I Refuse

           I've been in fitness for more than 15 years and learned many things in that time. My journey has made me bleed, sweat, hurt, recover, learn valuable lessons and triumph over those that said I couldn't do it. One of the things that made me develop into the athlete I've become today is my ability to rebel and utilize my full potential by finding the very best that interests me and my goals and refuse to work with what doesn't. Here are a few things in the fitness industry that I refuse to do…

I refuse to isolate my muscles when I can use my full body towards a specific exercise.

I refuse to do the workouts the magazines sell when there are better options to optimize my creativity.

I refuse to listen to those who don’t have a damn clue to what they’re talking about and find the people who are the real deal and take bits and pieces to create my own style from them.

I refuse to be told what works and what doesn't when I can discover it for myself and not for the sake of anyone else.

I refuse to hear those who never exercised a day in their life yet they try to advise me on it.

I refuse to give up exercising every single day because someone told me I had to workout no more than 3-4x a week. I listen to my body and work with my intuition tells me to do and my recovery is my problem and I’ll come back stronger than ever.

I refuse to read about the latest gadget that promises 6 pack abs or stronger arms or whatever is advertised because the only way to get real results is to put in real effort and make the best out of your training.

I refuse to see exercise as a punishment because I see it as a blessing, something worth while and something that is interesting and fun. If it doesn't put you in a state where you feel invigorated and give you a challenge you want to conquer then it won’t work for you.

I refuse to listen to those who doubt me, are jealous and give me crap about what I love to do. They don’t have my body, they don’t see my journey the way I do and they don’t push the way I do so what gives them the right to have any say.

I refuse to be beaten down. I’m constantly growing and finding what works best for me and what I want to accomplish. I will conquer my challenges on my own terms. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

      Creativity is very important in every aspect of life, adapting to certain places, finding the best exercises that will help you reach your potential and utilizing your mind to its full potential. There are those who refuse to lead their own journey and instead just blindly follow some quack with a piece of paper on their name. You learn certain things and the right people will give you powerful tips but they can’t do the work for you, you have to put in the effort in order to be successful.

      The positive side to rebelling is learning who you really are as a person and the people that care the most and want to see you succeed. How do you do that? You observe, take notes mentally or on paper. Be creative, find what drives you and gives you a positive outlook on life. Find a way to express yourself and have fun and be around those that give you something to look forward to or help you. There are so many stuck up and stiff people in this world that hide in their own world and refuse to let anyone in that doesn't agree with them. If that works for them great but at the same time I love those that have given me the drive to use the best of my potential. I want to see those who have drive put effort into showing who they are and believe in themselves and be true to who they are and help others find their spot in this world. 

Gods And Deities That Teach Us About Fitness

           For countless centuries, we have worshiped many gods and supernatural figures that give us power and love over our lives. Not all have used them that way and have pushed the boundaries what is good and what’s evil about worshiping a god, king or supernatural force but when it comes down to it, it’s important to know that we hold some of these forces and beings in our hearts and can learn from them. In this case in the world of fitness, they’re just as important to learn from in that caliber if not more as we see them as a driving force to believe in.

            Building fitness using the very figures that have conquered World Literature and Mythology is a great way to look at how we can create the human body to a degree of strength and health that we all strive to find. For all intents and purposes, there’s no need to do drugs, steroids or any of that crap to build solid, functional strength that can carry over to everyday life. Here are a few figures in Mythology that can grasp a hold on our fitness training and how we can use them to find what works best for us.

Zeus: The All-Mighty Greek God (or Roman’s Jupiter) is a great way to look at fitness because he is that powerful, nerve forcing god that gives us the strength that we can grab a hold of and harness that force inside us to create that superhuman strength and speed that scientists say we only use 5% of at best. Think of having the hands of Zeus, grabbing something or taking in energy that surges throughout your whole body and puts you in a state where it feels like you can take on any obstacle and laugh at your challenges.

Pan: The Satyr half-man half goat that is the spirit of sexual energy and the way we harness our power and strength from our legs. When you build powerful and strong functional legs, you create that balance of testosterone which in turn gives you great health, burns off fat, powerful muscle all over and it aids in making you feel younger, stronger and more in tuned with your inner child of play and man/woman of loving energy.

Hercules: The man of Superhuman Strength. This is more in tuned with bodybuilding but more importantly, to truly understand the fitness side of Hercules is to learn to build your body that is not only powerful and solid but having nearly equal strength to go with it. The old-time strongmen had built solid and mighty physiques but at the same time, their strength was even more impressive. Men like Reg Park, John Grimek, Eugene Sandow and others that had incredible bodies but even greater strength that was just unbelievable. Don’t be a Tarzan and fight like Jane kind of Bodybuilder, harness your strength and power naturally as you build your physique. Basic lifts and basic programs are key.

            To go beyond what you’re taught, you have to think outside the box. We are taught certain things from different people but in order to be truly successful you have to look within yourself to find the best possible way to be fit, healthy and crazy strong. This goes as much for women as does men. Women do train differently because their bodies don’t have as much testosterone as men however, it’s important to know that you can build a beautiful body that WON’T GET BULKY because unless a woman is using testosterone pills or steroids that’s really the only way that’ll happen. Work with what you learned but also find what works best to your abilities. Just following someone isn't quite enough and the way you follow them isn't always in your best interest. Think for yourself at times and remember to be yourself.

            Putting your body and mind to the test has been the standard for all things for as long as mankind has been around. The Gods and their stories gave us a reason to use our bodies and our brains to think and look for what works and how we create certain things that gives us hope, strength and endurance to move forward. Some of us just think there’s an end-all be all of following and not having a right to think for ourselves. I take bits and pieces of people’s advice and methods and mold them into my own, it’s called becoming creative. Some people don’t know how and it’s sad because they have so much potential but only work with what they’re told to do. Quite frankly I hate being told what to do but I’m not opposing to listening and modifying what works for me. Become more of you and challenge the way things go.

            We may have been created by the Gods or whatever you choose to believe but the reality is that once you are born, you grow up and you learn. No one has your body and mind so what makes you think you aught to be somebody else. Find what guides you and learn to harness the power within you, not someone else and become a more powerful being. 

The Spirit of The Gorilla

          When you come across a powerful creature of immense strength, mighty spirit and tremendous power in the tendons, the Gorilla or Mighty Ape is what comes to mind in my opinion. It is extraordinary to think of the Ape as a true king of the vast Wild Jungle. As heavy as 500 lb. can still climb trees and truly wrestle the very best the animal kingdom offers in it’s surroundings. It’s spirit is so powerful it takes hold of what we as human that have evolved from stand the test of time as one of the strongest animals ever.

            We all have an animal spirit within us, it’s called our Animality. Some of us hold a special animal in our hearts, not so much the domesticated but a wild creature that has grasped our imagination, the ability to use our instincts and be able to move with grace, power and speed. When you hold onto that Animal Spirit it becomes the embodiment of what we truly strive to become and that’s a strong, mighty and powerful being and could become superhuman if we truly submerge ourselves into a deep state of mind.

            Our imagination is what binds us to create the reality that dwells within each and every one of us. We can create similar things but there’s always something different and unique to it because we think differently and channel our energy differently. What we think tends to become a reality if we truly believe in it. The world is huge and dangerous and powerful natural occurrences but it’s also very beautiful in many areas of life and we tend to overlook this concept. Our Animal Spirit is a driving force for which our imagination runs with. You can’t create something without thinking of it first. It’s that whole world inside all of us that helps us find what we seek and where we want to go. Follow your Animality and see where it leads you.

            For me my Animality is the Gorilla, that ferocious strength that courses through my veins, being able to strengthen my body from the teachings of this mighty but beautiful animal. My ability to hang with the strength of my hands; walk on my knuckles and fingertips that will bring intense power in my tendons and muscles. My love for strengthening my body from awkward positions and turning my tendons into cords of Vibraniam, not steel or iron but Vibraniam you know the element from Captain America’s Shield that is far stronger than steel. You also have an Animality that is waiting to be unleashed, giving you the strength to do what you were meant for and the surge of strength and power coursing through your body. Helping you find the best way to build your body the way you were meant to have.

            It’s that natural instinct that is now fading away because we have forgotten how to harness it’s power that doesn't come from big muscles or an ego the size of Texas but it comes from what we see from within, the spirit that dwells in our minds and our hearts that reach out to us. Listen to it and you’ll realize how beautiful it is when it speaks to you and helps you in ways you couldn't have imagined before. Listen to your Animality and when you unleash it into the world in a positive and healthy way, it becomes a reality that has been hidden far too long. 

The Ultimate Beast

            As a species we've been striving for strength since the dawn of time. The early evolution of man was to hunt, run, swim, climb and didn't have a choice to be strong, you either were or you died that simple. As we became civilized, we've lost touch of our roots of what is strength and life-long health and power not just in physical form but emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Most ancient man of strength was either in slavery, farm work, blacksmith, sporting man or soldier and no more than that. There was a time when kings were great warriors and their physical strength was incredible, nowadays most don’t value the strength they've developed or don’t realize the true strength within them.

            A key ingredient to successful physical stature of strength and fitness is to evolve backwards and it’s one key way to become naturally superhuman. Today with all these gadgets and machines, “aerobics” classes and other things, we are nearly fading in the shadow of our ancestors and forgotten more about strength and health than any other time period. If you value your body, give it strength; give it a reason to be resilient to disease and learn to control what you put into it. A great form of exercise is to move like a wild animal. Build your body that can become three times stronger than the average person. Imagine powerful tendons, a mighty back, arms with powerful functional muscle, abs that can take a punch, legs that have full of energy and build your hormones to levels that couldn't be fathom before and all with great strength, tremendous balance, graceful agility and devouring power. Think about that.

            You’d want to spend as much time outside as possible. If you live in an area where weather conditions aren't so great aka Idaho where weather is almost like Sybil and still has all four seasons, you learn to adapt. In the summer and spring when it’s warm and beautiful go outside and live around nature, be adventurous and play, in the winter, keep warm and train as much as you can. There’s no excuse to not train everyday of the week even if you only have 5 min. do something. The wild is our gym, you can lift odd objects, if you go to the gym; do some basic lifting (presses, squats, pulls) and leave the bunny weights alone. You live in an area that has snow, shovel it out of the way, that’s a great workout, got a tire and a hammer, strike it down and become more powerful than you can possibly imagine (if you don’t get that reference I feel sorry for you). You live in the city, adapt to your environment and walk to certain places. There’s always something you can do to make the best of your training. Live out in the country, chop wood, who said a gym is the only place to train.

            We all have an animal within us. In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation despite its horrible acting and overdoing the characters, there was a distinct message in there. Within us is our own what’s called Animality. Animality is the spirit within us that has a distinct animal. No one has the same form of animal and it makes us unique. We move a certain way and our Animality is what we strive to be even if we don’t know it. When you do physical animal movements, there will be at least one animal you will do more frequently, you may not know or you may come to grips with it but whatever animal comes up and you end up having more fun, more results and you do it more often because your mind is fixated on it that is more likely the animal spirit within, your Animality.

            Kids are the real inspiration for our future but nowadays that’s fading away due to obesity, the way kids are taught in school, bullying, depression and not enough love and encouragement to help them strive to be their best. One of my friends Bud Jeffries has a son named Noah, this kid has had obstacles in his life that most wouldn't dare to fight back but yet at nearly 17 he’s one of the strongest teenagers, very intelligent, is one of the sharpest shooters in the world and learned how to develop his mind in ways most can never understand. He is one inspirational kid and had great parents to get him through life. You don’t have many kids like that today and it’s sad.

            Kids should be encouraged, loved, showing them how they can be great at what they love to do. Help them find what they’re best at and have it be a positive influence. Get them to exercise like an animal, let them play, have fun create friends and share stories with them. I’m not a parent so I don’t have the luxury or the tools to tell you how to treat your kid and don’t need to but I've been around kids my whole life and observed from a lot of families including my own. Show them what a great life they can have, how they can change the world for the better and give them something to hope for, encourage them, and give them something that brings them joy.

            It’s time to unleash the best within us and become strong in every possible way whether it’s fitness, business, sports, teaching and/or entertaining, we all strive to be strong in our own way, let it bring out the best in all of us because it’s more freighting to feel locked up than to be free. 

Happy Veterans Day!!!!

           Wanted to wish all those kick ass men and women that are/or have fought for our country. You guys carry the banner and fight the battles that we never could. We do fight in our line of the country but nothing compared to the people who take down some of the biggest baddest dudes on the planet. Keep up the awesome work and to you Veterans, I salute you.

            Some of the training the military boys and gals go through is practically superhuman. It doesn't matter if you’re a ranger, SEAL, Marine or a Pilot, it takes more than guts to even mince through obstacle courses, the 3-4am wake up drills, the push-ups and the combat techniques it still pretty damn spectacular what these people go through.

            Although he’s fictional I consider this particular hero a run for this article and that is Captain America. He’s a man of principle and fights for the other guy. He brings heart and soul to his cause and he’s uncanny ability to take down even the toughest of bad guys. He’s a symbol of hope and what you can do when you put your heart into what you want to do. I believe without question he’d salute to each and every one of you that gave their lives.

            Whether you’re a veteran or already in the Military, from the rookie Private to the legendary Admirals, it’s important to be in tip top shape no matter how old are you. You don’t always have to do boot camp like training but maintaining your health and fitness should be a priority to all those who serve or have served. Exercise can improve moods, natural growth hormone and keep you strong and vibrant for life if you do it right. One exercise that gives you that profound upper/lower body strength is the Tiger Crawl, you’re ready to pounce on the enemy and take down the vicious beast that’s trying to overthrow you. Animal Training is a lot of fun to do and can keep you young and super strong. If you’re a lifter, you’d want to keep be strong and build natural functional muscle and put an end to those that drag you down and don’t want to see you succeed.

            Train hard, be strong and keep being you because as they say, heroes can be remembered but legends never die. Training the right way can help destroy depression and live your life even after those grueling missions and those death-defying tours. Be healthy you guys and those who are shipped out, come home and stay strong no matter what. You may be a soldier but also an incredible human being, never let that go. I salute you all and kick ass wherever you are.

Back To Isometrics

             It is of great value to practice Isometrics but also to practice pertaining to your goals. They are the key to tendon and speed strength and give you some of that extra juice of explosive power that can be beneficial to your training. It doesn't matter if you’re a lifter or a bodyweight enthusiast or a sports athlete, Isometrics give those little muscles the fire they need to burn through your plateaus and give your body a reason to be injury free. Many people suffer injuries because of weak tendons so why give them that strength to put us through life that can keep us young and vibrant?

            Isometrics when done right takes quite a bit of concentration and gives into that inner connection you have between mind and muscle. There are many ways to do them but when you do them right, it’s like a surge of electricity running through your body like very few things can and feels incredible. Muscle Control is a great way to do isometric training because you’re concentrating on individual muscles by contracting and relaxing. Certain holds or postures work as isometrics like in Yoga such as the Wheel Pose, holding Warrior 1, Cobra, these are examples of Isometric Postures that can gain you strength from within. Isometrics have been used for countless centuries and as we evolved we learned how to breathe during certain holds.

            Some of the simplest exercises can turn into a hardcore workout or a relaxing workout depending on what you do and think and feel. Think holding a horse stance is easy; ok try it out, squat down just a little bit hold your arms out and just sit there say maybe 1 min. Not easy is it? How about the push-up, most call this a plank but not what I want you to do. Most people put their forearms down and not use their hands, I want you to get into a full push-up position, back is straight, hands on the floor and the torso and legs are as straight as possible. Now hold for 30 seconds. Again, not so easy is it? What most don’t understand is that Isometrics build internal strength, the ability to hold a position without moving a muscle yet muscles are firing all over the place and in turn will build tendon strength.

            Your breathing patterns are going to determine how your strength proceeds. Deep breathing is the key to holding certain postures but when you exert so much force you won’t last that long. If you wanted to hold say for 7-10 seconds, what you can do is breathe in and on the exhale make a “sssss” sound as you contract as much as you can without hurting yourself, don’t ever hold the breath when you do isometrics, this can cause bad flow to the body and can result in injury. Breathe deeply into your exercise and experiment doing different positions, different exertions of strength, hold at 30% or less force so you can hold for as long as you want. If you plan on hitting 100% of your strength it’ll only last maybe 2 seconds because any longer can probably hurt you.

            One of the key strongmen to understand Isometrics is the legendary Steve Justa. He practically knows more about isometrics than anyone in the world maybe next to Bruce Lee but he knows things most people are just now figuring out yet he’s been doing it of and on for 20+ years. Check him out here and learn his secrets to superhuman strength using the power of Isometrics. You guys are awesome and deserve to be in great health and have great strength to back it up. Isometrics can be used by anybody and can be done anywhere and anytime, make it a habit to do some form of isometric training at least a few minutes a day. It is one of the key secrets to life-long health internally and externally as your body will begin to show definition and muscle you have never seen before and your strength will shoot through the roof. Keep up the great work everyone.

Visualization And Why It Helps Increase Your Strength

           What you see is far different from how you feel. We usually begin things by a thought. How we see that thought is different for everyone but a common entity is that if you see, feel it and give into its power, it can generate your strength in ways you have never imagined. In the field of strength and fitness, most people just go around cutting corners, dragging their sorry asses along and don’t give any real thought to how they can find within themselves the power to generate what they want to happen. There’s a whole other world in visualizing what you want.

            To really understand the power of visualization, you can’t just think of something and just act on it in my opinion; it’s really digging deep into the very core of your soul. To see is to feel, to see is to dream it, to see it, it consumes you and you control what you want to see. It’s not easy because not everyone can see inside themselves. When you see something, what are you doing, where are you and how do you want to achieve it? The basics of Visualization is to go into a near trance-like state and you can do this with your eyes open or closed whatever you prefer but also when you’re in this trance, learn to block out the outside world and focus on what matters most.

            One of my favorite Visualizations is what’s called Theater Of The Mind; it teleports you into a movie theater that can be as big as you want. It gives you freedom to see whatever you want to achieve no matter how big or how small, it’s your time, your movie and your own endeavor. Some people see just themselves in the theater, watching themselves at their best and they’re by themselves without anyone around. For me, it’s a little out there. When I walk into the Theater Of My Mind, I actually sit next to someone and it’s not just a random person. I picture sitting next to someone that may have passed on that I admire or more frequently it’s one of the gods or goddesses of Mount Olympus or Greek/Norse/Irish Mythology such as Zeus, Hercules, Thor, Pan, Aphrodite and whoever shows up. They help me on my journey and channel my intuition. In Greek or Latin stories of the gods, it is said that the gods visit mortals in their dreams.

            Very few can see but the rest don’t know how to use their imagination and look into the very heart of what they want. When you look into your mind what you want whether it’s to be stronger, more athletic, win a game, score a touchdown, hit a homerun, break a world record or whatever it is you desire, feel it as if you were there at the front lines, people cheering you and you are the king/queen of your own arena. Sense the atmosphere, feel the surge of energy that makes you victorious, see the smiles of your loved ones as they congratulate your successes and your peers admiring your courage and strength. These are all the examples of what you can create in your visualizations, you have the power to create whatever you desire and no one can take that away from you.

            Go beyond what you see, feel more powerful in that moment in time, destroy all your obstacles and turn yourself into a person you want to be the most, see yourself at your best and see how far you can push it in the future. There are no limits, there is no darkness in the tunnel, you are shining bright and it burns those that stand in your way. Throw yourself into the stratosphere, beyond the stars, shoot through planets, become a universe of strength and vitality that makes everything you desire become simpler, easier and more powerful. You have it in you and it’s waiting to be unleashed.  

Evolution Through Mythology

My Judo sensei once said to me, “a man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or else what’s a heaven for?” He was telling me about his old training schedule, the weights he used to lift, and the body weight exercises his sensei would demand that he perform. I was awestruck, doing 500 pushups, or bodyweight squats in one day? At the time I could not conceive that such a thing could even be possible.

His Judo sensei was a member of the Iroquois nation of native peoples, and while they would train he would tell them the stories about mythical warrior Hiawatha. Hiawatha is said to have wrestled the unconquerable Bear of the West the gatekeeper to the realm of the dead to a draw. Hiawatha is supposed to been able to paddle a cannon with such ferocity that he could change the course of rivers, outrun day light so he could continue speaking with the spirits of the night, and shoot twenty arrows into the sky before the first one came back to touch the ground.

Was my Judo sensei actually supposed to believe that Hiawatha preformed such supernatural feats? Well, no, but also yes, within the appropriate context. His sensei was doing from him what the Iroquois elders did for the young up, and coming warrior-braves; inspiring them to forever keep their reach exceeding their grasp. By telling the stories of Hiawatha the young warrior-braves felt encouraged to test themselves over, and over again. They sought to become as fast as the wind, and as strong as a bear. Like Hiawatha, these represent subjective units of measure. How fast is the wind? How strong is a bear? How powerful is Hiawatha? The answer will always be faster, stronger, and more powerful than you are currently. So you must always seek to improve, be better, and achieve greater.

The heroes of mythologies are meant to spark something deep within us, to light a fire that we could use to courageously explore the depth of our souls, and inner recesses of our minds. As we immerge from our own dark psychic forest, we return from what Joseph Campbell termed the “hero’s journey”, and we now have been remade more in the image what we individually believe heroic to be. These heroes are symbols and as such are mutable. They can be changed to fit societal needs, but still represent the values deemed virtuous by an entire collective, and heritage of peoples.

In my own studies of mythologies, I began perhaps intuitively, to feel as if the writers of these sagas where speaking not only across time, but speaking to more than just ancient superstitions. I started to see a deep, if not hidden wisdom within the stories. Thor’s magic glove which translates to “Iron Grip”, and his belt which literally means “earth’s power”, are what enabled him to wield his famous hammer. In order for a man to be mighty like Thor, he would need to train his hands into possessing a vice-like grip, and obtain a well develop lower back, and legs. In reading the works of old-time strongmen I found this confirmed many times. The key to superhuman strength is found in grip strength straining, and focusing on heavy lifting exercises such as dead lifting, squats, and swings.

What transpired next was an immersive study into the mythologies, and hero legends from around the world. This was the impetus of Heroic Evolution and its strength training programs.

However I wanted not only to share quality strength training, but also to promote the qualities of having good character, or at least an examined character. What is the purpose of being strong in the first place? That is a question that has a dizzying amount of potential responses, and is for the trainee to explore for themselves if they wish, and certainly worthwhile if they do.

The stories of heroes like Hiawatha, or even King Arthur, set forth a code of conduct, as well as I believe, contain physical training protocol that where meant to be discovered by young members of different warrior societies. These stories are laced with clues in not only how to get strong, tough, and fast, but also what to do with that formidability in their society, and how to act appropriately.

Embodying one of these mythological heroes is a life changing process. The hero exists only inside you, and to go within to find them is actually to find your greater potential. The exploits of the hero can never be matched; but the hero doesn’t care, as the point is that you attempt. It is in the fierce attempts at the impossible that we discover just how amazing we can be. The hero can’t ever judge you, and thereby this places all the responsibility back on you. How do you feel about your efforts? Do you feel you are meant for something greater? Do you believe you can, or should, do better in whatever endeavor you have chosen? 

Your answer to these questions can be sobering indeed.

Mythologies allow us to glimpse into our own lives, the roles we, and those around us fill. We all live out a certain “personal” mythology whether we are conscious of it, or not. The simple truth of the matter is that if we don’t like the story we are living we need to change it. The strength to change it comes through becoming our own greatest hero, by moving past our own perceived limitations, and reaching into our infinite potential to grasp at something we never dreamed we were capable of until we found the courage to try.

-Kevin Wikse

www.heroicevolution.com

The Journey To Super Muscle

           We all share a certain journey in our lives, our journey starts usually when we’re born but also there is a journey where it’s not always where you’ll go in life, it could be something you want to go after. In the case of strength training, some of us in the Physical Culture world are on a journey to create Super Muscle. What is Super Muscle you might ask? Is it having a big burly body like a Mr. Olympia? Is it having the body of a Powerlifter or is it having a body that can do all sorts of things? That is entirely up to you and what your goals are. To me, Super Muscle is having a strong, powerful and enduring body and learning to use it in many ways like lifting heavy weights, doing tough bodyweight exercises kind of similar to a Gymnast and doing high octane conditioning using various tools and programs that keeps you functional and channeling your inner power.

            There are people who say because of a certain age or genetics; they can’t build a great deal of muscle mass. Not true. Sure you may not look like another Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronnie Coleman but you can build good solid and mighty muscle. Back in the golden age of Physical Culture there were men and women who at first were sickly, weak, overweight, and thin down to the bone but somehow managed to build crazy amounts of muscle and this was long before steroids and high level supplements became the stuff to build muscle. To give you an example, a man named Maxick who was a sick kid, didn't have a chance in hell in his youth to live a long and healthy life yet persevered and became a legend in weightlifting and bodybuilding by becoming one of the first men in his weight class (145 lbs.) to lift double bodyweight in the overhead press and was able to control the muscles in his body to move any which way he wanted. No matter what your age or by genetics big or small, you can create great muscle.

            In my opinion, Functional Muscle is far superior to today’s Bodybuilding type muscle. By functional I mean using your body to levels where it’s useful and can be used in a variety of everyday situations. Bodybuilding muscle is isolating specific parts of the body and not being able to use it in most everyday situations. Take for example my friend Bud Jeffries, one of the strongest men in the world (drug-free I might add) who’s around 6’1 and over 275 lbs. yet when you first look at him he doesn't look like the functional type of strongman but yet he’s extremely agile for his size, very agile and one of the most conditioned athletes of any size. He is one of the embodiments of Super Muscle.

            On your journey to develop Super Muscle, remember to work with other attributes because just building muscle isn’t always going to cut it. Learn to be agile, work on flexibility, build your balance and very importantly exercise your tendons an ligaments, they are the very foundation for your Super Muscle development otherwise you’re building useless muscles that can bite you in the ass. Here’s some ways to build Super Muscle…..

Lift Odd Objects

Practice Isometrics

Do Hard Bodyweight Exercises

Learn Muscle Control

Be Flexible

Do Thick Bar Lifting (Fat Gripz are optional to put on the bar or dumbbell)

Self Resistance Exercise

            All of these are very useful and you don’t have to do all of them, pick what works for you and run with it. Building Super Muscle isn't some thing you can get overnight, it takes time but you don’t have to punish yourself. Have fun, use your imagination and be creative. Your results will come when you make progress a little each time to make big gains. Do what works for you and have a blast with it. It’s only a matter of time before you achieve levels of strength you never believed at first but now are in your grasp.

            Picture yourself getting there, be mindful and get into the habit on never giving up what you want.

Thoroughbred Legs Are The Driving Force

            They say if you have strong legs, you have a stronger body. When it comes down to it, our legs are the driving force for superhuman conditioning. In football, you need strong and fast legs to run down the field, in basketball, you need quick footwork in order to defend or move with the ball, in Baseball; your hips and legs help hit homeruns and steal bases and also running down the ball for a diving catch. If you’re in the military, we need our legs to carry our comrades, our equipment and to run down the enemy in combat. Law Enforcement needs strong legs to take down suspects in the toughest of situations. Let’s face it; our legs are our best weapons.

            In mythology, one of the strongest deities is the Satyr Pan. Although he has a reputation for having a crazy sex-drive and having courting many nymphs, he’s one of the strongest and most agile creatures in the stories. His entire lower body is that of a goat which gives him a distinct advantage in running down his enemies but also defend himself with powerful legs. He is a symbol of virility and superhuman leg strength. Our legs give off more energy than just about everywhere else in the human body because it is the center of our hormones.

            Our legs are the center of our hormones. If you do it right, we give off natural growth hormone which helps us in health, vitality, strength, stamina and an increase of testosterone. For men this is crucial and it’s important to put in good amount of time dedicated to leg training. Our bodies shift into overdrive when you use our legs. One of the key ingredients for mighty legs is to do sprints. For up to no more than 30 seconds we run down somewhere as fast as we can muster. Marathon training is good in some cases but if you want lean muscle mass than you better move fast. Like the Satyr, Animal Training is very good in increasing your testosterone levels to a great degree, say like doing frog jumps, duck walks, running like a bear or sprinting like an Emu, these will create a shift in the body that will develop powerful muscle but increase your conditioning at the same time.

            The foundation for powerful legs is the Squat. You don’t need to lift weights to get an awesome leg workout but with the right tools, you can have that option and is just as powerful. Bodyweight Squats however give off more hormone induced energy in my opinion because there are many ways to do a squat but if you do them in high numbers, a Satyr might have some stiff competition. Another great form of training to get your legs going is doing Isometrics. When you do Leg Isometrics, you’re working the body from all sorts of angles and strengthening the tendons and ligaments that keep the body together. Imagine being on the gridiron and pivoting, running and moving in a diagonal direction on the field and never getting injured because of your strong tendons.

            How many injuries can you count where an athlete or the average person got injured and it was due to torn muscles and ripped tendons in the legs? Countless. I definitely share some ground with this from my injury back in 2005. I had to rebuild my body from scratch and constantly had to work my legs to where it was pain-free. To this day I still have some discomfort because of the rod and pins holding my bones together but can still knock out over 100 squats without batting an eye and maintain great flexibility in my legs that I could never do when I was in my teens. Take the time to work on your legs. For women, you want those sleek and toned but strong legs, squat and get in some leg work because strong legs create a strong person. If you got legs, make them super strong, fast, agile and powerful because it becomes crucial when you need them the most. 

Grip Your Way To Power

            You are one powerful human being; we all are in one form or another. We have certain strengths, weaknesses and we find some way to use a talent we posses. A lot of what we do physically contains within our hands. Our hands are the very essence of what we create. Grip Strength is one of the most important foundations a man or woman should posses. Being able to handle groceries, carry your kid, defend your family or if you’re a sports athlete, your hands are the very foundation of your talent; can’t shoot a basketball, throw a football, swing a bat or coordinate a hockey stick without having good solid hands. You can have very powerful hands not just in crushing strength but many other ways.

            One of the best ways to develop superhuman grip strength is increasing the strength in your tendons and ligaments. How many injuries can you count where an athlete or the average person had to wear a brace on their wrist because of a tendon pull or break? A form of training called Partials where you only lift a short distance is one of the most fun and brutal ways to increase your tendon power. Think of lifting a weight you could never imagine hitting at full range; you can almost have twice as much strength to lift at short range. This not only builds dense muscle but take your tendons into the stratosphere.

            In combat/contact sports, you must find a way to take down an opponent whether you’re a football player or even a MMA athlete, your grip can change the very facet of the match and it either make your or break within less than a few seconds. You’re on the defensive line in football and a running back or a receiver has got his hands on the ball, if you have strong hands, you can take him down and squeeze the very life out of him and he’ll think twice of getting in your path. You’re in a fight against a great Mixed Martial Artist or Wrestler, he’s fast, he’s agile and knows how to slip out of holds, but you have some mighty mitts and you end up one way or another getting him in a lock or have a good hold on him for a takedown. You have him in your grasp, you put your heart into this fight and you even put in the time to train your grip to the core, you get a hold on him, he has no choice but to tap out, he can’t fathom how strong and supple your hands are on him. Want strong hands, you’re going to have to build them.

            You are one strong person my friend but it’s important to continue getting stronger. Like lifting weights, use fat gripz for your upper body movements like pulls, presses, curls, cleans, snatches anything that you can put your hands on, even pull-ups, these will make your hands super strong. One type of implement that will take your grip to a new level is sledgehammers, think of the old-time laborers and how powerful their hands were doing hours of taking out rock and stone with a heavy hammer, think of being Thor and tackling the frost giants with thunderous power and superhuman strength. Build your eagle claws by doing exercises on your fingertips like push-ups, pull-ups and even Animal Exercises; think about that, being able to walk in the steps of a big and powerful bear or the super strong gorilla on your fingertips, that will build tendon strength like an extreme few can ever be done.

            How would you feel if you had the grip power to knock home runs, bend steel, tear decks of cards in half and destroy your competition on the gridiron taking down fast runners and receivers and even taking out the quarterback? Your grip will be a major factor whether you realize it or not and the stronger you make your grip, chances are the stronger your entire body will be. Our hands are not just these little bitty muscles and tendons; they are one of the most powerful energy sources in the human body. Create energy in your hands and you’ll see how powerful you can be. Stay hungry my friends and be strong and smart.

The Mighty Strength Of Hercules

           A god caught between two worlds; Mount Olympus & Earth. Mythology’s strongest hero is one of the greatest stories ever told. In the training world, it’s the pinnacle for us guys to try to emulate (At least the strength). We are so amped when we develop our strength in many areas but building physical strength comes with a price. Like the 12 labors of Hercules, we too must conquer our challenges even as they get tougher. Unlike the Labors, it’s never ending and sometimes we suffer to get what we want but we should never give up on what can be ours.

            Although we can never have the strength Hercules possesses, we can however channel our energy to create super strength and power by how we use our imagination. Our strengths are different but we have similar goals and although we think differently generally a certain outcome will remain the same. How we breathe can generate or destroy our strength, how we move and think can lead a path of strength or have it be given away. Building strength just by lifting or doing certain exercises may be good but it’s not quite enough. Think big, dream hard and make the impossible possible. Hercules also used his intelligence to help his strength; we too must learn this concept for it is the very key to creating results fast and powerful.

            What do you want; do you want to lift heavy weights, build more muscle or do you want to become super conditioned? Why not all three and more? You don’t have to settle for just one thing, that’s like saying if all you had for dinner the rest of your life was steak, you’d lose your damn mind and just get tired of it. You can develop great functional super muscle by applying the thinking of Hercules along with what you want to achieve. We won’t always look like a Mr. Olympia but we can create strength and muscle using techniques that can help our breathing, our movement, the way we think and going beyond the very essence of our strength and add even 1% of what scientists say about the amount of strength we use.

            To produce results fast, we have to think differently and we also need to use things differently. Grip strength is one of the most important keys in strength development and there are many ways to do it, one of my favorites is using sledgehammers particularly Thor’s Hammer to enhance my grip strength and overall body conditioning. Another is thick bar training if you want to lift great weights; this cuts your workouts in half maybe even a 1/3^rd because it takes a lot of strength to move a weight when it’s more than 2 inches in diameter like a barbell or a dumbbell. Some people can’t afford the thick bars so what can you do, use Fat Gripz or Fat Gripz Extreme, these alone can enhance your strength in ways that you never imagined possible.

            Think about getting strong in pull-ups, add thickness to those crazy machines and turn them into strength enhancers. Slap a Fat Grip onto your barbells and dumbbells and instantly turn them into one of the most difficult lifts around. Hercules was a man of superhuman strength and was built like a house but he does teach us the value of our strength and how we can apply it to create strength that all of us want to achieve in some form or another. When you think differently, your body reacts differently. The next time you lift or do a certain exercise, don’t look at it as just an exercise, think as if you’re the mighty Hercules and you have a powerful body, mighty hands and you have the strength and power to make the impossible happen. See how you react and the way your body moves with your thought. 

You Are Your Best Trainer

            Over the last 8 years or so since I've succumbed to the Physical Culture bug, one thing has stretched in my mind more than anything else in my search for great training and that’s being your own best personal trainer. What does that mean being your own trainer? Simple really, it’s not allowing those who tell you to do something and go with creating your own way of training, being self-reliant. It’s not very easy to do because there is so much info out there that you don’t know what works and what doesn't.

          We have a plethora of programs to choose from, like bodybuilding, strongman, 8 days a week, the super programs of crossfit, the next gadget in the infomercials, how to build bigger arms, getting 12 pack abs, grip strength you catch my drift. The secret is finding what works for you. Experiment, do different programs at the same time, piss off the establishment who don’t know a lift even if they had a gun to their head (exaggeration I know but it’s a good metaphor though). Those who try to tell you what’s superior, what’s the coolest trend, how to build a program that has nothing to do with your progression; they’re the ones who keep you from making something of yourself on your own. Trust your instincts, be bold and question things.

            Nobody really just trains and has fun anymore, to quote the joker “why so serious?” We pay to go to the gym and do all these crazy programs and eventually after a few weeks we just give up and quit. It’s not how hard you push yourself, its how much fun to do something you love to do. If you don’t love training but just keep running through the motions, sure it’s better than nothing but you won’t find the results you want. Train and have fun with it, focus on what you want, use your imagination and create something for yourself. Yes I believe if you have a goal you should be focused on it, be determined and willing to go beyond it and strive to excel at your challenges but don’t become a mean asshole to get there, play a little and make it an adventure.

            There’s always someone that follows specific programs and for some it’s the end-all-be-all for others it’s temporary and the rest think outside the box. Mix things up, draw outside the lines. Here’s an example, I’ve learned from many different guys and even some women and yet I don’t worship their craft and take all of them as a god/goddess of the fitness world. I respect what they do but I don’t agree on everything they do, if you agree with everything then you might as well not have a brain of your own. I love some of these people, some as if they’re my family but I also love being creative. I take chunks out of their craft and mold it into my own thing, kind of like Michelangelo carving out David; I take chunks of concrete to create a masterpiece.

            Love what you do, be creative, feel what you want to do. Think outside the box, be weird, be a dork whatever you are who you are and should train according to who you are as a person. Be safe but don’t be lazy, progress at your own pace and train smart. If you happen to get hurt, then you need to change things around and don’t ever stop learning. Think and Grow because eventually, you’ll find something someone doesn’t like or does but only you will love it the way it is and no one can take it away from you. That’s the heart of being your own trainer. 

Bouncing Back Progressively

            Being sore from training is part of the fun. When you are so sore it feels like a crowbar hitting you it’s best to step back a bit, not a whole lot though. It takes discipline to keep going even when you don’t always have the strength to do something the next day. Be mindful and listen to your body.

            There have been guys that got so sore from a workout it takes days sometimes weeks to recover but that shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. Little by little do something till you recover. Recovery is a priority because if you believe you’re going to challenge yourself during every workout till you drop you’re setting yourself up for injury. Do little workouts while you recover, this helps keep the blood flowing and might help you recover quicker. You want to let your muscles rest so they can build themselves back up and help you be stronger next time around. If you’re used to big workouts and don’t get sore that easy that’s one thing but the majority of people need quality rest and food to bounce back.

            As you recover, take the time to reflect on your next challenge. Those little sessions during that cycle can make all the difference when you give your mind the chance to figure out what you can do next. Mental strength is a must otherwise you’re just bouncing around like an idiot and just doing physical work without any real discipline. Be tough but don’t be like a smart ass, be mindful and endure it because once you recover and you’re at your best again, you’ll be far stronger. Meditation practice is a great way for recovery. One other form is channeling your energy during those little workouts, do them right and you’ll feel like you just got an adrenalin rush and your body is surging with strength. What I like about CoreForce Energy is that it teaches you how to use your strength at anytime even when you’re sore because the power within you will give you that surge with intense focus and it can never be broken. It is also one of the greatest recovery tools I've ever encountered bar none.

            At the next challenge you might end up being crazy sore again but also you repeat the cycle. Reflect, do little workouts that keeps your blood flowing and learn to channel your energy. There will be times where you won’t get sore at all and your strength is just uncanny and powerful that recovery is merely instant. For most of us, we need to recover after a big session and build ourselves back up. Take your time but don’t slack off. Sore after a big lifting session? Do some flexibility work, build your energy and eat plenty because the right foods will help you in ways you can’t imagine.

We all get sore after some kind of big workout whether it’s....

Animal

Odd Objects

Bodyweight

Partials

Training For Martial Arts

    Whatever but that doesn't mean you stop training all together. Do something that isn't that vigorous or do a percentage of your challenge workout every few days or so, listen to your body. Magazines or Infomercials will tell you to do this after a big workout or only X amount of days to recover, it’s all really bullshit because that’s just a generic look at what they believe you should do. Do what works for you, listen to your body and recover when you need to, to get yourself back in the game. 

Absorbing Power To Increase Strength

            We all have a power within us in some form or another that can give us the strength we need for everyday life. To harness it takes practice but eventually it becomes second nature and no matter what goes on in your life, you can channel your energy to create the strength you want. Scientists say we use no more than 5% of our strength capacity, what if we can upload that to even 1%, would you like to know how?

            Everything we do starts with a thought. We think about stuff all the time but what if we took the time to use our thinking to increase our energy, to increase our movement and to create super strength in the snap of your fingers. How we think creates different actions, different energies and different processes. If you have a thought of happiness, your body’s energy tends to have you move with better breathing, you’re smiling, you’re focused and using less tension. Got a thought about being stressed out and needing to do a bunch of things, your body tenses up, you scrunch your shoulders, your focus is off balance. These are examples of how we think and how our bodies react to that thought. A different thought creates a different action. You can create strength and power just by using your thought with focused intent and trajectory and having certain points that will allow you to move any way you want.

            Think of a kid. As kids we had great imaginations, we made stuff up and created sounds for them, seeing things that aren't there except in our minds. Our breathing was congruent with the way we move and it was fluid and fun. We've lost the ability to use our imaginations and become more analytical. We think too much and don’t really just let things be. Be like a kid, picture what you want to happen, move the way you want to, your breath will be congruent with the way you move.

            Unleashing our chi is simple but it works with our focus and intent with our breathing. It doesn't matter if you’re a strength athlete, a business man/woman, trainer, entertainer or whatever, you can increase your power no matter what you are. If we can increase our power just by a small percentage and have it be consistent, it would help your life in ways nothing else could. Take your strength into the stratosphere and never look back. Take your imagination to places no one can take and be fluid and cunning. Shoot for the stars and beyond the planets and expand your universe.