The Wild Was Calling Out To Me

For years I've watched and became a big fan of Animal/Wildlife Documentaries from the Planet Earth Series to Disney's Monkey Kingdom, Wild Alaska, Documentaries on Wolves and many others. It's fascinating how much our world is enriched with the vast species of animals, insects and the killer intelligence of the Orca. I sometimes ask myself "how could you not watch these and want to move like them?

For us humans, we can learn a lot from animals and although a trend of animal movements has hit big lately, it's been practiced for centuries or even longer where we mimic other species in different formats such as Kung Fu practitioners and hunters who learn how to stalk and kill a wild animal. Many people who practice the movements today give off more of a theme or a combination of freestyle moves mixed with gymnastics and the crawling patterns but for someone like me, I love keeping it simple and dig deep into the best possible ways as a human to move like an animal.

Last night, I just had an itch to play my animal dice game. After eating a few homemade tacos and watching Fast & Furious, I went out to the dungeon and just hammered out about 15 minutes of animal exercise and felt incredible. The surge of energy, the calming effects after the workout and the deep breathing was one of the best experiences. The ability to transform (in your imagination) into an animal on a whim is a powerful feeling and when you start crawling, jumping, side stepping and moving pretty damn fast, it goes beyond just cardio and building functional muscle.

No I don't howl at the moon or growl like a grizzly or roar like a big cat but just moving through various planes of motion and setting yourself in awkward positions makes your body in a way you're not used to. A lot of these movements are a staple in many sports conditioning programs, more notably in sports like football and wrestling. The game is just an idea but other aspects of an animal workout can turn someone into a lean, mean fighting machine and it brings out a whole other form of superhuman conditioning. Just the Bear Crawls alone can take down even the greatest athletes so imagine putting together a workout based on an entire kingdom of wildlife.

You can start at any point depending on your level of fitness and progress through various stages of movements. Treat it like a game, a way to have fun and play. The results are nothing short of incredible when you practice the art of moving like a wild animal.

I have no clue if I'll be doing it everyday for a while or when I get an itch but this type of training always seems to make me happy while staying really fit at the same time. Doesn't take up much time since most don't need more than 20 minutes but if you're really into it, you can go as long as you want. 

Training Like The Dark Knight

Within 2 years, there will be ANOTHER Batman film but this time with Twilight star Robert Pattinson. Now I know what you're thinking cause I thought the same thing "who the fuck, thought it was a good idea to have Edward be Batman?" For quite a period during the Twilight Saga that girls and fanboys flocked to root for Team Jacob & Team Edward, talk about a rivalry that made people laugh than anything else. However, from recent photos that have been roaming, they're already giving fits to how Pattinson looks in the suit. The question I have is "How good of shape is he going to be in?"

The training this time around isn't going to get him to look no more than 185-190 at best and looking more than a tweaked looking Tarzan from what I have read but than again what can you truly believe these days. They're more concerned about how the suit will fit because for a new film, they have to gear towards the guy's shape which I can understand but putting a ton of muscle on a guy that hasn't been seen with that kind of physique is going to be tricky, not impossible but it should be interesting.

Each Batman over the decades have gone through extreme changes in how they train to be the caped crusader: Michael Keaton barely did any workouts to be believable but did a hell of a job with the role, Val Kilmer was ok but had a physique that resembled more like Adam West from the 60's, we NEVER, ever speak of George Clooney, Christian Bale had the best physique of all the batmans of the last 30 years even though he was 20 pounds shy of the Character's actual weight and is probably the best Batman to date. Ben Affleck did a decent job and looked in ok shape but he had far more potential and we were left wondering "what if?"

I have my doubts as to how this will play out with Pattinson and I hope they train him right because any lean guy can put on the suit but how you present the physique on screen that captures the synergistic affirmations with the suit itself is a whole other ball game and it can make or break that actor. I'm going to take it for what it is but many people are just going to look at him as the pale and sparkly vampire. He's not particularly the kind of actor I like watching but being in a superhero film can flip that a 180 like they did with Affleck.

Now training to be Batman in this case isn't realistic for the average person and Pattinson will get his ass kicked into shape hard. Most people can't train 2 hours a day and do things so intense it'll make you throw up just by the site of how hard that person is being pushed. Training like the Dark Knight takes a level of conditioning many don't know how to get to but it can be attained with basic principles and a solid progression system. Bodyweight Training is perfect for this kind of thing and with a little imagination, you can transform your physique into something to be proud of and do so without paying a dime to a gym, trainer or coach.

Darebee.com has over 1000 workouts to choose from and they range from super easy to highly advanced, all within the comfort of your own home. They take the most basic exercises and mold them into workouts that are tough as hell but fun to do. The Circuit based workouts take only minutes a day to complete and they can be done daily or a few times a week. The Batman workout from this system is one of those tough ones where you can progress with various levels but at its peak, it's one of the best conditioning workouts ever and it's very simple to do. A full 10 Round Workout shouldn't take you more than 45 minutes to complete. I've done it within 35 where's little to no rest.

As you can see, it may not look that hard but once you get into it, it's a wake up call. You're working practically everything in this workout and it'll make you crazy fit in no time.

Workout Like Harley Quinn

Me and the wife went to see the new DC Film Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) recently and although it wasn't that great of a DC movie, it was fun to watch. The soundtrack was pretty bad ass and the stunts & fight scenes were great too. Margot Robbie does a decent job as the Clown Princess of Gotham and is more of a Siren than a Bird Of Prey.

It is interesting how mega stars get in shape for blockbuster roles; Marvel films are notorious for having really in shape actors for the characters but truth be told, being in shape in hollywood comes at a cost for the most part. The transformations alone can be admirable but it takes a toll after a while and even can cause health problems (do some research on Tom Hardy as Bane and you'll see what I'm talking about). Training and working out for a big role makes typical gym rats look like wimps but that's because you have hands-on personal trainers that take those actors to limits the average person would be put in the hospital for.

Learning what Robbie did for Suicide Squad was pretty gnarly; a lot of HIIT workouts and working with a trainer that had ballet experience added in the mix and you got yourself some hard ass work ahead of you. I don't know how much of this training was true but it's definitely not the type of training that can go long term and for specific reasons. When you're getting ready to film or preparing for a role, you're on a time cruncher and that actor has to be ready to be in shape not just for scenes to look great on screen but be able to maintain it for as long as the shooting goes.

Some of these workouts last up to an hour or more everyday of the week and often it is within 3-6 months before shooting even starts and to maintain while being on set, you're constantly being pressured to keep the physique where the movie makers need you and that means doing little workouts between takes, eating at specific times or do a hard workout before going on set that day. The thing you'll notice in most of these workout schedules with actors is very little recovery time and that's where the toll really comes in because you're training, filming, eating and filming some more day and day out until it ends. Recovery is virtually non-existent.

 Nobody in their right mind should workout like an actor has to and although many people are envious that these people can afford trainers, chefs, coaches and anything else in between, when it comes down to it still have to put the work in otherwise their spot can be taken just like that. If you want to train long-term and develop a superhero type physique, you work with realistic goals and workouts that not only aid in muscle building but give you time to recover and be able to do little things.

One of the best methods for training for general fitness is through Circuit Training. Done enough of it myself, I can tell you that when you learn the aspects of training this way and understanding your body's level of condition and strength, you can do this for quite some time and figure out when and how to properly train the body in this fashion. You don't need a personal chef, trainer or coach to make your goals work; websites like Darebee.com have so much information and over 1000 workouts to choose from (most of which is bodyweight related so you can do them anywhere) you have everything you need at your fingertips.

One of the workouts I have done and even my wife has done is the Harley Quinn Workout which nowhere near is as intense as Robbie's workouts but can save you a ton of time while working the body at a solid level. It's not on the darebee website but you can do some research on it and type in Superhero Workouts Neila Rey in google search.

As you can see, it's a heavy emphasis on the legs and punching. Yeah it's geared towards women but guys shouldn't knock this workout, I did multiple workouts with this where I did 10 Rounds with very little rest in between, it's an ass kicker for sure. Girls, if you're a Harley Quinn fan and want to get in shape, here you go. Do this workout up to 3 times a week and see the results. If you're really ambitious and want to pack on some functional muscle and burn fat like a furnace, do this workout with very little rest to none whatsoever unless to check off that set. Go for 10 rounds and see how you do. You might even see Harley working with you and picturing the Joker running like a little bitch cause he couldn't handle a woman like YOU.

Update From My Scary Moment

Wanted to give a quick update about the moment that was scary as hell for me and how a breathing exercise went wrong.....

It's been well over a week since it happened and haven't had an episode since. I'am due for a physical and I will at some point get checked out but based on my research and what I can recall from that experience, I never had any symptoms of a stroke. No droopiness of the face, passing out/blackout, nothing abnormal in tastes or smells, no difficulty of speaking, no altered visions, no headaches, no numbness or tingling on the right or left side of my body, no particular balance issues, no temp blindness in one or both eyes and certainly very little memory loss which came back really fast.

The biggest factors that i'm pretty damn sure made that moment happen was having a panic attack after doing those breathing techniques, having a typical argument with my wife which I take responsibility for and trying to make dinner all at the same time just went into overdrive and caused me to have what was likely an Anxiety attack. I'am prone to anxiety which has lessened over the years and due to the meningitis I had as a baby, there are certain triggers to my brain that cause certain things, nothing severe though.

This was the only bad episode of this specific caliber I ever experienced in my life so the chances of it happening again are extremely slim if at all but I have taken better precautions, breathing deeply using more of diaphragmatic and using techniques based on CoreForce Energy. My energy is still very much intact, went for a walk the other day for about an hour and wasn't anywhere near out of breath and still able to do my workouts without any fatigue or shortness of breath. I feel really good but I do know from now on, chest breathing and intercostal techniques are a no-go and I pay attention to my breathing and how my body feels if i'm feeling anxious or there's a trigger.

I have received comments about this incident on this blog and I thank you so much for your support and giving feedback on your own experiences. I have also learned of concerns from people in a place where they're also known to have little to no sympathy or remorse towards me and I want to thank them too. We all have this one life, take care of yourself but don't be so cautious it takes away what life also has to offer. I've been in far worse situations and have survived near death on multiple occasions, this was just a really bad night and it has passed.

I'am in a twisted way grateful for what happened because it was a lesson that had to teach me what can happen if something were to go wrong and I feel blessed to be in the shape i'm in and able to pull through without going through what could've been far, far worse. If I wasn't in shape, the ER would've been without question. Take care of yourselves and sending all of you (even the assholes on a certain forum) positive vibes and a peaceful day.

Isometric Deck Of Cards Workout

Doing a deck of cards workout is quite challenging, especially if you put in specific reps for each suit. Although it's far more common today, these workouts were the foundation for many athletes and not always fore recreation or plain fitness. The most infamous athlete to do this type of workout was Karl Gotch but other athletes such as Ray Lewis, Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, Antonio Inoki and Herschel Walker would make the deck an alternative at times when it was needed.

You can put just about any exercise you want in a deck but it's more efficient if it was done bodyweight style because that way you get it done anywhere especially if you're traveling. Sometimes it's good to add a little flare to the deck or even change the entire complexity by doing something very unique. I'm talking about Isometrics.

Even with all the science and expertise, not many today still can't grasp the idea of Isometric Training. Unless you talk to guys like Bud Jeffries, Steve Justa, Steve Maxwell, Jarell Lindsey and a few others, Isometrics have become somewhat of a lost art as a pure common form of fitness training. Now let's take Isometric Exercise and apply it to the deck of cards. How the hell do you do that?

 Instead of doing the typical repetitions, you hold the positions for a count of seconds or breaths. Just holding for seconds alone can be tough but holding positions for breaths is a whole other ball game. What do I mean by this, well after you shuffled and flipped a card, say a 5 and it was a push-up; you do one full rep of a push-up but you count down from 5 in the upper, middle and low positions of that push-up and come back up and move onto another card or you can take 5 breaths in each position and then move on. For squats, I prefer wall sits but you can hold the half squat if you wish.

Now imagine going through a whole deck of this caliber. For the Matt Furey Exercise bible, it's the Hindu Push-up, Wall Sits, V-Up Hold & Tablemaker. If you drew a joker, that's 25-50 counts of a wall sit or you take in breaths which can last longer than seconds, could be a few minutes. It's a very different type of workout where you're focusing not so much on the muscles and speeding through, you're working the tendons and ligaments; strengthening bones and building strength from the inside out. There's no time limit for this workout because you never know how long you hold a position. This takes breathing to another level and you're going to feel amazing.

Now if you were to hold an abdominal exercise such as the sit-up or in my case the V-Up Hold, that's a bit more difficult to hold because this requires more balanced strength and it's definitely a full body hold and most can't hold it for more than a couple seconds. When I get that card, I would hold for as long as I can, come down and hold it again, repeat that until the count for that card is done (sucks the most if you get a face card). It's still a great exercise to test your balance and strength in a fixed position.

I've only done the Isometric deck on a couple occasions and the last one was a couple days ago. It's a different feel and you will sweat, maybe swear and learn a whole new meaning to the words Tendon Strength. This is like a concept martial artists such as Kung Fu masters, Karate guys and Shaolin Monks who would hold stances for extended periods of time and have strength not many can explain. The mindset to do this workout is in a class by itself and most people won't get through it.

Try it out for yourself and see how you do.