How Do You Prepare For Workouts In The Winter Months?

If you looked at the big picture of what brings you opportunities to train, you'd find out you can workout anywhere under most circumstances (there are some things that aren't always in our control) and be able to train in just about any form of weather although I wouldn't test that theory during a hurricane, tornado or in acid rain LOL. 

You can always get to the gym but if there's a blizzard out or Hurricane Karen is approaching, you might want to rethink your priorities. Bodyweight is one of the better options and so are things like Isometrics where you can use things in your household to create a great workout. Now if you want to go to extremes and want to take your chances out in the freezing ass cold, you might want to take the approach of Russian Athletes like the legendary Alexander Karelin whom trained in the dead of winter for decades doing everything from running, calisthenics, wrestling, lifting weights and even drills that would make most men puke their guts out. 

Winter Workouts can be a time of great importance as it teaches you a level of mental toughness and taking on tasks that would humble most. Shoveling snow can be a hell of a workout especially if it's on a daily basis in certain areas around the country and Canada. It's hard work and puts you on a level even this generation would be baffled by. How do you even prepare for workouts in the dead of winter? For one, be prepared to stay as warm as possible, two, you might want to learn some breathing techniques such as the Wim Hoff Method and three, cold showers can be your best friend.

For the workouts themselves, it depends on your goals and making the most out of what is possible at the time. If you're not use to the cold and you try to do workouts with as less clothing as possible, you could make yourself sick or even worse so it is important to build a tolerance. Learn from those like the Finnish with their ideas of the sauna and rolling in snow or going into a freezing lake, learn from Wim Hoff and learn from athletes who thrive in cold weather. From time to time, I'll train out in the snow doing mace swings, hammer strikes, kettlebell work or even some pushups and crawls but as a guy who grew up on the beaches of Santa Cruz, California there's always that mentality where being warm is just part of your nature and being in a warmer climate is something that you can't let go of. 

I've trained in t-shirts and shorts out in the snow and am always told how crazy I 'am but the truth is, I don't go out in the snow for hours at a time for specific reasons. One of them being that after a period, it can be almost near painful because of the rod and pins in my legs, when it's stupid cold out, I can feel it right away and need to be careful. I'll still crazy shit out there but only during a small window and have to balance out the cold and warmth. That's just life man and you do what works best. 

Make your winter workouts fun, that's another important thing to prepare for. If you condition yourself to hate the cold, you're going to be miserable but if you condition  your mind to be able to tolerate the cold and make something interesting out of it, you might get more enjoyment out of it. Go sledding, if you're into skiing or snowboarding, make it worth your while. Workouts should never feel like a chore or conditioned to hate. When you're a world-class athlete, you might end up hating the workouts because they're so damn hard, they'll make you wish you want to die but you do it for the sake of being the best possible. Those are the people that go a completely different route than most people and it's not always wise to train like a world-class athlete when you can barely keep up with the most basic exercises. 

Be prepared by expecting the unexpected, mentally condition yourself and physically level up little by little to train in winter. Have fun with it and challenge yourself little by little. Hell just standing there for several minutes at first may be all you can handle but it's not impossible to train hard, be smart about it and listen to your body. Be bold and keep being amazingly awesome. 

The Snow Has Fallen...FACK

 It is the first big snow day here in Hayden/Coeur D Alene Idaho which means time to get the jacket, sweats, gloves, boots and of course the almighty shovel. Life can't be anymore fun...Bullshit. To sum it up...Whoopie Fucking Doo. 

For real though, shoveling snow can be an invigorating experience and teach you valuable lessons like hard work, handling yourself in various conditions, getting the most out of the time you use like putting on some tunes. Sometimes it'll feel like you're in a war with the snow because it sometimes can get slushy so it weighs more as you pick up and toss. I envy those who live in warmer climates that don't have to do that unless you work at a site and shovel or farmer carry gravel and dirt. 

Many people around here do have snow blowers but there's something about having a shovel in your hands and putting in the work to ensure the people you care about can get out safely and get to where they need to. Hell yeah a snow blower is much easier to use but not everyone can afford one or even understand how to operate one so you go old school. Having a shovel and working heavy snow at times can be a test of your will and enduring strength. Some will say snow shoveling is not that big of a deal and saying how hard it is makes you sound weak and pathetic but the truth is, not everyone can last doing an hour or more of shoveling snow especially if its slushy as hell and if you live up in the mountains without many people around, a shovel can be your best friend or a pain in the ass. It's a matter of perspective.

It's always a good thing to help a neighbor when you can especially if that neighbor has kids and they're trying to get their car out. A snow blower won't always be the best option. That's what I love about this neighborhood, there are people who look out for one another and if there's an opportunity to help out, you do what you can. With all the crap that goes on in the world, there's still humanity somewhere and we have to hold onto that as best as we can.

One of things that has helped me stay injury free during the winter months and shoveling snow has been Isometrics. You wouldn't think that was possible but the fact is, moving snow can feel awkward and using muscles you normally don't use as you twist, pick up, turn and toss can have an impact on the body. Isometrics can give those movements a bit of leeway as you push/pull and twist in different directions. Hell there are workouts where I practice Isometric Shoveling in order to train my body so I don't hurt myself. There are people who do get hurt shoveling snow and it does happen often, not in a major way but enough where for some people there are issues especially in the hips, knees, elbows and shoulders. 

Now I'm not saying it takes a ton of strength cause it really doesn't or it makes you a better athlete, but snow shoveling isn't an easy task it's not meant to, simple yes and not difficult but you never know what you'll end having to do cause it can powdery one day and feel like easiest thing ever, the next day with slush, it can feel heavy as hell and the body has to adapt otherwise something could go wrong. This is where muscles do well for you but strong tendons and ligaments make the biggest difference. Obviously it's not a muscle builder or make you shredded but it is hard work and builds up mental toughness. 

Stay safe out there, help a neighbor, keep warm as much as you can and keep your body and mind healthy. Real strength comes from within and look out for one another, we can always use a bit of help sometimes. As always, be Amazingly Awesome. 

Sledgehammers And How They Take On Another Approach To Training

In one aspect of training with sledgehammers, you can essentially get a full body workout within a few minutes but in the overall aspects, there's nothing like holding one in your hands. This old school style of strength and conditioning has been used by fighters and enthusiasts for decades that go back to the old days of boxing and wrestling where athletes used hammers, axes and other tools to not only get stronger and fitter but to sharpen their coordination, enhance their conditioning and develop grip strength that just blows people's minds. 

The performance side of the coin is an added benefit because of that little nudge that edges an athlete's levels from mediocre to almost superhuman. The attributes alone would make any man or woman beg to possess. As you know, Sledgehammers are asymmetrical and performing movements such as the striking requires a certain blend of balance and coordination in order for the body to work like a madman and burn calories that would result in some awesome muscle building results. 

Now there are a variety of weights to use but as I've written in the past, the heavier the hammer is, the different the technique is in order to successfully and efficiently swing with control. I started out with a 10 lber and worked from there and for most people, it's a pretty good start. That's the bare minimum, now when it comes to the max, it all depends on your goals and quite frankly, you can go as high as you want but I caution you to understand the mechanics and how you control a hammer regardless of the weight.

When it comes to conditioning and continuous strength, you'll want to be able to handle a hammer that with great accuracy and speed, almost like a sprint. If you can do 30 reps within 40-45 seconds, that's cruising considering how you swing. There are also different variations of swings you can do for certain goals but the main two would be the rotational style that many use and the double handed chop style that is mainly used for lighter hammers for speed and conditioning. Now around 10-30 lbs using a speed style is more than enough (unless you're Bud Jeffries and can cruise through with a 40 or higher as if it was a 10), as you get heavier, you'll be focusing more on the power aspects and assuming you can lift a very heavy hammer (say 50 lbs or more), your whole will be forced to come into because there's no way you'll work a hammer that heavy the same way as say a 25 lber. 

Check out the video below for what I mean by this....

You can check out the tiktok video where I do more of a chopping motion and can move pretty fast with a 25 lb hammer. I did a workout yesterday where I did this exercise and worked up to a total of 552 reps using a deck of cards as my numbers count. That type of workout is not only brutal but your forearms will be pumped to the max and your lungs will feel like they just went through a marathon. The intensity, the heavy breathing, the pump and the surge of strength that can only be described as incredible. Using a 73 lb hammer is a whole different feel and a very different aspect of strength as you can see here.

Said it before, very few or anything can match having a hammer in your hands and going to town on a tire that pits you in the realm of the gods. Take it on and see what you're made of. Be strong and be amazingly awesome. 

Did You Hear The One About The Bear, The Crab, The Monkey & The Duck?

All jokes aside (maybe?) when it comes to exercise, you want to make things interesting. Being bored just sucks the fun out of doing something that's meant to get you in shape or keep you in shape. Although it is important to take training seriously because for one you want to maintain good health for as long as you can right? The other side of the coin is to make a workout work so well, you'll want to come back to it more and more or do it more often because you not only enjoy but it gives you a hell of a thrill.

That's one of the reasons why I love Animal Exercises so much, they allow you to freely move and harness your imagination to not only get great results but feel like it's not work but playing hard. From the dice games to flow routines and combos, there are so many ways to get in a great workout using the wild animals as your inspiration. One of my personal favorites for a while has been using a deck of cards which can be called the Animal Exercise Bible or the Animal Deck Of Madness (either way it's just a name). It consists of four Animals: Bear, Crab, Primate & Duck. It's 2 upper body animals and two lower body animals which target multiple muscle groups at the same time and works your conditioning, strength endurance, agility and your mobility. 

For a period with one of the lower body movements, I was doing an exercise called the chimp walk which I still do from time to time but have recently switched to an exercise that is based on wrestlers' type movements where it's somewhat like a lunge but you also reach out and pull as if to lunge and grab a hold of an opponent. I learned it from Eero Westerberg from Vahva Fitness and even though he isn't a wrestler, he was inspired by them and have seen a similar move people use in MMA and Amateur Wrestling. You can view it here....

The numbers on the cards can vary from workout to workout but today, the numbers on the cards were as follows.

Face Cards: 15 Steps/Reps

Aces: 20 Reps/Steps

Jokers: 50 Steps/Reps Of The Bear Crawl

2-10: Done As Shown. 

The objective is to get finish the deck as fast as possible. Now this doesn't mean you get sloppy and get lazy by not paying attention to form but to work the exercise as it intended to be with control and coordination. The speed will vary and it's not important to break world records by finishing in something like 10 minutes or whatever. These exercises are not just your typical type movements, there's a reasons wrestlers and grapplers have been using these exercises for a very long time and have stood the test of time. This can be used as a warm up to your MMA Workout or for conditioning in Football or Wrestling or as a stand-alone. It's not that difficult but it's not easy either so never underestimate it.

I've been doing deck of cards workouts off and on for years starting in my Post Rehab days of doing Combat Conditioning and evolving from there. I've written a few times on why I just don't like certain aspects of stationary exercises and feel like certain rules don't apply to me so I come up with my own workouts to suit my needs and Animals are the peak of conditioning exercises. Bodyweight Exercises have their place and if you're in close quarters like a hotel room, workouts like these are perfect for that but I love having that extra space to move around and I can go hard with Animal Exercises without getting sore. 

Be wild in your workouts and unleash the beast within. Grab a good deck, shuffle well and have at it and see how you do. Can't do a full deck yet? That's fine, do what you can and once you do, try to beat the deck every workout. Have fun and if you want to make some animal noises in the process, that's optional (recommend you do that alone). 

Are Herbs Dangerous?

 I've been told once that my misinformation about training and supplements such as herbs are not only dangerous but could get someone killed. Now granted whomever said this is a full on gym rat and quite frankly hates anything I do and only tries to "help" me so it benefits his ego. With that said, are herbs really that dangerous? Are you in danger of using an herb after an extended period of time and are there any long term effects? Well for starters, just about anything can be considered dangerous. It's not a cop out its a fact. 

Water is essential to life on earth but it also can kill you if you drink too much and get water poisoning. Even the cleanest water on the planet can still do that, should we stop drinking water? Herbs potentially can do the same thing. In the name of science, us humans sacrifice animals. A lot of herbs are being tested for what's called and LD50. What this stands for is Lethal Dose 50 as in what will kill off 50% of the test subjects. Now by writing this I mean the acute toxicity rather than the long term issues.  “Dosis sola facit venenum” or “only the dose makes the poison” was said by Paracelsus who was considered the father of toxicology and other credited notions such as Physician, Astrologer & Alchemist. 

It's the idea of understanding the difference between medicine and poison by the amount of the dosage. In the short term, this lies true and can be easily seen yet also lies true in the long term but we can't always see it. Out of the many reasons, one would being that the Western Medical Systems are one of the leading causes of death by iatrogenesis. Is there a reason why many don't trust doctors in the medical field? It's not always the medical errors but scary enough, it's the long-term side effects which don't always contribute to one thing. Other deaths have been swept under the rug as they say because a lot of people dare to question this stuff would be considered conspiracy theorists. We notice this in Pharmaceuticals as well.

Now the dose by medicine or poison is still considered true for herbs just by a lesser degree. Many of the herbs at Lost Empire are safe if you look at the research from a long term stand point. Herbs such as Reishi or Chaga are known to be very gentle on the body. Logan Christopher himself will take them just about everyday and even give them to his near 5 year old daughter. I've witnessed first hand how healthy that little girl is and it boggles my mind how energetic, smart and full of life she is. In the Daoist Philosophy, there are three distinctive classes of herbs. Superior herbs which is possible to take everyday and support enormous health. That's one of the main focuses at Lost Empire by using the motto of Do No Harm.

With superior there is also inferior herbs which are more medicinal in which they treat specific conditions. There is a class between the two such for example: Foxglove can be very useful in treating those in cases with heart failure or atrial arrhythmia but also has been known to be dangerous for those who don't have those conditions. 

There are some herbs that are not intended for the long haul. Depends on who you talk to really. Horny Goat Weed for example is one of those herbs not intended for long term use. Certain herbs that are gentle like Shilajit which is one of the best anti-aging herbs around and has great properties and benefits, shouldn't be taken with those who suffer gout. 

Make good decisions for yourself in how you apply the herbs and what they can benefit you. Are all herbs created equal? You've been reading what can be used everyday and what could be useful short term haven't you? For those playing the home game, no not all created equal and some herbs aren't meant for everyone due to certain conditions or how the organs take in certain herbs but for the most part in my own experiences, work very well and have done a great job in helping my performance, my mental clarity and energy levels. Hell for a period I was using Thor's Hammer on days of my Sprint Training days and I felt great. 

We all take a risk at what we buy but I can assure you, I wouldn't put this up if I didn't believe in Lost Empire and what they do. There's tons of research and shows you what the ingredients are and the do's and don'ts of how to use them. Be safe, take quality herbs and live in Amazingly Awesome health.