Isometric Conditioning

            

              I seriously believe and quite a few others believe this to is that Isometrics really are the ultimate anytime, anywhere fitness program. Why do I believe this? For good reason, you can’t really bring a barbell into a grocery store, you can’t really do jumping jacks in the middle of a movie at a movie theater and you certainly don’t want to be doing aerobics during dinner but you can do Isometrics during all those times and if you’re smart, no one will ever know. In reality, Isometrics give you that power you can’t get anywhere else and its fun to do even with simple exercises.

            When it comes down to it, Isometrics give you that tendon strength, the strength you need the most. Muscle building is great to do but it can only take you so far, tendon strength moves you far forward and the more you do it right, the stronger you’ll be in many areas. Sure it’s tough to find what to work on because Isometrics focus on that positional strength but with the right mindset, you can find a way to get that strength that will give you an edge beyond your competition. In sports, injuries happen all the time but the most common ones are on the tendons and it’s because they’re not trained enough, if they were the less chance you’ll get injured.

            Conditioning in this manner you won’t be able to get from much else because even though it’s different directions, you still won’t have that speed power. We all move in various directions but at times we get stuck in a certain position that is just tough to do, whether it’s from a certain number of push-ups, or that last rep in a Bench Press hell even curling a Dumbbell can be tough but if you worked on that tough position to gain speed wouldn't you want to get it going? Hell yeah you would.

            Isometrics go as far back as ancient Egypt, the golden era of Greece & Rome, Asia and other cultures around the world. One of the great examples of Isometrics was for practicing warfare believe it or not because when soldiers were preparing for battle when at a time when the Bow & Arrow was the most fierce weapon, they’d have men pull a bow they couldn't possibly pull hard enough to shoot so when they used the bows in battle, that pulling speed strength would have the advantage and can shoot faster than their counterparts. Even in Japan where Sumo Wrestling is as old as the culture itself, you’d have these big guys pressed up against pillars pushing and pulling for long periods of time and you wonder why they’re so strong in that position. Isometrics have a long and rich history that it’s almost forgotten today even though there are some things here and there.

              

            To keep the great level of Isometrics going today isn't easy but we can all take part in learning, showing each other different ways to do them and what can we do to prevent the wrong ways of doing them (trust me they’re there) and help others show the way to keep fit, healthy and vibrant throughout their lives at any age. This type of training is a healing form of training and can help rehab old injuries and build stronger bones, tendons and ligaments. You don’t need to exercise for hours on end, most you’ll need really is like 10-20 min. at best and you can spread that out throughout the day without having to do it all at once. Be open minded, learn and practice different styles to find what works for you. If there’s a way to make the world healthier and living a pain-free life, let’s help teach the wonderful and powerful ways of Isometric Conditioning.

Why Learn Your History

               In the world of fitness, you learn a few things here and there but not many want to learn where certain things started or how they got there in the first place. In just about every program there’s a historical significance to it. Say you wanted to learn about Barbells and Dumbbells so you can get strong and usually the first people they learn about is Arnold Schwarzenegger or a today’s Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler. There’s a difference between lifting strength and bodybuilding. If you really want to learn about those two pieces of equipment you could really learn from guys like Reg Park, John Davis, Doug Hepburn, Arthur Saxon and quite possibly the strongest of them all Louis Cyr. The more you glimpse of what lifting’s history the more you’ll want to take it up.

            Strength Training dates back thousands of years as far as ancient India with the wrestling sport of Kushti where you learned to wrestle, run, swim, swing clubs and the mace which were used as weapons during a period when battles required the utmost of strength. In the golden eras of Greece and Rome, they had to train harder than most can fathom today and especially as soldiers because they learned how to handle a heavy sword or shoot tough arrows so they used a style of Isometrics in order to increase the strength and speed of the arrows in battle. Here’s something you may not have known but in the time of Leonardo da Vinci at a young age he was quite the athlete and even had strength to bend horseshoes.  You see, fitness and exercise ends up in places you didn't think were possible. Some of these vary same things are what makes training today even though mainstream training has become a nuisance.

            We've all seen records broken right after another but there are records that most people don’t even know exists. We've all heard at one point in sports like Basketball where the Boston Celtics won what 8 straight titles but what about one man who went 15 years undefeated in weightlifting in three different decades 1938-1953, that man was the legendary John Davis. How about another record that most likely will never be broken, The great Gama won 5000 matches in wrestling and not lost once, you know what record is more popular than that, Rocky Marciano’s Boxing record of being undefeated. Records come and go all the time and whenever we see one today there’s not much of big thing about it but think about what record breaking was like back in the 20’s, even when the 1900’s rolled in, it was huge. How about this, did you know that back in the early 20^th century, pressing more than 350 lbs. overhead was unheard of and was the talks of the town, now imagine that weight being pressed overhead with one arm, got nothing to say now huh?

            No matter what you’re in whether its sports, music, weight lifting, Archeology or even certain types of science, learn the history, educate yourself. Continue to use your mind and you’ll soon understand why using the mind and body work together, not just in exercising but with everything. Something always started somewhere, learn where it came from and learn about the people that made those things happen. I just wish they can put the history of Physical Culture as an academic curriculum in schools such as High School and College. There’s a lot to be learned in this world and the more educated you are with the right tools of mind and body working together, you’re on the right path. 

A Phoenix: The Story Of The Rising Generation

My name is Jarell Lindsey, age 20 circa August 16th. Strength has been a lifestyle for me since youth. It may not have been my strength, and it may not have been physical, but strength was always surrounding me. My father was a man who had great endurance; he worked long hours in order to provide for my brother and I, albeit there was not always enough to sustain us properly. Even when suffering a series of strokes and heart attacks, he kept his naturally sarcastic demeanor and vitality. He was my hero, and I looked to him for my own strength. Even when he passed (I was age 10), I felt that his pure endurance kept his spirit around to protect my brother and I. 

My mother was a woman who had great mental strength. She possesses a series of unfortunate ailments, the most distinguished being diabetes and multiple sclerosis. By the time I reached age 4, her legs could no longer support her and she had to use a wheelchair. Steadily, she lost the ability to write or feed herself, her speech deteriorated, and her overall health just went south. Yet her mind, amidst all the turmoil she faced, stayed fresh. There was rarely a moment when you could not catch her smiling. All other troubles began to feel trivial to me; what troubles, I wondered, could I truly have when this woman has looked multiple times in the eyes of the reaper and smiled! All of her intelligence, incredible memory, and wisdom stays with her even to this day.

My brother-in-law and uncle were men of great physical strength. My brother-in-law is a man of average stature (around 5'10”, 180) with the capability to lift the rear of a car, perform incredible sets of pushups without a notion of tiring, and enduring a baseball bat strike to head and shaking it off. He refused to allow limits to be associated with him. He actually introduced me to some isometric exercises young, way before I knew what they were or their capabilities. Furthermore, my uncle is a man of almost equal stature. He performs morning runs often, and has the capability to bench press upwards of 240 lbs. He is also 80 years old this day. He refused to allow the supposed limitations of age prevent him from having the strength and physique he desired. 

So what did this mean for me? I was not the weak and sickly child turned superman. My entry into this world was rather lucky; I was a month premature and suffered from chronic sleep apnea and asthma, but I grew out of both into an averagely healthy young child. Yet, seeing such instances of strength around me, even in sickness, gave me the drive to pursue the world of physical culture. But, where would I begin?
When living with my uncle, I attended the local YMCA with him quite often. I would lift weights there, but I disliked that I would perform such taxing exercises with very gradual strength development. I put my all into the exercises, but I felt that there could be more. I did as any kind in the modern era would do for a problem: I consulted my friend Google. The results that I found were endless, but I understood what I wanted; I wished to have a great level of strength without adding too much bulk to my stature. Reading about Bruce Lee gave a lot of insight on having a small stature, yet with power and strength. 

My uncle taught me to search for the definition of words I didn't understand, so I did so for this one word I saw: isometrics. I couldn't fathom the results I found. A man named Alexander Zass could snap chains across his chest? This diminutive fellow called the Mighty Atom could drive nails with his hands? There was an Indian catch wrestler with over 5000 matches, no losses? Considering all of these men performed isometrics, I felt as though I'd found a jackpot. It didn't seem I even needed to spend money I didn't have on training equipment for this. By coming across Paul “Batman” O' Brien's website (Isometric-Training.com), I was able to learn many training methods and transform my physique in a short amount of time. Yet I sought more. I read Chinese philosophy texts. I read Shaolin training manuals. I read the Yi Jin Jing and qigong books. I even came across Maxick (my personal favorite strongman) who possessed complete control over every ounce of muscle at his disposal. Upon discovering the Power and Might blog, I learned about all of these things and more at once, fueling my thirst for knowledge even further.

Perhaps I have performed more knowledge amassing than actual training, as my physique is nowhere near my goal in strength (having a similar level of muscular control as Maxick). However, if I can manifest just a fraction of the strength of the people who have impacted my life, I'm sure that those goals are less than impossible. If you have any interest in learning the things I've learned along my strength journey, visit my website at www.muscularstrengthsystem.com

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at jarell@muscularstrengthsystem.com