The Young Gun And The Wise Man

 Generation after generation, we learn from various people from all walks of life about all kinds of things. The young and eager find out certain aspects of life through a format and sometimes can be a pain in the ass and wants to move along faster, sometimes they take patience to heart and slowly progress but at the end, takes the lessons and goes on his own path. The wise man, who has taken lessons from his years of being taught or in some cases self-taught and passes on to the next generation and finds certain aspects of the emotional investment. 

It doesn't matter if you're young or old, there's always something we can learn from somebody and we learn things that didn't always involve google or social media. People have a history to such a degree that at times we can't always comprehend because of their background, what they learned and what they applied. Now it can be rough to understand who we learn from or what we have become because of our upbringing, what we did or didn't do and if we become similar or the complete opposite of whom we learned from. 

In my life, I learned from a good number of people from friends to family, to complete strangers and mentors along the way. I learned what works, what not to do and observed people from different perspectives. I'm still learning all these things and for good reason. There are some people in life that we shouldn't learn from but as fate would have it, we learn anyway and we find out in ourselves if we become the young gun or the wise man or both. In a literal sense, there's always going to be a young kid looking for something and is eager to learn either from someone or learn and wise up on his own but the wise man however is different because he's learned so much and has either stopped learning or has a continuation from another perspective. What has he truly learned that has made him wise and is he wise from a general stand point or to something specific which is a very different ball game.

Sometimes, the people we learn from, we become the complete opposite of  because what they taught us can have major consequences in life and something didn't feel right or they just taught us to be an asshole when in fact that's not always what you want to be in life. Sometimes we are taught in another extreme direction that it can be confusing as hell and it's hard to form a decision of using that extreme teaching or forming something different. There needs to be some kind of balance where we can shift from one thing to another in the right format but often times we tend to shift in more of a direction that we didn't have a choice in or were pushed in that direction because it was meant to happen at a certain point in time.

Now because there are people from all walks of life, they'll teach you things you'll either take with gusto and wisdom or shrug it off and go somewhere else. Hell there are people out there today that'll tell you that if you wear a mask you're not a man, you're a pussy but there are others that'll tell you wearing a mask keeps you safe, in my opinion, it's your choice and it shouldn't be held against you if you make a choice that works for you. Some are wise enough to make a choice and move forward with it and maybe things will happen and maybe they won't. Others are the young guns who are still learning and figuring out what works and what doesn't for them. 

I say, be a bit a bit of both, be wise in some aspect but also have the mindset of a young gun and learn things that you can use later on. We all learn something and we're either going to grow from it or it'll eventually die out and we go somewhere else, either way, life will throw you a curveball at the most unexpected times.

The Joy Of Creating Workouts At Just About Any Given Time

 It's never easy to find a good time or place to train but when you understand the fundamentals and have studied many forms of exercise, you'll be able to create any workout no matter where you are. Most understand the concept of working out at home, a park, a hotel room, on the staircase of a building or on top of a skyscraper like in Chicago or New York for crying out loud but it becomes much more than just where you train.

Time for the most part is an illusion and it's more of a construct to how we apply economically and restrict the human mind to thinking we have so little time for anything other than the aspects of work and financial responsibilities. For those who want to play along, we have 24 hours in a single day, that's 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. Think about that, when you look at time from another perspective, you will find that even the fewest minutes or even 30 seconds can be used to do something that will make you stronger, healthier and/or fit regardless of where you are. 

We have become an exhausted society where time is used for some of the most ridiculous things, even in fitness it can make you go bonkers how crazy certain workouts can turn someone into a raving lunatic or such a fanatic that it consumes their soul in the most negative ways. Yes in many ways, we can and have made things productive and thrived but on the deepest level, we still have a lot to learn on how "time" is being spent. 

I have studied enough methods of exercise that no matter what environment I'm in, I can find a way to train and so can you. The question is, what could you do regardless of where you are at any given time? It's not easy and you have responsibilities and you have exhausted your brain or body from whatever your job is, the kids, the elderly in-laws, the mortgage, the laundry, the bills, the overwhelming abundance of craziness, you still have a choice to do something that could work for you. 

Out of all the years I've been training, I wasn't always motivated or ready or even happy to train and I was in some shitty moods as well but I made a choice. That's what it comes down to is making a choice. I love to train so much that even after breakups, fights, deaths, tired from moving, having no sleep or overslept, cuts, bruises, minor injuries, frustrations, anger and going through anxiety and traumas, I always made a choice to do some kind of training whether it was mediocre or highly intense. 

My joy comes from the love I have and what it gives back that brings the rewards. I can be in a crappy neighborhood scared out of my mind or sit in an arena or stadium around 10-45,000 people with bits of moments of anxiety and still do a workout without anyone knowing. I've done workouts on a plane next to strangers. If you find joy in something, it can help you find a positive solution regardless of how you feel, where you are and how to channel certain situations. 

Make choices that show how you can define yourself and make the best of them. Some days will be harder than others, some will feel like a breeze and there will be days that you have no clue as to what you can come up with and it becomes instinctive more than just thinking about it. Find joy in something and use it for nearly any given time. Time is just an illusion but the joy in something is a choice you get to make. Hope it's a good one. 

Unusual Conditioning Style

 Focusing on conditioning shows off many benefits but because there are so many programs, where do you go to find top of the line methods for it that doesn't involve some textbook trainer that wouldn't last in a real world conditioning setting? Many have made fitness complicated because of all the confusion and overwhelming aspects of what is told what works and what is pure bullshit. Fitness Influencers, celebrity trainers, cookie cutter programs and countless gadgets in infomercials have taken the core of strength and conditioning and made it into a big pile of useless crap that many in the world couldn't handle if they tried.

Simplicity is the key to real results by far. Anyone who says otherwise are probably the same people who think crossfit is a long lasting method of exercise, it really isn't. Becoming a stronger human being takes real effort, but it doesn't have to go as far as the amount of time those people on "The Biggest Loser" were training. When you learn simple programs, you learn the true ins and outs of what real training is all about. Notice I didn't say to follow a program, I said to learn one; when you follow a program, that's something entirely different. Following means you do step by step exclusively for that program and when you're doing something different outside of it, it doesn't have the same benefit. When you learn, you find things that format something later on like how to properly do a technique on something and use it to program something for yourself later. 

It is important to work an exercise with proper technique or teaching the body to respond to a technique but everybody is different so mechanics don't always work the same way. When you can train with great intensity but also develop a system that creates an injury-proof body as much as possible, you're forming what the body's potential can really aspire to. 

Earlier today, I tried a workout that was inspired by Bud Jeffries' Power Building Isometric Superset Program  where I did a movement exercise and supersetted with an Isometric exercise. This is a unique outlook on how to develop a different level of conditioning and combining things together to create strength at a greater pace. Here's what I did.....

Farmer's Carry the Darth Vader Kettlbell (70 lbs.) 2 times (1 revolution each hand)

Than immediately picked up and Bear Hugged a 50 lb Sandbell in a Wall Sit for a minimum of 30 seconds or more

Did this for several rounds (around 6 or 7) just to get an idea of what really hits. The idea is to work a tough exercise and than hold an isometric to build that extra level of fatigue. Breath control is tested big time on this and this really hits the whole body including your grip, core stabilization, muscle activation, leg conditioning and your nerves. Although it's a lung burner, I also felt lighter and faster afterwards and had some pep in my step. When it came to the wall sit, I did the best to control my breathing and really feel my legs and the squeezing of the sandbell as I held it until about 70-75% fatigue and keep going. This really targets different aspects of physical and mental conditioning yet it's so simple to do. 

When it comes to training, learn how to do certain things but make your style unique and set your own rules of bettering yourself. It shouldn't take you hours to train, less than 30 minutes would be enough to kick your ass if you do it right. Train with conviction and focus and things will fall into place.  

Do You Have A Minute To Talk About.....

 At some point in our lives, especially in the U.S, we have had that knock on the door and we would answer with someone on the other end saying "Do you have a minute to talk about our lord and savior?" or something about Jehovah? I'm not against anyone who practices religion (unless it's to spout harmful acts or throw in guilt to get you to listen or convert) but there comes a time for some to practice the "Nancy Reagan Method" of just say NO!!!

Sometimes a minute can feel like an eternity but it also at times can go by very fast and we don't even know what hit us. For many, 60 seconds can be a life changing moment whether good or bad yet it also can be just a blip that doesn't mean anything but that minute always have something, even if we don't always know it.

When it comes to exercise, many don't always realize how a single minute can alter an entire session or become so intense, it's all you'll do the rest of the day. Think about it, running on a treadmill may not feel like much after a minute but what if you did a full minute of burpees, bear crawls, push-ups or holding a wall sit? Many in the world could not do a full minute of any of those. How about creating sets that lead up to a minute like say 6 sets of 10 sec sprints? Pro Athletes at times would only do that during certain training days and they're spent afterwards and for good reason. 

One minute whether you're a beginner or a seasoned expert can change the way you look at things from another perspective. Today, I so far did a mini workout of just Bear Crawling for 1 minute and felt really good, I felt a little more alert, the brain fog evaporated and felt looser, all that in a single minute. Some workouts take an hour to really feel something but one minute had many benefits already in place.

Never underestimate the power of what one minute can do for you. Your entire life can change, your future can be altered to a much greater path and when you exercise, one minute can put you on the path to greater health, strength, flexibility and more. 

 

The Depths Of The Deep Squat

 

Having a good set of legs can do wonders for you especially if they're strong and limber. The big thing is, if you don't maintain solid flexibility and realistic strength in your legs, it won't be long before they become a pain in the ass. You can lift a ton of weight, do the splits, run for miles and do hundreds of squats but if you have trouble getting up or getting into a deep squat and holding it, what was the real point of all those other things?

As we get older, it is important we respect and adapt to how our bodies begin to change and learn the true value of being able to do things that may seem so simple and easy to one person but to someone 50 and over, it is a blessing and a godsend that we are able to keep things in check and still have abilities that the average person doesn't. We as a people take for granted many times that in our youth, we feel invincible and can take on the world but before we know it, we are in walkers, getting hip replacements, knee problems, joint deterioration and feeling like broken down old dogs. It's nothing to scoff at.

Holding a squat as low as ass to grass nearly may be not all that much to the untrained eye but in reality, there's more going on than most would believe. It opens up the hips, can relieve pressure on the low back and strengthens the joints around the knees and ankles. A lot of people have trouble not only getting into a deep squat but even if they did, they don't have the strength or the flexibility/coordination to stand back up with ease. If you look at many people in Asia & Africa, you'll notice they will work, play or even just sit in a deep squat for long periods of time and very few get injured. 

From a western point of view, the deep squat has been a feared exercise because you see people like lifters, farmers, baseball players and laborers develop bad knees and hip and joint problems as they get older because they've held or done so much squatting over their lifetime that it's become problematic and having hips and knees replaced more often than practically anywhere else. The realism behind that is that when certain tasks become repetitive over a period of time, yes it can happen but there's more to it than just repetitive movements or being in awkward positions. 

When you really train the very depths of the deep squat, depending on your condition and health, there are incredible benefits that are way overlooked. I've trained my legs over many years and rarely if ever got injured since my big injury at 20, sure I've been sore many times but never had severe joint problems. I attribute the way I can hold a deep squat for a solid period of time was because of my training from Hindu Squats, Step Ups, Isometrics and the dynamic flexibility leg exercises I've done over the years. Someone once asked me to hold the deepest squat I could for 10 minutes because they didn't believe it was possible, I did it with ease. Once you understand how the deep squat is worked, it becomes almost meditative by just breathing and sinking into it with no tension. 

A squat is more than just a squat, it's a natural aspect of the human condition and it's not about how long you can hold it or if you squat so low that your ass is touching the ground, it's about using it to maintain your health and overall well being, it's like physical medicine for the muscles, joints, organs and your raspatory system. Some people can't do it because of severe problems hey have developed which is sad and it's heartbreaking that has happened but for those who still have a chance, make it work for you and do it for your health and overall fitness. 

Why Micro Training Kicks Ass

A key aspect of being in good physical condition is to be able to take on physical tasks whenever it's needed. Yesterday was one of the worst snow days this winter so far here in Northern Idaho as it came down hard on and off from 9pm Wednesday night to about 7 yesterday hitting at a peak of 8 inches ground level to nearly 14 inches in the mountains. 

This was the most I've had to shovel snow as I went out 6 times starting at 2:30 in the morning until about 6 O'clock in the evening moving snow for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. Some of it was powdery but quite a bit got heavy and building little mountains of snow around the front yard and around a space my wife parks her car. Very few people have shovels in this neighborhood and have snow plows. The only time you see someone else around here that uses a shovel is if the plow breaks down or there's bits of snow left to kick off. So, I ended up being one of the few who was burning energy like crazy.

Between rounds of shoveling, to keep my energy up, I did various exercises throughout the day. From doing 360's with a Sandbell to Push-ups, Step-Ups and Isometrics, these little Micro Workouts kept me alert and ready for when I was going out again. If anyone understands that yes Shoveling Snow isn't a special thing and many people do it but statistics have shown that if you're not in good shape and you just go out and do a very demanding physical task, it can get dangerous for some people. Cold weather alone is tough to deal with at times because even though you have good clothing on to stay warm, you're still burning off calories just to stay warm overall, add in something like Shoveling Snow, you're working harder than you normally would. It has led to Heart Failure in some people and has had people drop dead from overexertion. 

Around my 5th round of Shoveling, I ended up helping a neighbor's son get his car into the driveway because it got stuck within feet of the driveway. Me, and the neighbor's 2 sons were digging around the car because the snow had scrunched up under and around. The car couldn't move for about several minutes so I was hauling ass just to get snow out around it. Ended up pushing the car a couple times to add some umph as it was in gear. We got it into the driveway but it came at an exhausting price. I'm glad I was able to help but that drained me for a while. 

This is where Micro Workouts can be a godsend because when you need to be ready for something like this, it's important to realize that even the little things can have a huge impact on how you handle certain tasks at any given time. Picking up and carrying weight for 5-10 minutes may not seem like much but it gets your blood going, it strengthens your muscles for the the work you might put in later among other things. Isometrics are definitely the "game genie" of fitness because when you strengthen the joints and tendons, your whole body will have a stronger outlook on the physical movements you need to do at times. 

(For those reading who don't understand what Game Genie means.....The Game Genie was a device for various video game consoles back in the day such as Sega, Nintendo & Super Nintendo where you can get cheats and secrets to various games that had "glitches" in them where you can acquire certain things such as infinite lives, invincibility, unlimited weapons, level selection and be able to run faster and jump higher.) 

Whether you shovel snow, do landscaping, brick building, breaking concrete or something like dry walling, it's important to be in good shape because these things can be very taxing and yes you can be in good shape from doing them by themselves because over time it becomes second nature and your body has adapted to the stress but, some micro training can give you that extra boost of energy and keep you alert and on your toes. 

Micro Workouts give you the opportunity to train with the little window of time you can use to keep yourself in shape for whatever the day's tasks you may need to do and stay on top of your physical well being. Those few minutes can be life saving and help you be in better health than just either doing one big workout or nothing at all. 

Stay strong and stay healthy as long as you can throughout this life and do amazingly awesome things when you are needed and to be strong and fit for yourself and the people in your life.

New Years And Isometrics Experiment

 Happy Belated New Year's Everyone. It's a time of reflection and moving forward with new goals and making this year as awesome as possible little by little. Finding new things to discover, train a little differently and learning new skills. 

Do you have any resolutions? Seriously, I hate that word because it doesn't hold any true meaning and 95-98% of the time, most people stop after two weeks of mainly anything that they try to jump into the deep end of. When it comes to experimentation, it's important to remember that coming in cocky and becoming too excited can spell disaster if you're not aware of the consequences. That's why if you have any new goals you want to set, start small and built yourself up, even if it's microscopic. It's ok to come into things a little scared and not completely knowing the outcome or what will happen in the middle. 

For me, New Years is more about not just starting fresh but learning what is possible for what's to come. It's worth noting that focusing on what is important and not focus on what you don't want is better suited to understanding the real light shining at the end of the tunnel. There will be ups and downs and not everything you do will be perfect, but you keep moving forward inch by inch because you never know what will have an incredible effect on you. 

An experiment I was playing with over the last few days before the clock struck Midnight was a different area of Isometrics that I wanted to see happen. In the spirit of Steve Justa and learning a few things from a book called Overcoming Isometrics, I got the idea of utilizing Isos in what I call "10 Breath Isometrics." It's an idea where you hold certain exercises (in the overcoming style even though it could be used in yielding Isos as well) for a maximum of 10 Breaths...

The first 9 breaths are as deep as possible while contracting at 40-60% of your strength like an aerobic hold but on the 10th breath, you exhale as you contract hard at 70-75% of your strength for 7-12 seconds. Deep Breathing mixed with great intensity at the end potentially has incredible benefits in how you become efficient at Isometric Training. It also allows you to find out how long you can hold for those first 9 breaths and go hard on the 10th. Some people just like timing a hold which is great but that's still focusing more on the timing than what's really going on. This is geared towards focusing on your breathing as best as possible and because of this, you can go longer than you may have previously and than on that last breath, use the last bit of strength. 

I would still recommend the "ssss" sound on the 10th breath but if you wish to just go as hard as you can on that last one and just breathe out, go for it. Another alternative if you're not ready to go hard on that last breath, just stay at that 40-60% strength level and breathe deeply and keep it to a aerobic hold. Test it out and see how it is for you. This isn't some secret new way to do Isometrics but it is different than what is usually written and how to do them. I've gotten a few workouts out of it and it feels amazing especially the aftereffects with the strength and speed that is generated. You can use a strap, a towel, that is immoveable. 

For the Yielding Isometrics (like a plank for example), you can just do 10 deep breaths. How long is each breath? That's hard to say, some can inhale and exhale only in a 10 second period, others can go longer so experiment and learn how good your breathing is. The big thing is focusing on the breath and not so much on the actual time held. Give it a whirl. 

It's great to try new things, just don't try so hard where you hurt yourself, be aware and if something feels off, it's best to stop. Listen to your intuition and utilize what works best for you. Be amazingly awesome during the New Year and make the most of what is possible. 

Here's a video I made that demonstrates the "10 Breath" Isometric Experiment.  

Is Having Six Pack Abs Really That Important?

 All over Social Media, you'll find ad after ad after ad of programs and promotions on how to develop 6 pack abs and getting down to such a ridiculous amount of body fat and telling everyone that yours is the straw that stirs the drink. Mainly Hollywood is obsessed with image and will do anything to make someone look good (or look like shit depending on the circumstance) to the point where photoshopping is the norm, we as a society on social media thrive on making certain things look like a million bucks but what is the reality?

Youtube, Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok have become the go to places for How-To videos that last ranging from 20-30 seconds to well over an hour and very few or a fraction can really tell the difference to what is bullshit and what is legit. For the most part, unless you plan on being a star to millions and don't care about the consequences, you can convince plenty of people (if done right) on how to get abs so good looking that heads will turn. This is not realistic and certainly not the true way to go about it.

Having a six pack does have its benefits and it's helped some reach Olympic levels of greatness but the reality is, in order to maintain it, it can get harder and harder as we age. Having powerful muscles or even sleek looking abs didn't get everyone who had them anywhere, some of the greatest athletes had a six pack but never reached levels of legendary status. Even some of the best known fighters with a six pack don't even have a winning career record. Having a six pack can do wonders for some but for the rest, it's not worth achieving if it costs your health and well being.

The late Karl Gotch used to talk about the difference between counterfeit muscles and conditioned muscles; he said that the counterfeit muscles the majority of the time (mainly in bodybuilding) were the ones that looked amazing but that was it, those muscles were mainly stiff, couldn't take a hit, very immobile and didn't have a chance in hell on lasting very long in realistic situations. Conditioned muscles didn't always look like a million bucks but could go the distance if needed, can take a punch, durable, had less chances of getting injured and had great flexibility. 

Does this mean you shouldn't build six pack abs? Here's where the truth lies....It isn't wrong to develop awesome looking muscles or in this case washboard type abs however, it is more important to find the balance of developing a physique but also having the conditioning to go with it. Sometimes conditioning the abs is far more worth it than to simply just build a look. some of the old-time strongmen of the vaudeville era didn't just look incredible, they had strength and fitness to go with the physique and can do things most couldn't dream of at the time. Otto Arco, Maxick, Zass, Sandow and others had physiques that even to this day would make people's jaws drop but unlike many bodybuilders and "influencers" today, they also had strength and conditioning that is so legendary, it's hard to believe. 

So if you plan on developing a strong six pack but also give it a good look, use fitness and eating habits that are realistic and achievable through progressive training. Build a core that can take a hit and can go, you don't need to do 1000 crunches or do 100's of sit-ups to make that happen, work exercises that challenge the core muscles like an Ab Wheel or better yet a Power Wheel, do Isometric holds that target the core along with the whole body (Fist Planks, Side Planks, Superman Holds, Iso Crunch, Hollow/Arch Body Holds, V-Up Holds ect.). Condition the core first, than work on building a look for it cause if all you care about is the look, eventually sooner than later, you're increasing your chances of developing injuries that you may not be able to come back from. 

Joint Health And Athletics

In sports, at least in the modern age, training for the sport itself is a solid priority but we tend to forget about keeping the joints strong and focus more on the big muscles. Don't get me wrong, athletics are freaking awesome especially in areas like Baseball, Wrestling, Soccer and Basketball. Sure there's stretching, conditioning programs and solid use of weight training for specific sports that provide an athlete's ability to excel in his field. 

Keeping a solid level of conditioning and a healthy structure outperforms the ability to short bursts of energy and utilize muscles that aren't always trained the way they're meant to. Let me give you an example of two athletes from very different sports that challenged the norm to what the majority were doing in their day....

Rickey Henderson

The legendary outfielder mostly known to play for the Oakland Athletics wasn't just incredible at Stealing Bases, he was also awesome at the way he scored runs and the strategies used to make those runs happen. Beyond his stats, he was one of the few players of his generation to have a long and lasting career that lasted 25 years. From 1979-2003, he dominated areas of the game that we rarely or even will ever see again. 

He was a throwback to a time of the deadball era and the Negro Leagues where base stealing, bunting and scoring little by little was known more than knocking homeruns and driving in runs 3-4 at a time. His conditioning was uncommon among other players of his time, while many shifted towards the muscle building and juicing up during a period of hitting homeruns at a greater rate than before, he was one of the few that didn't get injured as often. 

He wasn't much of a lifter if at all and focused mainly on 4 distinctive exercises (or variations of ) such as push-ups, squats, sit-ups & sprints. Because of that foundation and understanding the aspects of realistic stretching and mobility work, he was extremely agile, fast, had reflexes that is even to this day would be considered superhuman. His joints in his prime were the pinnacle of what a healthy ball player should be and has an awesome physique that looked the part for his level of play. 

Herschel Walker

One of the most durable and highly conditioned athletes in the history of Football. He was doing things (and still does) back in the day that would consider him a freak of nature. Out of every maybe every 10 players in his time, he was in the small percentage of players that rarely got injured. His numbers in Push-ups & Sit-ups is just as legendary or even more so than his playing career. The man was a conditioning machine that puts him right up there if not at the top with guys like Walter Payton, Marcus Allen, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor & Bo Jackson for athletic ability in the sport. 

Again, like Henderson, Walker knew and understood the aspects of Joint Health and Conditioning that gave him abilities that most athletes ever will achieve and knew that although great muscles can do great things for you, having joints and ligaments as strong as steel can help you stay in the game longer than most. Now, even though none of us will ever achieve what these guys did, we can however, take inspiration and ideas to make ourselves stronger and healthier than the average person.

The importance of having strong and healthy joints go beyond just doing exercises for mobility and little stretches, it'll make a huge differences in how strength from a long term and developing an injury-proof structure will play a role in our lives as we age. Most will never understand how in depth the significance and quality aspects of having healthy joints will do for them.

As we get older, having loads of muscle will become less important than the ability to just get up and move around without feeling pain and our bodies feeling less stiff. Yes we need muscles to move, but the joints and ligaments are the things that ties things together and give us that powerful shield to help us get around without hurting. We may not be as spry or springy as we were in our youth, but we can still learn to do things that will keep us out of a wheel chair or from not being able to get up and feel hopeless. We want to still do things that give us the quality of life we deserve, like playing with kids, play a sport, get up and down stairs, climb out of bed without pain, move gracefully and powerful at the same time. 

DVD Course On Joint Health By Lee Holden  

A Gift To Myself

 Happy Holidays everyone, hope you're getting what you need for the season and being with the people you love. Hope you get plenty of cool stuff for Xmas especially for the kids, I got my shopping done a while ago for really on the two people in my life, my mom and my wife. 

It has been a hard year more than most in recent times and still here, fighting and making the most of it. The problem is at times, I get so caught up with certain things that have affected me in ways I don't wish to discuss. This season did get a little harder since I lost a family member less than a week ago and although I wasn't close to him, he was still family and I hope his kids will be ok, I wish I can be with them especially one that is only a couple months younger than me and grieve with them. 

It's difficult at times coming to grips to how much of a rollercoaster this year has been and where I want to be along with where I feel most valued at. When it comes to online stuff, yeah I sell a few things here and there and share my knowledge of fitness in my own way but especially with all the ups and downs emotionally, I got caught up in arguments and put myself in situations where ball busting was just a little over the top. 

I signed up on a forum for the 4th or 5th time and left after one day (partially because I hated the name I put up) mainly because I thought if I just stick with sharing knowledge I'd be fine, but I wasn't. The majority of people on this forum just love to knock on me and ridicule me and put a bad taste in my mouth. They're not my friends, they're a lot older but most of the time don't have much value in the way of fitness because they don't really give a damn about grouping together and helping others, they're out for themselves and just have a place to let out their old man grumpiness along with busting each others balls. That's not the type of environment I want to associate with, I need to finally accept that. 

I' am very grateful for the positive things that are happening in my life and that in itself is a gift. The gift I feel I need to give myself is to trust more of my intuition, be aware of what I'm going into and do better as a person. That sounds like more than one gift but it's a tie in. This coming year will have many unexpected things but the end game is to have a greater attitude and bask in the things that do matter more than the trash that can swarm on you if you let it. Value what works and surround myself with people that lift me up more than letting in those that make me feel like I have no value to myself or others. One group I'm very thankful for is the Isometric Group I'm a part of on Facebook and how much those guys inspire me everyday to do what I love and that it is contributing to something. 

It isn't an ego thing to give a gift to yourself if you truly understand the concept of it. It doesn't have to be physical, it can be something comforting from an emotional and mental format that is meant for you. Although I believe in helping others as much as possible, we also need to make time for ourselves and reflect on the important things that keep us going and becoming better in the process. We are only human and can do so much before it consumes and overwhelms us. We need to learn to love ourselves as much as we love the people in our lives and what we love to do. This is the only life we have and each day should be a time to know that you still can do a little better and have greater attitudes towards yourself, your family, friends and your overall health. 

Don't be afraid to gift yourself and make it valuable to you and something that is important to help you on your journey. Have the most amazingly awesome holidays wherever you and if you're just by yourself, make it fun and something that makes you happy. I'm grateful for all of you and you have helped me learn things I continue to discover. 

Muscles Will Only Do So Much

 Being muscular can be a very tempting thing to achieve, especially if you love to work out. In the fitness world, muscles could do wonders for you. You may not become a Mr. Olympia or a Bikini Winner but you certainly can do great things when you built plenty of muscle, but where does the line draw? How do you achieve a level of muscle when many in the magazines, social media and even pictures on the Wall Of Fame could be photoshopped and the build is barely even real?

In reality, having muscles is only part of the real picture. Let's face it, muscles may look great but can they really do anything or at least anything that's worth more than just getting the pump from a curl or having less than 5% bodyfat? Muscles in retrospect should be useful and functional and not just a way to hook up with another human. However, as much as muscles can be great looking, the joints should be just as strong if not stronger because having strong ligaments can get you further in life or better yet, have a better quality of life. Very few people live long enough to still have quite a bit of muscle into their 50's, 60's and so on. 

Some people don't look like they have that much muscle on them but have crazy strong joints, tendons and ligaments and tend to look more wiry than burly. Same can be said with people who have solid muscle but have powerful joints to go with them. Both have their own debates on who's the strongest but in the end, the long term mentality should be maintaining health in both the joints and the muscles, not just one or the other. A muscular body won't last forever and it's not a very pleasant life if your joints are so out of shape or worse, develop problems early with arthritis, osteoporosis, bone disease and other ailments that affect the skeletal and tissues in the body. 

Many look down on exercises that loosen up the joints and just see them as warm ups or stupid exercises but the truth is, with the right training and understanding of "lubricating" the joints, they give you greater chances of not being injured or better yet prevent soreness and recover more efficiently. From your head down to your toes, find a good workout that gives you the opportunity to strengthen and loosen up the joints in your body that gives off energy and blood flow that feels really good. 

Here's one course that can give you plenty to work with but at the same time give you ideas as to what is possible to live a quality life and bask in the glory of having meaningful strength and fitness, not just building muscle. 

  Steve Maxwell's Joint Mobility DVD 

Different Styles Of Isometrics And Some Of Their Benefits

 Variations of different methods of fitness have their place for people and depending on their goals and what one is striving for, it doesn't have to be complicated. Isometrics in and of themselves can be very beneficial to other forms of exercise. Some try to associate Isometrics with Dynamic Tension as if they were the same thing. They're not. Now you can turn the exercises from Dynamic Tension into Isometrics by resisting at a specific spot and holding it there and contracting. 

Isometrics by definition is holding a position or contracting at a point where there is no movement and the more force used, the less time it is held. When you contract at lesser intensity, the exercise can be held longer which in turn can be called what the late Steve Justa coined Aerobic Isometrics. Isometrics overall, have incredible abilities to redefine the laws of strength. 

There are different styles of Isometrics that date back thousands of years and have been used by various athletes and everyday people all over the world. One of the most famous forms of Isometrics is Yoga, yes there is moving in certain positions but you also hold certain positions for a specific amount of time (depending on the style and the instructor). Yoga at the real depths of it, is extremely beneficial and has helped many people with developing flexibility and strength especially at an older age and reduces injuries. That doesn't mean all those that teach it are beneficial.

One style of Isometrics I've read a bit about and still trying to understand it is what's called Timed Static Contraction. This style some people love a lot especially those at an older age (40's, 50's and beyond) because you don't need to do a ton of exercises, only a handful (if that) will be more than enough. The idea is take an exercise and hold one position as you execute a contraction that lasts 30 seconds at 50% intensity, you continually up the intensity to about 70-75% for 30 seconds and than go as hard as you can for 30 seconds. So for 90 seconds, you up the intensity until that last bit and you're giving it everything you have. For the amount of exercises you can do, this can be incredibly exhausting and needs plenty of recovery time. Those who are experts at it like Steve Maxwell & Drew Baye don't do more than 1-2 times a week. I can agree to that. That kind of training can be very beneficial when it comes down to cardio without straining the joints, strength building and it can be done anywhere.

My personal favorite is the style of working contractions of no more than 7-12 seconds while working with multiple positions of a specific exercise such as curls, deadlifts, overhead presses and so on. This is what I started out with when I dove into Isometrics, first learning about them from Matt Furey's Gama Fitness program. It just evolved to a point where I can pin point just about about any angle I set my mind to and work exercises at multiple angles and get a hell of a cardio workout out of it plus I get more of the fat loss benefit from this style than any other for some reason. I can do these everyday and wouldn't burn out as much. This style has helped me stay injury-free the longest and it helps strengthen my legs especially my ankles. I've used it for arm wrestling, short workouts, steel bending, easy snow shoveling without the risk of getting a hernia, makes me feel lighter and stronger and so much more. 

One more for the road. This style of Isometrics was unique and not too well known because I think Steve Justa was one of a handful of people who practiced it and it's what's called Pulse Contracted Isometrics (think I just made that up) which you hold a position and work it hard by doing repeated reps at 1-2 seconds at a time. Steve did many many exercises with this at every single angle possible. The intensity is right around 90-95% but it's more a flicker than anything else. The benefits from this is that it works the little things in the muscles and tendons and ligaments at a more rapid rate and building strength that seems unexplainable. It also works the reflexes. The reps vary but Steve was doing something like 50 Reps or more per exercise or position and would total in the thousands by the end of the workout. I sometimes did 10-25 and after a few positions, I was smoked. I would research Steve Justa's books on this and see where it leads you. It may not look like much but when you practice it and go for 15-20 minutes, you're going to feel it. 

Try different things and see how they work for you. Isometrics give you strength you didn't know existed and is a "lost" secret to building the strongest tendons and ligaments possible because as we age, muscles are ok but if your tendons and ligaments are damaged or haven't done much conditioning, injuries will be much quicker to happen and it would be much harder to move around. It's a fascinating form of exercise and doesn't take up a lot of time. 

The Mystery Around Animal Exercises

 When you research Animal Movements or Animal Exercises, what pops up? Most likely you'll find ads, videos and various sequences of Animal Flow or Primal Movement. It's a popular trend and has tremendous benefits, hell I do them from time to time but what about the true and deep aspects of what animal movements are and how the came about. There isn't a whole lot written on them from that aspect.

It's a mystery on how we as humans really took to the animals and going from mimicking their behavior for hunting to becoming a recreational activity or purely for fitness. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure if you looked hard enough you'll find some cool stuff but it's still an enigma at times to why we have chosen animals as a fitness fad. One of the biggest known aspects of Animal Exercise or mirroring an animal is through ancient Kung Fu practices where men and women would mimic a wild animal and channel it to a fighting style and utilize it in a more graceful form of techniques and precise movement of jumps, kicks, punches and highly athletic counter techniques. 

Another outlook to Animal Movement is how we've taken certain animals and molded them to use warm up/punishment type exercises in athletics such as Football, Wrestling, Soccer and MMA. In and of themselves,. Animal Moves are more than just mere warmups and used as a punishment to keep an athlete in check. Now the idea of "Animal Movement" is not always just making up a name for a crawl, jump, hop and slither, there's something to mimicking an animal as humanly as we can without going overboard. It's true we can't exactly mirror an animal because the structure is different, the awareness is different and thinking we can be just as powerful as a wildcat, bear or a primate is way out of our league. 

Is there an answer to the mystery on why we love to mimic animals? It's very complicated but some might agree that as a species, we want to instinctively get back to nature but as far as evolution goes, some aspects of it has forced us to leave our animal like instincts and go through processes of becoming human in ways that is both good and bad. The cool thing is unlike other animals, we aren't just cut and dry to walk and have instincts of one specific animal, we have the ability to create and imitate many species to a certain extent. We'll never have their specific strengths and attributes but we can utilize what we can acquire to make the most of what is possible beyond other animals. 

The true kings and queens of exercise are the animals and it's important that we embrace the strength and conditioning of what is possible for a human to develop our bodies from a natural resource. You can lift the heaviest weights, do thousands of squats and pushups, do pull ups till the cows come home but nothing will take you down quicker and breathe hard like a madman like moving as a wild animal as humanly possible. Some people will argue that and think animal moves are just kid stuff, ok here's a test...What would be easier, 100 Squats or a 100 Yard Bear Crawl? After all, animal moves are just kid stuff right? 

An Adventure That Never Gets Old

 It's important to keep learning and finding what works best for us. Improvement should be always be a long term thing because once we stop improving, it could become boring and there isn't much Self-Discovery left. I love my workouts of Isometrics, Step Ups, Cable work and messing with either the Sandbells or the Hammers but the one thing that always brings me back and with incredible levels of enthusiasm is the Animal Workouts.

It's an adventure that never gets old and helps me find more things to discover. The random workout game I do with the 20 Sided Dice not only keeps me from doing the same order over and over again, it gives me opportunities to discover whether I'd be working hard early or later on. Anything can pop up on that thing, one day you're doing mainly lower body exercises, others the upper body or on many occasions, do a bit of both and do different variations of the exercises to make things easier or harder. It lights me up.

Animal Movements are not just for warm ups in martial arts or to sprint on the football field with, the movements in and of themselves are pretty simple and people think simple and easy are the same thing, they're not. They can be tough as hell especially if you play the dice game and you choose to do double reps or a set of yards per animal. One day, me and the wife took our niece out to a park to get us some fresh air and to knock out some excess energy the kid had. I took the dice game to a different level and we played tag. I would roll and whatever animal came up, either me or her would try to tag the other while being that animal. The objectivity is to give enough space for the person to get a bit of a head start and the person tagging has to keep moving until they tag the other. It took about 5-6 rolls until she was down for the count. Afterwards, she caught her breath and went on the swings or watch the dogs roam around. 

It doesn't take very long for those workouts to kick your ass. If you can last even 10 minutes, that's more than most can handle. The movements work so many muscles it's not even funny. Try playing tag and you have to do the Frog Jump, that round may only last less than 30 seconds because you would have to break to catch your breath and if the person trying to get away from the tagger is gassed, you have a greater advantage of winning. How about doing a race or doubling the reps per animal, it can get brutal fast. That's the beauty of it though, you don't need long workouts to make something work.

Training should have an adventurous element to it because if it becomes boring and you don't have that excitement, you won't last too long being consistent with it. It can be hard for sure but once you get the idea of turning it into play, the hard part is taken more as a challenge with a smile. It takes you back to your childhood where being carefree and full of imagination was at the peak of our minds. It puts you in a calmer state after a workout or should I say Playout, it develops coordination and balance, let's not forget incredible strength and conditioning. It also creates stronger brain functions because for one, you need to be quick and because of the coordination, you have to constantly stay balanced and perform with greater cognition. 

It does take time learning them and if you had previous injuries like many of us, you might have to coordinate differently and work an animal move best suited for you. When I do a Frog Jump, most of the time I only jump less than a few inches off the ground whether in stationary or moving forward and backwards, it works for me. Because of my leg injuries, trying to jump like Michael Jordan or a high jumper would be not good for someone like me so I have to do things accordingly. I definitely don't do explosive movements involving the upper body like jumping using the arms because it's not good for my shoulders, wrists and elbows so I came up with movements for the upper body that better suits my way of moving.  

Be adventurous, take a chance and find what works best for you. Unleash your spirit animal and move the way we should be moving. 

December Results 2021

 I'm not the biggest fan of posing for pictures. Quite frankly I don't even consider myself a ham since picture taking wasn't always my favorite thing to do but every now and then, I like to show off some of my progress. As you know my training changes quite a bit but the results speak for themselves when I get into something or stay as consistent as possible with what I feel like doing. 

I'm a fanatic on conditioning but not in the habit of wanting to get shredded and have a ridiculous low level of body fat so I'm actually happy with the results I've accumulated. These are the results of my work with Isometrics, Hammer Training, working with cables such as the Chest Expander & TNT Cables and Animal Movements. The Isometrics have done quite well for me lately and keep the exercises to basic elements of curls, deadlifts, upright rows and Overhead Presses doing at least 2-3 positions for each exercise, the other Iso Exercises supplement to the basic ones are Arm Wrestling, Zercher Squat, Step Up, Bow & Arrow, Handcuffed and Overhead Pulls. I do my best to work as many angles as possible for that day, also added in Isometrics for shoveling. 

Not looking to grow 24 inch pythons (even if I wanted to, probably wouldn't be good on my 5'10 frame and look like I can't wipe my own ass) but having strong arms along with having a good build for them has its perks lol. Being laid up in a hospital bed all those years ago, I had to rely on the strength and condition of my upper body at the time to hold me up as long as I could whether it was getting into a wheelchair, into the tub, or keep me up in my walker. I never want to wish that on anyone. It was my drive to maker my arms and the rest of my upper body as strong and functional as possible so I spent many years developing them since and you've seen what I was able to do. 

Having a physique has its perks but it's only secondary to what really matters and that's having the strength and the conditioning to go with it, otherwise what's really the point if you look good and can't do a damn thing in the process? You don't even need to have a greek god looking body to be in top condition, besides, having a great body doesn't always mean you're healthy either, being carved out of granite won't last forever and sometimes, having a very muscular body takes a toll on the joints and tendons or even your heart. That's why I love Isometrics so much, it keeps those tendons and ligaments strong in the long haul and helps reduce injury in your later years.

Stay strong and keep developing yourself inside and out making the most of it. Health is one of the biggest things that we need to have in this messed up Pandemic. Get strong, stay healthy and keep kicking ass my friends.