There is Fitness And Than There Is DDP Yoga

           For most people Yoga is a tough, hot and just a simple style of postures ranging from easy to nearly world-class. Yoga has been around for countless ages. What most don’t know is that Yoga originally were for warriors, older folks and for wrestlers in the Middle East because the training gave them the strength, agility and flexibility to be able to handle battle and matches that can last long periods of time. For the older folks, it was a way to stay in shape as they got older and were some of the wisest people of that time. It’s kind of fitting when an ex-pro wrestler takes an ancient art and turns it into something different, a little edgy and it has a lot of benefit for any ages. It’s not the typical style(s) most people have heard of, it’s practically revolutionary.

            Back in the WCW days especially during the Monday Night Wars you had some of the best talent in the business including Hulk Hogan, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Scott Hall (Razor Ramon), Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Sting and a man named Diamond Dallas Page. DDP was in his early 40’s and only been in the business a few years, most at that age have been in wrestling more than 15 years or more. It’s not everyday you see a guy that age and that less amount of experience (years wise) and can handle his own not just physically but to control the crowd and get them psyched for his signature move; The Diamond Cutter. After the MNWs have ended, DDP signed with WWE and had a great build up to face the Undertaker. They had some good matches but Dallas was just plagued with injuries as most wrestlers do so he ended up retiring.

            After a number of years trying to get over the injuries, he gave Yoga a shot and this made his comeback in a whole other realm. He created something different out of it and made it in his own way and it worked. He bring a whole new meaning to the term Awesome Training. I’ve done some Yoga in the past doing various holds and postures from books and DVDs that had similar styles just a different format but DDP Yoga is just great in the sense where I know what it’s like to make things unique and different and I love doing Muscle Control and he adds that element in his program, he calls it Dynamic Resistance.

            The one thing I always look for is how fun a program can be and mixed in with what I already am doing or can supplement with. DDP Yoga is fun to do and I find it fascinating about Dallas’ passion and his eagerness to bring power and awesome charisma to his style of training. I’m not big on fads or who is the best guru or any of that crap but I admire what DDP has done and the exercises he shows are pretty cool and it’s something I would continue to learn.

            For the most part if you know what I represent and have read countless times; I don’t really follow programs to the letter and for good reason. I take and learn exercises that interest me and mold them into my own unique style and change it up often because I do get bored and want to have a change of pace. I don’t like following other peoples workouts because it makes me feel that if I did, I won’t have the creativity I so crave and practice. So no offense to DDP or any of the badass men and women I’ve learned from but don’t expect me to actually go through the pre-set workouts. I practice creating my own style and molding exercises I’ve learned.

            DDP Yoga can easily be put into other styles. Some people like just doing a person’s program and that’s awesome, just not for me. He is a one of a kind athlete, passionate and love for what he does and I admire guys like him and hope one day get a chance to speak with him either on the phone or in person.

Be awesome guys and have a great start to the week.

Train To Feel Alive

             For the most part, from my observation that most people who train in a gym or at home or wherever; they don’t have that feeling of being happy and vibrant when they exercise. They tend to punish themselves and it shows. When you train to feel vibrant, powerful and blissful it’s a whole new experience, quite the attitude change and you believe in always wanting that and learning about it.

            I personally believe in order to feel alive as you train/exercise/workout ect, your imagination is the most important factor. Imagining awesome things, places and how you approach a movement or hold brings another realm of strength and getting the results. It doesn’t become a punishment, it becomes your strength over weakness, it consumes your body to use muscles you normally don’t use and changing the very way you think of how it’s done.

            When you punish yourself when you train, there’s no vibration, no power and internal wave links of strength and attitude. Now I’m not saying pushing yourself is punishment that’s a totally different thing, you can push yourself to great lengths and feel incredible. The punishment is the attitude, it sounds terrible, makes me think of shallow minded and no satisfaction of finding blissfulness and great power within. When you change that to feeling like you are invincible, you can conquer anything and you have the drive to keep going with a smile on your face it’s a whole other experience.

            Walk away like a boss. Feel like you just conquered yourself over an obstacle that was difficult and you are the master of your domain. Some people are so happy to be done they just want to get away from it and not think of it. Others feel downright miserable after they’re done and believe they didn’t do enough. Here’s my experience and how you can have a feeling similar but in your own way; when I train even if it’s for like 5 min. or an hour the moment I change my thinking and my attitude, my body moves differently, stronger, faster and it feels like I can’t be stopped unless I wanted to. My focus becomes so powerful I can’t hear, see and feel anything else unless I make it so. When I walk away after, it’s an experience you can’t possibly understand unless you’ve been there yourself. I don’t always have that experience but I practice it in my mind as often as I can and when I do have it, my results are noticeable and my vibration can be felt from people around me. Don’t ever feel you can’t have experiences like that because you can, believe in them, feel them, see them and make it happen for you. Walk away with a victorious mindset, not a defeat. Create victories.

Be Awesome guys and happy Friday The 13^th on a full moon. Remember this won’t happen again for another 35 years so take it in and howl with feeling and power.

Healthy Abs

            When it comes Abdominal Training what many people think it is, is that you’re doing sit-ups, crunches and using crazy gadgets to get six pack abs. They believe if you do good ab work, you’re strong and healthy plus you look like a million bucks. Not so true. Just because you have a great waistline, ripping muscle all over the core area doesn’t mean you’re strong and healthy, some crack addicts have six pack abs.

            The real thing about having healthy abs doesn’t always concern on what’s on the outside but what is inside that counts (sorry had to use a intro line from Aladdin). A powerful core is not just muscle but the strength within the internal organs and the core isn’t just the abdominals  but the obliques, lower back and the transverse muscles all working in unison. When you isolate the abs you’re missing out on the other important muscles that tie together. Back in the early 20^th century, men like Eugene Sandow, Maxick, Otto Arco, Alexander Zass and others didn’t rely on sit-ups, crunches, machines and gadgets because they didn’t exist back then, they relied on what they were training in certain lifts, isometric contractions and Muscle Control. These men were the pinnicle of Physical Perfection and they are still admired to this day.

            Although some of the old-timers had great musculature, it wasn’t about looking great. It was about achieving strength and health from both inside and outside. You can have the most muscular abs on the planet but if you can’t move and your organs are shot than what’s the point? Some people believe if you have a 29 inch waist and weigh less than 185 lbs and are around 6’ than you’re awesome looking and have a triangular torso with mighty abs to show off, it doesn’t happen for everyone. Sit-ups and Crunches can give you some muscle but if your neck and back are weak than you’re not going to get anywhere. Believe it or not, some of the strongest and healthiest people in the world don’t have six pack abs but are still agile, flexible and supple. To get the most benefit for strong and healthy Core Strength and power it’s important to tie in as many muscles as possible throughout your training.

            To build a powerful core, you play around with exercises that target that but the whole body comes into play. Lifting odd objects, strengthening the neck and back with Bridging, doing basic Gymnastic Movements, moving like a wild animal takes a lot of core strength, contracting the abs during plyometrics to protect your back from injury and even Sprints develop powerful abs because your whole body is fired up and you need to stabilize the core as you run because if you don’t you’re wobbling and could hurt yourself. Powerful abs is not always about the look, however, like the old-timers you can have great abs and still be extremely strong. One of my friends Logan Christopher is around 6’2 and about 190 lbs. or less, that’s pretty skinny for a guy that tall but yet is one of the strongest athletes pound for pound and has an extremely powerful core with great musculature. It’s true to build a powerful body, you need a powerful Core because the muscles there give a protective shield, helping you make the most out of your training.

            I’m 5’10 and around 255 lbs. I don’t have six pack abs and quite frankly don’t really care but at the same time my core is very strong and mobile, flexible and supple. Without a strong Core I can’t fall back into a bridge, I wouldn’t be able to bear crawl efficiently, my stretching wouldn’t be that good and most of all without a strong core I couldn’t hold a bridge or do the TNT Cables/Chest Expander very well because I would collapse and my body wouldn’t be able to handle it. So you see even for a big man like myself, it’s still possible to have strong abs and still have strength to keep going. Cardio and crunches won’t help your cause, it takes real training to get what you want and it’s very basic. Start out slow and build up, believe me it feels like a dead end at first but as you get better, you’re getting closer to being strongest you can be.

            If you want six pack abs than go for it but look to old school methods to help get you there and have fun with it, if you don’t desire to have muscled up abs but still want strength you can do that too. Be awesome and kick ass on your journey wherever it is.