Music Can Be A Powerful Training Motivator

Off and on throughout the years I have listened to a lot of music during playouts and sometimes they have put me in such a state that I'm in a world where I feel invincible and nothing can stop me. I do prefer no music at times because I want to incorporate more focused breathing and put my mind and body on manual just to get a solid session in. I don't use music to distract myself like many do in the gym or elsewhere. A lot of people use music to distract themselves from focusing on both mind and body and go through the motions; they're not fully aware of their surroundings and their intuition is diminished more than increased.

When I was training in a gym every so often, some of the music in the place was decent at least for my taste but when you start hearing pop songs and country songs, it just doesn't seem right. My choice for music is mainly hard rock, metal and 80's metal. Some of my favorite bands to listen to while training are Metallica, Ozzy, Sabaton, Falconer, Iced Earth, In This Moment, Disturbed, Fozzy & recently Van Canto; they give me such a rush that the world is closed off and I can truly be me and let my mind and body go up a notch. Music shouldn't be the only thing that gets you fired up, to truly do that, you have be in tuned with yourself within without looking to an outside source.

What music do you listen to? How does it put you in that focused state? Music can be a powerful motivator not just the style of music but how the sounds, the vibrations and the energy it brings into your bloodstream as you listen to it just sends waves of power. Now when you're at the gym and you're watching TV on the cardio machines that's a whole new ball game and for me, I find it way too distracting and no where near the level of awareness to train with. Unless you watch epic scenes like Dragon Ball Z or other forms of training scenes that fire you up I can go along with that but when you watch commercials, a movie or even a TV Show I don't see any real value of motivation to unleash your true potential. Music however is vibrational, the sound of a riffing guitar, the pounding rhythm of the drums and the sequence of a heavy song working together to me is very powerful.

Here's a great song from Van Canto that I personally start with at times to really fire me up called Rebellion (a cover from the band Grave Digger).

NEW PRODUCT Gynostemma!

This is one of the only plants not in the genus Panax (of which American, Chinese, and Noto- ginsengs are a part of) that contains compounds called ginsenosides where many of the beneficial effects of the ginsengs stem from. It is also cheap! In fact, one of Gynostemma's names is poor man's ginseng.

This is pretty miraculous and is good for all those that can't afford rather expensive high-quality ginseng. Even we don't have access to that great ginseng much of the time which is why you'll like this tea so much! Gynostemma is also known as the Herb of Immortality.

Much of that name has to do with its help in lowering insulin levels and balancing blood sugar. It is very protective of the pancreas and other organs such as the liver. Insulin has been shown to influence biological aging in human beings profoundly. Gynostemma can help with normalizing the insulin response, thereby promoting longevity.

It is also a potent adaptogen, working on the other side of the insulin-cortisol cycle as well. Cortisol makes the body crave sugars, these being the best to fuel the evasion of danger in the short term. High blood sugar, in turn, will jack up your insulin levels, which can have adverse effects that eventually help release more cortisol into the system, beginning the process anew.

Gynostemma helps tone down the stress response, thus, toning down cravings. Perhaps that is one mechanism of how it helps with insulin levels? These are all well and good but if that doesn't interest you, then perhaps when we describe how it works for athletes, you might perk up a bit? But if you want to check out more info, read more about it here. It is currently $5 until Sunday.

Gynostemma every day makes the doctor go away. ;)

Most Revered Mushroom on the Planet

Can you imagine a mushroom so powerfully good for you...

That its called the Mushroom of Immortality?

That it is painted into artwork carried by Gods and Goddesses in China?

That it is literally carved into the stone of Shaolin Temples?

That is has a history of being the #1 herb in all of Chinese Medicine, which is being well studied to back up the claims scientifically in both the East and the West?

That many top herbalists say the world would be an infinitely better place if every single human consumed this mushroom every day of their life?

Think that this might be something worth investigating for yourself?

Think it might be worth consuming on a daily basis?

I’m talking about Reishi Mushroom, also known as Ling Zhi or Ganoderma Lucidum.

Read more about it here and get some for yourself.

What Is Your Style Of Conditioning?

There are literally thousands of ways to get in amazing shape; you can do hundreds of squats & push-ups, do 100 Burpees or HIT 2-3x a week, you can hit the gym and do circuits there, do strongman type training to build strength & conditioning, you can do sports, follow along on DVDs and so on. What gives you the greatest benefit of being in top condition for you?

The truth is, whatever helps you break barriers and/or lets you find that niche to keep going and fighting on is a solid foundation in my book. However, in reality, only a fraction of programs give you the best tools to be in the best shape possible. It's all about what your exact goal is and what style of program or training system that requires you to proceed through specific forms of exercise.

MMA Fighters have all sorts of styles to be in shape for the ring such as the old Hindu Wrestling Workout Traditions, Boxing style conditioning, condition the hard style of Muay Thai Boxing and others. Strongmen lift heavy objects but also do high reps with extreme heavy weight, Football players condition by Sprinting, Drilling and patterning for catches, blocks & others. There's all sorts of ways but whatever you end up doing and it works will give you the best benefit.

I like being unique in learning different styles to mix together and form my own style which in my opinion is the best thing you can do. Don't follow someone else's style and try to keep up with their stats on it, you're not them and some of the exercises are not meant for your body type and going at the same speed/tempo can only spell disaster because you're not leading your own example, you are lead by someone else. Sure I do the same style of someone from time to time but that's only to switch up and learn so when I go back to doing it on my own, I can do the exercises by memory and form my own program with it.

I have done workouts using decks of cards, done many burpees, hundreds of reps for the abs, followed along to DDP Yoga and done finishers that would make the average person puke yet the best conditioning style for me is using animal movements. They represent the attraction of what is natural, instinctive and unlocks doors to major elements of conditioning to where you practice moving in specific positions or flows and learning where you are in space as you move.

Practice the movements, become accustomed until they become a second language than you form your own style of program and utilize those moves to create the best workouts or playouts for YOU!!

Combat Conditioning

My real introduction to Physical Culture was through the book Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. This got me on the path to strength training that would change my entire concept of exercise. The first three exercises in the book (Hindu Squats, Hindu Push-ups & The Bridge) were all I did the first month I fully used it and holy crap they were a wake up call. Very tough to do 25 reps on either Squats or Push-ups and a 30 sec. Bridge was the most I can do at that time. As I added other exercises in the book and really taking off, I was astounded by the amount of shape I developed physically, mentally and yes emotionally.

Within months I did over 1000 Hindu Squats/Jumpers in a workout, over 60 Hindu Push-ups in a row and could do the Deck Of Cards workout in under 30 min. These give you the tools to take your body to a level that was traditional in the Hindu Wrestling Culture of India and what it was like to have the conditioning and endurance of an old school pro wrestler. You don't have to be a wrestler to be in amazing shape, look at guys like Bruce Lee, Marcus Allen, Ray Lewis, Mike Tyson & other athletes, they used similar or practically identical methods of bodyweight exercise to get in insane shape.

Workouts (playouts) based on these exercises will strengthen your body and give you natural muscular shape and stamina that you can't even remotely get from weight lifting. You think being on a treadmill is considered cardio and its tough? Test out doing 500 Hindu Squats or more in a row or do the Deck Of Cards in 30 min or less. That builds toughness and it builds a level of strength endurance that's off the chain. There are 48 Exercises in this book that are very powerful and although may not look like much, can take down even the strongest of men. Once you become efficient at them, challenge yourself on certain workouts like doing 500 Squats in a row doing 5x80/20 or the 250 Push-ups Workout or 250 Hindu Push-ups in a row. This was the staple for the old-time wrestlers. This book goes beyond exercise and challenges your body, mind and soul to the brink of crazy conditioning for whatever you have in stored in sports or in life. Come and grab it and let the kids do it as well with you.