Free Workouts For Everyone

There's the old lyric "The best things in life are free" which has a lot of meaning especially when it pertains to life but in this case, we're going the fitness route. Believe it or not, you can find some of the very best workouts on the planet without spending a single penny and it's from one of the best resources on the internet. Sure there are great courses out there you can snatch up (not one where an 86 page book costs you $150 to learn how to jump rope) and these courses are the pinnacle like the Grind Style Calisthenics Series, Movement 20XX and others. 

Saving money is always a good thing whenever you can do it but sometimes you don't always know where to look to find that area in fitness where you can find a shit ton of workouts and exercise programs to suit your goals. This is where Darebee comes in. I've written about this site before and it bares repeating, it truly is at the top of the list of the best free resources for training. It's a series of mainly Circuit workouts ranging from complete beginner to elite athlete level and it just keeps growing. Consists of about 95% bodyweight style training and the rest has you using equipment like light kettlebells, sandbags, jump ropes and a pull-up bar depending on where you find them. 

Most of the exercises are about as basic as you can get but each workout you find can either be the easiest one ever or the hardest you've ever been put through. They can be tough as hell but you have options to modify the workouts or make them the best ones for you. I've done workouts that lasted a few minutes to nearly an hour long without a break and I'm telling you, they'll kick your ass. The site however goes beyond the workouts which already has over 2000 to choose from; there are specific collections that target certain groups of people that are themed such as Superheroes, Military, MMA, Anime, Video Games, Street Workouts, Jumping Rope and many more. There are sections that are based on scientific analaysis on breathing, running, water intake, recovery, when to go hard and a bunch more. There's even stuff on diet you can use and research on.

Darebee is a great starting point for those who want to get into fitness or haven't done it in a while. You can spend the rest of your life doing these workouts but they can also be a great add on to courses you can afford to grab. I would at times use small circuits from this place with my Suspension Training or Isometric Training. I would do them on off days as part of recovery and other times I'll go hard and time myself to see how I do without resting (or use the rest period to mark off a set and jump into the next one). I'll even make up a circuit of my own as inspiration like this one below...

10 Rounds Of The Following

5 Hindu Squats

20 Punches (In A Horse Stance)

5 Hindu Squats

5 Push-ups

20 Step-Ups

5 Push-ups

50 Standing Punches

Finished this in 23:33 totaling 100 Hindu Squats, 200 Punches In Horse Stance, 100 Push-ups, 200 Step-Ups & 500 Standing Punches. Great for conditioning. 

I love doing 10 Round Circuits because that gives a real rounded total. Darebee workouts mostly have you going up to 7 rounds which is still a great level to achieve especially if you're doing some really hard ones, I just prefer 10. Some workouts are more HIIT based which has you doing an exercises for x amount of seconds each until a time limit is reached and you repeat it for as many rounds as the workout calls for. 

I believe although it's a free resource of training, it encourages you to branch out for more to help guide you into another realm of experiences in your fitness journey. Some folks there use these workouts as add ons for when they go to the gym or as off day workouts, they are used as supplement training for athletes in high school and college, they have been used in classes in P.E, Sports Conditioning, rehab and many other ways. The only real pay you make with this site is the option to donate so they can keep it running or buy their workouts in PDF or Book form such as the Darebee Volume Series which each has over 100 Workouts to choose from. You can print out and make a book for yourself or set up folders in your hard drive that consists of all the workouts you want. I use to do that and if your internet is out, they're right there in your laptop, phone or tablet. 

The only investment here is your time and energy, it is a great option if you truly want to save your money for other stuff in your life. Are they the end-all-be-all, of course not, there are other things you should use if you want to advance in your training but that's up to you. You can still have the best workouts of your life using nothing but your bodyweight. Hell during a 6 week sprint training phase a few years ago, I would use some of the workouts in addition to the sprints, in that time frame, I dropped over 15 pounds and lowered my blood pressure by 32 points in both top and bottom numbers. These workouts can be life-saving and can get you fit in record time. Some of the best training I've ever done was because of Darebee Circuits. I've done them in hotel rooms, the park, in my den, out in the garage and at the lake. You can do many of them anywhere at anytime. 

You have options out there that won't cost you anything and these are awesome for when you really need to save money for special trips, paying off bills, when food is more important than a course and needing new clothes or furniture. We all can use a little help from time to time and these are part of that to help out a fellow human being. 

Have fun and keep being amazingly awesome. Share, Comment & Sign Up with this Blog. 

That First Workout Of The Day

Training is not just about building muscle and having a solid level of strength and conditioning. It's about keeping the joints healthy regardless of what your program is because without flexibility and mobility, what good is your program if you end up hurt? Even for me, I need to remind myself that joint health is just as much a priority as my conditioning if not even more so at times. The joints and bones are the true areas that keep everything together and could make or break you if you get injured quicker or less likely.

In our teens and our 20's, we could almost get away with going hard a bit frequently and recover pretty well if we do it right, but once we hit those mid to late 30's and into our 40's and beyond, priorities change. Some people can get away with it to a degree and we all have different body types, metabolisms and bone health. There are some things we just can't get away with as we get older but it doesn't mean we can't still kick ass and stay healthy. 

One of the things that has saved me from many potential injuries is doing some form of stretching and mobility work. I know I need to do this more often and potentially twice a day as the years go on and that's maintaining Joint Loosening workouts and moving the neck around in various directions, not necessarily in the bridge or self resistance although those are still great. Loosening up the joints brings greater flow to the structure of the body and trains your system to be in a calm but energetic manner. It brings great energy to the body's skeletal structure.

Another thing that has saved from potential injuries is Isometrics. Can never truly shut up about Isometrics. If Joint Loosening brings the flow, Isometrics bring the strength and shield that protects them from breaking down easier. Isometrics are the armor for your skeletal system like Wolverine's Adamantium. Mix these types of training systems and you have a much higher chance of living a healthy life injury free than the majority of people at any age. 

I first learned about Joint Health from Matt Furey's Combat Stretching videos from back in the day and at the time, I thought they were just another thing as part of training. Didn't really think about the importance of them until I got older. Isometrics was another thing similar but I kept up with them more frequently. It's important to understand what you learn, it's another to truly discover the importance of what they mean. From an outside perspective, loosening the ankles, elbows, shoulders, knees and hips don't look like much and it's just warm up type exercises. Not always the case when it comes down to it. The flow of our bodies tends to change as we age and if we don't maintain a certain level of flow, we can become stiff much quicker and risk injury at a greater capacity. When flow is relaxed yet also strong, we become less stiff and the risk of injury is greatly reduced.

Isometrics can be done in a variety of ways whether it's being very intense for a few seconds or holding a posture for a minute or more, there's a healing property there and developing that shield of armor. From the Wall Sit to Fist Planks, Overcoming Exercises and Horse Stances, there's a variety that will test anyone and it's not always a matter of how long or intense you can go, it's a matter of control and going after the little muscles. It digs right into the very essence of the skeletal structure. You can start the day loosening up and then holding certain postures for a period or do intense Overcoming Isometrics that essentially will not only strengthen you from the inside out but could highly strip fat like butter on a hot pan. Hybrid Isometrics can be done as well but these are so fucking intense that if you can hold let's say a plank for three minutes, you won't last more than a minute most likely using a strap. Hybrids can jack your heart rate up too which has some value in the cardio department. Don't believe me, try the Hybrid Push-up and see what happens. 

That first workout of the day can give you great energy to start things out and prepare you for what lies ahead, or it can bring you down and feel like shit all day, which one would you rather have? Thought so. 

Be loose but strong, strong with flow and build very strong tendons and ligaments. Keep being amazingly awesome everyone.

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Who Do The Rules Really Apply To?

 We will at times decided to make changes and put first our health and sanity. With the plethora of information out there and the endless debates on what fitness method has the bigger dick, it's hard to not get caught up in the drama of it all especially when it comes to Forums. I have left one forum more times than probably Terry Funk has retired from Pro Wrestling and something just kept bringing me back to it. Had enough and although a couple people on there are cool guys and look for the positive side of things, it's still overshadowed by old geezers who had their prime in the 60's or early 70's who can't seem to stop bitching about things that have nothing to really do with them. I never belonged there.

It's also important to be aware of how someone might try to sell you something great but it's got more piles of shit than cows in a pasture. Out of the thousands of courses out there, which by all intents and purposes work, only a fraction of a fraction of them would benefit the general population. It's the selling of bullshit to get you sucked in. They also want you to abide by their "rules" in order to keep you from thinking for yourself. Their product, their rules so do speak.

If you're willing to invest in a product, it can be a bit of a gamble as to whether or not it'll work for you whether it costs 10 bucks or $100+, it's about utilizing the hard earned money and making it worth while without succumbing to the crap many ads place. Yes, many of these folks make a great living selling books, seminars, kindles and all that but very very few will provide you with great service and have an encouraging attitude instead of a money grabbing douchebag that sells $250 of one product and if you don't like it, he'll write you off as an idiot and someone who isn't a real "doer" whatever the fuck that is.

My personal belief is that when you invest in a product, yes it's important to understand the basics and learn how some of the exercises work along with experimenting with the program (at your own pace of course) but once you understand the basics and formalities of that program, be free to use it however you see fit. Make your own rules, adjust according to your needs, not what the author feels like he should force you to do. Is it important to be safe, yes. Is it important to understand the mechanics, very much so. The rules however, don't apply to everyone and there should be a freedom of doing things that don't always apply to what an author tells you. After close to two decades of (give or take a couple years) learning from so many programs, less than a handful really work for me and I get to say what I do and how I do it. Never feel shackled to a person's pitch and broken promises.

One of the things I love about Red Delta Project and the courses the man behind them provides is that yes he has his convictions about what he believes in but he's also very flexible in helping others achieve their goals and having a very encouraging and energetic attitude. He makes funny references to real topics in the fitness industry and respects what others do in order to achieve their goals. When Bud Jeffries was alive, he wasn't just encouraging, he would literally cheer you on and help you not only believe in yourself but also somehow knew what potential you have and give you kick ass tips to tap into it. He would push you, but never to the point where there was a risk of severely going to the hospital, there was limits to that. He was also loving, caring and saw how great someone could be or already was. His courses are still as incredible today as they were when he first published them. Logan Christopher is another that is highly encouraging and will tell you like it is. He's one of the most honest guys in this field and I value his opinions while highly trusting him with what he provides.

These guys make or made their business with heart and belief but never took a dogmatic approach to things or could make you feel like you were unworthy. Some others however tend to not only believe in their own hype but will go out of their way to treat others like shit and think their stuff is like nothing else out there. Seriously, it is messed up to treat someone like garbage just because others may have said a couple things. Did you know one guy is so damn obsessed with a troll that he put this person as the headline for his book on Profiting From Trolls? That should tell you how warped somebody has to be to use another human being in that manner as a means to make a buck. This is the same guy that charges $200 for a book that is a direct rip off of Matt Furey's Combat Conditioning book and has really shitty quality. Same guy that not only praises Furey yet in the same paragraph will call the man fat and can't do pull-ups, don't you find that a little contradictory? I mean, I had a falling out with Furey myself but I'm not going to insult the man with extreme prejudice, that would be fucking dumb.

This still goes back to who do the rules really apply to? It should in the end be up to the person buying someone's product, not in the sense of telling the author or coach how to do his/her thing but to create their own rules, have the freedom to make a program work for them once they understand the basic mechanics. That would be like a low level college kid in Physics telling his professor how to apply string theory when he can't write down the simplest terms of that field. You just don't do it. There's no limit to how much knowledge you absorb but it is important to learn how you can apply that knowledge later on as you progress and grow. 

Absorb what works for you and carve out your own path, apply what you have learned into what goals you want to achieve and be wise in what you invest. Be safe, get strong and keep being amazingly awesome. 

SBD (Simple But Deadly) Workout That Will Have You Shaking Like Crazy

 One of my favorite workouts as of late has been the Tabata Formatted Isometric Workout where I do the Horse Stance & the Fist Plank for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off each for a total of 10 minutes. Just a few minutes of this alone would kick most people's ass. When it comes to the rest period, all you're really doing is preparing yourself to get into position. It's one of those tests of your strength and conditioning using Isometrics as a form of training.

Every few times I do this workout, I switch it up and instead of the Fist Plank, I would hold the push-up position mid way during the 20 seconds of work. It gets harder to hold as time goes but it's an awesome way to test your mental toughness. Two exercises that hit the whole body and can be done anywhere, anytime. Builds incredible tendon strength, power in the legs and works the core like a charm. Start with the 4 minute format if you can and build up by adding rounds. The longer you do it, the tougher it gets.

Yesterday, I wanted to amp up the ante by wearing my 40 lb Weight Vest the entire duration of the workout. I was shaking like crazy every single round but I made it through and it felt so damn good once it was over and I took that fucking vest off. I had no idea what was the tougher, the leg work or the Fist Plank because both were killing me and with the vest on, staying straight and sturdy in either one was a hell of a challenge. 

20 seconds in either position doesn't sound all that hard but until you've done it, you have no clue how tough it really is. When you go a full 10 minutes, it's going to take you to another level of strength you didn't realized you tapped into. It's very hard but sometimes you have to do hard stuff to find out what you're capable of. It's a test of will and no one is there to help you and in a sense, it's sink or swim, you either work your way through to keep yourself up and sturdy or you'll drop on your face your ass from exhaustion. 

The Horse Stance is one of those Isometric exercises that's been around since the dawn of exercise especially in ancient qi gong circles where thousands of years of practice has been laid out by generation after generation of masters and students. It's been used by martial artists, wrestlers, fighters, shaolin monks and it has been used to help rehab and heal injuries. To hold even the most basic form takes a certain level of strength and control. The Fist Plank is basically a plank on steroids where instead of being on your forearms or palms, you're on your knuckles forming a fist holding in a neutral position. This really tackles the core, grip, tendons in the forearms, stresses the arms and shoulders and hits the chest differently. Holding up for a minute straight is a great start, some come go as long as 5 minutes or longer, that's high level control and strength. Put them together, they make a lethal training combo.

You can do this workout not only Tabata style but a variety of ways, you can hold each one for a minute, rest and and do another round or go without resting as long as you can. These really dig into the little muscles and work the joints without impacting them like jumping or high reps does. It's a different way to train your body. It puts a spring in your step and makes you durable so you have less chances of getting injured. Isometrics are not to be messed with and they don't discriminate, if you're weak in either position, you'll find out soon enough. Try it out (just bodyweight first) and see how you do. 

Be strong, get durable and keep killing it. Be amazingly awesome in your endeavors. 

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Killer Squats For Bad Ass Strength, Conditioning & Muscle

In the past, squats were my go to method for rehabbing and building strength back into my legs after my injuries. Did all kinds from Sumo Squats, Hindu Squats (mainly), Side Lunges, Isometrics & Hindu Jumpers. They worked and I was stronger and completely healed up within 6 months after walking again. It was painful but I did it. For brief periods off and on since then, leg work was a priority but not much of the squats per se. I would come back to them every now and then and always believed that if you did extremely high reps, it would keep you in solid condition which is true to an extent.

I was doing up to 500 Hindu Squats for brief time in the summer years ago and it was fun for a while but it got boring and I got burnt out from them. Some people do very well doing them consistently and it's a great exercise no question about it. However, if you're someone who's got some form of ADD and doesn't always have the capacity or interest, it's not going to work out for you because it's going to feel like a drag and a chore more than just doing a workout. 

As I got older, I started learning various ways to work my legs beyond just the squats and Isometric stuff; do loaded carries, sprints, walking with a weighted vest, animal moves, a quarter to half squat while working with sledgehammers, horse stances and step ups. I will always be convinced that Step Ups are incredible for conditioning, strengthening the legs from another perspective and a great alternative to jogging and running. One of the best athletic stories I ever heard was a Marathon Runner believing he could keep up with Bob Backlund in a step up workout because after all, 26.2 miles sounds much harder than Step Ups (to be clear, it isn't. It's just different styles of training) right? Barely 20 minutes in, the marathoner stops and walks out the door to never be heard from again and Backlund just keeps going.

Not to go into talking about my personal goals, I can say however; the squats are being done differently this time around with a different mindset. Not going to do 500 Squats everyday any time soon but every now and then do them with the deck of cards because for one, the idea of most training should be around stimulating the muscles along with strengthening the tendons and ligaments for strength, growth and conditioning. Doing 500 Hindu Squats is a great goal and will challenge anyone's cardio to an extent but IMO, start with a smaller number and build up to it but as you do so, make the road to them different in some aspects meaning, shoot for certain amount of sets until you reach a certain number and go from there. Another idea is to make it interesting and not always going the same route to get to 500 once you can do them. If you can do them nonstop that's freaking bad ass. Once you understand the steps taken to do them nonstop, change certain around so that type of workout doesn't become stale like the cards, you're still doing a full deck but the way to get to 500 is always different so you're stimulating the legs while doing those high reps. 

Do you absolutely need to do 500 Squats on a daily basis? Unless that's what your goals, interests and if you're a high level athlete, I don't see the need to do THAT many all the time. You can do 100 one day, 200 the next, take a day or two off and do 300 or just do 50 for the day, that's your choice, there's no limit, the idea id to train for stimulation. You can even do a mesh-up of various squats to keep things interesting and consistent. You should never get bored in your training, it's meant to be adventurous, challenging at times and making it work for you, no one else. 

As of late, I've been doing squat workouts where I do 100 or more a day with my 50 lb Sandbell. I would hold it and do an X amount of reps while Bear Hugging it or switching from shoulder to shoulder or just yesterday, did multiple sets of 30 where I would do 10 on my left shoulder, 10 Bear Hugged and 10 on my right shoulder without putting it down until the last rep. I would rest a bit until I can almost breathe normally and do another set. I'm still doing the "minimum" of the amount I want to total but I'm getting there differently each workout so it gives me the stimulation my legs need and I'm not bored out of my fucking skull. It's challenging at times and one day I might do a full squat workout without ever putting the bell down. Wouldn't that be an ass kicking workout?

It's about taking small steps to create the big picture you want and being creative so you can make your training work for you and to keep coming back more and more. I would do other things throughout the day like Isometrics, animal moves, cables, step ups or whatever springs up in my head. If you're more on pure bodyweight, you can go for extremely high reps if you wish or you can program them into a different plan for building more muscle and strength while staying in top condition doing RDP's Grind Style Calisthenics Training. It's about taking simple approaches and formatting workouts that don't take a ton of time and be able to stimulate the muscles from another perspective. I use this format myself from time to time and it can be tough as hell. You can even make them into Micro Workouts so you're saving even more time. You can find a ton of workout ideas on Red Delta Project's youtube channel and dig into the heart of realistic approaches and progressions that will keep you coming back for more. Really valuable stuff.

Below is the Squat Exercises I've been doing with the Sandbell. You can grab one or more here if you're interested in them.

As you can see, I do these practically in a full/deep squat to really get into the muscles and hips. Doing them up to 100 or more in a workout can have you breathing hard like a madman which can target your natural HGH Levels. These are just ideas you can do, there's all sorts of ways you can use squats to target your lower body. Brooks Kubik is also a fanatic on Leg Training especially since he's now in his mid 60's and going at it in a way most men his age would be baffled by. He does log carries, drags, squats and some bodyweight stuff down at the beach frequently and still looks like a fucking beast. He does teach older trainees how to stay consistent so they can stay strong and healthy for as long as they can which you can find here. His Dinosaur Strength Training books are still great ideas to keep that old school style alive and all under $10 on Kindle. From progressions to workouts to testing your strength and plenty of exercises to choose from, you have a plethora of awesome ways to get your ass in gear.

Keep trying new things to not just train your physical body but working the brain as well. The Sandbell Squats are amazing to do and they test your cardio, your balance, control and can build some phenomenal strength for the long-haul. You can use other things but I highly recommend these because of the shifting of the weight and so many exercises you can do with them. It's a new year, get something new for you and get cracking. Fuck resolutions, set new goals and make them work to your advantage, not against you. 

Share, Comment & Sign Up with this blog to have them sent to your email. Happy New Year, be strong, build yourself up and keep being amazingly awesome. YOU GOT THIS!!!