Is There Poetry In Animal Movement Training?

In poetry, we tend to not just come up with words that go together in a meaningful setting but also make the reader feel an emotional connection to those words especially if it's about love, despair or even something mysterious. Granted some poetry is just plain awful (if you ever watched Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy you know what I mean) but in the midst of that, we want to find meaning and how we interpret it.

Exercise in some form is like poetry but in a physical setting. We let our bodies take shape of the words, we express ourselves through things like dance, bodybuilding, intense training for a sport, a combination of flows and patterns and other things. We format a poem using gestures, twists, turns, facial expressions and movements that express our passions, our anger, our will and our strengths. We also at times show our vulnerability without even knowing it. We show that we aren't always perfect and showcase our imperfections.

In the idea of movement such as MovNat, Ginastica Natural, Animal Flow, Vahva Movement Training and Parkour, it is a form of physical poetry where we take the shape of bringing together forms of exercise that can be unbelievable to witness. From leaping from building to building, making switches from one move to another in the blink of an eye or using a natural setting of utilizing our ancestral attributes, movement style training is not just about being fit with the body but fit in mind and emotion. 

One of the important things to understand about Animal Movement Training is not always how "accurate" the movement is compared to an animal in the wild but to get a sense of how we tribute to that animal with the best of intentions. Some movement patterns are modeled after let's say primates like Gorillas, Chimps and so on but we know in reality that we can't develop the same type of strength or exact structure of that animal yet we utilize movements that are in tribute to their way of moving. We move around Monkey Bars, we do pullups, we climb trees, we mimic characters like Tarzan. Now wild primates don't actually go up and down in a sequence like Pull-ups, they mainly climb, swing through vines and either walk or run on all fours on their palms or inner knuckles. 

It is a form of poetry, a sign of expression and a connection to the written word but with the quality of our physical being. Poetry makes us laugh, cry, think, get angry or be happy at and other things. Movement is essentially the same thing, it makes us express ourselves and showcasing our emotions. You're probably thinking "how in the hell is doing a bear crawl express emotion or does walking like a duck have anything to do with anger or anything poetic" well, both these movements can show our strengths and weaknesses physically and mentally but the way we do them can show signs of anger or smooth relaxation. If you're stiff and anxious, that'll show in your movement, if you're relaxed, calm and in tuned that'll show as well. It shows if you're being analytical or robotic and it can show how you're flowing with effortlessness while being in a state of gentleness but passionate. Just like poetry.

I'm not the most graceful guy nor am I the perfect specimen when it comes to training but that's not the point. I show my passion in my demos and when it comes to flow training, yes it's not pretty looking compared to someone like Eero Westerberg or Mike Fitch but I do what I love and it may not be poetry in the eyes of others but it's poetic for me and I express it with the best of intentions. Nobody's perfect and we all express ourselves in unique ways but that also should tell you that it's awesome to continue to improve and master yourself. 

Be free to move and show what you're capable of and keep improving. Make mistakes, practice things you normally don't do and have fun with mastering yourself. You may not have great days and we won't always be peachy and smile like the Joker but we can learn how to make ourselves better little by little and if exercise is a part of that, so be it. Be amazingly awesome. 

Thor Hammers Aren't Always Needed To Smash

Working on the grip is an essential part for building overall health and strength. I have written about why building grip is needed to succeed in many aspects of training but not all exercises are created equal. When it comes to grip strength and conditioning, very few can match the Sledgehammer. Now you don't always need to smash a tire with one or even hit the ground with those rubber ones or smash into the sand, a sledgehammer or even a Thor Hammer for that matter can be used like a Club or Mace or even a Kettlebell for that matter.

Whenever I use a Thor Hammer or in this case of it's Viking Name: Mjolnir, I love working exercises like a club or a mace because with the thickness of the hammer, it's working more than just the shoulders and core, it's hitting the grip with a vengeance. Whether it's nearly 14 lbs or 30 lbs, either way this thing will make you stronger in ways that even the gods would be impressed by. Just today, I worked with the lighter of the two hammers for up to 200 reps of various exercises that really hit the spot. Mainly in the 10-20 rep range each way or per exercise, that's quite a bit cause you're squeezing the handle with every swing and that's putting solid stress on the tendons and ligaments.

They say, the more muscles you use in an exercise, the better your overall health will be. There's a time for isolation (like rehabbing or isometric training) but from a big picture standpoint, hitting multiple muscles at the same time really gives you another perspective of strength training. Thick Grip Training has reaped many benefits and workouts don't have to take as long because when you work with a Thick implement, you're forced to stabilize your body and be in complete control otherwise you'll end up dropping the implement or falling in the case of pull-ups or something. 

Having Mjolnir in your hands is an incredible but also an intimidating feeling. You can't get sloppy with it otherwise you'll pay a price so whether you're hitting a tire or swinging it like a club, mace or even a kettlebell, be careful but also pay attention to what you're doing and treat it with respect or else it'll bite you in the ass or in this case, dropping on the foot, stabbing you with those sharp corners and hitting the legs. If you want powerful forearms and a grip like a vise, this is the implement that will get you there. 

While you're at it, to really kick things into high gear, take the Thor Hammer Formula before your workout and notice the surge of energy coursing through you. Be strong, have a blast and be Amazingly Awesome. 

Supplementary Exercise And Actual Sport

I got this comment on one of my YouTube videos about a person disagreeing about the exercise I used as a conditioning exercise and it didn't help him at all in MMA sparring and he got tired really quick and felt embarrassed. I felt bad for the guy and was giving him a rundown about as embarrassed he felt, I wanted to let him know that he doesn't need to be and maybe I'll explain it better here so for those who felt the same way. I've been there myself and I understand what some go through.

There's no question that in order to be good at or be in shape for any sport, conditioning is a priority and understanding the mechanics of your sport whether it be Wrestling, MMA, Hockey, Baseball or whatever sport you choose to be in. This is painfully obvious. Now the trouble with certain aspects is sometimes we as athletes can get in over our head that if we train hard enough and do all the pushups, weights, squats, burpees, we would be ready for the sport we partake in. That's not always the case.

A favorite line I like from the late Billy Robinson where he says "you can do 5000 squats a day and it still won't make you a better wrestler" so despite the supplementary work you put in, it's not going to make you any greater at your sport. This doesn't mean that supplementary exercise don't do anything at all, their essential in many formats. Before Karl Gotch taught anyone a hold or takedown, he would put them through the ringer and see how tough they were, that didn't mean they were a wrestler by the time by the time they learned one freaking move, you were a wrestler by how much time you were on the mat and developing the skills for that, the exercises beforehand were merely a test that became a daily thing. 

To be the best at your sport, you worked hard on that sport. Some people developed faster than others and some had greater specific skills than others. Take baseball, Rickey Henderson for all intents and purposes had an incredible skillset of speed, power and eye at the plate and was the very best leadoff man in history. His supplementary exercises were Push-ups, Squats, Sprints & Flexibility work, did those help him? Very much so but those alone didn't make him a better player, the skills he build as a player made him great and was in a class on his own. Now let's take someone like Honus Wagner...From a completely different time period of the game but had skills maybe not on the same level as Henderson but in his time, Wagner was stealing bases, hitting homeruns and having batting averages that still baffle people to this day. He hit 101 Homeruns in his career, that's not even a glimpse of what today's standards consider a homerun hitter but if you look at the era he was in and look at the statistics of that era, which was before the Babe came along, Wagner was in a sense one of the greatest power hitters of that generation. What were his supplementary exercises? No one really knows and most likely just stretching and working farms in the offseason. 

When it comes to MMA, it can be unpredictable. You can do all the conditioning exercises required to GET READY for a fight but the moment someone steps in that octagon/ring there are chances he's going to tire out somewhere in the beginning or be dead by the end. An actual fight as opposed to just the training is a completely different animal. Even the sparring is slightly different because you're not going 100% as if you were in a fight, sparring is more about finding the strategies needed and getting in some work to prepare for a fight. The breathwork is very different when it comes to sparring and conditioning work. The perfect example of this is the fight with Maurice Smith Vs. Mark Coleman, Smith a kickboxer and Coleman a wrestler. You would think a wrestler had better sense of conditioning right? In this case, Smith had a greater upper hand and despite going the distance, you clearly see between the two who had more gas in the tank. 

Breathing is mainly the founding culprit between getting tired or having gas left in the tank. I know this well because I made the mistake of believing that despite my years of doing thousands of pushups, squats and doing so many crawls and sprints I was going to be ok even in sparring. I panicked a lot and was gassed sometimes in less than a minute against guys that not was I stronger than but in much better shape outside of sparring and BJJ. Ok maybe not in better shape than all my opponents because some guys in there were fucking machines and can go for hours if they wanted to but many did take notice of the strength I displayed. Once I learned to be aware and breathe better, I lasted longer and wasn't tapping as much. I even went a few rounds without getting tapped at all, that to me was an accomplishment than ever trying to make someone submit. Even going against a UFC fighter was a hell of an experience. 

What's the point of all this? Don't put supplementary exercise up on a pedestal and use them as the main factor in your sport. Your sport should be the main factor and supplementary training is an add on to give you a sense of direction. Doing a thousand pushups a day won't help you hit 450 ft homeruns, doing hundreds of hill sprints won't turn you into Usain Bolt and no amount of squats will give you the athleticism of Pele. However, those things can be great to get a few tweaks in as you master your sport. Supplementary Exercise won't make you great, they will help you be on the right track to being great.    

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.