Playful Stretching For Those Dark Times

Let's face it, although it's safe to be home during this period of time, it also can suck if you're having trouble figuring out what the hell to do. One of the best things you can do is train and not just for trying to not be bored or going through the motions but to also keep healthy, strengthen your mind and body and to keep having a positive attitude.

Stretching can be kinda boring which is why I don't do a ton of it but when you can be creative in how you stretch, it becomes something entirely different. It can be meditative, it can be something that will have you sweating but feeling like a million bucks but it also can channel your brain and develop new skills that will keep your body strong in the long run.

Yes it is easier to just be on the couch especially since many people can't go to work but it's very important to have your body be supple and flexible in order to do certain things, plus it can be very fun. One of my favorite things to do for stretching is combining different methods and combining them together to create a fun routine where all bets are off and you can change exercises on a dime while thinking quickly and testing your skills of mind and body as a single unit. I have practiced quite a few methods including Animal Flow, Ginastica Natural, DDP Yoga, Gymnastics and regular calisthenics but what if we put all those methods together to create a super routine that brings the creative side of exercise and get fit at the same time.

Although we have a lot of time on our hands these days, there are still families out there that have a few kids at home and that alone can be a workout that seems to go on forever and you're about to keel over just after playing in the fort for hours on end. A good routine that lasts no more than a few minutes can really save your sanity and it can be used throughout the day when you need a break or don't want to workout too long.

I made a youtube video of doing a routine that lasts just over 5 minutes that will have you moving and holding all sorts of exercises, can be used as a warm-up or as a standalone workout if you're short on time and need to get something in while the kids nap or something. It can be done anywhere, can be modified to your level and it makes your body work as a single unit. It stretches everything and opens up the hips, stretches every area of the back, works your core, teaches you to control your breathing and if you move fast (safely of course) it can be a good cardio workout too.

Create your own flows and holds and stay blissful during these dark days. Be safe, stay strong and make things work for you.

 

Swing Away My Friends

"Now that's what I call a Swinging Party."- Baloo The Bear


Getting fresh air can be a good thing since we've been told to stay home. In your backyard or out on the front lawn, getting in a good workout can really get you into the "swing" of things. Recently, on a nice sunny day, I went out and swung my Monster Mace that weighs about 25 lbs. Doing various exercises to really target my grip strength, coordination and a little cardio. The Mace is a great tool that has been used for centuries by Indian Wrestlers training in the ancient art of Kushti.

In modern day fitness, it is used to help those get fit with minimal equipment and work exercises that hit muscles that most weight training exercises don't. People like Mr. Maceman Rik Brown, Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling, Zenkahuna, Ryan Pitts and others have made Mace Swinging an art form and bringing back an ancient art of building warriors and conditioned people.

If you do some research on the Mace, you'll find that it's not always how heavy the mace is, it's the performance of the movements with the Mace that take on a entity of itself. Unlike a barbell where you do limited planes of movement, the Mace forces you to stay coordinated and balanced in a very unique way. There are all sorts of exercises you can do that will strengthen your core like crazy, build a powerful grip and challenges the way you move your elbows, shoulders, hands and wrists.

This implement is a lot of fun to use and you can play around with a lot of exercises that gets you fit and develops functional strength and power.

Are You A Bold One?

"General Kenobi...You are a bold one."- General Grievous


Being geeky just adds the fun to things. It's no fun being on lockdown but that doesn't mean you can't make the best of it right? This is a time of self-reflection, channeling your imagination and enhancing your creativity. Since many gyms are closed, what the hell do you do now? There's still a way to get fit while in quarantine and you don't need any special equipment to do it. All you need is your own bodyweight and the will to push through your mental strength. A workout that doesn't take up a ton of tie but gets the job done.

We can go out for a run or a walk but for the most part, being told to stay home is the primary objective and if you want to get your cardio in, you'll have to find a way to do it. I have a solution that can really amp up your lungs and help build strength, conditioning and speed. It's three exercises done in a circuit for a few rounds and that's all you'll have to do.

It may look easy but it's not something you want to mess with. You'll be doing Push-ups, Squats & Punches, sounds pretty simple but even simple can kick your ass. It's called Bold Choice, a circuit workout from the world of Neila Rey and her website Darebee.com. You can do this anywhere and barely a few square feet of floor space. Do you think you can handle it?

I also have filmed doing this workout so you can see how it's done. It is important to note that if you're a beginner, rest when needed between rounds and go at your own level. I don't rest at all and go straight through it to really fire up my conditioning. Have fun and be sure to check out other workouts on the website where you can download programs, nutrition info and much more. Help support this site by donating or ordering their workout programs in book form on Amazon. 

The Transformetrics Isometric Power Belt Workout

The beauty of Isometrics is how they can be used just about anywhere with no special equipment whatsoever, but there are some things or specific equipment that can help hit muscles in certain areas that free-hand, weights or your environment don't hit so you can strengthen those areas. I have written in the past about the Isometric Power Belt from Transformetrics/Bronze Bow Publishing and how it's been a secret weapon of mine to strengthen my body from more angles than I can count.

The belt itself is just a tool, it's nothing really special in reality, it's not the end-all-be-all Isometric Apparatus and it's not going to make you a superman or wonder woman but it can enhance levels of strength from virtually limitless angles, the only thing it'll lack is your imagination. I was given two updated belts by John Peterson himself and we were going to see what I can do with them. I was very successful with it and because I didn't really need a second belt, I gave the other one to Bud Jeffries as a gift for being the man that married me and my wife.

Because of the length of the belt, you can make double loops with it and add more exercises to the repertoire as opposed to the original belt that was much shorter. Personally, I' not a fan of the double loops and it takes up more time than I want when it needs adjusted to the exercise I want to do. I love single loops better because I can focus on one arm at a time and I won't have to feel like I'm stepping on the damn thing or having the buckle push into my back. While reading the pamphlet for the original belt and coming up with exercises on my own, I never truly needed the updated version of the belt pamphlet/book and I'm sure I came up with exercises that the book won't have.

John Peterson has made countless claims on what the belt can do, most of them are exaggerated as hell but his heart is in the right place but like I said before, I have made great progress with it like; keeping weight down (My heaviest was 275 and with additional training with the belt, I've stayed within 250-260 ever since), developed definition in my forearms, back, shoulders and arms, increased strength in my tendons and ligaments to where I rarely ever get injured and when I did, I recovered pretty fast, my speed went up so when I do my regular training, I was quick on my feet and other benefits. It goes without saying that John so far has not been able to publish the new book with the new belt and keeps piling on projects that don't seem to get anywhere and this was his last attempt as a truly good fitness publisher. You can still buy the belt (as far as I know) but it is 100% certain the book will never be published. Wayne Gretzky once said "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take", this applies really well to John and as a friend, I feel sorry for him.

Another sad thing is, there really isn't a single video displaying the Belt and the exercises you can do, the closest thing you'll get is from a an named Greg Newton who lives in the Carolinas and is a gun enthusiast and fire fighter. However, yesterday I made a video not just on Isometric Exercises with the belt but how you can adjust it to various exercises, how it packs up and how to roll it back up into the little pouch it comes in. It's an 11 minute video of instructing you with my training, I don't talk or give an introduction like I've done with past videos on youtube. You'll see on hand what you can do if you wanted to do Curls, Presses, Rows and other fun stuff. I don't really stop or anything for rest, I breathe as calmly as possible and just adjust the belt to the next exercise, no BS and no messing around.

This youtube video will most likely be the only real training video for the updated Isometric Belt. There isn't any special lighting, no music, no pretty stuff, just me, the belt, my camera phone and the dungeon I train in at home. You'll find that you can adjust it just about any way you see fit and you'll see I don't fake anything. Hope you enjoy it and if you do get a belt, use it to make your goals come true and if it's too pricey for you, there's a link in the description about a strap you can get on Amazon or just click on the link that's on the right side of this blog.

The Power Of Meditation

Workouts are always awesome to do especially since we are dealing with a virus named after a beer but even at times, working out or just training can only put you at ease for so long. We will get through this but it is also important to focus on keeping yourself calm, relaxed and not overhyped up. Coming from someone like me who is prone to anxiety and ADD should be the last person to give you advice on staying calm and collected. That's the thing though, I understand what it's like to go through that and practicing what I can and helping you get through it together.

Aside from the Isometrics that have been my main source of fitness lately, I have also been practicing meditation. From various forms of it, meditating has been a blessing to me and although it could be better especially since being stuck in the house and trying not to go crazy when your wife is at home on her days off. I really have to give my girl credit for putting up with me and doing her best to deal with my stuff along with hers. She is just fighting to stay sane at this point and on her days off, she needs to rest as much as she can just to recharge. It has been a tough test of wills but we are one strong couple and it's going to make those days when this is over all that much sweeter.

I'm sure you know by now that meditation isn't a cure-for-all but the benefits alone can aid in how to keep your spirits up and find that it is more powerful than it is credited for. In these dark times, seeing a light shine is the biggest thing we can hope for and believe that times like these won't be pitch black and bring a stronger entity to our mental and emotional wellbeing. Our thoughts can go into our physical form and generate either good or bad factors that will determine how we go forward. The more we sink into the black hole of bad thoughts, it's going to bite us in the ass and the choices we make whether consciously or subconsciously will make our bodies worse or better.

The power of meditation puts you into the driver seat on how you see yourself, what you want out of yourself and how you can heal/regenerate yourself just by breathing and processing your thoughts. I sometimes will do the Theater Of The Mind technique to picture and energize in my mind what I want to be better whether it's myself or those around me. I sometimes will do the Magical Imagineering Theater audio to give myself extra juice on how I see my goals and take pictures in my imagination of my successes and get that positive vibration through seeing my excitement, the flow of electricity running through my body and seeing what I want to accomplish from an eagle's view. Most of the time, I would just meditate in the seiza position (sitting on the shins), do my breath of fire exercise to enhance my deep breathing after a few seconds and just sit, listen to the Force, breathe as deeply as possible and shut my eyes.

There are many ways to meditate but do what gives you the best benefit. You can stand, you sit, you can move, you can listen to music or whatever but use a style of meditation that helps relieve your stress, keeps you calm and helps you focus at your best. The more relaxed we can be, the easier we will get through this. I am with you on this and I want to send you as many positive vibes as possible because we all live on this planet and although we are a speck of dust in the universe, doesn't mean we can't be big in our hearts. Stay strong, stay safe and keep yourself relaxed and calm as best as you can.