The After Effects Of Bridging Exercise

For nearly 14 years off and on, I've done bridging exercises and experienced different benefits and what it felt like afterwards. Some variations are better than others and the basic ones seem to work the best. The gymnastic bridge to me is one of the greatest isometric exercises in existence because it's much more than just a skill; it is a gateway to understanding strength & flexibility on a whole other level and learning the ideals of what a meditative exercise can really be. However, it isn't what gave me the most blissful moments after holding the exercise. That belongs to the Back Bridge or in other words Nose To Mat Bridge with Feet Flat and Hands Off The Ground. 

Lately I've slowly been getting back to bridging at night before bed because when I'm done after holding the Front Bridge & Back Bridge for 3 minutes each, I experience something I don't get from any other form of exercise (Isometric or Dynamic). When I lay back down after coming out of the bridge, it feels like time has stopped, i'm in a complete relaxed state, my mind doesn't wander and I feel completely at peace. Maybe it's the effects from stretching in that position or feeling comfortable with deep breathing added in but the very moment I come out of it, that's where the meditation really begins and nothing feels forced or dragged out, but blissful and letting my entire being just be.

Bridging goes beyond just holding a position and stretching the body out, it's more than just strengthening muscles and ligaments, it's well beyond the norm for meditative practice in this day and age, it's a state of tapping into yourself that is unique and having peaceful moments where nothing else matters but being completely present. It's concentrated on the here and now without much effort and letting everything flow. I don't think, I don't feel about holding onto anything and my body feels amazing. 

Now, does this have an effect on others? Well that's hard to say because not everyone can bridge, not because they don't want to but because they're not meant to but that's a small amount of the population. Most are afraid of the bridge and what they've been told what it'll do negatively. Most people who have given bridging a bad rap is mainly for two reasons; one, it didn't work for them so why should it work for anyone else and two, they never actually practiced it but seem to think what it does from an outside source and give people a reason not to do it and do something else instead. I do believe in safety and learning that if there's something going on and it doesn't feel right, you shouldn't do it. Listen to your intuition and listen to your body. Yes for some people bridging is a no go due to injuries in the spine, spurs in the neck, torn cartilage that never healed and you're disabled from the neck down but the majority can learn to bridge but it does take serious progression and it's not something to be rushed or taken lightly. 

It took me weeks to get my nose down to the mat when I first started and my longest bridge hold after that was less than 3 minutes. After a period, I held a nose to mat bridge for more than 7 minutes and that was more than enough. 3 minutes is my average time and I don't go any further than that. It's not an easy exercise but it has benefits many cannot grasp. I've been told time and time again that i'll break my neck, cripple my spine and when I get older my body will feel like crap but yet I'm still here, moving around, still doing things I love and keeping an eye on staying flexible, strong and agile as ever. I have had a back injury but not from bridging, it came from doing something stupid which I still feel today but it's more just tension in specific areas of my back now than what it was when it happened. If I didn't have a strong neck and back in the first place, this injury could've been much worse and more crippling, I do feel blessed that it isn't and it has kept me from needing a brace and not being able to get out of bed. 

Like I have said before, it goes beyond just an exercise, it can be a lifesaver and keep you from getting hurt worse if you weren't in shape. For more info on this form of exercise and strengthening the body in a unique manner, check out Logan Christopher's Advanced Bridging Course where you'll learn more than just holds, you'll learn to move your body in positions most can't comprehend and develop strength and flexibility that is beyond the norm. Become a master of the bridge and you'll be taking steps into a much larger world. 

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Get Up And Move Like An Animal To Start The Day

What do people do when they first wake up or should I say the majority do when they wake up? Get out of bed, hop in the shower, wake the kids, grab a cup of coffee, dread about the day they'll have at work, take the kids to school or just head out the door for work and it's off to the races. I'm not knocking anyone who makes a living but I also don't want people to feel how awful the day is before it really starts. Some people can't stand their job and it affects their lifestyle when they're not there but I may have an idea.

I would like you to experiment with something for a week and see how you feel. Get up slightly earlier than usual and just do 1 minute of an animal movement, just a minute. If you live in an apartment and don't have a lot of space, do no more than 3 steps forward and 3 steps backwards at a time. It can be a Bear Crawl, a Crab Walk, Tiger Walk or whatever you choose, do 1 minute of it. Moving like an animal can have a great deal of positive impacts on the brain, your muscles, coordination and blood flow. It can supercharge your body and release dopamine which helps you feel good. We want to feel good when we wake up, not dread and feel like crap.

Basic Animal Movements have been around for a very long time and have benefits that we are still finding out today. Doing Quadrupedal Movements gives the brain and the body a powerful force of energy that can link to reducing anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's, Dementia and osteoporosis. As we age, our bodies become weaker and our brains need to stay strong because if we don't practice strengthening the neurotransmitters, it can lead to a life that you'll never wish on anyone and losing your memories, forgetting to go to the bathroom, basically becoming a vegetable.

Exercise in this manner can have a profound impact on your programming and starting with just 1 minute a day can do wonders. Think about it, 1 minute doesn't sound like much does it? If you did this kind of exercise for 30 days, that's 30 minutes of movement you're doing in the morning, if you did it for a year of just 1 minute a day, that's 365 minutes (6 Hours & 5 minutes) of pure movement to start your day. Not just strengthening the brain but it could change your body and build natural muscle and lose body fat. You'll have a stronger core, legs that have greater endurance, better breathing capacity and increase fat loss. Now how cool would that be to start the day on?

 Now, this whole article started with just what you can do to start the day but look what it could turn into in the long run when you practice what I have given you here. We were meant to move and make the most out of our lives. Make your body stronger inside and out and see what wonderful things can occur. Have fun and wake up with that pep in your step.

I would also like to wish my friend/mentor and concert virtuoso Garin Bader an amazingly awesome Birthday and hope it brings joy, love, laughter and kick ass training. Happy Birthday my friend. You can learn about Garin and his vision of making others stronger and faster by checking out coreforceenergy.com and reading the benefits of this amazing system.


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Slam Your Anger Away

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion. It can consume us and turn us into people that we weren't meant to be. Anger & Hatred go together like a horse and carriage and can put us in a dark place, much like turning to the Dark Side. What if we can take that Anger and turn it into something positive and get it out of our system productively, safely and without harming anyone or anything; would you want to learn how to do it?

In Star Wars, for the Sith, Anger is a weapon when focused and making it an overpowering emotion to destroy enemies without any remorse. In the depths of the Star Wars Universe, there is a group of Jedi called Gray Jedi who use concentrated emotion either in peace or in Anger to keep themselves in line. It's a form of Jedi that doesn't follow the rules of the Sith or the Jedi in the same context. They utilize both ideals. They call on the force projections of the Sith but aren't corrupted yet they also can apply techniques of the Jedi to be peaceful in certain times.

-Gray Jedi Code

Flowing through all, there is balance

There is no peace without a passion to create
There is no passion without peace to guide
Knowledge fades without the strength to act
Power blinds without the serenity to see

There is freedom in life
There is purpose in death

The Force is all things and I am the Force

Now what does this have to do with getting your Anger out? As far as you know, this is just a geeky thing to write and all I'm doing is Fanboying on Star Wars. The point is, like a Gray Jedi, you can use your emotions to your advantage, in this case getting fit. One of the best tools to get fit fast and not use a chunk of time is a Slam Ball. A Slam Ball is a tool you can pick up and like its namesake, slam it hard on the ground as many times as you can until you're fatigued. You can also toss it, throw it high in the air, press and drop, do lunges, curls, squeeze it for Isometrics or anything else you can think. The most basic exercise is just slamming it.

There are a lot of cool Slam Balls out there but to me, (Like Highlander) there can be only one; The Death Star Slam Ball. This bad boy is wicked bad ass and is in the shape of the evil Space Station. Instead of blowing it up, just pick up this sucker and slam it down hard and fast. Get a hold of this thing and get your Anger out in a healthy way. Just slamming it for a minute or less will strike you down and release dopamine like crazy. You'll be huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf in no time flat and supercharge your body with natural growth hormone and help you build muscle and increase fat loss.

Sometimes we get upset and need to blow off steam, instead of venting, make use of it and slam that aggressive emotion away. We're all human and we can't never be angry all the time so it is important to utilize our emotions and let ourselves heal. Being pissed off shouldn't be a long thing so keep it low as much as possible. Sometimes we just get emotional and need a release, take advantage of it and use it in a manner that can also get you in shape. Look at it this way, it's cheaper than therapy and you won't have to hurt yourself or someone else in the process. Give yourself the opportunity to get out those feelings out. I've had my share of Angry Moments and after a minute or two of slamming this thing, I wasn't feeling angry, I was feeling out of breath, tired and couldn't think of anything more than just being worn out.

Be resourceful and don't let your emotions get the best of you.

Play By Swinging The Mace

In my "right mood" workouts, I want to find things to play with and have some fun without worrying about bullshit that might occupy my mind. I've been wanting to swing the mace and just feel my body getting to that place of peace and tranquility. With the circular movements and the hand placements, it is more than just a workout, it is a journey. It is a journey of learning of who you are, how to control your body along with an implement and feeling the flow within the body.

The Mace, is an ancient tool of the Middle East for centuries that dates back to the writings about the Monkey God Hanuman. It is a tool for developing the athlete, was a tool for the soldier and now a tool for fitness. Also called the Gada, it was foundational for wrestlers in developing strength, conditioning, mobility and flexibility aimed at the shoulders, core muscles and grip. The main purpose was to strengthen the muscles not normally used as opposed to the dumbbell and barbell in today's movements using heavy resistance or weight.

Most beginners learning to swing ought to start very light at around 10 pounds or so. As you get stronger and develop control, move up to 20-30. For strength endurance and conditioning, the heaviest doesn't need to exceed more than 25 lbs. For strength purposes, 30-50 is decent enough. The more weight you use, the more it's about control and stability than regarding repetitions. It is awkward to move once you get up in weight and if you don't pay attention, you'll pay the price. In India, there are contests on who can swing the heaviest Gadas and Meels (Clubs) and some of these implements have spikes on them so if you can't control them, they will get you. Focus on a weight that isn't difficult but still challenging to where, each repetition is smooth and concentrated. Lighter weight, you can go faster and get some cool cardio out of it.

My Mace is loadable and it stands right now at 25 lbs which doesn't sound like much but when you pick it up and start swinging, it'll feel heavier because it's full of water and shot lead. I'll do a rep range of 10-20 reps swinging what are called 360's and 10-2's. There are a lot of different exercises you can do which you can find here at Art Of Manliness.

For follow along workouts or instruction on Mace Swinging, I recommend checking out Zenkahuna on his youtube channel, one of his videos on the mace is here. Get yourself this amazing workout tool, get outside and swing away.


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Getting The Kinks Out After Waking Up

As we get older, it is important to keep our joints healthy and our muscles ready for what lies ahead. When we are young, we don't think too much about flexibility and mobility and we think because we are young, our joints don't need much. There are a great many ways to loosen up the body but the biggest factor is after waking up whether from a night of sleep, a nap, or even after passing out on the couch.

One way to loosen up the joints and give your body that wake up jolt is to move certain parts of the body in a circular type fashion and work from your head to your toes. Hip Circles, Ankle Rotations, Neck Circles, Circling The Knees; these will open up the body big time and just because they're not big exercises, that doesn't mean it won't help your body in the long run. Another would be to do Animal Flow by dynamically stretching the muscles by moving in animal like fashion. A favorite of mine is the Ape Reach which opens up the hips, lower back, shoulders, chest and scapula.

Another great way to open up the body is by doing Yoga, even just for a few minutes. I prefer DDP Yoga as it seems more fun to me and it interests me than other forms of yoga. The 10 Minute Warm Up is freaking amazing to get that body going. That is from the DDP Yoga Extreme DVDs but because it is a warm up, don't freak out because it's on an extreme workout DVD. I'm not the biggest fan of following along but I do modify it to my needs and pace and do what's best for me which is what DDP encourages.

I know what it's like to not be able to move after waking up because i'm so damn stiff and my joints hurt every inch I moved. After my accident, I dedicated myself to be in the best shape possible and not just for building muscle but keeping my tendons strong and my joints healthy because when I get older (I'm almost 35 now) I'll have issues in my shins and ankles so my job is to prevent as much injury elements as possible and focus on staying fit without having to go on meds to suppress my joint pain. I flat out hate being on medication because up until about 9-10 years old, I was on meds from when I had the meningitis as a baby and it didn't make feel normal, now granted I'm still not normal but I don't have pills being shoved down my throat for the sake of being under control.

Be healthy inside and out and keep your joints strong for as long as you can. In our teens into late 20s, we don't think too much about our tissue and cartilage along with staying on top of keeping our tendons strong so we just go hardcore on the biggest workouts and tear it up until we are so beaten up that by the time we reach Grandparent age, we can't move or do a damn thing without being in so much pain. By our 30's and beyond, we have to be smarter and not let our egos get the best of us, we can still do amazing things but we want to enjoy life as well. It all starts with getting the kinks out.

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