Another Update On Results

Since Jan. 29th for just about every single day, I've been doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible and as of now, I feel lighter (even though i'm 260 lbs.) and my flexibility is better, my core is way stronger and my conditioning is the best it has been in a while. Beyond just the exterior results, I do have far better breathing (other than that one night where I screwed myself up) and don't have fatigue. 

This past weekend was a little stressful because I had to take care of my mom who had surgery and had to have an organ removed. Me and my wife didn't hesitate twice about being there for her and I'm glad we did. Even with all that going on, I still managed to get workouts in every day, even it was just Isometrics. If you got a fire in you, regardless of certain situations, getting a workout in can be the best thing for you. It helped me from worrying so much about my mom and kept me focused on what I can do even better. Just happened to get pretty good results because of it.

I get my fighter's mentality from my mom and a few other people in my life/family including my grandma (Dad's Mom) who had surgeries recently herself and still made it to 99 years young on Monday. Results are not just about the work you put in, it gives you insight to what you don't see....Those rough days where even in the middle of a workout you want to quit but keep going, those times where you don't want to put in a lot of time so you make the time that is possible in the moment. I have done the MFEB so many times now that getting through it isn't difficult, it's more of a mental game because there were days I just didn't feel it yet I did it anyway.

After sharing my results yesterday, I get a comment from Matt Furey himself saying how shredded I can be if I went on the Carnivore Diet. It was really cool to see that from him but like i'll tell you what I told him, it would take a lot of desire and motivation to do that Diet, he even mentioned the possibilities of being on it for 2 years. Diets never truly suited me, I just eat better than I did when I was in high school and cut back on some things or cut them in half. I hardly ever eat McDonalds these days unless I'm traveling on the road or having a rare "F*ck it day", I eat more meat and chicken and although I do have bread, I don't eat loads of it or anything like that. Shit, my grams is 99 freaking years old and hardly ever had a vegetable or real fruit in her life, so coming from that gene pool and the way I train and eat, i'm perfectly ok with not being shredded and having a good physique plus being healthy as a horse.

I developed these results without looking to lose weight but more geared towards fat loss and putting more pep in my steps along with cutting some body fat(don't need to 10% or less, just at a level where my health isn't in jeopardy). I also realize the type of condition I'd be in if I lost 40-50 lbs but it's not my ideal way and I feel great. 

Train according to your goals but don't let it suck the life out of you and don't ever do things that make you feel weaker or fatigued that you can't do much else. Always have energy left in the tank, progress with intention and listen to your body. If you're so damn sore the next day, take a day off, go for a walk, do deep breathing exercises or light yoga, Rome wasn't build in a day. 

Can You Push-Up Bro?

Just about everybody and their grandfather has at least done a push-up in their lifetime. It is a foundational exercise for strength and conditioning that has been around for centuries or more. There are so many variations, it might as well fill an encyclopedia. The benefits alone for doing Push-ups are enormous and have been used by countless athletes, celebs, trainers, coaches, kids, military, law enforcement and the elderly.

My personal favorite variation is the Hindu Push-up and have done hundreds of them lately doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible where in the deck, I do 100 or more in a workout. This old time exercise was a staple for middle eastern wrestlers and became adopted by the late Karl Gotch who taught it to the now legendary Japanese wrestlers and the author of Combat Conditioning Matt Furey.

For a period I was doing military style push-ups while doing circuits of Darebee Workouts doing 100-200 for various workouts at a time. The only time I ever challenged myself doing as many push-ups in a row as possible was probably while I worked out with Karl Gotch Student Tom Puckett and when I had my three day stint (before injuries occurred) in High School Wrestling. The most Push-ups I ever did in a workout was 600 doing many sets of ladder schemes.

Every now and then I get bored of the push-up and focus on other exercises for conditioning purposes but I do go back to the once in a blue moon. Yesterday however, I got inspired by Johnny Grube (I've written about him and although I can't stand his rants, I do respect him highly for his conditioning and work ethic) because lately in his videos he shows planks and midpoint push-up holds on his fists for several minutes which is impressive all on its own. I have done planks plenty of times but one day I held a plank on my fists like him for a minute and a few seconds mid position and was more than enough for me. This time I took out my Warrior Power T's (or Neuro Grips that are around these days) and held a plank for a minute and felt like forever.

Today, I thought I'd do a little filming with the Power T's and did Iso Holds in the up and mid push-up positions for a 5 count each as a demo and a few push-ups. I haven't done push-ups with these things for a looooonnnggg ass time and although i'm shaking, I'm still pulling them off fairly easily. you can check them out here.....

Instagram: @benjbergman

It doesn't matter if you can do 100 or 1000 Push-ups, with these handles, you're not going to do that many because not only is it highly advanced but it requires tremendous focus and muscle control that very few can pull off. Just doing them on the knees at first takes some skill and there are some out there who are very skilled with these types of handles but for even the most basic push-up you need a solid amount of strength to do them. I feel blessed that I can still do them and not fall on my face. The first time I did them many, many years ago it felt almost impossible. After learning the muscle control aspects and a few imagery techniques I learned from CoreForce Energy, I was doing more than 15-20 reps at a time and the most in a row was around 40.

I highly recommend you build some good strength, stability training and muscle control as a foundation for these handles and once you begin with them, do not go fast or think it's an EZPZ thing. be sure you're not on hardwood floors or concrete cause if you fall on your face, it will hurt and they can slip on you without warning. If you've had previous injuries or have shoulder problems and your core is weak, do not attempt these. If you do have the strength to them, focus the most on control and not so much on repetition. The more reps you can do, the stronger you are at doing them. Anybody who says Push-ups after 25-50 reps is nothing more than endurance has NEVER done these, if they did, they wouldn't be talking shit lol.

Slim Down Like The Joker But Also Be Way More Fit And Conditioned

First off, I want to say congrats to Joaquin Phoenix for his portrayal of the Joker in the same name Film and winning the Oscar for Best Actor. That is now two wins for a high up award for a Superhero Film and both actors (including the late Heath Ledger) were the Joker in those roles. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a much darker look at the Clown Prince of crime in recent cinema.

Now like the Joker, there is a lot of people in the fitness industry that are maniacal and psychotic to the degree where they try to sell you what being fit really is and in reality, it's a setup where people get hurt and the seller makes the dough. Crossfit fits into this category where an extreme few coaches actually teach the mechanics and the basics but the majority just flat out put people in workouts they're not supposed to do and don't really teach the proper form to actually sustain fitness for the long haul.

There have been different Jokers throughout the years; you have the clown, the comedian, the anarchist and the gangster and through evolution, has had ups and downs. The fitness world is no different, it has evolved for the best and the worst and like Joker, it can be difficult which one you're going to end up with. The thing that makes Joker so iconic regardless of what version you get, he is the epitome of good vs. evil and without the villain, there is no hero. There are so many courses out there that are just messed up and look like they're nothing more than a money-making scheme but on the other hand, there are plenty that can change your life and help you become fit in the long run without an overriding agenda.

The Joker for the most part is a freaking twig, let's call it for a what it is lol, he's so damn skinny, Batman ought to give him a sandwich more than an ass beating before he puts him in Arkham. There's no way around the fact that this soulless and demented prick of Gotham doesn't hit the gym or even knows how to do a push-up but there's a couple things that he does have that make him a world-class Villain and that's his ability to take a beating and has endurance to keep fighting the caped crusader. The Joker workout works mainly the legs and building cardiovascular endurance so whether you're a villain trying to plot against the bat or take down a major city in the DC Universe or even just to be in better shape for stamina and durability, this workout can get you going.

It'll give you a good set of lungs and trim you down with the right eating plan. If you're a woman, it'll also give you a killer pair of legs that can go the distance. Strength is a great asset but if you can't last very long, what's the point? Does Joker give up on plotting against Batman? Does he just sit and die while locked up in Arkham Asylum? No, he's always on the move, he keeps being creative and he just doesn't stop. Got to give him credit for his persistence.

If you want to be in awesome shape and have an evil laugh at the old you, get into training with the Joker workout. You can do it anywhere, anytime and it would fit your schedule. Are you up to the challenge? Picture as if you can beat him at his own game and saying that you just kicked the Joker's ass.

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What Is More Difficult With A Deck Of Cards: 500 Hindu Squats Or 500 Reps Of The Matt Furey Exercise Bible?

There are different challenges and various workouts involving high rep bodyweight training but what makes certain things more difficult than others? If you're a beginner, doing something with high reps will make you sore quick unless your body recovers faster than normal but in an advanced stage, it can vary from exercise to exercise and the consistency of what your training goals are.

Doing 500 Hindu Squats for the average person isn't an easy task and being consistent can be daunting but for an athlete or someone who is use to high rep training, it's almost the norm and once you reach 500 or more, it becomes a mental game more than anything. Doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible is quite a challenge in itself in the beginning and it's always changing whenever you do it. Some people who have done this workout can do it pretty damn fast but some do it very slow, focusing on form and being methodical along with working repetitions. 500 Reps of the MFEB is no joke but is it as difficult as to do doing 500 Hindu Squats? I believe it depends on the perspective from those who have done both.

From my POV, doing 500 Hindu Squats with a deck of cards isn't as difficult because for one, you're literally focused on one exercise (unless you're a maniac adding jumpers and flat foot squats in the mix) and you're going through it the entire time. For the MFEB, you're focused on 3 added exercises and have to be ready whenever they pop up. These exercises have multiple variations and sure you're doing less of the squats but you're working all the muscles in your body in order to get through the deck. The concentration is different, the muscles being worked are unpredictable and your breath work is different. In each case, you're using multiple muscle groups and you're testing your conditioning levels but unlike focusing on groups that give a particular one way more attention, you're giving your attention to every muscle in the body almost equally.

For those who have never done either of these workouts, don't go diving into them like they're a cake walk, you will be sore as hell or worse. Some people think bodyweight training isn't a big thing yet if they did either one of these workouts, they're in for a rude awakening. Neither one is to be messed with and they'll get you in shape like crazy. You can do them on different days, both on the same day or if you've got some kind of fitness death wish, in the same workout. I have done 500 Squats plenty of times and done them to prepare for a little day of hiking. Doing the MFEB, I've done different variations of the exercises and did various rep schemes but even at a total of 500 Reps, it was pretty gnarly (sorry not sorry, even after nearly 9 years in Idaho, I still have my Cali Lingo).

So what do you think is more difficult? Give me your perspective if you've done reps at a high level like this. Although 500 Hindu Squats is more commonly done with or without cards doing them straight through, I've read plenty of people have done the MFEB and find it more enjoyable. You never know who might answer it in this manner.

Breath Of Fire For Endurance And Universal Power

One of my favorite scenes in a Marvel Film was in the Incredible Hulk where for a few seconds you see Bruce Banner learn a breathing technique that helps him control his emotions and stay calm. The teacher is the legendary Rickson Gracie, the red belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner who is the best of the best in the Gracie Family. I didn't understand about this technique until years later doing research on the technique and paying attention to how Rickson does it in the Documentary Choke. 

The simplest way to explain it is similar to lamaze breathing women use for childbirth. The big difference is that although it looks like you're hyperventilating, it's a concentrated breathing pattern working the diaphragm and exhaling short and fast bursts of the exhale. It's not an easy technique to learn and I'm sure there's far more to it than the way I try to practice it. The more I applied it through meditation and throughout certain workouts, it doesn't just give you a more calming effect, it helps amplify your stamina and aids recovery like crazy.

Through practice of various breathing techniques (ones one should and should never do) I find Diaphramic Breathing the best variation with its different styles of that form of breathing. It keeps things flowing and puts more of the body and mind in tuned with movements without going into panic mode which is what chest breathing tends to do. We walk around breathing all day and don't give it a second thought but the way we breathe can have a profound effect on how our emotions play a role in that area. 

For fitness reasons, there are books out there (some nearly 100 years old or more) that teach what's call Intercostal Breathing which uses more of the chest and rib cage to tighten the waistline and breathe more upwards into the chest. That's all and good if you want to build a tight waist but in the real world, that can cause a lot of problems and put you more into a negative emotion like unnecessary anxiety/panic and fearful. You have read recently that I tried this technique and suffered for a while and had a bad case of anxiety and other problems. The moment I started breathing through my diaphragm and focused on my breathing, I was back to normal. Other people have told me that Intercostal Breathing gives them headaches and have more of a shortness of breath and have learned from the likes of Steve Maxwell and others that this type of breathing is an endurance killer.

When I was going on for nearly a month doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible, I changed my breathing patterns on the Hindu Push-ups to have better endurance but what really made the difference was as I was getting better, after each workout I would do this technique for maybe 30 seconds as a finisher and my breathing felt incredible. I was refreshed, I wasn't huffing and puffing and my mind felt clear as crystal. It literally felt like I could start another workout at 100%. 

Yesterday, I put this technique to the test in a different way; I tried out some boxing by going 10 Rounds (1 min on and 15 seconds rest), just doing various punches and speed of punches while also using techniques from CoreForce Energy. After each round, I would do the technique as active recovery during the 15 second rest periods, with that I was able to continue punching each round without tiring and was hitting harder and faster within practically every round. I never felt weak or fatigued and my speed never really wavered, I did mess up a couple punches here and there but I was moving too fast and I wasn't paying attention to my form but once I put the focus back on my speed while paying attention to my breathing, it was as if I couldn't stop and was in that zone. Never felt that much energy and I never have done a workout like that in my life. 

As a side note, I was playing a video game on my PS4 called Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and it either gave me so much adrenaline from playing or just plain inspired me to workout but either way, that workout after playing that game made me feel like I can turn into a Super Sayian (if anyone knows that term, you know what's up) and my body was just full of surging power, energy and strength that I felt invincible and can turn into a mighty warrior with spiked blonde hair. That was what it felt like during that workout and practicing that technique. I never even warmed up, it was just there and during the rest of the day and as of right now, don't feel any soreness or discomfort/pain, just energetic. 

This is just an idea of what I experience when I practice this breathing technique and how it has changed how I work out and go about my day. It might be different for you and have a very different affect but from my personal recollection and understanding, it is by far the best breathing technique I have learned thus far, it has made my endurance go through the roof, I feel stronger, far more clear headed and has been a good practice for meditation.