Bodyweight Training On A Different Spectrum

    A lot of the typical bodyweight training you see is people doing various squats, push-ups, weird kipping pull-ups and even (I have no idea why they keep doing this) aerobics. Basic exercises are essential to developing a strong foundation for your body and how you control the mechanics of the movements. I believe in doing various types of bodyweight exercises to learn what works best for that individual. Weights are always awesome especially when you can kick ass lifting heavy things from full range to partial plus adding in an odd object or 2 but training using your own body can be just as incredible even as a beginner or an advanced level. At times, the typical normal training becomes boring and need to change things up. Add a little spice to your training by picturing certain situations in your imagination to utilize the muscles needed for that exercise. Some people are just so analytical that they forget why their training. When I train I want to feel like a little kid playing and just have fun with what I do, not be a stressed out adult who overlooks and makes it look scary because they're too pushy to have a little fun.

 

    One of the best exercises in the world of bodyweight training is the pull-up. These days because of Crossfit, the pull-up has become somewhat of a dangerous exercise because people are "taught" to overwork the joints and kip so they can get more reps when in fact their body isn't ready or even needing to do that. Unless you're in rock climbing or moving through ladders in a safe environment, kipping shouldn't even be apart of your regimen. If you want to learn how to do a one-arm pull-up its nearly impossible to kip and you are more likely to destroy tendons and joints if you do that. Real pull-ups are controlled, as strict as possible and the body must be unison when you flex the muscles needed to do a pull-up. You don't kip in a push-up or a squat so why do it on a pull-up? The real power and keeping the joints from harm is the understanding of knowing how to grip, tighten the abs, moving in line with the elbows and going as straight as possible. Some like to move around the bar or do muscle ups which builds explosive strength but it still takes control and contraction when needed to do those things.

 

    The true fun in using your own bodyweight is being able to move freely through space in a variety of ways whether it Hand Balancing, various Gymnastics, Animal Style or Yoga; it's about using the freedom to play around your environment and utilizing your body's strength and power. Once you learn how to handle it, it's one of the greatest gifts to have in life because you are living happily, enjoying what you love and it brings out your creativity. In the beginning it's tough to get the hang of things and you practice as much as you can and finding what works best for you because not all of us move the same way so we need to customize how we utilize the best of our abilities to progress in true fashion.

 

    From the beginning to being at an advanced level, your training ought to be an adventure, finding the unknown and learning things about yourself through your movements. Your personality opens up without ever saying a word and sure it can be frightening sometimes because you never know what might come next but you create the adventure, it's yours and only you know will be in the next chapter. People might look at you funny, they may even laugh or hell run away because what you're doing scares them but for you it is your way of having fun, living outside the box and not always coloring in the lines. The adventure brings you the results you want and you bask in the glory that is your creativity and the way you want to live. Bodyweight Training is no longer a couple words, it has become your sanctuary and it builds both mind and body as if they were the same thing. Be adventurous and move to your fullest potential.

 

Happy Thor's Day everyone, be awesome and have a great day.

Push-up For Veterans

    I'm not one to be very Patriotic and it's not really my thing to celebrate big holidays but hey every now and then it's good to celebrate those who have given their lives so we can enjoy what we have in life. Veterans Day is not just a regular day to celebrate, it's a day we honor and tribute to our fellow man/woman of the military and to give thanks for what they do and have done. Men and women have gone through training that would make the average man want to puke and it takes a special kind of athlete to make it through a rough training program and then get sent off someplace to fight or rescue. Some of these people are the toughest and most rough athletes you can imagine (Rangers, SEALs, Marines). My great-grandfather was a general in the army, my dad was in the Coast Guard and my cousin Danny was in the military so it's important we acknowledge what they have done no matter how big or small because they did make a difference one way or another.

 

    In the military one of the standard exercises for basic training is doing plenty of push-ups. It doesn't matter if you do 50 at a time or 100 or more, it's one of the most simple forms of conditioning and can be done anywhere, there are many variations of the push-up but the basic military one stands out because even as simple as it is it can take down even the strongest of men. To do them in high reps takes mental strength to another level. I'm not particularly a fan of push-ups but every once in a while get into positon and crank out a few here and there. When you can make it creative and not just doing the dull up and down motion, you can crank out quite a few reps if you adjust your thinking.

 

    We all have at least one person in our family that was in the military, I come from a family of men who were in it so it's not uncommon to notice a thing or two. Some families however have men and women in the military that are strict as hell and although I'm all for having some form of discipline I don't find it particularly healthy to make it so strict it takes the fun out of somebody. Life may not all be fun and games but at least cut loose every now and then, if you're on a military base or on a mission that's one thing where you have to be alert at all times but at home, learn to cut loose will yeah. I may get heat for this because I've never been in the service and I don't understand the discipline of being a soldier but I do however have the military in my blood so don't knock me for not understanding in some form. The military has great qualities to teach people and help them in some way to push their potential.

 

    So today, we salute you fellow veterans and one particular salute for me goes out to those in my family and one to my fellow strongman Mike Bruce an ex-Marine and one hell of a man. Want to get a hell of a workout to salute these fighting and fallen men and women then add in push-ups to your workout today to honor them. I don't care if all you do is 25 or 500, do what you can because each rep brings honor and hope to those who serve and knowing that we're all in it together fighting for what we love and gives us meaning.

 

Happy Veterans Day everyone. Be awesome and I salute you guys, keep it up, kick ass and come home safe.

Damn I’m Hungry

    Working out has many benefits; raising hormones, a high level of endorphins, increased metabolism and other things but one thing is for sure (from my experience and others I've been around) is the hunger you get afterwards. Food is meant to fuel us and with training, you'll need to satisfy that hunger. This doesn't mean you go grab a McDonalds or a Pizza from Dominos or anything of that sort. Eating good food is essential for how you recover, how you handle your intake and feeling like you have conquered something. There are people however that don't realize what they're doing to themselves when they finish a workout; I've literally seen people finish a workout then go out and smoke a cigarette right after and it makes me want to slap those people or someone finished a brutal routine and then went out and got drunk or had extremely unhealthy food like at a carnival or something. If you want the best out of your body, you'll need to find what works best for you and for your budget because some foods like really good whole foods can be very expensive so choose wisely how you'll satisfy your hunger.

 

    Fueling the body is part of the process of not just getting in shape and not everyone is going to look like a Mr. Olympia so it's important to understand what foods work for you and how they help you with your body's needs. Me personally I eat what works for me and I've been eating rather healthy by having certain foods when I need to like organic meats and raw milk. I also make smoothies with my Nutri-Bullet and every now and then I take supplements from Superman Herbs to get that extra boost without all the crap that's in your typical supplement store. However I do like my share of Burgers & Fries, Chinese Food, Pizza and good old Mexican with healthy chicken tacos and plenty of veggies and sour cream. Back in June I was over 260 lbs. and i'm 5'10, I didn't feel that heavy and I was still in pretty good shape for my size but I felt that's way too big for me so I changed things up a bit to really fuel my body and train a little differently. I still ate my favorite foods but cut back on a couple things and my weight started to drop. I'm now down to the upper 240's and I didn't do any specific routines and didn't time my meals or anything. I trained hard when I felt like it and ate when I felt hungry. Every now and then like once a week I would fast to let my body repair itself. People have this notion that you need to eat this at a certain time or train at this point during the day and how many things should be on their plate and what others try to tell you what real healthy food is when in fact some of that can be harming you. The real food is eating good fruits & veggies, organic meats, non-pasturized milk & dairy and drinking plenty of water. Keep it simple.

 

    If you really want to get the best out of your body stay away from sugary stuff and breads (grains) as much as possible. These days I rarely ever eat candy and I like to make sandwiches with bread every now and then. It's not bad to have those things every now and then because there at times where you just need to cut loose. I do drink soda every once in a while as well like Coke but I don't drink like a whole liter in one shot, I use to do that when I was younger but now that I'm older it's not that fun. I have a bottle or can maybe less than a few times a week and I'm getting better drinking it less and less. So do your best to drink more water everyday and far less soda or cut it out completely and see how your body feels. I'm a sucker for Subway sandwiches, getting those footlong clubs or a chicken breast with bacon and I only get one at a time and that's usually after a major workout like a deck of cards doing push-ups and squats or an animal workout that goes for 15 min. or more. I haven't had one in a while. Eat whole foods as much as possible and since we all can't eat the same amount, experiment and find the amount you need that works for you and there ways to research for foods if you're on a budget. It's not easy to eat good food if you're traveling on the road because more often than not there are more unhealthy food places than there are good ones, be smart and work a system that suits you.

 

    Lastly, don't be afraid to eat. If you need to drop weight, find a way to work with that but know you can still eat your favorite foods and simply cut back on a few things and eat far less crap. Train in a way that will help you and you can still build muscle while losing weight. Another thing there is a major difference between fat loss and weight loss, many people get that confused. You can still look incredible from dropping fat but because you may lose weight you may not always be satisfied with what comes out of it. I'm over 240 lbs. but I'm not obese or have tons of fat all over me, I've got enough muscle that works to my liking and I can move very well beyond most people that weight plus I exercise every single day, however if I didn't work out and ate good food frequently and I was the same exact weight I would look obese and wouldn't move athletically like I want to and I'd be fatigued all the time. See the difference? Don't be scared to eat what you like, just be smart about it and learn your body's needs and means for what food works best for you and how it helps with the goals you want to achieve. Don't ever starve yourself or eat less than 500 calories a day, that's unhealthy and that does more harm to your body than you realize. Eat when you're hungry, stay away from sugary foods as much as possible, drink plenty of water, eat good whole fresh meats (unless you're vegetarian) and eat plenty of fruits and veggies. If you want to cut loose once in a while do so but don't ever starve yourself, it's just plain stupid.

 

Happy Monday everybody and be awesome today. Have fun and eat well and also train great too.