Having Fun In The Great Outdoors

From Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning, me, the wife and her bestie went for a nice camping trip up here in Idaho. Haven't camped in 3 years so it was nice to get away from civilization for a couple days. The bestie's boyfriend came up the next morning to join us.

Sitting by the fire, shooting the breeze, taking a dip in the creek and chopping some wood to help get the fire going was just one of those things you can't help but love. Got in some Isometrics and deep breathing down by the creek and just letting nature sink in. Just felt happy.

Had a little trouble getting the tent up the first night but managed and got it going, didn't have the best sleep but hey, it's the woods, you never know what's lurking amongst the trees lol. Because of my hammer training, it gave me some good solid strength to chop some fine wood. Me and Shel Mac took turns chopping various parts of wood for our girls and plus it gave me something to do since it's one of those natural workouts that is very rewarding.

Second night was just a blast, doing practically nothing but laughing, eating and being entertained by our friend's dog which is part Wolf. Creek was pretty damn cold but I didn't care, it felt invigorating and peaceful. With the deep breathing or rhythmic breathing, I was able to stay in that beautiful clear water for a good period of time. Getting away from the city can be a major reset and let yourself relax and enjoy kick ass company.

One of the best moments was our last morning and while having breakfast, a baby moose was running down the creek and turned toward our camp, was only 30 yards away if that from our spot and headed up the road. The third time in my life I've seen moose and you don't know how big they truly are until you see them practically in close proximities, even the babies are big bastards.

Have fun with the people you love and make the most out of a trip that can bring you great joy and happiness. Nature is your gym; chop some wood, carry it, swim in the river/creek/lake, pick up big rocks, climb a tree, do wall sits on a tree, walk in unknown terrain and most of all, have a blast.

Short But Intense Sandbell Workout

Steady and long workouts may not give you the most bang for your buck. Intense exercise is more of a burner than anything else because when you go through intense training, it aids in calorie burning during and after a workout. HIT does this very well and so does HIIT. Some people believe that very intense yet long workouts benefit more but not everyone has time to do something very long. A few minutes is more than enough if you do it right.

Yesterday after doing an Isometric workout for my core, I was in the mood to really get some cardio in but didn't want to do it very long so I went into the dungeon, set a timer for 10 minutes, grabbed my 20 lb Sandbell and had at it doing Slams and Presses for AMRAP. Lungs were firing and felt amazing. This kind of workout is a full body conditioner to a great degree because i'm also doing this with little to no rest between the Superset. Here's what I was working very hard....

Lung Capacity

Grip Strength & Agility

Shoulders

Legs

Core

Anaerobic Conditioning

Upper & Lower Back

Chest

& Power

Short & Intense workouts either as a finisher or on their own burn calories like crazy especially if you keep going without stopping. The Sandbell is an incredible tool and has dozens upon dozens of exercises to work with and forces to work your grip hard. It's not like a dumbbell or kettlebell where you grip the same size handle, you actually have to regrip it every time you use it so imagine the finger strength being developed by this. It strengthens the tendons and ligaments and when you slam it, you're strengthening your lung capacity.

This is just an idea of what you can do if you're short on time but want something effective. Here's the complete workout....

10 Slams

20 Presses (10 per arm)

AMARAP In 10 minutes with little to no rest.

What Kind Of Routine Should You Do For Isometrics???

Although there are limitless exercises in Isometrics and the many ways you can apply them, what should you do if you were to do a routine? The truth is, they can be added to any routine or can be stand alone if you wish. If you're into sports, you can use Isometrics to aid in the development of your skill set whether it's through pitching, hitting, throwing, jumping, shooting, taking down an opponent, slapping on a submission hold or whatever.

You can create a routine where you do one body part a day that takes no more than a few minutes and go on about your day. You can do multiple body parts and round out the whole body within a 3-4 day period. Do one upper body workout one day and do the lower body the next, picking out the various parts of the body you want to work on. It's really a matter of what your goals are.

In the 60's during the Isometric craze of the cold war, Olympic Weightlifters in the U.S used Isometrics to increase the strength not only in their lifts but aiding in their speed and precision. Men like Steve Justa & Alexander Zass used Isometrics to increase their health and strength through sheer practice of various angles and developed their bodies while also increasing the strength of their bones, tendons & ligaments. Henry Wittenberg who won Olympic Gold Medals in Freestyle Wrestling used Isometrics to dominate opponents. The Great Gama used Isometrics to overthrow every opponent he faced and went undefeated in 5000 matches over the course of his career.

The routine that best suits you will be the one that works. I understand that sounds very vague and you want the "Secret Sauce" that will make a routine make you Superman or Wonder Woman but we are all different and we all different sets of goals and we must work according to our level of fitness and getting the most out of what we want to achieve. I've had periods where I did full body Isometrics almost daily or go through a routine where I hit the whole body in a 3 day period and repeated the cycle. Isometrics can do wonders if you act accordingly and learn the proper techniques and breathing patterns that will create results and achieving your goals.

For more info on Isometric Training, check out 7 Seconds To A Perfect Body and learn the key ingredients to create your successful routine. 

Isometrics: A Quick Method For The Time Restricted Folks

We may only have 24 hours in a day but within that time, we get caught up in the "responsible acts" of life such as; getting to work, making a living, picking up kids, paying bills and doing adult stuff that never seems to end. When people want to work out, they feel that what they hear about how much time it takes to get results and what to do to get those results, it can be confusing and full of overwhelming anxiety that one of two things will happen; they'll either quit early or don't do at all because there's never enough time.

There's so much info out there that it can be daunting and hard to pick the right info for you to use to get the time in and what you're seeking. Some people can get to a gym even with tough ways to work around it and it works for them but it isn't for everybody. That's why I turn to Isometrics because it's quick and has great benefits of getting the most out of the time YOU need to get done. Isometrics are exercises where you don't move but you're exerting a lot of force. 

A great version of Isometrics is just simply flexing your muscles to a degree where you don't need more than a few seconds to really feel it. Flex your arms, your legs, your chest, your calves or whatever and hold it for no more than 12 seconds. The rule of thumb here is to not hold your breath as you flex. Instead, make an "sss" or "fff" sound as you exhale. This can help with blood pressure.

Another way to get a good Isometric workout in is taking a few minutes and do Self Resistance type training where you resist against yourself (muscle against muscle) and do various parts of the body like working your biceps, resist trying to lift your shoulders up, push your hands together for the chest ect. You can use a table, a park bench, your chair, pressing into the floor, holding a horse stance, these are all great ways to use isometrics. You can do a quick workout in about 5 minutes. If you do them right, you can also get a good cardio workout in it too. Think about it, using isometrics for cardio and never needing to force yourself to do 30 minutes on the treadmill or have to drive to the gym.

Some of my Isometric workouts last no more than 20 minutes, others, 5 is more than enough. I can give you some great courses to check out so you'll never have an excuse to not get something in. Make the timing count, don't let it steer you away. Get fit without moving whatsoever and do so anywhere from the park to a hotel room, your living room, backyard, at the beach, sitting in a chair or wherever you wish. 

Here are a few courses to check out that help you find cool ways to do Isometrics:

Super Isometrics for Maximum Strength and Muscle Gain

Isometrics By Henry Wittenberg

Developing The Isometric Mind : All 7 Volumes 

Isometric Power Revolution: Mastering the Secrets of Lifelong Strength, Health, and Youthful Vitality

Within minutes, you can get some awesome training in and never have to worry about getting the right time in. Make it work for you and take care of yourself. Strengthen your body anywhere and get the most out of it without being so restricted. 

Step Ups: An Alternative To Running

Some people love to run or jog, it can be meditative, often times a way to escape and get into a better state of mind, but it does have consequences. A good run is one thing and doing so for a few miles is more than enough for most people but if you push it too long/hard it can put a damper on your joints and can cause knee problems. 

I was never much of a runner and with the way my shins and ankles are, running is not a great option or exercise. I have known people who do a lot of running and one of them i'm related to and she runs like a madwoman. Running can be good to a degree in the sense where you're not putting your joint health at risk and tearing ligaments from overstraining or putting too much stress. 

Many use running as a form of cardio which can be good but can only take you so far and if you do exclusively, you're missing out on incredible other forms of exercise that has a safer alternative to your cardio/muscular conditioning. I've been doing Step-Ups lately and the few times I've done them, it's given me a hell of a cardio workout that does better for me than running on a treadmill or a track. I got the idea from learning more about Bob Backlund, the famous world champion wrestler from the late 70's to the early 80's.

I had written before about Backlund doing Step-Ups & The Ab Wheel as a means for developing awesome conditioning. He was an avid runner in his day to get great cardio for keeping up in the ring but once he found out about the Harvard Step Test, he was off and running with it (no pun intended). Once he transitioned to this exercise, his cardio shot through the roof and was considered as one of the best conditioned athletes in his prime. 

It's a simple exercise but a very effective one that builds the legs to last in the long haul and has a safer application on the knee joints and ankles. One workout I've been doing lately is Backlund's workout but alternating back and forth between the wheel and the step ups. 15 min non-stop is a hell of a workout and is a great start to see where your condition is at. How long I'll keep at it that remains to be seen but when I get the urge, I do what I can. 

How high of a step do you need for it to be effective? I don't think you'll need one where your step goes higher than a couple inches past your navel point. This is because you don't want to overextend or put too much flexion on the hip joint because although the legs are strongest in the body, your joints need to be strong too and exercised with safety. So a good 10-14 inches is more than enough but depending on your height and the health of your joints go accordingly. 

How many reps do you need to do to get an effective workout? This can vary from person to person depending on timing, the amount your body can go with and what the goal is. With my superset of step ups and the wheel, I would do 20 step-ups (10 per leg) at a time and do as many rounds as possible without stopping in the time I put up. In the 15 minutes, I would do close to 10 rounds which totals up to a couple hundred step-ups which is pretty decent but if I just did the step-ups alone for 15 min straight, I could probably do more than 300 if I really pushed it. It all depends.

So if you want to use a safer alternative to running and still want to get cardio in just about anywhere, go with step-ups and see what's possible for you. Backlund was known for doing step-ups for more than an hour on a consistent basis. That puts him in elite class when it comes to conditioning and was doing this past the age of 40, 50 and 60. He once did step-ups for a period of 8 hours with a small break in between, that just puts him in a universal class, not just world class. You don't need to go that long to get the benefits, a good half hour is more than enough. Any more, that's up to you.

Get in shape the best ways possible and the simpler it is, the better off. 

Here's a good step up implement you can use at home.... 

Have an amazingly awesome day. 

The Three Bears Concept Of Fitness

What a name for an article huh? What the hell does a children's story have to do with fitness? Well, more than you think because it's quite simple. In life, there's either too much of something, too little or not enough and there's the middle ground that hits the right spot and puts the right things in perspective. Fitness is a lot like that. When we work out, we want the best out of that session or having the best program we can do at the time but at times, we do too much and breakdown or burn out, other times we go cold and don't do enough to get the results we want but we do find that sweet spot and gives us what we seek.

Training is a series of victories, failures, experimenting with what works and what doesn't and finding the best for what suits us. Exercise is like the porridge in the three bears story and we are Goldilocks. There are some sessions where we do too much, we do things to the point something just doesn't feel right and than something clicks in and a workout becomes enjoyable and we get the most out of it because it's what worked. Papa Bear likes his porridge hot and steamy, it works for him, mama bear likes it cold and the baby bear has just enough to where it suits him best. Different things work for different people but like Goldilocks, we try different things and at times it'll feel hot and burns us, it could also make us feel we're not doing enough and goes cold but one way or another, we find that perfect blend and we get the result we seek.

Now unlike the blonde haired runaway, we don't want to just walk in and see what happens. We're hungry for results and we want them now. She just breaks in and starts eating someone else's food and not consider the consequences. Similar thing happens in fitness, we want to just break through and not consider what we're getting ourselves into because we don't know anything and don't grasp the concept of possible injury, not understanding if you're doing the right thing and seeing if the sweet spot is there. We learn from mistakes and not march into something we don't realize what can happen later. Like the bratty, Pollyanna looking ditz, when we do suffer the consequences we don't know what to do and end up with a lecture on what we need to learn from.

Let's take a look at the beds of the three bears and compare the way you recover. Goldilocks goes upstairs and decides to sleep off the porridge she just ingested and have a nice little nap in the process. One bed is too hard and doesn't have any support, another is way too soft and not firm enough and then that perfect bed that just is cozy enough and feels awesome to pass out in. For recovery, you want just enough that you feel good that when you go back, you'll be better than before and be able to progress. Being sore can be a real pain in the ass so you don't want your body to be so hard that it can't do what it needs to do and rest, you also don't want it to recover too much otherwise, you won't want to go back so you want to have that enough of a recovery where your body did it's job and you've got that energy and full tank to get back out there and not only that, progress and have your muscles in order.

Once you find that sweet spot in your training and in your recovery, things fall into place and you have your perfect set up for what you want to accomplish. It may not always go your way, things can happen along the way but make the most of your journey and if you happen to run into some bears, don't break in and see what happens, learn what is just right. 

Mimic Real Animals In The Wild

Animal Exercise has become more of a trend lately than what they're really meant for. As humans, movement is a necessity but the right kind of movement gives you abilities that you can develop like when you were a kid. There are many variations of Animal Movements but very few courses ever really teach the closest mirror image of the movements themselves. Obviously we can't be as strong, agile or conditioned like an animal in the wild no matter how hard you try, however; we can be stronger in the long run if we used our bodies more nature like.

Let's look at the bear crawl shall we; the simplest animal move in the entire movement army that kids, Football Players, Martial Artists, Wrestlers and other sports have used this movement in their repertoire and had incredible results. You're on all fours, butt in the air and you run in that position, plain and simple yet one of the most humbling. These days, it has watered down to several variations that have nothing to do with its original purpose. I do like how it teaches people to coordinate their bodies and utilizing more of the brain in opposite arm/leg movement but the majority who teach it never go beyond that and putting more spins on it than a Nascar during the Indy 500. I understand everybody is different and need a way to move according to their structure and strengths but simplicity is key and overcomplicating it is not going to help in the long run.

Primate exercises are another form that is watered down. Get into a squat, place your knuckles/fists/palms to the floor and mimic a primate. Today, there's too many gymnastic style variations that it doesn't feel almost mirror like. If you can't do a full squat, do what's possible and progress. The flow can be beneficial but in order to get the most out of moving like a primate, learn to actually move in the best form possible. Sure there are areas of moving like a primate that are downright impossible for a lot of reasons but keep the simplicity and focus on areas that strengthen the tendons and ligaments, not so much on the muscles.

When you practice moving like an animal, it forces your body already to use many muscle groups all at once but once you get in the habit of moving and strengthening the tendons, things will fall into place. When I say mirror like, i'm talking the closest to a movement a human is capable of. Watering t down makes it more complicated than it has to be. Once you have the basics down, start training for certain elements, mainly your conditioning. Too many of us get out of breath fast just by standing up and walking down the street, what if we didn't have to do that and our breath is so smooth that walking a mile or more felt like nothing. For strength purposes, it's important to see it not from a weightlifting mentality but a way of seeing it as making it easier to get yourself off the ground, be able to move without your back tightening up and using the body as a tool and not a burden.

One of my favorite books that gets you into the realm of the animal is the book: Animal Workouts. It shows variations of animals in a progressive setting that comes as close to the real thing as possible for a human. It helps develop conditioning in a unique way and giving you that enduring strength that lasts. Having fun getting flexibility and agility that makes you feel like a kid again and having powerful legs that last. These can be done anywhere, any time and some exercises don't have you going more than a couple feet, mainly just being in place. I use these in my own training and feel incredible afterwards. Once you get into the cardio aspects, it doesn't take long before you're huffing and puffing, just the Bronco variations alone can have you down in less than a couple minutes. Most workouts don't need more than 15 minutes to get done but you can do them as often as you can muster and however long you want, your pick. The longest workout I did was nearly an hour and a half and that was fun but brutal.

Get in touch with your natural side and get in top shape moving like our animal brethren. No watered down variations, just a few simple movements that offer big rewards in return.

Intense Yoga Isometrics

Yoga as a system is very beneficial and has helped a lot of people especially those who have practiced DDP Yoga. From time to time, I'll partake in a DDP Yoga workout since it's the only method that interests me but as you know, I'm not the biggest fan of following along and keeping at the same pace as everybody else, not that I can't do it, it just doesn't feel right to be like everyone else. Going at my own pace in my own time frame is optimal for me and I perform better that way.

Isometrics are a crucial part of all Yoga systems as you hold certain poses or postures for a period of time before moving onto the next sequence but what if we added an element of isometrics that made the workout shorter but just as effective? Instead of just holding the pose, why not add some intensity to it by really pushing into the ground hard and breathing using the "ssss" sound. This would cut the posing parts down but still aid in developing strength in your tendons and ligaments.

Postures such as Warrior Pose, Downward Dog, Cobra & Plank can all be done with more intensity can have great impact on your overall strength. Imagine flexing the muscles for up to 7 seconds in those poses with concentrated breathing. The strength you'll have would be incredible. Try this out, during a few poses, flex hard and move onto the next pose. This also aids in speed and flexibility.

Don't do every pose in intense Isometric Fashion, just a few here and there and see how it feels. If you do intense Isometric Contraction for every pose, you will wear out fast and it can burn you out, take it easy and build up. A full workout of this magnitude shouldn't take more than 20 minutes. Make it one of those days where you want to be extra intense but have a fulfilling workout in your Yoga session like once a week and do your regular sessions the rest of the time or take a day off to recover. Whatever works for you. Who said you can't get strong in Yoga?

Workouts That Last Less Than A Few Minutes

Many people are pressed for time but still want to get some training in. It is said you need 30 minutes to an hour 3x a week in order to see results. We can spread that amount of time throughout the day but yet, there are things that get in the way especially if you have kids. Most of my workouts don't last more than 30 minutes at best. If you're determined to get fit, you'll find a way without needing to spend a ton of money. This is where bodyweight training is at it's finest and taking workouts that are intense as hell but only last less than 5-10 minutes. Some of these workouts can even be used as finishers to your regular routine but they'll get you in shape fast whether as a finisher or on their own

-10 Minute Combat Conditioning Workout

10 Hindu Push-ups

10 Hindu Squats

10 V-Ups

AMRAP w/ Little To No Rest


-5 Minute Leg Blaster

30 Seconds Lunges

30 Seconds Jumping Rope

No Rest


-6 Minutes Of Bliss

1 Minute Push-ups

1 Minute Hindu Squats

1 Minute Mountain Climbers

1 Minute Bear Crawls

1 Minute Punches

1 Minute Lunges

No Rest


Animal Dice Game

Choose your animals for your numbered dice and go for 10 minutes with your rest only to roll for the next animal, shouldn't take more than a few seconds.

If you have some equipment to use, they can add variety to your training. Here's a circuit I did last night and finished 10 rounds in just over 10 1/2 minutes with very little rest....

5 Slamball Slams

20 Sandbell Presses (10 Each Arm)

10 Hindu Squats

Simple workouts can create big results and the only things that's really required is an imagination and desire to get something done no matter what time you have. They may be intense but they aid your conditioning to a great degree and can get you fit in a short amount of time. If you're a beginner, cut the number of reps in half or thirds to start and work your way up, rest slightly longer and than cut the rest time. Do what you can and make something happen. Your results will come if you're consistent.

The Traveler's Alternative To Weights

It can be a royal pain in the ass to stay in shape while on the road, especially if you've stayed on with a solid weight training program. For all intents and purposes, the traveling you already do can't be easy so what could work to keep you in shape so you'll stay motivated? Resistance or Rubber Cables can be an excellent alternative to keep you energized, motivated and geared up for those long flights, crazy miles of driving in a car and switching out of hotels. The best cables on the planet today in my opinion are the Lifeline Cables. You can take these anywhere and don't have to put them in a checked bag, they can be an awesome carry on.

I don't recommend doing a heavy workout while on a plane and certainly don't condone while driving (There are some stupid people out there so I'm just throwing it out) but if you have a small window at an airport or want to get in something quick in your hotel room or by the pool, this can be extremely beneficial. Most of the time when I travel, I just do bodyweight exercises but if I want a better variety, I would at times bring my cable bag as one of my carry on items that's full of great ways to exercise. I've even brought with me an ab wheel that I put in my duffle bag and knocked out a set or 2 at the airport.

Sure you can get to a gym while traveling since there's more gyms these days than a herd of bulls but as you travel, it can be time consuming and if you're pressed for a meeting or want to go sightseeing with family, it makes things more difficult than they need to be. Not every hotel will have a gym on sight and there are towns where the nearest gym is 45 minutes or more. Yes there are some of those people who are as dedicated as you can get to get to a gym for about an hour or so but those are an extreme few. A great workout is using the TNT Cables where you can do what's called the 15/15 workout that has you doing 10 minutes of 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off of combining the Curl, Squat & Press; this is awesome for developing cardiovascular and muscular conditioning in a short amount of time. You can also use the door attachment to add pulling and chest pressing movements plus tons of other exercises with this set of cables.

Another awesome resistance tool is the Super Bands where it's just one big band that you can do curls, presses and squats to help you stay in shape and fits easily in a bag. Less than 15 minutes with this sucker and you're good to go. Imagine getting so much done in a short span of time and spend more quality time with the people you're traveling with or by yourself. The cost pans out greatly in the long run and these cables will last quite a while. Make the most of your training no matter where you are and being in shape anywhere you go. Have fun and safe travels my friend.

Animal Movement Vs Calisthenics

Exercise from a general standpoint can have healthy benefits and prolong your life to the degree where you can get injured less, have strength than the average person and carry out greater endurance but which area of exercise are you at? What area of exercise do most people gear towards when it comes to bodyweight? Animal Exercise or Calisthenics? In my opinion, most take on calisthenics which is the stationary style exercise system of push-ups, squats, sit-ups, pull-ups, jumps, handstands and other of the like. We learned calisthenics in P.E class or certain aspects of gym work but as oppose to yesteryear, calisthenics are a mark for business that tends to overload info on exercises that are beyond the basics for most to learn and the more advanced they are, the more divided it becomes.

Animal Exercises are simple and to the point by utilizing the mentality of mimicking wild animals. Unlike calisthenics where you're in a certain spot, you're moving about in your surroundings in a more natural setting; crawling, jumping, balancing and running. I'm not saying calisthenics aren't natural but today's calisthenics seem to be blown way out of proportion that we can't tell what's natural in that method of exercise. There are benefits to both and have a great deal of teaching the body how it handles itself through practice of pushing, pulling, squatting and using the core in ways you can't get from weight training. The majority of calisthenics training focuses on specific muscles while having the whole body engaged. Animal Movements in and of themselves focuses on every muscle in the body whether you're in a lower body or upper position.

Both have gone through transformations which can be both good and bad. The good is where we learn what we're capable of and transitioning from a certain exercise to the next and developing advanced forms of movement that separate us from a beginner to world-class athleticism and conditioning. The bad is where they overload the info and program the methods with different names, names of exercises and certain movements that the average person or world-class athlete shouldn't be doing. Here's the mindset I've seen in certain people; when you see a regular push-up, it's basic and shows that anyone whether beginner or world-class can do but it also looks boring as oppose to say a planche where the feet are off the ground and holding the body up with no more than the arms and being so flexed and balanced, it looks cool and something that doesn't seem possible at first.

Let's now transition to the bear crawl; simply get on all fours with your butt in the air and start walking around. We did this as little kids and when it came to sports, it was pushed even further by just running in that position in Football & Wrestling. As simple as it is, it can bring down the toughest athletes. Nowadays, the very same bear crawl has you having a more straight back, moving opposite arm and leg and not moving as fast. That's awesome for starting out and developing the body in a different manner plus making more use of the brain and nerve endings. I prefer the old school method and just go for a stroll or a sprint. How about the Pull-up, these days most don't learn how to even do a regular pull-up, they're either kipping or swinging their body up or trying too hard to transition from two-arm to one-arm and not considering the basic principles. Pull-ups whether you're new or have done them for years are hard as it is and just because you increase the reps doesn't make you a better practitioner, just means you're doing more reps.

The main point to this article is seeing not only the differences in each method but to show that with basic principles, both are very beneficial and to be careful of who teaches them because if someone barely teaches the basics, they're not doing their job right. I also believe in quality over quantity. Now with certain exercises, it may not look pretty but if you don't get injured and the quality you provide works for you it's still better than how many reps you can do. Most people won't do 500 reps of an exercise but if they do quality repetition that makes the reps have significance, that's really awesome. When it comes to animal movements, quality isn't a huge thing but has to do more with coordination. Repetition is useful but reps in this manner are geared towards taking steps or going a certain distance (Feet, yards, meters or whatever) and the better coordinated you are, the more you can keep going.

It doesn't look like it takes much strength to do animal exercises but it's a different kind of strength where just holding yourself up in a crawling position takes more strength than one realizes. Like the bear crawl, you're moving using your arms and your legs for a period of time. Now because you're moving at a certain clip, you're using greater strength in your arms because it's like using another pair of legs. We can run well and sprint and walk on our legs but if we were doing the same but with our arms, imagine the level of strength or in other words Conditioned Strength that you can have.

Although I prefer Animal Exercises over Calisthenics, both give tremendous benefits to our health and fitness but sticking to the basics goes a much longer way than any advanced movement. As we get older, our bodies won't always get the same effect and those advanced movements will at some point be virtually non existent. Yes, it is amazing to see a man or woman in their later years to advanced exercises but those who are in their 50's up until over 100 doing basic push-ups or squats, doing crawls with ease are far more awesome looking to me. Keep up with the basics and you'll be far better off, do advanced movements if you wish but the basics will keep you going longer. 

The Training Ideals Of The Wildman Training System

Not too long ago, I wrote an extensive review about Johnny Grube and his wildman philosophy in both training and in how he views the world from the way he writes. I got some heat from it especially from him from a comment he made and doing a counter write-up by going after me which I would expect from a guy like that. I'm not going to change how I feel about his over the top, psychotic and harsh rants but I do want to talk specifically about his training system.

Granted, not everyone who grew up in a blue-collar environment views the world the way this dude does but his philosophy on training is something I do have some admiration about. The way he trains is not fancy or fluff or full of BS but doing simple things and being as basic as you can get. I got into circuit training because of him and like how he makes workouts short and to the point.

Aside from his crudeness and lack of positivity, he brings up a lot of points to the training philosophy in today's world as oppose to yesteryear. Many people believe that in order to get fit, you have to train at this gym, do bodybuilding type of exercise and follow a magazine's way of working out but not everyone is cut out for that. Going to a gym can be a great thing for somebody but if you don't do the basics and be focused on the true aspects of exercise, you're not going to get the true results you're looking for. Bodyweight Training is a vast universe of exercise that relies only on yourself and Grube magnifies that philosophy. It takes guts to do hard style bodyweight training and doing kipping pull-ups and terrible looking burpees (if you really call those) aren't going to help you in the long run cause they will get you injured if you don't take care of yourself.

Grube is a strong dude, no question about it and does things on his own terms, I don't agree with almost anything he has to say but his training style is simple enough for everyone to understand once you get passed the bad spelling and all that jazz. He's in better condition than most guys half his age and he'll gladly tell you so in the most brutal ways. Do I think he's a little off his rocker, hell yeah cause for one, the way he talks about Blue-Collar life makes it sound horrible as opposed to someone like Bud Jeffries who grew up in a similar environment but chose a different path on he views the world and how to treat people. His way of training can look tedious and boring at times but overall, it gets the job done if you want to be in shape fast and continue to do so for years to come.

On a positive note, I believe in being in the best shape regardless of age and living with as less injuries as possible because let's face it, I want to play with my kids and grandkids when I'm older and sharing a fun game or teaching them about life through aspects of training to help them grow into people that this world needs. I'm not the biggest fan of push-ups but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to do them later in life and if it came down to it, I want to knock off as many as I can and still stay strong. I want to be in awesome shape in my 50's and beyond. I'll be 35 next month and although for older folks that's still young, it still isn't someone like in their 20's who can do a lot of things and not feel worn down. I love having great energy and part of the Wildman Training helps provide that maybe not the same intentions Grube looks for but making the most of what you have and being successful in your own life.

Johnny Grube is a brash hard ass but his style of training can turn you into a highly conditioned machine and whether we admit it or not, being in real world shape is a must regardless of your age and not to just lose weight and look like a greek god but to have something that can be useful and inspirational for others to learn for their lives.

Let The Hammer Fall

Every now and then, I'll get the urge to take out Big Bertha (59 lb. Sledgehammer) or the 30 lb. Thor Hammer and take down the tire with everything I've got. It's one of those workouts where you just need to get some aggression out and get in cardio that you just can't get from a treadmill or an exercise bike. Not that those aren't good but they don't have that factor where it's a combination of strength building, cardiovascular conditioning, tendon strength, muscle building and anaerobic effectiveness.

Sledgehammer Workouts have been around for quite a while and are a great addition for training used by fighters, wrestlers, strongmen and other athletes. They're a tribute to the manual laborers who bust their ass day after day hitting rock, stone and other things to break down and mold or taken out so something can be built. I admire guys like that and are in awe of the natural strength they possess. Slim The Hammer Man is a perfect example of this; worked 12-14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week at a rock quarry, breaking down stone and hauling it out and doing it for decades is a true testament to what real world strength looks like in the flesh.

For training purposes, you really don't need that heavy of a hammer to get in some serious training. I like heavy hammers and use them as a test of strength endurance but the lighter hammers (15-25) will give you a cardio workout that is out of this world and build muscle you can't get from conventional lifting. There are great ways to use the hammer but the most basic exercises the swing & thrust and just the thrust down movements, after one set of repetitions, switch hand grips and repeat the number of reps.

I did a progression system where I would take a deck of cards and use those for reps, once I completed the deck, I would add weight to the hammer. Now, not all hammers allow you to put in lead shot or steel shot and they're just a regular hammer. You can go out and buy a heavier hammer or you can use the same one and see how long it takes you to finish a workout with a deck of cards; my best time with the 30 lb. Thor Hammer is 32 minutes and over 90 minutes with Big Bertha. With a lighter hammer (under 25 lb.), a full deck can be done in less than 20-25 minutes.

Now on the topic of form since there are some Form Nazis out there, certain aspects of form changes the complexion of the exercise from a more strength based to a cardio based. So, if you did a lighter hammer and just do a more thrust down style, that gives off more of the cardio effect because you're just moving the hammer up and down at a fast pace; this is more my style and it makes the workout go by faster. For the Swing & Thrust movement, you can use a heavier hammer or a lighter hammer, either way, you're using more muscles in a rotational pull and thrusting it down which may lead to less reps but more of a strength exercise. With the 59 lber, I can't go anywhere near as fast with the Swing Style but that's not the point, the swing style is not really about speed but more technique based and focused on strength. You still breathe heavily just moving that heavy sucker but it takes more strength to swing a hammer of that size.

This isn't a fancy type of workout and isn't meant to be pretty, it is basic, straight forward and full of bad ass benefits. It can aid in fat loss, build muscle fast, tendons like steel cords, grip strength that of the charts and core strength that very few can match. You'll have endurance and stamina that is very unique and strength nobody would ever mess and more. For this type of workout, if I was serious about it, wouldn't be more than 3-4 days between sessions. If you do it for a living that's one thing but for training purposes, you need to recover efficiently otherwise you can really hurt yourself so do what's possible for you without risking major injury.

Get Your Own Sledgehammer Here.


Herb Of The Day: Spartan Formula

For Sledgehammer Workouts Check Out: Monster Conditioning- Sledgehammer By Bud Jeffries

Get pumped up for this kind of training by this kick ass band.....

Getting Summer Fit In A Fun Way

It's beautiful outside, time to hit the beach, soak up some sun, go for a dip and getting fit for these warm and sunny days. Getting beach ready may not be easy but it shouldn't be boring as hell either. Although it is important to be fit all year round, maybe you'd like to show off a bit, show the hard work you put into and get some heads turning. A great way to do this is by moving like a wild animal.

Animal Movements get you fit fast and with a good nutrition plan, you can make it happen. The exercises make you use your entire body as a unit and the more muscles you use in a movement, the greater chance of unwanted fat being burned and natural muscular definition comes into play. This is awesome especially for women who struggle getting weight down and want to have that tight fit body. This isn't about getting skinny, starving yourself and especially it isn't about trying to please anybody; it's about building confidence, having fun with the work you put into and having energy that is off the chain.

For us guys, it can be a struggle too but it isn't impossible. It doesn't take hours to do and certainly doesn't take isolating the muscles. Having that strong, powerful energy and magnetism is what a lot of guys want. But remember, it's not about developing tight abs, 20 inch arms or looking like a comic book character; it's about becoming athletic, strong in the places you need, conditioned to where tiring would take a long time and building muscle that is useful instead of a waste on looking pretty. I'm sorry but if you look fit and can't do jack shit on the important stuff, you're not making the real effort.

Animal Movements focus on the muscles that you normally don't use in the gym, just because you can curl good weight, doesn't mean your arms are strong enough to hold you up when needed. Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Duck Walks, Tiger Crawls, Frog Jumps; those are what will give you the ability to use the body in the real world. Hitting the iron can do wonders no question but a 500 lb squat won't help you sprint or swim a lap without tiring. This is a different kind of strength training & conditioning and you can take it just about anywhere. What would it feel like to you to swim for extended periods of time, have less chances of getting injured and have muscle that actually means something?

For men, it develops natural muscle mass and strengthen your core, your ligaments and have a profound impact on your joints; for women, it develops a sleek and powerful body without bulking up or putting on unwanted weight, shaves fat off your tummy and lift your butt (Duck Walks, Frog Jumps, Lunges and Donkey Kicks develop a great butt), gives you real world cardio that you can't get from a treadmill and energy that just screams badass.

Crawl, Jump, Balance and sprint your way to being in the best shape of your life and the more you get into it, the more addicting it becomes. It doesn't feel like a workout, just playing. How long do you do it for? That depends on your goals and what you want out of it. Time wise, you don't need more than 30 minutes a few times a week, 4 times a week would be only 2 hours of real training, imagine how much time you'll be saving and being around the people you love, getting tasks done in the day and having fun. For beginners, 5-10 minutes is a great start and if your body can't do that yet, start with one minute and build from there.

Get your hands on the book Animal Workouts: Animal Movement Based Bodyweight Training For Everyone and get into the exercises slowly, do too much too early, it could hurt you so go at your own pace. You can also pick up, Animal Moves: How to Move Like an Animal to Get You Leaner, Fitter, Stronger and Healthier for Life for another variety of exercises that are fun, challenging and more structured.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Hercules Pre-Workout Formula

Free Circuit Training Workouts

If you research hard enough, you can find places where you can get workout ideas not only for free but without any agenda behind it. Darebee is one of those places that offer free workouts, nutrition plans, 30-90 day programs that consist of workouts to keep you fit whether a beginner or an advanced athlete. Circuit Training is a style of fitness that consists of a specific number of exercises one after another with no rest until that set of exercises is complete. It takes on more of conditioning purposes but Darebee has workouts that attain attributes to specific goals whether it's strength building, developing muscular definition, flexibility, agility, cardio and more. 

I use to do a lot of the workouts from this place and some of them are pretty tough once you get into more sets. I did one yesterday that wasn't too tough but didn't want to risk overloading my body by going at a fast rate so I paced myself but still got through each circuit without stopping and recovered doing their allotted time of 2 minutes between circuits. These workouts do have some cool themes that appeal to pop culture and films, cartoons, military, martial arts and athletic conditioning. This is great for people who can't afford a gym or want to save money and not buy equipment, can be done anywhere and any time. It is non-profit and only ask for donations to keep making the workouts and provide them for everyone. 

All their workouts and programs don't cost you anything but if you want the workouts in book form, you can buy them at Amazon for a stupid cheap price and each book covers dozens upon dozens of workouts. For all the books, you can have a lifetime of choices to choose from and all it does is cover costs for the website, that's it. If you want to just stick to the free form, you can download the workouts on the website to your phone, ipad, laptop or whatever and take them with you anywhere you go. 

The exercises are as basic as you can get but as a method to the madness, they have workouts and rep schemes that can even fear some of the best athletes and fitness enthusiasts around. They can help you get in shape for competition, they can help pass the time on a lunch break at work, they can provide a challenge for the crazy fitness nut and don't take more than 45 minutes to complete a whole workout. If you're in crazy shape, you can recover in less time and cut the workout down to 10-30 minutes. One program even has you only doing a total of 5 minutes. Each workout provides illustrations of the exercises, specific reps, choices for rest time and levels of fitness. Some workouts only have 3 sets, others have 5, many have 7 and the most murderous workouts have 10 sets. Each level of sets correspond with your way of finding out how fit you are. 

These are fun, challenging and exciting workouts that just about anybody can do. However, not everyone can handle some workouts as they're so tough, if you're not there yet, it can put you at risk for injury so find workouts that are suitable to your goals. They provide warnings on which ones are suitable for anyone and ones that are for the big dogs and want a challenge. 

One of my favorite workouts to do was the Batcave Friendly Workout where you do up to 10 circuits that have 9 exercises that even the Dark Knight would be proud of. My shortest time is around 30-35 minutes for the whole workout. You will sweat, you might end up cussing up a storm and it gets you in top condition fast. 

   

Get fit at home, in your hotel room, at a park, at the beach, anywhere that has enough space to do the exercises. Don't try to do Level 3 all the time, give yourself time to recover from certain workouts, cut down levels so you don't overdo it, rest in the time you need to get the most out of the next circuit, use some workouts as a finisher to your current program, some workouts are for recovery purposes so use them on some days and challenge yourself every now and then. If you want a challenge and take your cardio to a whole other level, do 10 sets of the workout below even though it says 7. Believe me, even I'm scared to take this on but one day it'll happen. This is cardiovascular conditioning at its finest and wll challenge even world-class athletes. All together if you did 10 sets it'll be 400 Push-ups, 400 Squats, 400 Punches & 400 Lunges. 

100 Workouts Vol. 1

100 Workouts Vol. 2

100 Workouts Vol. 3

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Schisandra