Short Plank Workout That Will Make Your Core Beg For Mercy

When it comes to Isometric Exercise, the most popular that most people know is the Plank. Very simple; just get into a pushup position on your hands or forearms and hold it as long as you can without coming down to your knees. It's simple but not easy. Some people can barely last 30 seconds and others have held it for 5 minutes or more. It does however get boring after a while once you "mastered it."

There are all sorts of variations of the plank that doing just one for an extended period of time would be just limiting yourself. It does hold certain benefits such as building strength in your core, your tendons, shoulders, upper back and more but I feel the longer you can go with a certain variation, it's time to change things up.

Most hold a plank like on the hands or forearms like I mentioned earlier but what if you held it on your fists or fingertips? How about with your arms bent in the mid position or in the superman hold? One workout I did was hold a plank on my fists for over a minute but was also wearing my 20 lb weight vest. I'm around 260-265 lbs so I'm holding up about 65% of my bodyweight in the plank position, so calculate that (260 x .65 = 169 lbs.) and add 20 to that and you have nearly 190 lbs, that's a lot of weight to be holding in that position. That is a good amount of strength being developed.

Now let's kick it up a notch (without the weight vest this time) and do a plank workout where every few breaths or so, you change the hand positions in the plank without coming down. You can change one hand at a time or both hands it's up to you but think how your fired up your core would be if you changed the positioning on a dime. Fist one hand and flat palm the other, both fists, flat hands but the arms are bent, all of that in the plank position.

Some film it to test their durability and to show that Isometrics are an incredible method and telling people to toughen themselves up. It's brutal but its the kind of training many should strive for. I do it because it's fun and finding creative ways to train that could carry over to other areas. Imagine how strong your arms would be overall if you did various plank exercises in one shot and forget sit-ups and crunches, your core will be on fire just holding yourself up let alone changing the hand positions.

In the video below, I do a plank workout where I hold for over 2 minutes changing the positions of my hands in the process. 2 minutes sounds easy but I assure you, it definitely isn't. Try it and see how you do. You will test your strength that is non traditional and working muscles you didn't think would be working. Just trying to be flat is hard enough. If you think a minute on your forearms is easy, than I challenge YOU to do this.

Happy Revenge Of The Fifth

Yesterday was incredible not only was it beautiful out but it was also me and my wife's 1st Anniversary plus it's also cool to be have it on Star Wars Day. Had a great breakfast of Eggs, French Toast & Sausages, went out on a beautiful drive by Coeur D' Alene Lake to a spot called Osprey Point overlooking the water. Taking pictures, talking about our future and spending amazing quality time together. Couldn't be any happier.

My workout mainly that day was just Isometrics using my Isometric Power Belt. Got in plenty of exercises doing curls, pressdowns, upright rows, deadlifts, shoulder presses, bow and arrow pulls and others in Iso Fashion. Hope everyone is having an amazingly awesome day. You can check out our pictures on my facebook.

Isometric Training is such a kick ass method that has you doing all sorts of exercises from limitless angles that also generates incredible strength and surging power in your system. Now for the most part it normally takes me several hours after waking up to even feel hungry but after that Iso Workout yesterday not too long before breakfast, I devoured the food me and my wife made. It's a hell of a fat burner and burning calories after the workout is a big bonus as well. I love using the Strap I have.

Isometrics alone can be a phenomenal workout but in order to get maximal results, adding in some bodyweight exercises, weights and other implements would be ideal. Some like to use isometrics as an addition to their routine, before or after a workout or just a day of Isometrics and the rest of the week do whatever. I like to use Isometrics often as something to do before I do other methods throughout the day or depending on my energy levels, do micro workouts of Isometrics or other other things. It boils down to what gets you going and where you're at that day.

Make your training meaningful and something that makes you proud to be able to do things most can't. Train smart and train with intensity and passion. You can work hard all you want but if the passion and the drive aren't there and all you're doing is digging yourself into a fitness grave, it's not worth your time or your health.

The Frank Gotch Squat Challenge

I normally don't get in the habit of doing certain challenges but one came up that I might try out just to see how it goes. After my legs heal up from some crazy soreness doing hundreds of Hindu Squats the other day I'll give this a chance. It is named after the legendary American Catch As Catch Can Wrestler Frank Gotch (1878-1917).

I first heard of this challenge by the Scottish Wonder Woman Kirsten "LittleTank" Tulloch who got it from I believe Travis Futrell but I'm not entirely sure but it seems one heck of a challenge and a hell of a leg workout. Frank Gotch was to Wrestling back in the early 20th century was what Wayne Gretzky was to Hockey, he dominated opponents and was known as a Hooker; a feared wrestler who knew how to cripple his opponents.

You can learn more about Frank Gotch by getting some of his books on wrestling and his life here.....

The Squat Challenge can be done in different ways (especially if you're a sucker for loving Leg Day) but the main premise is this.....

Hold a half squat or ass to grass squat for 30 seconds

Come up do 1 Bodyweight Squat

Hold for 30 Seconds

Do 2 Bodyweight Squats

Hold for 30 Seconds

Do 3 Bodyweight Squats

Repeat the hold and go up a number of squats until you can't go anymore. Rest 2 minutes than do 5 minutes of as many Squats as you can.

Some might do the full squat hold but I prefer the half squat since you feel more of the legs in that position and as for the squats, I prefer the Hindu Squats. It'll test you that's for sure and you'll feel your legs like jello. Conditioning is an athlete's greatest asset and the more you can outlast the next guy, the better. Challenges can be a change of pace and testing your abilities to see what kind of shape you're in. You don't have to be a wrestler to be in good condition but if you plan on being a wrestler, conditioning is your best friend before technique and sparring/competing. Have fun with this and see how you do.

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.