Sometimes You Just Have To Back Off

    For a little over a week now I've practically dived into some crazy circuit workouts from Neila Rey and have smashed through most of them hitting their Level 3 objectives. As I'm going through the Batman Workout, I felt good but something didn't seem right, it wasn't pain or anything physically debilitating but around half way into my 4^th round of the circuit I just felt the need to stop because in one simple moment I felt completely burned out and needed to stop. I rarely ever stop right in the middle of a workout when I'm nearly half way into it but yet intuitively and listening to my body I was just done. That's the thing with me, I have a strong intuition an extreme few really know about and know my true side to things. It has become my rock and my understanding of awareness within not just my surroundings but my internal instincts. I have used it more than just physical exercise but also used it to pick up on things, not like a psychic or anything like that just have a bit of universal instinct to get certain things right away or see something and know exactly where I've seen it before. When you have that particular thing about you, don't ever ignore it, it can be your greatest ally in your life.

 
    Since I had the need to back off and do something else like just moving and utilizing the Animal Flow type movements just to feel like I really accomplished something is my intuition guiding me and letting me know it's ok. I really wanted to do that workout and I felt like I let myself down but looking at it from how my instincts hit and telling me to let it go it felt really good. Sometimes you just need to back off, regroup and take in a deep breath. I'm not superhuman or have the speed of the flash or the strength of superman, I'm only human and my mind and body just needed to notify me. Make the best of things and when you're ready to come back, do it with a vengeance because you're coming in stronger and more focused than ever.

 
    It does get to me when I can't train the way I want to sometimes but I can't dwell on it because I know in my deepest level of my heart and soul there is a way to turn things around and move on. Some people just push so hard they don't realize what they're doing to themselves until it's too late. I have known strongmen who needed to back off even for just a day to regroup because like in the middle of a performance something just doesn't seem right but they do the best to their abilities to finish what they can; let's face it if you tear something in your arm or in your leg unless you're on adrenaline or have the understanding of blocking that "governor" you're not going to be at your best for your next feat, it happens. What you do is take a deep breath, realize you need to focus on something else and deal with it. You will be at your best the next time around and it will be better than you expected. Happens to me at times and plenty of people I know because if you slip up when you're not at your best there can be serious consequences.

 
    Take it in stride and understand that once you know you're ready to come back, things will feel differently and you'll do even greater than before. I knew if I kept going on fumes, eventually I might've ended up possibly passing out, get injured or worse end up in the hospital so I understood what my instincts were telling me. Right now I'm still feeling the effects of that workout, the workout wasn't even that difficult, I've belted through tougher workouts than that in my sleep (slight exaggeration) but if my body was shutting down that early in the game I needed to take notice and deal with it by stopping and taking care of myself; drinking water, breathing deeply and walk it off. Sure it sucked because I was really into it but I don't settle for less than being at my best, if I'm off by a mere percentage say 15% than it's not worth it to me to keep pushing that hard. When I push hard and I can still go as hard as when I started that's when it's worth it but not if I end up passing out or doing something I'll regret. I know I'll be ready next time around and make sure my recovery is at its priority. So when you train and you feel mad at yourself because you couldn't finish, wise up and know that you did what you could and focus getting back to being at your best. Many people quit for a long time because of that one moment where they just couldn't do it anymore; they push themselves so hard that once they run on fumes it's going to be just as strong when in fact if you're not as strong as you went in something's up and you need to deal with it and not act like that's it and be done forever, it's a little setback. Challenge yourself but at the same time, take care of yourself and do what you need to do to get back at it stronger and more enduring the last time. Be hungry but also be aware and listen.

The Love Of Training

    There are two types of people who train; those who are out for impressing others to make themselves look better and those who want nothing more than to do what they love and spread it to help others find that passion. I happen to be the latter; I don't have six pack abs, or chiseled biceps, horseshoe triceps and I certainly don't have quads that would impress even the great Tom Platz but I damn sure love what I do and I make it a point to do the very best of my abilities and share my passion with the world. Just because you look impressive doesn't really mean much especially if you put your health at risk plus you act like a jackass to other people who don't look like you. I'm not going to lie there are some awesome looking men and women out there but there's a surface there too not many realize unless you're in their life or you've been around them so long you can practically hear the inside of their head (slight exaggeration). Training is really about passion and seeing through your goals no matter what people say to you about them.

 
    We idolize other people for a reason, actually more than a few reasons but the basic ones are; because they have something we wished we had, they're larger than life beyond our own blood, they have a sense of energy we crave and we want to live that life. When I was growing up, I was a huge basketball fan and was enthralled with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls because he can do things no man on the court could do, he had charisma, energy and his skills were uncanny and I use to dream of playing in the NBA but yet the furthest I got in Height was 5'6 and I was a pudgy 200 pound teenager and had no real skills on the court and for a kid like that I couldn't possibly be able to do all that stuff plus it did shatter my dreams when someone told me I could never play in the NBA. Just so we're clear Jordan's real retirement was when I was at the end of my 7^th grade year so I was still short and very stocky. The point I'm making here is we do so much to try to be our idols when we forget to be the very best of ourselves and wanting to live someone else's life. There are people out there who want to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Cena, Buster Posey, Tom Brady or Joe Thornton but the truth of the matter is, you don't need to be exactly like them because they're already taken and like everyone else they have skeletons behind their closets you don't want to be apart of, do your best to create the strongest version of you and pushing to find who you are and what you really want to be and live a life that is yours and not someone else's.

 
    Now i'm not big on showing off or making anyone look bad, it's not in my nature but I do like to show people what I'm capable of to give them a sense of who I'am and let them see a side of me I truly want to share. It feels awesome however when people say you can't do something and you end up shutting them up right in front of them. It's a feeling of being free from that negative bullshit and you can do awesome things that those same people said wasn't possible. You don't need to reel it in like a little 5 year shouting "nan a nana I told you" because that just makes you an ass and you're embarrassing yourself; some people are that naïve and have a narcissist fetish so don't be that person. Be the person that helps someone overcome that fear of insecurity and teach them how they can be stronger not just physically but emotionally as well. That's the type of love I have for training because I get to help a kid maybe an elder who thinks they don't have it in them anymore because they're over the hill, it makes me happy when I get to practice all these programs and exercises just to find what I can share with and be open to someone who wants to learn and me learning from others. What is even more awesome is when you set aside the crap being dumped on you and you fight back in a way that is positive and doing something you didn't know you were great at and you go even further just to see where it leads.

 
    I have done all kinds of shit in my training that ought to be in an encyclopedia but it's not what is on the outside that really makes a difference, it's what happens internally when you feel powerful, vital and you have that feeling within that is giving you the chance to do something awesome and amazing. I use to focus so much on the outside (still do at times but hey I'm human) that when I finally began to learn what the internal felt like, it made far more sense to me and it's helped me push beyond even more than I've done in the last ten years. You can do all the push-ups, lift the heaviest weight, the most extreme workout all you want but if it's not within deep in your soul and you have that passion to keep learning for the sake of learning than you haven't hit the basic form of internalizing yourself. Since I was 13 years old, I wanted to be the biggest and the strongest dude that people came across and as it turns out; I'm happy where I'm at, I'm in great shape, I have plenty of muscle that isn't useless and I'm the strongest I've ever been in the near 20 years since I've been in fitness. I can't complain but I'm sure as hell not done improving or learning, I got a very long journey ahead of me and it's going to be one hell of a ride. That's my true love for training that is the journey and the never ending quest to be the very best of myself.

The Best Of Neila Rey Workouts

    In the near 2 decades of being in fitness; I have seen and participated in some of the most basic, torturous, easy, defying and most hardcore training systems around. With my fair share from doing and observing there are those little moments that peak out at you and a light turns on. The light recently has been on Neila Rey Workouts made by an English fitness instructor with a touch of a geeky side that just brings a whole other meaning to the term Circuit Training. She and others work around the clock day and night to come up with workouts that range from beginner to super athlete and all of them have something that is useful, simple and worthy to be apart of the fitness community. It is free in every sense of the word and the only thing keeping it going is donations. These workouts aren't just another scheme to raddle people in but in fact have something for everyone and anybody has a chance to use these workouts how they see fit.

 
    Neila Rey is a beautiful and very fit woman with a passion for fitness. Not too many fit girls I know of have a real geeky side to them which makes her quest that much more awesome. We all have a bit of a geek in us, it's part of our personality and we all strive to feel accepted for that part of ourselves. I have seen many other sites put on workouts based on certain themes like Superheroes but this woman just towers over these guys with a vengeance and not only has workouts based on superheroes but based in movies, anime, fairy tales, Zombies, Martial Arts, Yoga, running, military and god knows what else and she does all of this just to share it for free which takes a lot of balls and a hell of a heart many don't have these days. When you can make a workout based on a cartoon or a dr. who show it has geek written all over it and I'm honored to be apart of it.

 
    With the Superhero Theme as a favorite I must say some of them are not that easy but doable once you get the hang of it but be prepared to sweat and get your ass kicked. So far my favorite Superhero Workout is between Batman & The Flash, tough and no curve balls thrown. Just nine exercises one after the other and take a load off for a couple minutes before repeating the circuit. Her way of understanding a level of fitness and the way she tests people is just that; certain levels that determine your condition the biggest tests being that if you can reach Level 1 that's 3 circuits you're at the first part of being in condition; the second level that's 5 circuits you have reached a difficult level but once you hit level 3 which is 7 circuits you're at the top of the food chain of that workout. Some workouts have reduced number of exercises like say at 4 you can go as high as 15 rounds. Others have you doing a maximum of ten circuits that don't go by levels but by your own challenge to reach that high. There are really cool workout themes in there like Superman, Black Widow, Spiderman, Thor, Hulk, Wonder Woman and even Deadpool (plan on taking that on in the not so distant future) so you're basically getting a great workout in that's challenging and fun that tests cardio, strength, flexibility, speed and balance. It is a great idea to have indeed.

 
    The exercises in these workouts are very basic and not too difficult to get right away but if you added an element that is challenging and a run for your money, she has turned these basic exercises into some of the most advanced workouts I've ever seen. I once went after the Batman Workout and started dying after 3 circuits and I'm a well-conditioned guy so never underestimate these things, it will bite you in the ass if you do. Want to get in great shape for everyday life, these are awesome to start with and beyond. Now I'm not saying these are the end-all-be-all you know me better than that; seriously if you have read any of these near 700 articles you know I never once said "This is the workout, everything else sucks" so with that in mind, these are great ideas you can use to aid in your current training or want to take a break and do something that doesn't take a lot of time, can help maintain your cardio and strength and maybe lose a little weight and put on some good muscle in the meantime. The majority of these workouts are bodyweight exercises so they can be done practically anywhere so you don't have an excuse for not being able to train somewhere. There are extreme few exercises that use weights but you can modify them to kettlebells, cables and others. Some of them do require a bar to do pull-ups or a place to do step ups but for the most part all you really need is the floor and that's it. This was my workout yesterday called the Ninja Workout; worked up a bit of a sweat and was doing exercises I don't normally do like planks, kicking and punching, made it to Level 3 relatively smoothly and felt awesome. Going after The Fireman Workout later today and substituting my 26 lbs. sledgehammer for boxes to lift and using my stairs as step ups. Check them out and see something to try on, there's a theme out there for just about everyone from the Star Wars fan to even Conan The Barbarian.

 
    

Basic Conditioning To Awesomeness

    Whenever people think of what conditioning is, in reality it's not just being in shape at that very moment; it is a lifelong journey. Sure certain athletes or someone with specific goals to get want to get in the best condition as possible for a period of time but the real aspects of it is not to just be in shape for a period but to keep a hold on it even as you age. Even at 70 or 80 a person can be in incredible and awesome condition it has been proven and it leaves a lasting mark on that person's will to keep going for so long. You may not be in the same shape when you were younger and why would you be? However, if you can stay consistent and making certain changes with a progressive system you can even be stronger at a later age. I'm on the verge of my early 30's which is not that old compared to some people but I have become far stronger and more conditioned now than I ever was in my 20's and I believe in that no matter what age I'll be at in the future, I'll be even stronger and in better shape.

 
    What defines a basic level of conditioning? Some say you have to able to run this many miles, do this many push-ups, that many pull-ups and be able to lift your bodyweight on specific lifts. Well let me put it to you this way, there's a number of ways that has you at a basic level but it is undetermined because there's no general outlook, a fighter isn't in the same condition as a firemen or a baseball player in the same realm of a bodybuilder. My way of looking at a basic level of conditioning is that if you can handle stress and exercise at a level that is above the average of a normal person that's pretty basic in most cases but I could be wrong so don't take my word for it; however, that doesn't mean you can do the same things as others. I'm in pretty good shape especially as a heavyweight more than the average man but even those who aren't in good as condition as me can do things I can't fathom because they have different leverages and structure than I do.

 
    Wrestling is the toughest sport known to man period. It takes conditioning to a level very few really know of and I'm not talking WWE stuff that's the entertaining side of it, the physical conditioning however is mere ballistic and inhuman once you really hit the surface. If you were to get in condition not exactly like a wrestler but the inspiration behind it because at its peak, it makes a normal person cringe with fear with the way conditioning is done. I'm not talking about wrestling specific workouts, I'm pointing out that with a mentality like a wrestler, you can reach levels of fitness that makes the average person run for the hills, that's the sign of true conditioning. Whether you do 500 push-ups or a 500 pound squat, both have insane strength. If you can generate a well-rounded program that you can use for yourself that has a progressive ideal, you are well on your way to being in incredible shape.

 
    There's no real way to look how high your conditioning goes but I will say this; whatever level you're at there's someone who will be a tad higher than you and there's nothing to be ashamed of, at the same time because we are different, there are elements of that person's condition that you are better at. If you want numbers of what top level conditioning is Here my take on it but this is not facts but opinion:

 
500 Push-ups
1000 Squats
9-10 exercises in a circuit for 10 rounds non stop
Carrying your bodyweight for 100 feet
Running 10 miles
10,000 punches in a boxing workout
300 Burpees
300 Kettlebell Snatches in 10 min.
1000 Strikes with a 20 lb. Sledgehammer in 25 min. or less.
Swim 5 miles

 
    All of these possess a very high level of conditioning but these are just things that I have read and observed so they are not my standards they are in the general area. How you level up in your conditioning is up to you. Any one of us can be in great shape within a reasonable level of health to have a high peak of condition that towers over the average person. There's no one way to be in condition, even at specific sports the conditioning is different and you can't master every single shred of standardized conditioning because it's not ethical or logical but you can be at a high level that is well rounded and it can carry over to the things you need to do for your life like being able to keep up with children, carry groceries, be able to push a heavy cart for quite a period of time, moving furniture, chase down a running suspect, run up flights of stairs to save someone's life, swim out to save a drowning person, not fatigue in a fight, climb a ladder and something like being able to pull yourself up. These are all the things you can do if you're in good condition. Being in condition has great perks and you'll know when to use it and it'll turn on when you don't expect it when it comes to a certain situation. These things are the essence of Awesome Conditioning.

Smart Training

    There's a fine line between being smart about your training and being a complete dumbass and not knowing what the hell you're doing. Granted some people just can't understand the concept of how idiotic certain things are till it's too late. A lot of people these days are looking for the coolest trend, it peaks their interest and want to see what it's like because hey everyone else is doing it right, why not you? Truth is those fads are geared for those type of people; gullible, not too bright and willing to jump in with both feet without looking at things from under the surface or another perspective. I've been there I've tried the bodybuilding gig and taking protein shakes and trained so damn hard I was ready to pass out (I'm not actually joking about that). It's easy to see something new, exciting and something you feel you want to fit into and I can't blame yeah, some of these fitness fads look incredible and the promises are unbelievable but in the end, it's money stealing and 95% of these fads will just fade away quicker than a calorie burn on a treadmill.

 
    What most need to realize is that in order to even get the results you want, its not always the program that's the problem, it's the understanding of your own body. The body is capable of great things and we sometimes take for granted the way our bodies repair themselves and grow both the inside and outside but none of us are invincible. There is a limit to what our body can withstand but that threshold isn't the same with everyone, some can handle things far greater than others. To get the very best out of your training is to learn your body's capabilities and learn when to stop and when to keep going. Some of these workouts like those crazy Crossfit WOD types are insane and they expect some chick or dude who is a beginner to do that advanced workout that even Superman would say "uh uh." Not saying Crossfit isn't bad but it does have its cons like everything else and in more ways than one. I believe in finding what the body is capable of but to a certain degree; I want to able to train everyday even if it's just a qi gong workout to build that internal power but if I can't even move a single inch of my body there's something wrong there.

 
    There are three types of people in fitness; one is the guy/girl who is smart about what they do and understands when to push and when to back off, the second is that person who believes in pushing to the limit practically every workout and would rather die getting that last rep even if his form is way off and the third is that poor gullible shmuck who doesn't know their ass from their elbow and chases after fads like a woman who's a shopaholic (sorry ladies) and just puts themselves in harm's way without even taking the time to go through the techniques and what could be useful. It is a challenge we all face and I go through phases where I'm particularly interested in a certain program but if it's new to me completely, I test out the waters and find out if my body has the greenlight to do some tough stuff and more so if they actually have any interest to me afterwards. I have pushed myself to limits that would make most people cringe and have seen great friends push themselves so hard it took them awhile to get back to the frontlines. I'm a firm believer in pushing to see what you're capable of but only do it when the time is right and you're 100% ready because if you're not you're going to suffer some consequences.

 
    To make the right choices in your training is by experimenting and if something doesn't feel right regardless of what the workout says, it's best you don't so it. If it something you're interested in and it helps you plus you're happy and you're not fighting it that's what you ought to get good at and utilize it within another program that perks you up. Mix it up, make a game out of it, use your brain and don't always listen to what some dumb trainer told you to do, do it because you love it. I've seen some awful trainers in my time but the best ones I know of helps you find that passion, the type of training that excites you regardless of what you're feeling and they will push you but they also know what buttons to push. Don't be a shmuck who's a sucker for every fad that came his way; be that person who trains with passion, willing to push when you need to and smile about it not frown and bitch because bitching just makes things worse. I get it sometimes we can't be giddy all the time when we train because I'm certainly not the type of guy who jumps for joy like a little school boy who saw the coolest candy in the candy store at every workout, I have days where I just want my workout to be over with and let it go the rest of the day but at the same time even in that state at times I know I'm making things happen for myself because it's my passion and practically my birthright for doing this so even on the bad days, it's still awesome in the end. Do what works for you and celebrate your accomplishments and your challenges, find what you love and let it be the driving force for anything that comes into your life. Be awesome.