Resistance Cables That Are Affordable

Because of the awesome response from my Chest Expander Article, thought I'd add some more things to the cause for building a body for those on a budget. Even though the most free method of exercise is bodyweight training, some might want to go the extra mile but can't always make it to a gym or afford a weight set which can set you back tens of thousands of dollars. It's more of a construct really and money can be tight for some people especially if you have to take care of a family, a mortgage and the skid mark of life we call BILLS!!!

They say money can't buy happiness and in many cases that's true and even if you're the richest man in the world (or a tanned Cheeto that we called a president at one time), it still can't make you feel as good as kick ass exercise can. That's where if you're on a budget, Resistance Cables can be a great option. Now, there are elastics out there that cost a horrendous amount of money which I never truly understood. Shit there are bands that cost as much if not more than half of a rack of dumbbells. That's why I have stuck with Lifeline Fitness for as long as I have been training the last 17+ years.  

Resistance Cables such as the Chest Expander, TNT System, Portable Power Jumper & Power Push-up Plus can be very beneficial and convenient if you're traveling. Imagine getting in a workout that can be done in your hotel room, while camping, being at a nice park, in your New York penthouse, your cabin in the woods or at a beautiful lake, it can be done just about anywhere. The ability to do all the exercises a gym provides that can be stuffed into a small bag is about as awesome as you can get. Some of the greatest bodybuilders and Physical Culturists such as Fred Rollon, John Grimek, Eugene Sandow and Earl Liederman all used resistance type cable training (originally spring loaded) to aid in their development and had some of the greatest physiques that even to this day can be seen in awe. Think for a moment being able to do the same exercises they did 50-100 years ago. 

You've seen some ideas for the CE especially with a video I put up and how Rollon was said to have built his mighty physique from the Expander almost exclusively. The TNT System is longer and can be used for exercises like the machines in the gym and then some. Get your pulldowns, rows, flys, curls, presses and more with just a simple apparatus that you can adjust resistance in seconds or go from one exercise to the other in a heart beat. I have used this to do supersets with Step Ups that give me the workout I need to stay in top condition and maintain my long-term strength. You can always switch to squats or lunges and still get a great workout in. The Portable Power Jumper is mainly for explosive leg training such as squats, lunges, jump squats and others. I've used it to where I added resistance to Hindu Pushups and the Back Bridge (just be careful not to whack yourself in the crotch area LOL). From time to time I did sets of Hindu Squats with it and puts you in a whole other state of hitting the quads and back.

For the Power Push-up Plus, it goes beyond just doing Push-Ups, you can essentially get in some awesome deadlifts, rows and good mornings for the back to even things out. There's more exercises but I'm just giving you an idea here. Be able to adjust it just by sliding a clip on and make as easy or difficult as you'll need. With all this how much is the cost of these? Overall, depending on your budget, the Chest Expander Set with the handles is around 27 bucks, this alone can be your entire gym for the upper body, the TNT System starts out at around $42 and the cost for additional cables van vary due to the amount of resistance but even the heaviest set of cables is around 20 bucks. The Portable Power Jumper is around $52 but you could find a cheaper price on Amazon like with any of these. You don't need to get any additional cables for this, for the most part, just the set it comes with would be more than enough. The Power Pushup is around $42, I don't know if you need heavier cables for this so just the set alone is really it. Total here, less than $165 for a full starter set. That may sound like a lot but compared to the amount any machine costs that's a fucking fraction. You don't even have to get these all at once and on Amazon, you can find them cheaper and get the same quality. 

For those that are worried about the wear and tear on these cables over time, I got something cool to lay on you guys. I've had only maybe 2-3 cables snap on me ever and had some of the same sets of cables for more than a decade. The thing that I use to keep their elasticity strong for an extended period of time is Armor All Wipes. Just take a sheet and smoothly go up and down on the cable for maybe a few seconds if that and that's it. Very simple and easy to do. You deserve great quality and use simple tools that will get the job done regardless of your budget. I never want you going broke or having to spend your paycheck. Getting in shape shouldn't always cost you an arm and a leg. 

Be strong, stay safe, save some money and be amazingly awesome. 

The Chest Expander And It's Underrated Benefits

 There are things we get inspired by and helping us get back into something or start up for the first time. When it comes to an underrated method of exercise, the Chest Expander ranks right up there especially in this era of modern equipment like machines and such. Chest Expanders have been around since the 1880's and have produced some of the greatest physiques in all of not just bodybuilding but in Physical Culture. From Eugene Sandow to John Grimek, at one point or another either endorsed and/or practiced with this apparatus.

I've been using the expander for years off and on and have reaped plenty of benefits including building my back that I consider the most muscular area on my body. What helped me get back into it? For starters, to build some strength and even out the shoulders. Working with hammers and animal exercises will always be my thing but often times, the shoulders are only hit in a couple areas and need to do more pulling exercises such as even the TNT cables but the Chest Expander works the upper body in places bodyweight, hammers and kettlebells can't touch. It also builds off a better posture. 

The other thing that inspired me to utilize this old school training style was finding videos of the great Fred Rollon who's claimed to have used almost nothing but Expanders, Isometrics (Muscle Control) & Bodyweight Training. Now even judging from the pictures of this guy, he had one of the most powerful looking physiques that even by today's standards would consider him on steroids. Ripped to shreds with muscle that he was given the nickname The Human Anatomy Chart and this was before major supplements and steroids even existed. 

The chest expanders of today compared to Rollon's time, have changed from Steel Springs such as These to Rubber Elastics which Lifeline Fitness has produced. In Fred's era, the amount of Tinsel Strength was said to be around 300 lbs at it's best. That's got to be one of the most profound feats at any point in history. Today with the rubber cables, the highest I've ever heard of him someone doing was around 250. Some Expanders go up to 120 kilos and before he died, Bruce Tackett produced a DIY version called the Hook which you can put cables on that reached a level of 400 lbs which I don't believe anyone has ever attempted and if they did, just budging it even an inch or two would be considered superhuman strength. 

Chest Expanders are truly underrated because of their versatility and ability to build muscle without needing a gym or tons of equipment. The amount of exercises you can do would be the equivalent to a complete workout that mainly hits most of the upper body groups such as the shoulders and upper back. I even came up with some exercises on my own like pulling for Arm Wrestling doing hundreds to a thousand reps at at time during certain periods of my life. They tackle the tendons and ligaments and one of the best pieces of equipment to help avoid injuries. Although the amount of resistance isn't the same as lifting a barbell or dumbbell, it does create greater tension the more you extend it. The peak of the resistance is towards the end of a pull but the heavier you make it, the harder it is to try and expand it. Lifting a weight like dumbbells utilizes gravity and is the same resistance from the top to the bottom of a move but elastic cables try to prevent you from moving them and the more you extend, the more it'll fight you. That's why when you pull, the contraction is greater in the muscles along not just isolating a muscle but using multiple in order to move it. 

When it comes to convenience, very few can match the elastic cables because you essentially can have practically an entire gym in the palm of your hands and are easy to adjust from light to heavy resistance. Most cables weigh less than a few ounces to just over a pound yet can make you have the workout of your life. In reality, resistance is resistance and the body doesn't completely know the difference between rubber cables or barbells. You'll build muscle either way from them with the right set of routines. It's always awesome to get a great workout in anywhere you can from a hotel room to the park, the beach, your backyard, your bedroom hell even at a dumb Trump Rally where you'll probably look in better shape than 99% of the people there. 

Add the Chest Expander to your training and you might be surprised how much your strength and conditioning goes through the roof, not to mention some bad ass muscle building (maybe not as crazy shredded as Fred Rollon or maybe you will). Grab a set and if you're into the really old school and want to do the 5 cable set instead of the typical three today, grab this sucker and have at it like the greats from yesteryear.   

Here's a recent video I do where I use the Lifeline CE at 150 lbs Resistance doing three exercises that showcase the ability to build a muscular back and shoulders. 

Be strong, stay safe and be amazingly awesome. 

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.