A Rollercoaster Of Craziness

 Damn, it has been 18 days since my last entry. It has been a whirlwind of emotions, laughter, tears, growth, loss and craziness. Other than the excessive heatwave we've had here in Idaho, around the time of my birthday, it became a time where I couldn't think about me and my celebration, it was a time of mourning and a time to be with people I truly cared about. My wife lost her stepdad to cancer and other things that went wrong with him that I'm going to keep to myself and our family. Very hard to see this man go that I knew for 8 years and those moments that we shared talking about music, comics and movies. 

I did the best I could to be there not just for my girl but her brother, their mom and our niece because all I wanted to do was to comfort them and be present. Life is way too damn short to bicker and be divided, when something like this happens, it's about family, togetherness and protecting one another. It wasn't as hard on me than it was for them because that's the man they knew for many, many years, close to 20 if I recall but it hit me a little differently because a little over 20 years earlier, my own stepdad passed that just tore me up and happened just before I finished high school. I never got to say my peace with him. Now, with theirs, I got a second chance in my own way. I got the opportunity and permission from their mom to use the music for his walk out before taking him to the funeral home, it was one of his favorite bands that did a cover of Lynyrd Skynard's Simple Man. 

We laughed, we cried and just did what was best to make the best of things, regardless of how hard it was. Now, the twisted thing about all this is the time he died. I don't know if this was the man's last joke or some kind of cosmic way of making us laugh a little but the man died at 4:20am and he was an advocate on weed LOL. Some things that'll never leave your mind and puts in perspective why this life is so precious when it comes down to it. From there, we went from tragedy to being prepared for seeing my dad's side of the family for the first in roughly 4 years, going to Lake Tahoe.

The last time my wife saw my family was our wedding and the last time I did was in Nov of that year for my dad's 70th birthday so this was a major thing for both of us. Traveling for 12 hours in planes and cars, it could've been John Candy's & Steve Martin's Planes, Trains & Automobiles but with without the train. When I saw my dad, I just broke down and held him for what seemed like forever even though it was maybe 30 seconds. Did the same to my sisters, my stepmom and other relatives. It was like a huge wave of emotions coming out that I needed because this is the longest time in my entire life not seeing all of them. 

Being back in Tahoe was the boost we both needed and spending time with each other was just incredible. Made some breakthroughs with my sisters and spending some time with my niece and nephews especially the youngest one. Going to the lake and jumping off the dock, exploring on the rocks, climbing the staircase that is a monstrosity, getting workouts in (mainly Isometrics & Swimming) including an Animal Workout near the stairs to the water and plenty of activities.

Went on a boat ride one day around the lake with my girl, dad, stepmom, aunt, uncle and my stepmom's friends from Boston (Accents and all). We went around an area called Emerald Bay where the water is not just crystal clear but as green as you would see in the Wizard Of Fucking Oz. Got to swim with my dad for a bit near a mountain with a small castle at the top called Valhalla (I so wish I had my Epic Sledgehammer with me, that would've been one of the coolest shots ever, hoisting it up and putting lightning in the background). Went around an area called Meeks Bay which is really cool because that's my wife's Maiden Name and she has distant relatives that owned or still operate it today. Overall, it was exciting and a lot of fun.

Another day was going to Virginia City in Nevada with my sister, her boys, her besties with her two daughters and the most awesome woman on the planet. I use to love going there when I was little, it was like time stood still as in you're in this old western town that seemed to never die out, you have shops where you can see paintings of men and women of the time, churches that just stand out in time and the cool saloons where cowboys and others drank, fought, cheated and died in. One of the most famous saloons in the town is the Bucket Of Blood where you can see this incredible view of the desert hills. Some of these places are said to be Haunted and I've been in some areas where Ghost Hunters came in and did investigations. Bought some souvenirs including decks of cards, a couple Street Signs for my nephews that says Beware Of Attack Brother just to make my sister laugh even though she at first gave me this cold stare and bought my sister a pink rose quartz crystal bracelet that she really loved. Holly brought her camera with her and put her Photography skills to the test and quite frankly, its unbelievable how these pics turned out. 

After Virginia City, we headed out to Reno to meet up with our other sister and her husband with their party. Took the boys to Circus Circus across the way to go play in the arcade. Had a lot of fun there shooting hoops with my niece, winning lots of tickets, tried my hand at the punching bag and see what my score was; the highest they had was 956 and my best was 899 so not too bad for a guy who doesn't do a ton of boxing training. Bought my nephews Panda Express and went back to the cabins on our merry way. Spent a little one on one time with my dad, wished we had a bit more but hey when there's nearly 30 people in 4 cabins all together, you're bound to be hanging around others. Had beautiful moments of growth with my sisters and spent some time with my stepsister and her hubs that are officially going to be parents (Stepsis Macky will be a great mom and her hubs mike is a great guy that lives life to the fullest). 

There was a bit of family drama but that's not only to be expected it might as well be mandatory (we do put the fun in Dysfunctional after all). I won't bore you with the details but peace was made in the end and that's what truly matter right? Overall, it was one of the most fun trips I've ever had since going there as a baby. In fact, now in 2023, it is now been 50 years since my dad started all this so it has grown to 4 generations of our family going there. Wish we didn't have to leave but got to face reality and move on to the next trip. We started our trek back around 7am and didn't walk back into the door at home until about 11:15pm, that was a day man but we got home safe, got in a short workout at the airport and finished off with 1 min of isometric push-ups at home. 

Yep, that's been the highlights of these last near three weeks and things will be calmer and back to normal but then again normal is just overrated LOL. Keep being amazingly awesome guys and I'll be back to writing a lot more often. 

Step Ups And Their Effectiveness

 A good portion of the time, a simple exercise like Step Upas can really take you down if you know the right pace and tempo. Maybe it might be too simple but is it really so? I guess it depends on your point of view. Does it replace Squats? Overall, not necessarily but some prefer the Step Ups and others prefer Squats and that's awesome. At least you're getting in some kick ass leg training either way.

Some scoff at the idea of Step Ups because to them, squats are king and other leg exercises are just second class which in and of itself is far from the truth. Some even say Step Ups are the lazy man's leg training; obviously that's pure bullshit otherwise by logic you're saying someone like Bob Backlund is lazy. How natural is Step Ups in comparison to Squats? Well, why compare their natural entities when both are natural type exercises and have pros and cons to both while their effectiveness may be different, they still generate incredible strength, power, conditioning and overall health for the whole body.

Having done thousands of reps from both of them, safe to say for me personally, I get more out of Step Ups than Squats and I'll tell you why....With Squats, they were the foundation and gave me a solid pair of legs over the years while also saving time by doing high reps either in a row or using a deck of cards. As time went on and doing other things, they became a bit more uninteresting to me and felt like they weren't a priority anymore. With the transition to Step Ups, I not only go longer & do more reps, they give me greater focus by working my legs individually. They help even out the areas where one leg seems to have more muscle than the other and it feels more meditative while being a conditioning exercise.

Step Ups are a different form of cardio and it has become grossly underrated over the years. Other than Bob Backlund advocating them, they don't get as much traction or attention in comparison to Squats and it's a damn shame. They go far beyond just going up and down and switching legs, they are a great addition to just about any routine as they can be an exercise to do instead of resting for your next set. They can be used to as a superset exercise to other movements to really tackle your conditioning and they put you in a better state of not being as sore yet get more out of it.

Despite its benefits of health and overall fitness, it has a safer aspect on the knees and lower back if you have those particular issues. We do Step Ups more often than we are led to believe because of climbing stairs on an almost daily basis so this exercise actually strengthens that form of movement along with strengthening the joints for things like biking, hiking and swimming. Training this way helps in a ton of sports and other activities.

As always, just be careful how you do them and don't go so fast that you'll slip/trip and fall on your ass; I've done it a time or two and even broke part of a step and after those, I learned to pace myself better and being aware of my footing while going at a decent clip. Got to a point where I can do 30 within a minute and do 500 in under 23 minutes. Ideally it's not a sprint exercise because like I said, if you go too fast, it's going to bite back so respect the movement and go at a clip where it's keeping your heart rate going but not in a rushed manner. 

When I train this exercise, I don't care much how many sets/rounds I do, I pick a number to do each leg and go for time whether for 10, 15, 20 or 30+ minutes straight. If I'm in the middle of a set and the timer goes off, I just finish the set and add the + to the workout lol. Numbers wise, I stay within a 10-15 rep range each leg and just keep going. Sometimes I'll speed up during the workout and other times I just keep pace and focus on my breathing and footing. Said it before, it becomes meditative at times. Better cost effective than a treadmill that's for damn sure. 

It just feels good overall and I love how my legs feel afterwards. I don't get sore almost at all and I can do other exercises later on like Isometrics, carries and even hammer stuff. It has kept me in pretty decent shape for some time now. Give it a go and maybe someday you'll put up Backlund numbers but do what's possible for you and keep improving while being amazingly awesome. 

Why Are Hybrid Isometrics So Effective?

First of all, what in the blue hell are Hybrid Isometrics? Some kind of supernatural entity of exercise? Doubled forms of fitness to create some kind of Superhuman? Although it sounds cool, Hybrid Isometrics are mainly an advanced variation of Isometric Exercise that takes you some steps further to achieving great strength and muscle building. I didn't make up the name, that goes to one of the most prominent trainers in the art of Isometric Training today and that's Matt Schifferle.

Now, what makes up of Hybrid Isometrics? It's literally a combination of Overcoming Isometrics & Yielding Isometrics. Overcoming is the style where you work against something immoveable and stay at that sticking point for intense contractions in a Push/Pull/Squat/Grip Format. Yielding in a nutshell is the type of Isometric Training where you're fighting against gravity such as a plank or horse stance for example. The Hybrid style by definition of the first two styles is the combination of hitting a sticking point while going against gravity at the same time. Here's an idea of doing a Hybrid Plank (This engages the Core far more than the regular Plank plus you're working your lower back and hips from sagging by pressing against the strap). 

How are these as affective if not more than typical Isometric Exercise? Because of the combination of both Yielding & Overcoming styles, you're generating a different level of strength training in order to successfully hold positions for either time or through the 7-12 seconds of intense contraction. It puts a different spin on what constitutes being in a position where the muscles are working harder than normal and not particularly isolating certain muscles either, you're literally working many muscles in order to stabilize yourself. The real effectiveness is that it doesn't take long to really feel it and you aren't going to last very long doing some of these exercise which in the case of plank, if you can hold the elbow or even palm plank for 2 minutes or more, the hybrid would put most people down within 30-45 seconds or less. It is very tough to do and is a plank on steroids. However, because of the short amount of time you'll hold this position, you're going to build strength in ways that the regular plank can't. 

Isometrics are a fascinating form of training and the plethora of ways to work them can turn you into a fitness machine or can help you in rehabbing injuries. When it comes to Hybrids, they rank right up there as some of the simplest yet toughest exercises you can do. I use them as an addition to my regular Isometric Training. A great product you can use to work Hybrid Isometric is the Iso Loop. For other forms of straps to work your exercises check out StrapWorks on Amazon. Get the most out of your Isometric Training and for more info on what Hybrids are and some of the exercises you can learn, grab a copy of Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project. RDP also has a Youtube Channel that shows tons of exercises, workouts and other tips on fitness training. 

Have an amazingly awesome day and train well. 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

 At least from what I've seen. Can never stop advocating for the Step Up Exercise. It truly is one of the most essential yet underrated leg exercises there is. Shit if the legendary Bob Backlund can do them and the strength & conditioning they gave him, why not others? Sure it's important to make sure you're not working with potentially harmful injuries especially in the knees and ankles but for the most part, these can highly be a godsend for building incredible leg strength, health and for your cardio.

I've been doing this exercise for many years now and it doesn't seem to slow me down, matter of fact, has kept me in pretty damn good shape. I hate jogging and Sprinting in below ten weather in the wintertime here is not always an option. If you want an alternative to sprints, do the Bear Crawls bro (read about my micro workout on this exercise). Step Ups especially done in high numbers bring incredible benefits which one of the perks is that you won't get as sore as you would with squats. Now that doesn't mean squats aren't good, they're awesome, I'll do them as part of my deck of cards workout with the Step Ups. Squats have their place and are as essential as any basic movement, I just prefer Step Ups as my go to Leg Exercise. 

Although it doesn't look like much (quite frankly its the exercise equivalent to a leg exercise from Wish to some people) but for others, it brings out all the benefits of cardio training without needing a treadmill or getting burned out from hundreds of squats. You ever hear the story about Backlund and the Marathon runner? I've written about it before but it's for a repeat: So this marathon runner thought Step Ups were pretty easy since after all, he withstands 26.2 miles for a lot of years so he wanted to see if he could give a Backlund a run for his money (no pun intended). So for the most part, this guy thinks this is a no brainer but roughly 20 minutes in, Bob is still killing it and this distance runner walks out the door and is never heard from again. He couldn't take it and it goes to show that you never underestimate the power of a simple yet effective exercise.

I've done my fair share of them over the years in a variety of ways from doing them straight through for 30 min to an hour at a time to doing supersets with other exercises such as Farmer's Walks, shoulder carrying my 50 lb sandbell or bear hug carry to slamming my slam ball. The deck of cards workout where it's Step Ups & Squats ranks right up there with that Rugged Conditioning type of training. The objective is to get to 500 Step Ups & 250 Squats by the end of the deck and if you can finish it in under 30 minutes, kudos for you man; I'm just a notch above the 30 min mark when I finish it. One time, I doubled the reps that came out to 1000 & 500 respectively going back and forth between two decks of cards with barely a break. Until you've done it, it's not something easily to describe. 

 Despite it's overwhelming simplicity, Step Ups gives you not incredible leg strength and conditioning, it's a pretty damn good muscle builder too since you're working your legs unilaterally. It's had me keeping my California Redwood legs in tact so far. My dad doesn't call me a tree trunk for nothing. With natural muscle, strength & cardio, you're looking at some solid boosting of testosterone and HGH. Our legs provide the means to develop our sex organs, energy and power. When you consistently train your legs (safely of course and not getting injured frequently), you're bringing more vitality and desire into play. Don't be surprised if you start to feel like a wild teenager again, it is possible. It's important that we can increase our testosterone as we age ( with the right tools and not always go to drugs) but we also don't want to overload it because too much testosterone isn't always a good thing. Work it until you reach a certain level and maintain that. Mine's in the normal range for men in my age group and normal to elite level of testosterone is around 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL); I'm in around the 350's so for 35-45, that's pretty good. It could be better with diet and intense training but take things one at a time. 

Training and eating good gives off incredible boosts but the type of training you do should be intense and rugged like Sprints, Isometrics, Strength Training whether with weights or bodyweight and doing enough to recover efficiently. The diet is not always easy especially if you're on a budget but if you keep the junk to a bare minimum if at all, stick with a good source of meats, eggs, certain fruits and veggies along with drinking plenty of water. We all have our vices but I do love a good steak and eggs or rice with some liquid IV for hydration or make bunless cheese burgers with eggs. I usually scramble my eggs or do them fried with butter. I' am getting a bit better to not eat a ton of bread or minimize a bit more than what I'm doing now. Heavily on the Carnivore type plan but I like my sandwiches and some good Tempura Shrimp & Fries from time to time. You don't want to completely deprive yourself, enjoy things every now and then. 

Overall, add Step Ups into your routine or do them by themselves it's up to you. Start with a few minutes doing 5-10 reps per leg continuously and start adding time. You can add reps especially if you want to test yourself (like with the deck of cards) but if you work 10-25 reps each leg and keeping doing that for up to 30 minutes straight, that's some awesome cardio. I've done 1000 total reps in 41 minutes so I think my cardio is right where it needs to be. Doing Supersets with them is just another addition to boosting your body's natural levels of hormones. 

Train with intent but also make it as enjoyable as possible. Be amazingly awesome. 

 

A Performing Arts Degree Unlike Any Other

 What would it be like to go to or learn from a University that not only teaches you how to perform certain feats but gives you the tools to get paid to do it? What would it feel like to bend steel, twist rebar into shapes, rip phonebooks and do other feats that not only blows people's minds but you get to do these things while learning from the very best in the field? What would it be worth it to you to learn some of the coolest feats of strength that has baffled audiences for more than a century?

Mighty Atom

Bud Jeffries

Dennis Rogers

Chris Rider

Lawrence "Slim The Hammerman" Farman

Dave Whitley

Pat Povilaitis

All these men have performed incredible feats of strength that have taken the world by storm but by today's standards, it has become a lost art. From Bending Horseshoes to Ripping Decks Of Cards and turning steel into pieces of beautiful art, you can learn all these things and more from Dave Whitley and others at Strongman University. I've had the pleasure of performing some of these feats in front of people a good few times but never as important as performing with the late Bud Jeffries in the early-mid 2010's. I've done 3 shows with the big man himself performing up here in North Idaho in Coeur D' Alene, Sandpoint & Athol. In the middle of Bud's performances for Anti-Bullying campaigns, he brought me up to show a different type of strength that even he was doing in front of hundreds of kids and their teachers. My feats were mainly ripping a phonebook in half and bending a 6 inch spike while in the wrestler's bridge.

The bending I learned from strongmen like Logan Christopher & Tyler Bramlett but the bridge feat, I took that from John Wood. The phonebook tearing I learned from watching and mimicking Dennis Rogers who had a course on phonebook tearing at one point. I got pretty good at these to the point where I tore a phonebook in half the hard way using sock puppets to make the grip even more difficult to attempt. I've also bend plenty of steel (which you can find in my early videos like this one here). Another feat that I'm very proud of was bending a 6 inch spike behind my head with very little leverage and putting a ton of stress on the shoulders, elbows and wrists. You can view that here.

If you're interested in developing strength that is unique and way out of the norm, come and check out Strongman University and learn from the very best with a combined knowledge of well over 50+ Years in the business. Be a part of a tradition that goes back to the days of Eugene Sandow, Alexander Zass, Slim The Hammerman, Mighty Atom, Edward Aston and many other Vaudeville Style Strongmen. 

Getting The Most Out Of A Workout In Under 30 Minutes

One of the things I've always advocated about training was the importance of self discovery. Finding out what you're capable of doing and testing waters you've never been in, or at least took things to a different level. Just about any workout should be done using simplistic exercises and programming a progressive system that amplifies the workout's ability to make you stronger, more agile and as injury proof as possible. 

This workout I did yesterday went up a notch for me. Did only three exercises by doing the first two as a superset and used the third as a finisher to get that extra oomph in the conditioning department. A very rugged conditioning workout you might say that hits just about everything and can be a hell of a carryover. Here's how it went.....

-Superset (20 minutes non stop)

Bear Hug Carry 50 lb Sandbell for 20 Yards

20 Step Ups (10 per leg)

Immediately went into the finisher by doing my Bear Crawl Sprints for 10 Rounds at 10 Sec on/20 Sec off for approximately 5 minutes. 

The finisher was pretty brutal because my muscles were already hammered from the 20 min superset workout. It was a test to see what I can push on while fatigued. Just starting out on it is hard enough, imagine it as a finisher to something else. Felt great though, I didn't end up on my knees and beg the universe to let me breathe and didn't lie down to catch my breath. After it was over, I walked around and feeling everything in my body and breathing as deeply as I can. Talk about the best damn shower you can ever take. 

Once everything settled and felt "normal" (I hate that word), got some good food in me by having leftover eggs and sausage with a touch of shredded cheese and sliced up chinese pork. Tasted incredible man. Conditioning can go a long way and making you a machine. If you want to give this a shot, just remember that it doesn't discriminate and will try to beat your ass into the ground. It's simple but hard as hell and most people may not be able to handle it cause there's no literally almost no rest with the exception of walking back and getting into the bear crawl position. This isn't your typical run of the mill gym/home type workout, it's meant to try and break you and pin you to the ground. For nearly 30 minutes you're testing your mental strength and seeing what's possible without acting like you're going to die. The moment you start bringing it into your mind, you're dead. 

I never push to the brink of passing out or being so damn fatigued that I can't move my body because that is dangerous and focusing more on your ego than being aware of what your mind and body can and can't do. Do what's possible and listen to your body. The moment I was done, I got some water and jumped into the shower. Condition your body to make it stronger in the long run, not to the point where you'll end up not being able to move for a month. Training is about discovery, curiosity, grit and getting the most out of yourself possible without spending useless hours on it. Again this was less than 30 minutes and it's a bitch to pull off yet it is one hell of a workout that would humble just about anybody. 

Stay strong, keep getting better and be amazingly awesome. 

Interests, Goals & Pushing Yourself

 Realistically, training can be tough as hell depending on what you do but at the same time, it's important to understand the value of the work you put in along with finding the best ways to train suited to you and your goals. Learning new exercises can be exciting and with the way some ads like to appeal to a certain crowd whether they're everyday joes, athletes or training for specific feats, excitement can also be blinding. Remember Yoda's saying "adventure, excitement, a jedi craves not these things." Now, that shouldn't mean you don't look forward to them. I enjoy loaded carries, step ups, animal movements, sprints and Isometrics but it's not so much a craving to be excited or be adventurous, it's because they provide simplicity along with natural excitement or stimulus. 

If you're interested in something or learning something that appeals to you, it first becomes a curiosity and than it becomes something you're either going to continue doing or do something else that comes along. It has to naturally spark something in you that makes you want to continue on and if it doesn't create some form of natural stimulus, it's not going to keep you from continuing on. Some of the simplest exercises are tough but they're tough for a reason. If you'd rather just follow what the next shiny thing is, you're only going to leave your individuality behind and not learn the value of what it means to really train. 

Pushing ourselves is human nature, it's either going to be that fight or flight mode and doing something beyond our own reasoning to reach a certain level. We can't match everyone and not everyone can workout the same exact way, if that were the case, nobody would be different. We have certain strengths and weaknesses, we can surpass others and we may never reach a certain level but if you generate consistency with the idea of developing that stimulus whether physically or mentally, it leaves you wanting to learn more and create something for yourself. 

I've pushed my body at times where it ended hurt or had close encounters of blacking out but also pushed myself to other levels of strength from bending steel to doing more than 1000 Squats in a workout. I don't like the idea of pushing that hard and quite frankly, unless you're in a dire situation, training yourself to the brink of death is not the ideal way to consistently stay strong, it's a death sentence that will end up either faster or slower in the form of long term effects. It's important to find out what you're capable of and what you'll have to do at times to know what will be the determining factor of life or death but there's a difference between what your ego will do and what you can realistically do. I've pushed myself at times without being aware of it and that is another thing, we don't always know how far we go and when you're in that zone, it's like time stands still.

Goals are great to have and to achieve but at the same time, we have to be aware of the goals we are trying to achieve and what it will do to us later on. We can't 100% know the outcome of the goals we go after cause life will at times throw you curveballs and there might be days where everything just isn't there and we either push on anyway or back off a bit. We fail our goals at times, it happens but that doesn't mean we stay down and bury our heads in the sand, we get back up and try different approaches. When we achieve our goals, it's exciting and we celebrate the victory but more often than not, even if a goal is achieved, you still feel defeated somehow, the toll took everything out of you and you're mentally and/or physically drained. What is the sacrifice you're willing to make to achieve a goal, what's the endgame? What are the long term side effects? Was it worth the heartache and pain? Was it worth all the time and effort to only have it be something that lasts a few moments and then life moves on? Many don't look at these questions, some do don't get wrong but we don't always seem to be aware of the ratio of the consequences to achievement. 

Train to what suits you, be efficient in how you achieve your goals and handle the hits when they unexpectedly hit you the best way you can. Be strong and do what's possible. Times change, things that seemed impossible yesterday become possibilities today but we are still here doing the best we can even if it's so damn tiny a microscope can't even see it. Not everyone will celebrate your victories, most of the time nobody gives a shit or will criticize you. Most of the time, validation is just a thing to boost the ego and it can be intoxicating but remember to still be a human being and take your victories in as lessons and if something needs to change, do what you can to make it better. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone.     

The Bear Crawl Workout That Gets You In Rugged Condition Fast

You hear all kinds of ways to describe conditioning or some weird saying like Functional or something along those lines. Before you know it, they become a cliché and its meaning becomes meaningless. Johnny Grube describes his style as "Conditioned Strength" (whatever the fuck that really means since it's probably the most made up term for training) but it's not the worst one I've ever heard. When it comes to conditioning, it should sound ferocious, cunning, manly, old school and something that relates to those who've been through the ringer; something like, "Rugged Conditioning." To me, that sounds like something that's intense, combative, powerful and badass. 

One of the things I've seen Grube do (when he's not ranting like a lunatic and bullying anybody that doesn't share his set of "values") was go hard on his Rogue Bike for several minutes doing a reverse tabata style format which is 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 10 rounds (which roughly totals 5 minutes) and you know where I'm going with this. I took that concept and made it a Bear Crawl workout. Clearly I don't own a Rogue Bike but maybe one day I will but the Bear Crawl is just as awesome to do. I'll give him this, he's awesome at conditioning training and utilizes simplistic approaches to exercise that works for him and I respect his work ethic but outside of that, he just goes off the deep end doing nothing but running his mouth about people that have nothing to do with him or his family and acting like a crazy bigot. 

Let's get back on track, the Bear Crawl Workout that will get you in Rugged Condition fast. It's simple, quick and hits more muscles than you can imagine. With consistency (keeping it to 2-3x a week) it's possible to burn fat like a furnace, put on natural and functional muscle and have you be explosive so you'll be ready for anything. Did I forget to mention that it potentially makes you stronger in the long run and have crazy stamina? What's even crazier is that it can be done practically anywhere and the only thing you need is a HIIT Timer so things are set which you can find on your cell or grab one of those Gym Boss Timers. Hell, I've done this workout in my living room and I feel like a million bucks afterwards. It was one of the first workouts I did after recovering from my Sciatica Injury. 

Being in shape goes far beyond what you see on the outside, you may not look like a model or have that ripped Instagram look but if you can go hard and be able to have gas left in the tank and are healthy, looks aren't always going to matter. Hell you can look like a Skinny Yogi like Rahul Mookerjee or small like Royce Gracie and still be deceptively strong (but that may be pushing it a bit since he likes to brag about what he's "capable" of doing and Royce would destroy someone like Rahul in seconds) but the point is, you can be big, small, tall, short and still be in awesome shape, it's just a matter of what you do to be consistent.  

This would be a hell of a finisher to really kickstart your metabolism after a regular workout or it can a punishment for wrestlers/MMA Fighters to do before and after practice, whatever works. This isn't the type of workout that should be pushed to the side or taken lightly. It's hard, it's rough and it tests you in ways that you didn't think were possible. Despite the doubled amount of rest, you still barely have time to truly catch your breath before the next round. The moment those ten seconds are up you got one of two choices: 1. Stay in the Bear Crawl Position (which isn't really resting still) until you've done all the rounds or 2. Get up and walk to the starting point and get into position for the next round. As Billy Robinson once said "There's no rest in wrestling" neither do you in this workout.

You don't need to be a pro athlete to be in awesome shape but it's important to understand that to be in awesome shape, we take some things from the very best and mold them to our goals and making the most of what our bodies CAN handle.  Be safe, hope you have/had a great 4th Of July, train with great intensity and keep being amazingly awesome. 

 

It's Always Good To Have A Backup

Always keeping my training simple, the workouts can vary to either going hard one day and "taking it easy" the next. Physique wise, it could be better and putting in more effort to trim down since I couldn't do a whole lot while I was injured. Keeping an eye on doing more Isometric Style training (with an emphasis on the Hybrid Forms, check out Overcoming Isometrics on that one) and other things. 

I love going to the park and playing basketball and shooting around, some days I bank them in, other days not so much but I enjoy it. Every now and then, some guys would want to shoot around or play one on one. In addition, I like to bring along my Worldfit Iso Trainer and when I'm not shooting, I put the strap around the back of the hoop and do things like Rows, Pushups, Squats, Hangs and Pull-ups. One day not too long ago, I went to the park to shoot around but there was an event going on and there was a promotional jeep covering the side of the court, not wanting to hit the damn vehicle, I had my back up Iso Strap and just did 50 Rows & 50 Push-ups in 5x10 each exercise. Always good to have a back up, after the exercises, went onto the grass and did an animal workout doing my favorite dice game until I was ready to head back home. 

Sometimes you just have to adapt and improvise. You won't always have things align right, the stars won't always be in your favor and you won't always know if you'll get an empty space around you or getting a crowd of people. Do what's possible with what you have. That's one of the reasons why I love Isometrics, they're always there with or without equipment and having the strap in your bag can make up some stuff you're not always able to do. Training is about discovery, conditioning the mind to always have something there and be able to come up with stuff on the fly if needed. It's important to have that knowledge because some workouts may not always be at your disposal so you come up with something doable and something you can do for the moment. 

Find ways to train that will be in your favor, learn to improvise in certain situations and get what you need with what you have at the time even if it's just your own bodyweight. Never settle to just one thing or one type of workout. The knowledge and creativeness you can possess can take you places that many won't or be able to come up with. I mean seriously, who the hell puts a suspension trainer around a basketball hoop and can do an animal workout on the fly? Not many but that's the beauty of being intuitive and understanding what you know and be able to act on a workout you didn't expect to do. When I got to that park, I expected to just normally shoot around, put on some tunes, get some exercises in with the strap and that was it but that didn't happen. There are events that go on about every other weekend at that park and most days, I'm just there by myself with literally no one in the vicinity other than the restaurant right next to it and the houses around the corner. It's peaceful, get a great view of the mountains, getting in fresh air and just having a blast putting on my speakers. On that particular day, I had to do something different and had to tone down the volume I normally use with my speakers to where only I can really hear it and just do a couple of exercises and an animal workout which turned out great and had fun. 

Always good to have a backup in mind whether training or whatever. Hope everyone is having a great summer so far and stay safe tomorrow for Independence Day. Be amazingly awesome. 

Rugged Cardiovascular Conditioning

 I'm always finding ways to test myself and what I'm capable of in terms of Strength, Endurance, Conditioning, Toughness & Durability. Yesterday was one of those crazy tests. It's not just to be strong but to keep that strength for a solid period of time and still have something left in the tank. It's putting yourself into that mindset of having a kickass workout that means something you can use later on.

Since my recovery, I wanted to see how far I can push myself without killing myself. One workout I normally do is a Superset for sometimes up to 30 minutes or more doing carries (either with a kettlebell or the sandbell) and doing Step Ups for building leg strength & conditioning. This time I took a step further by strapping 50 lbs to my body (2-5 lb Ankle Weights & 40 lb Weight Vest) and did a Farmer's carry of my 70 lb Kettlebell 2x and than 20 Step Ups. Did this back and forth for 20 minutes non stop. 

Essentially with the added weight on me, walking with 70 lbs was the equivalent to working with 120 lbs total or 240 lbs all together (Walking the bell in the left and then right hand) in one set. It's tough as hell and really tests your grip, stability and shoulder/core strength. With the Step Ups it was 10 each leg with just the Vest & Ankle Weights. This was to feel as if gravity was really pulling you down or if you were walking in a Gravity Chamber. I think even Goku might've been impressed.

This isn't typical cardio training, you're taking things to another level and seeing how you fair with utilizing strength tools along with not being able to stop as you take on endurance work as well. Combining these two elements at the same time can make someone dangerous and rugged. I'm not saying I'm intimidating or some scary bastard with maniacal tendencies but I do train hard to the point where it might scare off gym rats and the machine loving mirror posers. I train with simplicity and intent which is what training is all about. It's not complicated and it doesn't take long before you feel something. In most of my workouts, I don't ever stop to smell the roses or play little games on my phone as I rest, I keep going and sure I may slow down a bit as time goes on but I always feel there's something left in me at the end. 

This isn't meant to build a beautiful and shredded physique, it's meant to build tough as nails tendons, thick rugged muscle and a strong lung capacity. The workload is not something to take lightly and although basic, it's never easy even without the added weight on you. It's real world strength and conditioning. It's having that Labor Strength and working in awkward positions. I'm not a Blue Collar type of guy and never claimed to be but I do respect those who are (when it comes to work ethic, personality wise, some are just plain assholes while others are badass and amazing to hang out with) and I train that way out of respect and to maintain a level of strength for when I work on yards, hauling furniture, chopping wood and/or moving logs around. 

Train to be useful, not to look pretty. Some women on Tik Tok have videos where there's a voiceover that says "I don't want to strong, like man who look pretty. I want to be strong like bitch that fight bears in the forest" in a thick Russian accent. For guys, we can change the narrative to "I don't want to strong like man who look pretty. I want to be strong like motherfucker that fight lions in the Serengeti." Workouts like these jack up a man's testosterone big time and builds incredible mental toughness. 

Build real strength and muscle, it goes a long way to seeing what you're truly capable of. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone.   

I've Got The Shakes That'll Make You Quake, I've Got The Fries That'll Cross Your Eyes, I've Got The Burgers That'll...I Just Got Burgers

Nothing like a good comedic quote from an Adam Sandler movie to start the day. Got to love Cheeseburger Eddie...Nothing a Quarter Pounder can't fix LOL. 

Sometimes we just need a good laugh because in this day and age, we get so fucking caught up in the politics, the drag queens, LGTBQ craziness and anything that puts fear into the minds of everyday people. Don't you just hate the news? Remember that old Mark Twain quote "If you read the newspaper you're misinformed, if you don't read it you're uninformed." Speaks volumes to today's world doesn't it?

When it comes to nutrition, the amount of information on it doesn't utilize simplicity or go into consideration to what is truly needed. There's pyramids (remember that crap in grade school), there's all this stuff about veganism, eggs will kill you, eating meat is bad and fruits and veggies keep getting recalled. Everybody processes food differently and we all won't be able to eat the same things either do to lack of taste, allergies, web MD and/or what we need to do to gain/lose weight. It has become overgeneralized and not about the individual. 

Don't get wrong, I love burgers, fries, crispy chicken oriental salads and a good pizza every now and then but do my best to eat as good as possible and stay away from the 5-6 meals a day thing. Most of my nutrition comes from having a solid source of vitamins and minerals from fruits and veggies, protein from whole milk, eggs and meats and other things. I don't eat sweets very often and when it comes to breads, I either go to Subway or make a mean Grilled Cheese sometimes. I don't eat more than 2 big meals a day if that and go out maybe once a week or every other week with the wife for a date night and grab Red Robin or Panda Express. 

One of my favorite things to make at home is my homemade protein shake that is very simple to conjure up. It consists of whole milk and one raw egg for protein, scoop of Spark (Vitamin B mix) for energy and mental focus, Liquid IV for hydration and plenty of berries for extra vitamins and antioxidants. I stopped doing the protein powders a long time ago because those things can be costly as hell and rather use my money on things that matter. This tastes incredible and gives me that surge of energy for workouts later on along with being able to digest pretty easily. 

I believe in balance in eating and drinking as good as you can but have a little fun every once in a while so you don't deprive yourself. I learned this a little later in life since I use to eat very shitty when I was in my pre teens and teens. I use to eat McDonalds and Donuts a lot during my school years and could drink a whole 2 liter of coke in a sitting, eat a whole pizza by myself and eat enough oreos to make someone sick. Thank the universe I don't do anywhere near that crap now, a couple glasses of coke is probably my limit, 4 slices of pizza (not even huge looking ones) is about all I can handle and haven't had a donut probably in a good few years. I also conditioned my body to not take in sweets so much either so a few cookies here and there is about as much as I'll indulge. I rarely if ever drink at all (I hate beer and the last shot that I could remember taking was to honor Bud Jeffries when he died which was back in Jan of '22) and never smoked a day in my life. 

Health really is wealth and it's important to know that yeah for many of us we did some stupid shit when we were younger and learned from our mistakes. Some never get over their vices and others get so caught up in being healthy that often times it can be overwhelming. Too much of anything is never a good thing. Hell yeah a steak can kill you but so can choking on a banana (I know you got some perverted jokes running in your head right you sick bastards). Just do what's possible for you to keep everything in check. 

It is our responsibility for what we eat but it's also important to help others who may be struggling. Nothing consistently is ever truly easy and yeah there is an obese issue roaming around and we need to do what we can to lessen that. Make better choices, utilize a budget to make those healthy choices and create routes when you shop so you're not tempted to just rush over to the bad shit the moment you walk in the door. I believe in you and you can do it. Be mindful as well. 

Eat good, train well and keep being amazingly awesome.  

Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things

With some of the workouts I've done since healing up, it's a process of just getting back into things progressively and at a pace that I'm comfortable doing to get back at the speed that I normally can do. Not easy but it hasn't been so damn slow it barely feels like anything. 

I've done the Bear Crawl Sprint Workout (10 on, 20 off for 5 min.) twice now and so far that feels pretty good but may need to cut back on doing it every 3-4 days instead of around 2 days. The loaded carries and step up workouts are getting better; while I was recovering, I would do my 2x sandbell carry and 20 step ups for 10 minutes or just do step ups for 10-15 min instead of the normal 30. Yesterday, I went a full 30 min doing the carries and step up superset, that felt incredible along with some post workout stretching to keep up with maintenance. Today, I tried out my Deck Of Cards Leg Workout of Step Ups & Hindu Squats. Been quite a while since I've done that and just wanted to see what I can do. I didn't have any expectations of beating the deck, so I managed 280 Step Ups & 130 Hindu Squats. That's a huge start in my book and didn't think I'd get that far. Normally, I'll do up to 450-500 Step Ups & 225-250 Squats within the 30 min mark or just over completing the deck.

For those that think I'm lying, here's a video of completing 450 & 225 so I'm quite capable of doing this. 

It's a journey and forming a perspective on healing up and doing what's possible onward until you're 100% at your best. There are days where you may only do a little of something, others you just go nuts with the energy you have. It's also important to be aware however of what your body tells you and not to push further than you have to. It's not a sprint to get back at your strongest or even your best condition, it's a marathon and making sure you're doing the right things and being intuitive. Things will come back when they're ready, forcing it may come back to bite you in the ass. 

That DOC workout is no joke and it will condition your legs like crazy, it just takes little steps to get better at it and consistently beating the deck. That one workout doing 1000 Step Ups and 500 Hindu Squats within an hour made me humble that's for sure and only did that just the one time. As far as that goes, it's one of the most brutal leg workouts you can do and it's only two exercises. How does it go?

2-10 Each Leg or Set of Squats

Face Cards: 10 Each Leg or 10 Squats

Aces: 16 Each Leg or 16 Squats

Jokers: Superset of 25 Each Leg & 25 Squats

Full Deck is equivalent to 500 & 250 Total. You can double the deck to reach 1000 & 500 Respectively or go back and forth between two full decks (Double Decker). Either way, you're working your ass off and let the speed be natural and not try to break world records. If you can blast through it with ease, you might as well be Superhuman. Give it a go if you dare.

In all seriousness, be adaptable and let things flow naturally, some things you may pick up on quick, others take time so remember to take in the journey and you'll never know where you'll end up. Be bold but smart, don't try to break a record every workout, progressively add workload but on certain days go a little light depending on how your body responds and be respectful to the technique and the exercises themselves because if you don't, you'll not like what follows. Kill it and keep being amazingly awesome.

If you're interested in getting some bad ass decks of cards, check these out.

The Nerve Pain, The Muscle Spasms, All Gone: IT'S OVER!!!

Just the feeling of bruising but the sciatica injury is finally over. Merely keeping up with maintenance and being slightly more cautious is what I'll be doing for a while but this long ass episode has reached it's finale. The pain was enough that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies and being so damn limited made me frustrated, irritable and drove me crazy. 

What made me notice that it was gone? I had an idea in mind that was risky but my intuition was telling me it was going to work. I tested myself in a Bear Crawl Sprint Workout that was 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 5 minutes. Aside from feeling a little tension, I busted through that workout with ease without a shred of pain, not even a little bit. How's that for irony: A sprint workout told you you were injured and the next sprint workout tells you you're healed. Funny how the universe works.  

I'm back and it feels fucking glorious man. I still believe in my heart that if I wasn't in good of shape before, this injury would've been far worse and the healing would've taken way longer. That's the thing, if you train with intent to help prevent injuries as much as possible and be able to heal quicker when you do makes all the difference in the world. This one didn't heal as fast as I wanted to (I' am edging close to 40) but it did heal when it was meant to. I felt my flexibility coming back and my strength was right there when I needed it. Conditioning is really a life saver and in my mind, the fountain of youth.

If you've never experienced Sciatica, I really hope you never will. I feel so grateful not just for what I had to do but I'm grateful to my wife and my mother for being there for me even though I was a royal pain in the ass and feeling so damn guilty that I didn't want to burden them. Putting them through that especially my wife was something I never want to do again, neither one deserved to see me like that. I owe them big time and I will always take responsibility and heat for what I did to myself. I can't and will never blame anything or anyone other than myself. Life is too damn short and you do what's possible to make the best of things. 

This was probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life and part of it is starting to show on my age and my ability to heal but in a weird and twisted sense, I needed to go through this in order to understand how important certain things are in life and that it was another one of life's tests where you learn and figure out what you have to do in order to rebuild yourself inside and out. This put another perspective on why I love to train and why it continues to push me even in tough times. The majority of the time, all I did was stretching which to me is still training, I never once led up or took a day off because if I did than I would be giving up on myself and the people who need and I wasn't going to let that happen.

Even on days where I had doubts this thing would ever heal, the voice in my head told me to keep fighting and battle the demons from within. Trust the process, do what needs to be done and be humble and grateful for what you have around you. It goes back to that old notion "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility." Be safe, kick ass and keep being amazingly awesome. 

The Deep Squat: A Powerful Exercise For Sciatica

As of right now, my sciatica injury has been more of an annoyance than just being in pure pain. From wearing a belt to ease the painful nerves to stretching and other exercises, heat/ice, hot and cold showers it really is almost over. For the most part it just feels like a punch in the ass more than anything (if you got to make jokes, just get it out of your system, will they see the light of day will remain to be seen) along with getting stronger. 

I started doing Suspension Training again doing only a few exercises mainly hitting the muscles of the back and stretching but two of my favorites that I noticed really easing up on the tension and alleviating pain is the Bodyweight Row and the Assisted Deep Squat. I took the Worldfit Iso Trainer out for a spin at the park the other day doing rows, curls, deep squats and hanging. It was one of the best workouts I've had in weeks and it made me feel so incredibly good that when I walked home, it felt much easier than when I was going to the park and having to squat down every now and then to ease some of the pain. 

If I had to pick one exercise that has made a difference in this whole process has been the Deep Squat. Whether assisted or just going into the position anywhere, it has given me some of the best relief I've ever had during this time of recovery. It has given me a greater appreciation of how important Squats really are. Yeah sure doing hundreds of them is awesome and helps with conditioning (although I prefer step ups most of the time), holding the Squat or the ATG Squat gives off a lot of great benefits that we sometimes ignore or don't notice. First off, just getting into the position for many is a chore and depending on your flexibility, it's not fun in the beginning. Second, once you get into it, holding it a few seconds is all you can do and getting back up can be humbling. Third, once you can hold it for time, there's more to what is happening than just what you're seeing. It creates that natural positioning where it can relieve back pain and open up the hips along with building a relaxing spot for the body and mind.

We all know what squats do but do we appreciate and understand the true magnitude of them even if its just sitting there? There's a huge difference in knowing how to do them and understanding the importance and gratefulness they provide. I'm not saying I'm going to go back to doing 500-1000 squats anytime soon but having the strength, flexibility and mindfulness to be able to hold the position or even the horse stance for that matter has a far greater importance than just repping them out repeatedly for an extended period of time. Not everyone is going to knock out hundreds of squats when they're 70 or 80+ years old but if you have the ability to hold that position at that age and still able to get up and be springy, to me that's far more impressive. 

The Assisted Deep Squat using a counter top, chair, sink or whatever as leverage to go so damn deep that you're ass is literally touching the floor is so fundamentally awesome it's not even funny (unless you're into some sick twisted shit than you do you LOL) but in all seriousness, the Assisted Deep Squat exercise is not meant to do hundreds of reps but to allow your body to sink into a natural position comfortably and essentially give you the ability to stretch and strengthen the low back and lower body. It is not a conditioning exercise even though you can go that route but a strengthening exercise to utilize the body to what it was meant to do. Think about all the people who can garden, pick fruit, play games and meditate without feeling pain and being able to get up with ease; it's incredible. What sounds better long term: Holding a Squat for more than 10 minutes or doing 500 in less time? Doing both is quite a feat especially at an older age, but as we get older, sometimes holding a position gives you a better sense of strength and having that spring in your step. I'm not saying reps don't hold merit, they very much do but in reality, getting down and up even one time can make a huge difference in the world in certain situations. 

Practice the Deep Squat as often as you can even if its a couple minutes a day to start and just being able to hold for 10 minutes or more without hurting and standing back up like its nothing. Do reps if you wish but think about the strength and power you'd have just holding a squat in a meditative state that has you oozing with energy. Start with assisted squats and progress to just squatting without holding onto anything and hold as long as you can.  

Closing In On The Home Stretch

 Not 100% out of the woods yet but my recovery is near its end. I can feel it drifting away little by little. I still have moments where there's little shots of pain down my leg but it's becoming less and less. It has been a very slow process, far slower than most injuries in the last number of years and I'm just itching to get back to my old self again. 

At times the pain was so great that it made me irritable and lash out which by all accounts I hate doing to anyone. I also hate taking stuff to numb the pain and part of me needed to suffer in order to punish myself for what I put myself through. Didn't take enough stuff to become addicted which is a good thing. I wasn't popping pills like they were fucking M&Ms, just a thing or two to relieve some of the pain in order to go about my day. Got this one thing called Nerve which helps with circulation and gives the nerves in my body an extra boost to help me recover since some of the pain was shooting down straight into my ankles and feet starting at the hip. Only take the recommended dose. 

Seen a Chiropractor half a dozen times now and most likely need a couple more adjustments to realign this sumbitch and the guy that has been working on me is really damn good at what he does. Like I said it has been a slow process but I know it's almost over. I've been slowly getting back to strengthening and lengthening my body doing stretches (mainly), cables, isometrics, Sandbell training and loaded carries with a lighter weight. I have also been using my foam roller which at times does feel painful but I'm getting that bad alignment readjusted and you just take it for what it is. 

Over these last, I think it's now almost 6 weeks, there's been lots of ups and downs, restless nights, moving like an 80 year old man ready to die and struggling mentally to keep my sanity. To distract myself, I got caught up in the fight against those who have been so extreme against those who are LGTBQ and the things these people put up to justify them as a whole has just burned a hole in my brain. I have friends and knew people in that community and it breaks my heart that all this hatred towards them because a few bad apples made their way into the news. Believe me, I'm totally against grooming or forcing kids against their will but from a statistical standpoint, nothing compares to the grooming and sexually exploitation of kids in Beauty Pageants and those in religion who've taken advantage of young boys. All this shit with Trans folks is an extremely small number in comparison and yes whoever is hurting kids should be punished but not all Trans or gay or whatever are like this. 

Throughout this whole process and the pain, it boils down to keep fighting because you want to get better and there will be days where it feels hopeless but you can't give up because there are people who need you. I have strong feelings about what I do in order to build myself up mentally and physically. It's not meant for everyone and some will say I'm an inspiration and others will say I'm a pussy and have no value to anyone but whatever my beliefs are training wise or in my thoughts about the news and hatful/fear being spread around, I see things from a different angle and at times only I'll see it and that's ok. Once this shit is over, I'll be seeing my training with a greater appreciation and determination.  

Let me end this with a bad ass Disney Song with that fires me up every time and sung not by the original singer but by an up and coming artist who's expressive, has a voice that pumps up the blood in your veins and makes you never hear your childhood songs the same way again. Have an amazingly awesome day and be good to one another. Don't give into hate, that leads to the Darkside.