Play By Swinging The Mace

In my "right mood" workouts, I want to find things to play with and have some fun without worrying about bullshit that might occupy my mind. I've been wanting to swing the mace and just feel my body getting to that place of peace and tranquility. With the circular movements and the hand placements, it is more than just a workout, it is a journey. It is a journey of learning of who you are, how to control your body along with an implement and feeling the flow within the body.

The Mace, is an ancient tool of the Middle East for centuries that dates back to the writings about the Monkey God Hanuman. It is a tool for developing the athlete, was a tool for the soldier and now a tool for fitness. Also called the Gada, it was foundational for wrestlers in developing strength, conditioning, mobility and flexibility aimed at the shoulders, core muscles and grip. The main purpose was to strengthen the muscles not normally used as opposed to the dumbbell and barbell in today's movements using heavy resistance or weight.

Most beginners learning to swing ought to start very light at around 10 pounds or so. As you get stronger and develop control, move up to 20-30. For strength endurance and conditioning, the heaviest doesn't need to exceed more than 25 lbs. For strength purposes, 30-50 is decent enough. The more weight you use, the more it's about control and stability than regarding repetitions. It is awkward to move once you get up in weight and if you don't pay attention, you'll pay the price. In India, there are contests on who can swing the heaviest Gadas and Meels (Clubs) and some of these implements have spikes on them so if you can't control them, they will get you. Focus on a weight that isn't difficult but still challenging to where, each repetition is smooth and concentrated. Lighter weight, you can go faster and get some cool cardio out of it.

My Mace is loadable and it stands right now at 25 lbs which doesn't sound like much but when you pick it up and start swinging, it'll feel heavier because it's full of water and shot lead. I'll do a rep range of 10-20 reps swinging what are called 360's and 10-2's. There are a lot of different exercises you can do which you can find here at Art Of Manliness.

For follow along workouts or instruction on Mace Swinging, I recommend checking out Zenkahuna on his youtube channel, one of his videos on the mace is here. Get yourself this amazing workout tool, get outside and swing away.


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Getting The Kinks Out After Waking Up

As we get older, it is important to keep our joints healthy and our muscles ready for what lies ahead. When we are young, we don't think too much about flexibility and mobility and we think because we are young, our joints don't need much. There are a great many ways to loosen up the body but the biggest factor is after waking up whether from a night of sleep, a nap, or even after passing out on the couch.

One way to loosen up the joints and give your body that wake up jolt is to move certain parts of the body in a circular type fashion and work from your head to your toes. Hip Circles, Ankle Rotations, Neck Circles, Circling The Knees; these will open up the body big time and just because they're not big exercises, that doesn't mean it won't help your body in the long run. Another would be to do Animal Flow by dynamically stretching the muscles by moving in animal like fashion. A favorite of mine is the Ape Reach which opens up the hips, lower back, shoulders, chest and scapula.

Another great way to open up the body is by doing Yoga, even just for a few minutes. I prefer DDP Yoga as it seems more fun to me and it interests me than other forms of yoga. The 10 Minute Warm Up is freaking amazing to get that body going. That is from the DDP Yoga Extreme DVDs but because it is a warm up, don't freak out because it's on an extreme workout DVD. I'm not the biggest fan of following along but I do modify it to my needs and pace and do what's best for me which is what DDP encourages.

I know what it's like to not be able to move after waking up because i'm so damn stiff and my joints hurt every inch I moved. After my accident, I dedicated myself to be in the best shape possible and not just for building muscle but keeping my tendons strong and my joints healthy because when I get older (I'm almost 35 now) I'll have issues in my shins and ankles so my job is to prevent as much injury elements as possible and focus on staying fit without having to go on meds to suppress my joint pain. I flat out hate being on medication because up until about 9-10 years old, I was on meds from when I had the meningitis as a baby and it didn't make feel normal, now granted I'm still not normal but I don't have pills being shoved down my throat for the sake of being under control.

Be healthy inside and out and keep your joints strong for as long as you can. In our teens into late 20s, we don't think too much about our tissue and cartilage along with staying on top of keeping our tendons strong so we just go hardcore on the biggest workouts and tear it up until we are so beaten up that by the time we reach Grandparent age, we can't move or do a damn thing without being in so much pain. By our 30's and beyond, we have to be smarter and not let our egos get the best of us, we can still do amazing things but we want to enjoy life as well. It all starts with getting the kinks out.

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Why Did I Let Them Win?

During the preparation of my wedding, I had some anxiety issues, not because I was nervous about the wedding itself but the after effect of nervousness who had some doubts of what man I'm supposed to be for my wife, my future kids, my work and overall image. I needed a distraction in order to really stay balanced and it didn't really work out the way I wanted it to. I joined a forum out of word of mouth and research, it was decent and had some knowledgeable people there but pretty much from the start it became a negative vibe and mentally painful entities that I didn't want to see but it was right in front of my face.

Some of the people on that forum were nice to me and were open to what I had to say and were inspired by me but the majority were just mean, self absorbed assholes that didn't give me the time of day to just have an intellectual conversation about fitness. Some even tried to call me out on bullshit I wasn't even really aware of. I admit I got caught up in it and lashed back at them and it bit me in the ass. I left that forum for a day or 2 than came back but made up the story of being hacked and had restart the process of being there. That blew up in my face and I got bullied again and also fought back in those keyboard wars which now in my mind was so freaking stupid, I just wished somebody would slap me upside the head and tell me to quit being a bitch and let it go. The weird thing is, whether in reality or online at times, it isn't ignoring certain comments. I wear my heart on my sleeve and some of those people made me feel ashamed of that and I let that happen.

Why did I let them win? How could I have been so blind that I didn't see that they were deliberately trying to get under my skin and I let them pin me down just like the kids that pinned me down when I was 12-13 years old and a kid got on top of me and starting beating the crap out of me. I felt sick and appalled that I let that happen to me. The truth is, these same people who think they're knowledgeable, don't have a clue how to be a true human being and put people down because they look different or have to be this way and do things that cater to them. The real truth behind these people is that they hate on and mock one man and his system of exercise and the people who follow him to such a degree that they band together and do nothing but try to "expose" him as a fraud and a frail old man that can't find his way out of a paper bag. Honestly, these are some sick bastards that need more therapy than an assault victim. One of these guys even tried to compare this one man to Hitler for christ sake, the hell is wrong with you?

Now that I'm married, everything is done, had the wedding, went on the most kick ass honeymoon and ready to start my life as a married man, I started seeing things more clearly and remembering the advice Bud Jeffries gave me when I talked to him about the cyberbullying stuff, it has opened my eyes to a different perspective and going through this experience and surviving it mentally and emotionally makes me appreciate more of what the world does offer and the people that love and care about you is a gift. I'm always learning how to be a better human being not just in my self but to those around me and the things I heard out of Bud, my father, my best friend, my wife's best friend, the BFF's mom, my niece and my sister just shook me to my very soul that maybe there is something about me that can grow into this person and what to do with it.

I had quit this forum a second time even though I said I was back for good because the BS these guys kept coming at was overshadowing the real important aspects of training, philosophy, intellectual conversations and other things. I check in on it occasionally but I don't post there anymore and check out the free info I can find on there that has some value. The rest of those guys can go screw themselves and live in their circle jerk world. They have no real value to fitness or to the aspirations of being gentle and loving, they just love to hate on what values others and can't seem to let go of the person they try to "expose" and live a real life that has meaning, positivity and forming a real relationship. They're nothing but keyboard jackasses that live their lives demeaning others. They don't win anymore and I'm not going to lose sleep over their BS about me or the people they hate on. I hope they find peace and learn to just be human instead of trash.

Got Married In A Galaxy Far Far Away And Couldn't Be Any Happier

Did you miss me? I've been gone for more than a month because I was preparing for the biggest day of my life. Times were a little rough, saved up quite a bundle with some help and made it happen with all our friends and family there to celebrate me and my Princess Leia.

The majority of the planning goes to my awesome wife Holly because quite frankly, decision making isn't my thing although I got in some really cool ideas and plenty of ideas we came up with together. One of the best things about this wedding was getting our officiator. The world's strongest man/jedi Bud Jeffries. He did an amazing job with setting things up, telling us what we would like to do and run with it. During the ceremony itself, he made us all laugh to ease some of the extra nerves and just made it so perfect for us.

I'm so thankful for everyone that came out to be there for us and me and my wife are so blessed to have friends Jeremy Farr & Jackie Nicholson for the extra things they did for us and we owe you both a great deal of gratitude. Everyone who pitched in was wonderful and deserves a lot of credit.

A fun thing I got to do since it was Star Wars themed was instead of the traditional tux, I went a completely different route and dressed up as Han Solo for the ceremony. It was super cool and Bud dressed up as Obi-Wan Kenobi. I had the idea of doing music for my groomsmen when they walk out. I also got to dress up as Indiana Jones because that was one of my biggest dreams as he was my all-time favorite character and the films were what I grew up on. Being Indy was definitely a dream come true for me.

It truly was a fun and magical day for me and Holly. I couldn't be any happier and getting to share our nerdiness, love for Star Wars and being our true selves with the rest of our loved ones. This wedding was truly one to remember and can never forget our Anniversary, May 4th LOL. Here are some more pictures from the wedding you'll get a kick out of.

To see more photos, got my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.j.bergman

I even did some training days before the wedding with Bud doing Hammer & Kettle Training. Think you'll find these pretty damn cool. Now that I'm back, I'll be writing more frequently and bring you some fun articles and maybe a guest or 2. Have a wonderful day guys and bask in the love of those around you.

Review Of Animal Workouts Book/DVD

This course is a lot of fun to do and gives the reader a series of progressions for each animal and has quality content for doing something different or what you did as a little kid. Most of the issues that come with the program isn't a major factor for me but I do wish the author were more involved with the exercises instead of using models. Don't get me wrong, they are very fit people but it is important to show the readers what YOU can do and inspire them.

David Nordmark is a knowledgeable guy I'm sure but shows more of a copy and paste style as an author selling courses at a cheaper price than folks who wrote previous courses that cover the topics virtually identical. Matt Furey, Ed Baran, Batman O'Brien, Charles Atlas and others wrote courses that dealt with basic to advanced calisthenic movements utilizing traditional Hindu Wrestling Training, Gymnastics, Self Resistance, Isometrics & Flexibility training. These courses are pricey in areas but are well worth it. David wrote courses that carry the same exact exercises and a tad more but sold them half or more cheaper.

The animals based in this book and DVD course are very simple to do and can be done virtually anywhere. I love how playing around with these exercises can make a person fit and healthy in the long run but if one has had previous injuries, some exercises won't cut it for that individual. The principle movements are mainly crawling and jumping which is essential but some people no matter how hard they try, won't have great jumping abilities because of how their tendons and ligaments handle the stress. Overall, one can adjust to the exercises according to their level of energy, flexibility and fitness. You don't have to do the jumping exercises, you can just do squats or hold the positions in an isometric fashion. It's all what you can do and make the most of it.

Although it suggests elements on speed, technique and rest periods, do what you can do. Some exercises I can never speed up on due to previous injuries in my legs and I don't jump that high on some exercises. With the crawling, your body will naturally tell you the speed and the weak links in your body. Take it from me, just play and adjust accordingly. Don't expect to have great strength off the bat and your stamina and endurance will come in time because when you really get into it, it doesn't feel like a workout, more like a game and that mindset can help your results come quicker.

The weight loss & muscle building aspects vary from individual to individual so if you don't lose weight or build muscle right away, it's OK, keep at it and things will eventually happen. You will build natural muscle due to the amount of muscle groups being used during the movements. The more muscles being used, the greater chances of development faster. Have fun with it and get into the mindset of making it a game, it'll change your perspective and develop results you didn't think were possible. Get wild my friends.

Animal Workouts Book

Animal Workouts DVD

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Pushing The Limits....Good Or Bad

Every individual experiences different levels of tolerance or intolerance to soreness, pain, strength, endurance, flexibility, durability and stamina; so we can't fully determine what gives us that balls to the walls limit of understanding how far we can go in our training. There are people who do the Ironman, run Ultra-Marathons, Crossfit like a maniac, train to extremes for bodybuilding or their specific sport and than there are people who feel going beyond the limit is a badge of honor.

Don't get me wrong, testing one's ability is a meaningful goal and every person wants to know within themselves "How far can I take this?" The problem is that too many people strive for this goal way too quickly and it's not always by way of their own choice. Yes we have a choice but we also tend to get caught up in the hype and being told what to do and how to apply ourselves to reach our maximum limit without regarding the consequences of injury, possibly death, becoming crippled, breaking bones, tearing tendons and scarring the psyche for life. It's like driving a Viper and testing it's limits of how fast it can go and getting caught up in that mentality of seeing what it's truly capable of. The car can only take so much and at its highest peak of maximum performance, won't last more than a minute tops. A similar ideal is the cheetah the fastest land animal on earth, at top speed, the wildcat only lasts seconds and only uses that speed for survival and catching food. If this cat were to challenge itself and even remotely test it's speed more than it is meant to, the death scale would be at its highest due to exhaustion, heart beating too fast for the body to handle, the bones would shatter and would be destroying the internal organs.

Like the Viper and Cheetah, the human body can only take so much and everyone, even the greatest athletes in the world have their limits. How we determine what we can tolerate is through experimentation, where the mind is tested, preparation and finding out what we can do to do more and more until we reach complete and utter failure. It is important to challenge yourself but it must be done with intent, understanding when to back off and recover, plus learning your mentality and physical needs. When we are young, we have greater chances of recovering like crazy and have energy that keeps us going and having mental toughness. As we age, recovery takes more time, physical exertion becomes greater in order to provide results and mental strength is at it's apex.

Pushing our limits can be beneficial to a degree but each individual will never have the same limits or abilities as the person next to them. There are some things I can never achieve because of my structure, my strength levels, my tolerance for pain but that other person may not have what I have and won't ever do things that I'm capable of doing. It's all a matter of perspective and understanding how far that person can push their highest levels of the attributes they have acquired or willing to test at their maximum levels. Now the real question is.....If you push beyond your limits, are you willing to suffer the consequences that comes later or during? Or are you willing to find out what you can truly do? This is the real test for every individual. 


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How Can You Trust The Information You Are Given Or Learning?

There's a lot of great free info around fitness websites, forums, blogs, podcasts and much more but while absorbing it, how much of it can be trustworthy and valued to you? Some places have info that is so freakishly basic and generic that it is boring as hell and people just can't always get on board. Some places even have colorful marketing ploys and fonts that just jump out at you and have this exciting look (believe me, I've fallen for it too) but is the info on there just to sell or really help you with your goals?

In my research and learning various methods from isometrics to circuit training, training in gymnastics, some training in submission grappling, strongman feats, bodyweight exercise, weightlifting, sports and others; it is easy to get sucked into something and not look at things on a deeper level. Certain people promote things just for the sake of promoting and not give a damn about what they're truly selling but on the other side of that same coin, people will market and promote things so damn hard that it is the end-all-be-all product along with never looking at anything else but that. What do your instincts tell you when you look at an ad copy? Do you trust what someone is selling or giving it away for free?

Let's cut to the chase, many people market fitness as ways to build income and the majority of marketers only care about selling and don't give a damn who buys it. The magazines, dvds, cds, webinars, youtube videos, kindle books, paperbacks and other digital downloads all play a role in how to drive people to their product or whatever. I will say not all marketers are assholes and do care who buys their product and even gives their gratitude to them in amazing ways.  The people I learned from the most give their blessings to the people who took a chance on them and got incredible results. People like Bud Jeffries, Logan Christopher, Steve Maxwell, Tyler Bramlett and others cater to a certain level of people but will work with the people that want the help. They're not in it just for racking the dough, they treat people with respect and dignity.

Now from my perspective and learning from experience both hands on and on the net, there's very little trust in what I want to learn. I can be a skeptic and have become a follower in certain methods but I never treat anyone like they're a god or some leader of a revolution, just want to learn and see where it takes me. On the net, trust is about as limited as you can get and you have to protect yourself from whom you get involved with. Yes I do have friends in the fitness world and some I even refer to somee as like brothers and I will promote them because I have seen how they treat people and how passionate they are, both are a rare combination in this world.

Most of the free stuff you'll find on the net are mainly on forums and blogs. Some are good, some are great and others are just freaking weird. I have written about some of these forums recently and I have to say, they're entertaining to a degree and have decent knowledge but just because it is free doesn't mean it's always the right way to do things but the same can be said when you pay for something. You have to be instinctive in what you choose and do your best to shield yourself from bullshit stuff. It isn't easy but it isn't impossible either.

I'm learning myself what I trust is the right info for me and have gotten caught up in the bullshit stuff. You really don't want to get into things that these assholes can exploit and make you feel less about yourself because it has happened to me and I hate that feeling. It is a process but remember what is important to you, keeping your goals on track and learn to trust yourself. It is easily seductive wanting to defend everything and developing strong ideals that creates enemies but the true enemy are the people who want to watch the world burn and feed on misery to fill their own ego because they themselves are miserable and become obsessed with being negative towards whatever made them bitter in the first place. Find the trust in the info that suits your interests and goals whether you pay for it or find it without paying a damn thing, you have the power, make it work for you. 

Killer Benefits Of Isometric Training For Women

Women don't always realize how much they can benefit from using Isometric Exercise as part of their program. Some exercises offer greater advantages for women than a lot of us guys. Isometrics is often overlooked as a way too damn long method for losing weight and is one of the very best ideas for women and teaching that you won't need to bulk up in order to be strong.

As of late, women are beginning to understand the crucial benefits of having a solid strength training program for all-around health and Isometrics includes certain add on elements that conventional training doesn't offer. Take a look below to learn a few badass benefits that Isometrics offer for women. Pay attention to these very important factors and start a foundation today practicing Isometrics....

1) It increases the metabolic rate - This is a very critical element of Isometric Training. Many women want to find out the true secrets of weight loss and here is one way to find out. Isometrics shoot up the metabolic rate when you increase the calories you burn. The more calories burned, the lower your bodyfat goes.

2) Developing, Restoring & Strengthening Your Bone Density - A lot of women suffer Osteoporosis and Isometric Exercises helps prevent and even battle hard that condition. The way that happens is by stressing the Connective Tissue in the muscles and bones leading to greater Re-Densification. This will really slow down and even prevent the process of Osteoporosis along with even arthritis. Think of the healthy glow and ability to stay strong as a woman ages. Wouldn't you love to play with your grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren? Start practicing Isometrics.

3) Stable & Even Powerful Muscle Mass (Not Bulk) - Incredibly important. The tissue which some have called the "Metabolically Active" will burn calories like a damn furnace. This does not mean increase in bulk, I know some women wouldn't want anything to do with that. Because of the lack of testosterone in women, becoming bulky just doesn't happen unless you're on steroids or TRT. That is not what I want you to do ever. I believe in being healthy and having a strong foundation for having muscle that is useful. With Isometrics, you'll become leaner, tighter and trimmed.

4) Preventing Injuries - For all intents and purposes, Isometrics is one of the safest methods around. The stronger your tendons and ligaments are, the less chance of being injured. For both men and women, as we get older, we become brittle, worn down and get more aches and pains but if we consistently practice Isometric Exercise, these factors can be yesterday's newspaper and they'll help you stay fit in the long run.

Hope you learned something new and are on your way to a healthier you. Become stronger for the long haul and check out some cool ways to develop a strong foundation for Isometric Training.

7 Seconds To A Perfect Body

Isometrics Mass

Isometric Power Revolution

A Quick 10 Minute Workout To Build Your Conditioning

Timing can be a hassle when it comes to training. Having to pay bills, go to work, pick up the kids, go to meetings, make deliveries ect. Working out doesn't have to be a chore and it certainly shouldn't be something you dread doing. Having a small window can make a massive difference and what if you can use that window anytime and anywhere? How about doing a workout that doesn't take more than 30 minutes a week (3 10 minute sessions), would that be cool with you? 

We don't always see a workout lasting less than 30 minutes to an hour so what would 10 do? 10 minutes for most people sounds like a warm up. The funny thing is, within those 10 minutes, you can be huffing and puffing and feel like you just went an hour doing something. This workout doesn't require a ton of space, uses very little equipment and saves you a hell of a lot of time and money. Seriously who doesn't like saving a buck or two?

Doing this workout from my point of view can be tiring but fun and challenging. With the right amount of resistance, you won't be doing a ton of reps per set but you won't be resting much either. Each round is 15 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest. You continue this 20 times and that's it. If you're new to it, start with 5 rounds and build up. For the resistance, start light. You'll be using the Lifeline Resistance TNT Cables which are awesome for working out anywhere and cost effective if you're on a budget. 

The workout itself is a combination of the Curl, Squat & Press in sequence. As you get into heavier resistance, the less reps you'll be doing per round. It's not always how many reps you can do, it's keeping form and not straining especially in the beginning rounds.  If you're completely new to it, start with sessions 1-2 times a week, as you get better, make it 3 but you don't need to do any more days than that but it's up to you. 

The cables come with instructions and loads of exercises to choose from, has a door anchor you can attach and have even more exercises to choose from. Workout at home, at the park, in your hotel room, the garage, practically anywhere. This cable system can get you do many exercises from the gym and fits into a small bag. Give it a go and hope you have fun getting fit. 

Why Sculpting Was Never A Part Of My Training

There's a fine line between looking fit and being fit. There's also a difference between being strong and looking strong as well. Let's face it, I'm not going to be winning any bodybuilding titles or looking like a greek god any time soon. I was never into sculpting my body but rather have the strength and other attributes to do what I love.

For some, sculpting is mindset and often times an obsession to develop the body that makes heads turn and making women's knees buckle. Not saying someone who wants to look fit is a bad thing it just isn't my preference. Now on the other hand, I don't want to be looking like a 400+ obese guy who hasn't done a damn thing in 20 years and eats McDienolds everyday. Sometimes looks can be deceiving and just because someone looks fit, that doesn't mean they have world class strength and the ability to outrun an olympic sprinter.

For the most part, I don't look like the fittest guy, I don't have 20 inch arms, 8-pack abs, cannonball shoulders and certainly don't look like I can go an hour in a workout without sounding like I'm having a heart attack. I do however can move a near 60 pound hammer for reps, have done 500 Squats in a row on multiple occasions, haul heavy furniture, Curl 60+ pound dumbbells, Run Sprints, go an hour or more in an animal workout, can spar with people far lighter than me in No Gi Grappling and other things. I don't feel the need to look like Zeus or Hercules to prove that I can be strong and have stamina, endurance and flexibility.

Maybe it is genetics, maybe it's the way my brain works or how my mind is made up but I don't need to look fit in order to be fit. If my health isn't well and I need to change things up like losing weight, lower my blood pressure, focus more on flexibility or whatever, than I'll do things to make those happen and I have. I was 275 about 2 years ago and that was too much for my height (5'10) so I changed my eating, worked out differently and changed my mindset and now I'm 20+ pounds lighter and feel incredible. I'll probably want to lose more weight in the not too distant future but for now I'm happy with where I'm at.

High Blood Pressure runs in my family so I do know I need to keep an eye on it especially when I get older into my late 30's, early 40's and beyond but I'm going to do the best to my abilities to stay off medication and keep it to less stress, better nutrition and training. The first I had it checked was for a physical a few years ago and I had it at 150+/110 which is damn near danger zone. I also needed my cholesterol levels down because I ha more bad than good. So I changed things up again and instinctively went on a program for 6 weeks before I checked it out again. The next time I went in after doing the program, my blood pressure dropped nearly 30 points at the top number and more than 20 points on the bottom number and it was incredible. Now I haven't done this program in a long time and have used other methods to help keep my BP in tact, one thing more than anything is to keep stress levels down. I hate being on meds because as a child that was what I had to do until I reached about 9-10 years old.

So what does this have to do with sculpting? Quite frankly nothing because just looking fit doesn't mean your health won't be in jeopardy. You can have the fittest looking body on the planet and still have major problems and not always from taking steroids or being natural. People with Diabetes have a sculpted look, not many but they do exist, fit athletes have developed cancer, it happens. Some people who look like a Greek God have high blood pressure or need a sleep apnea mask in order to get rest because their breathing is an issue. I can go on and on but you get my point. Do what makes you happy and keeps you actually fit. Looks won't always save you in real life situations so it is important to understand things in perspective. Now if you're sculpted and have the attributes to back it up, that's awesome, it works for you and it should continue to work for you.

The point is to be healthy and develop your body that can be resilient and strong along with being able to go for a solid period of time, be flexible, have less stress in your life and live well. Sculpting was never my thing because I rather be healthy overall instead of just looking like I'am. A fit body doesn't always mean healthy so learn to value the differences and make the choices that keep you healthy both inside and outside.

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Rooting for your health,

P.S. Here’s what one customer had to say after trying Pine Pollen.

“This review is long overdue I’ve been a customer since this site was named Superman Herbs. I found that taking the Pine Pollen gave me increased energy, morning wood as promised and I just felt better overall and it also works for fatigue. I love the benefits!! A great herb to keep around with all the chemicals in the plastics etc.”

2,000 Years Of Sweet Tasting Cold Medicine In A Bag (Discount As Well)

Spring is around the corner. And you already know what that means. An oasis of beautiful smells will be available to your nostrils. Sweet flowers. Fresh cut grass. Hamburgers steaming over a gas grill.

But for others, smelling anything will be next to impossible.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

First, let's talk about allergy season because it can be a real pain in the you know what. Your respiratory system weakens, making you feel lethargic. Non-stop coughing leaves your throat feeling like sandpaper.

You get the point. Allergies are lame.

But there is a solution to this problem. And it comes in all-natural form.

Elderberry is effective at treating allergic sinusitis and rhinitis.

This is due to its rich flavonoid content. The main flavonoid being Isoquercetin, which is a glucoside of Quercetin.

Quercetin contains strong antioxidant and anti-histamine properties. When you ingest this flavonoid, it…

• Protects your body from free radicals in our environment (and there’s a lot of them now)

• Charges up your endurance levels for better athletic performance

• Blocks ‘mast cells’ to give your skin a healthy, rich appearance

• Helps detox your liver for a host of health benefits But there’s more.

Spring allergies can send your immune system into overdrive. This leaves you more susceptible to viruses. And that’s where the magnificent berry really shines. Elderberry contains the highest amount of Anthocyanins of any berry.

These anthocyanins inhibit cold and flu viruses from getting into your cells. There have been many studies pointing to anthocyanins as some of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet!

While every batch is different, we guarantee this Elderberry contains at least 13% anthocyanins.

And some will have even more... At the very moment this super plant medicine is $5 bucks off!

Give you body the chance to experience these magnificent powers!

Learn more about Elderberry yourself right here.

Rooting for your Immunity this cold and flu season!

Animal Flow + Ginastica Natural= Playful Movement

Sometimes in our training, we want to have those days where rep & set schemes don't matter and just have a little fun. It's like playing hooky but from a fitness point of view. If that is the case, I just about play hooky very frequently. Routines for me don't matter as much as it does to others.  I'm a kid at heart and although I take training seriously, you want to make an adventure out of it too.

One of the reasons why I love the way Animal Flow works is that you can be spontaneous and come up with flows and combos you never expect to do, sure you learn how the movements go but after getting the basics down, what's stopping you from creating some cool moves on your own? Ginastica Natural has that same effect, it comes from different disciplines including Yoga, Gymnastics, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Animal Style movements. I love watching the master of this method at work and get a kick out of the scene from Choke where Rickson Gracie just flows through exercises and his breathing is incredible.

When you combine 2 very awesome methods, the sky's the limit and you can create so many things out of it and never be bored. It's playful movement at its finest and molding it to your abilities and creativity is just the tip of the iceberg man. Play opens up the brain and gives you the opportunity to be creative and doing something that is challenging but exciting, even eventful for that person.

It is so beautiful to see what possibilities are out there and be able to do it anytime and anywhere makes it all worthwhile. One of my favorite videos is of GN's Master Instructor Alvaro Romano is when it portrays him doing different animals and breezing through them in the jungle of Brazil. It is almost majestic yet breathtaking. Very cool video to check here.... If you want to learn the basics, go here and the DVD versions are pretty cool too as they take you through routines in a group like format.

Animal Flow has similarities to GN but focus on other components into a style that incorporates Capoeira, Gymnastics, Breakdancing & Animals. You take in exercises based on more animal specific movements and switching them out into combos, freestyle, ect.

Make it adventurous and share your progress, no matter how big or small. Be encouraging and open up your wild side. People love to see creativity at work, it's inspiring.

Taking A Page Out Of Gama, Zass & Justa

With the new Isometric Power Belt I have aquired, it has given me a new outlook on the men who have used Isometrics to better their health, fitness, overall strength and creativity. The Great Gama would tie a belt around a tree every morning for over 2 decades and tried to throw it, suplex it, push it, pull or anything to get it off its roots. It never happened but that's not the point; the point is, that tree made him so strong that he could toss opponents around like rag dolls either in practice or in competition of Kushti Style Wrestling. The belt and the tree gave him an advantage that nobody can match and was undefeated his whole career.

Alexander Zass was an old-time strongman who could bend bars, twist steel and other feats that were extraordinary in his day. He started becoming The Amazing Sampson when he was a Prisoner Of War in World War 1, breaking out of prisons a total of 4 times. He made it his mission to snap the chains that held him and bend the bars of his cell that kept him captive by straining as hard as he could until something moved or broke. He utilized Isometric Exercise in order to survive and that made him a legend among strongmen.

He took what he used and molded it to an act show of bending bars, snapping chains and twisting the toughest steel at the time. He once developed a book using Isometrics as a base for strength and exercise. He used an apparatus that was a long chain with 2 handles attached to each end. You can shorten or lengthen the chain and do a series Isometric Exercises to strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body. Some people got so strong the chain broke and would have to replace it. The Isometric Power Belt can duplicate those same exact exercises and no way of it snapping on someone and safer to use than a chain. I did a workout one day using those exercises and felt amazing afterwards. Great training to say the least.

Steve Justa out of all three of these men has got to be the most oddball. That is what makes him great though is his uniqueness and his no BS style of training. He became a believer in Isometrics when he was bailing hay and the guy much smaller yet muscular than him was pacing like a madman and had this incredible endurance for manual labor. Steve tried for 2 years lifting and moving heavy weight but barely made a dent in his labor work; worked for a few months on isometrics and was moving faster and could keep up with his co-worker with ease and his strength was insane along with amazing stamina. Isometrics shed a great deal of body fat, developed strength in his tendons and ligaments and was doing workouts that lasted from several minutes to a couple hours, working every single angle he can come up with and varied the intensity from 30%-100%. He has a course out called Iron Isometrics that shares his story along with how diet and Isometrics got him off diabetic medication after nearly losing his life to Type 2 Diabetes. There's another book you may have heard of called Rock, Iron, Steel that also has an entire chapter dedicated to Isometrics.

With the Isometric Power Belt, that is 28 ft long you can get creative and like Justa, develop strength from all sorts of angles and work the tendons like a madman. You can hold certain positions for long periods of time or shorter periods it is up to you and what your goals are. You can work around injuries (be careful on that) and develop greater speed. The longer holds are what Justa called Aerobic Isometrics (I guess it sounded cool to him lol) where you lower the intensity of a contraction and stick to that position for 30 seconds to several minutes. Think of it like the Shaolin Monks who hold several positions such as horsestances, fingertip push-up holds, handstands and such for long periods of time. That takes serious strength and mental conditioning. This is just an idea, it's not the end-all-be-all.

Isometrics can help you go beyond plateaus and even possibly help you recover from injuries. Be careful on how you breathe during these exercises, it is very common to want to hold the breath which is a huge no-no bro. With higher intensity like around 60-85%, as you exhale breathe out the letter S as in "sssss". For longer holds and less intensity say around 30-50%, breathe as deeply and calmly as possible. With longer holds, you can get quite a cardio workout as the muscle fibers are firing and your breathing becomes a factor.

Now what are the best ways to build muscle and burn fat with Isometrics? From my experience and learning from others including people like Bud Jeffries, Steve Justa, Logan Christopher and others who have practiced Isometrics; the shorter holds with higher intensity tend to give you more definition while the longer and less intense holds give you more of that "pump" and put on more natural muscle mass. I can't prove this scientifically so it's up to you to find this out for yourself, I'm going on what has happened with me. So take a page out of Alexander Zass, The Great Gama & Steve Justa and hit up some isometrics in your training. Get the Isometric Power Belt when it is available and develop some insane strength in the process.

Obsession Can Have Toxic Effects That Can Create Toxic People

The internet is massive (Thank you captain obvious) and has loads of info that can be overwhelming at times. You have everything you can possibly research on but in the midst of all of it, there are very toxic people out there and can have an overriding obsession with certain things, some to the great extreme.

For over a decade I have been off and on forums and a part of at least a few still with a name. Mainly just learning what I can about training and seeing what works and what doesn't. Some forums have very knowledgeable people and are unsung heroes of the fitness industry but yet some take that knowledge and push it down someone's throat and if you don't agree with them, you're a bastard and a monster and don't deserve to live. I will admit I fell into a trap or 2 debating with people and all that comes out of it is worthless BS that doesn't solve a damn thing.

One forum I'm a part of is to do the best within themselves to keep the methods of Charles Atlas alive. It's far from perfect and has a lot of flaws. All I really want to pay attention to is the training methods. The problem with it is, the religious views and political aspects tend to overshadow the fun and excitement of the training protocols. Some of the training protocols are flawed as well because the man who's the big operator tends to repeat over and over the same things without channeling different ideals that can be beneficial. I'm all for sticking to your guns but there are things beyond the world of Atlas and the far too simple bodyweight methods. I do like some of the things represented like being your own trainer and learning how to individually utilize your best capabilities without the need of comparing others. Is it the best forum for information? No, not a single one is and it's because many tend to stick to their own entities and live under the rock.

Another forum I look in on consistently and need to really drop out of my life is nothing more than a place where it bashes, ridicules and downright bully's the forum and it's head guy that I just described above called Aging Macho Men 2 (Great name for the internet's Village Idiots). All they really do is talk, some are fit guys but mainly a bunch of old geezers that can't find anything positive in their lives and just are so obsessed with burying people because they themselves couldn't move on after getting banned. Talk about toxic. They've even gone as far as to just trash me because I wear my heart on my sleeve and they couldn't handle the way I fought back. Now granted, I should've known better to engage with people like them, but it's not easy considering what I'm passionate about and what gives me purpose. I was even open with them and sharing a few personal things and that went south right away. Can't trust people and it's time to walk away because life is too damn short to have toxic people in your life.

Here's an example of what I mean by these dumb fucks......

Another forum I was on a couple times recently has some people who are pretty knowledgeable and have some awesome insight, especially the main guy who runs it...Former Marine and has his own equipment he sells that can help people get kick ass results. Here's the site. On the other side of the spectrum, there are some of those same assholes from AMM2 who do nothing but bust balls. It's one thing to bust someone, but to repeat it just because it's funny to you becomes a little annoying and sad. Some have even belittle others because they think what they represent sucks and are horrible people. That's the place I had to leave twice because it just became a little too much for my taste and left me wanting to strangle someone. There are a couple guys on there that were cool with me and I was honored to share some knowledge with them and learn a thing or 2 myself but they are so obsessed with that other forum I previously mentioned (the "resurrection" of Charles Atlas) that they went as far as to actually come up with some stupid ass things like I was a spy and that I was this guy's bitch and all that stuff. This isn't the CIA dumbass and the only real thing wrong that was felt was me being friends with this guy.

The point i'm trying to make here is be careful where you go to research and befriend people. It's important to learn who you can trust because the net is full of whackos, psychopaths and grown people acting like teenage bullies. I'm not going to be remotely surprised some of these forums post this article onto their feed and start ranting about it and come up with even more negative bullshit. It just goes to show how low people will go to boost their ego or their "village" and ridicule any outsider. There are forums that people will go to to just to get shit off their chests, others will look for a fight and will either be ignored or get engaged into some of the most idiotic conversations and than there are ones where because they were let go somewhere else, they talk and want to burn the other place into the ground all or the sake of a pity party that only they will celebrate.

I know what it's like to bullied both in life and on the internet. It's a constant learning process and it's important to protect yourself. Celebs have the worst of it and I get that not all people who are famous are the sweetest people but people jump to conclusions all the time and firmly believe they have figured people out. The world is a mighty big place; full of wonders, good people, bad people and downright messed up places but there is good there somewhere. Find what excites you, gives you something to be happy about and treat people well.

Some will see this as a rant, some may see it as dumb and others may ignore it completely. I see it as a means of a warning to those who want to research and join places that might benefit them. Be careful and be amazingly awesome today.