I believe that the real golden age of physical culture started with the industrial revolution and its first major superstar was Eugene Sandow. He was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his day. He had strength beyond belief, can wrestle with the best of them and had one of the most powerful physiques of his generation next to the Russian lion himself George Hackenshmidt. During this time on till about the early 60's, the strongmen were the rockstars of their day. In the vaudeville era where theaters flourished with acts of all shapes and sizes ranging from acrobatics, magic, comedy and others but usually the Strongman got it's biggest applause of what they were capable of doing. Sure there were guys who faked lifts and certain stunts but the legit men and women put on a show that can still be talked about to this day.
One of the coolest things that these men did was challenge the audience to their special lifts and put up prize money to whoever can lift and handle it as good or better but safe to say, far too many tried and failed. One of the strongest men of all-time The Mighty Atom, had men of all shapes and sizes come up and try to bend one of his signature spikes and only a handful ever did it and one of them became his one and only student and he was dubbed the nickname, Slim The Hammerman. Atom and others just captivated audiences all over the world showcasing their unbelieveable strength. Some carried horses across the stage, some lifted elephants off the ground, others lifted weights from odd angles and even others would hold a weight in one arm and have a totally different type of apparatus in the other (e.g Barbell and kettlebell, look up Arthur Saxon).
Some still talk to this day about the great impact the old-timers gave and encouraged us to become strong, vibrant and powerful. Some old-timers however have been forgotten and were only mentioned by those who had seen them or read about. I don't believe for a second that those who had been forgotten were that at all, they were just lost in history until one learned how to find them again and there are a few who have done just that. Learning fitness and strength is really learning about our own history as there's information out there that are as good or better today then any modern method of the last 40-50 years. There really are secrets of how the old-timers trained for the things they've done and some of that info is lost in history but now you can find some of that lost treasure here.
I am a firm believer in old school bodybuilding and whether using weights or bodyweight alone, the old school ways are far better then the crap that's used today. Sure some modern methods are good but that's an extreme few. Bodybuilding today is bigger then life and it has its share of ups and downs and almost none of the men and women of today have a damn clue of what true bodybuilding is. In the old days (long before steroids) guys trained to get strong and used natural methods to put on muscle in ways that can never be reached today. If I had to choose between Ronnie Coleman and John Grimek i'd pick the latter. Unlike Coleman, Grimek had a physique that's still unmatched to this day and had the wicked strength to go with it. Sure Coleman is a strong mofo and can move weight as good as anyone but Grimek can actually move his body better. The point is, guys like Otto Arco, Maxick, Grimek and even Reg Park for that matter are the real deal of what it takes to get strong and powerful. Are they even close to the guys of today, hell f*cking no but its also vise versa, guys today interms of health, real strength, power and vibrancy are no where near guys like them.
Reg Park was really one of the first men of his era that showed he can have a powerful physique and the strength to back it up. He was the first bodybuilder to bench press 500 lbs. That was unheard of at that time and the bench press itself was itching its way to becoming a synonum for what someone's strength is. I believe that Park and Bill Pearl were the last of the all-natural bodybuilders that had real world-class strength to back up their physique. They can lift, they can pose, they did it all without ever needing steroids or PED's. They ate good, they trained hard and were actually healthy. Reg Park was the man that got the great Schwarzenegger himself on the track to becoming the most famous bodybuilder of all-time.
In all fairness you don't need steroids to become strong and powerful. The physique stars of the early era didn't need them cause they weren't around then and still don't really need them for that purpose. Media has really to blame whats wrong with how one looks. If you want to be a bodybuilder today, you need steroids, if you want to get ahead in sports, you do steroids, you want a quick fix, you take steroids its all real bullsh*t. Yes genetics play factors but that doesn't give you an excuse to build the body you want naturally. Usually these days if one looks a very muscular guy there's at least 2 things on his mind, "He must be on roids" or "he was born to be that big." I don't always believe either one of those things. Look at guys like Maxick, Charles Atlas an others, if you saw them before they got strong you would've thought they were swizzle sticks just waiting to get their ass kicked and never had a chance in hell of having a phenomenal physique. Maxick was a sick child and didn't have much to look forward to as he was tol he was too weak, too frail to do the simplest activities yet he became one of the first 3 men in history to officially lift more then double bodyweight in the overhead press and had the some of the very best muscle control that no one was close to duplicating. Charles Atlas was a 97 lb weak teenager who would be the target for mos of the bullies in his neighborhood and once had a girlfriend who left him for s tronger guy yet managed to put on nearly 100 lbs of muscle in a few short years and was crowned the most perfectly developed man twice.
Never assume that one is strong because you think they were born that way. In my opinion, the old school methods of physical culture are far better for you health wise compared to the crap used today. Learn your history and find that it doesn't take a whole lot to learn how to be strong. Work hard, create goals, imagine yourself being strong and muscular eat good and use basic principles. Its easy to learn now as it was back then. Let me ask you this, if you didn't have your chrome and fern gyms, your little bity weights and your machines, how would you be able to turn your body into from a weak state to a muscular state? You'd be surprised on what you can find.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
All The Reasons To Make Your Conditioning Twisted
One of the golden rules in the quest of strength and conditioning is to learn how you can adapt and improve of what you can with things you have and what things you don't. No workout should ever be the same. Things change and evolve overtime as you get stronger and more conditioned. This can help you learn to focus more on what you want as you don't need to do the same things over and over again. Yet what if you had a manual that gave you options for things you can use and things you don't have and have a kick ass workout?
Some people say its not possible to do strength and endurance workouts at the same time because it either has to be one or the other. But what if you could and you can. How would that go? What would you have to do? In Bud Jeffries' Twisted Conditioning Programs you can do all of that without losing your strength or your endurance, they'll just keep growing.
Combining the best of the best elements into a series of workouts that are endless. Do you like bodyweight training, strongman lifts, kettlebells, rocks, barrels, logs, steel bending...Why not all those things and more. Finding what you want to do and build the greatest of strength doing it. Having a variety of choices makes for a never boring type of workout and finding the best at what works for you and you alone. Putting together a program isn't easy but with the right focus and goal of what you want to do, you'll find a way to do and my boy Bud will help you every step of the way, I should know, he gave me a number of tips himself personally. Even if you don't have all those tools, you can still learn to use your own bodyweight in a variety of ways that can help transfer over to other possibilities. For me as an example, about 90% of my training is pure bodyweight training and yet have managed to pick up a 400 lb deadlift without touching nearly a single barbell for over 2 years.
Its all about what you want. What's the image in your mind, becoming a bodybuilder, a strongman, a MMA fighter, sports athlete, just having a body that will turn heads? You can have anything you desire with the right mindset and the will to bust your ass to get what you dream of. Become the best for yourself and transform yourself into the person you want to be. All I can say is on that, don't change who you really are from the inside, however, if you work with the right program for you, things will change in your life and will for the better.
One of the secrets of the old-time strongmen to becoming strong is thinking that you are strong and you will be strong. I can imagine myself back in my early teens when I was flabby, weak and ridiculed for being a heavy kid and all I wanted to be was to be strong, be respected and be larger then myself. I started lifting weights and got stronger in some cases and started having a somewhat muscular body, then I had my accident and had to learn things all over again. I began imagining myself being far stronger then when I was younger and decided to not use the mainstream courses on bodybuilding and strength training. I got stronger to the point where when I did lift weights, the numbers were higher and I can bring up weight however I wanted. Like I said its all about how you want to be strong and what you can do to get there.
An old-time wrestler/strongman George Hackenshmidt wrote that if you wanted to become stronger then you have to combine different elements in order to achieve the strength you wish to achieve. You can lift weights and still do bodyweight exercises, you can still do kettlebells while practicing gymnastics. What's to stop you from achieving what you want. That's the basis of what the Twisted Conditioning courses are is to help you find the best combinations to the goals you want to reach or better surpass. There shouldn't be an excuse where you can't swing kettlebells and do 500 squats in the same workout, there's no reason why you shouldn't want to pick up a partial 600lb deadlift and smash a tire with a sledgehammer in the same workout as well.
Never believe you can't build strength an endurance at the same time, anything's possible with the right focus and the will to believe that yes you can do this and never in any doubt that anyone else is afraid to go for the gold, you're shooting for the platinum. It's finding what you want and proving to yourself you can get there.
If you want to learn this method and others from Bud himself, go the Superhuman Workshop he's co-hosting with Physical Culture's Rennissance man Logan Christopher and possibly a special guest.
Some people say its not possible to do strength and endurance workouts at the same time because it either has to be one or the other. But what if you could and you can. How would that go? What would you have to do? In Bud Jeffries' Twisted Conditioning Programs you can do all of that without losing your strength or your endurance, they'll just keep growing.
Combining the best of the best elements into a series of workouts that are endless. Do you like bodyweight training, strongman lifts, kettlebells, rocks, barrels, logs, steel bending...Why not all those things and more. Finding what you want to do and build the greatest of strength doing it. Having a variety of choices makes for a never boring type of workout and finding the best at what works for you and you alone. Putting together a program isn't easy but with the right focus and goal of what you want to do, you'll find a way to do and my boy Bud will help you every step of the way, I should know, he gave me a number of tips himself personally. Even if you don't have all those tools, you can still learn to use your own bodyweight in a variety of ways that can help transfer over to other possibilities. For me as an example, about 90% of my training is pure bodyweight training and yet have managed to pick up a 400 lb deadlift without touching nearly a single barbell for over 2 years.
Its all about what you want. What's the image in your mind, becoming a bodybuilder, a strongman, a MMA fighter, sports athlete, just having a body that will turn heads? You can have anything you desire with the right mindset and the will to bust your ass to get what you dream of. Become the best for yourself and transform yourself into the person you want to be. All I can say is on that, don't change who you really are from the inside, however, if you work with the right program for you, things will change in your life and will for the better.
One of the secrets of the old-time strongmen to becoming strong is thinking that you are strong and you will be strong. I can imagine myself back in my early teens when I was flabby, weak and ridiculed for being a heavy kid and all I wanted to be was to be strong, be respected and be larger then myself. I started lifting weights and got stronger in some cases and started having a somewhat muscular body, then I had my accident and had to learn things all over again. I began imagining myself being far stronger then when I was younger and decided to not use the mainstream courses on bodybuilding and strength training. I got stronger to the point where when I did lift weights, the numbers were higher and I can bring up weight however I wanted. Like I said its all about how you want to be strong and what you can do to get there.
An old-time wrestler/strongman George Hackenshmidt wrote that if you wanted to become stronger then you have to combine different elements in order to achieve the strength you wish to achieve. You can lift weights and still do bodyweight exercises, you can still do kettlebells while practicing gymnastics. What's to stop you from achieving what you want. That's the basis of what the Twisted Conditioning courses are is to help you find the best combinations to the goals you want to reach or better surpass. There shouldn't be an excuse where you can't swing kettlebells and do 500 squats in the same workout, there's no reason why you shouldn't want to pick up a partial 600lb deadlift and smash a tire with a sledgehammer in the same workout as well.
Never believe you can't build strength an endurance at the same time, anything's possible with the right focus and the will to believe that yes you can do this and never in any doubt that anyone else is afraid to go for the gold, you're shooting for the platinum. It's finding what you want and proving to yourself you can get there.
If you want to learn this method and others from Bud himself, go the Superhuman Workshop he's co-hosting with Physical Culture's Rennissance man Logan Christopher and possibly a special guest.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
Hello,
Do you want to master the kettlebell and transform your body into Iron?
Do you want to learn just what makes you tick and how with this knowledge you can double your training progress?
Do you want to discover the lost secrets of the oldtime strongmen and how they used isometrics to do feats still untouched or broken?
Well, you have the opportunity to learn all of the above and more hand’s on in March.
World renown strongman Bud Jeffries, known for squatting 1000 lbs. from the bottom of the rack as well as 3000+ kettlebell swing workouts, has teamed up with Logan Christopher, a guy who pulls firetrucks by his hair, to deliver the Super Human Training Workshop.
And this is the second year. Bigger and better then before.
From March 23rd through the 25th in Tallahassee, Florida they’ll deliver ALL their training information to you in a live, hands on, do the drills and get the skills format.
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
If you’re anywhere near the area this is a no brainer. And even if you’re not it’s worth flying out for. People are already signed up
planning to fly overseas for it.
Not only do you get the workshop but over $800 in additional bonuses just for signing up!
You really have to see everything they’re offering...
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't miss it.
Ben Bergman
P.S. Be sure to check it out now. You can save money with the early bird registration price, but it goes up in just a couple of days.
P.S.S. Plus they’ve even got a payment plan available.
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
Do you want to master the kettlebell and transform your body into Iron?
Do you want to learn just what makes you tick and how with this knowledge you can double your training progress?
Do you want to discover the lost secrets of the oldtime strongmen and how they used isometrics to do feats still untouched or broken?
Well, you have the opportunity to learn all of the above and more hand’s on in March.
World renown strongman Bud Jeffries, known for squatting 1000 lbs. from the bottom of the rack as well as 3000+ kettlebell swing workouts, has teamed up with Logan Christopher, a guy who pulls firetrucks by his hair, to deliver the Super Human Training Workshop.
And this is the second year. Bigger and better then before.
From March 23rd through the 25th in Tallahassee, Florida they’ll deliver ALL their training information to you in a live, hands on, do the drills and get the skills format.
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
If you’re anywhere near the area this is a no brainer. And even if you’re not it’s worth flying out for. People are already signed up
planning to fly overseas for it.
Not only do you get the workshop but over $800 in additional bonuses just for signing up!
You really have to see everything they’re offering...
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't miss it.
Ben Bergman
P.S. Be sure to check it out now. You can save money with the early bird registration price, but it goes up in just a couple of days.
P.S.S. Plus they’ve even got a payment plan available.
Super Human Training Workshop # 2
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Power Of Your Will
In one of the recent superhero films The Green Lantern, it shows the power of how one little ring can channel the will and power of the person or alien that wears it. I'm here to tell you that with practical and focused training, you can learn to harness your own powers without the need of a little ring. Sure you won't be able to fly or use tools that came out of your own thought but with the right focus, you can channel your will and surge out levels of strength and speed you never thought you had.
To channel your energy and harness your power, you must first focus your mind and create the image that you want. Imagine in your mind, you're strong, powerful, got blazing speed, the sound of your power you're using. These are the tools you need if you want to harness that strength that's within you.
In your mind, you have an accomplished goal, now make it happen with the power that's inside you. Learn to use the power of your CoreForce Energy. See it as if it's right in front of you and nothing can bend or break that sight and the only it can is if you let it.
You are strong, cunning and vibrant then anything else around you. See it, feel it, live it, your power is your own and the more you shoot that power the stronger you get. In your mind you see your power burning through houses, mega buildings, the mountains, shoot out to the sea, beyond the horizon and burn through the atmosphere. That power is burning through a hole in the moon and shoots past the stars through the planets and beyond the galaxy.
Your power is your unstoppable force. When giant forces collide they say it's the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, you are one and the same and there's nothing that can break that power. Use this power to tackle the obstacles in your training and take it to a level that only the average human can dream of. Learn to grip that power and never let go.
Learn how to harness your power and find your own style of how to use it. It's no ones power but yours and yours alone. Use the will of your mind to create what you want and turn it into the thing that people never see to believe and become the very thing you dared to dream about and learn everything that you can. Use it wisely as it can bite you in the ass if you're not careful. It takes effort to harness this power so never settle for the easy way. The easy part is actually learning to harness it. The hard part is keeping consistent.
Mastery takes practice, it doesn't happen overnight as you may believe but believe in yourself and your power will run much smoother. Practice it, feel it and get the surging power of your own will. The green lanter's ring isn't on your finger, it's inside of you and you have the ability to harness it however you see fit.
To channel your energy and harness your power, you must first focus your mind and create the image that you want. Imagine in your mind, you're strong, powerful, got blazing speed, the sound of your power you're using. These are the tools you need if you want to harness that strength that's within you.
In your mind, you have an accomplished goal, now make it happen with the power that's inside you. Learn to use the power of your CoreForce Energy. See it as if it's right in front of you and nothing can bend or break that sight and the only it can is if you let it.
You are strong, cunning and vibrant then anything else around you. See it, feel it, live it, your power is your own and the more you shoot that power the stronger you get. In your mind you see your power burning through houses, mega buildings, the mountains, shoot out to the sea, beyond the horizon and burn through the atmosphere. That power is burning through a hole in the moon and shoots past the stars through the planets and beyond the galaxy.
Your power is your unstoppable force. When giant forces collide they say it's the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, you are one and the same and there's nothing that can break that power. Use this power to tackle the obstacles in your training and take it to a level that only the average human can dream of. Learn to grip that power and never let go.
Learn how to harness your power and find your own style of how to use it. It's no ones power but yours and yours alone. Use the will of your mind to create what you want and turn it into the thing that people never see to believe and become the very thing you dared to dream about and learn everything that you can. Use it wisely as it can bite you in the ass if you're not careful. It takes effort to harness this power so never settle for the easy way. The easy part is actually learning to harness it. The hard part is keeping consistent.
Mastery takes practice, it doesn't happen overnight as you may believe but believe in yourself and your power will run much smoother. Practice it, feel it and get the surging power of your own will. The green lanter's ring isn't on your finger, it's inside of you and you have the ability to harness it however you see fit.
What Are You Prepared To Do?
What a burning question that is. You know who's famous for saying that many times in one movie? It was the original James Bond himself Sean Connery who said it to Elliot Ness played by legendary actor Kevin Costner in the epic movie The Untouchables. This is one of my favorite quotes of all-time and it can be applied to anything but in this case its applying to strength.
It's a question we don't often ask ourselves when we want to become strong or fit. I think it's because we never really find what we need to do to become what we dream about and making it a reality. I have thought of this question many times throughout my physical culture career and always wondered what I can do to be better, stronger and more enduring then for a man my size. Sometimes I get scared about what I do, I even sometimes get shocked out of my wits when I surpass a goal or scared s*itless when there's something that is just out of my reach.
The one thing I'm always prepared for is the most important aspect of any strength or fitness program and that's never settle for less then what you want to do. However being scared at times can be a good thing because you're learning what you can do to overcome that fear and take your training by the horns.
Being a wild man also has its benefits as you are learning to channel your energy to what lies ahead but always be prepared to take things for what they are. Going through a hard fought workout is like wrestling your own life and whether you win or you lose, never settle for less then what you had put into it. You are more powerful then I can ever tell you and being prepared for that challenge is never an easy one so here's my question for you, are you willing to hit hard and make something of yourself or are you going to be so scared of your own goals that you'll chicken out? the question remains, what are you prepared to do?
What's stopping you from building the body of your dreams? You already have a dream of being strong and powerful so what are you going to do to make that a reality. What I'am going to tell you is if you want to become something beyond what you dream about you have to learn to sweat, take a chance and put effort into everything you do. Whether you're into bodyweight exercises or lifting weights or working with odd type tools, your mind must bring the power into your body and focus on what matters to you the most. I'm going to ask you again, what are you prepared to do?
It's a question we don't often ask ourselves when we want to become strong or fit. I think it's because we never really find what we need to do to become what we dream about and making it a reality. I have thought of this question many times throughout my physical culture career and always wondered what I can do to be better, stronger and more enduring then for a man my size. Sometimes I get scared about what I do, I even sometimes get shocked out of my wits when I surpass a goal or scared s*itless when there's something that is just out of my reach.
The one thing I'm always prepared for is the most important aspect of any strength or fitness program and that's never settle for less then what you want to do. However being scared at times can be a good thing because you're learning what you can do to overcome that fear and take your training by the horns.
Being a wild man also has its benefits as you are learning to channel your energy to what lies ahead but always be prepared to take things for what they are. Going through a hard fought workout is like wrestling your own life and whether you win or you lose, never settle for less then what you had put into it. You are more powerful then I can ever tell you and being prepared for that challenge is never an easy one so here's my question for you, are you willing to hit hard and make something of yourself or are you going to be so scared of your own goals that you'll chicken out? the question remains, what are you prepared to do?
What's stopping you from building the body of your dreams? You already have a dream of being strong and powerful so what are you going to do to make that a reality. What I'am going to tell you is if you want to become something beyond what you dream about you have to learn to sweat, take a chance and put effort into everything you do. Whether you're into bodyweight exercises or lifting weights or working with odd type tools, your mind must bring the power into your body and focus on what matters to you the most. I'm going to ask you again, what are you prepared to do?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
