Free Yourself

         

            In the fitness world, some trainers put a lot of restrictions on their clients on what they think is good for them and what isn’t. I'm not saying all do this but some do and many people in general put restrictions on themselves by doing this for that and whatever. I do believe if you're injured, than it’s best to heal and get yourself better however; if you restrict yourself what you are told to do than you're limiting what could be incredible for you to achieve.

            It’s important to remind yourself about what you can use to exercise with while you’re going about your day. Some people go for a run and that’s it which isn't a bad thing but there’s more you can do without even letting anyone know. Others drive over to the gym, do a little cardio and lift a few weights then get the hell out of dodge but for me, there’s more to use. You can get in a workout anywhere you want and no one will ever know for example; you're out grocery shopping and you're in your favorite aisle how do you exercise there?

There’s Isometrics where you grip and squeeze your cart for a few seconds or squeeze and twist the wrists, a few sets of those for 8-10 seconds and there’s a workout at the grocery store.

Here’s another example, you're at a red light (and only do this when you’re out driving), what can you do while you waiting for the light to turn green? Well, one can be to bring your hands together and push for a few seconds, than grab the steering wheel, you can push and pull in different directions for a few seconds each. It’s about making the time no matter where you go or what you do.

            You want to talk about freeing yourself of restrictions, go outside on a beautiful day and just play and move around, don't analyze what you're suppose to do, have fun and forget sets and reps schemes. Be a wild animal, if you got a long piece of rope; do some battling ropes and make the rope wave with power and velocity, jump up and down, go for a hike do what makes you happy. If the weather is good, take advantage of it. In the summer when I’m in Lake Tahoe with my family, all bets are off and just go swimming, lift and climb up on the rocks, pull-ups while hanging on the docks, wall sit on the trees, lift up logs; it’s all part of exercising and training without limiting yourself.

            The key ingredient to free yourself from restrictions is to create your own program. Be your own trainer because no one knows your body better than you do. If you have to start out slow, that’s fine build yourself up. None of us are perfect and we all can’t do the same training as some others. Our bodies aren't built equally so we have to learn certain things that are structured to our build. You don't need a six pack to look super awesome but if that’s what you want to do than find a way to do it. Don't try to build yourself like someone else; theirs is taken so build yourself the way you were meant to. Be creative and have fun because being on a restricted program feels like being chained up and you can only do so much which isn't much at all so break free and build your body and mind for yourself. 

A Character That Brought Intensity

            This past week, another WWE Legend passed away and that was of Jim Hellwig also known as The Ultimate Warrior. He died at the young age of 54 and pretty much said his final goodbyes at his Hall Of Fame induction and his speech on Monday Night Raw. I grew up in the Attitude Era of the late 90’s and only saw Warrior’s final matches in WWE first at Wrestlemania against Triple H and a couple other ones. I wasn't much of a fan and didn't really understand his character. Now that I took a look at his career watching his new DVD set and knowing what I know now from training, I admire the guy.

            As a wrestling fan, my type of characters is the ones that are the in-ring technicians or guys who can wrestle more than just entertaining. I never really liked the muscle bound guys like Hulk Hogan or John Cena but I admire their intensity in the ring. Warrior was far from being a wrestler, he practically didn’t know a wrist lock from a wrist watch but his character was unique, intense and just flat out nuts (watch his promos and you'll know what I mean. As an athlete and a Physical Culturist, I thrive at intense training and focused intention on what I'm doing. I’m not a fan of guys on roids but that’s a different story.

            The man literally changed his name to Warrior a little over 20 years ago and at first like everyone else who watched him, I thought he was off his rocker and was a total nut job but I began looking at it from another angle; he was a man living on his own terms and built this intense passion for life and was a warrior at heart. I saw a video of Zach-Evan Esh talking about his many conversations with warrior and who the man was, it got me thinking and it’s awesome to find that even though a man had some inner demons still took the time to be apart of something that he felt was right to do. He truly was a warrior.

            In the end, it made me learn that when you have an intense passion for something, it makes life that much grander. Here is my version of an Ultimate Warrior Quote:

“Do you call upon the gods to bring forth the strength and will of your soul? It is no doubt that the power of the warrior is fueled like a rocket blasting into the atmosphere of parts unknown. The power of the warrior is unbreakable that nothing can shatter its strength to withstand the mightiest of powers and you will feel the wrath of my will when my unbreakable spirit runs through the soul that you shall no longer have as The Power of the Warrior will live forever.”

How’s that for the proud warriors?

Travel Training

             I love to travel when I have the chance, sometimes for an extended period of time over a few weeks. If you're into fitness or learning and doing certain things it’s important to remember that when you travel, you may not have the same luxury in a different town or state so don't be limiting yourself. Many people believe that to get in shape you need to be in a gym and hitting the iron or the machines but believe it or not it’s not always that possible to do so. I have a friend that travels constantly and needs to be in shape for what he does but he uses his imagination and realistic approach that gives him the tools to travel in awesome shape no matter where he is. Don't limit yourself.

            Expand your horizons. If you can't get to a gym or your hotel doesn't have what you need, do things a little differently. Instead of focusing on what you need to lift when you travel, think of moving your body around, do push-ups and squats in your hotel room, hold certain postures, travel with a chest expander that works your upper body like crazy yet easy to travel with.

            Here’s a little tidbit for you; when I was 25 I went to Disneyland with someone in my family. When we were there we went on rides and stuff but we also we went out on our own at times, I was going to do The World Of Tomorrow where in order to get in you stand and the ground rotated to get to the entrance, I decided on a whim to do a free standing Handstand while the thing was rotating and I actually held it for quite a bit. It was awesome and that was the only exercise of the day that was it. When you travel, be creative and have fun, don't rush things.

            If you're going to travel with something to workout with, travel light. It’s not easy carrying a dumbbell or a kettlebell in your bag so why not cables like the Chest Expander or the PowR Walk Pro; they're easy to carry around and they’re there when you need them. I like to travel with some cables and an Isometric Belt that I have that’s about 14ft long and practice my isometric training. One of the best ways to train is to do it in nature. About every summer my dad’s family goes to South Lake Tahoe for about a couple weeks and get a couple cabins, go to the beach and chill out. When I go, that’s the perfect opportunity to do some great swimming, lift heavy rocks, crawl, balance and climb on the rocks as well. Training in nature is just different, exciting, and spontaneous and you never know what you're getting into.

            I emphasize this with great intent that no matter where you go whether it’s in a big city or the Fiji Islands, utilize your imagination and use the environment to get an awesome workout in. I get more out of creating something than trying to find something that can be too far away or whatever. When you learn to channel your mind and being aware of your surroundings, you can create any type of workout you want. I've been in some crappy places and even some gorgeous and beautiful places too and still found how to train without an excuse. If you want to stay in shape bad enough you will find a way to do it. Create opportunities and take advantage of them. A gym is just a gym but why not use the world as your gym.