Isometrics & Quarantine

Since we the people were told to stay home, might as well make the best of it right? Good thing I work from home anyway or wherever the hell I want if internet is up. I'm more of a homebody anyway and when I do go out, its for a good walk, shopping with the wife (good thing we don't have to break anyone for Toilet Paper), spending time with family or being out on the patio getting some sun. Although this is a serious virus and I know I'm not invincible, I still don't feel threatened to it and I'm so grateful my wife hasn't gotten it considering how many people she deals with all day.

Where we live is beautiful, surrounded by trees, next to a golf course, awesome neighborhood and some good hiking trails nearby so fuck you Coronavirus. Anyway, since we're cooped up here, let's keep ourselves in shape and stay as healthy as possible. Over a period of weeks, I was doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible which I got really good at and gotten incredible results as you have seen recently. However, as I naturally do, I switch things up to keep from doing the same thing over and over, so I switched over to mainly Isometric Training.

Some of the best info on Isometric training is through the Facebook group Vim & Vigor (Isometrics And Beyond) where you'll find like minded people who have a very positive spin on the subject, a great file section on Isometric Training and loads upon loads of encouragement and inspiration. For me, some of the best people to learn the subject of Isometrics are people like Bud Jeffries, Jarell Lindsey, Batman (Paul) O'Brien, Steve Justa and others.

Isometrics in and of themselves can be a hell of a workout and it doesn't take a ton of time. These would be the perfect workout to do while in Quarantine. You can do exercises from your couch, your bed, in the kitchen (maybe not while cooking lol) on the wall, in the doorways, hell even while you take a shower. The main summary of Isometrics is that you're using force without actually moving, you can also hold a certain position with less force and hold it for an extended period of time. The most common Isometric people do is the Plank where you're in push-up type position on the hands or forearms. 

Although the Plank is a good starting point, it's good to progress to other positions or hand placements to make the Plank more interesting such as holding it with your fists, holding in the mid position, on your fingertips, one arm, switch hand placements every 30 seconds, one legged and way more different variations. You can do virtually thousands upon thousands of exercises without ever moving a single muscle but in all fairness, I think around a dozen should cover it within a 10 minute period. They're phenomenal fat burners, can amp up your cardio (if you know how to do right, you'll never need to be on a treadmill), build real world strength and speed, possibly lower blood pressure, build muscle that is less prone to injury and strengthen the tendons and ligaments.

I mix up various Isometric Exercises ranging from using a Strap or Belt, Pushing against the wall or doing wall sits, free handed exercises, Gymnastic Type Holds, Yoga Poses, planks, Muscle Isolation such as Muscle Control, Chair Exercises, weighted holds and plenty more depending on what type of mood i'm in. They can also be very meditative such as holding the deep squat for several minutes, Horse Stances, being on one leg, holding a handstand, Wu Ji Posture like in Qi Gong and others. Isometrics are more than just flexing or holding a wall sit, they give you strength that not many possess and if you're an athlete, they can prolong a career. 

Being in Quarantine freaking sucks big time and with having time on our hands, avoiding cabin fever can be a chore in itself. A few minutes a day doing Isometrics can also alleviate stress and help you be calmer and more focused. Let's face it, we hate it when we have to be forced to stay in our homes but we can make the best of it and do our best to keep a positive attitude while getting fit in the process. 

Take care of yourselves, your loved ones and have positive vibes. This thing won't last forever. 

Staying Healthy During A Big Epidemic

It is Hump Day and the Coronavirus is still running a muck. I really hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and not trying to do too much when you go out to the public. Our world is going nuts right now and it is predicted to get crazier before it gets any better. My wife works as a manager at Albertsons and coming rom her, it has been chaotic and overwhelming with often times not having enough people to cover things to keep things flowing smoothly. People buying up Toilet Paper and just overcompensating for gearing up for basically the Apocalypse. Physically, I'm grateful she isn't sick and I'm very grateful I haven't caught this thing.

Small businesses are being shut down, cities closing shop on restaurants and bars or completely minimizing capacity, sports are postponed and other businesses losing major dollars due to limiting employees to have in the office and others sent home. Quarantine is at a rate where almost an entire city in the U.S like San Francisco is completely cut off. Deliveries are becoming limited and disrupted as well. Not to cause a panic for anyone, just giving a heads up.

My friends over at Lost Empire Herbs however, are making sure everyone who orders the amazingly awesome herbs that they sell is getting to people the best ways possible. This is why they have now put up a major Stock Up Sale where you can save and get some top quality herbs to boost your immune system, enhance brain power, have incredible energy and not to mention gut health. Think of the support you get when you take these herbs and formulas and being given a fighting chance to be ahead of many people who have contracted the virus.

This isn't easy for them but because of possible disruptions with shipping, the inventory might run out sooner than later and they don't know how long it'll last. If you're going to be stocking up, snatch up healthy options that gives your body a powerful load of antioxidants, hormone support and healthy blood cells that will battle like the Red Army.

If you're able to, I encourage you to support this company because it is a small business and the employees working there don't get support always from other means and it means a lot to their families. The major focus right now is the health and well-being of not only the people providing these herbs and formulas but for you as well.

Two major components are critical now that I want to address.....One, remember that these herbs aren't a cure but they can make your body adaptable and not only fight the virus but will tackle it with a vengeance and incredible strength...Two, this is a very stressful time. Stress-Relieving activities are essential to stay ahead of the game and keep your body strong inside and out such as being out in nature, meditation, doing the right kind of movement or exercise and of course taking in the herbs will help with stress. Most of what you'll notice when things kick into your system is the adaptogens and nervines such as in herbs like Ashwagandha, Spartan Formula, Blue Vervain, Cordyceps, He Shou Wu, Reishi Mushroom & Albizia.

So be prepared and give your immune system that surging boost that could possibly be incredibly life saving. Remember, your health is your greatest wealth. 

Forums Can Be Death Traps

Social Media can confuse the living hell out of you especially in these troubled times with the damn coronavirus and you don't know who to trust (especially those in the news media, the government and the research being displayed) and it can overwhelm you with so many emotions, you wonder why bother? The truth is, although it has its problems, it can also do some good by putting out positive messages, sharing something inspiring and seeing some of the good people do in this world.

Forums are another platform for Social Media where people get together in a single place and talk about various topics ranging from politics to fitness to nutrition and even the weirdest stuff anyone is ever willing to talk about. We all want to fit in somewhere, be heard, given an opportunity to share ideas and see things from another perspective; the major problem with this however (and I can attest to this), they can also be death traps where you get caught up in a keyboard battle where nobody wins and it turns into a bitter war that should never get out of hand.

Aside from certain issues this platform often provides, it also gives some people the floor to state their biased agenda towards people, a subject or in this case of fitness, certain methods of exercise. Some forums provide pretty damn good and inspiring info that help others reach their goals and provide some awesome workouts, equipment and positive feedback towards you and others. With the negative stuff, it can be very tempting to say what's truly on your mind (or what is being said in the moment) and getting caught up in a whirlwind where all you're really doing is adding gasoline on the fire. I do regret getting caught up in some of these battles and thrown on my own anxiety and letting those get to me have their petty victories. Falling into a death trap can hit your self-esteem but you can choose to climb out and be victorious within yourself and get back on your feet.

Forums in and of themselves aren't always terrible, (depending on the title or the agenda behind it) it's usually the people within them that makes or breaks that particular forum. Like the Joker in the Dark Knight, some people just want to stir shit up and watch others crumble beneath themselves while watching the world burn, they have nothing inspiring to show, they don't give people the credit they deserve and they certainly can't stand themselves but will never admit it and take out their grievances on others so they can have their own little pity party in their tiny bubble.

One forum I admired for a long time was the Transformetrics forum based on John Peterson's take on the Charles Atlas program and how it can help prolong someone's fitness endeavors with little to no equipment. It had a lot of inspiring things and ideas for workouts that I've personally done myself but the more I started paying the attention, the more I started noticing very few people on there were fit and it acted more like a religious setting that was more off putting than anything. John is an ok guy and I'm honored with the conversations we've had over the years but he's far and wide from being a super trainer or anything of that sorts and is very biased in how he does workouts and some of those workouts did hurt some people not just physically but mentally as well. I had to leave because for one, that place is dying off and won't change anything to keep it afloat, two there's nothing inspiring there anymore and hasn't been for a long time. It's practically a ghost town and the only members left are just looking for heartache.

I know what it's like to get so caught up in keyboard battles that you forget that it's a test of control and my impulses got me into some heat with people but at the same time, I realize now that those same people most likely set me up to set me off so they can go run to their buddies and tell them horrible things about me. I do admit, it's my own damn fault for being in those situations and I know some people who would've or could've smacked me upside the head and told me to knock that shit off. That's where the death traps really come in where if your anxiety is high, you're frustrated and have no control over your thinking, you're going to act on impulses and it will bite you in the ass and I'm not ashamed to admit that I did do those things. I'm a passionate person, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I stand up for what I believe in but some people took advantage of that and it did get to me.

Another forum I've looked in on is based on the courses by Ross Enamait which are pretty freaking crazy but using simple exercises to get in top condition. Some of the people I've read are biased in a certain sense but others are open minded and see it for what it is and use the creativity to find the best workouts for themselves. Ross is a no, nonsense boxer who even in his 40's I believe is in peak physical condition that most guys half his age would envy or even fear. I admire guys like that and they have that warrior spirit that is inspiring.

Now one forum that I have mentioned before and will do so for the last time just can't get over their obsession with John Peterson and others like myself. Some of the same people on there I have gotten into it with are the ones that did get to me and I feel sick every time I talked to any one of them. They do their damndest to exploit, ridicule and belittle those that are far better than they ever were in their lives. Can you imagine living day after day doing almost nothing but show no remorse or empathy towards people you never actually met in person. Somebody should've just knocked my ass out for even engaging with those people. I know I'm giving them free press here but I'm here to tell you that if you ever plan on engaging in a forum or a group on social media, stay the fuck away from people like these guys. They're old, probably crippled, don't have an ounce of true sympathy in what they write and most likely get off on seeing those suffering while circle jerking around each other. I don't ever make a habit of disrespecting my elders but if there are people out there who act on things the way these guys do, respect is not only thrown out the window but locked in a box and put in the middle of the ocean to drop to the deepest of the bottom floor.

If there's anything I've learned about myself is that don't ever do what I did and learn to control your emotions when you're online. Not only will it get you into hot water, you will find how ice cold people can be and they'll only see you for they think they see. Whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok, Snapchat or whatever, be yourself but at the same time keep your guard up and protect yourself mentally and emotionally. Although in the end, words are just words, they can hit people far harder than others and it can get chaotic and keep you from being truly happy.

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.