Test Your Mettle With This Workout

          I’m always looking to try new things, keep things fresh, fun and interesting. A lot of people do workouts that they end up hating, ones that feel more like a chore than an adventure and even ones where they jump right into so advanced they end up hurting themselves and quitting after that. Progression is a key but also there’s testing to see how you push yourself productively and safely without injuring or severely hurting themselves.

            This workout that I have picked out was on a whim and it requires only a couple pieces of equipment which is: A long rope (25-100ft) and it can be as thick as you can handle and a Lifeline Power Push-up Plus. It is cardio at it’s finest in my opinion and the objective is to move from one exercise to the other taking as little rest as possible. The two biggest factors is form and breathing. Speed is important to but nothing like form and the breathing.  This workout should be done preferably outdoors where there’s fresh air and getting Vitamin D to help boost the hormone levels. The exercises for the Power Push-up Plus are at 10/8/6 reps. Here’s how it’s broken down:

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

10 Deadlifts

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

8 Deadlifts

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

6 Deadlifts

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

10 Push-ups

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

8 Push-ups

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

6 Push-ups

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

10 Chest Pulls

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

8 Chest Pulls

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

6 Chest Pulls

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

20 One Arm Rows (10 each side)

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

16 One Arm Rows (8 each side)

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

12 One Arm Rows (6 each side)

30 Second Battling Rope Exercise

Total: 6 min. 30 seconds of Battling Ropes & 120 Reps of the Power Push-up Plus

            If it’s too much for you, break it down in half or whatever you’re comfortable with to start. The key thing is to keep going from one exercise to the other; it’s tough, simple and effective. You’ll be breathing hard, sweating and testing your will. If you don’t have these, I suggest you get them or if you have a dumbbell or kettlebell for the rows and deadlifts and do regular push-ups, use a towel for isometric chest pulls for 10/8/6 seconds. It’s a great workout that requires little equipment and can be done indoors or outdoors. Try it out, see how it goes and let me know what you think.

Be Awesome guys and always strive to find the adventure in training.

Studying Your Own Mind And Body

            It’s important to study certain aspects of life but it doesn’t always come in a textbook, a paperback, a movie or watching something on TV. The art of experiencing these certain aspects is essential to how we want to live our lives. I love learning not just my own physiology but my mental capacities as well. When you learn to experience and find out what both parties are capable of, it opens up more doors than you can imagine.

            A key ingredient to be in good health not just physically but mentally as well and that’s learning about your inner self. Meditation is great for this but why not go beyond that. Tapping Into Your Imagination and picturing a whole other world where you are the king or queen, kind of like having the power of the Gods of Olympus within your very own mind. Finding your inner self is not just going into your body from a mental perspective but to find out what other aspects of who you are that defines your personality, your actions and behaviors. It’s the experience of finding the true power from within.

            If you want to get in awesome shape, you experiment with certain exercises or methods that give you results you want to strive for. Granted most people want that quick fix or the magic pill that will super health, a beautiful body and great strength. It takes time and patience to come into the results you want. However, don’t bring yourself to doing workouts that are a chore and feeling like a punishment otherwise it’s not going to come the way you want it but don’t also just jump into a program so hardcore you’ll end up burning out the first few days or less and not want to do anything else. My idea is to play around, research, find what interests you and build your own way of getting in great physical shape.

            In the process of being in great condition and health is like using the right pieces to a puzzle. This isn’t just for physical exercise but developing your mind power as well. Finding the right pieces comes from experimenting, learning how your body works towards certain methods or exercises because not all workouts are created equal (wink wink Crossfit) and what do you picture in your mind that brings those pieces together to make complete. Learn to create your own puzzle.

            It’s a constant state of learning. I don’t just study exercise and programs I find interesting, I also study things that make my brain work like reading, writing, how the nerves work in my body, my awareness of my surroundings, thinking in different patterns because when you do mental training it could save your life from developing dementia, Alzheimer’s, doing the same things over and over. Keep things fresh, learn new things, and find what makes you happy. Study who you are both physically and mentally but make it interesting and fun so you can find the best qualities of who you are and what you want to become.

Be Awesome my friends.

Anything But That

            The way some people look at fitness or certain fitness methods is pretty funny sometimes. You ask someone who doesn’t like weights and you might hear this (especially from women) “Ugh, anything but weights, they’ll make you bulky and you will just get injured.” Weights aren’t always as bad as you think. Some people prefer other things which are awesome. But it’s not just weights but many methods that this type of thinking or similar thinking comes around. Some can say something similar to other methods like say bodyweight exercise “Shit, anything but bodyweight stuff, that’s just endurance work and strength isn’t much of a factor.” I’m sorry but I got to laugh at that shit that just tells you, they have no clue what they’re talking about.

            There are people who are so harsh about certain methods that most of the time, they don’t realize it’s most likely something they might enjoy. I have even read somewhere that someone was so harsh on Animal Training it just made me want to slap them. Just because you read a marketing ad and think it’s bullshit without ever stepping foot into the program, that just makes you dumb and ignorant. People can say whatever they want but until you actually have done it, don’t be so harsh. I have trashed some methods before but that was because just what it looked like it just didn’t seem appealing. People who can’t stand certain methods try to dismember and trash it to the point where it takes away what fun it could be for someone else. Granted there are programs that are a complete joke like the Shake Weight or Hip Hop Abs (its aerobics done in a different form) but if someone likes them and it works for them, cool I’m not going to take that away from you.

            There are plenty of people out there who try to advise you on what method works and what doesn’t and will tell more negative stuff than the positive. Granted certain people I’ve been around have told me to stop what I’m already doing and do this other thing so I can look even better and help me in other areas, these same people have no real clue what I do and only have seen a glimpse of it. People will tell you can do this but never do that because of whatever reasons; common injuries, death, it didn’t work for them so why should it work for you and a favorite of mine; that’s pretty dumb and you look like an idiot doing it, well thank you. You have a choice and no matter what you choose there are pros and cons in all of them, but if it works right for you, that’s all that matters, screw the others.

            Want to know something really funny; I’ve done methods that are fun but to others it’s ugly and gnarly because it’s different and they don’t understand it. Most people that don’t understand will turn it into something that it really isn’t. There are some people that a friend of mine likes to call Wile E Coyotes, they’re the type of people who are obsessed with those that have programs that work for them and try to tarnish and ridicule them because not only does it not work for that person they try to destroy others for it. Most of these types of people are just keyboard ego maniacs who don’t have a clue what real training is.

            If you love what you do, hold on to and guard it with your life. If you’re good at it, help people find out about it but don’t preach the negatives, teach them by suggesting it and helping them find out about it. There are a lot of people who have methods that work but also try to destroy other ones so they can keep getting the bucks. We all need to make a living I get that but being an asshole doesn’t always work out so well. You can brag that whatever works for you will work for the rest of the population and beat down other methods just so you can be the top dog but in the end, every method is a suggestion from the endless variety that you can choose from.

            I take different methods and find the best ones by taking little pieces of them and mold them into something awesome for myself, it’s like creating your own puzzle, and you find the pieces that go with the picture in your mind and putting those pieces together.

Be awesome my friends.