-ups & Squats gave me energy to do everything else because I got the hardest workout already done and was smooth sailing from there, maybe I can do that again and start fresh. 

Even though a deck is just a deck, it can also take down even the most conditioned men around and still have them begging for more. Wrestlers have used it, Football Players, MMA Fighters, Bodyweight Enthusiasts, Barstarzz Guys and it's also a time saver if you want to push yourself but not go for hours on end. It is brutal and it's never the same twice. It won't turn you into the world's strongest man but it can aid in how your level of stamina goes and you will last longer in other endeavors. Break out a deck and see how you do, I look forward to hearing about it. 

The Last Stand: Breaking Free Of The Wretched Slime

I guess I'm now one of those guys who has a literal following of Anti-Fans or HATERS that can't seem to shut up about how awful and "retarded" I' am. I have written about them before and I won't mention their site by name. It has been going on for years and up until about a year ago, I started actually paying attention to it. Why I did that, still beats the hell out of me.

I've had people tell me to stay away from them and I didn't listen. I let my own ego get the best of me and I'm not ashamed to admit this, but they came within inches of completely breaking me. I let their warped minds get in my head and for a period, let them live not only rent free but I practically handed over the fucking keys and say "here you go assholes, trash the place and I'll clean it up." I couldn't write, I can barely get a workout in (even 5 minutes felt like a chore) and I was at my weakest mentally and it is my own damn fault.

A friend I made from Matt Furey's Facebook Group said something to me that made a light bulb go off in my head so bright, it could blind Superman. His name is Gideon and he and the others that I FINALLY really listened to and hit me like a freaking freight train (I know, took my ass long enough) inspired me to stand up for myself and live what I love to do and that's train to the best of my abilities and understand that although the haters exist, I don't need to know what they say or do because all they have as a life preserver is negative bullshit that just won't DIE.

The only person in control of their destiny and the way they handle things is ME. Not only do they no longer have the keys, their bones are broken and they're crippled from me taking them. Haters do exist and us writers, bloggers, online entrepreneurs deal with them in our own way. This is mine so to cap this off, here's a little SONG from one of my favorite bands Alestorm that sums up what I really want to say and do to my haters and all the negative people that continue to trash me, my friends, my fellow bloggers and writers.

*WARNING* This song is NSFW.

Be Safe, Stay Strong & Stay Healthy.

Crawling On The Wild Side

For being stuck at home, you can only do so much until that feeling of being closed in kicks in and cabin fever is hitting you like a Mike Tyson punch. Let's take a trip to the wild, maybe not the chaos or going out to a masked filled crowd kind of wild but in our imaginations. A few of my recent workouts have been 10 minutes of my Animal Dice Game with some deep breathing at the end to recover and it has had me feel like a million bucks and letting everything just bask in the glory of blissfulness.

Working out at home can get boring at times and often it's because people end up doing boring, traditional exercises. Animal Movements not only save you a ton of time but you don't have to a ton of exercise either to get the job done. I don't know if you want to turn yourself into a wild animal and terrorize the house like a beast locked in a cage, that might be too easy to do since being on lockdown feels exactly that but moving outside or using a little space to move back and forth can really put you into a state of mental clarity and just having fun. After all, isn't that what we need at the moment, to have a little joy in these dark times?

One of the best exercises you can do is the Bear Crawl. It's very simple, get on all fours and start moving. You won't last very long but it does give you the ability to develop strength, conditioning and other attributes that can actually be lifesaving. You've done a bear crawl at least once in your lifetime; races, football practice, warm up drills in wrestling, testing how long you can go until your arms fall off or playing a game. It has become more of a recreational exercise than for long-term health training. There are different variations you can do but my personal favorite is the way wrestlers, football players, Navy SEALS do them and if it works for them, well.....You don't have to do them fast either, walk slower and still get great benefits.

A good workout would be to do Bear Crawls in your driveway and just go until you have nothing left. I do a demonstration of just putting on some Gardener's Gloves, getting into position and just crawl until I come back around. Takes just under a minute but in that time, i'm hitting every muscle in my body, my arms are like a second pair of legs and focusing on my breathing. There's more to it going on but you get my point, it's a natural form of movement, it takes out the guessing game and makes it painfully obvious if your coordination isn't right, you're going to fall on your face or tip over. There's nothing complicated about doing Bear Crawls, you'll learn first hand if you're doing it right or not.

Have fun, be safe, get strong and be healthy everyone. If you have something to share, feel free to send me a shout.

Care For A Stroll?

Even in the darkest of days, it's good to take a little walk and give your body some fresh air and the blood pumping. Walking is not only a healthy form of exercise but it gives your brain a little boost as well. Every now and then, I'd take a good stroll around the neighborhood for about a half hour to an hour or more and check out the cool houses, the beautiful trees surrounding the areas and getting a beautiful clear view of the Lake. It just puts me at ease and a way to just let everything go for a moment.

Yesterday however, I thought I'd take a different stroll but not around the neighborhood but in my driveway. I took out my Power Wheel, put on some Gardener's Gloves, strap myself in and started walking on my HANDS. This is a hell of an upper body conditioning workout in and of itself. Working everything from head to toe to try to keep balance and not fall off. I haven't done this in a while but it felt good just to test myself out a bit. Needed to take a break a time or two but that's what happens when you try to work your arms as if they were legs.

This really stresses the entire body, mainly the shoulders, arms and wrists. The strength and power you can possess if you did this often is incredible and the condition your core will be in is Epically beneficial as well. Walking in this manner takes incredible concentration and it will bite you in the ass if you don't have the right balance. The idea here is to develop incredible conditioning that lasts and gives you real world functional strength in the long-run. Take your time and as a beginner, just hold yourself up and learn how to balance yourself, take small steps and work your way up.

Be Safe, Stay Strong & Be Healthy.

Thor Catches Loki

The love/hate relationship between the God of Thunder and the God of Mischief is nothing new and brings a lot of metaphors to how we see our relationships in our lives with people. This however, is a lot more Epic even though there's still mystery behind the world of the Vikings and their Legendary Myths and Gods. We also are legendary for having a love/hate relationships with ourselves.

If you have seen any of the Marvel films involving Thor & Loki, it shows that even though there's bitterness, there's still light within the brothers of Asgard (even though Loki is adopted and was born to the Frost Giants). They are polar opposites in just about every way but their opposition is what is the yin and yang of the world, a balance between good and evil and even though we hate to admit it, without Loki or the likes of him, the world would be out of whack. You can't be victorious or a failure without an obstacle, you can't strategize in war without conflict and you certainly can't have god without the devil (the demons within that we face everyday and battle).

In fitness, it's the battle of getting fit or strong or flexible and battling the constant changes our world raves on us but we conquer or set goals to keep ourselves from ever going back to where we were before. It's Muscle vs. Fat and much like Thor & Loki, we need both to survive, one cannot exist without the other yet we keep pushing or inevertantly putting on more of one or the other.

One exercise that depicts the battle of Thor and Loki is an exercise that needs one implement heavy enough that when you work it, you're finding out you're working more than just what it's said to do. In this case, we will use a sledgehammer, another tool anyone can add to their arsenal of becoming incredibly powerful. The best sledgehammers you can find are at strongergrip.com. This exercise I learned from Strongman and Myth enthusiast Kevin Wikse called Thor Catches Loki where you take a heavy object (Mace or Sledgehammer would be do) and start working your hands up and down for a minute or more and you're gripping and catching the implement as fast as you can without putting it down. Think of this exercise as a similar thing to when you were a kid and played baseball with your buddies and one captain tried to grip upward until it reached the top to see who got to bat first.

This exercise will test your Grip Strength, Agility, Coordination, Reflexes in the Hands and Core Strength. The longer you go, the more brutal it gets and if you have a heavy one (25 or more lbs), you won't be having soft hands for long. 5 Minutes of working up and down will feel like forever but that's the gold standard of working this exercise. I made a video where I use Big Bertha (My 59 lb Epic Sledgehammer) where I do this exercise in a Horse Stance (talk about building crazy leg strength) and go for about a minute or so before putting it down. Although a demo, I felt so many muscles in that moment that everything was just on fire. It is no joke.

It can actually be a fun exercise if you use your imagination and pretend your hands are Thor & Loki (or other Rivals that resemble the Gods like Zeus vs. Cronos, Jesus vs. Satan, Shiva Vs. Kali) whatever works for you use that to make the exercise more interesting. It's a constant battle until the fall of the world (putting the heavy object down) comes to an end. It puts things in perspective and you learn not just testing your grip skills and speed but you're learning what it takes to keep the world going until the battle is won or lost and it revitalizes itself again to bring balance.

What Is Your Workout Playlist?

When I use to go to the gym, there was some good music playing over the speakers around the place but sometimes, some songs don't always cut it and I love music that fires me up and gets the adrenaline pumping. You can always wear headphones and play some tunes on your phone which was what I did when I would warm up in the MMA room before grappling or just to get away from the rest of the gym pack but nothing at least to me is more meaningful than listening to your own list working out by yourself at home or wherever except the gym.

I'm pretty big on metal and hard rock which a lot of gym owners play but when you can make up your own list at home or play music suited to you in your home gym, it just fuels you up more. I'm big on playing bands many have heard of but plenty of those that big fans of the genre listen to and the rest of the world doesn't know who the hell they are. Those heavy riffs, the epic poetry of the lyrics and the fire that burns within when a certain chorus just hits you in the gut and makes you push harder.

I've broken many PR's listening to good tunes and anything I find that is new to me, I add it to the list. The power, the rush, the hard focus and the fuel to just make you bust your ass and have a blast doing it. It almost becomes meditative and you're in this trance of epic proportions, nothing scares you, everything else in life becomes a blur and the drive that pushes you to the very limit, that's how music should be played when you train.

My list is pretty long but here are a few songs that put me into a state where once I get going, very few people will last with me......

Rebellion by Van Canto

Break Me Down by Our Waking Hour

Torn By Disturbed

Seven Windows Weep by Sirenia

Master Of Puppets by Metallica

Stillborn by Black Label Society

Bloodbound by Hammerfall

Declaration Day by Iced Earth

Hail To The King by Avenged Sevenfold

Resist And Bite by Sabaton

Breakdown by Beasto Blanco

That's basically a full album alone to listen to. Some of these bands you'll never hear in a gym, the majority yes but at least 4 I have never heard in a gym. There's a reason music can be incredibly powerful to have and be in a hypnotic state of seeing epic imagery and hearing sounds that make you feel strong as hell or have stupid endurance. If you don't have a training partner, this list alone will pump you up and just hammer shit out.

Do you have a specific playlist? Some people aren't into metal or hard rock which I can understand and other forms of music are more their style, Brooks Kubik for example is a big fan of Epic Orchestras that play songs like the Flight Of The Valkyries. Some classic music is very workable for certain people, however, I just don't understand how people can work out to bands like ABBA or Michael Jackson LOL; I want to train hard, not dance the night away. Subtract that with Judas Priest or even Jimi Hendrix and you're golden bro.

Playful Stretching For Those Dark Times

Let's face it, although it's safe to be home during this period of time, it also can suck if you're having trouble figuring out what the hell to do. One of the best things you can do is train and not just for trying to not be bored or going through the motions but to also keep healthy, strengthen your mind and body and to keep having a positive attitude.

Stretching can be kinda boring which is why I don't do a ton of it but when you can be creative in how you stretch, it becomes something entirely different. It can be meditative, it can be something that will have you sweating but feeling like a million bucks but it also can channel your brain and develop new skills that will keep your body strong in the long run.

Yes it is easier to just be on the couch especially since many people can't go to work but it's very important to have your body be supple and flexible in order to do certain things, plus it can be very fun. One of my favorite things to do for stretching is combining different methods and combining them together to create a fun routine where all bets are off and you can change exercises on a dime while thinking quickly and testing your skills of mind and body as a single unit. I have practiced quite a few methods including Animal Flow, Ginastica Natural, DDP Yoga, Gymnastics and regular calisthenics but what if we put all those methods together to create a super routine that brings the creative side of exercise and get fit at the same time.

Although we have a lot of time on our hands these days, there are still families out there that have a few kids at home and that alone can be a workout that seems to go on forever and you're about to keel over just after playing in the fort for hours on end. A good routine that lasts no more than a few minutes can really save your sanity and it can be used throughout the day when you need a break or don't want to workout too long.

I made a youtube video of doing a routine that lasts just over 5 minutes that will have you moving and holding all sorts of exercises, can be used as a warm-up or as a standalone workout if you're short on time and need to get something in while the kids nap or something. It can be done anywhere, can be modified to your level and it makes your body work as a single unit. It stretches everything and opens up the hips, stretches every area of the back, works your core, teaches you to control your breathing and if you move fast (safely of course) it can be a good cardio workout too.

Create your own flows and holds and stay blissful during these dark days. Be safe, stay strong and make things work for you.

 

Swing Away My Friends

"Now that's what I call a Swinging Party."- Baloo The Bear


Getting fresh air can be a good thing since we've been told to stay home. In your backyard or out on the front lawn, getting in a good workout can really get you into the "swing" of things. Recently, on a nice sunny day, I went out and swung my Monster Mace that weighs about 25 lbs. Doing various exercises to really target my grip strength, coordination and a little cardio. The Mace is a great tool that has been used for centuries by Indian Wrestlers training in the ancient art of Kushti.

In modern day fitness, it is used to help those get fit with minimal equipment and work exercises that hit muscles that most weight training exercises don't. People like Mr. Maceman Rik Brown, Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling, Zenkahuna, Ryan Pitts and others have made Mace Swinging an art form and bringing back an ancient art of building warriors and conditioned people.

If you do some research on the Mace, you'll find that it's not always how heavy the mace is, it's the performance of the movements with the Mace that take on a entity of itself. Unlike a barbell where you do limited planes of movement, the Mace forces you to stay coordinated and balanced in a very unique way. There are all sorts of exercises you can do that will strengthen your core like crazy, build a powerful grip and challenges the way you move your elbows, shoulders, hands and wrists.

This implement is a lot of fun to use and you can play around with a lot of exercises that gets you fit and develops functional strength and power.

Are You A Bold One?

"General Kenobi...You are a bold one."- General Grievous


Being geeky just adds the fun to things. It's no fun being on lockdown but that doesn't mean you can't make the best of it right? This is a time of self-reflection, channeling your imagination and enhancing your creativity. Since many gyms are closed, what the hell do you do now? There's still a way to get fit while in quarantine and you don't need any special equipment to do it. All you need is your own bodyweight and the will to push through your mental strength. A workout that doesn't take up a ton of tie but gets the job done.

We can go out for a run or a walk but for the most part, being told to stay home is the primary objective and if you want to get your cardio in, you'll have to find a way to do it. I have a solution that can really amp up your lungs and help build strength, conditioning and speed. It's three exercises done in a circuit for a few rounds and that's all you'll have to do.

It may look easy but it's not something you want to mess with. You'll be doing Push-ups, Squats & Punches, sounds pretty simple but even simple can kick your ass. It's called Bold Choice, a circuit workout from the world of Neila Rey and her website Darebee.com. You can do this anywhere and barely a few square feet of floor space. Do you think you can handle it?

I also have filmed doing this workout so you can see how it's done. It is important to note that if you're a beginner, rest when needed between rounds and go at your own level. I don't rest at all and go straight through it to really fire up my conditioning. Have fun and be sure to check out other workouts on the website where you can download programs, nutrition info and much more. Help support this site by donating or ordering their workout programs in book form on Amazon. 

The Transformetrics Isometric Power Belt Workout

The beauty of Isometrics is how they can be used just about anywhere with no special equipment whatsoever, but there are some things or specific equipment that can help hit muscles in certain areas that free-hand, weights or your environment don't hit so you can strengthen those areas. I have written in the past about the Isometric Power Belt from Transformetrics/Bronze Bow Publishing and how it's been a secret weapon of mine to strengthen my body from more angles than I can count.

The belt itself is just a tool, it's nothing really special in reality, it's not the end-all-be-all Isometric Apparatus and it's not going to make you a superman or wonder woman but it can enhance levels of strength from virtually limitless angles, the only thing it'll lack is your imagination. I was given two updated belts by John Peterson himself and we were going to see what I can do with them. I was very successful with it and because I didn't really need a second belt, I gave the other one to Bud Jeffries as a gift for being the man that married me and my wife.

Because of the length of the belt, you can make double loops with it and add more exercises to the repertoire as opposed to the original belt that was much shorter. Personally, I' not a fan of the double loops and it takes up more time than I want when it needs adjusted to the exercise I want to do. I love single loops better because I can focus on one arm at a time and I won't have to feel like I'm stepping on the damn thing or having the buckle push into my back. While reading the pamphlet for the original belt and coming up with exercises on my own, I never truly needed the updated version of the belt pamphlet/book and I'm sure I came up with exercises that the book won't have.

John Peterson has made countless claims on what the belt can do, most of them are exaggerated as hell but his heart is in the right place but like I said before, I have made great progress with it like; keeping weight down (My heaviest was 275 and with additional training with the belt, I've stayed within 250-260 ever since), developed definition in my forearms, back, shoulders and arms, increased strength in my tendons and ligaments to where I rarely ever get injured and when I did, I recovered pretty fast, my speed went up so when I do my regular training, I was quick on my feet and other benefits. It goes without saying that John so far has not been able to publish the new book with the new belt and keeps piling on projects that don't seem to get anywhere and this was his last attempt as a truly good fitness publisher. You can still buy the belt (as far as I know) but it is 100% certain the book will never be published. Wayne Gretzky once said "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take", this applies really well to John and as a friend, I feel sorry for him.

Another sad thing is, there really isn't a single video displaying the Belt and the exercises you can do, the closest thing you'll get is from a an named Greg Newton who lives in the Carolinas and is a gun enthusiast and fire fighter. However, yesterday I made a video not just on Isometric Exercises with the belt but how you can adjust it to various exercises, how it packs up and how to roll it back up into the little pouch it comes in. It's an 11 minute video of instructing you with my training, I don't talk or give an introduction like I've done with past videos on youtube. You'll see on hand what you can do if you wanted to do Curls, Presses, Rows and other fun stuff. I don't really stop or anything for rest, I breathe as calmly as possible and just adjust the belt to the next exercise, no BS and no messing around.

This youtube video will most likely be the only real training video for the updated Isometric Belt. There isn't any special lighting, no music, no pretty stuff, just me, the belt, my camera phone and the dungeon I train in at home. You'll find that you can adjust it just about any way you see fit and you'll see I don't fake anything. Hope you enjoy it and if you do get a belt, use it to make your goals come true and if it's too pricey for you, there's a link in the description about a strap you can get on Amazon or just click on the link that's on the right side of this blog.