Some Days Are Just Not As Easy As Others

Ever have one of those days where you just don't have it all there? It happens and sometimes your body just doesn't always cooperate with your mind and your energy isn't all there. I did the deck of cards today doing Hindu Push-Ups & Hindu Squats, managed only half the deck which makes me a little pissed since the last time I did it I went through the whole thing. At least it's better than nothing and still got a good workout out of it.

Over the years, I've managed to get a workout in everyday without fail, rain, snow, the flu, minor injuries and having low and high energy. It's just what I do but I know I'm not superhuman and can go at it 100% every time. The body needs recovery time and when that happens; take a walk/hike, do deep breathing exercises, practice CoreForce Energy, do Aerobic Isometrics, low intensity exercise but at least do something. Today was just a day where my body is thrown off and need to let my body recover a little more plus it's no fun having built up earwax in your ear and half hear out of it (glad I can help with the visual), I did use some removal to help rid of the wax and probably need to do a couple more times than i'll be ok.

Our energies can go way up or way down depending on the situation and it's not always the weather, your zodiac sign or the voice in your head telling you how to feel. Our bodies just have certain days where it's just not there and that's ok. Everybody is different and we all experience various levels of energy. This is more of a lesson of being intuitive and doing what you can do in the point in time. Be careful and listen to your body. Yes there's mind over matter but you can only go for so long before it could bite you in the ass and you can end up really hurt and not do things for a long time. Be smart in your training and trust your instincts.

Recover well my friends and get back to kicking ass when you can.

Hindu Push-Ups And Hindu Squats: A Card Workout For The Ages

Having a solid level of conditioning can be a lifesaver and not just physically. However, being in top shape doesn't come easy but there are smart ways to get in shape and one of the best is through a deck of cards. Having been successful with various decks with multiple variations of exercises, I can say that it does wonders more than what people give it credit for. Karl Gotch believed in it so much it was one of his foundations for developing into a Conditioning Machine. The guy just never seemed to tire.

Karl's style of the bible is through four exercises; The Hindu Push-up, The Hindu Squat, 1/2 Moon Push-ups & Hindu Jumping Squats. He got so good at them that when we wanted to test his limits, he'd triple the number of reps for the exercises or he'd go through the deck more than once, how the hell can you not have crazy stamina from that? I have tried out the 1/2 Moon Push-ups with Gotch's student Tom Puckett when I use to go to the gym with him and for some reason, that push-up never clicked with me, it felt very awkward and doing any proper reps never made it. It's a good variation but it's definitely not meant for everyone.

When I was doing the Matt Furey Exercise Bible (Hindu Push-ups, Hindu Squats, V-Ups & Tablemakers) on a consistent basis especially for the many days in a row I did with it this year so far, I got good at them to a degree, my form with tablemakers was never that great because of the way my hips are but doing that many reps with that exercise did help certain areas but I was never truly fond of it. The V-Ups were a little different, my core did get stronger and I like them better than the Tablemakers but when it comes to Core Building, I never truly liked sit-ups and all that, not that they're not good, just not meant for me. My form in Hindu Push-ups however has gotten better and I'm starting to like them more than I did in the past, same with Hindu Squats; I would do mainly up to 500 Squats at a time and with the cards, I don't need to do much of them unless it was a full deck of nothing but Squats.

When you just do the Hindu Push-ups & Hindu Squats, you don't need to do more than those 2. They are the foundation and the multiple variations of them is just icing on the cake. When I do the cards, for face cards for the Hindu Push-up, I use my Push-up Handles and do them with two variations; the hands places horizontally and placed Vertically, this way I'm not working the same set of muscles every time and just do regular Hindu Push-ups for lower numbered cards (so really three variations). Gotch once said "Always work your muscles from every possible angle." 

I've thought about going back to just the Push-ups & Squats and use that for a conditioning program or a foundation for exercises done later in the day so I'm working my body from many directions. My Core Conditioning mainly consists of HIIT, Animal Movements and the Wheel. For a period doing just the Push-ups & Squats gave me energy to do everything else because I got the hardest workout already done and was smooth sailing from there, maybe I can do that again and start fresh. 

Even though a deck is just a deck, it can also take down even the most conditioned men around and still have them begging for more. Wrestlers have used it, Football Players, MMA Fighters, Bodyweight Enthusiasts, Barstarzz Guys and it's also a time saver if you want to push yourself but not go for hours on end. It is brutal and it's never the same twice. It won't turn you into the world's strongest man but it can aid in how your level of stamina goes and you will last longer in other endeavors. Break out a deck and see how you do, I look forward to hearing about it. 

The Last Stand: Breaking Free Of The Wretched Slime

I guess I'm now one of those guys who has a literal following of Anti-Fans or HATERS that can't seem to shut up about how awful and "retarded" I' am. I have written about them before and I won't mention their site by name. It has been going on for years and up until about a year ago, I started actually paying attention to it. Why I did that, still beats the hell out of me.

I've had people tell me to stay away from them and I didn't listen. I let my own ego get the best of me and I'm not ashamed to admit this, but they came within inches of completely breaking me. I let their warped minds get in my head and for a period, let them live not only rent free but I practically handed over the fucking keys and say "here you go assholes, trash the place and I'll clean it up." I couldn't write, I can barely get a workout in (even 5 minutes felt like a chore) and I was at my weakest mentally and it is my own damn fault.

A friend I made from Matt Furey's Facebook Group said something to me that made a light bulb go off in my head so bright, it could blind Superman. His name is Gideon and he and the others that I FINALLY really listened to and hit me like a freaking freight train (I know, took my ass long enough) inspired me to stand up for myself and live what I love to do and that's train to the best of my abilities and understand that although the haters exist, I don't need to know what they say or do because all they have as a life preserver is negative bullshit that just won't DIE.

The only person in control of their destiny and the way they handle things is ME. Not only do they no longer have the keys, their bones are broken and they're crippled from me taking them. Haters do exist and us writers, bloggers, online entrepreneurs deal with them in our own way. This is mine so to cap this off, here's a little SONG from one of my favorite bands Alestorm that sums up what I really want to say and do to my haters and all the negative people that continue to trash me, my friends, my fellow bloggers and writers.

*WARNING* This song is NSFW.

Be Safe, Stay Strong & Stay Healthy.

Crawling On The Wild Side

For being stuck at home, you can only do so much until that feeling of being closed in kicks in and cabin fever is hitting you like a Mike Tyson punch. Let's take a trip to the wild, maybe not the chaos or going out to a masked filled crowd kind of wild but in our imaginations. A few of my recent workouts have been 10 minutes of my Animal Dice Game with some deep breathing at the end to recover and it has had me feel like a million bucks and letting everything just bask in the glory of blissfulness.

Working out at home can get boring at times and often it's because people end up doing boring, traditional exercises. Animal Movements not only save you a ton of time but you don't have to a ton of exercise either to get the job done. I don't know if you want to turn yourself into a wild animal and terrorize the house like a beast locked in a cage, that might be too easy to do since being on lockdown feels exactly that but moving outside or using a little space to move back and forth can really put you into a state of mental clarity and just having fun. After all, isn't that what we need at the moment, to have a little joy in these dark times?

One of the best exercises you can do is the Bear Crawl. It's very simple, get on all fours and start moving. You won't last very long but it does give you the ability to develop strength, conditioning and other attributes that can actually be lifesaving. You've done a bear crawl at least once in your lifetime; races, football practice, warm up drills in wrestling, testing how long you can go until your arms fall off or playing a game. It has become more of a recreational exercise than for long-term health training. There are different variations you can do but my personal favorite is the way wrestlers, football players, Navy SEALS do them and if it works for them, well.....You don't have to do them fast either, walk slower and still get great benefits.

A good workout would be to do Bear Crawls in your driveway and just go until you have nothing left. I do a demonstration of just putting on some Gardener's Gloves, getting into position and just crawl until I come back around. Takes just under a minute but in that time, i'm hitting every muscle in my body, my arms are like a second pair of legs and focusing on my breathing. There's more to it going on but you get my point, it's a natural form of movement, it takes out the guessing game and makes it painfully obvious if your coordination isn't right, you're going to fall on your face or tip over. There's nothing complicated about doing Bear Crawls, you'll learn first hand if you're doing it right or not.

Have fun, be safe, get strong and be healthy everyone. If you have something to share, feel free to send me a shout.

Care For A Stroll?

Even in the darkest of days, it's good to take a little walk and give your body some fresh air and the blood pumping. Walking is not only a healthy form of exercise but it gives your brain a little boost as well. Every now and then, I'd take a good stroll around the neighborhood for about a half hour to an hour or more and check out the cool houses, the beautiful trees surrounding the areas and getting a beautiful clear view of the Lake. It just puts me at ease and a way to just let everything go for a moment.

Yesterday however, I thought I'd take a different stroll but not around the neighborhood but in my driveway. I took out my Power Wheel, put on some Gardener's Gloves, strap myself in and started walking on my HANDS. This is a hell of an upper body conditioning workout in and of itself. Working everything from head to toe to try to keep balance and not fall off. I haven't done this in a while but it felt good just to test myself out a bit. Needed to take a break a time or two but that's what happens when you try to work your arms as if they were legs.

This really stresses the entire body, mainly the shoulders, arms and wrists. The strength and power you can possess if you did this often is incredible and the condition your core will be in is Epically beneficial as well. Walking in this manner takes incredible concentration and it will bite you in the ass if you don't have the right balance. The idea here is to develop incredible conditioning that lasts and gives you real world functional strength in the long-run. Take your time and as a beginner, just hold yourself up and learn how to balance yourself, take small steps and work your way up.

Be Safe, Stay Strong & Be Healthy.