STICK To Isometrics

Do you remember as a kid playing with a stick and pretending its a gun, a baseball bat, a lever, a sword, a paton, an oar or whatever your imagination conjured up? Was it fun, exciting and full of creative ways to play or practice an art? What if you could do that again but add in fitness to it, better yet, Isometrics?

Being creative is part of the fun when exercising. I'm talking about the kind of creativity that keeps you interested, makes you fit with long term abilities and strengthen the body without ever moving. Since we're in quarantine, might as well make the best of it right? What if you could strengthen not just the muscles, but your tendons and ligaments just by doing Isometrics with a stick by creating exercises based on only your imagination. Be able to strengthen the swing of a bat, be faster with a sword, quicker reflexes with a hockey stick or if you're a sadist, have crazy strength in your submission game in MMA/Catch Wrestling.

Yesterday, I made up a video of doing Isometrics with a stick from various angles where you're pushing, pulling, gripping, squatting and even squeezing using leverage. From sword play to a submission hold to pulling, bending, angling, holding the squat and more in less than than a couple minutes. Just an idea of developing world class strength without moving a damn muscle. One Isometric that I loved doing in this video was practicing the Catch Wrestling submission, the Double Wrist Lock or the Kimura for BJJ guys. This isometric can make your forearms feel like crazy strong pipes when you apply the hold; the hardening of the bones will make an opponent want to scream bloody murder. I learned this Isometric from Don Powers' book Catch Wrestling For Cops. Just this exercise alone can possibly tear an opponent's arm and put them in the hospital.

Isometrics go beyond just exercise and getting stronger. It's putting in work that can enhance your physical abilities and possibly reduce osteoporosis and reduce injury. A lot of injuries tend to be more on the tendons and ligaments, muscles heal much faster than a torn ligament. Old school Karate and Kung Fu masters did similar Isometric exercises to hardened the bones of their elbows, shins, wrists, fists and ankles. Although small, these guys were freakishly strong and deadly (Bruce Lee anybody?) and if they hit you, it could be fatal. In MMA or in other sports, not only Isometrics reduce injury but create an insane amount of durability and longevity that can aid a team or in a fight and if you happen to get into one on the streets, it can come in handy.

Muscles can only do so much and since so many people focus on the muscles, they forget that an overload wears down the tendons and ligaments so you're having a greater chance of tearing something and having to rehab for a fucking insane amount of time. After my accident, I was determined to be the strongest I can be without always resorting to or relying on the weights, so when I started practicing Isometrics along with the bodyweight exercises, my injury rate as opposed to when I was in high school and going to the gym went down incredibly and only got injured maybe once or twice but never anything severe.

A stick to some people is just a stick, to me and others with an incredible imagination, it's lifesaving and makes us stupid strong for the things we do in our lives. Get a hold of a stick and see what Isometrics you can come up with.

Can You Stand It?

Throughout the chaos of the Coronavirus, it is important to still stay calm as possible because when you get frustrated, angry and/or sad, people can sense it around you whether it's through body language or the way the energy is felt. As an empath, I understand how mental and emotional energy can be felt on another person and it can be draining. Let me ask you this....Have you ever walked into a room or walked by someone and something just felt off? It may not be the room or the person themselves but the energy or that feeling you get when something just isn't right. Some people are empaths, some aren't and others can be very intuitive while others don't know what the hell their sensing.

One of my biggest focuses lately is through meditation in various ways. The last few days I've done the Wu Ji Standing Posture for up to 20 minutes at a time, sometimes with my eyes open, sometimes with my eyes closed but all in all it just looks like i'm standing there. Things aren't always what they seem, you see just standing in a posture becomes more than what others see. It's like a restart for your body that creates internal energy from within and commanding the body to relax and let things sink. Now that doesn't mean you become so loose there's no strength, with the right mindset and the way your posture is, you're gaining strength from another point of view and energizing your system through breathing, mental imagery, relaxing the muscles and letting everything be.

It takes a lot of patience and coming from someone who has a form of ADD, it becomes a mental game more than anything. Can you stand still for 20 minutes? It's not easy lol, but if you allow yourself to program your mind, take command of your body and empty the garbage can of your brain of thoughts and fears, things will start to unravel. It's like feeling the Force or the universe speaking to you and teaching you things about yourself. That's within the deep levels of meditation and although I have felt things and learned some things, it still needs practice and haven't hit seafloor deep yet but still deep.

Meditation through this time is a hell of a way to keep yourself focused, recover mentally and physically, enhance your breathing capacity and feel more collected and staying cool. Recovery is just as important as physical training and one cannot exist without the other, if you do nothing but physical things, when will you rest or give yourself a break but if you just meditate and do nothing physical, your body won't function the way it needs to. Some need more physical activity than others and some need more time to recover. There should always be a balance. If one is thrown off, the other has to pick up the slack.

Some of the things I've experienced in my meditations whether they were standing or sitting have been somewhat of a wake up call. Without actually trying, I have seen myself in my mind wrestling (or doing the style of Catch As Catch Can) the relaxed version of myself and the tense and anxious version of myself and it was a battle, non stop fight and trying to break one another. Watching that in my mind was an experience. Other things were like a voice telling me flat out my addictions and causes of my anxiety and telling me how to handle them. It wasn't screaming or anything like that but it came at me head on with no filter and gave me something to reflect on. I wasn't mad or frustrated, I just listened and felt the energy I was feeling and accepting what was and not resisting what was going on.

Most of the time, the biggest fear we have is ourselves and not accepting who we are and resisting help even from within. Right now, we are living in constant fear, anxiety, worry, desperation and letting the outside world dictate our way of being. Yes it sucks that businesses are closing down and the only things standing is the Essential Employees and the news is telling us one thing after another about the research, the symptoms, the methods of treatment, being told to stay home, it really does fucking suck but a lot of the things that are happening are not within our control and we want to think we are. We can only control so many things and a couple of them is controlling our emotions and our reactions. We can't help that a business can't use its employees, it's not our fault that this virus popped up and it sure as hell isn't a child's fault he/she can't be in school because of the fear and super cautious people keep them from having an education.

The biggest things we can do right now is make this as positive as possible like meditating, making a person smile when it's been hard, donate to a charity, hugging and loving our loved ones, read a fun book, watch a favorite movie, buy what we need and get the fuck back home lol, there are some things we can control but it is up to us to do what is possible. One of the biggest problems we have is acceptance, we have trouble accepting the fact that this won't last forever, accepting the fact that kids being home is the safest thing even though they can be annoying and extremely patience-testing and accepting that working from home is a far better option than not working at all and not being able to afford the needs for your family or just yourself.

Practice meditation, learn to accept what is and what will be, take care of yourselves and each other and for the love of the god damn universe, laugh it up and smile when the opportunity arises. Can you stand it?

Having Cabin Fever Can Be A Struggle

It's getting worse before it's getting better with this fucked up Coronavirus thing. Being basically told to stay home while trying to live a regular life. Not being able to stand more than 6ft away from somebody or even shake a hand when making a new friend, physical contact has become scarce because of the potential of getting sick. It's almost becoming like a futuristic version of Demolition Man where you can't even high five somebody and physical contact is basically against the law.

Even with working from home, I get Cabin Fever myself and I will admit, it has gotten the best of me at times. The frustration, the inability to go out where you'd like to go, not be able to even eat at a decent restaurant because of the shutdowns, not being able to go to a freaking library or the movies, for real going to a movie now is nearly considered dangerous. If you have kids at home from schools being shut down, that's got to be a total pain in the ass and you have y sympathy, luckily I'm glad that kids are at least safe and some parents love having their kids around but that still takes a patience that tests that sanity. One of my sisters has three boys at home (10, 4 and a 17 year old stepson) and I wish I could help her out, my other sister has a 17 year old High School senior doing school on a laptop and having a teenager quarantined with you can't be easy.

Although we are "saving lives" and practicing Social Distancing during these hard times, it can't be good when a newborn is coming into the world in this state and possibly growing up not knowing what a freaking hug feels like. I know this virus won't last forever and maybe some kids will experience unconditional love through physical contact but that's the way the human race is these days. I'll admit, as a person who is a hugger and loves to shake hands and high five people, it's driving me nuts. My wife calls my way of being with people a Love Language because yes I do like to hug people and if some aren't like that than I tone it down but I care about people and comforting them whether they're happy or sad or whatever, that's the compassionate side of me which only those who are around me understand. When you're barely allowed to do that, it tears you up and breaks your heart.

I firmly respect boundaries and I get it that there's an epidemic that is potentially fatal but come on now, some form of physical contact is a stress reliever and aids in those who suffer from depression and anxiety. I don't have severe depression thank god but I know what it's like to have high anxiety and have empathy so I feel for those who could use a hug and a smile to brighten their day. When you start taking away a natural stress reliever and a person's right to share unconditional love because of fear, you're aiding gasoline on the fire on the notion that because of how bad it's gotten, people are being conditioned to stay away from each other. It's one thing to understand safety and learn how to keep yourself healthy but the coronavirus isn't within every square inch of somebody and out of over 7 billion people in the world not even 1% have gotten it. 

Be safe and healthy, share some love with someone even if you can't even hug them at the moment. If you go out, protect yourself but don't go to extremes and for the love of the damn universe, thank a store clerk, a nurse, a small business owner, a teacher, trucker and others that have to keep going out into the chaos to get a paycheck.

This may be too soon to do but for those who are stuck at home and need a little pick me up, turn your Cabin Fever from a negative to a positive and remember, this won't last forever.

Building Powerful Forearms Using Isometrics

Our lower arms and hands have built the tallest structures, crafted the most most beautiful yet devastating weapons, created some of the coolest cars on the planet and have also been a lifesaver whether it's holding onto somebody, made the difference in a fight, won or lost a game or literally saving someone from danger. We at times take our hands for granted and not realize that what can create, can also destroy in the blink of an eye.

One of my favorite sports has been Arm Wrestling and when I get an opportunity, I don't hesitate to take someone on. Maybe it's that thing about testosterone us guys have and an urge to test our strength. I have arm wrestled some pretty strong guys; took on three generations of men in my wife's family (two of them were loggers for many years and both are bigger than me), my friend and brother in strength Logan Christopher, big man named Travis who's 6'3 and around 250-260 at the time, and a friend of my dad's who's a practicing buddhist and weightlifter. It took me a lot of years to build the strength I have and a large part of it was due to Isometrics.

Although I have swung heavy hammers, torn phonebooks, bent short and long lengths of steel; Isometrics were a major key component to keep myself injury proof and strengthened my muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. One of my favorite exercises that I haven't done in a while is Isometric Arm Wrestling and hitting angles that gave me incredible strength. In No Gi Grappling, it was hard for guys to armbar me and the extreme few that did, learned the sweet spot to get me but it was interesting the way they tried.

On a more serious note, it does take quite a bit of work to build the lower arms and strengthening the hand and wrists. Some solid movements are great especially if you're into things like Arm Wrestling but hitting different angles in an Isometric fashion can give you a incredible advantage where if you get caught up in a fight and you need that punching power or be able to squeeze your opponent in a choke hold and have that vice-like grip, that shit can save your life. If you're a member of law enforcement, the military or a firefighter, grip strength is an essential ingredient of being able to save someone's life or apprehending a suspect.

Using a thick handle for various exercises can build serious forearm and hand strength. I use to love doing pull-ups with the fat gripz or wrapping a thick towel around the bar, those were brutal. One exercise that really gave me the strength to rip thick phonebooks was actually trying to rip a phonebook that was completely wrapped in duct tape, I still have that book and was given to me by Logan Christopher. Because Isometrics were such a key asset to my training, they've helped me tackle weights I rarely ever touch but can still do like 60 lb db curls, 130 lb one arm db rows, picking up a 335 lb deadlift in the rack and still able to bench around 300.

It's amazing how some blue collar guys, old time farmers, arm wrestlers, football players and wrestlers have phenomenal grip strength even in their later years. One of the most fascinating to me is old time pro wrestler Danny Hodge whom had grip power that broke pliers, turned apples into mush by squeezing them and made opponents his bitch just by getting his hands on them. The best modern day grippers or men of hand strength are guys like Dennis Rogers, Bud Jeffries, Mark Henry, Chris Rider, Jedd Johnson and others. If you want to build stupid strong hands and steel cord like forearms, go with Isometrics.

Remember, what you can create, can also bring destruction, so train with intent and use that strength to help others when an opportunity arises. 

Isometrics & Quarantine

Since we the people were told to stay home, might as well make the best of it right? Good thing I work from home anyway or wherever the hell I want if internet is up. I'm more of a homebody anyway and when I do go out, its for a good walk, shopping with the wife (good thing we don't have to break anyone for Toilet Paper), spending time with family or being out on the patio getting some sun. Although this is a serious virus and I know I'm not invincible, I still don't feel threatened to it and I'm so grateful my wife hasn't gotten it considering how many people she deals with all day.

Where we live is beautiful, surrounded by trees, next to a golf course, awesome neighborhood and some good hiking trails nearby so fuck you Coronavirus. Anyway, since we're cooped up here, let's keep ourselves in shape and stay as healthy as possible. Over a period of weeks, I was doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible which I got really good at and gotten incredible results as you have seen recently. However, as I naturally do, I switch things up to keep from doing the same thing over and over, so I switched over to mainly Isometric Training.

Some of the best info on Isometric training is through the Facebook group Vim & Vigor (Isometrics And Beyond) where you'll find like minded people who have a very positive spin on the subject, a great file section on Isometric Training and loads upon loads of encouragement and inspiration. For me, some of the best people to learn the subject of Isometrics are people like Bud Jeffries, Jarell Lindsey, Batman (Paul) O'Brien, Steve Justa and others.

Isometrics in and of themselves can be a hell of a workout and it doesn't take a ton of time. These would be the perfect workout to do while in Quarantine. You can do exercises from your couch, your bed, in the kitchen (maybe not while cooking lol) on the wall, in the doorways, hell even while you take a shower. The main summary of Isometrics is that you're using force without actually moving, you can also hold a certain position with less force and hold it for an extended period of time. The most common Isometric people do is the Plank where you're in push-up type position on the hands or forearms. 

Although the Plank is a good starting point, it's good to progress to other positions or hand placements to make the Plank more interesting such as holding it with your fists, holding in the mid position, on your fingertips, one arm, switch hand placements every 30 seconds, one legged and way more different variations. You can do virtually thousands upon thousands of exercises without ever moving a single muscle but in all fairness, I think around a dozen should cover it within a 10 minute period. They're phenomenal fat burners, can amp up your cardio (if you know how to do right, you'll never need to be on a treadmill), build real world strength and speed, possibly lower blood pressure, build muscle that is less prone to injury and strengthen the tendons and ligaments.

I mix up various Isometric Exercises ranging from using a Strap or Belt, Pushing against the wall or doing wall sits, free handed exercises, Gymnastic Type Holds, Yoga Poses, planks, Muscle Isolation such as Muscle Control, Chair Exercises, weighted holds and plenty more depending on what type of mood i'm in. They can also be very meditative such as holding the deep squat for several minutes, Horse Stances, being on one leg, holding a handstand, Wu Ji Posture like in Qi Gong and others. Isometrics are more than just flexing or holding a wall sit, they give you strength that not many possess and if you're an athlete, they can prolong a career. 

Being in Quarantine freaking sucks big time and with having time on our hands, avoiding cabin fever can be a chore in itself. A few minutes a day doing Isometrics can also alleviate stress and help you be calmer and more focused. Let's face it, we hate it when we have to be forced to stay in our homes but we can make the best of it and do our best to keep a positive attitude while getting fit in the process. 

Take care of yourselves, your loved ones and have positive vibes. This thing won't last forever. 

Staying Healthy During A Big Epidemic

It is Hump Day and the Coronavirus is still running a muck. I really hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and not trying to do too much when you go out to the public. Our world is going nuts right now and it is predicted to get crazier before it gets any better. My wife works as a manager at Albertsons and coming rom her, it has been chaotic and overwhelming with often times not having enough people to cover things to keep things flowing smoothly. People buying up Toilet Paper and just overcompensating for gearing up for basically the Apocalypse. Physically, I'm grateful she isn't sick and I'm very grateful I haven't caught this thing.

Small businesses are being shut down, cities closing shop on restaurants and bars or completely minimizing capacity, sports are postponed and other businesses losing major dollars due to limiting employees to have in the office and others sent home. Quarantine is at a rate where almost an entire city in the U.S like San Francisco is completely cut off. Deliveries are becoming limited and disrupted as well. Not to cause a panic for anyone, just giving a heads up.

My friends over at Lost Empire Herbs however, are making sure everyone who orders the amazingly awesome herbs that they sell is getting to people the best ways possible. This is why they have now put up a major Stock Up Sale where you can save and get some top quality herbs to boost your immune system, enhance brain power, have incredible energy and not to mention gut health. Think of the support you get when you take these herbs and formulas and being given a fighting chance to be ahead of many people who have contracted the virus.

This isn't easy for them but because of possible disruptions with shipping, the inventory might run out sooner than later and they don't know how long it'll last. If you're going to be stocking up, snatch up healthy options that gives your body a powerful load of antioxidants, hormone support and healthy blood cells that will battle like the Red Army.

If you're able to, I encourage you to support this company because it is a small business and the employees working there don't get support always from other means and it means a lot to their families. The major focus right now is the health and well-being of not only the people providing these herbs and formulas but for you as well.

Two major components are critical now that I want to address.....One, remember that these herbs aren't a cure but they can make your body adaptable and not only fight the virus but will tackle it with a vengeance and incredible strength...Two, this is a very stressful time. Stress-Relieving activities are essential to stay ahead of the game and keep your body strong inside and out such as being out in nature, meditation, doing the right kind of movement or exercise and of course taking in the herbs will help with stress. Most of what you'll notice when things kick into your system is the adaptogens and nervines such as in herbs like Ashwagandha, Spartan Formula, Blue Vervain, Cordyceps, He Shou Wu, Reishi Mushroom & Albizia.

So be prepared and give your immune system that surging boost that could possibly be incredibly life saving. Remember, your health is your greatest wealth. 

Forums Can Be Death Traps

Social Media can confuse the living hell out of you especially in these troubled times with the damn coronavirus and you don't know who to trust (especially those in the news media, the government and the research being displayed) and it can overwhelm you with so many emotions, you wonder why bother? The truth is, although it has its problems, it can also do some good by putting out positive messages, sharing something inspiring and seeing some of the good people do in this world.

Forums are another platform for Social Media where people get together in a single place and talk about various topics ranging from politics to fitness to nutrition and even the weirdest stuff anyone is ever willing to talk about. We all want to fit in somewhere, be heard, given an opportunity to share ideas and see things from another perspective; the major problem with this however (and I can attest to this), they can also be death traps where you get caught up in a keyboard battle where nobody wins and it turns into a bitter war that should never get out of hand.

Aside from certain issues this platform often provides, it also gives some people the floor to state their biased agenda towards people, a subject or in this case of fitness, certain methods of exercise. Some forums provide pretty damn good and inspiring info that help others reach their goals and provide some awesome workouts, equipment and positive feedback towards you and others. With the negative stuff, it can be very tempting to say what's truly on your mind (or what is being said in the moment) and getting caught up in a whirlwind where all you're really doing is adding gasoline on the fire. I do regret getting caught up in some of these battles and thrown on my own anxiety and letting those get to me have their petty victories. Falling into a death trap can hit your self-esteem but you can choose to climb out and be victorious within yourself and get back on your feet.

Forums in and of themselves aren't always terrible, (depending on the title or the agenda behind it) it's usually the people within them that makes or breaks that particular forum. Like the Joker in the Dark Knight, some people just want to stir shit up and watch others crumble beneath themselves while watching the world burn, they have nothing inspiring to show, they don't give people the credit they deserve and they certainly can't stand themselves but will never admit it and take out their grievances on others so they can have their own little pity party in their tiny bubble.

One forum I admired for a long time was the Transformetrics forum based on John Peterson's take on the Charles Atlas program and how it can help prolong someone's fitness endeavors with little to no equipment. It had a lot of inspiring things and ideas for workouts that I've personally done myself but the more I started paying the attention, the more I started noticing very few people on there were fit and it acted more like a religious setting that was more off putting than anything. John is an ok guy and I'm honored with the conversations we've had over the years but he's far and wide from being a super trainer or anything of that sorts and is very biased in how he does workouts and some of those workouts did hurt some people not just physically but mentally as well. I had to leave because for one, that place is dying off and won't change anything to keep it afloat, two there's nothing inspiring there anymore and hasn't been for a long time. It's practically a ghost town and the only members left are just looking for heartache.

I know what it's like to get so caught up in keyboard battles that you forget that it's a test of control and my impulses got me into some heat with people but at the same time, I realize now that those same people most likely set me up to set me off so they can go run to their buddies and tell them horrible things about me. I do admit, it's my own damn fault for being in those situations and I know some people who would've or could've smacked me upside the head and told me to knock that shit off. That's where the death traps really come in where if your anxiety is high, you're frustrated and have no control over your thinking, you're going to act on impulses and it will bite you in the ass and I'm not ashamed to admit that I did do those things. I'm a passionate person, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I stand up for what I believe in but some people took advantage of that and it did get to me.

Another forum I've looked in on is based on the courses by Ross Enamait which are pretty freaking crazy but using simple exercises to get in top condition. Some of the people I've read are biased in a certain sense but others are open minded and see it for what it is and use the creativity to find the best workouts for themselves. Ross is a no, nonsense boxer who even in his 40's I believe is in peak physical condition that most guys half his age would envy or even fear. I admire guys like that and they have that warrior spirit that is inspiring.

Now one forum that I have mentioned before and will do so for the last time just can't get over their obsession with John Peterson and others like myself. Some of the same people on there I have gotten into it with are the ones that did get to me and I feel sick every time I talked to any one of them. They do their damndest to exploit, ridicule and belittle those that are far better than they ever were in their lives. Can you imagine living day after day doing almost nothing but show no remorse or empathy towards people you never actually met in person. Somebody should've just knocked my ass out for even engaging with those people. I know I'm giving them free press here but I'm here to tell you that if you ever plan on engaging in a forum or a group on social media, stay the fuck away from people like these guys. They're old, probably crippled, don't have an ounce of true sympathy in what they write and most likely get off on seeing those suffering while circle jerking around each other. I don't ever make a habit of disrespecting my elders but if there are people out there who act on things the way these guys do, respect is not only thrown out the window but locked in a box and put in the middle of the ocean to drop to the deepest of the bottom floor.

If there's anything I've learned about myself is that don't ever do what I did and learn to control your emotions when you're online. Not only will it get you into hot water, you will find how ice cold people can be and they'll only see you for they think they see. Whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok, Snapchat or whatever, be yourself but at the same time keep your guard up and protect yourself mentally and emotionally. Although in the end, words are just words, they can hit people far harder than others and it can get chaotic and keep you from being truly happy.

Another Update On Results

Since Jan. 29th for just about every single day, I've been doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible and as of now, I feel lighter (even though i'm 260 lbs.) and my flexibility is better, my core is way stronger and my conditioning is the best it has been in a while. Beyond just the exterior results, I do have far better breathing (other than that one night where I screwed myself up) and don't have fatigue. 

This past weekend was a little stressful because I had to take care of my mom who had surgery and had to have an organ removed. Me and my wife didn't hesitate twice about being there for her and I'm glad we did. Even with all that going on, I still managed to get workouts in every day, even it was just Isometrics. If you got a fire in you, regardless of certain situations, getting a workout in can be the best thing for you. It helped me from worrying so much about my mom and kept me focused on what I can do even better. Just happened to get pretty good results because of it.

I get my fighter's mentality from my mom and a few other people in my life/family including my grandma (Dad's Mom) who had surgeries recently herself and still made it to 99 years young on Monday. Results are not just about the work you put in, it gives you insight to what you don't see....Those rough days where even in the middle of a workout you want to quit but keep going, those times where you don't want to put in a lot of time so you make the time that is possible in the moment. I have done the MFEB so many times now that getting through it isn't difficult, it's more of a mental game because there were days I just didn't feel it yet I did it anyway.

After sharing my results yesterday, I get a comment from Matt Furey himself saying how shredded I can be if I went on the Carnivore Diet. It was really cool to see that from him but like i'll tell you what I told him, it would take a lot of desire and motivation to do that Diet, he even mentioned the possibilities of being on it for 2 years. Diets never truly suited me, I just eat better than I did when I was in high school and cut back on some things or cut them in half. I hardly ever eat McDonalds these days unless I'm traveling on the road or having a rare "F*ck it day", I eat more meat and chicken and although I do have bread, I don't eat loads of it or anything like that. Shit, my grams is 99 freaking years old and hardly ever had a vegetable or real fruit in her life, so coming from that gene pool and the way I train and eat, i'm perfectly ok with not being shredded and having a good physique plus being healthy as a horse.

I developed these results without looking to lose weight but more geared towards fat loss and putting more pep in my steps along with cutting some body fat(don't need to 10% or less, just at a level where my health isn't in jeopardy). I also realize the type of condition I'd be in if I lost 40-50 lbs but it's not my ideal way and I feel great. 

Train according to your goals but don't let it suck the life out of you and don't ever do things that make you feel weaker or fatigued that you can't do much else. Always have energy left in the tank, progress with intention and listen to your body. If you're so damn sore the next day, take a day off, go for a walk, do deep breathing exercises or light yoga, Rome wasn't build in a day. 

Can You Push-Up Bro?

Just about everybody and their grandfather has at least done a push-up in their lifetime. It is a foundational exercise for strength and conditioning that has been around for centuries or more. There are so many variations, it might as well fill an encyclopedia. The benefits alone for doing Push-ups are enormous and have been used by countless athletes, celebs, trainers, coaches, kids, military, law enforcement and the elderly.

My personal favorite variation is the Hindu Push-up and have done hundreds of them lately doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible where in the deck, I do 100 or more in a workout. This old time exercise was a staple for middle eastern wrestlers and became adopted by the late Karl Gotch who taught it to the now legendary Japanese wrestlers and the author of Combat Conditioning Matt Furey.

For a period I was doing military style push-ups while doing circuits of Darebee Workouts doing 100-200 for various workouts at a time. The only time I ever challenged myself doing as many push-ups in a row as possible was probably while I worked out with Karl Gotch Student Tom Puckett and when I had my three day stint (before injuries occurred) in High School Wrestling. The most Push-ups I ever did in a workout was 600 doing many sets of ladder schemes.

Every now and then I get bored of the push-up and focus on other exercises for conditioning purposes but I do go back to the once in a blue moon. Yesterday however, I got inspired by Johnny Grube (I've written about him and although I can't stand his rants, I do respect him highly for his conditioning and work ethic) because lately in his videos he shows planks and midpoint push-up holds on his fists for several minutes which is impressive all on its own. I have done planks plenty of times but one day I held a plank on my fists like him for a minute and a few seconds mid position and was more than enough for me. This time I took out my Warrior Power T's (or Neuro Grips that are around these days) and held a plank for a minute and felt like forever.

Today, I thought I'd do a little filming with the Power T's and did Iso Holds in the up and mid push-up positions for a 5 count each as a demo and a few push-ups. I haven't done push-ups with these things for a looooonnnggg ass time and although i'm shaking, I'm still pulling them off fairly easily. you can check them out here.....

Instagram: @benjbergman

It doesn't matter if you can do 100 or 1000 Push-ups, with these handles, you're not going to do that many because not only is it highly advanced but it requires tremendous focus and muscle control that very few can pull off. Just doing them on the knees at first takes some skill and there are some out there who are very skilled with these types of handles but for even the most basic push-up you need a solid amount of strength to do them. I feel blessed that I can still do them and not fall on my face. The first time I did them many, many years ago it felt almost impossible. After learning the muscle control aspects and a few imagery techniques I learned from CoreForce Energy, I was doing more than 15-20 reps at a time and the most in a row was around 40.

I highly recommend you build some good strength, stability training and muscle control as a foundation for these handles and once you begin with them, do not go fast or think it's an EZPZ thing. be sure you're not on hardwood floors or concrete cause if you fall on your face, it will hurt and they can slip on you without warning. If you've had previous injuries or have shoulder problems and your core is weak, do not attempt these. If you do have the strength to them, focus the most on control and not so much on repetition. The more reps you can do, the stronger you are at doing them. Anybody who says Push-ups after 25-50 reps is nothing more than endurance has NEVER done these, if they did, they wouldn't be talking shit lol.

Slim Down Like The Joker But Also Be Way More Fit And Conditioned

First off, I want to say congrats to Joaquin Phoenix for his portrayal of the Joker in the same name Film and winning the Oscar for Best Actor. That is now two wins for a high up award for a Superhero Film and both actors (including the late Heath Ledger) were the Joker in those roles. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a much darker look at the Clown Prince of crime in recent cinema.

Now like the Joker, there is a lot of people in the fitness industry that are maniacal and psychotic to the degree where they try to sell you what being fit really is and in reality, it's a setup where people get hurt and the seller makes the dough. Crossfit fits into this category where an extreme few coaches actually teach the mechanics and the basics but the majority just flat out put people in workouts they're not supposed to do and don't really teach the proper form to actually sustain fitness for the long haul.

There have been different Jokers throughout the years; you have the clown, the comedian, the anarchist and the gangster and through evolution, has had ups and downs. The fitness world is no different, it has evolved for the best and the worst and like Joker, it can be difficult which one you're going to end up with. The thing that makes Joker so iconic regardless of what version you get, he is the epitome of good vs. evil and without the villain, there is no hero. There are so many courses out there that are just messed up and look like they're nothing more than a money-making scheme but on the other hand, there are plenty that can change your life and help you become fit in the long run without an overriding agenda.

The Joker for the most part is a freaking twig, let's call it for a what it is lol, he's so damn skinny, Batman ought to give him a sandwich more than an ass beating before he puts him in Arkham. There's no way around the fact that this soulless and demented prick of Gotham doesn't hit the gym or even knows how to do a push-up but there's a couple things that he does have that make him a world-class Villain and that's his ability to take a beating and has endurance to keep fighting the caped crusader. The Joker workout works mainly the legs and building cardiovascular endurance so whether you're a villain trying to plot against the bat or take down a major city in the DC Universe or even just to be in better shape for stamina and durability, this workout can get you going.

It'll give you a good set of lungs and trim you down with the right eating plan. If you're a woman, it'll also give you a killer pair of legs that can go the distance. Strength is a great asset but if you can't last very long, what's the point? Does Joker give up on plotting against Batman? Does he just sit and die while locked up in Arkham Asylum? No, he's always on the move, he keeps being creative and he just doesn't stop. Got to give him credit for his persistence.

If you want to be in awesome shape and have an evil laugh at the old you, get into training with the Joker workout. You can do it anywhere, anytime and it would fit your schedule. Are you up to the challenge? Picture as if you can beat him at his own game and saying that you just kicked the Joker's ass.

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What Is More Difficult With A Deck Of Cards: 500 Hindu Squats Or 500 Reps Of The Matt Furey Exercise Bible?

There are different challenges and various workouts involving high rep bodyweight training but what makes certain things more difficult than others? If you're a beginner, doing something with high reps will make you sore quick unless your body recovers faster than normal but in an advanced stage, it can vary from exercise to exercise and the consistency of what your training goals are.

Doing 500 Hindu Squats for the average person isn't an easy task and being consistent can be daunting but for an athlete or someone who is use to high rep training, it's almost the norm and once you reach 500 or more, it becomes a mental game more than anything. Doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible is quite a challenge in itself in the beginning and it's always changing whenever you do it. Some people who have done this workout can do it pretty damn fast but some do it very slow, focusing on form and being methodical along with working repetitions. 500 Reps of the MFEB is no joke but is it as difficult as to do doing 500 Hindu Squats? I believe it depends on the perspective from those who have done both.

From my POV, doing 500 Hindu Squats with a deck of cards isn't as difficult because for one, you're literally focused on one exercise (unless you're a maniac adding jumpers and flat foot squats in the mix) and you're going through it the entire time. For the MFEB, you're focused on 3 added exercises and have to be ready whenever they pop up. These exercises have multiple variations and sure you're doing less of the squats but you're working all the muscles in your body in order to get through the deck. The concentration is different, the muscles being worked are unpredictable and your breath work is different. In each case, you're using multiple muscle groups and you're testing your conditioning levels but unlike focusing on groups that give a particular one way more attention, you're giving your attention to every muscle in the body almost equally.

For those who have never done either of these workouts, don't go diving into them like they're a cake walk, you will be sore as hell or worse. Some people think bodyweight training isn't a big thing yet if they did either one of these workouts, they're in for a rude awakening. Neither one is to be messed with and they'll get you in shape like crazy. You can do them on different days, both on the same day or if you've got some kind of fitness death wish, in the same workout. I have done 500 Squats plenty of times and done them to prepare for a little day of hiking. Doing the MFEB, I've done different variations of the exercises and did various rep schemes but even at a total of 500 Reps, it was pretty gnarly (sorry not sorry, even after nearly 9 years in Idaho, I still have my Cali Lingo).

So what do you think is more difficult? Give me your perspective if you've done reps at a high level like this. Although 500 Hindu Squats is more commonly done with or without cards doing them straight through, I've read plenty of people have done the MFEB and find it more enjoyable. You never know who might answer it in this manner.

Breath Of Fire For Endurance And Universal Power

One of my favorite scenes in a Marvel Film was in the Incredible Hulk where for a few seconds you see Bruce Banner learn a breathing technique that helps him control his emotions and stay calm. The teacher is the legendary Rickson Gracie, the red belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner who is the best of the best in the Gracie Family. I didn't understand about this technique until years later doing research on the technique and paying attention to how Rickson does it in the Documentary Choke. 

The simplest way to explain it is similar to lamaze breathing women use for childbirth. The big difference is that although it looks like you're hyperventilating, it's a concentrated breathing pattern working the diaphragm and exhaling short and fast bursts of the exhale. It's not an easy technique to learn and I'm sure there's far more to it than the way I try to practice it. The more I applied it through meditation and throughout certain workouts, it doesn't just give you a more calming effect, it helps amplify your stamina and aids recovery like crazy.

Through practice of various breathing techniques (ones one should and should never do) I find Diaphramic Breathing the best variation with its different styles of that form of breathing. It keeps things flowing and puts more of the body and mind in tuned with movements without going into panic mode which is what chest breathing tends to do. We walk around breathing all day and don't give it a second thought but the way we breathe can have a profound effect on how our emotions play a role in that area. 

For fitness reasons, there are books out there (some nearly 100 years old or more) that teach what's call Intercostal Breathing which uses more of the chest and rib cage to tighten the waistline and breathe more upwards into the chest. That's all and good if you want to build a tight waist but in the real world, that can cause a lot of problems and put you more into a negative emotion like unnecessary anxiety/panic and fearful. You have read recently that I tried this technique and suffered for a while and had a bad case of anxiety and other problems. The moment I started breathing through my diaphragm and focused on my breathing, I was back to normal. Other people have told me that Intercostal Breathing gives them headaches and have more of a shortness of breath and have learned from the likes of Steve Maxwell and others that this type of breathing is an endurance killer.

When I was going on for nearly a month doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible, I changed my breathing patterns on the Hindu Push-ups to have better endurance but what really made the difference was as I was getting better, after each workout I would do this technique for maybe 30 seconds as a finisher and my breathing felt incredible. I was refreshed, I wasn't huffing and puffing and my mind felt clear as crystal. It literally felt like I could start another workout at 100%. 

Yesterday, I put this technique to the test in a different way; I tried out some boxing by going 10 Rounds (1 min on and 15 seconds rest), just doing various punches and speed of punches while also using techniques from CoreForce Energy. After each round, I would do the technique as active recovery during the 15 second rest periods, with that I was able to continue punching each round without tiring and was hitting harder and faster within practically every round. I never felt weak or fatigued and my speed never really wavered, I did mess up a couple punches here and there but I was moving too fast and I wasn't paying attention to my form but once I put the focus back on my speed while paying attention to my breathing, it was as if I couldn't stop and was in that zone. Never felt that much energy and I never have done a workout like that in my life. 

As a side note, I was playing a video game on my PS4 called Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and it either gave me so much adrenaline from playing or just plain inspired me to workout but either way, that workout after playing that game made me feel like I can turn into a Super Sayian (if anyone knows that term, you know what's up) and my body was just full of surging power, energy and strength that I felt invincible and can turn into a mighty warrior with spiked blonde hair. That was what it felt like during that workout and practicing that technique. I never even warmed up, it was just there and during the rest of the day and as of right now, don't feel any soreness or discomfort/pain, just energetic. 

This is just an idea of what I experience when I practice this breathing technique and how it has changed how I work out and go about my day. It might be different for you and have a very different affect but from my personal recollection and understanding, it is by far the best breathing technique I have learned thus far, it has made my endurance go through the roof, I feel stronger, far more clear headed and has been a good practice for meditation.  

The Wild Was Calling Out To Me

For years I've watched and became a big fan of Animal/Wildlife Documentaries from the Planet Earth Series to Disney's Monkey Kingdom, Wild Alaska, Documentaries on Wolves and many others. It's fascinating how much our world is enriched with the vast species of animals, insects and the killer intelligence of the Orca. I sometimes ask myself "how could you not watch these and want to move like them?

For us humans, we can learn a lot from animals and although a trend of animal movements has hit big lately, it's been practiced for centuries or even longer where we mimic other species in different formats such as Kung Fu practitioners and hunters who learn how to stalk and kill a wild animal. Many people who practice the movements today give off more of a theme or a combination of freestyle moves mixed with gymnastics and the crawling patterns but for someone like me, I love keeping it simple and dig deep into the best possible ways as a human to move like an animal.

Last night, I just had an itch to play my animal dice game. After eating a few homemade tacos and watching Fast & Furious, I went out to the dungeon and just hammered out about 15 minutes of animal exercise and felt incredible. The surge of energy, the calming effects after the workout and the deep breathing was one of the best experiences. The ability to transform (in your imagination) into an animal on a whim is a powerful feeling and when you start crawling, jumping, side stepping and moving pretty damn fast, it goes beyond just cardio and building functional muscle.

No I don't howl at the moon or growl like a grizzly or roar like a big cat but just moving through various planes of motion and setting yourself in awkward positions makes your body in a way you're not used to. A lot of these movements are a staple in many sports conditioning programs, more notably in sports like football and wrestling. The game is just an idea but other aspects of an animal workout can turn someone into a lean, mean fighting machine and it brings out a whole other form of superhuman conditioning. Just the Bear Crawls alone can take down even the greatest athletes so imagine putting together a workout based on an entire kingdom of wildlife.

You can start at any point depending on your level of fitness and progress through various stages of movements. Treat it like a game, a way to have fun and play. The results are nothing short of incredible when you practice the art of moving like a wild animal.

I have no clue if I'll be doing it everyday for a while or when I get an itch but this type of training always seems to make me happy while staying really fit at the same time. Doesn't take up much time since most don't need more than 20 minutes but if you're really into it, you can go as long as you want. 

Training Like The Dark Knight

Within 2 years, there will be ANOTHER Batman film but this time with Twilight star Robert Pattinson. Now I know what you're thinking cause I thought the same thing "who the fuck, thought it was a good idea to have Edward be Batman?" For quite a period during the Twilight Saga that girls and fanboys flocked to root for Team Jacob & Team Edward, talk about a rivalry that made people laugh than anything else. However, from recent photos that have been roaming, they're already giving fits to how Pattinson looks in the suit. The question I have is "How good of shape is he going to be in?"

The training this time around isn't going to get him to look no more than 185-190 at best and looking more than a tweaked looking Tarzan from what I have read but than again what can you truly believe these days. They're more concerned about how the suit will fit because for a new film, they have to gear towards the guy's shape which I can understand but putting a ton of muscle on a guy that hasn't been seen with that kind of physique is going to be tricky, not impossible but it should be interesting.

Each Batman over the decades have gone through extreme changes in how they train to be the caped crusader: Michael Keaton barely did any workouts to be believable but did a hell of a job with the role, Val Kilmer was ok but had a physique that resembled more like Adam West from the 60's, we NEVER, ever speak of George Clooney, Christian Bale had the best physique of all the batmans of the last 30 years even though he was 20 pounds shy of the Character's actual weight and is probably the best Batman to date. Ben Affleck did a decent job and looked in ok shape but he had far more potential and we were left wondering "what if?"

I have my doubts as to how this will play out with Pattinson and I hope they train him right because any lean guy can put on the suit but how you present the physique on screen that captures the synergistic affirmations with the suit itself is a whole other ball game and it can make or break that actor. I'm going to take it for what it is but many people are just going to look at him as the pale and sparkly vampire. He's not particularly the kind of actor I like watching but being in a superhero film can flip that a 180 like they did with Affleck.

Now training to be Batman in this case isn't realistic for the average person and Pattinson will get his ass kicked into shape hard. Most people can't train 2 hours a day and do things so intense it'll make you throw up just by the site of how hard that person is being pushed. Training like the Dark Knight takes a level of conditioning many don't know how to get to but it can be attained with basic principles and a solid progression system. Bodyweight Training is perfect for this kind of thing and with a little imagination, you can transform your physique into something to be proud of and do so without paying a dime to a gym, trainer or coach.

Darebee.com has over 1000 workouts to choose from and they range from super easy to highly advanced, all within the comfort of your own home. They take the most basic exercises and mold them into workouts that are tough as hell but fun to do. The Circuit based workouts take only minutes a day to complete and they can be done daily or a few times a week. The Batman workout from this system is one of those tough ones where you can progress with various levels but at its peak, it's one of the best conditioning workouts ever and it's very simple to do. A full 10 Round Workout shouldn't take you more than 45 minutes to complete. I've done it within 35 where's little to no rest.

As you can see, it may not look that hard but once you get into it, it's a wake up call. You're working practically everything in this workout and it'll make you crazy fit in no time.

Workout Like Harley Quinn

Me and the wife went to see the new DC Film Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) recently and although it wasn't that great of a DC movie, it was fun to watch. The soundtrack was pretty bad ass and the stunts & fight scenes were great too. Margot Robbie does a decent job as the Clown Princess of Gotham and is more of a Siren than a Bird Of Prey.

It is interesting how mega stars get in shape for blockbuster roles; Marvel films are notorious for having really in shape actors for the characters but truth be told, being in shape in hollywood comes at a cost for the most part. The transformations alone can be admirable but it takes a toll after a while and even can cause health problems (do some research on Tom Hardy as Bane and you'll see what I'm talking about). Training and working out for a big role makes typical gym rats look like wimps but that's because you have hands-on personal trainers that take those actors to limits the average person would be put in the hospital for.

Learning what Robbie did for Suicide Squad was pretty gnarly; a lot of HIIT workouts and working with a trainer that had ballet experience added in the mix and you got yourself some hard ass work ahead of you. I don't know how much of this training was true but it's definitely not the type of training that can go long term and for specific reasons. When you're getting ready to film or preparing for a role, you're on a time cruncher and that actor has to be ready to be in shape not just for scenes to look great on screen but be able to maintain it for as long as the shooting goes.

Some of these workouts last up to an hour or more everyday of the week and often it is within 3-6 months before shooting even starts and to maintain while being on set, you're constantly being pressured to keep the physique where the movie makers need you and that means doing little workouts between takes, eating at specific times or do a hard workout before going on set that day. The thing you'll notice in most of these workout schedules with actors is very little recovery time and that's where the toll really comes in because you're training, filming, eating and filming some more day and day out until it ends. Recovery is virtually non-existent.

 Nobody in their right mind should workout like an actor has to and although many people are envious that these people can afford trainers, chefs, coaches and anything else in between, when it comes down to it still have to put the work in otherwise their spot can be taken just like that. If you want to train long-term and develop a superhero type physique, you work with realistic goals and workouts that not only aid in muscle building but give you time to recover and be able to do little things.

One of the best methods for training for general fitness is through Circuit Training. Done enough of it myself, I can tell you that when you learn the aspects of training this way and understanding your body's level of condition and strength, you can do this for quite some time and figure out when and how to properly train the body in this fashion. You don't need a personal chef, trainer or coach to make your goals work; websites like Darebee.com have so much information and over 1000 workouts to choose from (most of which is bodyweight related so you can do them anywhere) you have everything you need at your fingertips.

One of the workouts I have done and even my wife has done is the Harley Quinn Workout which nowhere near is as intense as Robbie's workouts but can save you a ton of time while working the body at a solid level. It's not on the darebee website but you can do some research on it and type in Superhero Workouts Neila Rey in google search.

As you can see, it's a heavy emphasis on the legs and punching. Yeah it's geared towards women but guys shouldn't knock this workout, I did multiple workouts with this where I did 10 Rounds with very little rest in between, it's an ass kicker for sure. Girls, if you're a Harley Quinn fan and want to get in shape, here you go. Do this workout up to 3 times a week and see the results. If you're really ambitious and want to pack on some functional muscle and burn fat like a furnace, do this workout with very little rest to none whatsoever unless to check off that set. Go for 10 rounds and see how you do. You might even see Harley working with you and picturing the Joker running like a little bitch cause he couldn't handle a woman like YOU.