Does Vascularity Determine How Strong You Are?

 When we see those influencers on Instagram or the ads on Facebook and YouTube, are they as strong or as fit as they claim? Most of the time, not necessarily. They look great (to an extent) and I admire the hard work they put in but looking good and actually being strong and fit are entirely different things. Sometimes it's more of an illusion to convince people to follow them in order to build a "Brand" but those that actually give a damn about teaching others to get strong and fit are few and far between.

One of the common things we see in magazines and videos of those who are training hard are those who have every muscle and/or vein popping out of their skulls showing these angles of making people believe what they're seeing is something so hardcore and show what strength they may possess. It's not always easy to read between the lines but they're there especially those who use fake weights. Vascularity most of the time really only shows a certain level of bodyfat that has been lowered. Having visible veins in most cases are from Bodybuilders which in reality are not very strong guys. Having extremely low bodyfat can actually be very dangerous as can having an extremely high level of bodyfat (ever see the 1000 lb sisters). It's damaging to the organs and is at high risk for problems not just internally but on the outside as well.

There's also a difference in having visibly powerful veins and having steel like cords that determine someone's strength. If you took let's say Dennis Rogers and some 185 lb Physique Mr. Olympia contestant, which one do you think has a better strength ratio in comparison to their body type? For those who may not know, Dennis Rogers is pound for pound the strongest man of his time. He looks like an ordinary guy but his strength is anything but. He can bend the toughest wrenches into an S, tear the thickest phonebooks, shape steel like a clown shapes balloons, tears decks of cards like sheets of paper and pound nails into thick pieces of wood like a hammer. One look at him without ever knowing what he's capable of, you'd think he's just one of those guys you see often on the street with a pair of glasses on with a t-shirt and jeans. 

What does constitute with demonstrating strength? Moving heavy weights can be a factor and it doesn't matter if you're a 165 lbs skinny guy or a 300-400 lb beast. Bending steel takes a great deal of strength and maybe 1-50,000 bodybuilders today can maybe do a little of that and I'm being generous about that statement, carrying moderate weight for long periods of time shows great strength endurance, slamming tires with sledgehammers more than 40 lbs shows incredible strength and doing other things. Strength in this case is about what you can do as oppose to just looking like it and having the illusion of strength. That's not to say some people with heavy visible veins aren't strong, look at Arm Wrestlers and muscular Sprinters and Football Players. Being vascular is not the complete determining factor of how fit and strong you are. There's also nothing wrong with showing results and becoming fit with an awesome body but to just show your vascularity and not your strength to go with it, it's just that, a picture of how veiny you are. 

Be as strong as you look or give off that vibe of "looks can be deceiving" and be deceptively strong despite not always having a strong looking body. Take care of yourself and keep being amazingly awesome.  

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Hercules Pre-Workout Formula

Why Hybrid & Overcoming Isometrics Are So Damn Effective

 

The bulk of my training, at least 70% of it is Isometric Training working exercises from all sorts of angles and using my bodyweight, a strap, a hand towel and a wooden dowel as equipment. The rest of the time, I just pick and choose various things like step-ups, loaded carries, hammers, mace and resistance bands. When it comes down to it, Isometrics is the most versatile form of Physical Culture. You can do them practically anywhere and just about a limitless variety of exercises that can stretch the imagination. 

My favorite forms of Isometrics are the Overcoming & Hybrid variety. For those wondering what these are, Overcoming Isometrics are exercises where you push/pull/squat against an immoveable object such as a strap, a wall or using your own bodyweight. A Hybrid is a combination of both Overcoming & Yielding Isometrics where you do an exercise such as a Push-up, Pull-Up or Squat that tackles the immoveable format while fighting against gravity. To learn more about Hybrids, check out the book Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project. These forms create what I call the Game Genie of Strength Training (In other words a cheat code) to develop strength that not only can be utilized maximally but also doesn't put wear and tear on your joints while also developing a powerful physique.

The results you see above are just part of the journey of my fitness career and one that has helped me heal injuries when needed and to build strength in the tendons and ligaments to sustain a strong skeletal structure. Isometrics are so damn effective because of the intensity you can put into it and create workouts that are short and to the point without needing to do hundreds of reps of anything unless that's your choice to go for. They provide a structure of being utilized as a warm-up to get the muscles ready for dynamic movements but also as a cool-down or finisher to keep yourself strong and energized after a hard workout. By themselves they're incredible for those days where you don't want to do a whole lot but can get plenty done and depending on the intensity, you'll feel it almost immediately when done right.

I try to keep the exercises to a minimum working as many muscle groups as possible without tiring out. Hitting the arms hard with curls and Hybrid Push-Ups, work the back doing mainly deadlifts and various rows, shoulders are bow and arrow pulls and overhead presses, legs are wall sits and Zercher Squats, Chest are also done with the Hybrid Push-up & Hybrid Plank along with The Crossover using the Iso-Bow and the Core is pure Bodyweight doing Gymnastic type Isometric Contractions such as the Hollow & Arch Body Holds, Side Planks, Dead Bug Crunch & the Side Bends. All in all, a workout varies from 5-20 min depending what I want to do that day. To make the intensity effective and efficient, I do the classic "SSSS" sound on the exhale for the 7-12 seconds or until the breath is completely done. 

I like the Yielding Isometrics which is basically fighting against gravity and just holding a position with less intensity which I do from time to time such as Fist Planks, Horse Stance, Iso Pull-Ups, Lunges and the Gymnastic/Wrestler's Bridges. They're awesome for building strength and endurance in certain positions and sure as hell are great for flexibility but the Overcoming versions always made me feel tighter, faster and gives me greater focus on what I want to work on. When I really focus on them, I always also feel lighter and leaner. You do have to be careful however because if you go too hard for too long, they can wipe you out and tax the CNS so be sure to recover when needed. You can do them everyday just vary the intensity. 

They're also very effective because it doesn't also rely sole on strength, they can have a cardio effect too because you can blast through a ten minute workout and feels like you ran sprints because of the jacked heart rate. When you contract hard and put as much as you can into it, you can be breathing hard after just a few seconds and need to recover. With less intensity, you hold for let's say a minute or more and slowly but surely your heart rate goes up and the lactic acid builds up after a bit (try doing the Hybrid Push-up or Squat for a minute and see what happens). I've done a Hybrid Push-Up for a little over a minute and was breathing hard like I just ran a 10 second sprint, it is that intense. 

In Overcoming Isometrics, the author throws in the scientific analysis along with the compartments of the various chains (Push, Pull ect) that equip the level of intensity and strength needed to make a workout effective. Now many know that Isometrics have been around forever yet is still so underrated because it's not fancy or so complex like with other Mainstream Fitness Formats. The real key here, is the simplicity in how you train the muscles to contract along with low-skilled exercises that just about anybody can do. 

When it comes to equipment, there isn't a whole lot you need but if you want to add variety to get the most out of your Isometric Training, you can use the Rings, The Worldfit Iso Trainer, The Iso-Bow or the Swisses Pull-Up Handles. Just these few alone can provide more exercises than you can name. BTW, when you click on the rings and pull-up handles, there's a special discount in it for you when you punch in POWERANDMIGHT at checkout, just FYI.

Get the most out of your training with little equipment and build incredible strength and power that gives you explosiveness, agility, endurance and mobility in your other endeavors such as sports or other recreation. Be amazingly awesome and keep the journey going.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Reishi Mushroom

Isometric Strength For Stronger Pull-Ups

 A key ingredient to become strong in an exercise (depending on the level of advancement) is build strength in various positions to get the full benefit of it such as various Push-Ups or in this case Pull-Ups. Some don't have the strength to even get an inch and just get stuck there. Now this isn't on the aspects of "Isolating" the muscles by doing a lot of movements for one specific exercise but by utilizing the power of Isometrics. We can build some incredible pulling strength using Isometric Exercises. 

Do we have to get the chin over the bar in order to make the pull-up count? Yes and no depending on who you talk to. Some will say very much so and they're right, yet also, depending on a person's body type and the way their arms are, it's a matter of perspective. I have struggled myself getting the chin over the bar and have stopped right at the chin mark. I'm better at Chin-ups than regular Pull-ups which I know I can improve on using Isometrics as a progression tool to get stronger at them. I just never made it a priority until I decided to do so once the weather warms up. 

The layers of positioning for Isometric Pull-ups can vary but the main areas are the dead hang, middle and at chin or over chin level. Steve Justa's Isometric Style was to do 8 layers or so of building strength for certain exercises like Squats, Push-ups, Arm Wrestling and other things. It worked for him as he was by far one of the most underrated Strongmen in history doing partials with weights most can't even fathom and had such arm and leg power through Isometrics that if you were to arm wrestle him or try to shove him, even a few inches would be a miracle since he was so damn solid even at his heaviest. This kind of protocol may not work for others because it can be time consuming with the amount of various Pull-Ups to work on. 

Pulling movements help with the balancing of the musculature in order to be efficient in performing better. You can get away with Pushing stuff for so long before you start to have caved in chest. Push-Ups can do wonders but they won't give you that full "Wingspan" of a back. Isometrics for the back utilizing all sorts of directions can aid in building that Pull-Up Strength. It is possible for big guys to do Pull-ups, it's just harder in most cases and not always because they may be fat and all that, some muscleheads have awesome pulling strength but many can barely get over the middle part. Some guys can be over 300 lbs and get their chin over the bar which in itself is impressive and doesn't need to do a ton of reps to prove it. 

You can do Aussie Pull-Up Isometrics, Angled Body Rows using Rings or Straps, working neutral grip, hands facing away, hands facing you, mixed grips, all can be done using Isometrics. When you strengthen those layers and practice moving, it builds strength in those weak points. Yielding & Overcoming Isometrics work well but personally I believe Overcoming can give you the best advantage. With Overcoming, you can stand on a stool or have a bar that can be adjusted to various heights without having to hang from it. I have a door hanging Pull-Up bar that I can just stand under and Pull from all sorts of grips and stand on a stool for the middle and upper portions. 

The Yielding Isometrics can be trickier but doable because you're literally hanging and pulling up to a certain position, you can stop at certain points but you may not last long in that position. The best start is from the deadhang which is a great exercise on its own. You can make it an Overcoming by pulling up to a certain position and contract all the muscles in that position. I learned that from Ed Baran's Primate Power Course. Another idea is what's called a Hybrid Isometric where you get the best of both world's at the same time. A hybrid is when you fight gravity but also keeping position in a immoveable fashion. If you took a strap between the two poles of a pull-up apparatus and pull yourself up until the strap stops your feet and you can't go any further, that's a hell of a way to build strength right there. If you want to learn more about this, check out the book Overcoming Isometrics by Red Delta Project, there's an entire chapter showing and describing Hybrid Isometrics. 

Although there's variety here, you're also getting an understanding of basic fundamentals on Isometric Training and how they can improve your movements using bits and pieces of strengthening the weak points. I'll be using this myself in my training and get better at doing pull-ups. If there's anyone who can teach you the true aspects of Pull-up Training it's Mike The Machine Bruce, a former Marine and Submission Wrestling Champion who's got not only the world's strongest neck but has a back that looks like it was carved from granite with a ripped to shreds physique. The other is Matt Schifferle of Red Delta Project who's incredible knowledge with DIY equipment and Strength Building Training personifies the modern day Physical Culturist that can help you fill in gaps in your arsenal and shoot them into the stratosphere using simplistic and low-skilled strength and conditioning exercises. 

Get stronger in whatever it is you want to do and make the most of what's possible and suitable to your needs and goals. Pull your weight and keep being amazingly awesome. 

BTW if you click on the link where it says Rings, you can get a cool 10% Discount when you punch in the code POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. My gift to you. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Nettle Root Tincture

A Micro Workout For The Core

 When I trained at the gym back in my teens, I had no idea what Core Training meant or even understood the importance of it since all I knew back then was if you were to develop abs you had to do hundreds of crunches, that's really all I did for my abs. Although I did lift and all that, I rarely ever focused on the abs or obliques. Paid a price for it a time or two. When I transitioned to Bodyweight Exercises, it became very clear that there was more to Core Training than just upper abs, lower abs, obliques and lower back individually. They needed to be trained as a unit in order to perform better.

My first taste of really tackling those muscles was the bridging from Combat Conditioning and from there, I started gaining strength and flexibility in that area. I got Combat Abs and was learning the basic exercises from there, the next course I used in Core Training was Gymnastic Abs that Ed Baran put out which became a favorite. It had some cool stuff and really helped strengthen areas I was lacking from the others. It kept going from there.

One of the things that really tested my Core Strength and flexibility was doing the Bridging Gymnastics where you would fall back into a bridge, kick over and kick back. I was never into the Human Flag or those crazy barstarzz workouts but the Bridging Gymnastics was pretty fun to do. At a point in time, I was doing workouts 2-3x a week where I would do kickovers and flipping back on my head and hands in the bridge up to I think 30 reps in a workout and that was exhausting as hell. I stopped after a while and moved onto more of the Power Wheel, Ab Isometrics and Animal Movements.

Over the last few years, training the Core comes and goes and I'll do things like Bridging, V-Ups, various holds, the Ab Wheels to the point where I managed to do one standing rollout and back (haven't been able to do it since so maybe it's time to train that again), farmer's carries and hoisting up the 50 lb sandbell many times. I don't train necessarily for a 6 pack (not really my thing) but for function and resilient to injury as much as possible. One workout I've done on a few occasions is a Tabata Style Isometric workout that I learned from the Red Delta Project which you can find here...It's intense and it's only 4 minutes long. Another that I tried out was not only just as intense but I did it a little differently to make it interesting.....

It's based on the Gymnastic Abs exercises I learned and made them into a Tabata Workout with a 1 min finisher. It's very simple and you can do them in the beginning stages or advanced, depending on where you are.

Hollow Body Hold for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Side Plank (Start whatever side you want) for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Arch Body Hold for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Side Plank (Opposite side) for 20 seconds

Rest 10

Repeat this 1 more time for a total of 4 minutes. The finisher is 1 minute of V-Ups using as good form as possible on the reps. If you have the control, keep the legs as straight as possible with little to no bend in the knees and arms straight overhead. All together, this really is a 5 minute workout you can do practically anywhere and gives you a Core quite a kick. This is great if you're short on time or want something done quick before whatever it is you're doing. If you're ambitious and have enough strength, do the Iso Holds and V-Ups but add in the Gymnastic Bridge to really stretch the abs, spine and everything else. Just hold as long as you can even if its for less than 10 seconds, add 1-5 seconds per workout until you can do a minute or more. Including rest time, you can get a complete Core Workout in under 10 minutes. If you have progressed to more advanced holds and movements, work them in or do a workout on their own. It's up to you.

Hundreds of Crunches & Sit-Ups can get boring and some exercises can put a damper on your spine and neck so utilize Holds & Movements that help strengthen those areas instead of hurting them. A strong Core doesn't need to be a 6 pack, but strong enough to take a hit and/or perform better with all your other exercises along with resistant to injury. Having a bad back is no joke I've been there and it can be painful as hell and it becomes much more common as we get older, train your abs with intensity beyond just the muscles, strengthen the lower back, obliques and groin area (save the jokes). You don't need to do hundreds of reps of an exercise unless you have a goal in mind.

Build that Core, stay strong and keep being amazingly awesome. Looking for workout ideas to build your abs? Check out the Darebee Ab Workouts for FREE!!! Some of the best exercises for building Core Strength is from Movement 20XX from Vahva Fitness.

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Horny Goat Weed

Putting The "Free" In Freedom Of Exercise

 From a training perspective, spending time on it should be the only thing that costs you but alas the reality is, in order to train successfully, it does cost some dough if you want to learn from the best. However, investing in a course that gives you the real freedom to move and do some cool stuff is as great as you can get. That doesn't mean the quality of a course is equal to the investment you put in. 

When you research and find top quality information, it's important to be vigilant in how you proceed with that investment. If you're looking for top quality courses on a budget, check out my Fitness Courses For Under $10 article for some bad ass info that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Now, if you got enough saved up to where you're looking for long term training that keeps going without having to invest more than you need to, this is where it can get interesting. I've invested in many courses over the years and at this point, very few utilize the best quality of not just exercises and routines but how to apply them outside of their given program. 

I firmly believe whatever you choose to invest in, make the most of it if possible otherwise you spent your hard earned money on something that looks promising but is pure shit. Think about this for a second, there are books out there that costs on average of 35-250 dollars for a KINDLE on only training specific body parts or specific exercises at a time like one for squats, one for push-ups, one on pull-ups, one on just calisthenics alone and one on jump roping. Don't get me started on the paperbacks or hardcovers, it's ridiculous. The cost effectiveness isn't really there for somebody even if they're willing to put in the work, you might as well take out a mortgage to pay for all that. The guy selling them is also kind of what you call skinny fat, he "can" do these things but has a look that is relatively unappealing and some of the time looks like a hobo with fancy shades on. 

When it comes to cost effective and long term programming, I have found that very few can match the likes of Vahva Fitness. It's one of the best quality of training information around today. Once you buy a program, it's there for life and doesn't require much if at all to pay for more when they do addons with that specific program. Movement 20XX for example shows you how to progressively get better at various movements using nothing more than your own bodyweight. It has calisthenics, it has animal style movements, it has isometric type training and teaches you how to tie them all in together inside of one program. You get flow routines, animal movements you can do exclusively, push-up training to build up to levels of crawling, flexibility training, monthly workout routines and a hell of a lot more. This is all you can have with the cost of a one year membership to a typical gym. This alone would set you pretty much for life when it comes to bodyweight training.

Warrior 20XX is a course that creates more specific routines based on the type of goals you're looking for (Strength, Fat Burning, Muscle Density and others). You get to pick and choose whether to train 2x a week or more if you wish and learn exercises for specific body parts to train. It isn't the same as bodybuilding or purely "isolated" movements, everything comes into play but you target certain muscles more than others which can strengthen your weak points to create a complete physique. You can choose to do bodyweight, use a dumbbell or a kettlebell to do the exercises and routines, you can even create your own workouts once you mastered the basics and progressions. Along with all that, there are Bonus Routines with exercises and minimal equipment not shown in the main program which doesn't cost you a thing to learn. 

Athlete 20XX is just about as bad ass as you can get when it comes to specific training for conditioning and sports specific type training for beginners, intermediate and advanced routines. It goes into phases to give you the best progressions possible without the wear and tear on your joints and utilize the quality of speed, strength, mobility, performance and more. It focus on keeping the core tight to be most efficient with the exercises you are performing. 

Just one of these individually can do wonders for your health, fitness and physique. The guy who does all of these programs is not only fit like a Greek god but can go and has stupid conditioning and long term strength. One of the bonus routines he does is taken from a wrestling workout from Finland that has conditioned the very best athletes of that country. If you want to save more in the long run, getting all three programs is the best option. It may seem expensive but if you look at it from a perspective, that cost is a lifetime guarantee. They truly give you the freedom of training as you can create your own programs using one or all three throughout the week, one for one week, one for another or mesh-up anyway you see fit. Make it your own and build your own style. Learn new exercises as they come up and never have to worry about monthly fees or annual fees that can hinder your finances. 

Remember about the cost of the kindle books I mentioned earlier? The same guy that sells them, also has a "forum" or "membership program that costs around 1200 bucks annually, for a 5 year term, that's around 6000 out of your pocket. If you get all 3 Vahva Fitness courses, that's it, you don't need to pay more than what you're getting and be set for life, once again, no annual fees. Check it out for yourself, believe me when I tell you, these are a hell of a better investment than most and as a practitioner of Movement 20XX, you can learn some of the best movements on the planet and find your creative side that builds you flexibility in your spine, easy or hard beastly moves that take your strength to another level and create flows that tackle your conditioning to its very core without counting reps or sets. 

Be free to make your own style and invest in YOU without any financial burdens later on. Be amazingly awesome and move with grace, power and athletically strong. 

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Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Rhodiola 

Sandbells & Kettlebells: A Lethal Combo For Destructive Strength

What we have on hand can be a great asset to what we want to achieve when it comes to building strength. One of those tools is the Kettlebell and thanks to Onnit, I have one of the coolest kettlebells on the planet and that's one in the shape of Darth Vader (yep, even Star Wars nerds train). I think the company stopped selling their Star Wars line a while ago because of limited supply for a brief period. It weighs a whopping 70 lbs and one of my personal favorites for Presses, Farmer's Walks, One Arm High Pulls and a couple others. 

Most who train with Kettlebells don't use more than a 53 lber which in most cases is more than enough to build some crazy strength and conditioning with. Any higher is more in the pure strength department and I'm in awe of guys who can do just about anything with a 100 lber. Think one of the few people to ever juggle one is John Brookfield who's about as strong as you can get. With the 70, it's a great implement to use every now and then especially for demos since it's the Dark Lord of the Sith and Star Wars is the GOAT of all Franchises (sorry Marvel, DC, LOTR, Star Trek NOT SORRY!!). 

Kettlebells have been around for more than a century and have been used by some of the strongest and incredibly fit athletes of all time. Valery Fedorenko ranks right up there, Steve Cotter is probably one of the best instructors in the field and Bud Jeffries was probably the greatest natural lifter to use a kettlebell up to 150 lb or more for reps. One of the greatest feats (somebody might correct me on this) that a kettlebell was used in was the Two Hands Anyhow that Arthur Saxon performed with a 350 lb Bent Press and a 98 lb kettlebell Clean & Press totaling 448 lbs in a sequence, no one has come close to matching that.

When it comes to the Sandbell, it's one of the most versatile implements around today. The combination of a Sandbag, Medicine Ball, Kettlebell & Slam Ball provides a near limitless supply of exercises you can come up with. I've been using it more in my demos lately because it's such a fun implement to use and safe to use on just about any surface that doesn't have something sharp to puncture the bag. From Squats to Presses, Windmills, Shoulder to Shoulder Carries, Snatches, Slams, Flipping & Catching whatever your imagination can come up with. Sandbags are extremely bad ass for conditioning because of the live weight as it shifts almost like moving a body around (not that is a good idea unless you're a wrestler or MMA fighter) but can strengthen the body using awkward angles and learning to expect the unexpected.

One workout that is very simple but effective is doing loaded carries with the Sandbell and going for as many yards as you can in total. I did this for a total of 1000 yards (just over half a mile) in around 20 minutes carrying the bell for 50 yards on my left shoulder, 50 bear hugging it and 50 on the right shoulder. Continue doing that until you've reached 900 yards and do the last 100 doing 50 for each shoulder. It hits a lot of muscles and tackles your strength endurance, grip strength, balance and your conditioning. The idea is to never rest...You pick it up, shoulder it, carry it for x amount of yards, drop it, pick up and bear hug it x amount of yards, drop it and pick it up shoulder it and carry. One of those workouts that tackles real life where you have to carry furniture, potato sacks or flour to and from a truck for an extended period of time. 

Another good workout is to do Farmer's Carries with a kettlebell by walking it in one hand for x amount of yards, put it down and switch hands, walk it, put it down and do Step Ups or Squats for x mount of reps. Set a timer and work this sequence until the timer ends. I've done this for sets of 20 yards with the bell and 20 Step-Ups for up to 20 min or more non stop. This builds incredible strength in your grip, leg conditioning, balance and stamina. Like the title says, these tools can build some destructive strength that can be a great asset for sports training, labor conditioning, bone strengthening and lots of other benefits. 

If you didn't have any other equipment, these two can be still be made to have the workout of your life. It's an idea where you don't always need a gym to get something cooking and build strength that very few possess. You want to be strong from many angles and doing so that doesn't cause injury or lessens the chance of an injury. These implements also develop incredible explosive strength as well.

Check out some of the videos below for some ideas you can use in your own workouts. I would caution you that some of these may be too difficult so if you're not sure about them, go with your instincts and don't do them. I would also advise to use lighter weights for most of these because it does take some strength and coordination as it is and to do these with heavier implements can be a total mind fuck. 

One Arm Kettlebell Presses

Sandbell Clean & Squat

Sandbell Windmills

Sandbell Slams

Kettlebell Push-Outs

Kettlebell Curl With Hand Towel

An Advanced Movement Of Sandbell & Kettlebell Combo

There you have it and do what's possible for you to do. Don't use heavy weights for the sake of it, it took me a while to build up to these and only did a few of these moves only recently these are just demos. Have fun and make your workouts interesting. Use your imagination and as long as you stick to the basics, that's really all you need. Be mindful and practice. Keep being amazingly awesome in your endeavors. 

Fitness Courses For Under $10

 When you're on a budget, priorities need to be in order to make things efficient. When it comes to fitness, it's best to keep things to a minimal utilizing basic exercises and routines that suit your needs without resorting to buying into the crap of needing this set up or this amount of equipment to fulfil the goals of getting fit and healthy. This holds true for those that sell fitness courses that showcase the best resources of information and training programs while on a budget. 

Although what I promote can be bought on Kindle, it's important to look at things from a perspective that some may not realize. These are options you can have, not always a necessity but to find the best resources within your way of saving some moolah. Not everyone can afford a fitness book that costs more than a weekly grocery trip and doesn't utilize the quality and structure needed to give you the best chance at being fit. Seriously, who the hell would really pay $150 for a book ($49 on KINDLE) when you can grab 5 kindle books or several paperbacks for the same price and not only get far better quality, but far greater information on the subject and have a better variety of exercises that not only build muscle but can build strength in ways others couldn't.

One of my favorite Authors in the last couple years has been Matt Schifferle who's approach to muscle building is not only top notch but has incredible enthusiasm and an honest direct attitude. He's mainly in the business of utilizing bodyweight training with minimal equipment of no more than a suspension trainer and an Isometric Strap most of the time that pits you into the realm of creating a physique that is strong but well conditioned using tactics that focus on tension. All of his courses on Kindle are under 10 bucks and provide the best quality of training information, scientific analysis, simplicity and how to control your body and not just show an exercise for the sake of exercise. His paperbacks are mainly in the 25 Dollar range but they're still very well written and bring a more positive approach to fitness and not acting like some jerk who thinks putting people down is a good idea to put in a book. 

Another author who I greatly admire and have bought from over the years is Brooks Kubik who's a modern day historian into the old school style of training that took strongmen, bodybuilders, everyday people and combat athletes to the moon and beyond. Dinosaur Training is one of the best books when it comes to training in the last near 30 years since its inception in 1996. Since that time, he's written countless articles, newsletters and many books to training for the best quality of life and health. In his mid 60's now, he's changed his approach over the years to showcase the adaptation of training hard while also keeping your bones and muscles strong as you get older. The man is built like a tank and trains on the freaking beach using logs to carry, drag, curl, squat and other things that give him incredible strength and bone thickening power. He mainly sells books on Kindle that are all under $10 and has information on nutrition, classic exercises and routines of the old timers, training for combat sports, training for those in their 40's, 50's and beyond with a hell of a lot more. Highly recommend him.

Last one would be a rugged and stupid strong of a guy named Josh Bryant who's mainly known for his Jailhouse Strong & Gas Station Ready approach to intense training that (like Brooks Kubik) utilizes old school tactics and programs that will put you into the ranks of some strong and tough motherfuckers. I've used his Sprint Training  program a time or two and its simplicity is just awesome. For a man his size to haul ass and run hard up hills is incredible to watch. He's built like a lineman with the speed of a linebacker and the crazy strength of a powerlifter. He utilizes bodyweight, weight training, speed training, sandbags, kettlebells and overall an all-around approach to strength and conditioning using historical references and training protocols of the old timers. His courses on Kindle are all under 10 bucks and takes in the nonsense and rugged style to another level. Talk about a no bullshitter. His knowledge ranks up there with the best today. 

I wouldn't ever tell you guys how to spend your money, that's not my call and you make the choices of what works best for you. I want to give you options that are out there and can give you top notch information that is simple, in your face and make you feel like you can take on the world. It's bad enough when you have snakes who try to con you out of your hard earned money that is cheap quality and full of bashing yet BELIEVE it should be this "golden" nugget of training when in reality, it's pure shit. Trust me you're far better off with the guys above alone than the majority out there. 

Be amazingly awesome and I wish you nothing but success in your endeavors and I'll do what I can to help you find the best resources that are affordable and high quality. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Bacopa