What Isometric Routine Works Best For You?

For people who do practice Isometrics, at times it's not easy picking a routine or finding an interest in one particular area of Isometrics. Some use straps, others used the bullworker, some do Free-Handed, using the environment such as within the house or do full on Muscle Control. Courses such as 7 Seconds To A Perfect Body and Isometric Power Revolution (practically the same course just different authors) use the Free-Hand approach while one writes about fat loss and developing better musculature, another takes it on geared to purely physique type training or better to look at it from a old school Bodybuilding approach. Both do wonders.

There are people who practice a particular method of Isometrics and than after years of doing it, changes it up and acts like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. How would you know what truly works? In my opinion; do different methods, practice styles of it in a combination. Although I prefer the straps using the Isometric Power Belt, I also practice Free-Handed, using things around the house, holding weight, posture type exercises and even animal based movements in an Isometric fashion. 

There are so many uses for Isometrics it's not even funny. You can do them for bodybuilding, rehab, increasing strength for weightlifting/olympic lifting, sports like MMA, Arm Wrestling, Baseball (segments of pitching and batting), Boxing for punching power and so much more. It is often overlooked because for one, they can be boring and two, it's harder work than many movement based methods. You can even use it to increase strength in your calisthenics for example; if you can do 100 straight push-ups do you think you can hold that same push-up for 2 minutes in the mid position? Many people can't. Doing a hold like that takes on a whole other sport of tackling not just the muscles but the tendons, ligaments and fascia. Try doing one push-up where you hold the top for one minute, mid for one minute and the lowest position for one minute and push back up. 

The best people that I have researched and known in this day and age that make Isometrics a cornerstone for incredible conditioning, physique building and superhuman like strength are guys like Bud Jeffries, Steve Justa, Steve Maxwell, Jarell Lindsey, Batman O'Brien, Matt Furey and a couple others. What they taught me about Isometrics through their writings, videos and even seeing one of them personally up close, it makes training all that much sweeter and much more leveled around doing things that help overcome plateaus and utilize cardio without moving. 

Don't always look to making a specific routine routine of Isometrics unless you have specific goals in mind, I encourage to use it as an add on to your regular training say either at the beginning, as a finisher or strengthen the weak points of your training. My use of Isometrics recently was to heal a minor injury to my left shoulder which was my fault since I used a method that had overusing the shoulder muscles for too many days in a row. Within a couple days, my shoulder was feeling great and no longer discomforting or even slightly painful, that was all thanks to Isometrics. 

Now if you want a specific routine that is exclusively Isometrics, here's an idea of what I do....

For most days if I focus on Isometrics, using the strap (or Power Belt), I would hit the biceps, shoulders, back and traps for those particular muscle groups (different exercises for different days). For the Chest, Abs and Legs, I stick to Freehand exercises such as a series of Chest Presses for the Chest, Side Bends plus Hollow & Arch Body Holds for the Core Muscles and Wall Sits mainly for the legs. My personal favorite Isometric is used in two different ways; Fist Over Fist (Which I learned from Furey) or Wrist Over Wrist (Which John Peterson calls the Milo, I call it the X-Factor cause it sounds cooler) and do this Free-Handed Exercise almost every time I do my Isometric Workout. It hits just about every muscle in the upper body and can be done anywhere at anytime. It's more of a Finisher Isometric than anything else but it's a favorite to get a pump going. 

God Dammit, silly me LOL, I forgot about the Freakin Neck (doing my best Kurt Angle impression). Neck Isometrics really are one of the most crucial aspects for any form of training especially those in combat sports. For me, It's Bridges and Self Resistance Isometrics that really work best. The only neck issues I've ever had was when I wasn't training my neck which isn't very often, I train my neck almost more than any other muscle group not only because I find it more important but it's a hell of a lot more fun. 

Add in some Isometrics into your training and see the skyrocket of strength you'll achieve from all sorts of angles. The late great Karl Gotch once said "Always work your muscles from every possible angle." 

The Ups And Downs Of Being An Empath

Definition Of An Empath: a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual.

It is rare to find someone who has incredibly strong empathy which also means absorbing others emotions/feelings like a sponge. I have developed a very strong level of intuition and memory ever since I got the meningitis as a baby. Because of those things, I naturally developed empathy cause for as long as I can remember, I have always sensed things about people or I can read certain emotions or how others felt without saying or showing anything. 

Although it is rare, it's not something all that special and I know I'm not the only empath in the world. It can be both a blessing and a curse because with other people, they don't absorb very much and what goes in one ear, goes out the other and nothing comes of it. I however, absorb it like a Duck to Water and it is difficult to explain or make others understand. Many people believe Empathy is just made up and we're just emotional people and seen like it is mental weakness because we don't have our shit together, trust me I've heard it and been told to my face. 

Here's one way to explain someone who's an empath.....If someone can walk into a room and there's something off or something just feels incredibly good, an empath can sense it, he/she doesn't know who it is or where exactly it's coming from but there's something there and the emotions and feelings can at times be overwhelming. Sounds like something out of science fiction huh? Now it doesn't just end with Empaths, if you have ever sensed a certain energy that just didn't feel right or you felt off, that does happen. 

Here's another way that might seem relatable.....In Star Wars, there are those who are Force-Sensitive beings, those who are strong in the Force and can channel abilities which can include, the sensing of people's energy from a telepathic point of view. Of course in the real world, that's exaggerated but there's a small hint of truth there that we as human beings aren't just made up of bones, blood, skin and a brain. We have emotions that has both good and bad, at times we carry a heavy heart on our sleeve and have a form of sympathy for another person. Others were taught or learned on their own to cut their emotions off, block themselves from feeling a certain way because it is considered weakness to show emotions and form an identity as an emotional robot. 

Empaths are very sensitive to certain things and if someone nears them or feels someone else's emotions, the empath involuntarily collects it and can either feel sick, mentally drained, at times if someone has strong positive emotions or feelings an empath will feel happy or elated for no apparent reason. Empaths feel more compelled to feel compassion and hyper involved with those who have suffered or have felt incredible sense of joy and happiness. If an empath is around a crowd, that can be one of the most mentally exhausting things they'll put themselves through and it's not entirely their fault. When you absorb so much, sleeping can be one's best friend and needs a full on recharge. Throughout most of my life, I have felt this way. 

Isolation can be your best friend, or your worst enemy and in cases like mine, it's a bit of both or a catch 22 meaning as much as I may need isolation, it still sucks because I do love being around people. People do need to be aware and understand the way empaths are and do some research into the subject. We can be hypersensitive and we do what we can to protect ourselves from certain energy sucking vampires but it's not always that simple or easy and in reality, we don't wish that on anybody. It can be very powerful and many who are empaths tend to be more alone than the average person. 

When I absorb people, at times my emotions aren't mine anymore and will feel anger, joy, hatred or suffer emotional trauma without knowing really why. Sometimes I feel things right away, other times, I can't sense anything at all but when it hits me, it's not a tap on the shoulder, it's a shot to the gut with a sledgehammer. I'm talking about this because I want others to know that they're not alone and I sympathize what you are going through and there are empaths out there that have suffered far more than I can imagine and want them to know that I may not understand the full extent of your pain but I do understand what it's like to be overly emotional and not always realizing why. 

Some people don't realize they're empathic and maybe were told to hold their emotions in, not to feel and that emotional strength comes from being told what to do instead of thinking for yourself. When someone's empathic, emotions become erratic and we can't help but feel things others don't understand. No matter how hard we try, being mentally exhausted from others' energy is a sign that we do need a little TLC at times or that when someone cries next to you, you can't help but cry with them, that means you're suffering with them and you sense how much they are suffering. 

If you are someone who carries empathy; learn to protect yourself, set boundaries, take time to recharge and be open to the idea of learning the value of understanding. 

Sometimes A Walk Is More Than Just A Walk

It's always nice to take a stroll on a beautiful summer day, either with someone, a group or by yourself. Taking in the fresh air and listening to the sounds around you. Now if you live in a city like New York, probably got to be more careful but if you live in an area where there's trees, a waterfall (artificial or natural), kids playing, a park or wherever brings you joy, it's to get a good walk in. It's one of the best exercises you can do for your health and wellbeing.

Some people power walk or use very light dumbbells as they walk or in some cases, walk with a weight vest on to add onto your cardio. Recently on my walks, I take out and put on a cable apparatus to really get things going. It's a handle, a foot strap and a cable you attach it to and you're off to the races. This takes Power Walking to a whole other level.

With this device, you can do all sorts of exercises like curls, raises (front and lateral), punching, overhead presses, circles and flys to name a few. The main exercise is a similar motion to a ski walk. This helps burn more calories than regular walking and really tests your cardio, muscular endurance, coordination and long term strength. How long can you go? For most people, a couple miles would be more than enough, for me I try to go for about 20-30 minutes non stop.

Lifeline Fitness use to carry this product but doesn't sell it anymore but it's still around if you do some research. It's a personal favorite of mine and is awesome for a lot of folks who don't like running or can't run but love to walk. The resistance isn't much but the longer you go, you will feel it and you'll be breathing pretty heavy too. The one website I did find it is on Amazon.

Burn more calories, work the tendons and the muscles at the same time, enhance your cardio, endurance, strengthen the organs and the Central Nervous System. It's low impact and gets you in shape fast. Start out with about 10 minutes and get a feel for it. You don't even have to go for a walk, you can use it in your own doing exercises that tone and enhance your metabolic system. Sometimes, a walk is more than a just a walk.

Core Conditioning With The Power Wheel

Many who go to the gym and work on their Abs, generally work in different parts or through Isolation. Doing work one area at a time and although they may look good, they won't have any particular strength that is needed in the long run. Our Core muscles aren't just for building a six pack. Back over 100 years ago, the most built athletes at the time such as Sandow, Hackenschmidt, Arco and Zass didn't do Crunches or used devices that only targeted one area; they built their bodies through hard work, gymnastics, wrestling, labor, bending steel and moving weight in awkward positions. They were the backbone of Physical Culture at that time and very few today in the mainstream fitness culture knows who they are.

Having a six pack in general is an overrated thing to accomplish. If you don't have the strength behind it or can't take a punch, what good are you to anyone other than a photoshoot? I will say it isn't a bad thing to develop it, but in order to truly accomplish having great abs, they better come with a solid foundation of strength and conditioning. To really go into the depths of your Core so to speak, you train it as if it was a single unit instead of pits and pieces of a puzzle put together.

Now, great ab exercises such as V-Ups, Dragon Flys, Side Bends, Bridging, Wall Walking and Overhead Leg Raises will strengthen your Core like crazy but the Cream Of The Crop goes to the simple Ab Wheels and the best of them all, The Power Wheel. The Power Wheel targets not only the abdominal muscles but works other areas of the body too such as the lower back, the obliques and the hips. Our Core is the center of our body and needs to be trained so we have less chances of getting injured or we train it to make it even stronger than before and rid ourselves of back pain.

Someone like Bob Backlund perfected the standard wheel to build incredible strength and conditioned muscles that to this day at 70+, he's still kicking ass in his training. The Power Wheel in my opinion is the Major Leagues of Wheel Training where you don't just roll it out, you can put your feet in and do even more exercises that has your body working together otherwise, you won't last very long. Take your Ab Training into the stratosphere and conquer what sit-ups and crunches could never do. Want to be a better athlete, use the Power Wheel, want to be in shape fast, use the Power Wheel, want better posture, use the Power Wheel.

You don't need more than a few minutes to really feel what the Power Wheel will do to your muscles. It can make you so sore the net day, you would feel like you got hit with a Crowbar. The basic exercises is really all you need such as: The Roll Out, Hamstring Pull-Ins, Pike Ups, Knees To Chest and Walking On Your Hands. The more advanced exercises such as Alligator Walks, Plyo Push-Ups, Walking Pike and the 100 Yard Challenge are for the Sadists who want to test their limits. A few minutes with this thing will do far more than taking a ridiculous amount of time doing thousands of crunches. Want Punch-Proof Abs, strap into the Power Wheel guys.

Staying In Shape While Camping

When there's an opportunity to go camping, it's usually wanting to get away from civilized life and responsibilities while finding a place of solitude or among a small group of friends and recharge the batteries. Being outdoors among the wilderness, surrounded by forest, animals at times and listening to the sounds of the creeks and rivers. 

Growing up in California, I only camped maybe a couple times in the first 27 years of my life. Camping out with friends in Yosemite was fun and my friend Tyler brought along his Kettlebell and we did swings next to the fire. That was a blast. For the last 8+ years since I've lived in Idaho, I've gone camping now 3 times and all have been in a 5 year period with my wife and her friends. 

Camping can be fun but it's also an opportunity to find out what kind of shape you're in. The things I love to do camping is finding big odd rocks to lift, chop some wood, swim in the creek and practicing some qi gong or meditation techniques near water. I've always been a water kid, swimming in oceans, lakes, creeks, rivers and basically just being drawn to it. This past Saturday, we went up for a night and I brought my Indian Clubs with me and got in about 500-600 Swings standing on a small rock inches from the creek. It was a riveting experience and feeling totally at peace.

Being out in nature is a powerful experience and not just seeing trees and all that, it's the experience of feeling the earth and listening to the sounds of the birds, wildlife and water that flows the way the universe intended to be. You learn to be helpful among people, you play a role when camping and whether you are alone or with a group, you find out things about yourself. I'm not big on making a fire due to trauma and I'm really not the type of guy who would camp by himself but I love it when I get to help chop, break down and carry firewood and the person doing the fire gets to do his/her part. I learn to use my strengths and gain knowledge of what I'm weak at and little by little have them become my strengths. 

I do believe in that i you're going camping, you need to be in some kind of shape, maybe not professional athlete kind of shape but some form because if you're among people or by yourself, it can be awkward at times pitching a tent, chopping wood and carrying loads of it is hard work and swimming among a river or creek can at times be rugged and learning how to take the cold water. Ok maybe you don't need to be super strong to put up a tent but you do need some brains, coordination (especially if you find a spot where being at an awkward angle might happen) and the understanding of putting it up properly with some covering because if it rains or the tent isn't set up properly, you're in for a rough night. 

Being in shape has it's perks and not talking Gym Rat kind of shape. I don't think too many gym guys who have built their bodies using machines and metal can last very long chopping wood and than having to carry it. Most pretty boys wouldn't last ten seconds in a cold river or creek and many "gym strong" guys wouldn't have much strength to carry up a heavy cooler up rugged terrain or a small hill. For men (and women at times), you learn what real strength and conditioning is when you camp. 

This is why I love training using hammers, maces, sandbells, rubber cables, ab wheels and skipping; they give you tools to be in shape for the real world and learning how to use your body at awkward angles instead of just straight up and down. Train for the real world and utilize your knowledge to help others.