Keeping The Body Loose

 As we get older, the numbers game when it comes to high rep isn't so much a priority as to what keeps the body flowing and being able to move with ease. Not everyone at 70 or 80 is going to be doing 500 push-ups or jacking up weights like they did in their 20's and 30's but they can learn to do things that lessens the injuries and gains certain aspects of energy. It's called mobility work.

We all at one point want to prove ourselves that we can keep up with others and fill our egos with such pride that we forget to do what keeps our bodies going even after all those "glory days." You do what you can but at some point, there's nothing left to prove unless it's to yourself and understanding that the numbers game was just part of the process and not so much the resolution or the true answer to what happens once we can't always do those things anymore.

Mobility Training and/or Joint Loosening Workouts have a much greater impact than we give them credit for, hell I've taken them for granted at times and learned some hard lessons that the less you do them, the harder things might get but if you consistently do them with intention, the more you find out that keeping the joints healthy bares greater merit than seeing how many push-ups and squats you can do. If you're consistent with certain numbers and sticking to the basics, that could be a totally different story but don't mistake what keeps the body loose yet powerful as some side piece for training. 

My style of Mobility Work consists of utilizing Joint Loosening, Flexibility and Flowing exercises that give my body the juice it needs to stay healthy. The Joint Loosening is more doing movements to relax the ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, neck and hips, the Flexibility can be something like static or isometric stretches, DDP Yoga, Stretches from the book Stretching and other things, the flowing movements are more animal combinations and mix and matching things that go together to create a workout that can be intense but feels great at the same time. Sort of like Movement 20XX.

You don't have to turn yourself into a contortionist to have a flexible and mobile body but it is important to make sure the body is healthy for the long haul. Injuries come and go, some have been more severe than others and it is apparent that we keep our joints strong more than how big our muscles get or have some type of physique that looks like a million bucks but buckles quick after a bum knee. Our body is a tool that should last as long as possible and not go through such extremes to make it look or act like it only has a short time and the rest is just waiting for death. 

When it comes to Strength Training, you can lift weights, do bodyweight or whatever that keeps the body strong and durable but when it comes down to it, the most versatile form of Strength Training IMO is Isometrics. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Isometrics are the Game Genie Of Fitness meaning they're the cheat code to youthful strength that keeps on going and makes the joints so damn powerful that it may seem like you have an adamantium skeletal structure. If you ever heard of Wolverine from the X-Men you'll know what I'm getting at. I've had my own share of injuries but if it wasn't for Isometrics, I'd have tons more and may even be completely crippled but I do my best to not think or dwell on that kind of thing. There are many ways to do Isometrics but my favorite style is Overcoming & Hybrid. Some days, my workouts are exclusively Isometrics, others are in combination to what else I do. 

Another way to keep the body strong and loose is doing Dopa Band Workouts. You may not be as explosive, fast or even technically sound as a wrestler or MMA fighter but you can adjust things that strengthen the muscles in a variety of ways that reduces injuries and have an automatic coach that shows you what you may be doing wrong and helping you correct mistakes so you can be better at your other endeavors. I've done enough workouts now with this thing that I know what it can do in terms of keeping the body strong and healthy without needing to go full bore all the time. It stretches you, it makes you learn new ways to move effectively and you can adjust the resistance by just a few steps. 

Keep up with maintenance even when you're young, it goes a long way because the less you do mobility type training, the more it might bite you in the ass later in life and end up like a lot of injured people that do things like hardcore Crossfit, Powerlifting and other things. Be amazingly awesome.   

Get your 10% OFF Discount at Dopamineo by entering POWERANDMIGHT at checkout.  

Taking The Duck Walk To Another Level

Experimenting and trying various exercises is always fun for me because I get to learn and discover things that could potentially be useful later on. Having being inspired by the wrestlers and other athletes doing crazy things with the Dopa Band along with the various workouts and exercises Eero Westerburg does with Animal Moves and his recent course with Clubs, Bags and the Mace, I wanted to take a leg exercise to another level. 

During my workout back on Saturday, I wanted to see if what I could do with the Dopa Band attached to me & taking my 50 lb Sandbell and do the classic Duck Walk with them. I've seen wrestlers do Duck Walks with the band far better than I can ever do and seen Eero do it with a Sandbag that's over 100 lbs and do it. Just the thought of one or the other would've been nutty but seeing that I can be quite mad myself (have you you not read about the 1500 Rep Leg Challenge?) I just wanted to see what both felt like. It's quite the interesting feel and with the crazier thing to add in Squats to the mix was just nasty.

Adding squats to a movement like that really jacks up the strength and power in the legs. Consistently done, you can build some awesome muscle that is not only functional but very much conditioned as well. My idea was to duck walk out as far out as the band can go or at least to the far end of the room and than proceed to do a few squats, repeat that a few times to equal one set. When the band is fighting against you while practically bear hugging a sandbag, it brings a different type of strength training very few people do unless you're in wrestling or a mad scientist like Nick Nilsson. 

First starting out with the exercise, I did a total of 7 sets (3, 2, 2) so that's walking out and doing 5 squats, walk back and repeat that set multiple times. It got me breathing hard quick and it's a full body blast with a heavy emphasis on the legs. I loved how it felt and might see how many I can do in one set. Do you have to do 5 squats for the set? No, you can 1-10 or more if you wish but if you're doing multiple sets of up to double digits with the squats, it's going to really test you. This is more of an advanced exercise so if you're not use to the duck walk itself, just do the bodyweight version as best as you can and even that alone has bad ass benefits for leg strength, health and conditioning. 

The duck walk is a classic exercise used by athletes for eons, even Olympic Speedskater Eric Heiden did them as part of his training that helped him win 5 Gold Medals in the 1980 Games (The 1st athlete to do so). Wrestlers use this exercise to strengthen their legs for other drills, Japanese athletes use this to build strength in their knees. It's simply getting into a full squat and walking in that position. Many today have trouble just getting into a squat let alone walk in one so it's important to learn the mechanics first and foremost. I learned a bit of it during high school but after I got Combat Conditioning, I became more familiar with it. I didn't think much of it at first but once Ed Baran brought out his Animal Kingdom Conditioning course back in '08, it became a favorite because of the way he presented it. It was a great exercise to do with my Animal Dice Game Workouts that I've been fond of for years. 

Although just another exercise that can be used in training, it doesn't take away how badass the bodyweight version of the Duck Walk is. Just walking a few yards would burn out most people but to go for a couple minutes or more is just nuts because of how much the legs are being pushed especially in the thighs and calves. You can squat hundreds of pounds and still be taken down after a few yards of the duck walk. It builds awesome hypertrophy and it has even been used to help with injuries (modified versions of course) such as strengthening the knee joints, back pain and shin bones. When I first learned this after doing Squats and Push-ups for month as part of my self-rehab, it hurt but it gave me an opportunity to get better at it and once I got use to it, it just became another exercise to do off and on until I really put effort into it with the animal workouts. 

Keep discovering things and make your training interesting, fun and something that works for you. Naturally let it be a part of your life and don't take it for granted. It is ok to be a little mad sometimes in the head but don't go so far as to getting yourself injured or doing such crazy things you end up in the hospital on an often basis. Keep being amazingly awesome. Don't forget the 10% Discount at Dopamineo when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT for the checkout code. 

A Dopamineo Band Analysis

 

With the recent articles on these bad ass bands, let's take a look as to why they're top quality and the differences between these and other resistance bands on the market with my own spin on things and the research through trial and error.....

Right now there's about 5 different types of Bands on the market at the moment and all have their unique qualities and styles that are useful. Because of the variety, the choice to pick one isn't always easy and it can be confusing as to what to choose from. Most of my career in fitness when it comes to bands has been from Lifeline and I will always cherish those especially with what they've done to keep me in shape in all these years. That doesn't mean I'm now exclusive to them. Because of the Dopa Band recently, it has given me a new perspective on resistance band training and the type of training that keeps me fresh and interested.

I want to give you a hand in how to find not only the type of band for you but to give you tips and compare notes to these bands and the others. Some bands are traditional tubing, loop and power type bands (such as the lifeline format, X3 and others). These mostly target the muscle groups with workouts normally associated with gym type training where you can mimic almost any exercise in the gym just about about anywhere you want. With that said, in comparison to Dopa Training, although different, there's some lack in versatility with other bands. This band targets everything and can create any workout you want without needing different bands to choose from. You can of course but variety is more packed into the Dopa Bands than other bands that I've even used.

The material in the Dopa Band is a bit different than other bands, these are laced with silicone and pack a wild punch with their durability and lasting effects as you train with them. I've had the lifeline bands snap on me a time or two and it doesn't feel good trust me unless you got some S&M thing going on. With the Dopa Band, you can stretch it pretty damn long and its flexibility and time tested strength is just unbelievable. There's a podcast on Dopamineo's Youtube channel where wrestlers and other athletes test guests on the Blue Short Band (which is mainly used for stretching purposes) to see if they can snap this freaking thing. These men and women are freakishly strong and as far as I know, no one has been able to snap the band. Even shorter ones that are more likely to snap are still almost impossible to break. That's how crazy strong these bands are. Hell, I've even tested this and I can't do it and I've done some nutty strength feats. 

Now when it comes to cost effectiveness, I've always looked to saving a buck or two which isn't a bad thing but when bands snap on you and you have to replace them after a while, it can get steep depending on the type of bands you get but with the Dopa Band, the chances of it snapping especially if you use certain things to keep it flexible and strong are so freakishly slim it's jaw dropping. Some of the best wrestlers in the world use these frequently in their training and do all sorts of exercises and hook ups that should make it snap within months if not weeks like with other bands yet they don't. It's just awesome how bad ass these bands can take a beating. In the long run, the Dopa Band is more cost effective than even the lifeline bands I use. I can relax a bit and not worry about this band breaking on me as opposed to being cautious about using something like the TNT Cables or the Chest Expander, they're great in and of themselves no question and have used them for years but I always had to be extra careful to stretch them to the limits that is only just enough otherwise, I get a stinger in the arm, chest or leg. 

When it comes to providing videos, you would have to find videos for specific bands which isn't all that hard to find or figure out or buy specific videos either digitally or on DVD for that particular band like say videos for the X3 or the Chest Expanders. With the Dopa Band, you're given just about 300 Workout Videos and Exercises that provide every muscle group imaginable with just the one band. In comparison even coming from me, there's no contest in that. You can find lower body, upper body, core, flexibility, strength, endurance, conditioning and sports specific training all in one shot with this band. I can do quite a bit with the TNT Cables and Chest Expander but you can't utilize wrestling drills, jumping jacks, sprints, crawling, sprawling, kick throughs, jumping exercises or battle rope type exercises with them. That's just the tip of the iceberg with the Dopa Band. With that in mind, the Dopa band is that versatile and can give you a complete workout just about anywhere, if you used additional bands like the ones I just mentioned, you've got an arsenal that can give you a crazy strong and powerful physique, the type of conditioning that makes others' jaws drop and have a wealth of knowledge of exercises very few can possess. 

If you go with cheaper bands, that's awesome but either by itself or as an addition, the Dopa Band will take you to places in your training you didn't think existed and put not only a new stamp on the realistic functional training but have the opportunity to train (even moderately) what some of the greatest athletes in the world use to keep themselves healthy, in peak condition and developing a physique that can just as go as it does look good. I still use my other bands which I love and adding the Dopa Band is the cherry on top of the most bad ass cake you can imagine. If you think that was enough, I've got a cool Discount for you when you make an order, get 10% OFF  when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT at the checkout (which can also deduct price with discount bundles as well). These are the highest quality I've ever come across and I don't regret one bit getting this, it has been a game changer and it has helped me get in better shape than in the last few months with the already good shape I'm in. 

Be amazingly awesome and train with the best guys. It doesn't disappoint.    

The 1500 Rep Challenge For Leg Day

 For the second time ever, I went after the Double Decker Leg Challenge of 1000 Step Ups and 500 Hindu Squats with a Deck Of Cards and made it through. It was pure hell and it may even make the devil go "fuck that." This type of workout will make you sweat, you will tire and you will be tested mentally and physically; hell you may be seeing stuff that aren't there who knows but it's true that this will kick your ass.

I wanted to see if I could do this again since it has been a while and I've done the 500 Step Ups and 250 Squats workout a just a few times recently as well. Let's just say I've never felt so damn happy to jump into a shower and chug some water afterwards. It's freaking brutal and my shirt looked like I came out of a damn pool. I didn't time it because I didn't want to go Speedy Gonzales on it and just focus on technique and breathing while the speed came on its own. This is not an everyday thing unless you have some sick and twisted mindset for punishment or if you're going out for a sport like wrestling. 

This challenge is purely to test your mental toughness and physical conditioning. It makes you push through barriers that aren't your typical workout challenges. Doing 500 Squats in a row can be done almost daily if you have that mindset and within reason, 1000 Step Ups can be a chore but it's not impossible to do them 2-3x a week if you're working towards a goal and building some killer cardio but to do both in the same workout with your only rest is flipping a card is almost pure insanity. When you get to the jokers, you have to do 50 Step Ups and 25 Squats in a superset and you have to do this 4 times throughout the workout on top of the other cards. This workout for most people would be once in a while like every 10 days or so if you want to keep pursuing it but if you're a world class athlete like a Collegiate or World/Olympic Caliber Wrestler or Running Back/Linebacker or an aspiring MMA Fighter, you can attempt this on conditioning days or 2-4x a week if you're that sadistic like a Karl Gotch or Kurt Angle in his Olympic Training. 

Leg Day is one of those days where you find out a little more about what you're capable of but never go to the point where you have to crawl back home and sleep for 10-12 hours a day for the next week. Always have something in the tank. I did say you'll get tired but don't quit. It is really tough and it's not for the average trainee. Hell, 99.9999% of people won't even try to attempt this; it's nasty, your legs will feel like jello and it forces you to breathe with intensity. This won't however make you puke your guts out. I've never believed in that and if you have to throw up during a workout, that's getting to the point of destroying your organs. Never, ever train to the point of feeling sick, whoever came up with that is an asshole who just loves punishment.

If you're up to the challenge, I encourage you to build up your leg strength and cardio first and foremost. Don't do this if you have heart and organ issues and for my sake, have a towel and water on hand. Be smart about it but don't slack off either. Do the workout as best as you can, don't go for a world record on it. If you do it in multiple workouts, see how fast you can do it (within solid form and not having a heart attack). Also don't do this if you've never done step ups and/or Hindu Squats before, if you do, you're going to find out how hard it is to even walk the next day, let alone feel like an old man with legs ready to fall off. Train with intent and preparedness. This goes beyond just leg training, it's a full body workout and do your best to keep your body relaxed but not so loose you're like a worm. 

Best of luck and keep being amazingly awesome.  

Step Ups In The Most Unexpected Place

 Yesterday I ordered a series of videos from a pro wrestling website called RF Video where you can buy digital videos of classic matches, interviews, training sessions and events with more wrestlers than you can name. The series I got was from ECW Legend Taz showing various things from his Wrestling School. In this series, he doesn't show how to take bumps and running through the ropes and all that, believe it or not, he shows how to do takedowns like in the old school style that's also used in Amateur Wrestling, Judo, Greco-Roman and the Japanese Style; the next video is on Submissions which I found really interesting and shows both real and show holds ranging from Ankle Locks, Figure Fours, Arm Bars and a lot more. The last video is on Stretching, Mobility & Conditioning which was mostly very basic stuff.

Now for those who've lived under a rock, Taz in his prime was a backbone of ECW's heyday where Hardcore matches were in practically every match and was the underbelly of the Attitude Era that Paul Heyman ran for a number of years. Taz was one of the few wrestlers in that organization that actually had legit wrestling and judo under his belt and was the king of suplexes and various submissions. The closest to him in that time with technical knowledge was probably Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero and maybe Dean Malenko. If you ever watch highlights, you'll see that his character was a tough son of a bitch that could throw you as well as make you work using wrestling. 

I've seen training videos of various pro wrestling schools and almost all of them show some of the same stuff from working a match to some segments of conditioning; this however was closer to MMA and pure wrestling that can be used in real life, yes there are show holds in Taz's highlights throughout the series but his style is about as real as it gets down to what is right and wrong with a move especially on the takedowns. Taz was also one of those guys that wasn't a big dude in comparison to guys like the Dudley Boys, Stone Cold, The Rock or Undertaker; he was roughly 5'8 and no more than 235-240. What he lacked in size, he made up for intensity and using wrestling as a means to make matches look just badass. 

In the Conditioning series, he takes you and his students through various stretches and mobility drills. Some are a little fast for most to keep up with and is really vague on most of them but it still holds true regardless. The "drills" he puts them through most these days can figure out especially if you're an MMA fighter or an upcoming pro wrestler but the one exercise I didn't expect to see him put his students through was the Step Ups. Granted these are done on a high bench but it's interesting how he uses Step Ups to condition his guys. He talks about putting them through up to 45 min of Step Ups which at a decent clip in a row (depending on the height you use) is roughly around 1000 reps but he takes things a step further so do speak as the guys work the exercise, he'll blow a whistle while one guy goes in the ring and does other hard drills for a minute or more while the rest do Step Ups. Whistle blows for the next guy to come in and so on and so forth to really make them blow up. If a student starts to get lazy or is acting like a chump, Taz will have them hold a folded chair on their arms while their arms are straight out and have them do step ups with that chair until the exercise is done or have to go in the ring. 

That is some nasty training and if you're doing drills, squats, bumps, falls and running the ropes on top of that; it makes you think twice about training at that school. I don't think the school is around anymore and Taz had a podcast for a while and did commentary for AEW for a period. I didn't know much about him when he came to WWE at the Royal Rumble in 2001, I saw some matches he did for ECW but I wasn't into that stuff as much back then. Once I studied him and his matches, it changed my perspective and he was legitimately one of the toughest guys in the business in his time. Trained by Hall Of Famer Johnny Rodz in New York, he made an impact on the business from more of an underground stand point because he wasn't flashy and had some weird gimmick that made him millions, he was primitive, old school, tough, look like he can snap your bones in half and had some crazy strength for a guy his size. 

My respect for him amped up a bit more when I saw that he used Step Ups because if you pay attention to some of the stuff they do with Pro Wrestlers, Step Ups isn't one of those exercises that they use; you're talking more of the Japanese Style Karl Gotch perfected with the Hindu Squats, Push-ups, Bridges, Lunges, Ring Sprints and others. This was unique to see. So if someone like Taz uses that exercise to make students bust their ass, you know for sure this isn't some "Lazy's Man Leg Training" that some "Bodyweight Exercise Guru" likes to push on.  

Thought I'd share this little review and keep being amazingly awesome.